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We Don’t Realize How Much Time We Spend With AI. Because It’s Hiding in Our Phones

If you ask most people how often they use AI, they’ll say something like: “I tried ChatGPT a couple of times” or “I don’t really use AI.” But look at their phone, and the story is completely different. Digital wellness platform Offline.now has found that we already spend about 10 of our 16 waking hours on screens, roughly 63% of our day. Founder Eli Singer calls AI “the shadow roommate inside those 10 hours”: invisible most of the time, but involved in more of our everyday taps and swipes than we realize. And we now have data to prove it. A recent Talker Research survey of 2,000 U.S. adults, commissioned by Samsung, found that 90% of Americans use AI features on their phones, but only 38% realize it. Common features like weather alerts, call screening, autocorrect, night-mode camera enhancements and auto-brightness are all powered by AI — yet more than half of respondents initially said they don’t use AI at all. Once shown a list of features, 86% admitted they use AI tools daily. (Lifewire) Singer sees this as a classic “confidence gap” problem applied to AI. Beyond the “invisible AI” on our phones, generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude and image generators are spreading fast. A nationally representative U.S. survey from Harvard’s Kennedy School and the Real-Time Population Survey found that by August 2024, about 39% of adults aged 18–64 were using generative AI. More than 24% of workers had used it at least once in the previous week, and nearly 1 in 9 used it every single workday. (NBER) Globally, usage is enormous. A World Bank backed analysis of online activity estimated that, as of March 2024, the top 40 generative AI tools attracted nearly 3 billion visits per month from hundreds of millions of users. ChatGPT alone commanded about 82.5% of that traffic. (Open Knowledge Repository) From a mental-health perspective, psychotherapist Harshi Sritharan, MSW, RSW says the issue isn’t just the number of visits, it’s the way AI subtly shapes the texture of our day. “Every autocorrect, every AI-sorted inbox, every ‘magic’ photo fix is a tiny cognitive hand-off,” she explains. “Individually they feel helpful. But taken together, they keep your brain in a constant state of micro-decisions and micro-rewards, which is exhausting, especially if you already struggle with ADHD, anxiety or overwhelm.” She points out that many of her clients only think of “AI time” as the hours they spend in a chatbot window. In reality, AI is involved when: Their phone decides which notifications to surface A map app reroutes them automatically Spam filters silently screen hundreds of emails “By the time they open a dedicated AI app, their nervous system has already been engaging with AI-driven features all day,” Sritharan says. “That’s part of why people end the day feeling tapped out but can’t quite explain why.” Singer worries that this “shadow AI” is quietly eating into the same finite resource Offline.now tracks with screens in general: attention. “We already know 10 hours a day on screens is unsustainable for our focus and our relationships,” he says. “Layer AI on top — systems designed to predict and nudge our behavior — and you’re not just losing time. You’re outsourcing micro-chunks of judgment, memory and choice without even noticing.” So how much time are people spending with AI? Right now, no one has a perfect number and that’s exactly the point. The best data we have suggests: Most smartphone users are already interacting with AI daily, whether they know it or not. (Lifewire) Roughly 4 in 10 U.S. adults now use generative AI, with a growing share using it at work every week or every day. (Harvard Kennedy School) Globally, billions of monthly visits are flowing into AI tools on top of our existing 10-hour screen days. (Open Knowledge Repository) “The future isn’t AI or no AI,” Singer says. “It’s: Can you be conscious about how you use it — instead of letting it hijack your attention and manage your life?” Featured Experts Eli Singer – Founder of Offline.now and author of Offline.now: A Practical Guide to Healthy Digital Balance. He brings proprietary behavioral data on screen time and digital overwhelm, and a framework (the Offline.now Matrix) for rebuilding confidence through 20-minute, real-world steps instead of all-or-nothing “detox” advice. Harshi Sritharan, MSW, RSW – Psychotherapist specializing in ADHD, anxiety and digital dependency. She explains how AI-assisted micro-tasks interact with dopamine, attention and overwhelm, and offers brain-friendly ways to renegotiate your relationship with both screens and AI. Expert interviews can be arranged through the Offline.now media team.

The AI Journal: UF and other research universities will fuel AI. Here’s why

In the global AI race between small and major competitors, established companies versus new players, and ubiquitous versus niche uses, the next giant leap isn’t about faster chips or improved algorithms. Where AI agents have already vacuumed up so much of the information on the internet, the next great uncertainty is where they’ll find the next trove of big data. The answer is not in Silicon Valley. It’s all across the nation at our major research universities, which are key to maintaining global competitiveness against China. To teach an AI system to “think” requires it to draw on massive amounts of data to build models. At a recent conference, Ilya Sutskever, the former chief scientist at OpenAI — the creator of ChatGPT — called data the “fossil fuel of AI.” Just as we will use up fossil fuels because they are not renewable, he said we are running out of new data to mine to keep fueling the gains in AI. However, so much of this thinking assumes AI was created by private Silicon Valley start-ups and the like. AI’s history is actually deeply rooted in U.S. universities dating back to the 1940s, when early research laid the groundwork for the algorithms and tools used today. While the computing power to use those tools was created only recently, the foundation was laid after World War II, not in the private sector but at our universities. Contrary to a “fossil fuel problem,” I believe AI has its own renewable fuel source: the data and expertise generated from our comprehensive public academic institutions. In fact, at the major AI conferences driving the field, most papers come from academic institutions. Our AI systems learn about our world only from the data we offer them. Current AI models like ChatGPT are scraping information from some academic journal articles in open-access repositories, but there are enormous troves of untapped academic data that could be used to make all these models more meaningful. A way past data scarcity is to develop new AI methods that leverage all of our knowledge in all of its forms. Our research institutions have the varied expertise in all aspects of our society to do this. Here’s just one example: We are creating the next generation of “digital twin” technology. Digital twins are virtual recreations of places or systems in our world. Using AI, we can develop digital twins that gather all of our data and knowledge about a system — whether a city, a community or even a person — in one place and allow users to ask “what if” questions. The University of Florida, for example, is building a digital twin for the city of Jacksonville, which contains the profile of each building, elevation data throughout the city and even septic tank locations. The twin also embeds detailed state-of-the-art waterflow models. In that virtual world, we can test all sorts of ideas for improving Jacksonville’s hurricane evacuation planning and water quality before implementing them in the actual city. As we continue to layer more data into the twin — real-time traffic information, scans of road conditions and more — our ability to deploy city resources will be more informed and driven by real-time actionable data and modeling. Using an AI system backed by this digital twin, city leaders could ask, “How would a new road in downtown Jacksonville impact evacuation times? How would the added road modify water runoff?” and so on. The possibilities for this emerging area of AI are endless. We could create digital twins of humans to layer human biology knowledge with personalized medical histories and imaging scans to understand how individuals may respond to particular treatments. Universities are also acquiring increasingly powerful supercomputers that are supercharging their innovations, such as the University of Florida’s HiPerGator, recently acquired from NVIDIA, which is being used for problems across all disciplines. Oregon State University and the University of Missouri, for example, are using their own access to supercomputers to advance marine science discoveries and improve elder care. In short, to see the next big leap in AI, don’t immediately look to Silicon Valley. Start scanning the horizon for those research universities that have the computing horsepower and the unique ability to continually renew the data and knowledge that will supercharge the next big thing in AI. Read more...

Augusta University public health experts discuss building recovery through economic stability

In this candid conversation, Vahé Heboyan, PhD, and Marlo Vernon, PhD, talk about their work at the intersection of public health, economic stability and substance use disorder recovery. The interviews are centered on Augusta University's public health-driven small business training initiative and explore how recovery is strengthened when communities invest in people and provide practical paths to long-term stability. Heboyan, a professor in AU's School of Public Health and a public health expert with a background as an economist, explains that economic vulnerability often hinders recovery, especially in rural areas with limited resources where risk-taking can be costly. He translates economic research into public health practice, emphasizing that small businesses and microenterprises are about providing a sustainable income for individuals and families, not creating large corporations. This stability, he notes, can have a ripple effect, supporting local economies, job opportunities and community resilience. Vernon, whose research focuses on maternal and infant health, as well as substance use disorder recovery, highlights the human side of recovery and the importance of financial security for families. She notes that economic instability can increase the risk of relapse, especially for mothers in recovery who are supporting children. Her insights show that entrepreneurship can be a public health tool, addressing income, dignity, confidence and long-term wellbeing. Both interviews emphasize the key role of community in recovery. Heboyan points out the power of peer support and shared experience, noting how participants use their past challenges as strengths. Vernon agrees, emphasizing that effective public health work requires building relationships and engaging with communities over time, rather than just conducting short-term research. Together, the interviews show that recovery is part of a larger ecosystem that includes economic opportunity, mentorship and community trust. The video illustrates how combining economics, public health and lived experience can create lasting, meaningful impact for individuals in recovery and their communities. Looking to know more? Click on Dr. Vernon's profile below. To connect with Dr. Heboyan, simply contact AU's Communications team via email (mediarelations@augusta.edu) to arrange an interview today.

LI School District Faces Funding Cuts Over Mascot Name Change

Education Professor Alan Singer was interviewed by WCBS-TV News about the Connetquot School District on Long Island school being threatened with funding cuts if it does not reinstate its old mascot name, the Thunderbirds. The name change to T-Birds was made in 2022 to comply with a state ruling that mascot names like “Chiefs” and “Warriors” are demeaning and offensive to Native Americans. The U.S. Department of Education has ruled that these changes are a violation of federal law. Dr. Singer said Connetquot is “caught in the crossfire with the Trump administration, which is at war with blue states and diversity,” and the district’s mascot is part of a much larger political fight.

Training champions: University of Delaware experts prepares students Olympic success

University of Delaware students, alumni and experts are very involved with this year's Olympics. The following are available for interview.  Alumni Attending Olympic Games  Shannon Colleton is a 2022 graduate of UD's Physical Therapy Sports Residency Program heading to the Winter Olympics with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team. She's specifically working as a PT for the women's speed skiing team (Super G and the downhill competitions). Students Covering Olympics Cris Granada, a senior communication major and member of UD's soccer team, has parlayed a summer internship with NBC Sports into a position as a production assistant with the network at the Winter Olympics. Professors with Olympic Expertise Matthew Robinson, professor of sport management in Lerner, is an all-around Olympics expert. He can talk about the host city, Milan, and the IOC's evolving model of hosting games in multiple locations. He can also talk about the idea of sport as a unifier despite what's going on in the world around us. Robinson can also talk about the burden the NHL faces, having to pause its season so players can compete on the world stage. While it's an honor to have an athlete represent their country on the world stage, it's also a risk to the professional team if they get hurt. The NBA feels similarly about the Summer Games. Soccer also pauses for the World Cup. Jeffrey Schneider, clinical instructor of kinesiology and applied physiology, has worked with Olympic figure skaters in the past and can speak as an expert on this sport. Thomas Buckley, professor of kinesiology and applied physiology, is an expert in ice hockey and bobsledding. He can talk about common injuries, risks/benefits. He noted that bobsledding has a surprisingly high rate of concussion and repetitive head trauma due to the speed of the sport. To contact Robinson and Buckley directly, visit their profile pages and click the "contact" button. Interviews for all the experts featured here can also be arranged by contacting mediarelations@udel.edu.

From classroom to cosmos: Students aim to build big things in space

In the vast vacuum of space, Earth-bound limitations no longer apply. And that’s exactly where UF engineering associate professor Victoria Miller, Ph.D., and her students are pushing the boundaries of possibilities. In partnership with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, known as DARPA, and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, the University of Florida engineering team is exploring how to manufacture precision metal structures in orbit using laser technology. “We want to build big things in space. To build big things in space, you must start manufacturing things in space. This is an exciting new frontier,” said Miller. An associate professor in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering at UF’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, Miller said the project called NOM4D – which means Novel Orbital and Moon Manufacturing, Materials, and Mass-efficient Design – seeks to transform how people think about space infrastructure development. Picture constructing massive structures in orbit, like a 100-meter solar array built using advanced laser technology. “We’d love to see large-scale structures like satellite antennas, solar panels, space telescopes or even parts of space stations built directly in orbit. This would be a major step toward sustainable space operations and longer missions,” said team member Tianchen Wei, a third-year Ph.D. student in materials science and engineering. UF received a $1.1 million DARPA contract to carry out this pioneering research over three phases. While other universities explore various aspects of space manufacturing, UF is the only one specifically focused on laser forming for space applications, Miller said. A major challenge of the NOM4D project is overcoming the size and weight limitations of rocket cargo. To address these concerns, Miller’s team is developing laser-forming technology to trace precise patterns on metals to bend them into shape. If executed correctly, the heat from the laser bends the metal without human touch; a key step toward making orbital manufacturing a reality. “With this technology, we can build structures in space far more efficiently than launching them fully assembled from Earth,” said team member Nathan Fripp, also a third-year Ph.D. student studying materials science and engineering. “This opens up a wide range of new possibilities for space exploration, satellite systems and even future habitats.” Miller said laser bending is complex but getting the correct shape from the metal is only part of the equation. “The challenge is ensuring that the material properties stay good or improve during the laser-forming process,” she said. “Can we ensure when we bend this sheet metal that bent regions still have really good properties and are strong and tough with the right flexibility?” To analyze the materials, Miller’s students are running controlled tests on aluminum, ceramics and stainless steel, assessing how variables like laser input, heat and gravity affect how materials bend and behave. “We run many controlled tests and collect detailed data on how different metals respond to laser energy: how much they bend, how much they heat up, how the heat affects them and more. We have also developed models to predict the temperature and the amount of bending based on the material properties and laser energy input,” said Wei. “We continuously learn from both modeling and experiments to deepen our understanding of the process.” The research started in 2021 and has made significant progress, but the technology must be developed further before it’s ready for use in space. This is why collaboration with the NASA Marshall Space Center is so critical. It enables UF researchers to dramatically increase the technology readiness level (TRL) by testing laser forming in space-like conditions inside a thermal vacuum chamber provided by NASA. Fripp leads this testing using the chamber to observe how materials respond to the harsh environment of space. “We've observed that many factors, such as laser parameters, material properties and atmospheric conditions, can significantly determine the final results. In space, conditions like extreme temperatures, microgravity and vacuums further change how materials behave. As a result, adapting our forming techniques to work reliably and consistently in space adds another layer of complexity,” said Fripp. Another important step is building a feedback loop into the manufacturing process. A sensor would detect the bending angle in real time, allowing for feedback and recalibration of the laser’s path. As the project enters its final year, finishing in June of 2026, questions remain -- especially around maintaining material integrity during the laser-forming process. Still, Miller’s team remains optimistic. UF moves one step closer to a new era of construction with each simulation and laser test. “It's great to be a part of a team pushing the boundaries of what's possible in manufacturing, not just on Earth, but beyond,” said Wei.

First Dual-City Olympics to Showcase Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo With Ceremonies and Themes Celebrating Their History, Growth and Cultural Importance

Long proclaimed Italy’s “moral capital,” Milan is renowned worldwide for its significant contributions to fashion, design and the arts. Soon, another point of pride will be added to the city’s storied history, when the regional hub—and partnering town Cortina d’Ampezzo—plays host to the 2026 Winter Olympics in February. Luca Cottini, PhD, is a professor of Italian Studies and an expert on the evolution of Italian culture, particularly through the 19th and 20th centuries. Recently, he shared some thoughts concerning Milan and Cortina’s successful joint bid for the Olympics, the themes and iconography expected to define this year’s opening ceremony and the symbolic significance of Italy’s selection as a host nation. Question: What was the role of past major events in Milan and Cortina—like the 2015 World’s Fair and the 1956 Winter Olympics—in helping to elevate their appeal for these games? Luca Cottini: I’ll start by saying that although people notice world’s fairs less than the Olympics, they are more impactful to a city and country because they generate more revenue, business, political relationships and positive reputation. They are events in which all the world comes together and each country exposes its excellence, while the host nation brings a visibility that it would not carry otherwise. In 2015, Milan hosted the world’s fair, which generated a completely new fairgrounds area and a visibility of politics, industry, technology and modernity in a way that brings the city to a global stage. I would say that is when the ascent of Milan really started, especially as a desirable destination. With Cortina, after the 2015 World’s Fair—and especially after the COVID-19 pandemic—the Dolomites became really a popular region for travelers to visit. Cortina is also symbolic to Olympic history, because it's the site of the first Olympics that took place in Italy, in 1956 during the reconstruction era. That was the Dolce Vita period, in the middle of the 1950s economic boom, and those games were followed by Rome’s Summer Olympics in 1960. They both represented a way in which Italy, coming out of the war destroyed, was reaffirming its rebirth. Over the years, fewer cities have wanted to host the Olympics because they tend to carry a lot of economic burden, financial debt and little return on investment. In this sense, Milan and Cortina, helped by increased popularity after the world’s fair, sold themselves as a sustainable Olympics. Ninety percent of the buildings were refurbished from older buildings, and they will serve purposes after the Olympics. It’s difficult to tell whether it’s economically sound or not, but it is a way to promote two cities that are in big moments of growth. Q: These Olympic Games will be celebrating Milan’s contributions to fashion. What is the city’s significance to the fashion world? LC: Milan is certainly the capital of fashion in Italy, and is one of the capitals of fashion in the world, along with Paris, New York and London. The fashion heritage that the city carries now in iconic brands like Armani, Versace, Moschino and Dolce & Gabbana is the outcome of a process that took shape in the late 1970s. Until then, fashion in Italy was mainly related to Rome, through cinema, and Florence, as that city represented a new Renaissance in the postwar years. But in the 1970s, much of this fashion world moved from those cities to Milan, because there was a conglomeration of labor, skills, capital and creativity that generated a complex productive and cultural system, or the so-called “Sistema Moda.” This is a particular approach to the industry in Italy that coordinates management and creativity around the figures of a big creative director and a big manager who work together in creating not just nice styles, but also sustainable outlets and markets in and outside Italy. In turn, with its reputation, Milan gives the Olympics that seal of grandeur and coolness. The connection with fashion and promotion of uniqueness is part of the national rhetoric that surrounds what we call “Made in Italy,” this idea of luxury, styling, beauty, order and measure that is endowed in the Italian DNA. Q: Andrea Bocelli—who also appeared in Torino’s 2006 closing ceremony—is supposed to sing once again in this year’s opening ceremony. Aside from his popularity, what is the symbolic significance of his selection as a performer? LC: Bocelli is an interesting case. He is a prototypical Italian success story, which is born in the peninsula but is then ratified outside of Italy. As Bocelli became a global sensation in the U.S., he then came back to his roots in Italy, where his voice has become a symbol of national unity, as epitomized in his solo concerto of Milan, during the pandemic, when he sang in front of the empty Piazza del Duomo, facing the city’s cathedral. In his Catholic faith and secular operatic repertoire, he symbolizes Italian culture as a similar piazza or open space where different voices can converge in a temperate balance. When you put together Bocelli, Mariah Carey and whoever else will be part of the ceremony, that same Italian identity will give rise to a new synthesis, as the encounter of tradition and novelty, grounded-ness and openness. Q: The Olympic flames are supposed to be lit in two cauldrons—one in Milan and one in Cortina—each with a design inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. What was da Vinci’s importance to Milan, specifically? LC: Da Vinci is part of the fabric of Milan. He spent 20 years in the city, painting “The Last Supper” and working at Castello Sforzesco, as well as many other places. His footprint is all over Milan, in its design, walls, canal system and more. He is an archetype of the Italian mind in as much as it represents the combination of engineering and beauty. The word Ingenium in Latin, meaning “genius,” overflows in English into the word “engineering” and also “ingenuity,” which reflects the creative mind. Da Vinci represents the synthesis of Italian Ingenium as a combination of aesthetics and problem solving, which you still see in the city today.

Research Matters: 'Unsinkable' Metal Is Here

What if boats, buoys, and other items designed to float could never be sunk — even when they’re cracked, punctured, or tossed by an angry sea? If you think unsinkable metal sounds like science fiction. Think again. A team of researchers at the University of Rochester led by professor Chunlei Guo has devised a way to make ordinary metal tubes stay afloat no matter how much damage they sustain. The team chemically etches tiny pits into the tubes that trap air, keeping the tubes from getting waterlogged or sinking. Even when these superhydrophobic tubes are submerged, dented, or punctured, the trapped air keeps them buoyant and, in a very literal sense, unsinkable. “We tested them in some really rough environments for weeks at a time and found no degradation to their buoyancy,” says Guo, a professor of physics and optics and a senior scientist at the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics. “You can poke big holes in them, and we showed that even if you severely damage the tubes with as many holes as you can punch, they still float.” Guo and his team could usher in a new generation of marine tech, from resilient floating platforms and wave-powered generators to ships and offshore structures that can withstand damage that would sink traditional steel. Their research highlights the University of Rochester’s knack for translating physics into practical wonder. For reporters covering materials science, sustainable engineering, ocean tech, or innovative design, Guo is the ideal expert to explain why “unsinkable metal” might be closer to everyday use than you think. To connect with Guo, contact Luke Auburn, director of communications for the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, at luke.auburn@rochester.edu.