SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " Interactive " 497 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
New Interactive AI Startup Make Believe Develops Entertainment Content
Ben Relles' Make Believe counts Reid Hoffman as an investor, and is developing tech to enable entertainment that talks back to viewers.
Introducing the PlayStation Studios Accessibility Community Council
Learn how PlayStation is helping developers build more accessible and inclusive games through direct collaboration with accessibility experts and players.
Sony Interactive Entertainment trademarks Break In
Sony Interactive Entertainment filed trademarks for “Break In” on May 20 in the United States and Europe.
007 First Light Targets 60 FPS Everywhere Except Series S, As IO Blames RAM And GPU Headroom For The Cutback
IO Interactive says 007 First Light targets 60 FPS on PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X, while Series S is limited to 30 FPS due to RAM and GPU
Tybee Island, Marine Science Center to host free Community Day
The City of Tybee Island and the Tybee Island Marine Science Center are teaming up for a special Community Day offering free admission for Tybee Island residents. The event will include interactive exhibits, family activities, raffle prizes and opportunities to learn more about coastal conservation.
FSR 3.1 Got Ditched for PSSR 2.0 in 007 First Light’s PS5 Pro Version After 1-Day Integration Blew Devs Away
007 First Light ditched FSR 3.1 for Sony’s upgraded PSSR 2.0 on PS5 Pro, and IO Interactive says integration took just one day.
Alamo Drafthouse and Sony Interactive Entertainment Bring PlayStation's STATE OF PLAY Broadcast To Theaters
This June, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and Sony Interactive Entertainment are teaming up to bring the upcoming State of Play broadcast into theaters for the first time. On June 2 at 2pm PT/4pm CT/5pm ET, select Alamo Drafthouse locations nationwide will host a live screening event featuring the latest PlayStation news and new game reveals in […]
007 First Light uses upgraded PSSR by default on PS5 Pro, AMD FSR 3.1.5 on PCs
007 First Light gets upgraded PSSR support on PS5 Pro IO Interactive says Sony’s newer upscaler improves motion stability and fine detail. Sony has
Google’s interactive world builder, Project Genie, will drop you in real places using Street View
Google just announced its world-exploring game, Project Genie, is getting a new feature that drops you in real-world locations, like...
Spark Science Center ignites curiosity with interactive exhibits and hands-on fun
The new Spark Science Center is full of exhibits that feature STEAM; science, technology, engineering, arts, and math...
Forget the feed: Status AI raises $17M to turn social media into interactive entertainment
Interactive social media site Status announced Tuesday $17 million in combined seed and Series A funding, with investors including General Catalyst, YC, LightShed Ventures, and Abstract.
Forget the feed: Status AI raises $17M to turn social media into interactive entertainment
Interactive social media site Status announced Tuesday $17 million in combined seed and Series A funding, with investors including General Catalyst, YC, LightShed Ventures, and Abstract.
How Penn’s Penn Interactive Layoffs and Restructuring Will Impact PENN Entertainment (PENN) Investors
Penn Entertainment recently cut more than 75 jobs in its Penn Interactive division, affecting theScore Bet, online casino, and social gaming operations as part of a broader restructuring following pressures in the sports betting market and the fallout from its ESPN Bet branding deal. The layoffs, including several senior roles, highlight management’s push to streamline a loss-making digital segment even as online sports betting and iGaming revenues have been improving. Next, we’ll examine...
Gaming operator Affinity Interactive hires Chad Brown
Gaming operator Affinity Interactive has appointed Chad Brown as chief marketing officer. In this role, Brown will lead marketing strategy and brand development at Affinity and across the broader A...
How Investors May Respond To PENN Entertainment (PENN) Cutting Jobs In Its Interactive Division
PENN Entertainment recently announced it will cut more than 75 roles in its Interactive division, as operators across the sports betting industry respond to competitive and technological pressures including AI-enabled platforms and prediction markets drawing customers away from traditional sportsbooks. This restructuring highlights how PENN is reassessing the cost structure and scale of its digital betting operations at a time when its long-term plans rely heavily on improving profitability...
Is AMC Entertainment (AMC) Quietly Recasting Its Premium Content Strategy With Arena One Concerts?
Arena One and AMC Theatres recently launched “Arena One at AMC,” a nationwide, real-time interactive concert format bringing artists like Bebe Rexha, Paris Hilton, Kim Petras, and Maren Morris to more than 300 U.S. locations, while AMC also reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of US$1.05 billion and a reduced net loss of US$117.1 million. This combination of an immersive live-concert product and year-on-year improvement in quarterly results highlights AMC’s efforts to broaden content...
The State of Rural Hospitals in the U.S, 2012-2023
ASPE’s Office of Health Policy has developed an Issue Brief modeling the key determinants of rural hospital closure or conversion as well as an interactive Rural Hospital Dashboard to highlight key characteristics and trends among rural hospitals. The Issue Brief uses a Cox proportional hazards model to identify low occupancy rates, for-profit ownership and proximity to an urban county as key determinants of closure or conversion to outpatient only facilities.
Take-Two stock jumps on GTA 6 pre-order speculation: What we know
Investing.com -- Shares of Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ: TTWO) climbed 5% on Thursday morning, trading at approximately $238, following viral social media speculation that a pre-order window for Grand Theft Auto VI is set to open as early as this weekend.
Puberty field trip? Philly-area students get a front-row seat to health education
Lankenau Medical Center’s health education center provides free interactive programs on nutrition, exercise, drugs and alcohol, puberty and more.
Interactive Mental Health Resource Finder Launched
In observance of Mental Health Awareness Month, SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. today launched the SUNY Mental Health Resource Finder to help support students, faculty, and staff, as well as...
It’s like living a John Hughes movie — and shows the limits of nostalgia
“Mixtape,” an interactive love letter to adolescence, is easy to recommend to almost anyone. It’s also a reminder of the industry’s current limits.
007 First Light needs RTX 4080 or RX 7900 XTX for native 4K 60 FPS
007 First Light requires 16GB RAM for native 4K 60 FPS IO Interactive has shared updated PC requirements for 007 First Light, adding targets for 1440p,
Bay Area Host Committee Launches Local Business Marketplace to Strengthen Regional Economy — Bay Area Host Committee
New Interactive Marketplace Connects Local Vendors with Event Procurement Opportunities, Supported by BAHC Foundation Donors such as Visa and PG&E Corporation Foundation Mountain View, CA (May 8, 2026) — The Bay Area Host Committee (BAHC) today announced the laun
Museum of Life and Science Unveils Shaping Our Future Exhibit
The Museum of Life and Science in Durham, N.C., has announced the opening of its newest exhibit, “From Here On: Shaping Our Future”, an immersive and interactive experience that invites visitors to explore the possibilities of a world we might build together. With both indoor and outdoor activations, this exhibit aims to encourage conversation and collaboration with guests of all ages.
Connecting climate science and storytelling at Mission Hill Middle School
Working with seventh grade science teachers Sallie Corbin and Christy Fairbairn, Lookout developed a science communication workshop to support students’ climate change research projects and help students think about how complex scientific ideas can be communicated clearly and meaningfully. The visit introduced students to the basics of journalism, storytelling and audience engagement, with support from UC Santa Cruz science communication graduate student and Lookout intern Cassidy Beach. Students later presented their climate change projects at Mission Hill’s Climate Change Symposium through creative formats including videos, games, comics, sculptures and interactive activities. The partnership marks one of Lookout’s first middle school classroom visits as part of its growing educational initiative focused on media literacy, civic engagement and local journalism.
How it's made: Our interactive asking chatbots mental health scenarios
A lot happens in Boston every day. To help you keep up, WBUR, Boston's NPR News station, pulled these stories together just for you.
Developing more accessible mental health screening tool for autistic adolescents
Led by Celeste Campos-Castillo and Susan Bonner, associate professors in M&I, their project combines expertise in communication, health services and interactive design to reimagine the screening experience.
Atari Acquires Rights to the Legendary Wizardry RPGs
Atari® (Euronext Growth Paris: ALATA) — one of the world's most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers — announced today the acquisit...
Family entertainment center coming to Mt. Juliet
A new entertainment venue is coming to the heart of Mt. Juliet, featuring an arcade, interactive gaming, and blacklight mini golf!
ENTERTAINMENT: FUNFEST set for River Market; bike rodeo ready on Baseline Road
FUN501FEST 2026, "a celebration of our community and the people who sustain it" marking 501 Day, which happened on May 1, features live entertainment, a Creators' Village marketplace of local vendors, interactive art installations, food trucks and "engaging activities designed for the entire family," 4-8 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday at 350 E. Second St. in Little Rock's River Market Entertainment District.
Astrocade: $56 Million Raised To Build AI-Powered Interactive Entertainment Platform
Astrocade announced $56 million in new funding to expand its AI-powered interactive entertainment platform that enables users to create and play games generated with artificial intelligence. The funding included a Series B round led by Sequoia Capital and a Series A round led by Sea, with participation from Google’s AI Futures Fund, NVIDIA, LG Technology Ventures, Dentsu Ventures, Conviction Embed, Chaac Ventures, Rogue VC, and additional investors.
AMC is bringing a new live concert experience to local movie theaters
Artists like Paris Hilton and Kim Petras might be making an appearance at your local AMC. With interactive technology, the theater chain is introducing a new type of live concert experience.
Review-Journal’s Aging Wellness Expo returns to South Point
Nevada’s largest interactive gathering for active adults age 50 and older runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Admission and parking are free.
Many Small Business Owners Lack Financial Safety Net
Recent surveys reveal entrepreneurs struggle in financial resilience and succession planning.
$7.85M Sony PlayStation Store class action settlement
Sony Interactive Entertainment agreed to a $7.85 million class action settlement to resolve claims it violated federal antitrust laws by monopolizing the PlayStation digital game market.
Horizon Hunters Gathering second closed test set for May 22 to 25
Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer Guerrilla Games will host the second closed test for cooperative action game Horizon Hunters Gathering from May 22 to 25, the companies announ…
Sound System announced for Nintendo Switch 2, from Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and DJ Hero veterans
Echo Foundry Interactive announced that it’s making Sound System for Nintendo Switch 2, the company has announced. Launch timing for the platform will be shared later. Sound System is said to be the “next generation of music and rhythm experiences”. It’s being developed by industry veterans behind the Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and DJ Hero franchises. Learn more about the...
Electronic Arts and Visa Team Up to Launch a Global, Multi-Year Partnership With EA SPORTS
Delivering immersive in-game rewards and expanding how players play, connect, and compete Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), a global leader in interactive entertainment, today announced a landmark, multi-year collaboration with Visa (NYSE: V), the world’s leader in digital payments, to deliver the next generation of immersive, player-first experiences across EA SPORTS™ franchises. Visa is partnering with EA SPORTS franchises EA SPORTS FC™ and EA SPORTS™ College Football, offering in-game rewards and experiences for EA SPORTS’ global community of fans. By combining EA’s interactive, participatory platforms with Visa’s expansive global brand, this partnership demonstrates how the line between sports fandom and video games continues to blur as audiences increasingly play, watch, and connect across both physical and virtual sports. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Visa for one of Electronic Arts’ most expansive brand partnerships to date, bringing more value to fans,” said David
AAPI Fest in Daly City celebrates community with interactive entertainment
The organizer of the 8th annual AAPI Fest talks about this family friendly event on May 9 at the Classic Bowling Center in Daly City. Showcasing local vendors, artists as well as food and crafts. Yes, free bowling as well.
A Look At WEBTOON Entertainment (WBTN) Valuation As Genies Partnership Expands 3D Avatar Opportunities
WEBTOON Entertainment (WBTN) recently announced a partnership with AI avatar company Genies to bring its English platform characters into interactive 3D chat experiences, digital collectibles, and creator tailored avatar tools. See our latest analysis for WEBTOON Entertainment. The Genies partnership arrives after a sharp pickup in momentum, with WEBTOON Entertainment’s 30-day share price return of 35.79% and 7-day return of 18.96% lifting the latest price to $13.24. The 1-year total...
Breaking the Cycle: Behavioral Health Diversion Strategies for Counties
This interactive fireside chat brings together county leaders and behavioral health experts to explore how communities are building the diversion infrastructure to change outcomes.
SAROS Launches Worldwide Exclusively on PlayStation®5
San Mateo, Calif. — April 30, 2026 — Sony Interactive Entertainment today announced the worldwide launch of SAROS, Housemarque’s next gameplay-first, single-player action game. Available now on PlayStation®5 (PS5®), SAROS follows Arjun Devraj (played by Rahul Kohli, star of The Haunting of Bly Manor and Midnight Mass) as a Soltari enforcer who will stop at […]
‘You can be any Bond you want’: the inside story of 007 First Light
Hitman developer IO Interactive’s pluralistic take on the British secret agent – his first video-game outing in almost 15 years – promises a Bond for all eras. Here’s what you need to know
SAROS Launches Worldwide Exclusively on PlayStation®5
Sony Interactive Entertainment today announced the worldwide launch of SAROS, Housemarque’s next gameplay-first, single-player action game. Available now on ...
The 5 Most Interesting Analyst Questions From PENN Entertainment’s Q1 Earnings Call
PENN Entertainment’s first quarter was marked by strong performance in both its retail and interactive businesses, leading to a notable positive market react...
4:LOOP details cube-shaped ‘Scanner’ boss
Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer Bad Robot Games has released new information for cooperative third-person shooter 4:LOOP introducing the game’s ominous cube-shaped R…
MSC Cruises Expands Family Entertainment on MSC World Asia
From innovative game shows and immersive technology experiences to thrilling outdoor adventures for all generations, MSC Cruises is unveiling a new world of family entertainment ab | Standout venues include MSC Luna Park Arena with interactive game shows, The Clubhouse for active family fun, and The Harbour, an open-air theme park.
More on MSC World Asia’s family entertainment
MSC Cruises unveils family entertainment details for MSC World Asia including an interactive gaming arena and expanded children's facilities.
Jim Krukal Wants Clevelanders to Sink Their Worries on His Interactive Cuyahoga Cruise Line
Join Jim Krukal for the Sink Your Worry Cleveland sunset cruise. Enjoy drinks, quests, and fun on the Cuyahoga River.
WEBTOON Entertainment Partners With Genies to Expand Character-Driven Fan Experiences With Digital Avatars
LOS ANGELES, April 27, 2026--WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. (Nasdaq: WBTN), a global entertainment company and home to some of the world’s largest storytelling platforms, today announced a strategic partnership with Genies, the AI avatar technology company powering the next era of interactive digital identity, to develop character-driven chat and digital experiences.
Wall Street Bets: Penn Entertainment, Flutter/DraftKings, Double Down Interactive, GLPI
Penn Entertainment Macquarie’s Chad Beynon looked at Penn Entertainment on April 24: The Penn story continues to focus on the disconnect between near-term no...
PENN Entertainment Weighs Alberta Online Launch Against 2026 Profit Goals
PENN Entertainment is preparing to launch regulated iCasino and online sports betting in Alberta, Canada in July. The company is reshaping its Interactive segment with a focus on achieving profitability from Q4 2026 onward. PENN has an active development pipeline, including new casino and hotel projects planned through 2026. PENN Entertainment (NasdaqGS:PENN) is shifting attention from recent earnings headlines to a new phase of online expansion in Alberta, where regulated iCasino and...
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the most-awarded Game of the Year recipient of all time, celebrates its one-year anniversary with... new haircuts?
As Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 celebrates its first anniversary and 8m sales, Sandfall Interactive has released a brand-new update for the acclaimed RPG.
Penn Entertainment (PENN) Stock Price Jumps 17% After Posting Record Quarter as Interactive Losses Narrow 88 Percent
Penn Entertainment's online casino division delivered its strongest quarter on record in Q1 2026, with iCasino revenue growing 15 percent year-on-year and the
India’s deafening problem
Honking is harming India’s health—and its economy. Nobody seems to give a beep
Top Seattle art shows to see in May 2026
From a speakeasy-style gallery to an interactive art installation and a blow-out collage sale, these events from around the Seattle art scene are eye-catching.
Experience Science City's Brand-New "Jurassic Journey"
Shane and Kerrigan join Floor Lead Travis Brown at Science City to explore their new, interactive dinosaur exhibit.
Burlington Mall Unveils Major 2026 Expansion with New Dining, Retail, and Entertainment Concepts - Boston Real Estate Times
BURLINGTON, Mass.— Burlington Mall is set to significantly expand its offerings in 2026, introducing a wave of new restaurants, retail stores, and interactive experiences aimed at transforming the property into […]
William Floyd Science Honor Society Inspires Next Generation of Scientists
William Floyd High School Science Honor Society (SHS), under the guidance of Ms. Anya Swiss, high school science teacher, SHS advisor and NYS Master Teacher, recently hosted two virtual “Science Exploration Days” for elementary students across the district. During these interactive sessions, high school students led younger students through an investigation of Oobleck — a unique non-Newtonian fluid made of cornstarch and water — to explore the fundamental properties of the states of matter.
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.
University of Pittsburgh team's FRED model tracks measles
Pitt's Framework for Reconstructing Epidemiological Dynamics program was instrumental in convincing lawmakers to pass rare legislation that took away the ability of residents to skip vaccines because of religious or personal beliefs.
El Paso Science Festival returns to Downtown
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) - Saturday and Sunday, several organizations including La Nube will host the El Paso Science Fest at the El Paso Convention Center, from 10:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. According to organizers, attendees can expect over 100 interactive exhibits for visitors to get hands-on experience with launching a spaceship, coding robots, engineering,
State College Celebration to Mark Earth and Arbor Days With Food, Entertainment and Education
State College will celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day with a community festival featuring live music, local food vendors and interactive engagement
Location-Based Entertainment Market Analysis Report 2026: $14.35 Bn Opportunities, Trends, Competitive Landscape, Strategies, and Forecasts, 2020-2025, 2025-2030F, 2035F
The location-based entertainment market offers opportunities in themed venues, digital gaming experiences, immersive VR/AR attractions, and interactive content. Growth is driven by rising consumer spending, technological innovations, and increased global tourism, with Asia-Pacific poised for rapid expansion. Location-Based Entertainment Market Location-Based Entertainment Market Dublin, April 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Location-Based Entertainment Market Report 2026" has been added to Res
Engineering, game design faculty turn nuclear science into interactive learning experience
At Kennesaw State University, learning about nuclear energy isn’t limited to textbooks and lectures. Researchers are developing a video game that helps users understand how reactors operate through hands-on experience. At the center of the project titled “Simulating the AP1000: An Educational Game to Promote Understanding of Nuclear Energy Safety and Sustainability” is a collaboration between engineering and game design faculty. The initiative focuses on turning complex nuclear concepts into an interactive learning experience.
ABA Business Law Annual Meeting | Insights
The ABA Business Law Section is holding its 2026 Annual Meeting in Atlanta on April 16, 2026 and will offer over several interactive programs by
How YouTube is helping Americans learn about U.S. history, science and innovation
Watch the America 250 celebrations and NASA Artemis II mission through our expanded partnership with C-SPAN and official NASA livestreams. Find educational playlists on YouTube Kids and explore the history of space flight through an interactive hub designed for students and families.
Careful, huge spoilers are out for James Bond game 007: First Light, following an Indonesian Game Rating leak
IO Interactive's 007: First Light spoilers have surfaced online alongside other upcoming video game leaks.
Mid-America Science Museum opening interactive dinosaur exhibit April 25
Dinosaurs will return to Mid-America Science Museum starting April 25 with the exhibit "Expedition: Dinosaur."
Illinois Valley Community College’s SciFest returns April 17 with 100+ hands-on science experiments
Illinois Valley Community College will host its annual SciFest on April 17 at 7 p.m. in the College Gymnasium, featuring more than 100 interactive science demonstrations and experiments.
“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.
Catawba Science Center celebrates Science Festival Month with 2 interactive events
April is North Carolina Science Festival Month, and Catawba Science Center will mark the occasion with two events focused on hands-on learning and exploration.
Gemini gains the ability to create interactive simulations
And you can change their parameters on the fly. The latest Gemini feature lets Google's AI generate interactive simulations and models. With this, Gemini...
Apple TV Sets Interactive Fan Experience For 'Pluribus', 'Shrinking'
Apple TV is bringing some of its biggest hit series, from Pluribus to Shrinking, to fans for an up-close look with a two-weekend event.
Crime Scene Entertainment launches new interactive experience
Crime Scene Entertainment has launched a brand-new interactive experience, the Case File: Open Detective’s Office, offering a flexible, self-guided alternative to full-length immersive murder mystery events.
North Dakotans can learn about resources to grow healthy habits on April 18 at Gateway to Health event | Health and Human Services North Dakota
Individuals and families are invited to the fourth annual Gateway to Health community event, which includes activities for all ages on Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. at North Dakota’s Gateway to Science in Bismarck. Participants will enjoy free access to the science center during their registered two-hour time slot, along with access to interactive booths and exhibits promoting health and wellbeing through hands-on activities, games and prizes.
Peabody Awards announce nominees for the Arts, Children's/Youth, Entertainment and Ineractive & Immersive categories
The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors today announced the nominees for the Arts, Children’s/Youth, Entertainment, and Interactive & Immersive categories selected to represent the most captivating and impactful stories released […]
Nuclear Science Trailer at Wyoming Schools, Public Reception to Accomp
The Nuclear Energy Emerging Issue Forum will feature a public reception with interactive exhibits about nuclear industries Monday, April 13, from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Ringling Bros. brings reimagined circus to Cleveland this fall
Ringling Bros. brings a revamped, high-energy circus to Cleveland in October, featuring stunts, acrobats, and interactive pre-show events.
James Bond game 007: First Light delayed a bit on Nintendo Switch 2
IO Interactive's 007: First Light is still targeting a May release, but its Nintendo Switch 2 port won't arrive until later.
Rumor: 007 First Light delayed indefinitely on Nintendo Switch 2 [update: summer delay]
Original: Rumor has it that the Nintendo Switch 2 version of 007 First Light has been hit with its own delay. 007 First Light was originally planned for release for all platforms on March 27, 2026. IO Interactive later pushed the launch back to May 27, 2026, and last we heard, the new date also applied to Nintendo Switch 2....
2026 North Carolina Science Festival in April
The North Carolina Science Festival (NCSciFest), a month-long, statewide celebration of science, returns in April 2026 with the theme “Science Matters.” Produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, with presenting sponsor RTI International, NCSciFest features hundreds of interactive events designed... View Article
Sony Interactive Entertainment announces The Playerbase program to scan players into PlayStation games
Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced “The Playerbase,” an opportunity for PlayStation fans to have their likeness scanned and appeared within a PlayStation game, starting with G…
Interactive exhibits shine at IMAG History & Science Center in Fort Myers
Gulfcoasting takes you inside IMAG with Jason Drew and Director Christian Gould — exploring interactive science, the Gulfcoast Weather Experience, and the outdoor estuary where longtime animal residents steal the show.
OH WOW! Science Center will host interactive, augmented sandbox exhibit
OH WOW! The Roger & Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science & Technology will host an interactive, augmented exhibit beginning Monday, April 6, 2026.
Take-Two lays off AI team
Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of GTA developer Rockstar Games, has reportedly laid off its AI team, includin…
How The PENN Entertainment (PENN) Turnaround Story Is Shifting With New Targets And ESPN Progress
PENN Entertainment's fair value estimate has shifted from US$18.44 to US$19.11 per share, putting it closer to a cluster of recent Street targets in the mid to high teens and low US$20s. This revision aligns with analyst commentary that combines optimism around the interactive segment and free cash flow with lingering doubts about management credibility and the turnaround story. Read on to see how to track these changing targets and keep up with the evolving narrative around PENN. Analyst...
Manchester’s SEE Science Center celebrates 40 years of education, outreach and fun
Adam Irvjo of Westerly, Rhode Island, and his son Grayson, 3, check out an interactive exhibit on pulleys at the SEE Science Center in Manchester on Tuesday.
Take-Two Has Reportedly Laid Off its AI Team, Including the Department Head
Rockstar and Grand Theft Auto parent company Take-Two Interactive has reportedly laid off its entire AI team, including the department head.
An Art-Science Partnership Offering New Views of Dynamic Landscapes
The immersive and interactive WILDLAND exhibition allowed the public—and the exhibition’s creators—to explore connections among water, trees, fire, and other natural and human-made materials expressed…
Take-Two Interactive lays off head of AI months after backing generative tech
Take-Two Interactive has just had a huge internal shake-up by laying off the head of Artificial Intelligence alongside a number of employees.
Celebrate Science Day Takes Off at New Location: Reading Regional Airport
From helicopters to birds and the principles that lift them skyward, guests of all ages will discover how things fly while also enjoying a wide range of interactive STEM activities beyond aviation.
Take-Two Lays Off Head of AI and Shakes Up Department
Take-Two Interactive has shaken up its artificial intelligence teams, laying off the Head of AI and an undisclosed number of workers.
How AI, Micro-Dramas And Interactivity Are Reshaping Entertainment
AI is unlocking a new era of storytelling. Inside the rise of micro-dramas and interactive content and why this could redefine entertainment
Sony Interactive Entertainment Acquires Cinemersive Labs
With deep expertise in computer vision and machine learning, Cinemersive Labs will contribute to Sony Interactive’s efforts to enhance gameplay
Experience the Amazing World of Science
Science City Educator Waverly Tibbott joins Shane and Kerrigan to share all details on their incredible interactive activities.
Science Everywhere Festival creates fun for all ages on UNCG Campus
Join us for the Science Everywhere Festival at UNCG on Saturday, April 11, 2026, from noon to 4 p.m. The event, which is free and open to all ages, features over 50 stations of interactive experiments, tours of science research labs, presentations by student and faculty scientists, a cardboard robot parade, food trucks, and more.
Inc. Names Interactive Entertainment Group Inc. to 2026 List of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in the Northeast for the Fourth Time
/PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Inc., the leading media brand and playbook for entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping the future, today announced that Interactive...
Maine Science Festival brings in the next generation with interactive exhibits
WABI TV5 News at 4
Maine Science Festival brings in the next generation with interactive exhibits
Maine Science Festival Exploration Stations brought the next generations of scientists together in Bangor.