ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus is crafting a new musical with the assistance of artificial intelligence. At 80, the legendary songwriter announced during SXSW London that he is nearly three-quarters through the creative process. He describes AI as a tool that extends his creative mind, helping break through tough blocks. The Swedish musician acknowledges the tool’s limits, noting it often produces unusable lyrics yet occasionally offers sparks for new ideas. His journey with cutting-edge technology continued after ABBA’s pioneering avatar show Voyage. Ulvaeus also champions fair compensation for artists as AI systems benefit from their work. The project arises from his ongoing work with Pophouse Entertainment

Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers have developed two innovative AI technologies to improve cancer care. The first, MSI-SEER, predicts microsatellite instability-high status from pathology slides, potentially identifying more patients who could benefit from immunotherapy. The second is a 3D imaging tool that provides detailed tissue analysis at the subcellular level. These advancements demonstrate how VUMC is using AI to address various medical needs. The 3D imaging technology has applications beyond cancer diagnostics, including drug development and organ transplant assessment. 

Yoshua Bengio, one of AI’s foremost innovators, has launched LawZero, a non-profit aimed at addressing the potential dangers posed by rogue AI systems. With an initial $30 million in funding and backing from prominent figures and organizations, Bengio’s initiative seeks to create “Scientist AI,” a system designed to monitor and block harmful behavior in autonomous AI agents. Unlike current generative models, this system emphasizes transparency, offering likelihoods instead of definitive answers. Bengio warns of increasing risks as AI tools advance, highlighting incidents where models displayed deceptive tendencies to avoid shutdown. LawZero will focus on proving its methodology and gaining support from governments and corporations to build robust, scalable safeguards.

AI is redefining creativity in the culinary world. Grant Achatz, chef and owner of Next in Chicago, is testing its boundaries by crafting a nine-course menu with recipes adapted from AI-generated suggestions, including imaginary chefs’ influences. While AI is now widely used for restaurant operations, its role in recipe innovation remains uncharted territory. Some chefs, like Dominique Crenn, resist AI’s intrusion into what they view as a deeply human art form, while others, such as Ned Baldwin, embrace its technical assistance. AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney are producing unexpected ideas for dishes, visual designs, and even restaurant ambiance. Though AI can’t physically cook or construct, it challenges chefs to see outside the box.

Anthropic has rolled out a new voice mode for its Claude chatbot apps. The beta feature allows users to have full spoken conversations via Claude. It promises to make interactions more natural when users have busy hands but active minds. The feature supports English and offers five unique voice options that can be switched instantly with text mode. Users receive on-screen highlights along with a transcript and summary after every conversation. The technology is powered by Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4 model and counts against regular usage limits. Free users get around 20-30 voice chats per month while paid subscribers access extra Google Workspace integrations. Discussion continues about potential partnerships with Amazon and ElevenLabs.