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Google rolls out Gemini in Chrome in seven new countries
Google is rolling out Gemini in Chrome in Australia, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam.
Is Rob Thomson already on the hot seat? Why Phillies manager's job security could be dependent on the fans
The Phillies have started the season with an inauspicious 8-13 record
Warriors reportedly will discuss ‘philosophy tweaks' if Steve Kerr returns
If Steve Kerr returns as Warriors coach, Golden State reportedly will discuss potential changes to the team's longtime offensive system.
Braves at Phillies series recap: A sweeping statement
The Braves are currently firing on all cylinders while their divisional foes are spinning their wheels.
Xfinity Kicks Off Member Celebration with Three Weeks of Exclusive Entertainment, Sports, Live Experiences and Savings from Comcast NBCUniversal
PHILADELPHIA, April 20, 2026--Comcast’s Xfinity today launched its Xfinity Member Celebration, a limited-time event running through May 10 that delivers three weeks of bonus benefits, sweepstakes, and exclusive experiences for Xfinity members. Members can also unlock special Xfinity product offers, featuring savings on mobile devices, smartwatches, and smart home technology, with even more value available at higher membership tiers. The celebration spotlights the unmatched power of Xfinity membe
The Importance of Supporting Small Businesses and Start Ups | Phil Weiser for Colorado
Colorado has some special and unique aspects that make it the best state in the nation. From its spectacular mountain peaks, to its vast open plains, to its bustling Front Range urban centers, Colorado is one of the most physically beautiful states. And while these vistas are critical to making us who we are, Colorado […]
Tickets Are On Sale For Phil Collins Tribute
The team that produced "The Simon & Garfunkel Story" and "R.E.S.P.E.C.T.–The Aretha Franklin Story" will present "The Phil Collins Story" on Sunday, October 18, at Plymouth Memorial Hall. Start time
Driving range and entertainment center open at Cobbs Creek Golf Course in West Philadelphia
Eagles trade rumor could lead to deal with Vikings
The Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly looking to be active in the trade market during the 2026 NFL Draft, and the Minnesota Vikings might be in their crosshairs. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is plotting to…
Where to watch Philadelphia Phillies vs Chicago Cubs: TV channel, start time, streaming for Apr. 20
Here's how to watch Monday's Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies game, including start times, TV channels, scores and how to stream.
Philadelphia Eagles' final seven-round mock draft
In a final seven-round mock draft using PFF's simulator, the Eagles prioritize offensive firepower, adding line help, playmakers, and depth ahead of the 2026 season.
Business of the Year: Jones Dairy Farm
Fort Atkinson’s Jones Dairy Farm was recognized as Thrive Economic Development’s Business of the Year, honoring the meat product producer for its
Let’s go Flyers: Braves 4, Phillies 2
At least the hockey team had a good weekend, because the baseball team certainly did not
What we learned as Phillies drop fifth straight, swept by rival Braves
The Phillies lost their fifth straight and finished a 2-7 homestand as the Braves exposed more familiar problems on Sunday night.
Matches To Make After UFC Winnipeg
UFC Winnipeg went down last night (Sat., April 18, 2026) inside Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, which saw Mike Malott secure a stunning stoppage victory over Gilbert Burns in the third round of their Welterweight headliner (see it again here). In the co-main event, Charles Jourdain defeated Kyler Phillips via unanimous decision, while […]
Scientists unveil how heat-loving enzyme could help improve plastic recycling
Cutinases are fungal enzymes that naturally degrade plant cuticles and show promise for recycling plastics. However, they must balance structural rigidity to withstand high temperatures with flexibility required for catalysis. Now, researchers have investigated the structural basis of catalytic activation in a heat-tolerant cutinase, CtCut, from the fungus Chaetomium thermophilum and found that a rigid core supports stability while a flexible lid is associated with catalytic function, offering insights for improving enzymes for plastic recycling.
Phillies' Kyle Schwarber opens Sunday Night Baseball in classic fashion
"Schwarbomb" starts it early on Sunday Night Baseball.
Dana White discusses matchmaking philosophy for Gable Steveson’s UFC debut
Gable Steveson’s first UFC appearance is shaping up to be one of the most highly anticipated debuts in recent memory.
Health officials warn of rise in Legionnaires' disease cases in North Carolina
North Carolina reported 310 cases of the serious lung infection in 2025, up from 201 cases in 2024, according to state health officials.
Phillies awarded a "D-" in recent early ranking for 2026
The Phillies are having a rough go of it, but are not the worst of the National League East.
How Pa.'s falling school vaccination rates and enforcement failures put thousands of children at risk
A six-month Pittsburgh Post-Gazette investigation found that school leaders have allowed thousands of children into schools without all the required vaccines even though they had no special exemptions that let them forgo the shots on religious or philosophical grounds — a violation of state vaccine laws.
Flyers hold off Penguins 3-2 for Game 1 win
Travis Sanheim scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period and the Philadelphia Flyers announced their return to the playoffs with a 3-2 win over Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night. Philadelphia pulled off a stunner in the opener when Sanheim split a pair of Penguins at the top of the zone, glided down the slot and then fired the puck by Stuart Skinner. Porter Martone, the Flyers’ 19-year-old rookie forward, provided some needed insurance when he beat Skinner on a wrist shot with 2:37 to play.
CKD Screening With Mobile Health Units Reveals Disparities
Study investigator, Phillip Levy, MD, discusses the reality of how a zip code can impact CKD risk and treatment options.
Chris Sale, Braves eager to add to Phillies' woes
Chris Sale, Braves eager to add to Phillies' woes
Phillies news: Adolis Garcia, Alec Bohm, Padres
They stink right now
Abby Phillip remains calm amid political chaos on CNN's 'NewsNight'
CNN anchor Abby Phillip is the calmest voice on viral \
Padres near record-breaking sale could bring new ownership philosophy
Who are Jose E, Feliciano, and his wife, Kwanza Jones?
Taijuan Walker is battered by Braves, booed by frustrated fans
The Phillies’ offense went cold while Taijuan Walker struggled on the mound against the Braves.
Why Political Pressure on Central Banks Can Raise Your Borrowing Costs
The question of central bank independence came up during a fireside chat on Grounds with Philip Lane, chief economist of the European Central Bank, hosted by economist and Darden professor Frank Warnock.
21st Amendment Brewery is back in business — New School Beer + Cider
Philadelphia's Evil Genius is bringing beloved 21st Amendment beers, including Hell or High Watermelon, Brew Free! or Die IPA, and more back to its coast-to-coast distribution footprint
Once Dubbed ‘Toughest Babe in Business,’ Philanthropist Rides Around Hometown in ‘Sports Car’ Golf Cart and Helps Artists
"I never thought I'd come back," says Wall Street legend Darla Moore of returning to her hometown of Lake City, S.C.
NSWCPD Applies AI and Machine Learning to Predictive Machinery Health
In a soundproof chamber at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD), a steel-gray air compressor hums as engineers test an experimental machine learning model designed to detect early signs of failure through vibration analysis. The effort, part of NSWCPD’s growing portfolio of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) projects, shows early promise for potential future Navy use.
Johnny Gaudreau being inducted into sports hall of fame this year
Johnny Gaudreau is being inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame later this year.Gaudreau grew up in the New Jersey suburbs of Philadelphia.The pare
Report: Liverpool interested in move to sign Tottenham Hotspur midfielder
Liverpool monitoring Archie Gray situation closelyLiverpool’s recruitment strategy has long favoured intelligence over impulse, and their reported interest in Archie Gray reflects that philosophy on...
18 thoughts and tidbits on Sixers vs. Celtics 1st-round series
The Sixers’ first-round playoff series vs. the Celtics is full of storylines.
Top 5: UFC Winnipeg ‘Fight of the Night’ candidates
A crowd-pleasing style had Kyler Phillips on the brink of contention in the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division not that long ago.
Johnny Gaudreau selected to Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
Gaudreau will join 17 other inductees, including gold medal winner Carli Lloyd and Eagles Hall of Famers Hugh Douglas and Jon Runyan.
Johnny Gaudreau among Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame's Class of 2026
The late hockey star and South Jersey native Johnny Gaudreau will be among the athletes inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2026.
Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings to leave the company in June
Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings will leave the company's board in June to focus on philanthropy and other efforts, the streaming company said Thursday.
Philly's biggest sports year gets supercharged
Flyers, Sixers, UFC. Let the good times roll.
The Phillies Preach Patience, But Will Bryce’s Bat Benefit?
If at first pitch you don’t swing…
In Mamdani’s NYC, sewer socialism is out. Pothole politics is in.
The mayor's governing philosophy has gotten a rebrand.
Stateside LIVE! to debut $20M renovation at South Philadelphia sports complex in May
It will open on May 29 with events planned all Memorial Day weekend.
Gina Procaccio to be Inducted to the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
PHILADELPHIA—Villanova women's track & field and cross country head coach Gina Procaccio earned a top honor on Thursday morning when she was announced as part of the 23rd inductee class to the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. Procaccio will be recognized along with other top athletes, coaches, contributors, and teams whose legacies have shaped the rich history of Philadelphia sports when the 2026 Inductee Class is celebrated on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at Live! Casino & Hotel Event Center. The public is invited to join in honoring these remarkable individuals and teams.
Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers - Live Score
View the Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers game played on April 30, 2026. Box score, stats, play-by-play timeline, highlights, odds & more
Tyrese Maxey-led Sixers outlast Magic in play-in tournament, will face Celtics in first round of playoffs
Philadelphia is returning to the playoffs after missing out last season.
Indigenous Leadership for Health: Virtual Preparatory Webinar to UNPFII 2026
English - French - Portuguese - Spanish - Russian Indigenous Peoples have the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. WHO invites you to join Indigenous Leadership for Health, a virtual preparatory webinar to the 25th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII 2026), to be held on Thursday, 16 April 2026, from 13:30 to 16:00 CEST, via Zoom. Interpretation will be available in English, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.This event brings together Indigenous leaders working on health to help shape the forthcoming WHO Global Plan of Action on the Health of Indigenous Peoples (GPoA). It is co-organized by WHO, the Government of Brazil, the Government of the Philippines, and the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health.The webinar will be divided into two parts, each with a corresponding objective:Part I – Contents of the draft Global Plan of Action. Part I's objective is to provide an update on the process for development of the Global Plan of Action on the Health of Indigenous Peoples, to share important lessons learnt from previous work and inputs received thus far, and to invite participants to send written inputs to the Plan. The linkages to the health topics to be discussed at the forthcoming UNPFII will also be highlighted.Part II – Panel on Indigenous Leadership for Health. Part II's objective is to highlight Indigenous leadership, knowledge systems, and community-driven approaches that contribute to improving the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples, through the sharing of select country and regional examples.Registration is free and open to all. Register hereWe encourage all Indigenous organizations, communities, partners, and individuals to join us and contribute to this important global process.
Cubs vs. Phillies, Wednesday 4/15, 5:40 CT live!
Go get ‘em, Shōta.
Delaware Democrats push for an earlier primary day
Evelyn Brady, the State Chair of the Delaware Democratic Party, discussed her state's bid for an early primary.
Where to watch Chicago Cubs vs. Philadelphia Phillies: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Wednesday, April 15
Shota Imanaga is scheduled to start for the Cubs against the Phillies.
First-Gen Alumnus Behind Transformational Gift Believes in Power of Philanthropy to Change Lives
With a $50 million gift, entrepreneur Barry Miller ’95 is investing in the next generation of Knights — helping them build the skills and connections that have fueled his success.
A sneak peek into the $20M expansion of Stateside Live! in South Philadelphia
The transformation of Stateside Live! debuts next month featuring a new two-story rooftop lounge, open-air beer garden and performance stages.
Scientists Think They Could Design Entire Cities That Heal Your Brain
Biophilic designs—buildings that mimic natural forms—may help reduce psychological stress.
Political activist Abbie Hoffman was found dead in Bucks County on this week in Philly history
The 52-year-old who became a symbol of defiance spent his last few years in Bucks County, where he was found in the converted chicken coop he had been living in on April 12, 1989.
Vendors, gig workers, and therapists push back on Philadelphia’s ‘very unfriendly’ business tax
One therapist's BIRT increased to more than $5,700 this year. "It exorbitantly affects my business," she said.
SBART Press Luncheon: Matteo Williams Receives Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award
Matteo Burdick and Josephine Grossman are the SBART Athletes of the Week.
Canadiens Highlights: Regular Season Comes To A Close
The Montreal Canadiens faced the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night, marking the final game of the regular season for both […]
Former All-Star closer Brad Lidge is now an archaeologist
Some retired MLB players become coaches. Some retired MLB players become broadcasters. The former Phillies star chose a different path.
‘A great fight town.’ UFC returns to Philly as latest major sports event planned for 2026
UFC 330 will be the MMA promotion’s first event in the city since 2019, and the first “numbered” event here since 2011.
Business Woman, Legislator, Philanthropist and Alumna Toni Boucher Describes Her Journey from Poverty to the American Dream
Boucher, one of the School of Business’ most important alumni benefactors and the undergraduate commencement speaker this spring, has long been a champion o ...
Eagles hosted LSU TE Bauer Sharp on a predraft visit
Former Sooners/LSU Tigers tight end Bauer Sharp appears to have visited the Eagles' facility with the NFL Draft looming.
Cox Science Center and Aquarium Announces the Judy and Leonard Lauder Hall of Science
/PRNewswire/ -- The Cox Science Center and Aquarium (CSCA) announced a $10 million gift from longtime Palm Beach residents and philanthropists Judy and the...
Game Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins @ St. Louis Blues, 4/14/2026
Who: Pittsburgh Penguins (41-24-16, 98 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division) @ St. Louis Blues (36-33-12, 82 points, 7th place Central Division) When: 9:30 p.m. ET How to Watch: Local on TVAS and SN-PIT, national on ESPN Pens’ Path Ahead: The Philadelphia Flyers officially clinched a first-round matchup with the Pens with a shootout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on […]
Why Phillies should think long term with Justin Crawford, Andrew Painter
The Phillies have two young building blocks in Justin Crawford and Andrew Painter. With labor uncertainty ahead, early extensions would make sense.
Philippine president dispels rumors of failing health
Philippine president dispels rumors of failing health
Philippine president does jumping jacks to disprove health rumors
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., 68, said the impromptu workout was meant to ease worries about his health as the Southeast Asian nation struggles with fallout from the Iran war.
10 thoughts and tidbits on Sixers vs. Magic play-in tournament game
Ahead of the Sixers’ play-in tournament game vs. the Magic, here are 10 thoughts and tidbits.
Parkinson to receive Freedom of Wrexham
Phil Parkinson will officially receive the Freedom of the Wrexham County Borough in a ceremony at Wrexham Guildhall on Tuesday afternoon.
Bongbong Marcos fights ill-health rumours with star jumps
The Philippine President challenged anyone questioning his fitness to join him in the gym.
Flyers are Playoff Bound After Shootout Win vs. Hurricanes
PHILADELPHIA – Both teams picked up a point on Monday as the Philadelphia Flyers (42-26-12) beat the Carolina Hurricanes (52-22-7) […] The post Flyers are Playoff Bound After Shootout Win vs. Hurricanes appeared first on Philly Hockey Now.
Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Sade, Oasis, Wu-Tang Clan and Luther Vandross get into Rock Hall
Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Billy Idol, Queen Latifah, Oasis, Sade and Joy Division/New Order are set to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame | K-DAWN
Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Sade, Oasis, Wu-Tang Clan and Luther Vandross get into Rock Hall
Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Billy Idol, Queen Latifah, Oasis, Sade and Joy Division/New Order are set to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame | 1080 WTIC NEWSTALK
Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Sade, Oasis, Wu-Tang Clan and Luther Vandross get into Rock Hall
Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Billy Idol, Queen Latifah, Oasis, Sade and Joy Division/New Order are set to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame | KNSS Radio
Cubs vs. Phillies prediction, odds, line, time: 2026 MLB picks for Monday, April 13 from advanced model
SportsLine's model reveals its Chicago Cubs vs. Philadelphia Phillies best bets and MLB picks today
Lone Star Politics: April 12, 2026
Texas Senators consider social media ban for children. Plus, we take a deep dive into one of the largest bond elections in the history of the state. NBC 5’s Phil Prazan and Gromer Jeffers with The Dallas Morning News bring you the latest in Texas politics.
Orlando Magic vs. Philadelphia 76ers - Live Score
View the Orlando Magic vs. Philadelphia 76ers game played on April 15, 2026. Box score, stats, play-by-play timeline, highlights, odds & more
Poll: Will Steph Curry and the Warriors Advance?
The NBA play-in tournament begins Tuesday, with eight teams looking to advance in the NBA playoffs. On Tuesday, the Phoenix Suns (7 seed) host the Portland Trail Blazers (8), and the Charlotte Hornets (9) host the Miami Heat (10). On Wednesday, the Philadelphia 76ers (7) host the Orlando Magic (8), and the Los Angeles Clippers (9) host the Golden State Warriors (10).
IRA Financial Named Business of the Year by Sioux Empire United Way
SIOUX FALLS, S.D., April 13, 2026--IRA Financial, a leading provider of self-directed retirement solutions, today announced it has been named Business of the Year by Sioux Empire United Way as part of its 2026 annual Thank You Event. The award recognizes organizations that demonstrate exceptional commitment to supporting the Sioux Empire community through philanthropy, volunteerism, and leadership.
Philippine President Marcos debunks health rumors with jumping jacks
Philippine President Marcos debunks health rumors with jumping jacks
Philippine President Marcos debunks health rumors with jumping jacks
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has dismissed rumors about his health by doing jumping jacks and jogging outside his office.
Where to watch Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies: TV channel, start time, streaming for Apr. 13
Here's how to watch Monday's Philadelphia Phillies vs Chicago Cubs game, including start times, TV channels, scores and how to stream.
Philippines’ Marcos Dispels Health Rumors, Does Jumping Jacks
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he is healthy and fine, refuting social media posts speculating on his medical condition.
Zohran Mamdani touted socialist philosophy of 'pothole politics' while reviewing first 100 days as mayor
"I was elected as a Democratic socialist," he said in a speech on his first 100 days as mayor. "And I will govern as a Democratic socialist."
Baseball great Phil Garner dies aged 76 after cancer battle
Phil Garner has passed away at the age of 76
Phillies rookie Andrew Painter scratched from Sunday afternoon's start
Phillies rookie right-hander Andrew Painter was scratched from his scheduled start on Sunday due to a migraine, the team announced.
Philippines says any energy deals with China must respect its sovereignty
The Philippines said on Sunday that any decision to pursue oil and gas cooperation with China would be made strictly in line with its constitution and respect its sovereignty.
Flyers Postgame Blog: Statement Win; Vladar Bounces Back; Vintage Couturier
The Philadelphia Flyers made a statement on Saturday. It was a dominating 7-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets that lowered […] The post Flyers Postgame Blog: Statement Win; Vladar Bounces Back; Vintage Couturier appeared first on Philly Hockey Now.
Role reversal: Phillies 4, Diamondbacks 3
Almost the exact same scenario as last night played out, only in reverse
Phillies 22-year-old enters MLB's top prospects list
Philadelphia Phillies right-hander and fourth-ranked prospect, Gage Wood, has entered MLB's top 100 prospects list after Chicago Cubs Moises Ballesteros graduated.
Chamber of Commerce Presents Achievement Awards
Event also marked 110th of the chamber’s presence in Oswego [caption id=attachment_10469 align=alignright width=450] Abby Waever and Keara Patterson (in the middle) receive the Community Leadership & Legacy Award, presented to The Alberts Group.[/caption] The Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GOFCC) on March 4 hosted its 2026 Annual Meeting, presented by Constellation, at the Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center in Oswego. The event’s theme, Rooted in Community. The meeting celebrated the GOFCC’s 110th anniversary in the Oswego community and 10th anniversary of integration with CenterState CEO. The chamber also unveiled a new logo. “I am proud to say the GOFCC has been a force for business success, growth and opportunity, supporting organizations of every size, connecting neighbors and entrepreneurs and ensuring that every voice in Oswego County is heard,” said GOFCC Executive Director Sara Broadwell. The event featured keynote remarks from Novelis’s Kevin Schutt, vice president, manufacturing and production support at Novelis North America. [caption id=attachment_10454 align=alignright width=450] Maria Hudson of Constellation, holding the award, receives the Nancy L. Premo Woman of Distinction Award.[/caption] The GOFCC recognized the following organizations and individuals with achievement awards: • Oswego County Impact & Excellence Award, presented to Oswego County Office of Mobility Management. This award Honors a small business or nonprofit organization that demonstrates outstanding achievement through innovation, growth and measurable positive impact on Oswego County’s economy or quality of life. • Community Leadership & Legacy Award, presented to The Alberts Group. This award recognizes an individual, business or organization whose long-term leadership, investment or philanthropy has significantly advanced the vitality, resilience and future of Oswego County’s communities. • Nancy L. Premo Woman of Distinction Award, presented to Maria Hudson of Constellation. This award honors a woman in business who has made a meaningful impact on her community, inspired others through her leadership, and exemplified the values of service, integrity and empowerment. This award is presented in tribute to the late Nancy Premo, CenterState CEO’s former vice president of Human Resources.
“AI polls” are fake polls
A few weeks after Donald Trump’s second presidential win, I took the train up from London (where I was living at the time) to Oxford to attend a conference on polls and forecasts of the 2024 election. Most of the attendees were pollsters or academics, but I also watched presentations from Aaru and Electric Twin, two companies that do what is interchangeably called synthetic sampling, silicon sampling, or synthetic audiences. Stripped of startup jargon, that means they use large language models (LLMs) to simulate responses to public opinion polls by having AI agents take on the role of survey respondents. I had already heard of Aaru thanks to some articles with eye-catching headlines like “No people, no problem: AI chatbots predict elections better than humans” in the months leading up to Election Day. The founders were making some big, some might even say far-fetched claims, such as: “within two years, we will simulate the entire globe — from the way crops are grown in Ukraine to how that impacts production of oil in Iraq, trade through the strait of Malacca, and elections for the mayor of Baltimore.” When Semafor asked Aaru’s cofounders — Cameron Fink and Ned Koh — about my boss, they said “we respect all those who came before us.” Nate (as he so often does) shared his thoughts on Twitter: Fink and Koh were relatively good-natured about this back-and-forth when we spoke at Oxford. They even offered to mail me one of the t-shirts featuring Nate’s quote they apparently had made. I never took them up on the offer, which I now somewhat regret. These synthetic sampling companies fell off my radar for a while, but they do still exist. In fact, Aaru recently received a $1 billion valuation. Is what they’re doing anywhere close to the most important frontier in AI development? Not by a longshot, especially when Anthropic just developed a model so adept at exploiting software vulnerabilities that it’s only being released to 40 companies. Still, silicon sampling is increasingly finding its way into public polling. Axios reported in March that “a majority of people trust their own doctors and nurses” based on findings from Aaru — without mentioning that the “people” in that sentence were actually LLMs. Around the same time, the Public Sentiment Institute “boosted” their online sample of 373 real survey respondents with 114 AI agents.1 (Spoiler alert: even the co-founder of Electric Twin doesn’t think that’s a particularly defensible approach.) Polling companies like Qualtrics and Ipsos are also developing synthetic data panels. So, what should we make of these … “polls”? Let’s get one thing out of the way: whatever they are, they’re not polls in the way that term is usually defined. Subscribe You can’t replace polls with AI On one hand, using LLMs to essentially make up fake survey respondents sort of sounds like the dumbest idea ever, one that will at best imperfectly replicate real polls while introducing all sorts of biases. On the other hand, with LLMs improving at a remarkable, perhaps even alarming rate, maybe that means I’m a dinosaur at the ripe old age of 24 because I still want to rely on polls that talk to actual people. I’m not going to argue that synthetic samples are completely useless. In fact, as I’ll return to later, there is evidence that some techniques can replicate topline survey results quickly and cheaply. But the marketing from certain companies can be slightly optimistic. “No traditional poll will exist by the time the next general election occurs,” said Fink in 2024. We’re just 206 days away from the midterms, and based on the fact that I still have to collect a bunch of polls every day, I’d say he should have run that prediction by a sample of AI agents before the interview.2 To see why synthetic samples can’t replace polls, here’s a quick primer on how they work. The simplest version of these models involves taking a LLM (like ChatGPT or Claude), giving it a demographic profile (e.g., a white, college-educated woman who lives in Utah and makes $70k a year), and then asking it to respond to a survey question. You repeat that process a few thousand times using different demographic profiles and end up with a sample of synthetic survey responses. The actual models used by private companies are more sophisticated than this, usually because they incorporate more hypothesized demographic characteristics for each agent and provide them with extra information. Aaru, for example, feeds agents a diet of news and information they’d be likely to consume, while Electric Twin incorporates their customers’ proprietary data about the audience they’re trying to replicate. The way Ben Warner, the co-founder of Electric Twin, explained it to me was “we have a large amount of data on […] for instance, 5,000 people. Can we make an accurate prediction of how they would respond to another question?” Still, it should be obvious why synthetic samples can’t replace polls. Polling is fundamentally a data collection process. We might use surveys to make predictions by feeding them into election forecasts, but the main purpose of a poll isn’t prediction, it’s gathering new data about what people think and how they feel. Silicon sampling, on the other hand, produces no new data. It’s simply a model: you input LLM training data, demographic prompts, and a bunch of other information, and it spits out a prediction for what a poll would say. We love models here, but models aren’t polls. That difference is an important philosophical sticking point for most pollsters I talk to. “I think politics should stay away from [synthetic sampling], because we’re trying to […] represent the voice of the people,” said Natalie Jackson, a vice president at GQR Insights. Democratic pollster John Hagner told me: “I think I’m just incredibly skeptical of this idea. I don’t think it’s research. At that point, you’re asking the machine to tell you what you already believe.” Hagner has seen some presentations of early synthetic sampling experiments, but so far, “if it’s being used in a campaign, people are keeping it incredibly quiet.”3 But Eli, I hear you saying, aren’t polls themselves increasingly governed by modeling decisions? Indeed they are: pollsters’ choices on which sampling method to use, how to define their likely voter models, and how to weight their samples can and do lead to dramatic differences in the results they publish. Aaru even referenced these limitations in the methodology statement included with that maternal mortality “poll” — although I’m using the term “methodology statement” loosely here, because it doesn’t really explain how the model works at all. We can ignore the (frankly preposterous) implication that synthetic sampling isn’t subject to a separate set of biases. The important point is that there’s still a meaningful difference between using weighting and other statistical techniques on actual polling data and using a model to predict what a poll would say. The latter is far closer to election forecasts or techniques like MRP — potentially useful models, but not a replacement for polls.4 To be fair, other synthetic sampling companies are perfectly happy with the distinction between polls and models. Warner compared polling and synthetic sampling to different tools in a toolbox. “The mistake I think we make is we think that these new tools should either work in exactly the same way or somehow replace these old tools,” he said. “Rather than thinking of it as, okay, so we’ve always had the hammer, we’ve always had the screwdriver, now we’ve got a saw. But don’t use a saw to try [to] do the job of a hammer.” A quick comment from Nate Eli didn’t ask me for a comment — rather rude of him, don’t you think? But since I’m editing this story, I figured I’d add a few quick thoughts rather than putting words in his mouth. Beyond the frequently misleading marketing, what bothers me about the AI “poll” hype is that as AI tools make statistical inference cheaper and/or better (note that these are not synonyms) that actually increases the comparative value of collecting original data. You might be able to train a model to make a reasonable estimate of what some hard-to-reach poll respondent would say — say, a young Black man who voted for Trump. (Such a person checks a number of boxes for a voter who is usually hard to reach in surveys.) Indeed, this is closely related to what models like the Silver Bulletin forecast already do. They essentially smooth out the kinks in noisy survey data by making inferences based on past voting patterns or national polls or surveys of other states. But you don’t actually know what these voters think unless you’re reaching them directly. If there’s a shift in opinion among this subgroup, you’re not going to detect it. So if I were running a campaign, I’d invest more in going the extra mile to find a representative sample of those voters. And then I’d hire some smart quants — or Claude? — to figure out the implications for campaign strategy based on proprietary data that my competitors didn’t have access to. -Nate Silver Are these models any good? If synthetic surveys are just a new type of model, the next obvious question is whether the models are at least accurate. The answer very much depends on who you ask. On one end of the spectrum, you have the maximalist argument that synthetic sampling is more accurate than actual polls. “It’s an incredibly challenging problem to go to someone and say ‘hey, we’re going to be more accurate at predicting human behavior than you, even when you talk to your customers directly’,” Koh recently told CNBC. In his view, synthetic sampling isn’t a saw to polling’s hammer, it’s “magic.” There’s certainly evidence that synthetic samples can replicate certain survey toplines. But if Aaru does have any examples of their approach outperforming the polls, they’re keeping those to themselves.5 Aaru’s 2024 election model, for example, had Kamala Harris leading in Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin on November 4th. And although they’ve since taken down their forecast page, they gave Harris a 50.5 percent chance of winning the race on November 2nd.6 After the election, Fink told Semafor he was happy enough with those results because they were “within margin of error,” a term that is completely meaningless when applied to a “sample” of AI agents. And of course, Aaru says their models have improved since 2024, so supposedly now they’d be more accurate than the polls? Still, their stronger argument is on cost: “We are significantly faster and cheaper than traditional polling, and still more accurate,” said Fink. The first two claims are undeniably true, but the third brings us to the opposite end of the spectrum. Both Jackson and Hagner are skeptical that these models are reliable for anything beyond replicating common survey toplines. “I just […] don’t think the machines are what we want when we’re looking for nuanced views. My example on this is people in Arizona and Nevada in 2024 who voted for Trump and voted for expanding abortion in their states on ballot initiatives,” said Jackson. Hagner identified another issue. Maybe the synthetic respondents, like sycophantic LLMs, are inhuman in one important way: they’re too nice. “The reports that have come through at the meetings that I’ve been at are that the early experiments on this, they cannot get respondents to be as racist or sexist or, frankly, as negative as human respondents,” he said. Academic research mostly agrees on this point. While there are some papers that show promising results when using LLMs to replicate polling data, most show that LLMs suffer from various quirks like producing too few “don’t know” responses and can seriously overpredict the favorability of politicians like Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. They also seem to struggle with too little variation between demographic subgroups, so the difference in predicted opinion between Democrats and Republicans, for example, is too small. When I asked Warner about these studies, his response to these papers was that just because academics can’t get synthetic sampling to work doesn’t mean that the technique doesn’t work in general. “Actually, the argument is, okay, yours does not [work]. That does not mean […] for this complex set of machinery, which uses a lot of investment, a lot of time, a lot of money, you can’t get it to work.” Cards on the table, I’m somewhat sympathetic to this argument because academics aren’t exactly great at making election forecasts. Usually, the people with skin in the game are the most accurate. Warner’s argument is that the approach Electric Twin takes — which includes, for example, making multiple predictions for each synthetic respondent using different models and prompts and subsequently averaging those to get a final prediction in a sort of ensemble forecast — produces better results than the simpler academic models. Warner shared a comparison between his method and the method from a recent academic paper with me, and Electric Twin was indeed able to get more accurate replication. But even still, he acknowledged that synthetic sampling “is not a crystal ball.” “If you asked me, do I think using other data sources will be more accurate than asking somebody who they will vote for, I would probably say no. But if you asked me ‘would your system be useful for our turnout modeling today?’ I would say yes.” For better or worse, it looks like the method is already getting more popular in the market research world. Most of the clients Aaru touts these days are businesses like EY and McDonald’s. And AI will probably begin to pop up in other parts of the political polling process. Pollsters are already using it to code open-ended survey responses, and some firms, like YouGov, are testing using LLMs to ask survey respondents questions. More worryingly, one danger to actual polls is that AI agents can be used to infiltrate online surveys. Most online polls use various checks to prevent that from happening, but there’s conflicting evidence on how effective those filters are and how prevalent AI agents currently are in online panels. If those agents ever become impossible to detect, it might spell the end of online polling, but the solution isn’t to replace all of your respondents with ChatGPT. Silver Bulletin is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber. Subscribe 1 That particular poll obviously doesn’t meet Silver Bulletin standards for aggregation. But we exclude all Public Sentiment Institute polls from our averages because we classify them as an amateur polling firm. 2 You could argue that Fink meant the next presidential election, but (a) I’m also confident we’ll still have real polls in 2028 and (b) in that case he should have asked an LLM to define “general election.” 3 Quick caveat: that’s reporting from a Democratic pollster. It’s possible that Republicans are more willing to use AI in political campaigns. 4 Indeed, Silver Bulletin does not include “polls” produced by MRP in our forecasts or averages, and we think it’s extremely misleading when their practitioners describe them in a way that suggests original data had been collected among a large number of states or Congressional districts. 5 A recent report from Aaru and EY did show two examples of a synthetic estimate being closer than a survey to a real-world benchmark — but I’d take those findings with a grain of salt because the report reads more like an ad and didn’t involve any sort of prediction being made ahead of time. 6 For comparison, our odds for Harris on the same day were 48.2 percent.
Brandon Pfaadt, D-backs strive to fluster struggling Phillies
Brandon Pfaadt, D-backs strive to fluster struggling Phillies
Bucks County Community’s Choice Awards business spotlight: Inner Circle Physical Therapy & Myofascial Release Center
The Bucks County Community's Choice Awards nominations are open now! It's time to recognize your favorite local businesses.
Scoreless Streak: Death & Rebirth. Diamondbacks 5, Phillies 4
For a brief, beautiful moment, runs returned like sparrows in springtime.