PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Meditation and critical thinking are the ‘key to meaningful AI use’

2025-04-10
(Press-News.org) People should learn to meditate and hone their critical thinking skills as AI becomes more integrated into daily lives, an expert suggests.

Digital strategy expert Giulio Toscani has spoken with 150 AI experts across 50 countries to understand the challenges and opportunities around human interactions with artificial intelligence.

He argues in his new book, Augmented: prAIority to Enhance Human Judgment through Data and AI, that as humans operate largely unconsciously by design, they are inclined toward immediacy and instant rewards, often overlooking potential risks and negative outcomes.

Toscani explains: “The growing allure of AI lies in its powerful ability to cater to our desires, providing us with instant gratification whenever and however we want it. This is particularly appealing in an increasingly digital and fast-paced world where people often face isolation and boredom. However, this very convenience and responsiveness of AI also pose a risk—its addictive potential.”

The author suggests that the appeal of AI and the lack of education around its risks mean that the majority of people may adopt new technologies without fully understanding or preparing for the possible negative consequences – including data privacy, online harassment, and misinformation.

As technology rapidly evolves and becomes more embedded in our daily lives, he suggests it is ‘essential to pause and reflect on how these interactions shape and are shaped by our actions’ to create ‘a cultural shift towards valuing long-term thinking over immediate gratification’.

Toscani explains: “This reflective approach helps us understand the broader implications of technology, beyond immediate functionality and efficiency. It allows us to consider how technology impacts our lives, relationships, and ethical considerations, guiding us toward more deliberate and informed decisions.”

Toscani, who himself has practiced the ancient meditative technique of Vipassana at six 10-day silent retreats, suggests meditation especially is a vital tool for people to reflect on their technology use. By carving out time to deliberately reflect on technology use and its impact on our lives, it paves the way for more intentional and healthier long-term habits, he suggests.

He argues that this skill, along with more critical thinking, will be vital in the new age of AI: “This growing practice encourages individuals to critically assess their technological choices, considering the broader implications for themselves, their communities, and society at large.

“By fostering a culture of mindful reflection on how we interact with technology, meditation plays a crucial role in promoting responsible and ethical use. Emphasizing reflection helps us make more informed, deliberate decisions that enhance the positive impact of technology while mitigating its risks. This cultural shift toward mindfulness encourages us to consider the broader implications of our technological choices, fostering a more responsible and humane relationship with the tools that shape our lives.”

The author also warns about the over-use of AI to structure thoughts and becoming over-reliant on AI to complete cognitive tasks ‘that are essential to intellectual development’.

He encourages practices that foster deep thinking, such as journaling, debate, and handwritten note-taking.

“By consciously balancing the use of AI with the development and maintenance of our cognitive skills, we can harness the power of AI without sacrificing our intellectual autonomy,” he says.

“As we continue to integrate AI into our lives, we must remain vigilant about its impact on our cognitive processes, ensuring that we remain active participants in our own intellectual development.”

Despite its challenges, the author acknowledges the opportunities from AI, which he says ‘represents a revolutionary tool in human history’.

Drawing on ancient philosophy for inspiration, he introduces the concept of ‘prAIority’—the mastery of three skills to enhance human capabilities rather than replace them: data, AI systems, and human judgment.

By focusing on ethical AI deployment, this approach aims to ensure that AI empowers humans, driving innovation while preserving individual autonomy and trust. It also means carefully choosing which AI technologies to develop and use first, based on how well they can improve humans.

This approach targets areas where AI can make a big difference, like healthcare, education, creative industries, and decision-making. AI helps handle complex tasks by enhancing human thinking, while humans provide a more intuitive approach to uncertain situations.

“Through strategic prioritization, we can unlock the full potential of AI as a force for good, transforming our world and enriching the human experience in ways that were once unimaginable,” he explains.

“By thoughtfully selecting areas where AI can be most beneficial, we ensure that this powerful technology enhances human capabilities rather than disrupts them. The primary goal is to use AI to augment human intelligence and creativity, enabling us to solve complex problems, innovate in ways previously unimaginable, and improve our overall quality of life.”

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Studies shows new class of antibiotic is effective in tackling MRSA

Studies shows new class of antibiotic is effective in tackling MRSA
2025-04-10
The development of new antibiotics to treat superbugs and other bacterial infections is a global priority, with the rate of infections that cannot be treated with current antibiotics rising and presenting one of the biggest threats to human health. In line with that, new research has shown a daily dose of epidermicin NI01 – an antibiotic compound developed by University of Plymouth spinout company Amprologix – is as effective at removing Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as the current standard of care. The results were achieved through a robust skin MRSA infection model, and those behind the research say it justifies ...

Certain nasal bacteria may boost the risk for COVID-19 infection, study finds

2025-04-10
WASHINGTON (April 9, 2025) — A new study from researchers at the George Washington University has found that certain bacteria living in the nose may influence how likely someone is to get a COVID-19 infection. Published in EBioMedicine, the research reveals that certain types of nasal bacteria can affect the levels of key proteins the virus needs to enter human cells, offering new insight into why some people are more vulnerable to COVID-19 than others. “We’ve known that the virus SARS-CoV-2 enters the body through the respiratory tract, with the nose being a key entry point. What’s new—and surprising—is that bacteria in our noses ...

Europe's population is adapting better to cold than to heat

2025-04-09
A study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation, has shown that Europe has adapted better to low temperatures than to high temperatures over the last two decades. The research, carried out in collaboration with the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC) and published in The Lancet Planetary Health, shows that there has been a significant decrease in cold-related mortality risk in recent years compared to the first decade of the 2000s. There has also been a reduction in the risk of heat-related ...

Ancient tools from a South African cave reveal connections between prehistoric people

Ancient tools from a South African cave reveal connections between prehistoric people
2025-04-09
In a cave overlooking the ocean on the southern coast of South Africa, archaeologists discovered thousands of stone tools, created by ancient humans roughly 20,000 years ago. By examining tiny details in the chipped edges of the blades and stones, archaeologists are able to tell how the tools were made. In a new study published in the Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology, researchers analyzed these stone tools and discussed how the different techniques used to make them hint at the ways that prehistoric people traveled, interacted, and shared their craft. “This is an important insight into how people who lived in this region ...

World’s first birth following conception with a fully automated remotely operated ICSI system

World’s first birth following conception with a fully automated remotely operated ICSI system
2025-04-09
10 April 2025: The world’s first baby has been born following conception with a fully automated, digitally controlled intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) system. ICSI, developed and adopted into widespread use in the 1990s and now a routine method of assisted conception, achieves fertilisation by injecting a single sperm cell into the centre of a mature egg. The details are reported today in the peer-review medical journal Reproductive Biomedicine Online.(1) The automated system was described and developed by a multidisciplinary team of specialists from Conceivable ...

Girls’ education projects succeed when whole communities ‘live the change’ and carry it forward

Girls’ education projects succeed when whole communities ‘live the change’ and carry it forward
2025-04-09
Education projects supporting marginalised girls in lower-income countries are more likely to achieve lasting transformations when they mobilise young women and their communities as “agents of change”, a new report indicates. The recommendation comes from the latest evaluation of the Girls’ Education Challenge: a UK Government-supported initiative which has funded projects reaching more than 1.6 million girls. The University of Cambridge-led study finds that these projects initiated “virtuous cycles” of change – particularly by rooting themselves in communities and empowering young women to lead the way. In ...

European bird declines linked to range of climatic conditions experienced

2025-04-09
New research suggests conservation efforts could more effectively identify and protect bird species at greatest risk from climate change by better understanding the range of specific conditions they need to thrive. The study, led by the University of East Anglia (UEA), examined the relationship between the extent of the climatic conditions that species tolerate and in which populations can survive - known as climatic niche breadth - and their likelihood of declining in response to climate change. For species inhabiting a similar area of geographic space, those able to tolerate ...

'Hidden galaxies' could be smoking gun in universe riddle

Hidden galaxies could be smoking gun in universe riddle
2025-04-09
Astronomers have peered back in time to find what looks like a population of 'hidden' galaxies that could hold the key to unlocking some of the universe's secrets. If their existence is confirmed it would "effectively break current models of galaxy numbers and evolution". The possible galaxies may also provide the missing piece of the puzzle for the energy generation in the universe in infrared light. That's because their combined light would be enough to top-up the energy budget of the universe to the maximum we observe, effectively ...

Love songs in the sand: researchers listen in to Fiddler crab courtship

Love songs in the sand: researchers listen in to Fiddler crab courtship
2025-04-09
UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 00:01 BST THURSDAY 10 APRIL / 19:01 ET WEDNESDAY 9 APRIL 2025 For the first time, a study led by University of Oxford researchers has ‘listened in’ to the fascinating courtship displays of Fiddler crabs using geophones. The findings, published today in the Journal of Experimental Biology, provide new insights into how the animals communicate effectively on the noisy seashore. For male fiddler crabs, vibrational signals are a crucial part of their courtship routines – produced by drumming the ground using their oversized claw, ...

Study suggests lean muscle mass loss can be minimized during weight loss therapy using newer incretin obesity drugs

2025-04-09
New research to be presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025, Malaga, Spain, 11-14 May) shows that patients using GLP-1 or combined GLP-1 / GIP receptor agonist therapy for weight loss experienced minimal lean muscle mass loss as they lost weight across 6 months of treatment. The study is by Dr Dinabel Peralta-Reich, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell; Lenox Hill Hospital, Northwell Health, New York City, NY, USA, and Dr Alexandra Filingeri, New York Weight Wellness Medicine, New York City, NY, USA, and colleagues. GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonists, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

AACR: New CAR T cell therapy benefits patients with advanced thyroid cancers

AcrOSS platform: Advancing safe UAS operations in critical areas

Quantum computing paves the way for low-carbon building operations

HonorHealth Research Institute presents new findings in decades-long quest to conquer aggressive pancreatic cancer

HonorHealth Research Institute is the first of 50 sites worldwide to treat a patient in a new clinical study aimed at melanoma

Surviving cancer, still suffering: Survey reveals gaps in follow‑up care

A scientific method for flawless cacio e pepe

Uptake of and disparities in semaglutide and tirzepatide prescribing for obesity in the US

Bridging the AI gap in medicine: new framework targets family doctor education

Prenatal and perinatal factors of life’s essential 8 cardiovascular health trajectories

Maternal hypertension and adverse neurodevelopment in a cohort of preterm infants

Menstrual cycle length changes following vaccination against influenza alone or with COVID-19

Study suggests dance and lullabies aren’t universal human behaviors

Feeling stressed may lead to worsened respiratory symptoms, decreased quality of life

Couple satisfaction linked to fewer cognitive issues with chemo

Spiritual health practitioners reveal key motivations in psychedelic-assisted therapy practice

Nursing 2025: No relief in sight as burnout, stress and short staffing persist

Flares from magnetized stars can forge planets’ worth of gold, other heavy elements

Breast cancer mortality in women ages 20-49 significantly dropped between 2010 and 2020

Cancer-related fatigue and depression may lead to decrease in recreational physical activities and quality of life in survivors

ODEP-based robotic system for micromanipulation and in-flow analysis of primary cells

Patient outcomes may improve with tailored treatment guided by tissue plus liquid biopsies vs. individually

Platinum wire-embedded culturing device for interior signal recording from lollipop-shaped neural spheroids

Gold for sports, green silver for industry!

Biodiversity and ecosystem stability

Poll: Many Americans say they will lose trust in public health recommendations under federal leadership changes

Overcoming the quantum sensing barrier

Sugar signalling applications could boost wheat yields by up to 12%

Rainfall triggers extreme humid heat in tropics and subtropics

Teenage years crucial for depression intervention, study finds

[Press-News.org] Meditation and critical thinking are the ‘key to meaningful AI use’