Author: Kerra Maddern

“Feral” gossip spread via AI bots is likely to become more frequent and pervasive, causing reputational damage and shame, humiliation, anxiety, and distress, researchers have warned. Chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini don’t just make things up—they generate and spread gossip, complete with negative evaluations and juicy rumours that can cause real-world harm, according to new analysis by philosophers Joel Krueger and Lucy Osler from the University of Exeter. The harm caused by AI gossip isn’t a hypothetical…

University of Exeter students have celebrated their academic achievements in style at this year’s sparking winter graduation ceremonies. Around 5,000 guests saw their loved-ones graduate. The new graduates had studied 109 different courses and were from 98 different countries. Professor Dame Fiona Murray CBE DCMG received an honorary degree of science for her contribution to public service. Professor Murray is an expert in the formation and scaling of deep tech ventures that solve global challenges – most notably in defense, security,…

A University of Exeter expert’s work is supporting efforts to make the Houses of Parliament more accessible for MPs, staff and visitors with disabilities. Research by Dr Ekaterina Kolpinskaya shows the difficulties caused because adjustments for politicians are made on a case-by-case basis rather than systematically. This forces them to adapt to the ways of the House rather than the House adapting to the changing needs of the membership. Dr Kolpinskaya’s evidence has been cited in a new…

The effectiveness of ambitious efforts to attract over £1 billion annually into nature recovery by 2030 could be undermined without stronger governance and regulatory oversight, according to new analysis from the University of Exeter. Market-based instruments are crucial for addressing nature degradation and financing gaps, but the current framework risks market failures due to inherent complexities in valuing biodiversity, issues within existing schemes like Biodiversity Net Gain and a lack of robust regulatory control, the study shows. The…

“Exploitative” online money gaming in India is harming people’s financial and mental health and causing deep social problems, a new study shows. The analysis says new legislation which bans these games is constitutionally defensible and justified. It highlights how the business models of companies running the games are designed to exploit users through aggressive promotional spending and addictive design features. The study alleges some companies are spending up to 70 per cent of revenue on promotional activities designed…

The extraordinary career of Winston Churchill and the events which led to him becoming Britain’s leader during World War Two are the focus of a fascinating new podcast. Churchill: The Finest Half Hour brings together two leading international academic experts on the politician Professor Richard Toye and Dr Warren Dockter. They analyse in detail Churchill’s dramatic rise to power and bring global audiences fascinating facts and fresh insights into the career of one of the most remarkable figures…

Digital technology such as Extended Reality help to make the mysteries and importance of the ocean more accessible to children, a study shows. Ocean Literacy is crucial for making informed and responsible climate-responsive decisions. However, the ocean can be difficult to access in a tangible way. Many children have never visited the ocean, and those who have can only realistically access the surface or the shore. Digital technology can be a useful pedagogical tool. These can be as…

Proxy voting advisory and research groups continue to be more transparent about the way they operate, a new report shows. Organisations supporting work to improve best practice had made improvements to the way they described their own quality assurance and voting policies. All five signatories of the Best Practice Principles for Shareholder Voting Research (BPPG) had also made notable improvements to reporting in response to feedback. This is the fourth year experts have reported on how the BPPG’s…