Tech companies want to hold the power, literally and figuratively.
On Friday, a Meta executive told Bloomberg that the company is getting into energy trading to shore up US power plants amid the AI-driven boom in demand. Urvi Parekh, Meta’s head of global energy, said the decision will give the company the flexibility to enter long contracts for energy, as power plant developers “want to know that the consumers of power are willing to put skin in the game,” she told Bloomberg.
Meta isn’t the first tech company on the hunt for power. Tech firms like Microsoft, Amazon and Google have all invested in nuclear energy, and Google is even setting its sights on moonshots like space-based data centers that directly run on the sun’s energy.
Each of these firms sees the writing on the wall, Dan Stein, CEO of Giving Green, told The Deep View: “Companies just need more electrons than the grid can currently provide.”As it stands, we’re in for a power shortfall of up to 13 gigawatts for data centers by 2028, according to Morgan Stanley analysts.
But actually getting their hands on the energy needed stands to risk their “social license to operate,” said Stein. If increased energy demand from their data centers causes local pollution, increased carbon emissions or up retail power prices, Stein noted, it’s not a good look.
Getting into energy trading, as Meta is doing, allows for creativity in sourcing electricity, and gives these firms the flexibility to sell extra power if they buy too much, Stein said. To put it simply, they’re supporting the creation of power, not just benefiting from it.
“To solve all these problems, hyperscalers are needing to get creative with energy contracting,” said Stein. “With companies signing large, forward-looking contracts, becoming formal energy traders is an obvious next step.”
AI Interviews Outperform Standard Mental Health Rating Scales. Comment: as a person with mental illness (depression, anxiety, compulsivity) I can see great potential here. Ireland and mental illness is in the wilderness and people who could be treated while still young but the waiting lists are too long, are destined for a life of grave discomfort for all. There are many parents now afraid of their adult children who have mental illness. FT did an article on this last weekend.
Summary: A new study demonstrates that an AI assistant can conduct psychiatric assessment interviews with greater diagnostic accuracy than widely used mental health rating scales. In a sample of 303 participants with confirmed psychiatric conditions, the AI assistant Alba provided DSM-based diagnostic suggestions after a brief conversational interview, outperforming rating scales in eight of nine disorders.
Alba was particularly effective at distinguishing conditions that often overlap, such as depression and anxiety, which traditional scales frequently score similarly. Participants also reported positive user experiences, indicating that conversational AI may offer a scalable, person-centered tool to support clinical assessment while preserving the clinician’s essential role.
Key Facts:
Higher Accuracy: AI-based interviews outperformed standard rating scales in diagnosing eight of nine psychiatric conditions.
Better Differentiation: Alba more clearly distinguished between overlapping symptoms such as anxiety and depression.
Positive Experience: Participants reported the AI interview felt empathic, supportive, and engaging.
Source: Lund University
A new study shows that an AI assistant can conduct assessment conversations with patients with higher accuracy than the rating scales used in healthcare today. In the study, 303 participants were interviewed by the AI assistant Alba, who then suggested possible psychiatric diagnoses.
In addition to being interviewed by an AI assistant, the participants also had to fill out standardized rating scales for the nine most common psychiatric diagnoses.
The AI assistant achieved higher accuracy in eight of the nine diagnoses, and could differentiate more clearly between diagnoses that often overlap. Credit: Neuroscience News
The results showed that the AI assistant’s assessments were more consistent with the participants’ actual diagnoses than the rating scales did.
All participants had an online interview with the AI assistant, Alba, which asked 15-20 open questions about their mental health and then proposed diagnoses based on DSM-5 – the internationally-used manual for psychiatric diagnosis.
The AI assistant achieved higher accuracy in eight of the nine diagnoses, and could differentiate more clearly between diagnoses that often overlap. For example, the conventional rating scales often gave similar readings for depression and anxiety, whereas Alba’s assessments could discern the conditions more clearly.
The participants also described the user experience as positive – many perceived the AI assistant as empathic, relevant and supportive.
“An interview that can be done in a safe home environment before meeting a clinician has great value. The results point to a scalable, person-centred complement that can lighten the load for healthcare and provide a preliminary assessment, without replacing the psychologist or physician,” says Professor of Psychology Sverker Sikström, leader of the research team behind the study at Lund University and founder of the company, Talk To Alba.
Analyses the entire diagnostic manual – not just individual conditions
According to Sverker Sikström, the study marks a clear step forward in research on digital assessment tools for mental health. Previous studies have often been confined to analysing individual diagnoses or lacked clear justifications based on diagnostic criteria, whereas Alba can propose and justify all the diagnoses included in the DSM manual.
Fact box: What is Talk To Alba?
Talk To Alba is an online-based AI tool for the assessment, treatment and administration of mental health for professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists and physicians) who work in the area.
The tool includes AI-powered clinical interviews and CBT for patients, automatic diagnosis of mental health justified in accordance with DSM-5, informed AI dialogues about patients for clinics, and the transcribing and journal note-taking of patient meetings.
Alba, which is used at clinics in Sweden and abroad, is owned by TalkToAlba AB.
Key Questions Answered:
Q: Can an AI interview detect psychiatric conditions more accurately than rating scales?
A: Yes. The AI assistant showed higher diagnostic accuracy than standardized scales in eight of nine conditions.
Q: Does the AI differentiate between overlapping conditions effectively?
A: It does. Alba separated diagnoses like anxiety and depression more clearly than conventional tools.
Q: How did participants respond to the AI-led interviews?
A: Most described the experience as empathic, relevant, and supportive.
Editorial Notes:
This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
Journal paper reviewed in full.
Additional context added by our staff.
About this AI and mental health research news
Author: Lotte Billing Source: Lund University Contact: Lotte Billing – Lund University Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Denmark has long been a shining model as one of the world's happiest countries, with a generous welfare state. So why – and how – has it become a model of a very different kind: as a nation with some of the harshest immigration laws in Europe? I explained: pic.twitter.com/PDDTVDZeTX
Today in 1867, in the grey industrial town of Salford, William Allen, Michael Larkin and Michael O’Brien were hanged for their part in one of the most dramatic episodes of Fenian resistance. By 1861, one in every five people in Manchester was Irish. They were refugees of famine and the long shadow of evictions due to landlordism. The city became a breeding ground for the Irish Republican Brotherhood. It’s backstreets, grim terraced gaffs noisy mills and warehouses formed a sanctuary for the secret movement.
It was in this atmosphere of grinding poverty and resentment that two senior IRB men, Thomas Kelly and Timothy Deasy, were arrested in September 1867. Their comrades were determined that they would not stay in British custody. What followed was a rescue attempt that was bold to the point of recklessness. A Fenian unit stopped the police van carrying Kelly and Deasy on Hyde Road. In the chaos that followed, a shot was fired. It tore through the lock of the van, ricocheted, and struck Police Sergeant Charles Brett who died almost instantly.
Within hours authorities rounded up 62 Irish suspects. 23 were put on trial. After only sixteen days, 5 men were found guilty under the 1848 Treason Felony Act. Among them were 19 year old William Allen, Michael Larkin, and Michael O’Brien.Thomas Maguire, a Marine, and Edward O’Meagher Condon, a naturalised American, were also condemned. The trials were swift, despite witnesses contradicting themselves and identification evidence collapsing under scrutiny. A public campaign eventually exposed enough perjury to clear Maguire. Condon was spared execution through the pressure of the American government, though not before delivering the line that would immortalise him. On hearing the death sentence, he stood firm and said, without trembling, “I have nothing to regret, or to retract, or take back. I can only say, God Save Ireland.” Yet even American diplomacy could not save Michael O’Brien, despite the lobbying of U.S. Secretary of State William Seward.
The British government was not in a merciful mood. The political climate demanded punishment, an example, made of Fenianism. And so, on a cold November morning, Allen, Larkin, and O’Brien walked to the scaffold at New Bailey Prison while thousands gathered outside in hushed, furious witness.The tension spilled far beyond Salford. In Dublin, Cork, and Limerick, mass demonstrations filled the streets. In New York, crowds chanted prayers and curses. Even in New Zealand, halfway across the globe, Irish settlers marched in protest. Something had shifted.
The Fenians now had martyrs. And martyrs, once created, cannot be recalled. Friedrich Engels, watching events unfold wrote to Karl Marx that these executions “accomplished the final act of separation between England and Ireland. The only thing the Fenians had lacked were martyrs. They have been provided with these.”
Damage to Broca’s area, a small region located in the frontal lobe, can lead to a speech disorder known as Broca’s aphasia orexpressive aphasia. Individuals with Broca’s aphasia have difficulty forming words and producing speech but do not struggle with comprehension.
The severity of aphasia depends on the severity of the injury to the brain, however most symptoms can be managed and improved through speech-language therapy.
This article will further discuss how damage to Broca’s area affects speech and language production and effective management techniques.
What Is Broca’s Area?
French scientist Pierre Paul Broca was among the first to provide evidence of the localization of brain function in the mid 1800’s. Pierre made these discoveries by observing and studying individuals who had left frontal lobe lesions. Through his rigorous studies, he discovered the area of the brain linked to speech and language, now famously known as Broca’s area.
This language-specific region is located in the frontal lobe of the dominant (usually left) hemisphere of the brain and is responsible primarily for planning the motions needed to produce speech. Broca’s area is particularly helpful in putting words together fluently to be able to form complete, complex, and coherent sentences.
Additionally, Pierre’s research has helped us obtain a better understanding of speech production, language processing, and comprehension of complex sentences, all of which can be affected by damage to Broca’s area.
Causes of Damage to Broca’s Area
Brain injuries involving the frontal lobe of the brain may result in damage to Broca’s area. While the frontal lobe is one of the most common areas of the brain affected by a TBI, every brain injury is different, and survivors may experience a variety of secondary effects depending on the location and severity of the injury.
There are many conditions that may result in damage to Broca’s area, including stroke, traumatic brain injury, tumors, and brain infections. The most common symptom of damage to Broca’s area is expressive (or non-fluent) aphasia. While there are many types of aphasia, expressive aphasia in particular is caused by damage to Broca’s area. Hence, it is also known as Broca’s aphasia.
Individuals with this speech disorder can typically understand what others are saying, but have difficulty finding their words and forming sentences verbally. For this reason, some incorrectly believe that aphasia is an issue with the muscles, throat, or mouth, rather than the result of damage to specific areas of the brain, such as Broca’s area. When the motor aspects or movements of speech production are affected, it is referred to apraxia of speech, while aphasia is an impairment of linguistic capabilities.
Symptoms of Broca’s Aphasia
Individuals with Broca’s aphasia may experience a variety of symptoms that can make it challenging to perform daily activities. The challenge with forming complete sentences especially can create feelings of frustration and impatience after a brain injury.
Often along with frustration, symptoms of Broca’s aphasia may include:
Difficulty finding the appropriate word to speak
Speaking in phrases limited to less than four words
Irregular rhythm of speech
Pausing excessively when attempting to speak
Difficulty repeating what others said
Trouble following directions
Poor or absent grammar used
Difficulty understanding complex sentences
Mild reading impairment, especially when reading aloud
Difficulty with writing
In severe cases, mutism (inability to speak)
Additionally, some individuals may omit using certain pronouns and conjunctions such as “the,” “an,” or “is” in their sentences. For example, an individual with Broca’s aphasia may say “me, cup” rather than “I want the cup” when asking for something. Due to the location of Broca’s area, some individuals with Broca’s aphasia may also demonstrate weakness or paralysis on one side of their body (typically the right).
Diagnosing Expressive Aphasia
There are many types of aphasia that exist. In fact, it’s possible for individuals to have more than one type of aphasia simultaneously, and each may require a different treatment and rehabilitation plan.
While one of the most common types of aphasia after a brain injury is Broca’s aphasia, it’s important to obtain a proper diagnosis to ensure you receive the right treatment. A Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) is often the best resource because they can make an assessment and provide you with an accurate diagnosis.
During your evaluation, a therapist will perform numerous exams that will test your reading, writing, and comprehension abilities. They may ask you to repeat phrases, write words, and name certain objects. As you perform these tasks, they will carefully examine your speech pattern and how you form your words. This will help them narrow down and identify which type of aphasia you have.
To identify the root cause of aphasia, a CT scan or brain MRI may be needed. This will help medical professionals see which areas of the brain were affected.
How Neuroplasticity Can Help Heal Damage to Broca’s Area
Injury to the brain can destroy connections within the brain called neural pathways. When this occurs, the brain cannot communicate properly with certain parts of the body, interfering with functions such as speech and language. Fortunately, the brain has the ability to heal and rewire itself through a phenomenon called neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity helps strengthen the existing neural pathways that were partially damaged and create new ones. To stimulate the brain and activate neuroplasticity, it’s crucial to practice high repetition of exercises, or massed practice.
Repeating a skill helps stimulate the brain and reinforce the neural pathways for that skill. Therefore, consistent practice is important to improve damage to Broca’s area and overcome expressive aphasia.
Speech-Language Therapy for Broca’s Aphasia
To achieve high repetition of exercises and activate neuroplasticity, survivors must engage in speech-language therapy for Broca’s aphasia. Speech-Language Pathologists can provide a variety of speech therapy activities that are suitable for your needs.
There are many types of therapies you can try depending on the severity of your aphasia. For example, for more severe cases such as those with mutism, your SLP may recommend trying Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT) or singing therapy.
This type of therapy helps stimulate different areas of the brain such as the fronto-temporal regions of the right hemisphere, since music activates the more creative right side of the brain. This allows individuals to sing their words rather than speaking, which is a left hemisphere skill.MIT and singing therapy also help activate neuroplasticity and strengthen or create new neural pathways, which is necessary for improving function and promoting recovery.
Massed practice requires more than 1-2 therapy sessions a week; therefore it’s crucial to find ways to stay engaged and practice speech exercises daily. To help you stay focused and motivated in between your therapy sessions, you can try the CT Speech and Cognitive Therapy App. The app provides access to over 100,000+ speech and cognitive exercises you can practice from the comfort of your own home. The more you practice, the higher the chances of overcoming speech and language barriers after injury to the brain.
Damage to Broca’s Area Does Not Equal Loss of Intelligence
A brain injury can often feel like an invisible illness. Though a survivor may “look” fine, they may struggle with a combination of cognitive effects that are not physically apparent. It can be frustrating for individuals with Broca’s aphasia to try to express themselves but struggle to form the words. Therefore, it’s important for both the survivor and caregiver to have patience.
Note to Survivor: The aftermath of a brain injury can be challenging, but there is hope for recovery. If you struggle with Broca’s aphasia, you may respond slower than you normally did or may not be able to form a response just yet. However, it’s important to know that does not mean loss of intelligence. Aphasia affects the ability to communicate but not one’s intelligence.It may take some time but with consistent practice you can improve your speech abilities.
Note to Caregiver: When interacting with a survivor with Broca’s aphasia, speak to them the way you normally would. Individuals with expressive aphasia have no trouble with their hearing and typically have limited difficulties with comprehension. However, it may help to speak at a slower pace and use simpler words if they seem to struggle with understanding you. It’s important not to raise your voice or ask complicated questions. Allow them time and space to form their words and help them express themselves as much as you can.
Though the brain is healing it requires time, consistent practice, and patience. Encourage survivors to find their own pace and keep going.
Understanding Damage to Broca’s Area
Damage to Broca’s area can occur from a variety of neurological conditions including traumatic brain injury. This can result in a speech and language disorder known as expressive aphasia, or Broca’s aphasia. Individuals with Broca’s aphasia can comprehend words but struggle to form them.
Fortunately, with therapy survivors can improve their speech abilities. Speech therapy exercises help stimulate the brain and activate neuroplasticity, therefore staying focused and engaged is crucial. To boost your motivation, you can try the Speech and Cognitive Therapy App and improve your speech abilities from anywhere.
We hope this article helped you understand damage to Broca’s area and how the rehabilitation process works.
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