Artificial intelligence – or AI – is receiving increasing attention for its rapid development and potential to change society. Researchers are working hard to develop its capabilities, while regulators are racing to ensure it is managed and governed properly. But what do we mean by AI, and how can we define such a complex term? In a recent paper, Professor Pei Wang at Temple University argues that the lack of an agreed definition makes it difficult for policymakers to assess what AI will be capable of in the near future, or even which kinds of AI are desirable. To combat this, he discusses what makes a robust definition, and suggests his own.

Tuberculosis – or TB – is a global health threat, with 10 million new cases annually. Diagnosing TB can be a challenge, as there is a lack of rapid, point-of-care diagnostic tests. It can also be difficult to distinguish between TB and other inflammatory diseases, such as Sarcoidosis. One option may be to identify antibodies in patient samples that can reveal the presence of TB. However, current antibody tests for TB lack accuracy. Professor Lobelia Samavati and colleagues at the Wanye State University School of Medicine in Michigan are tackling this challenge to cast light on the immune signature of these diseases. Their aim is to develop new diagnostic techniques for TB and Sarcoidosis.

Businesses today exist in a changing world, which brings both opportunities for growth and increasingly complex challenges. To survive and thrive, organisations need a robust understanding of HR management. In their research, Professor Xiaobei Li and her colleagues at various universities, including University of New South Wales, Arizona State University and Peking University, recently explored how organisations can motivate their staff to ensure high-quality performance.

India has seen impressive economic and institutional growth in recent years, but the country isn’t yet meeting its full potential. In a world that is increasingly volatile and uncertain, how can India overcome its challenges and ensure resilience into the future? In her recent work, Professor Uma Lele explores various ways that India can achieve this.

Policy decisions are influenced by many factors, from the ideology of the policymaker and their advisors to political expediency. Most would also agree that key political decisions should be evidence-based. However, this is easier said than done. Understanding what evidence policymakers need, and how they should evaluate this, is key for more robust decision-making.

Cum-ex trading in European markets has been widespread, in which investors wrongfully receive refunds on dividend withholding tax they have never paid. Moritz Wagner and Xiaopeng Wei at the University of Canterbury and Adelaide recently explored the extent of this trading practice and its impact on markets and tax revenues.

Experienced engineers are typically equipped with advanced technical knowledge and a unique professional skillset. These skillskets are often paried with impressive intuition, which allows engineers to devise solutions to complex real-world problems. Engineering faculty at Bucknell University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and The Ohio State University recently engaged in important research to further our understanding of intuition in engineering practice.

Foreign direct investment occurs when a resident in one economy invests in and establishes significant influence over an enterprise in another economy. In a changing geopolitical landscape, the EU and its member states have introduced novel mechanisms for screening foreign direct investment for national security risks. However, these mechanisms vary substantially in how they operate. In a recent study, Professor Sarah Bauerle Danzman at Indiana University and Professor Sophie Meunier at Princeton University explore the factors that explain this. They also highlight key policy implications in this shift towards a more assertive EU investment policy.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a common and potentially dangerous condition that increases the risk of many severe medical issues, including heart disease, heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and kidney disease. Dr Abayomi Sanusi, a researcher at the University of York, recently carried out a study exploring how faith-based institutions could encourage their community members to adopt healthy behaviours that can reduce hypertension.

The Scottish Highlands are known as an area of great natural beauty. One notable aspect of the area’s ecology is the relative lack of trees and woodland. In recent years, there have been concerted efforts to introduce more trees. However, Dr James Fenton argues that this fundamentally misunderstands Scotland’s environmental history, imposes southern ideas on the northern landscape, and risks undermining the unique ecology of the Highlands.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people across the globe changed the way they worked, to comply with social distancing measures. Many people worked from home, and attended meetings virtually using videoconferencing platforms. Dr Eva Straus, Dr Lars Uhlig, Professor Jana Kühnel, and Professor Christian Korunka at the University of Vienna recently carried out a diary-based study exploring the wellbeing, perceived productivity, and professional engagement of remote workers during the pandemic.

The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals outline the massive challenges humanity must face to survive on Planet Earth in the 21st Century. All knowledge and experiences accumulated by human societies across time and space could be essential to address these grand challenges. Thus, we should find a way to make this knowledge readily available wherever and whenever decision-makers, heritage stakeholders, and scholars might need it. Professor Andrea Nanetti, an award-winning and internationally recognised expert in Digital Humanities, recently published an open-access paper exploring the opportunities and challenges of using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to leverage human heritage and empower societies to see beyond what is thinkable.

Fibromyalgia is a relatively common and yet poorly understood condition characterised by chronic diffuse pain and stiffness, chronic fatigue, poor sleep and cognitive difficulties. Ria Nishikawara at the University of British Columbia and her collaborators Dr Izabela Schultz, Dr Lee Butterfield, and John Murray, carried out a study exploring the unique healthcare experiences of patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Their aim was to determine what patients found most helpful and how the available services could be improved.

South Africa’s post-apartheid foreign policy has largely emphasised state-led continental political and economic integration. However, little attention has been paid to the influence of the country’s multinational corporations – or ‘MNCs’ – in this process. MNCs have indeed made an important contribution to increased integration across Africa, due to expansion strategies and the desire to increase market share. Dr Mpumelelo Mkhabela and Professor Christopher Changwe Nshimbi from the Centre for the Study of Governance Innovation at the University of Pretoria argue that we should do more to acknowledge this.

Dorothy Achu, Regional Malaria Adviser, WHO African Region. Aimable Mbituyumuremyi, Director, National Malaria Control Program, Ministry of Health, Rwanda. Adam Aspinall, Senior Director, Access and Product Management , and George Jagoe, Executive Vice-President, Medicines for Malaria Venture.

Osteoarthritis is a painful and progressive joint disorder that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Typically, the options for treating the condition involve exercise or medication to reduce pain. However, these methods do not target the underlying structural problems in the joints of patients. Recently, researchers have uncovered a genetic susceptibility to osteoarthritis associated with a protein called GDF5, which is involved in skeletal growth and development. Alongside a team of scientists across Europe, Dr Kerstin Kleinschmidt-Doerr at Merck has explored a modified form of the GDF5 protein, named R399E, which showed effects in animal models and in-vitro experiments for treating pain and the underlying structural problems in osteoarthritis.

Cases of type 2 diabetes are on the rise around the world, so gaining a deeper understanding of this chronic condition is vital to ensure early diagnosis and good outcomes for patients. Dr Xiaomu Li and her colleagues at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University are conducting important research to understand the risk factors associated with developing type 2 diabetes. Their findings will help healthcare providers to identify patients at high risk of diabetes, enabling early diagnosis and targeted interventions to prevent the development of the condition.

Studies suggest that children who rely more on vision from their left eye could be more likely to develop dyslexia if they learn to write using pathways in the right brain hemisphere. Dr David Mather, a researcher at the University of Victoria, recently published a paper reviewing these findings. He outlines a proposed approach to teaching writing skills that could prevent these children from developing dyslexia. This approach involves teaching children to write when they are 7 or 8 years old, when the human brain is better at mapping and memorising entire words.

Acute vestibular syndrome is one of the most common reasons people present at hospital with dizziness. The symptoms can arise from damage within the brain or the ear, and specialist medical knowledge or equipment is typically needed to determine the specific cause. Dr Nakatsuka from the University of Sydney in Australia has conducted a large-scale analysis and review of the published literature to determine whether well-trained emergency physicians can differentiate between the two causes, using a quick bedside physical examination without expensive special equipment.

Humans have driven dramatic environmental changes – most of which have a negative impact on us and other species. Today, we can only understand ecological systems by integrating the impacts of human activities, driven by our social systems. These social-ecological systems are dynamic, consisting of feedback loops and several interacting sub-systems – such as forests and agricultural production. The resilience of these systems is dependent on diversity – be it ecological or social. Beyond a certain point, a sub-system may cross a tipping point that changes the state of the whole system, potentially irreversibly, ushering in a new social-ecological state, which is typically less favourable than the former state. In recent research, an international team of experts has developed an advanced analytical framework to examine the tipping points within the social-ecological multiverse of the Southwestern Amazon.