Alessandro Paladdino creates a Diablo-inspired miniature model, explaining his process from ideation to final render

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Reinforcement Learning from Verifiable Rewards (RLVR) has recently emerged as a promising method for enhancing reasoning abilities in language models without direct supervision. This approach has shown notable success in mathematics and coding, where reasoning naturally aligns with structured problem-solving. While studies have demonstrated that RLVR alone can lead to self-evolved reasoning, research has largely been limited to these technical fields. Efforts to extend RLVR have explored synthetic datasets, such as those involving sequential tasks and object counting, indicating potential but also highlighting the challenges of adapting this method to different domains.Expanding RLVR to broader areas remains an open challenge, particularly in tasks like multiple-choice question answering (MCQA), which provides structured, verifiable labels across diverse subjects, including medicine. However, unlike math and coding, which involve complex reasoning with an open-ended answer space, MCQA tasks typically have predefined answer choices, making it uncertain whether RLVRs benefits translate effectively. This limitation is especially relevant in medical reasoning tasks, where models must navigate intricate clinical knowledge to produce accurate responses, an area that has proven difficult for existing AI systems.Researchers from Microsoft Research investigate whether medical reasoning can emerge through RLVR. They introduce MED-RLVR, leveraging medical MCQA data to assess RLVRs effectiveness in the medical domain. Their findings show that RLVR extends beyond math and coding, achieving performance comparable to supervised fine-tuning (SFT) in in-distribution tasks while significantly improving out-of-distribution generalization by eight percentage points. Analyzing training dynamics, they observe that reasoning capabilities emerge in a 3B-parameter base model without explicit supervision, highlighting RLVRs potential for advancing reasoning in knowledge-intensive fields like medicine.RL optimizes decision-making by training an agent to maximize rewards through interactions with an environment. It has been effectively applied to language models to align outputs with human preferences and, more recently, to elicit reasoning without explicit supervision. This study employs Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) to train a policy model, incorporating a clipped objective function to stabilize training. Using a rule-based reward function, MED-RLVR assigns rewards based on output correctness and format validity. Without additional supervision, the model demonstrates emergent medical reasoning, similar to mathematical reasoning in prior RLVR studies, highlighting RLVRs potential beyond structured domains.The MedQA-USMLE dataset, which includes multi-choice medical exam questions, is used to train MED-RLVR. Unlike the standard four-option version, this dataset presents a greater challenge by offering more answer choices. Training is based on the Qwen2.5-3B model using OpenRLHF for reinforcement learning. Compared to SFT, MED-RLVR demonstrates superior generalization, particularly on the MMLU-Pro-Health dataset. Analysis reveals six stages of reasoning evolution: format failures, verbose outputs, reward hacking, and reintegrated reasoning. Unlike math or coding tasks, no self-validation behaviors (aha-moments) were observed, suggesting potential improvements through penalizing short reasoning chains or fine-tuning with longer CoTs.In conclusion, the study focuses on MCQA in medicine, providing a controlled setting for evaluation. However, MCQA does not fully capture the complexity of real-world tasks like open-text answering, report generation, or medical dialogues. Additionally, the unimodal approach limits the models ability to integrate multimodal data, which is crucial for diagnostic applications. Future work should address these limitations. MED-RLVR, based on reinforcement learning with verifiable rewards, matches SFT on in-distribution tasks and improves out-of-distribution generalization. While medical reasoning emerges without explicit supervision, challenges like reward hacking persist, highlighting the need for further exploration of complex reasoning and multimodal integration.Check outthe Paper.All credit for this research goes to the researchers of this project. Also,feel free to follow us onTwitterand dont forget to join our85k+ ML SubReddit. Sana HassanSana Hassan, a consulting intern at Marktechpost and dual-degree student at IIT Madras, is passionate about applying technology and AI to address real-world challenges. With a keen interest in solving practical problems, he brings a fresh perspective to the intersection of AI and real-life solutions.Sana Hassanhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sana-hassan/Efficient Inference-Time Scaling for Flow Models: Enhancing Sampling Diversity and Compute AllocationSana Hassanhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sana-hassan/UCLA Researchers Released OpenVLThinker-7B: A Reinforcement Learning Driven Model for Enhancing Complex Visual Reasoning and Step-by-Step Problem Solving in Multimodal SystemsSana Hassanhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sana-hassan/Vision-R1: Redefining Reinforcement Learning for Large Vision-Language ModelsSana Hassanhttps://www.marktechpost.com/author/sana-hassan/Understanding and Mitigating Failure Modes in LLM-Based Multi-Agent Systems

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"What would Uematsu do?": Final Fantasy 14 composer Masayoshi Soken on following series legendThe humble composer reflects on his work.Image credit: Square Enix Interview by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on March 30, 2025 Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki Yoshida is the predominant and popular figurehead for the MMORPG, but there are plenty of other developers on the game beloved by its community. One of those is composer Masayoshi Soken.While Nobuo Uematsu composed the remarkable scores for the early games in the series, Soken has taken up the mantle as the composer for Final Fantasy 14 and also Final Fantasy 16.His musical style is an eclectic mix of genres, from delicate piano and vocal pieces to heavy metal rock songs. That led to not only the regular piano concerts at the Fan Fest events, but the development team's in-house rock band The Primals (named after the game's summonable monsters), with Soken on electric guitar alongside localisation director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox fronting on vocals.Final Fantasy XIV Patch 7.2 - Seekers of EternityWatch on YouTubeIndeed, these performances were highlights at the Fan Fest events I attended in 2023. Much of that was due to Soken himself: after particularly emotional renditions from pianist Keiko and singer Amanda Achen, Soken arrived on stage with his Otamatone instrument to undermine his own compositions to much laughter. In person, too, he's a humble and fun-loving interviewee.Notably, Soken was secretly battling cancer during development of the Shadowbringers expansion. He revealed this at the digital Fan Fest in 2021 - seeing his joy on-stage ever since has only endeared him to the community further.Ahead of a concert this weekend celebrating the music of Final Fantasy 14 and 16, I had the chance to speak with the composer.You started your career doing a lot of sound design work. How do you think that affected your approach to composition? I think that experience is definitely reflected in everything that I do. In terms of sound design, if you are putting the game experience first, then as a core thought you would have to think about that coming before the composition. I think it is very important. Something that I wouldn't want is for people to see game composers as artists [as opposed to developers]. The reason for that is because making music for games, I need to think of the music as just one part of the entire game experience. If we think about just the sound, you have the sound effects, and you have the voice lines, as well as the environment sounds, and then you have the music. So all of the elements need to come together naturally, combined, and then that becomes the sound of the game. If I hadn't learned sound design beforehand, then I wouldn't have had as complete of an understanding of this. In the realm of game composers, I guess that title is quite a flashy thing, so people see it as something similar to an artist. But I think anyone who wants to go into game composition should learn sound design first.You previously also worked on the Mario Hoops 3-on-3 score with [Mario and Zelda composer] Koji Kondo, what was it like to work with him?Using the environment of the Nintendo DS was incredibly difficult because there was a limitation of what could be played. For example, on the game selection screen for Hoops, I think, there's a song that plays, but back then we didn't have the specs or the capacity in terms of storage or memory to allow this. In terms of the DS, people might have been like, 'it's not possible on the DS', but I think it was a great learning experience for me that made me learn how to do the impossible. Back then there were a lot of limitations in terms of the hardware compared to contemporary hardware, so I think that experience of having few tools to do something, and developing the ideas needed to go through that process, has allowed me to have the experience needed to create lots of ideas now. Soken on-stage with The Primals | Image credit: Square EnixSince composing the soundtracks to Final Fantasy 14 and 16, how does it feel to be the composer for two mainline Final Fantasy games and to be following in Nobuo Uematsu's footsteps? Do you feel a lot of pressure to live up to his work?Personally, I think Final Fantasy music is Uematsu-san's music. Sometimes, when I get stuck on what song I should create next and I need some hints, I find myself thinking 'what would Uematsu do?' It feels more like I am just taking the flow from Uematsu-san and bringing that flow into the games of this era. I find it hard to express, but that's how I feel about it.Uematsu-san has spoken in interviews about the time commitment needed for composing a full score, and that's something that he would struggle with. What does that commitment look like for you? Do you feel game soundtracks are more expansive now than they were in the past?I agree completely. That said, I'm always trying to think of ways that I can achieve that. At the core of my thoughts, I have this idea that rather than thinking of how to create good music, I am thinking more about how to create a good game. And if I think of it in that way, I'm able to achieve a balance.For example, in a musical perspective, if I were to use violin I would rather have it recorded live. That is something you would think if you were prioritising music. But if I were to go ahead with this violin recording, we would be booking the violinist, creating the score, booking the studio, and planning. All these things we would not necessarily have to do for game music.If we're thinking about the game experience, it would probably be better in terms of the time cost, all of the extra costs, if we [also] put [that violin] into a different song that was once again matching the game experience. If you were just a musician, you would of course go for the live violin, but because we are thinking about creating a game and also the player as well, they would rather have one more song that will be better than the enhanced violin sound. I'm always trying to think of what's needed to create a better game experience.Final Fantasy XIV: Darkest Before Dawn Bee My Honey Music Video (The Primals)Watch on YouTubeYour musical tastes vary from classical to jazz to rock to pop. How would you describe your own musical style?Soken style! [laughs] When I'm thinking of the judgment of whether this song is fine or this song is bad, I'm always relying on my sense of feeling, and I'm asking myself 'does this song sound cool for this game experience?' I think the decisive element is Soken style.One of the things I really like about your music is the blend of classical music and heavy rock music, often for action and boss battles. Why do you lean on rock music in particular for inspiration? In terms of a simplistic answer, battle content really matches well with rock music. Musically, rock is something that is easy to hype up to, and it's also easy to understand, even though rock is not necessarily the only thing that would get you excited. I just think, as a genre, it's very easy to get involved in.Who are your biggest rock inspirations?Rage Against The Machine!One of my favorite pieces of yours is Close in the Distance, which obviously is a big rock ballad. I love how that's used in the last area of Endwalker. How important is it for you to have vocal songs as part of a score? What is, for you, the power of a vocal song?I would say that the level of passion of what's being spoken to you, it really does increase [with vocal songs]. When creating game music, I think what's needed is for the players to have their hearts moved by the songs. Whether it has vocals or not, as long as it can move them, I think it's fine. But I thought in terms of Close in the Distance - you saw this in Ultima Thule - I thought this would do well with vocals this time around and it would ultimately move more hearts. So that's why I made that choice.Also for that scene, the scenario writer, Natsuko Ishikawa, had always said to me ahead of time that it would be a good idea to put a song on top of it. I did agree that, from beginning in this hazy area and gradually gaining clarity, to have the vocals match to where it became clear, I thought was great as a game experience.Another vocal song was Civilizations from Shadowbringers, known as La-hee. Did you expect that to become such a meme when you composed it? Were you surprised by the reaction? Yes! That was actually performed at the Digital Fan Fest [before Shadowbringers], but we were going through quite a gloomy time, so I was trying to make everyone laugh, and that is what happened at the end of it. Dawntrail includes plenty of jazz and big band influences for its jolly adventure | Image credit: Square Enix / EurogamerHow do you feel your compositions have evolved over the course of Final Fantasy 14's expansions? Was there anything in Dawntrail in particular that you were able to achieve that you hadn't before?I used to compose all alone, but for Dawntrail, this time around my younger subordinates were able to grow to the point that their powers were being shown. So I think that it's a great example of their work.Are there any Final Fantasy scores that have proven particularly inspirational for you?There are way too many! I mean, all of the random encounter songs, aren't they all good? And all the last boss songs, aren't they all great? And the field songs are really good as wellthey're all good!When you're composing for Final Fantasy 14, do you feel the need to include older melodic themes as part of the game being a Final Fantasy theme park? Dawntrail, for instance, takes a lot of inspiration from Final Fantasy 9. Of course, the aim of Final Fantasy 14 as a concept is to have a theme park of Final Fantasy. So I do think it is indeed important to pay homage to the past, but this isn't something that I'm necessarily forcing to happen. That's because the game content itself aims to pay homage to past titles, so we have plans to bring in past songs from before, and we also have plans to bring in certain elements from past songs into the music now. We never have a structure where we have the songs and the music before the [gameplay or story] content. When we decide to pay homage to a certain title and we decide to create an arrangement of a certain song, we do have to look back at what it was like back then [in context]. I do find myself sometimes taking phrases from a song in a way that makes past Final Fantasy players smirk, because I was a player of Final Fantasy as well.What is the piece of music you're most proud of?That I'm proud of, I'm not too sure when you say it like that, but is it okay if I say a song that I like? So there's a song called Away from Final Fantasy 16 and sometimes I listen back to it, and I think 'this is a cool song'.This interview has been edited for clarity.

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Image: Nintendo LifeWell, that's been quite the week, huh? Let's chill out with another edition of Box Art Brawl.Last time, we saw two covers for NSO newbie Nobunaga's Ambition go head-to-head, and it's got to be said, it wasn't even close. The epic Japanese art comfortably walked away with the win, taking 74% of the vote and leaving North America with the remaining 26%.This week, hot off the announcement of Living the Dream, we're taking a look at Tomodachi Life on the 3DS. Some were a little surprised to see this series make a comeback in the Switch's final years, but let's not forget that it was a pretty big hit back in the day. Originally released in 2014, Nintendo's Mii-based slice-of-life sim still sits in the top 10 best-selling 3DS games, with a tasty 6.72 million copies sold. Heck, it was only a matter of time before we got a comeback.There are three different covers to dive into this time, so let's check 'em out. The meaning of lifeEuropeImage: Nintendo / LaunchboxThe European design for Tomodachi Life shows, well, life. A bunch of Miis stand against a spotty blue background, going about daily tasks like playing with the dog, sports, eating dinner... uhh, dressing up as a panda? Maybe not the most applicable example, but it certainly gives a good idea of what the game's all about and even if it didn't there's a whopping great summary at the bottom.North AmericaImage: NintendoThe North American design takes the same principle as the EU one, but dials it up to 11. There are more Miis, more activities, more space dedicated to the logo. While we're not convinced that we like the new icon more than the one used in Europe it gives the vibes of an early social media messaging service we are fans of the increased Mii numbers.JapanImage: Nintendo / Launch BoxAt an initial glance, the Japanese cover appears much the same as Europe, but some noteworthy differences convinced us it deserves an entry of its own. A handful of the Mii activities have changed, with painting, applying makeup and having a baby now included. The previous blue background has been subbed out for more of a teal, and the logo now includes some tiny house and character icons. Subtle changes, but pretty sweet.Which region got the best Tomodachi Life box art? (131 votes)Europe26%North America54%Japan20%Thanks for voting! We'll see you next time for another round of Box Art Brawl.Related GamesSee AlsoShare:01 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesPoll: So, How Would You Rate The Nintendo Direct For March 2025?Beyond expectations..?Talking Point: Which Switch Game Needs A 'Nintendo Switch 2 Edition' The Most?Time for an upgrade?Random: Someone Is Already Playing Assassin's Creed Shadows On 3DS"Finally, I can play the new Assassin's Creed"Talking Point: Will Metroid Prime 4 Get A Switch 2 Release?Beyond the realm

Tech AI enables paralyzed man to control robotic arm with brain signals The future of brain-computer interfaces in paralysis recovery Published March 30, 2025 6:00am EDT close AI enables paralyzed man to control robotic arm with brain signals People with paralysis can control robotic devices through thought alone. Researchers at UC San Francisco have achieved a remarkable breakthrough in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, enabling individuals with paralysis to control robotic devices through thought alone.This innovation combines artificial intelligence (AI) with neuroscience, allowing a paralyzed man to manipulate a robotic arm by imagining movements, a feat that marks a significant milestone in restoring autonomy to people with severe motor impairments. Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology (UC San Francisco)The brain-computer interface: A new era of controlThe device, known as a brain-computer interface (BCI), represents a fusion of advanced AI and neural engineering. BCIs have previously struggled to maintain functionality over extended periods, often losing effectiveness after just one or two days. However, the newly developed BCI has set a record by functioning seamlessly for seven months without requiring major adjustments.STAY PROTECTED & INFORMED! GET SECURITY ALERTS & EXPERT TECH TIPS SIGN UP FOR KURTS THE CYBERGUY REPORT NOWThe key lies in the AI models ability to adapt to subtle changes in brain activity over time. As individuals repeatedly imagine movements, the AI refines its understanding of these neural signals, enabling more precise control of robotic devices. Dr. Karunesh Ganguly, neurologist and professor at UCSF, emphasized that this adaptive learning between humans and AI is critical for achieving lifelike functionality in neuroprosthetics.WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)? Brain-computer interface technology (UC San Francisco)Understanding brain changes: The science behind the breakthroughDr. Gangulys research revealed that while the shape of brain activity representations remains consistent, their locations shift slightly from day to day. This discovery explains why previous BCIs quickly lost their ability to interpret neural signals accurately.To address this challenge, Ganguly and his team studied a participant who had been paralyzed by a stroke years earlier. Sensors implanted on the surface of his brain recorded neural signals as he imagined movements like grasping or lifting objects. Over two weeks, these signals were used to train the AI model to account for daily shifts in brain activity patterns. Brain-computer interface technology (UC San Francisco)From virtual practice to real-world successInitially, the participant practiced controlling a virtual robotic arm that provided feedback on his imagined movements. This training helped refine his ability to visualize precise actions. Once he transitioned to using a real robotic arm, he quickly mastered tasks such as picking up blocks, opening cabinets and even holding a cup under a water dispenser.Months later, the participant retained his ability to control the robotic arm with minimal recalibration, highlighting the long-term reliability of this BCI system.GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE Brain-computer interface technology (UC San Francisco)Implications for people with paralysisThis groundbreaking technology has profound implications for individuals with paralysis. Tasks like feeding oneself or accessing water independently could drastically improve quality of life. Dr. Ganguly is optimistic about refining the AI further to enhance speed and fluidity in movement while testing the system in home environments. Brain-computer interface technology (UC San Francisco)Kurt's key takeawaysThe integration of adaptive AI into BCIs marks an exciting new chapter in neuroprosthetics, offering hope for millions living with paralysis worldwide. With continued advancements, these systems could soon restore essential functions and independence, transforming lives in ways once thought impossible.As AI-powered brain-computer interfaces begin to offer new independence to individuals with paralysis, what do you think are the most important next steps in developing these technologies to improve daily life for those affected? Let us know by writing us atCyberguy.com/ContactCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPFor more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading toCyberguy.com/NewsletterAsk Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to coverFollow Kurt on his social channelsAnswers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurts free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

For Visa and rival Mastercard, fighting the explosion of fraud attempts is both a big expenseand an opportunity for profit.Visas Cyber Fusion Center in Ashburn, Virginia is so secure that Michael Jabbara, the San Francisco-based global head of fraud services for the credit card network, has trouble getting through its double set of doors. With a Forbes reporter in tow, he scans his badge to get through the first door, a sensor beeps, but it doesnt unlock. Finally, with the help of the on-site security team, we get through both sets (the second requiring a fingerprint as well as an ID badge) and enter the Cyber Fusion Center, which sits at the heart of a secure 42-acre campus. Drive into this Visa complex without clearance from the security personnel manning the gate and you could end up in a drainage ponda modern day protective moat.Inside the Fusion Center, analysts monitor a large screen displaying a variety of data reflecting how smoothly Visa's deluge of transactionssome 310 billion worth $15.9 trillion in 2024are being processed worldwide, and where suspicious activity is high. A lot of the suspicious attacks are handled in an automated fashion, but there are certain incidents that generate human intervention and then they get worked through a consistent playbook, Jabbara explains.Visa employees keep an eye on usage statistics and reported problems in the Cyber Fusion Center in Ashburn, Virginia. Many suspicious attacks are handled automatically, but sometimes humans intervene.visaHis ID badge now working, Jabbara leads the way through yet another set of secure doors to the Situation Room, where a big screen displays more charts and lists, plus a news feed. In this room, employees are watching threats against Visas clientsthe 14,500 financial institutions in more than 200 countries who are part of the worlds largest credit card network. Jabbara points to a chart that shows an ongoing brute force attack in which fraudsters are bombarding vendors with thousands of attempts to come up with an account number, expiration date and three-digit. CVV code that will work together. Our aim is to make sure that we are detecting large-scale attacks that could result in catastrophic losses or loss to consumer confidence, he says.Within the Situation Room area is another smaller conference room that contains yet another Visa unit; the workers in this one monitor the cybersecurity of Visas own network operations. One of the things that weve really benefitted from is having this close collaboration between cyber and fraud, because the threats are common, the actors are common, says Jabbara. Thats particularly true, he says, as fraud rings have become more sophisticated and nation-states more involved in fraud as well as cyber attacks.Its late morning in Virginia, but as it turns to night, this center will empty out and Visas security centers in London, Bangalore and Singapore will handle more of the activity. In all, Visa now has more than 1,000 employees worldwide dedicated to risk and security and says it has invested $11 billion in anti-fraud technology in the past five years. At the same time, its been building a side business selling the fraud-fighting expertise its had to developsome $1.5 billion of Visas $35.9 billion in 2024 revenue came from its sale of risk and security services.Both fraud and fighting fraud are big businesses, with artificial intelligence increasingly driving growth on both sides. During Cyber Monday last November, Visa reported an 85% year-over-year increase in fraud attempts, and a stunning 200% increase for the first official weekend of holiday shopping increases it attributes in large part to AI.That word "attempts" is key, since most are thwarted, points out Steve Yin, global head of fraud at TransUnion. (The big credit bureau got 7% of its $4.4 billion in 2024 revenue selling fraud prevention software.) TransUnion estimates that 5.2% of all attempted digital transactions in the first half of 2024 involved suspected fraud, with the vast majority of those blocked.Still, the cost of successful fraud is growing, albeit at a much slower pace than attempts. Juniper Research estimates that e-commerce fraudsters worldwide grabbed $44 billion in 2024 and will siphon off $107 billion by 2029for a 19.5% compound annual growth rate. It is a constant arms race, observes Nick Maynard, vice president of fintech market research for Juniper.On the fraudsters side, AI helps them launch more, and more sophisticated attacks, in a variety of ways. Among other things, they can impersonate people through deep fakes; launch mass attacks to find vulnerabilities in systems; use bots to navigate websites and extract information; and generate more believable emails that lead people to give up sensitive information.The protectors are equally dependent on AI. Visa now uses 115 different cybersecurity tools that collect and analyze intelligence from more than 300 resources, reports Visa Chief Information Security Officer Subra Kumaraswarmy. The company has built some of those tools, including a behavior analytics platform and its threat intelligence fusion platform. It also works with cybersecurity tool vendors including Microsoft, Thales, IBM, Zscaler, Cloudflare, Checkpoint and Palo Alto Networks.Because companies use so many different anti-fraud tools simultaneously, and because there are always new variants to fight, the anti-fraud business is also fertile ground for fintech startups. Its notable that five companies on the Forbes 2025 Fintech 50 listAlloy, DataVisor, Persona, SentiLink and Zip help businesses prevent financial fraud, with each having its own specialty. DataVisor, for example, uses whats known as unsupervised machine learning to find correlations in seemingly unrelated events that could represent previously undiscovered fraud rings or methods. Sentilink, which first made its mark fighting synthetic identify fraud (where scammers combine real Social Security numbers and fake names), recently developed a tool to catch assumed identity abuse, a new variant where fraudsters exploit real identities for people who entered the U.S. on temporary visas and have since left. (Synthetic and other fake identities are used, among other things, to acquire credit cards, take out car and personal loans and open bank accounts used in fraudulent schemes.)Visa isnt the only big credit card network treating fraud as not only a threat, but a business opportunity. In December, Mastercard, the #2 network, finalized the $2.65 billion acquisition of Recorded Future, an AI-heavy cybersecurity company with 1,900 clients in 50 countries and $300 million in annual revenues. Last year, before that deal was announced, Mastercard launched a service with Recorded Future that aims to alert banks more quickly when a credit card is likely to have been compromised. The partnership, it says, has doubled the number of potentially compromised cards identified. (Mastercard doesnt disclose how much of its $28 billion in 2024 revenues came from selling security services.)Within its own network, Mastercard has been using AI to stop fraud for more than a decade, notes Ranjita Iyer, executive vice president for cyber and intelligence solutions. Like Visa, it monitors transactions across its entire network, using AI to detect suspicious activity. Recently, she says, it has started using generative AI to predict what an individual merchants business at a certain time should look like. That allows it to alert merchants if actual patterns diverge from whats projected, a possible warning flag of fraud.Last year Mastercard also began selling banks an upgraded Decision Intelligence Pro system that uses AI to analyze and produce a risk score for each individual transaction in real time (less than 50 milliseconds), based on the purchase, the merchant, the cardholder, and other factors. The pitch is that it will not only detect more fraud, but produce fewer false positives, so fewer legitimate transactions will be blocked.For all the AI-based systems fighting fraud, human behavior still plays a key role in enabling and stopping scams. If youre securing the data, if youre securing the infrastructure, whats the weakest link? Its the consumer," says Visas Jabbara. Theres no patch that we can send out to consumers to make them be more security conscious. Thats why youve seen this massive proliferation of social engineering attacks, phishing scams, phishing, all of that. In a TransUnion survey of adults in 18 countries, 49% said they were targeted by email, online, phone call or text messages during the second quarter of 2024.One phishing scheme on the rise: fake cancellation messages, meaning texts or emails telling users that something they have bought or booked will be cancelled unless they log in using an included link. Of course if they do, their log-in credentials are stolen.Earlier this month, when Visa announced a new scam disruption practice (a team that includes former law enforcement professionals as well AI developers and data visualization experts), Jabbara offered an intriguing example of the sort of scam that the team is targeting. Fraudsters were sending a phishing link from a dating website that looked like it was an identity verification page. But those who clicked were involuntarily enrolled in a monthly billing plan they never meant to sign up for. The team used the data from cracking that scam to look for others operating in a similarly deceptive fashion and turned up 12,000 merchants engaged in the ploy.The rapid spread of that variant is evidence of another vexing development: fraud as a service. Just as companies like Visa and Mastercard are selling their antifraud expertise to others, so too are fraudsters selling their new schemes to other fraudsters. These are very smart individuals and theyre very creative individuals, Yin observes.Its an ongoing battle, says Yin, who expresses faith in the ability of the fraud deterrence industry to come up with approaches to keep the bad guys in check. One area TransUnion is working with clients on now is introducing more friction to todays instant transactionsextra steps that wont annoy a legitimate customer so much as to scare them off, but can deter fraudsters. Consumers, he says optimistically, will embrace friction if they have a belief and an understanding that its actually helping them reduce the likelihood that theyre going to be a victim of fraud.MORE FROM FORBES

Dont wait for a medical crisis to plan caregiving support for seniors. gettyWhen the news broke that Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy, died in their home more than a week, maybe two, before anyone realized, the story haunted me not because of the celebrity, but because it happens more often than we like to think.As someone who works in healthcare and with an aging parent of my own, it hit close to home. Too close.We talk a lot about estate planning, trusts and wealth transfer. But we dont speak enough about the invisible decline that can happen when an older adult lives alone and stops going out. When they stop calling. When their medication runs low. When the check-ins turn into voicemails. Until one day, no one answers.The truth is, aging in place is a wonderful thing, but only when done with structure, foresight and support. Without those things, its not independence. Its isolation. And the line between the two is too thin to ignore.We Think Well Know When Its Time. We Often DontMost people dont wake up one day and decide to become caregivers. It happens slowly. At first, youre helping Mom organize her meds. Then youre taking her to the cardiologist. Then youre calling the pharmacy, rebooting the Wi-Fi and noticing the empty fridge. What began as a few simple tasks quietly expands into something bigger until one day, you realize youre managing her life along with your own and your childrens.In my professional life as a healthcare advisor, Ive seen this pattern more times than I can count. High-achieving professionals adding caregiving to an already overbooked life, thinking love will somehow compensate for exhaustion. Its noble. Its human. But its also unsustainable.Caregiving is a job. A hard one. And the stakes are high. We are not only talking about making sure meals are eaten or bills are paid. Were talking about recognizing the early signs of a stroke and knowing when shortness of breath is just fatigue or something worse. Being there when no one else is. And when the caregiver is an adult child already stretched thin by work, kids and life? The emotional toll compounds. The pressure can morph into frustration. Parents dont follow instructions, and their children exhausted and anxious get impatient and bossy. Ive felt this myself. Resentment creeps in. The relationship suffers on both ends.This isnt to shame those of us who have taken it on. Its to be honest about what it really means and why getting the right help at the right time is not just wise. Its essential.Not Just Any CaregiverNot all caregivers are cut from the same cloth. And as is often the case, adult children pick someone in a rush. A recommendation from a friend, someone affordable, someone nice. But when youre hiring someone to care for your aging parent the person who raised you it shouldnt be an afterthought. It should be a process.You need someone with experience, yes, but also someone with intuition. Someone who communicates well with both the older parent and the broader medical team. Someone reliable enough to be there when they say they will and honest enough to admit when theyre in over their head.From my professional perspective, vetting a caregiver should be as thorough as hiring a financial advisor or a lawyer. Youre entrusting them with someones daily well-being, and the stakes couldnt be higher.Families often underestimate this. They assume that kindness and reliability are enough. And while both matter deeply, they are insufficient to manage complex aging. What you need is a caregiver who is clinically aware, emotionally intelligent and, frankly, well-supported themselves.How To Choose A CaregiverIf youre navigating this now or know you will be soon heres what Ive learned, both the hard way and through years of working with families:Start early. Dont wait for a crisis to put support in place. Its much harder to make good decisions under stress.Dont rely solely on family. Even the most loving child isnt always the best caregiver. And sometimes, trying to be both leads to resentment, exhaustion and mistakes.Vet carefully. Ask about experience with specific conditions. Test for communication skills. Look for emotional intelligence. Call every reference.Have a care plannot just for daily tasks but also for emergencies. What happens if your parent falls, has a stroke or needs hospitalization? A good caregiver is part of that plan, but so is a broader strategy.Dont confuse independence with safety. Aging alone may sound dignified, but without the right support, it can quickly become dangerous.Ive seen caregiving done right. Ive seen it save lives, protect dignity and extend joy well into the final chapters. But Ive also seen what happens when families wait too long, deny the need for help or assume they can do it all.Hackmans story shouldnt just be sad it should be a wake-up call. We need to talk more openly about what aging safely really means, and we need to treat caregiving decisions with the gravitas they deserve.In the end, the goal isnt just to help our parents live longer its to help them live well, and no one should have to do that alone.