Every item on this page was hand-picked by a House Beautiful editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.There are so many details you have to think about when decorating your home. You’ve got the big-ticket items, like the couch, dining table, and bed frame. Then there are the smaller furnishings, such as the coffee table, nightstands, and shelving. Finally, you get to the littlest details that still bring in a lot of character, and that’s where your wall decor comes in. Whether you love a gallery wall or a single statement art piece, there are plenty of wall decor ideas from interior designers to look to for inspiration, no matter your style.It’s sometimes most challenging to figure out the smaller details in your home. There are just so many possibilities, and with wall decor, it’s no different. Do you use all matching frames? How can you make your wall visually interesting without hammering into it? Should you have a theme to your decor, or put up what you want? Well, the designer advice ahead can help stylishly steer you in the right direction.We’ve rounded up 55 of the most beautiful wall decor ideas from design professionals that’ll help spark some inspiration. From solitary pieces to museum-quality layouts to colorful collections, there’s something for everyone.Additional copy by Hadley Mendelsohn and Alyssa Longobucco.Find more impactful decor inspiration: 1Break Up the SceneRead McKendreeThis dining room, designed by Bella Mancini, displays three pieces of coordinating artwork that all connect to form one panoramic image. This triptych style of wall decor is a unique way to add multiple artworks to a space while making it completely cohesive.Tour the Entire Home2Cluster in ThreesMatthew NiemannTo create a well-balanced wall that avoids looking too bare or overly busy, consider arranging your decor using the rule of threes. In her mother’s home, designer Galeana Younger grouped three smaller decor pieces next to a large piece of colorful artwork, creating balance on the wall without overwhelming the space.Tour the Entire HomeAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below3Choose a Large StatementMatthew NiemannGaleana Younger’s mom had been collecting pieces for years, so it wasn’t hard finding a statement piece for this wall. The art installation shows a dove mounted at the center of a starburst, originally from a church in Puebla, Mexico. When a single piece is this grand, it doesn’t need other wall decor to distract from it. Tour the Entire Home4Make It YourselfMadeline TolleIn this family room, designer Jaqui Seerman displayed a large piece of art created by her client. The bold artwork is the only non-neutral in the space, making it very eye-grabbing. Flanking either side of it are two arched onyx shelves, contrasting with the sharp edges of the frame.Tour the Entire HomeAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below5Choose Juxtaposing StylesErin LittleThe vivid, modern console table and ornate gilded mirror in this entryway wouldn’t seem to work, yet they do. Designer Christina Salway was given the table for free and chose this ornate wall decor to purposely add some juxtaposition to the room—the resulting look is so bold and unique.Tour the Entire Home6Hang Something PlushErin LittleIf you have a rug that’s simply too beautiful or fragile to roll out on the floor, hang it on your wall instead. That’s what Christina Salway did with this tiger rug that she found in Paris—it helps that it adds a nice deep tone to the white wall.Tour the Entire HomeAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below7Round It OutLindsay SalazarCara and Tom Fox of The Fox Group chose to use matching round wall decor to flank either side of the fireplace in this client’s living room. They chose to use decorative plates and convex mirrors, but you can bring in organic shapes to the wall with any type of circular decor.Tour the Entire Home8DIY Some ShelvesPar BengtssonThere’s no shortage of cool wall decor at thrift stores and antique shops, so if you find something that’s a bit rough around the edges but almost perfect, don’t be afraid to add a little DIY magic to make it work for your style. That’s what designer Minnette Jackson did for the bracket shelves in this guest room: “I was having a hard time finding what I saw in my head, so I just collected several vintage ones in weird colors and painted them to match,” she says.Tour the Entire HomeAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below9Hang a CorkboardThomas KuohBy installing a corkboard wall where your family frequently gathers, your wall decor can be ever-changing. Emilie Munroe of Studio Munroe explains, “I had a vision for this breakfast nook with the cork wall.” Munroe continues, “I absolutely love a cork wall. Like wood, it brings a natural element into the vertical space. It grows with age. Teenagers love them—they can drape twinkly lights from it. It’s just a genuine, joyful, uber-functional moment.”Tour the Entire Home10Make It MetallicLaurey GlennSconces are some of the best pieces to add to your wall decor because they boost the amount of ambient light in the space while adding a 3D detail. This sitting room by Lucy O’Brien of Tartan & Toile features an array of metallic shell sconces, which reflect light gorgeously.Tour the Entire HomeRelated Story: "Stripes Are a Neutral" For Philadelphia-Based Designer Lucy O'Brien of Tartan & ToileAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below11Lend Some LightChris EdwardsThe best way to enjoy a beautiful piece of art? Under the perfect lighting, of course. To ensure your chosen painting or photo gets the moment in the spotlight that it deserves, illuminate it. In this happy living room, designer Charlotte Lucas makes the most of an abstract painting by pairing it with a brass picture light. Tour the Entire Home12Stack Some FiguresAndrew Brown InteriorsA series of framed nude figures is such a natural fit for a bathroom gallery wall. In this petite bathroom by Andrew Brown Interiors, the warm wallpaper makes the vintage artwork pop even more. Tour the Entire HomeAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below13Create Some Contrast Chris EdwardsChoosing the right wall decor can be a great way to call attention to an already beautiful design scheme, especially if you’re strategic about your choice of color. In this saturated space by Charlotte Lucas, rich teal walls (and ceiling) meet their match in a contrasting piece of artwork by Erik Madigan Heck.Tour the Entire Home 14Secure Art to Your ShelvesAnson SmartBooks run the show in this swanky media room designed by Brigette Romanek, but there's still room for some black and white prints to break up the stacks. Instead of hanging the pieces on a nearby wall or leaning them on a shelf, she secured them to the shelf dividers, alternating the orientation for added dimension. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below15Get a Little WildJessica Klewicki GlynnFor a playful twist on traditional wall decor, take a trip to the wild side with a slew of rattan animal heads. Here, designer Tom Scheerer used a menagerie of mammals to bring cheeky energy to this living room. Tour the Entire Home16Paint Your PassagewaysEmil DervishWall decor isn't just about hanging something new in your space—it can also be about calling more attention to a feature already in the room. In this entryway by Emil Dervish, a gorgeous cobalt blue door steals the show. To bring even more drama, he extended the paint around the doorframe and the wall up, finishing in an arched shape.Advertisement - Continue Reading Below17Make It WorkKate StarkelIn a small space, all your decor needs to work hard for you—there’s no such thing as just an aesthetic pick. For a wall decor idea that marries form with function, look no further than a decorative shelf. This version, seen in a project by Amanda Jacobs, combines decorative carvings with useful hooks and space for trinkets. Tour the Entire Home18Stick to a Tight PaletteKevin ScottMinimalist, modern interiors can still incorporate wall decor, so long as it whispers instead of screams. In this serene bedroom designed by Studio DIAA, a pair of framed prints—featuring airy white frames and a thick white —add a touch of visual interest without compromising the neutral, uncluttered atmosphere. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below19Highlight Emerging TalentLisa PetroleBeauty is in the eye of the beholder—especially when it comes to art. Instead of hanging up a pretty piece that ultimately has no sentimental value to you, why not highlight the tiniest artists in your home? This Texas home is the perfect example, giving prominence to finger paintings over figure paintings. Tour the Entire Home 20Choose a ThemeChris MottaliniOne of the great things about wall art is that "meaningful" pieces can take a different form for each person. In this space by designer Jenny Dina Kirschner, that ethos manifested itself as a gallery wall of stunning portraits, most of which were sourced from Chairish or other antique dealers.

PROS: Highly Portable: Lightweight and compact with balanced ergonomics for easy one-handed use Quiet, Efficient Performance: Fanless design runs silently while handling daily tasks smoothly Improved Input Design: Redesigned keyboard and pen integration enhance usability Eco-Friendly Materials: Uses recycled cobalt, aluminum, and packaging to reduce impact CONS: Accessories Sold Separately: Keyboard and charger increase total cost significantly Limited Ports: No USB-A or headphone jack requires adapters Not Built for Heavy Creative Work: Struggles with intensive editing or gaming tasks RATINGS: AESTHETICSERGONOMICSPERFORMANCESUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITYVALUE FOR MONEYEDITOR'S QUOTE:Smart, silent, and travel-ready. The Surface Pro 12 cuts the bulk while keeping the features that matter for real work and play. Microsoft’s Surface Pro 12 arrives with the subtlety of a whisper and the impact of a shout. The newest addition to Microsoft’s 2-in-1 lineup doesn’t announce itself with flashy gimmicks or revolutionary redesigns. Instead, it quietly refines what we’ve come to expect from the Surface family while carving out its own distinct identity in an increasingly crowded market. Smaller, lighter, and more nimble than its predecessors, this 12-inch tablet-laptop hybrid represents Microsoft’s most focused attempt yet at balancing power and portability. Designer: Microsoft I’ve spent considerable time with this device, exploring its capabilities and limitations across various use cases. What emerges is a fascinating study in compromise and calculation. The Surface Pro 12 exists in an interesting middle ground. It’s not the most powerful Surface device you can buy. It’s not the largest or the most premium. But that’s precisely the point. Microsoft has crafted something deliberately positioned to appeal to users who found previous Surface models either too unwieldy or too expensive. Does it succeed? That depends entirely on what you’re looking for. For some, the 12-inch form factor will feel like the Goldilocks zone. Not too big, not too small, but just right. For others, the compromises made to achieve this more compact design might prove frustrating. And hovering over everything is the question of value: at $799 for the base model (without keyboard or pen), is this the Surface that finally makes sense for mainstream consumers? The timing couldn’t be more interesting. As Microsoft pushes forward with its Copilot+ PC initiative, the Surface Pro 12 arrives as one of the standard-bearers for this new AI-focused computing paradigm. With its Snapdragon X Plus processor and dedicated NPU delivering 45 TOPS of AI performance, this diminutive device packs surprising computational muscle specifically tuned for the next generation of AI-powered applications. But specs only tell part of the story. The real question is how all this technology comes together in daily use. Can the Surface Pro 12 deliver on Microsoft’s promises of all-day battery life and responsive performance in a more portable package? And perhaps more importantly, does it justify its existence in a lineup that already includes the more powerful Surface Pro 13-inch? Let’s find out. Design and Ergonomics Pick up the Surface Pro 12, and something immediately feels different. The weight distribution. The rounded edges. The way it nestles into your palm with unexpected comfort. At just 1.5 pounds (686g), this isn’t Microsoft’s lightest device ever, but it might be their most thoughtfully balanced. I found myself reaching for it instinctively throughout the day. Its 0.30-inch thickness, combined with its compact footprint, makes it substantially more comfortable to hold in one hand than previous Surface models. This matters tremendously for a device meant to transition seamlessly between laptop and tablet modes. Microsoft has embraced a more organic design language here. Gone are the sharper edges of previous generations, replaced by gently rounded corners that echo the aesthetic of modern tablets. The bezels have shrunk considerably, though they’re still present enough to provide a comfortable grip without triggering accidental touches. The overall effect is subtle but significant. This feels less like a business tool and more like a personal device. The color options deserve special mention. Beyond the standard Platinum, Microsoft offers Ocean (a sophisticated blue-gray) and Violet. These aren’t the bold, saturated hues you might expect from consumer electronics, but rather subdued, mature tones that manage to feel both professional and personal. The Violet, in particular, strikes an interesting balance. It is distinctive without being flashy. Flip the device around and you’ll notice the integrated kickstand, a Surface hallmark that continues to distinguish these devices from iPad competitors. The hinge feels remarkably solid, with 165 degrees of smooth, consistent resistance. You can position it at virtually any angle, from nearly flat to upright, and it stays exactly where you place it. This flexibility proves invaluable when using the device on uneven surfaces like your lap or a bed. The port selection remains minimal. Two USB-C 3.2 ports with DisplayPort 1.4a support handle all your connectivity needs. They’re well-positioned and work with a wide range of accessories, but the absence of a headphone jack or USB-A port means dongles will remain a fact of life for many users. This minimalist approach keeps the device slim but demands some adaptability from users with legacy peripherals. What about the keyboard? The optional Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard ($149 without pen, $249 with Slim Pen) represents a significant redesign. Microsoft has removed the Alcantara fabric from the palm rest, opting instead for a clean, monochromatic matte finish that feels premium to the touch. The fabric hasn’t disappeared entirely. It’s now relegated to the back of the keyboard cover, providing a pleasant tactile contrast when carrying the closed device. The typing experience surpasses expectations for such a compact keyboard. Key travel feels generous, with a satisfying tactile response that avoids the mushiness common to many tablet keyboards. The layout is thoughtfully designed, with full-sized keys in the central typing area and slightly compressed function and specialty keys at the edges. After a brief adjustment period, I was typing at nearly my full speed. The trackpad deserves equal praise. It’s responsive, accurate, and reasonably sized given the constraints of the 12-inch form factor. Microsoft has clearly prioritized quality over size here, and the result is a tracking surface that rarely frustrates. Perhaps the most significant ergonomic improvement involves the Surface Slim Pen. Rather than attaching to the keyboard as in previous models, it now magnetically snaps to the back of the tablet itself. The connection is surprisingly strong. You can shake the tablet vigorously without dislodging the pen. This redesign serves multiple purposes: it keeps the pen accessible whether you’re using the keyboard or not, it allows for wireless charging of the pen, and it slightly reduces the keyboard’s footprint. The front-facing camera placement requires some adjustment. Located at the top of the display when in landscape orientation, it creates a slightly downward-facing angle during video calls when using the kickstand. This isn’t ideal for presenting your best angle, though it’s a common compromise in tablet design. Switching to portrait orientation provides a more flattering angle but isn’t always practical for extended calls. Audio performance exceeds expectations for a device this size. The dual 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support deliver clear, room-filling sound with surprising bass response. They’re positioned perfectly to create a convincing stereo image when the device is in landscape orientation, making the Surface Pro 12 a legitimate option for casual movie watching without headphones. The most impressive aspect of the Surface Pro 12’s design is not any one feature, but how all the elements work together cohesively. The proportions feel natural, the weight distribution is balanced, and the materials and finishes complement each other nicely. This device has been refined over several generations, and that accumulated knowledge is evident in numerous small details. Performance The Surface Pro 12 introduces an intriguing performance proposition. Microsoft has equipped this compact device with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus processor, an 8-core variant of the chip powering many of this year’s AI-focused laptops. This marks a significant departure from Intel-based Surface devices of the past. The question isn’t whether this processor is powerful. It is. The question is whether it’s the right kind of powerful for your specific needs. For everyday computing, the answer is a resounding yes. The system boots instantly, apps launch without hesitation, and multitasking feels remarkably fluid. I routinely ran multiple Office applications alongside dozens of browser tabs without encountering any slowdown. This responsiveness extends to more demanding productivity tasks like photo editing in Adobe Lightroom, where the device handled 20+ megapixel RAW files with surprising agility. What makes this performance particularly impressive is the complete absence of fan noise. The Surface Pro 12 features a fanless design with no vents whatsoever. Even under sustained workloads, the device remains silent, with only minimal warming of the chassis. This thermal efficiency represents a significant quality-of-life improvement over previous Surface models, especially in quiet environments like libraries or meeting rooms. Benchmark results confirm these subjective impressions. In Geekbench 6, the Surface Pro 12 scored around 2,250 for single-core and 9,500 for multi-core performance. These numbers put it in the same neighborhood as many Intel Core Ultra 5-powered laptops, particularly for single-core tasks where the Snapdragon X Plus shows impressive efficiency. Cinebench results tell a similar story, with scores that would have been considered high-end just a couple of generations ago. Battery life represents perhaps the most significant performance advantage. Microsoft claims up to 16 hours of video playback and 12 hours of active web usage. In my testing, these numbers proved surprisingly accurate. A full day of mixed productivity work (writing, web browsing, video calls, and occasional photo editing) left me with 25 to 30 percent battery remaining. More impressively, the device sips power when idle, losing just a few percentage points overnight. This efficiency means you can confidently leave your charger at home for most workdays. When you do need to charge, the process is refreshingly quick. Using the optional 45-watt USB-C charger ($70), the Surface Pro 12 reaches 50 percent battery in approximately 30 minutes and 80 percent in about an hour. This rapid charging capability further enhances the device’s practicality for mobile professionals. The neural processing unit (NPU) deserves special attention. With 45 TOPS of AI performance, the Qualcomm Hexagon NPU positions the Surface Pro 12 as a capable platform for Microsoft’s growing ecosystem of AI-enhanced applications. Features like Windows Studio Effects, which provides background blur and eye contact correction during video calls, run smoothly without taxing the main CPU. The upcoming Recall feature, which promises to help you find anything you’ve seen on your PC, also leverages this dedicated AI hardware. Memory and storage configurations are straightforward. All models include 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM, which proves ample for most productivity workflows. Storage options include either 256GB or 512GB of UFS storage. While not as fast as the PCIe SSDs found in premium laptops, these storage solutions deliver respectable performance for everyday tasks. The absence of user-upgradeable components means choosing the right configuration at purchase time is crucial. Connectivity options enhance the overall performance picture. Wi-Fi 7 support ensures the fastest possible wireless connections on compatible networks, while Bluetooth 5.4 provides reliable connections to peripherals. The two USB-C ports support DisplayPort 1.4a, allowing you to drive up to two 4K monitors at 60Hz, a significant upgrade for productivity. Where does the Surface Pro 12 fall short? Demanding creative applications like video editing or 3D rendering will push this system to its limits. While it can handle these tasks, you’ll experience longer render times compared to more powerful systems. Similarly, gaming capabilities are limited to older titles, cloud gaming services, or less demanding indie games. This isn’t a gaming machine by any stretch. It’s also worth noting that while Windows on ARM compatibility has improved dramatically, you may occasionally encounter software that doesn’t run optimally or requires emulation. Microsoft’s Rosetta-like translation layer handles most x86 applications admirably, but with some performance penalty. Fortunately, major productivity applications like the Microsoft Office suite and Adobe Creative Cloud now offer native ARM versions that run beautifully. The performance story of the Surface Pro 12 is ultimately about balance. Microsoft has created a device that delivers impressive responsiveness for everyday tasks while maximizing battery life and eliminating fan noise. For the target audience (mobile professionals, students, and productivity-focused users), this balance hits a sweet spot that many will find compelling. Sustainability Surface devices have rarely been evaluated through an environmental lens. That shifts with the Surface Pro 12. Microsoft’s latest tablet-laptop hybrid takes a material-first approach to reducing its ecological footprint, applying tangible revisions in sourcing, assembly, and lifecycle design. The battery introduces a foundational change. This is the first Surface Pro to use 100 percent recycled cobalt inside the cell. The shift matters. Cobalt extraction is linked to heavy environmental degradation and labor violations, particularly in regions where the material is most abundant. Using recycled cobalt minimizes dependency on these supply chains while maintaining performance. Microsoft applies similar logic to the enclosure. The casing incorporates at least 82.9 percent recycled content, including fully recycled aluminum alloy and rare earth elements. These metals are essential to core functions like audio and haptic feedback, but traditional sourcing is energy-intensive and harmful to ecosystems. Recycling them cuts the carbon load while preserving durability. The recycled aluminum, in particular, reduces energy consumption by over 90 percent compared to newly smelted metal. Packaging aligns with this direction. Microsoft states that 71 percent of wood-fiber packaging uses recycled material, and all virgin paper is sourced from responsibly managed forests. The result feels considered and premium, but without the typical waste profile seen in high-end electronics. Power efficiency is handled by both certification and architecture. The Surface Pro 12 meets ENERGY STAR criteria. Its Snapdragon processor operates on a performance-per-watt model, reducing heat and load during basic workflows without sacrificing responsiveness. Repairability has also improved. Microsoft includes labeled components and internal diagrams that support technician-guided part replacements. These efforts fall short of true user-repairability, but they increase the odds that broken devices will be fixed rather than discarded. A trade-in program supports hardware recovery for U.S. commercial customers. The initiative encourages responsible disposal and keeps materials in circulation longer. This model moves the Surface series closer to a lower-impact future. Microsoft still relies on proprietary accessories that may not carry forward. The keyboard and pen are not backward compatible with earlier models. That limits cross-generation reuse and could introduce avoidable waste. True modularity is still missing. Even with those constraints, the Surface Pro 12 represents the most focused sustainability effort in the product line to date. Material sourcing, energy use, and packaging all reflect an intention to lower the cost to the planet without compromising design or performance. Value and Wrap-up The Surface Pro 12 redefines how compact Windows hardware can serve practical, real-world needs. Its value isn’t rooted in technical dominance or low pricing. It comes from how effectively the device supports a mobile, focused workflow. This model favors portability and responsiveness over excess. It’s built for those who move constantly between meetings, transit, and flexible workspaces, without wanting to sacrifice the continuity of a full Windows environment. The smaller form factor isn’t a downgrade. It’s deliberate, eliminating clutter and favoring daily-use speed, comfort, and silence. Microsoft’s design choices reflect this purpose. From the near-instant wake time to the magnetic keyboard closure, the experience is tuned to reduce friction. That fluidity helps the device become second nature. It’s not about raw performance. It’s about always being ready. The inclusion of dedicated AI hardware gives the Surface Pro 12 another dimension. As more Windows features become NPU-dependent, this machine stays relevant. You’re not just buying current functionality. You’re investing in a platform with a longer upgrade arc. The accessory pricing remains clunky. But over time, the value balances out through longevity and reduced dependency on external gear. Build quality, battery endurance, and AI readiness all support longer ownership without the usual performance decay. What makes the Surface Pro 12 stand out is discipline. Microsoft didn’t stretch this device to cover every use case. Instead, it doubled down on a clear objective: make a serious, portable Windows tool that respects your time and space. The result is confident and complete.The post Microsoft Surface Pro 12 Review: Compact Copilot+ Windows device built for silence, stamina, and adaptability first appeared on Yanko Design.

Design Bridge and Partners have created a kintsugi-inspired new look for Gen-All, a charity that promotes intergenerational work and best practice. Gen-All co-founder Judith Ish-Horowicz has run a nursery within a care home since 2017. She received lottery funding to create a new body bringing together different organisations in the space to share best practice. “We were aware that there was a lot of intergenerational work going on, but there was no understanding of what was actually impactful,” she explains. The new Gen-All logo by Design Bridge and Partners Ish-Horowicz worked with the Beth Johnson Foundation to revive the Centre of Intergenerational Practice and Research and Development (CIPRD). She met Design Bridge and Partners’ Chief Strategy Officer Matt Boffey because his daughter attended her nursery and he offered to work on the project pro bono. “Everyone recognises that stronger relationships between the generations create some really positive outcomes for society, especially in this moment where we’ve got demographic change and stretched resources,” Boffey says. “We wanted to create a compelling brand that people could get behind, so it could become a beacon to attract different partners.” Design Bridge and Partners’ visuals for Gen-All Boffey and his team felt the name CIRP “took a lot of unpacking” while Ish-Horowicz is more blunt – “It was a terrible name.” They hit on Gen-All as a simple and immediate way of capturing what the organisation stands for. “Intergenerational work is about all the generations rather than just the extremes of the very young and the very old,” Boffey says, “So we wanted something that could represent that broader sense of inclusivity, and something that wasn’t too abstract.” He says this immediacy was particularly important for a small organisation with limited budgets. They created a simple wordmark using the new name in Hepta Slab, with the hyphen also acting as a visual metaphor bridging the generations, and the various organisations Gen-All wants to unite. https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/05/Gen-All_PR_07.mp4 Senior designer Leanne Kitchen explains that the logo was kept deliberately neutral because of the very busy and colourful assets that were developed for the broader identity. This was built on the idea of fragmentation, which applied across generations as well as among the intergenerational practice community itself. “We wanted to translate that into a very clear message and we liked the idea of filling the gap, to bring the generations back together,” Kitchen explains. This led them to kintsugi, or golden joinery, which is the Japanese act of repairing broken objects with a lacquer that reconnects the pieces, but doesn’t hide the fact it has once been broken. “We liked the idea that it creates something new, but embraces the past and its previous fragmentation,” Kitchen explains. “We’re not shying away from where we’ve been, and just trying to glue it back together. Using kintsugi creates a more meaningful whole.” Design Bridge and Partners’ visuals for Gen-All And so the visuals are created from repaired ceramic pieces that represent different generations, with contrasting imagery attached together. There was also a neat historic link to the Beth Johnson foundation, which is based in Stoke, the heart of the Potteries. They held workshops at Ish-Horowicz’ London nursery to create the first pieces, where they also collected stories from participants about how bringing together young and old had benefitted their lives. The team later used AI image generation tools to expand the visual assets and create a broad suite of imagery for Gen-All’s digital channels. And the pottery theme extends into lots of nice touches, such as using stacked plates to create a chart to share key stats in the Gen-All newsletter. Boffey says it’s important for Design Bridge and Partners to take on projects like this alongside its big-name client work. “It’s a great opportunity for us to take the talent we have and create a different type of impact with a different type of partner, which is no less important than furthering the ends of our commercial clients,” he explains. “It’s very motivating to our people, and it gives them an opportunity to stretch themselves in new directions. We get lots of people wanting to be involved and we don’t ever treat these projects as a hobby or a side project.” For Ish-Horowicz, the impact of the rebrand is already being felt, with renewed interest and engagement across the UK, as well as new connections around the world, from the US and Sweden to Israel, India and Turkey. And she is excited for how the new brand will help further this work, which she has committed so much of her life to. “For the first time we are connecting people together, so professionals in this space can support each other and bring the level of impact up,” she says. “It’s no longer coming into care homes and singing at somebody at Christmas. Now we are all singing together, and singing from the same song sheet.” https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/05/Gen-All_PR_09.mp4

The year’s just getting started, but there’s already a lot happening. Peruse our latest monthly roundup of Made with Unity highlights to learn what’s up in the Unity community.#MadeWithUnity games reached some exciting milestones in January.To start, we celebrated the return of a classic as Colossal Cave was released in VR. Death in the Water 2 by Lighthouse Games also launched, and it’s proving to be quite a terrifying experience.Finally, it’s great to see so many Made with Unity games nominated for the upcoming Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences’ D.I.C.E. Awards. The nominees include:Gibbon: Beyond the Trees, IMMORTALITY, and MARVEL SNAP for Mobile Game of the YearTUNIC and NORCO for Adventure Game of the YearCosmonious High, Tentacular, and The Last Clockwinder for Immersive Reality Game of the YearMARVEL SNAP for Online Game of the YearSpiderHeck for Fighting Game of the YearDisney Dreamlight Valley, Lost in Play, and Trombone Champ for Family Game of the YearCitizen Sleeper for Role-Playing Game of the YearIXION, Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator, and Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters for Strategy/Simulation Game of the YearOlliOlli World for Sports Game of the YearNeon White for Action Game of the YearIMMORTALITY, Neon White, and TUNIC for Outstanding Achievement for an Independent GameAmong Us VR, Cosmonious High, and The Last Clockwinder for Immersive Reality Technical AchievementMARVEL SNAP and TUNIC for Outstanding Achievement in Game DesignSomerville for Outstanding Achievement in Audio DesignCuphead: The Delicious Last Course for Outstanding Achievement in AnimationIMMORTALITY and TUNIC for Outstanding Achievement in Game DirectionIMMORTALITY, NORCO, and I Was a Teenage Exocolonist for Outstanding Achievement in StoryWe share new releases or milestone spotlights every Monday through @UnityGames on Twitter.Tuesdays are dedicated to #UnityTips on Twitter. Here are two we found helpful in January:@elvismdd shared a classic tip to highlight the GameObject causing trouble@SunnyVStudio offered some nice interactive bow strings to show off in VRWe also published a recap of highlights from our 2022 developer Twitter takeovers right here on the blog. Stay tuned for plenty more throughout the year, and keep tagging us using the #UnityTips hashtag.We love all the incredible-looking projects we see using the #MadeWithUnity hashtag.Twitter’s @Vhalenn_ showcased a breathtaking world that’s worth exploring and @HakanssonAugust demonstrated some on-point camera work. Then, @inresin’s lizard friend took us on all sorts of adventures.On Instagram, @Throwdrow’s floating sword (above) looked straight out of a fantasy world, while @chibig.studio’s witch had some errands to run.We’re so excited for a new year of #MadeWithUnity, so keep adding the hashtag to your posts to show us what you’ve been up to.There were no new Creator Spotlight streams on Twitch in January, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t busy. To close out the month, we sat down with three Unity Insiders – Samyam, Andy Touch, and Code Monkey – ahead of Global Game Jam 2023 for a kickoff panel (also on YouTube) and joined the Global Game Jam team for its Day 2 Prep Week stream.In addition, we continued the revitalizing clips on YouTube with not one but four videos highlighting snippets from recent Creator Spotlight streams, including insight on layered explosions and stylized graphics in Rollerdrome, tips on building your email list from Thomas Brush (above), and the power of command buffers with JellyCar Worlds.Don’t forget to follow us on Twitch and hit the notification bell so you never miss a stream. If you miss a future Creator Spotlight live broadcast, don’t worry: We upload all streams to this YouTube playlist.On January 26, we had our first Dev Blitz Day of the year, focusing on authoring. The event was held in both the forums and the Discord server. Throughout the day, we answered more than 200 developer questions and would like to thank everyone who participated.Our next Dev Blitz Day will be held this month (February), but the date is still TBD. Keep an eye on the forums and our Discord for future announcements.Just in case you’re prioritizing vibes this season, we’ve got you covered with cozy assets for cozy games. What are “cozy games” you might ask? Read up on the emerging genre, and maybe it’ll spark some creative ideas for your next project.Plus, catch up with some of our favorite creator showcases on Twitter last month:Nordic Landscape | John Leonard FrenchWaterCausticsEffect for URP v2 | Masataka HakozakiTerraWorld SRP (Coming Soon) | ShadercrewPoly HP – Wildman | Downrain DCIf you’re using any Unity #AssetStore assets or have published assets to show off, be sure to tag us on Twitter with your latest creations. We’re excited to see what everyone creates throughout the year.Last but not least, here’s a non-exhaustive list of Made with Unity titles released in January. Do you see any on the list that have already become favorites or notice that something is missing? Tell us about it in the forums.Gorilla Tag, Another Axiom (January 1)We Are The Caretakers, Heart Shaped Games LLC (January 6)Children of Silentown, Elf Games, Luna2 Studio (January 11)LONE RUIN, Cuddle Monster Games (January 12)Surviving the Abyss, Rocket Flair Studios (January 17)Osiris: New Dawn, Fenix Fire Entertainment (January 18)A Space for the Unbound, Mojiken (January 19)Colossal Cave, Cygnus Entertainment (January 19)The Pioneers: Surviving Desolation, Supercube (January 20)Fire Emblem™ Engage, Nintendo (January 20)Catch Me!, ByteRockers' Games (January 24)NBA All-World, Niantic (January 24)Death in the Water 2, Lighthouse Games Studio (January 26)Power Chord, Big Blue Bubble (January 26)Roller Drama, Open Lab Games (January 26)That’s a wrap for January! Want more community news as it happens? Don’t forget to follow us on social media: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, or Twitch.

Wendy McMahon is exiting CBS News amid tension with the parent company, Paramount. Frazer Harrison/Variety via Getty Images 2025-05-19T16:11:45Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Wendy McMahon is quitting CBS News, citing disagreement with parent Paramount's direction. Her exit follows that of "60 Minutes" vet Bill Owens, and raises concerns about the show's future. CBS is facing legal issues with Trump, affecting its merger plans with Skydance. "60 Minutes" is left without another key ally as CBS News head Wendy McMahon has quit, citing disagreement with the company's path forward.Her exit is the latest shocking turn of events in CBS parent Paramount's ongoing face-off with President Donald Trump."It's become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward," McMahon, president and CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures, wrote in a memo obtained by Business Insider. "It's time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership."Her departure comes a month after "60 Minutes" longtime executive producer Bill Owens quit the prestigious news program, saying he could no longer run the program independently.At the time, Owens said McMahon had "60 Minutes'" back, while McMahon praised Owens for his "unwavering integrity, curiosity, and a deep commitment to the truth." She said then that CBS remained committed to "60 Minutes" and would ensure that its mission and the work remain a priority."It is not a good sign," a "60 Minutes" employee told BI. "She and Bill were very close. Feels like he was the first target and they wanted her gone, too. But they spread it out. Also, they waited until the '60 Minutes' season was over, by hours."The employee expressed concern that the promises McMahon made to preserve the work of "60 Minutes" and promote from within to succeed Owens could go by the wayside.CBS is in talks to settle a $20 billion legal battle with President Trump. Last year, he sued the network over its "60 Minutes" pre-election interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.The legal trouble has cast a shadow over the CBS parent company Paramount's long-standing plan to sell to the Hollywood production company Skydance, which requires FCC approval.Trump and his allies have repeatedly targeted the mainstream press.CBS CEO George Cheeks praised McMahon in a memo that was also seen by BI, saying her contributions improved the network's local news, competitiveness, and streaming operations. He said CBS News president Tom Cibrowski and CBS Stations president Jennifer Mitchell will report directly to him going forward.For CBS Media Ventures, which McMahon also oversaw, Cheeks said Scott Trupchak, who heads advertising sales, and John Budkins, who oversees programming and production, will report to Bryon Rubin, CBS's chief operating officer and CFO.Here's the text of McMahon's full memo to staff:Hi everyone,Today, I am stepping down from my position as president and CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures.This has been one of the most meaningful chapters in my career. Leading this extraordinary organization has been the honor of a lifetime because I got to work alongside all of you. Your commitment to truth, fairness and the highest standards is unassailable.Championing and supporting the journalism produced by the most amazing stations and bureaus in the world, celebrating the successes of our shows and our brands, elevating our stories and our people ... It has been a privilege and joy.At the same time, the past few months have been challenging. It's become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward. It's time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership.I have spent the last few months shoring up our businesses and making sure the right leaders are in place; and I have no doubt they will continue to set the standard.You are in incredibly good hands with Tom, Jennifer, John, Matt and Robert. They are phenomenal leaders and people who will continue to protect and celebrate your work. I am sure of it.To George: Thank you for this opportunity.To our viewers: Thank you for your trust. You hold us accountable, and you remind us why this work matters.To the CBS News and Stations and CMV teams: Thank you for your passion, your professionalism and your partnership. It has been a privilege to walk this path with you.Wendy Recommended video

Millions of people argue with each other online every day, but remarkably few of them change someone’s mind. New research suggests that large language models (LLMs) might do a better job. The finding suggests that AI could become a powerful tool for persuading people, for better or worse.   A multi-university team of researchers found that OpenAI’s GPT-4 was significantly more persuasive than humans when it was given the ability to adapt its arguments using personal information about whoever it was debating. Their findings are the latest in a growing body of research demonstrating LLMs’ powers of persuasion. The authors warn they show how AI tools can craft sophisticated, persuasive arguments if they have even minimal information about the humans they’re interacting with. The research has been published in the journal Nature Human Behavior. “Policymakers and online platforms should seriously consider the threat of coordinated AI-based disinformation campaigns, as we have clearly reached the technological level where it is possible to create a network of LLM-based automated accounts able to strategically nudge public opinion in one direction,” says Riccardo Gallotti, an interdisciplinary physicist at Fondazione Bruno Kessler in Italy, who worked on the project. “These bots could be used to disseminate disinformation, and this kind of diffused influence would be very hard to debunk in real time,” he says. The researchers recruited 900 people based in the US and got them to provide personal information like their gender, age, ethnicity, education level, employment status, and political affiliation.  Participants were then matched with either another human opponent or GPT-4 and instructed to debate one of 30 randomly assigned topics—such as whether the US should ban fossil fuels, or whether students should have to wear school uniforms—for 10 minutes. Each participant was told to argue either in favor of or against the topic, and in some cases they were provided with personal information about their opponent, so they could better tailor their argument. At the end, participants said how much they agreed with the proposition and whether they thought they were arguing with a human or an AI. Overall, the researchers found that GPT-4 either equaled or exceeded humans’ persuasive abilities on every topic. When it had information about its opponents, the AI was deemed to be 64% more persuasive than humans without access to the personalized data—meaning that GPT-4 was able to leverage the personal data about its opponent much more effectively than its human counterparts. When humans had access to the personal information, they were found to be slightly less persuasive than humans without the same access. The authors noticed that when participants thought they were debating against AI, they were more likely to agree with it. The reasons behind this aren’t clear, the researchers say, highlighting the need for further research into how humans react to AI. “We are not yet in a position to determine whether the observed change in agreement is driven by participants’ beliefs about their opponent being a bot (since I believe it is a bot, I am not losing to anyone if I change ideas here), or whether those beliefs are themselves a consequence of the opinion change (since I lost, it should be against a bot),” says Gallotti. “This causal direction is an interesting open question to explore.” Although the experiment doesn’t reflect how humans debate online, the research suggests that LLMs could also prove an effective way to not only disseminate but also counter mass disinformation campaigns, Gallotti says. For example, they could generate personalized counter-narratives to educate people who may be vulnerable to deception in online conversations. “However, more research is urgently needed to explore effective strategies for mitigating these threats,” he says. While we know a lot about how humans react to each other, we know very little about the psychology behind how people interact with AI models, says Alexis Palmer, a fellow at Dartmouth College who has studied how LLMs can argue about politics but did not work on the research.  “In the context of having a conversation with someone about something you disagree on, is there something innately human that matters to that interaction? Or is it that if an AI can perfectly mimic that speech, you’ll get the exact same outcome?” she says. “I think that is the overall big question of AI.”

Constructive Crit RoadCraft review: Streamlined building biz beset by bumbling AI Bobs Can we fix it? Well, that often depends on whether you’ll let me deliver the bits myself. Image credit: VG247 Review by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on May 19, 2025 It’s getting close to 10PM on a Friday night. There’s a slightly muddy hill. Halfway up it, their tires spinning helplessly, are two trucks carrying goods they need to deliver to a shed about half the map away. I sigh, and give my bulldozer/cargo truck the beans. As one fourteen-wheeled mass, we begin to crawl up the gentle slope, which would be easy pickings if the AI-manned haulers glued to my front scoop had any off-roading capabilities whatsoever. They don’t. There’s no driving skill to make up for it, either. If they run into an obstacle during the course of the route I’ve plotted out for them which can’t be overcome by simply reversing and pulling forwards less than three times, they just give up. Small rocks terrify them, turns that happen to be in any way sharp are the banes of their existence, and sometimes they seem to roll over just for a laugh. They need me. When I’m not Bob the builder, I’m Bob the babysitter. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. What I’ve just described is one of the main things that sets RoadCraft - the latest entry in Saber Interactive’s Spintires series of off-roading sims - from its rugged, outdoorsy siblings. These games, MudRunner, SnowRunner, and last year’s Expeditions, were generally games about you - the player - getting from A to B through untamed environments and getting stuck when you messed it up. I’ve regularly, and slightly sarkily, compared these games to the driving equivalent of FromSoft’s boss battlers. Notoriously unforgiving adventures about eventual success earned through overwhelming skill or luck, and usually preempted by a crap-tonne of failure that gradually pushes those who haven’t already taken their lumps in the direction of doing the right thing. When you’re behind the wheel, RoadCraft’s by far the least hardcore title in its delivery of that gameplay loop that Saber has put out to this point. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still a learning curve and plenty of ways to mess up that’ll require a reset. However, in its creation of a game that’s more focused on construction, maintenance, and logistics management than it is straight-up haulage or frontier-conquering exploration, the studio’s simplified things. As you carry out jobs, you no longer have to keep a watchful eye on your fuel gauge or do any repairs if you slam into a wall. RoadCraft’s fleet is permanently fully-fueled and indestructible unless you roll over, sink, or otherwise get wedged in a spot you can’t extricate yourself from. While this, and the resulting lack of an in-depth upgrade system for vehicles, might be a bit frustrating to hardcore haulers, you can see why Saber’s opted to do it. See? Told you there are still ways you can monumentally mess things up. | Image credit: VG247/Saber The rides you’re handed the keys to this time are generally a lot more specialised towards very specific roles for the jobs you’ll be doing as the game walks you through getting locations which have suffered different kinds of natural disaster - from floods, to earthquakes, to hurricanes - up and running again. You’re running a construction firm that you start off by naming and picking out a livery/logo combo for. When you first deploy into one of the maps, which thankfully are openly free-roamable outside jobs unlike those in Expeditions, you’ll do the usual thing and head out in a nippy scout 4x4 to recon the environment. Then, your re-construction efforts begin, and can be divided into about five or six different general activities you’ll do in various orders and with different quirks as you progress - scouting, logging, road and bridge building, plotting routes for AI supply runs, debris clearing, and resource delivery. In terms of the latter, there are four types of resources you’ll need to fix various things - logs, steel beams, metal pipes, and concrete slabs - all of which you’ll acquire by either recycling debris at the plants on each map that part of your job is to get up and running. Getting ahold of those, ferrying them where they need to go, and installing them is done in very SnowRunnery fashion, albeit with manual loading being your only option. As such, the vehicle I’ve spent by far the most time in during my time with the game so far is the Mule T1 crane cargo truck. As the name suggests, it’s a lorry with very decent off-roading capabilities that’s built to transport goods, and even boasts its own built-in crane. (Slaps roof) You know how much junk this Mule can haul? | Image credit: VG247-Saber If you’re playing solo, it’s by far the most important purchase you’ll make early on, because its good stats and that crane mean it’s ideal to handle the vast majority of haulage jobs the game gives you. There is a point where some loads start to get a bit too heavy for it to deal with easily, but I’ve made it up to level 12 so far and it’s still the heart of my fleet. That arguably exposes a bit of a flaw in RoadCraft’s launch vehicle offerings - there’s only one or very occasionally two better successors you can unlock for each of the different vehicle types as you progress. You do unlock some new types of vehicle around the midpoint, such as a heavy crane and beefier cargo truck that together can handle the heavier loads the Mule struggles with, but in plenty of cases there’s a beginner rusty variant of a specific vehicle, a refurbished version of the exact same model with slightly better stats, and then an advanced variant you’ll unlock once you’re starting to home in on the endgame. The most egregious example of this is with the field service vehicles. There are two. One you’re given for free at the start of the game and can’t even be repainted in your company livery as far as I can tell, and then its endgame replacement, which you won’t unlock until level 20, which based on my progress so far looks like it’ll be when you’ve basically finished all of the game’s current content. You’re still unlocking one or two new vehicles or variants of existing vehicles with each level you gain to help freshen things up a bit, but the relatively thin depth at each position and lack of part customisation means the sense of progression feels a lot more limited. No doubt there’ll be plenty of DLC to beef up the roster, but Focus seems to be leaning a bit too heavily on that. C. W. McCall intensifies. | Image credit: VG247/Saber Combined with the aforementioned stripping out of stuff like fuel management, and the XP/cash rewards for jobs being quite generous (the latter especially so because you aren’t constantly spending on upgrades), to this point RoadCraft is the entry in the uber-hard Spintires series I’ve made my way through with the least struggle. The one exception to that, as I outlined in the intro, is that damn route plotting for AI trucks. If it’s the part of the game that’s supposed to dial the difficulty back up, it certainly does just that at regular points, often in infuriating fashion. If I’ve gotten stuck while driving, usually because I’ve done something stupid, that’s annoying, but at the end of the day it’s on me to do a better job. If an AI lorry I’ve already built a bunch of bridges and roads for requires me to follow it along its entire route and do some push-based babysitting whenever it encounters the tiniest obstacle because it’s using a truck that only works on perfectly straight asphalt highways, that’s less easy to take on the chin. Kudos to Saber for trying something different, but some of the ways I’ve had to resort to helping its lorry Lemmings feel like they pretty much defeat the point of not having me just make the deliveries myself. While folks who take a bit more time to clear the perfect path might well find RoadCraft lacking a bit of challenge, I’ve personally enjoyed the non-AI lorry bits of it generally being a lot more chill than the usual. The game’s at its best when you’re heading to a base or driving your field service vehicle somewhere and setting up to spend some time doing a specific job. Both act as spawn points for vehicles, though the latter requires fuel tokens that’re pretty easy to earn from side jobs. Once you’re there, you’ll be doing something like watching the four stages of RoadCraft’s namesake party trick, building roads by dumping sand with a dump truck, using a dozer to flatten it, wheeling out your paver to coat it an asphalt, and then hopping in a steamroller to make it nice and smooth. It’s as mega-satisfying as you always dream baking a cake will be, even if the first step can be pretty unforgiving because it’s near impossible to drop sand in a nice uniform fashion. Luckily, you’ve got the choice to do each step manually or let the computer do it automatically, with the latter tending to go ok given you’re only making short stretches of road. Well, unless your paver finds a small rock you haven’t cleared. It's a piece of cake to lay a pretty road. If the way is hazy, you gotta do the laying by the codex. | Image credit: VG247/Saber Logging by chopping down trees with a tree harvester, picking up the big twigs with a log hauler, and then cleaning up your mess with a stump mulcher is just as fun. There’s not as much process to laying electrical wires between different spots on the map to power up substations, but finding a way to guide the comically unwieldy cable layer through the backwoods has its good moments, even if it’s possible to get stuck in weird ways. Overall, RoadCraft offers a unique enough twist on the established Spintires formula, if a streamlined one, to be worth giving a go. Some series veterans will end up longing for the elements it’s stripped out, especially when the new stuff that’s been drafted in is being more frustrating than fun. But, that central loop of frustration giving way to jubilation as you overcome the environment is still there and regularly just as satisfying. Especially when the convoy you’ve spent all evening pushing up hills finally reaches its destination. RoadCraft releases on March 20 for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5. This review was conducted on PS5 using a code provided by the publisher.

Millions of people argue with each other online every day, but remarkably few of them change someone’s mind. New research suggests that large language models (LLMs) might do a better job. The finding suggests that AI could become a powerful tool for persuading people, for better or worse.   A multi-university team of researchers found that OpenAI’s GPT-4 was significantly more persuasive than humans when it was given the ability to adapt its arguments using personal information about whoever it was debating. Their findings are the latest in a growing body of research demonstrating LLMs’ powers of persuasion. The authors warn they show how AI tools can craft sophisticated, persuasive arguments if they have even minimal information about the humans they’re interacting with. The research has been published in the journal Nature Human Behavior. “Policymakers and online platforms should seriously consider the threat of coordinated AI-based disinformation campaigns, as we have clearly reached the technological level where it is possible to create a network of LLM-based automated accounts able to strategically nudge public opinion in one direction,” says Riccardo Gallotti, an interdisciplinary physicist at Fondazione Bruno Kessler in Italy, who worked on the project. “These bots could be used to disseminate disinformation, and this kind of diffused influence would be very hard to debunk in real time,” he says. The researchers recruited 900 people based in the US and got them to provide personal information like their gender, age, ethnicity, education level, employment status, and political affiliation.  Participants were then matched with either another human opponent or GPT-4 and instructed to debate one of 30 randomly assigned topics—such as whether the US should ban fossil fuels, or whether students should have to wear school uniforms—for 10 minutes. Each participant was told to argue either in favor of or against the topic, and in some cases they were provided with personal information about their opponent, so they could better tailor their argument. At the end, participants said how much they agreed with the proposition and whether they thought they were arguing with a human or an AI. Overall, the researchers found that GPT-4 either equaled or exceeded humans’ persuasive abilities on every topic. When it had information about its opponents, the AI was deemed to be 64% more persuasive than humans without access to the personalized data—meaning that GPT-4 was able to leverage the personal data about its opponent much more effectively than its human counterparts. When humans had access to the personal information, they were found to be slightly less persuasive than humans without the same access. The authors noticed that when participants thought they were debating against AI, they were more likely to agree with it. The reasons behind this aren’t clear, the researchers say, highlighting the need for further research into how humans react to AI. “We are not yet in a position to determine whether the observed change in agreement is driven by participants’ beliefs about their opponent being a bot (since I believe it is a bot, I am not losing to anyone if I change ideas here), or whether those beliefs are themselves a consequence of the opinion change (since I lost, it should be against a bot),” says Gallotti. “This causal direction is an interesting open question to explore.” Although the experiment doesn’t reflect how humans debate online, the research suggests that LLMs could also prove an effective way to not only disseminate but also counter mass disinformation campaigns, Gallotti says. For example, they could generate personalized counter-narratives to educate people who may be vulnerable to deception in online conversations. “However, more research is urgently needed to explore effective strategies for mitigating these threats,” he says. While we know a lot about how humans react to each other, we know very little about the psychology behind how people interact with AI models, says Alexis Palmer, a fellow at Dartmouth College who has studied how LLMs can argue about politics but did not work on the research.  “In the context of having a conversation with someone about something you disagree on, is there something innately human that matters to that interaction? Or is it that if an AI can perfectly mimic that speech, you’ll get the exact same outcome?” she says. “I think that is the overall big question of AI.”

Millions of people argue with each other online every day, but remarkably few of them change someone’s mind. New research suggests that large language models (LLMs) might do a better job. The finding suggests that AI could become a powerful tool for persuading people, for better or worse.   A multi-university team of researchers found that OpenAI’s GPT-4 was significantly more persuasive than humans when it was given the ability to adapt its arguments using personal information about whoever it was debating. Their findings are the latest in a growing body of research demonstrating LLMs’ powers of persuasion. The authors warn they show how AI tools can craft sophisticated, persuasive arguments if they have even minimal information about the humans they’re interacting with. The research has been published in the journal Nature Human Behavior. “Policymakers and online platforms should seriously consider the threat of coordinated AI-based disinformation campaigns, as we have clearly reached the technological level where it is possible to create a network of LLM-based automated accounts able to strategically nudge public opinion in one direction,” says Riccardo Gallotti, an interdisciplinary physicist at Fondazione Bruno Kessler in Italy, who worked on the project. “These bots could be used to disseminate disinformation, and this kind of diffused influence would be very hard to debunk in real time,” he says. The researchers recruited 900 people based in the US and got them to provide personal information like their gender, age, ethnicity, education level, employment status, and political affiliation.  Participants were then matched with either another human opponent or GPT-4 and instructed to debate one of 30 randomly assigned topics—such as whether the US should ban fossil fuels, or whether students should have to wear school uniforms—for 10 minutes. Each participant was told to argue either in favor of or against the topic, and in some cases they were provided with personal information about their opponent, so they could better tailor their argument. At the end, participants said how much they agreed with the proposition and whether they thought they were arguing with a human or an AI. Overall, the researchers found that GPT-4 either equaled or exceeded humans’ persuasive abilities on every topic. When it had information about its opponents, the AI was deemed to be 64% more persuasive than humans without access to the personalized data—meaning that GPT-4 was able to leverage the personal data about its opponent much more effectively than its human counterparts. When humans had access to the personal information, they were found to be slightly less persuasive than humans without the same access. The authors noticed that when participants thought they were debating against AI, they were more likely to agree with it. The reasons behind this aren’t clear, the researchers say, highlighting the need for further research into how humans react to AI. “We are not yet in a position to determine whether the observed change in agreement is driven by participants’ beliefs about their opponent being a bot (since I believe it is a bot, I am not losing to anyone if I change ideas here), or whether those beliefs are themselves a consequence of the opinion change (since I lost, it should be against a bot),” says Gallotti. “This causal direction is an interesting open question to explore.” Although the experiment doesn’t reflect how humans debate online, the research suggests that LLMs could also prove an effective way to not only disseminate but also counter mass disinformation campaigns, Gallotti says. For example, they could generate personalized counter-narratives to educate people who may be vulnerable to deception in online conversations. “However, more research is urgently needed to explore effective strategies for mitigating these threats,” he says. While we know a lot about how humans react to each other, we know very little about the psychology behind how people interact with AI models, says Alexis Palmer, a fellow at Dartmouth College who has studied how LLMs can argue about politics but did not work on the research.  “In the context of having a conversation with someone about something you disagree on, is there something innately human that matters to that interaction? Or is it that if an AI can perfectly mimic that speech, you’ll get the exact same outcome?” she says. “I think that is the overall big question of AI.”

Macworld In his recent Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is looking to offer a new capability with the Apple Pencil: support for a “virtual reed calligraphy pen” that would make the device a tool for Arabic calligraphy. A reed pen is also known as a Kamish pen. The “analog” version, if you will, is usually made from river reeds and has been used for centuries by Middle Eastern calligraphers. Apple offers only one type of Pencil tip, and Gurman calls it a “virtual” pen, so it seems that the Arabic calligraphy support will be implemented through software. Gurman doesn’t offer more specifics, so it’s not clear if reed pen support would be for all four Apple Pencil models or if it would be limited to the Apple Pencil Pro and/or Apple Pencil (USB-C). As part of a larger push to expand its presence in India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, Apple also has plans to offer a “highly advanced bi-directional keyboard” that can switch between Arabic and English for iOS and iPadOS. Gurman doesn’t state when the pen and the keyboard will be available, though they will likely be part of the new iPadOS 19 announcements at WWDC25 on June 9. Apple Pencil Pro Price When Reviewed: 149 Best Prices Today: €144 at Computeruniverse€144 at cyberport€148 at notebooksbilliger.de136,21 € at amazon.de Apple Pencil (USB-C) Best Prices Today: €89 at Computeruniverse€89 at cyberport€89.9 at Alternate82,33 € at amazon.de