Software Engineering & Open-Source

Breakthrough in AI: Fine-Tuning LLMs with Less Data and Power Researchers at the University of California San Diego have pioneered a new method for fine-tuning large language models (LLMs) that requires significantly less data and computing power. This innovative technique avoids retraining a model’s entire parameter set, instead selectively updating only the most critical components. This approach dramatically reduces costs and minimizes the risk of overfitting. In tests on protein language models, the method achieved high accuracy with limited training data, proving to be 326 times more parameter-efficient than traditional fine-tuning. This breakthrough is poised to democratize AI, enabling smaller organizations with limited resources to customize powerful AI models for specialized applications. The findings were published in Transactions on Machine Learning Research. ...

Breakthrough in Soft Robotics: Shapeshifting Robot Moves Using Electric Fields In a significant advancement for soft robotics, researchers from the University of Bristol and Queen Mary University of London have created a highly agile, shapeshifting soft robot. According to a study in Advanced Materials, the innovation lies in an electro-morphing gel (e-MG) that enables the robot to bend, stretch, and perform complex movements by manipulating electric fields. This new material allows the jelly-like humanoid gymnast to swing its body and limbs to move from one location to another. ...

Infineon Launches Advanced Power Protection for AI Data Centers Infineon Technologies AG has introduced a new line of power path protection solutions engineered for the increasing demands of AI data center infrastructures. The new products include a family of 48-volt smart eFuses and a reference board for hot-swap controllers for 400V and 800V power architectures. These components are designed to improve the reliability, scalability, and monitoring of energy flow in high-performance computing environments. The company stated that these solutions aim to maximize server uptime, reduce operational costs, and extend the lifespan of critical equipment in AI data centers. ...

S&P Global and IBM Launch Agentic AI to Revolutionize Supply Chains S&P Global and IBM have announced a partnership to integrate IBM’s watsonx Orchestrate agentic AI framework into S&P Global’s offerings, starting with supply chain management. This collaboration aims to provide businesses with AI-powered tools to address global supply chain challenges by enhancing visibility and insights into vendor selection. S&P Global will develop new AI agents for IBM’s watsonx Orchestrate Agent Catalog, utilizing its proprietary data and analytics to help accelerate decision-making. The partnership is a key part of S&P Global’s strategy to use trusted AI agents to transform its enterprise services. Beyond the initial supply chain focus, S&P Global intends to integrate IBM’s AI technology into other risk intelligence services. ...

Google Unveils CodeMender AI to Automatically Fix Software Vulnerabilities Google DeepMind has introduced CodeMender, a groundbreaking AI agent designed to automatically detect, patch, and rewrite vulnerable code to thwart security exploits. This powerful cybersecurity tool operates both reactively, addressing new threats as they emerge, and proactively, hardening existing codebases to eradicate entire classes of vulnerabilities. Powered by Google’s advanced Gemini AI models, CodeMender can debug, identify, and resolve security flaws by targeting their root cause and validating patches to prevent regressions. Alongside this launch, Google has initiated an AI Vulnerability Reward Program to incentivize the discovery of AI-related issues in its products, reinforcing its commitment to AI-driven security. ...

Weekly Tech News: AI, Robotics, Autonomous Vehicles & Cloud Innovations Google’s Gemini 2.5 AI Wins Gold Medal in Global Programming Contest A specialized version of Google DeepMind’s Gemini 2.5 AI model, known as Deep Think, has achieved a gold medal-level ranking at the prestigious International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC). Held in Baku, Azerbaijan, the competition featured 139 of the world’s top university programming teams. Gemini 2.5 Deep Think successfully solved 10 of the 12 complex algorithmic problems, placing it second overall compared to the human teams. ...

BRICS Urban Future Forum in Moscow Centers on AI and Robotics The third BRICS Urban Future Forum, held in Moscow on September 17-18, is focusing on the role of robotic technologies and artificial intelligence in urban transformation. The event brings together government officials, business leaders, and technology experts from over 35 countries to discuss strategies for the development of megacities through 2040. A key theme is the increasing importance of robotics, automation, and AI as primary drivers for changes in production and social systems within large urban environments. The forum serves as a platform for international collaboration on building the cities of the future. ...

Google Quantum AI Reports Breakthrough in Generative Quantum Advantage Researchers at Google Quantum AI have reported the first experimental evidence of “generative quantum advantage,” a breakthrough demonstrating that quantum computers can learn to generate results that are difficult for classical computers to simulate. Using a 68-qubit superconducting processor, the team trained the quantum computer to generate complex bitstring distributions, compress quantum circuits, and learn quantum states. This moves beyond previous demonstrations of quantum advantage, which focused on producing complex outputs that couldn’t be checked, to now include the ability to learn from data and reliably generate useful results. This development suggests that quantum devices could eventually contribute to generative AI tasks, similar to those powering large language models, with significant implications for both artificial intelligence and quantum computing. ...

DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis: ‘Learning How to Learn’ is the Most Critical Skill for the AI Era Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google’s DeepMind, has identified “learning how to learn” as the most crucial skill for the next generation to navigate the rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence. He forecasts that artificial general intelligence (AGI) could be realized within the next decade, ushering in profound societal shifts and a future of “radical abundance.” Hassabis emphasized the importance of developing “meta-skills”—such as understanding and optimizing one’s own learning processes—alongside traditional academic subjects. He highlighted that the accelerating pace of AI development will make continuous, lifelong learning an absolute necessity for career longevity. ...

Equifax Launches AI Innovation Lab in Ireland for Global R&D Equifax has officially opened a new AI Innovation Lab in Wexford, Ireland, on September 11, 2025, establishing a global hub for its artificial intelligence and machine learning research. Supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland, the lab will unite data scientists and tech specialists to pioneer advanced AI solutions. The facility’s primary focus is on developing sophisticated AI and machine learning algorithms to improve credit risk assessment, enhance fraud detection, and promote greater financial inclusion. This launch is a key part of Equifax’s overarching EFX.AI strategy, building on its decade of AI innovation. ...