All posts tagged: RealWorld

The three disciplines separating AI agent demos from real-world deployment

The three disciplines separating AI agent demos from real-world deployment

Published by skeptic

Getting AI agents to perform reliably in production — not just in demos — is turning out to be harder than enterprises anticipated. Fragmented data, unclear workflows, and runaway escalation rates are slowing deployments across industries. “The technology itself often works well in demonstrations,” said Sanchit Vir Gogia, chief analyst with Greyhound Research. “The challenge begins when it is asked to operate inside the complexity of a real organization.”  Burley Kawasaki, who oversees agent deployment at Creatio, and team have developed a methodology built around three disciplines: data virtualization to work around data lake delays; agent dashboards and KPIs as a management layer; and tightly bounded use-case loops to drive toward high autonomy. In simpler use cases, Kawasaki says these practices have enabled agents to handle up to 80-90% of tasks on their own. With further tuning, he estimates they could support autonomous resolution in at least half of use cases, even in more complex deployments. “People have been experimenting a lot with proof of concepts, they’ve been putting a lot of tests out there,” …

Scale AI launches Voice Showdown, the first real-world benchmark for voice AI — and the results are humbling for some top models

Scale AI launches Voice Showdown, the first real-world benchmark for voice AI — and the results are humbling for some top models

Published by skeptic

Voice AI is moving faster than the tools we use to measure it. Every major AI lab — OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Anthropic, xAI — is racing to ship voice models capable of natural, real-time conversation. But the benchmarks used to evaluate those models are largely still running on synthetic speech, English-only prompts, and scripted test sets that bear little resemblance to how people actually talk. Scale AI, the large data annotation startup whose founder was poached by Meta last year to lead its Superintelligence Lab, is still going strong and tackling the problem head on: today it launches Voice Showdown, what it calls the first global preference-based arena designed to benchmark voice AI through the lens of real human interaction. This product offers a unique strategic value to users: free access to the world’s leading frontier models. Through Scale’s ChatLab platform, users can interact with high-tier models—which typically require multiple $20-per-month subscriptions—at no cost. In exchange, users participate in occasional blind, head-to-head “battles” to choose which of two anonymized leading voice models offers a better …

Emotionally intelligent AI chatbots improve mental health but destroy real-world social ties

Emotionally intelligent AI chatbots improve mental health but destroy real-world social ties

Published by José Betancourt

A new study reveals that interacting with emotionally intelligent artificial intelligence chatbots can boost a person’s mental health while simultaneously isolating them from real human relationships. The research highlights a hidden trade-off in using these digital companions, where the comfort provided by algorithms comes at the cost of real-world social ties. The findings were published in the journal Psychology & Marketing. Millions of people turn to artificial intelligence chatbots to alleviate loneliness and find emotional support. Unlike older digital assistants that simply set alarms or book flights, modern social chatbots use advanced algorithms to mimic human empathy. They try to replicate emotional intelligence, which is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions. By mimicking this trait, applications like Replika or Wysa act as digital friends that adapt to user moods. The global market for these advanced digital companions is growing rapidly, attracting millions of users seeking a safe space to express their feelings. Shaphali Gupta, a researcher at the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode, led an investigation into how these emotionally intelligent bots affect …

Researchers create an invisibility cloak by bending magnetic fields around real-world objects

Researchers create an invisibility cloak by bending magnetic fields around real-world objects

Published by Jenni Sidey

Magnetic invisibility sounds simple in theory. Place the right materials around an object and magnetic fields flow around it as if nothing were there. Reality has been far messier. For nearly two decades, physicists have tried to cloak objects from magnetic fields using carefully arranged materials. Early designs relied on idealized shapes such as perfect cylinders or spheres. Those forms behave predictably in equations and laboratory tests. Real devices rarely cooperate. Power cables twist through irregular housings. Electronic components form sharp corners. Industrial systems contain uneven edges and layered geometries. Once these shapes enter the picture, magnetic cloaking designs often fail, leaving obvious distortions in the surrounding field. Magnetic cloaking achieved using bilayer SC-SFM metastructures with different geometries. (CREDIT: Science Advances) Researchers at the University of Leicester now report a way around that problem. Their new framework, described in Science Advances, allows magnetic cloaks to be designed for objects with complex shapes using materials that already exist. Two Materials Working Together Magnetic cloaking typically relies on a pairing of two materials. The inner layer is …

iOS App Development Costs in 2026: Real-World Cost Benchmarks

iOS App Development Costs in 2026: Real-World Cost Benchmarks

Published by skeptic

Ever wondered why some iOS mobile apps cost as much as a Manhattan luxury apartment while others are built for the price of a used sedan? The truth is simple and straightforward: app pricing is not a one-size-fits-all number. It depends on features, design, platform complexity, and who’s building it. In this article, we break down real-world benchmarks so you know what to expect before you start budgeting. The Economic Reality of the Apple Ecosystem The Apple ecosystem is powerful but it comes with a particular price both for users and for developers. High-quality iOS apps must meet strict design standards, have platform-specific features, and maintain compatibility across multiple devices. It takes more time, effort and investment than the Android platform, but in return, you get users who actually stick around and don’t mind paying for a good app. For businesses looking to enter this ecosystem, partnering with an experienced iOS app development services company can make all the difference. 1. The Core Infrastructure: Xcode and Swift The technical foundation of any iPhone or iPad …

New Scientist recommends real-world stealth game LANDER 23

New Scientist recommends real-world stealth game LANDER 23

Published by skeptic

Live action video game LANDER 23 Punchdrunk Controls jam, data streams go haywire, smoke pours from every vent. Your Lander 23 spaceship has crashed in hostile territory. You must explore a treacherous world, refuel and return home. Radiation levels are high, time is short and something lurks outside… If this sounds like a review of a new game, it is, sort of. LANDER 23 is a real-world stealth game from London-based company Punchdrunk, best known for its immersive theatre. Here, we are explorers for the Lander Division of the Centre for Astrobiology. As we meet our fellow crewmates – a father and son – don tactical gear and test our comms, we become acutely aware we have only each other, and three lives, to get us through this mysterious and dangerous world. One team is in the field; the other directs from the lander’s relative safety. Stepping into the alien world, I feel immensely responsible for getting our team home safely. Playing computer-style games has never been so tense, and so much fun. David StockHead …

Which cordless drill wins at real-world DIY? I set up the Drillympics to find out | DIY

Which cordless drill wins at real-world DIY? I set up the Drillympics to find out | DIY

Published by Sam Flores

Speed, power, endurance, precision … the best cordless drills share many traits with Olympic athletes. Subconsciously, this might have informed my method for testing these power tools: a gauntlet of DIY challenges, against the clock. We called this endeavour the “Drillympics”, made up of a series of workstations devised to thoroughly test each product’s key functions. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. It’s been claimed that sport reveals character, and the testing certainly taught me a lot about the drills. I found out which ones worked the quickest (congrats to our Drillympic champion, the Makita DHP490Z), as well as which provided the easiest drill bit changeover (handy for working on multifaceted projects) and whether the drills were capable of doing all the jobs they claimed to. I also learned, much to my alarm, that drilling into wood with the drill bit turning in the wrong direction is an efficient way to start a fire. Photograph: Christian Hopewell/The Guardian To be honest, I …

EV driver shares surprising, real-world home solar data

EV driver shares surprising, real-world home solar data

Published by skeptic

Are you wondering how much it would cost to charge up your EV if you added a home solar system to your roof? One EV owner did just that. After 14,000 miles of driving, he’s sharing his results online — and the real-world data might surprise you! Last week, PeakD user KSteem took to the platform’s Solar Energy forum to share the data he’s collected powering his EV — a 2024 Chevy Blazer RS AWD that he’s put more than 14,000 miles on over the last two years — with electrons generated by his home solar system. “I don’t drive a whole lot of miles compared to some,” writes KSteem, “but the total for the the 2 years is 14,480 miles, or about 7,000 per year. This averaged about 3.4 miles per kWh. I don’t drive softly, or attempt to conserve energy, I like to punch it and feel the acceleration way too much, so you could say these are conservative estimates, lol.” KSteem estimates that driving similar miles in a vehicle that gets 20 …

I tested the Wolfbox 4-in-1 Jump Starter with Air Compressor during a real-world emergency

I tested the Wolfbox 4-in-1 Jump Starter with Air Compressor during a real-world emergency

Published by Jenni Sidey

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more › Sign Up For Goods 🛍️ Product news, reviews, and must-have deals. When testing products like a remote car starter, I typically have to seek out a situation in which to use it. While testing this Wolfbox jumpstarter, however, the testing opportunity found me. I had stopped to pick up an order from a gluten free bakery and came across two people with a car that wouldn’t start. It’s a fairly common occurrence during these cold Upstate New York winters, and the 0-degree temperatures had claimed another car battery. Their car was parked in such a way that I couldn’t get my own close enough to use my jumper cables and one of them was elderly and struggling with the bitter cold. I quickly hooked up the Wolfbox 4-in-1 Jump Starter with Air Compressor (use code popsci10 at checkout for an extra $10 off) to their mid-size SUV and it fired up almost immediately. That’s the first …

Compute Module 5 Raspberry Pi Notebook OneUp : Specs & Real-World Value

Compute Module 5 Raspberry Pi Notebook OneUp : Specs & Real-World Value

Published by skeptic

What if you could build a laptop that’s not only repairable but also endlessly upgradeable? In this breakdown, Jeff Geerling walks through how the Argon 40 OneUp, a modular laptop powered by the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (CM5), aims to make that vision a reality. With its sustainability-focused design and the promise of customization, the OneUp feels like a bold step forward in a world increasingly concerned with electronic waste and the right to repair. But here’s the catch: while the concept is undeniably innovative, the execution faces hurdles that could leave even the most enthusiastic tinkerers scratching their heads. The laptop was first launched on Kickstarter. In this post, we’ll explore what makes the OneUp both a fascinating experiment and a frustrating product. You’ll discover how its modular design opens doors to endless possibilities for hobbyists and educators, yet struggles to meet the expectations of everyday users. We’ll also unpack the challenges of launching such a niche device in a market dominated by polished, high-performance alternatives. Whether you’re curious about its potential as …