Share
Nature Podcast
How stereotypes shape AI – and what that means for the future of hiring
Stereotyped assumptions about women’s ages and their perceived job suitability are enhanced by Internet imagery, according to new research. A study of hundreds of thousands of online images shows that women appear younger than men. This stereotype extends to the jobs that people perceive women do, with men being associated with roles such as CEO or head of research, while women were linked to occupations like cook or nurse. The research shows that these biases have been embedded into the training data for AI models and could affect future hiring. The researchers caution that society is at risk of creating a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ where these stereotypes shape the real world.
Research Article: Guilbeault et al.
News and Views: Distorted representations of age and gender are reflected in AI models
A very hungry planet — plus, how climate change is leading to larger trees in the Amazon.
Research Highlight: ‘Rogue’ planet is fastest-growing ever observed
Research Highlight: Trees of the Amazon are becoming even mightier
Thirty years ago, astronomers announced the discovery of the first exoplanet around a Sun-like star, sparking a renewed passion into spotting these planets that lie beyond our Solar System. In celebration, Nature asked researchers to tell us about their favourites.
News: These alien planets are astronomers’ favourites: here’s why
Hear the music of a distant planetary system
Flora Graham from the Nature Briefing joins us to talk about the winners of this year’s science Nobel prizes.
Nature: Medicine Nobel goes to scientists who revealed secrets of immune system ‘regulation’
Nature: Groundbreaking quantum-tunnelling experiments win physics Nobel
Nature: Chemistry Nobel for scientists who developed massively porous ‘super sponge’ materials
Nature: Will AI ever win its own Nobel? Some predict a prize-worthy science discovery soon
More episodes
View all episodes
What counts as a moon? Huge ‘exosatellite’ sparks debate
23:50|00:45 The discovery of a moon-like object in a distant star systemResearch article: Hoy et al.10:34 Research HighlightsNature: Moving floors keep buildings from swaying with the windNature: Wearable sensors on the face are invisible to the eye13:07 A discovery of a new type of rare transmissible-cancerResearch article: Curd et al.Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
Briefing Chat: Sweet! Elusive sugar molecules found in space
09:55|In this episode:00:24 A sweet discovery near the Milky Way’s centreNature: First ‘true sugar’ molecule found in space — offering hints to life’s origins05:05 Mathematical texts give insights into Maya mathematical prowessNature: Mathematics formula found on Maya wall rivals insights of ancient mastersSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.‘Holy grail’ of naked mole-rat research reveals how queens rule
22:40|00:45 The secret scent behind a naked mole-rat's ruleResearch article: Khallaf et al.08:34 Research HighlightsNature: Pair of ‘super-puff’ planets are lighter than candyflossNature: Alpine crossing took a heavy toll on Hannibal’s elephants and troops10:59 The psychology behind a brand-new board game: the behaviour of beginnersResearch article: Collins et al.Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
Briefing Chat: The 30 year-legacy of a science icon – Dolly the sheep
10:03|In this episode:00:29 Dolly the sheep’s 30-year legacyMetro: Dolly the sheep at 30: The clone that changed science (and celebrity petdom)Nature: From cloning to gene-editing: the enduring legacy of Dolly the sheep05:20 The ocean floor caught in the act of splitting at the seamsNature: Ocean floor witnessed splitting apart for the first time — releasing lavaSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.Nukes in space? Orbital detector could sniff out warheads
25:08|In this episode:00:45 A neutron detector could sniff out a secret space nukeResearch article: Danagoulian11:52 Research HighlightsNature: Volcanic magma sculpts eerie domes on the sea floorNature: Clues to the sloth’s sloth found in its genome14:18 How indigenous knowledge in the Amazon could disappearResearch article: Cámara-Leret et al.Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
Togetherness: How co-operation built the world
31:39|In this episode, we speak with science journalist Rowan Hooper, whose book Togetherness: Symbiosis and the Hidden Story of Life's Greatest Collaborations takes a deep-dive into the world of co-operation between organisms.In the book, he argues that collaboration in nature has often been overlooked in favour of competition, and that organisms working together have played a vital role in making the world the way it is.Togetherness: Symbiosis and the Hidden Story of Life's Greatest Collaborations Rowan Hooper Fern Press (2026)Music supplied by SPD/Triple Scoop Music/Getty ImagesAudio long read: Is the peptide craze backed by science? The promise behind the hype
16:41|Peptides — short chains of amino acids — have become huge online. The popularity of these molecules has skyrocketed and they are now the latest cure-all trend on social media.But what does the science say about their effectiveness? Animal research suggests that that some of these experimental peptides hold promise, but evidence they work in people is lacking.This is an audio version of our Feature: Is the peptide craze backed by science? The promise behind the hype
Briefing Chat: What tickling a chimpanzee can tell us about the evolution of speech
11:30|Nature staff discuss how apes share a rhythm of laughter, and how AI use may degrade skills in medicine and computer science.00:32 Early evidence suggests that AI use causes skills to atrophyNature: Is AI ruining our skills? Early results are in — and they’re not good06:42 Humans and chimps share a laughNature: Oo oo, ha ha: why humans and great apes giggle alike when tickledSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.Medical records could be revealed by AI training-data vulnerability
19:54|In this episode:00:46 How sensitive information can be gleaned from medical AIsResearch article: Knolle et al.Correction: The story about medical AI-data privacy incorrectly stated that the number of individuals at high risk of a membership inference attack increases as training-dataset size grows. It should have stated that the increase in risk occurs when the AI model increases in capacity and size.11:31 Research HighlightsNature: A long-lived butterfly’s secret to graceful ageingNature: It slices! It dices! Sashimi-Bot handles seafood with ease13:57 Across the Universe, galaxies clump together more than physicists thought they shouldResearch article: Labini & GaloppoSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.