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AlixLabs,a developer of Atomic Layer Etching (ALE) solutions for next-generationsemiconductor manufacturing, has closed a €15 million Series A funding round inthe first quarter of 2026. The round incl...

Connie Loizos / TechCrunch: Physical Intelligence says its new model, π0.7, can direct robots on tasks they weren't trained on, an “early sign” of generalization, surprising researchers  —  Physical Intelligence, the two-year-old, San Francisco-based robotics startup that has quietly become …

pgvector is an open-source PostgreSQL extension that adds the ability to store, index...

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Apollo Global Management President Jim Zelter urged caution about assuming strong returns from AI spending. APFIS Apollo President Jim Zelter says AI will transform the economy, but investment returns are uncertain. AI is driving a spending boom, making tech companies more capital intensive. His warning comes as debate grows over whether the AI boom may be veering into hype. Tech companies are pouring trillions into artificial intelligence, but investors shouldn't assume the bets will pay off, Jim Zelter, president of Apollo Global Management, said. "We've seen this many times in our last 30 years, whether it's cell phones or other technology uses. There's no doubt they're going to have a massive utility," Zelter said on Goldman Sachs' "Exchanges" podcast published on Thursday. "But is the economic owner going to harvest the right returns for that investment?" he asked. The buildout is already reshaping the industry's economics. Zelter estimated that US data centers alone could require $5 trillion to $6 trillion over the next five years. "There's a massive capex cycle going on that's turning an asset-light business into asset-heavy," he said. And a key question, he added, is what returns shareholders will ultimately see. "Just because companies need capital, doesn't mean they're all great investments," Zelter said. For Apollo, the surge in spending represents a financing opportunity — but one that requires discipline. Zelter said investors shouldn't treat equity-like risk as if it were safe, fixed-income exposure. He emphasized that higher-risk investments need to be compensated accordingly, while lenders should ensure they have strong downside protections. Zelter's caution comes as debate grows over whether the AI boom is veering into hype. Other big-name investors have also raised concerns about investor exuberance in AI. Howard Marks, the cofounder of Oaktree Capital Management, said in December that too many investors have a "lottery-ticket mentality" when it comes to AI. In February, veteran trader and economist Steve Hanke told Business Insider that AI is "overhyped and potentially dangerous." A recent KPMG US survey found that three-quarters of large-company CEOs said generative AI may have been overhyped over the past year, even as many said its longer-term disruptive potential remains underappreciated. But they're still spending: Nearly 80% of the CEOs told KPMG they plan to allocate at least 5% of capital to AI this year. Read the original article on Business Insider

Financial Times: Sources: OnlyFans is in advanced talks to sell a below 20% stake at a $3B+ valuation; previous reports said it wants to sell a ~60% stake at a ~$5.5B valuation  —  Discussions with Architect Capital come less than a month after the UK-based platform's owner Leonid Radvinsky died

Ukraine said in 2024 that the debris it found was consistent with that of North Korean missiles. Denys Glushko /Gwara Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images Ukraine has released an analysis of North Korean KN-23 and KN-24 missiles it said were used in 2024. It said the missiles appeared to be made with "outdated methods," such as in soldering quality. The missiles also used less efficient fuel and needed larger engines compared to Russian counterparts. A new Ukrainian analysis of two North Korean ballistic missile types found that the weapons were built with commercial electronics, but likely made with methods that were outdated by up to 50 years. Officials said the findings, published by Ukraine's defense ministry on Thursday, came after military engineers and scientists conducted "laboratory studies" on debris from solid-fuel KN-23 and KN-24 missiles used on Ukrainian territory in early 2024. The report found that while the North Korean missiles bore similarities to Russian counterparts, they used less energy-efficient fuel and required engines that were 50% larger to travel the same range. "At the same time, outdated methods are used during production, and the quality of the soldering is about 50 years old," the defense ministry wrote. It added that forensics had found the missiles to be tipped with graphite, a "relatively cheap solution" to protect them from heat while in flight. The defense ministry said its forensics team identified the KN-23 and KN-24 using South Korean schematics and photographs from North Korean factories, denoting seven key similarities. It added that the KN-23 had a specific frame diameter used only by North Korea. The KN-23, also known as the Hwasong-11A, was first revealed by Pyongyang during a military parade in 2018, and is often compared to Russia's Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile. The other missile, the KN-24, made its public debut as the Hwasong-11B in 2019, and bears some similarities to the US-made ATACMS tactical ballistic missile. The Ukrainian report, however, wrote that instead of being direct analogs to the Iskander-9M723 missile, the North Korean missiles showed signs that Pyongyang had "refined some initial version of the Iskander ballistic missile development." Meanwhile, the missiles' control units were found to contain "civilian components from leading brands," the defense ministry said. "Pyongyang is apparently purchasing these chips to circumvent sanctions," its statement read. Ukraine's military intelligence agency, GUR, said in late 2024 that it had found components in the KN-23 and KN-24 manufactured by companies in China, Japan, Switzerland, the UK, and the US. Ukraine said in 2024 that the debris it found was consistent with that of North Korean missiles. Denys Glushko /Gwara Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images Kyiv first reported the use of the KN-23 in January of that year, saying that Russia had launched the missiles at Kharkiv. Ukrainian officials said at the time that the munitions were highly inaccurate and unreliable, with at least half exploding in the air before reaching their targets. The next month, Ukraine also said it had shot down KN-24 missiles launched by Russia against Kyiv. It accused North Korea in early 2025 of supplying the Kremlin with at least 148 ballistic missiles. Since the start of the war, Russia has sought to strengthen ties with North Korea, receiving troops and arms to help drive Ukraine out of Kursk and sustain its invasion. The US and South Korea have raised concerns beyond that, warning that Pyongyang has been gaining valuable combat knowledge in both troop tactics and arms-making. Read the original article on Business Insider

Under the theme “Make Headway”, CBA Live 2026 brought together several hundred retail...

Financial Times: Sources: China mobilizes multiple agencies to probe Meta's $2B Manus deal; some officials worry aggressive measures may send chilling signals to the tech sector  —  The landmark tech exit has quickly become central to China's national security agenda  —  Beijing branded Meta's $2bn acquisition …

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Bloomberg: Hangzhou-based Manycore shares rose 187% early in its Hong Kong debut after raising $156M in its IPO; it is pivoting to selling AI training data to robot makers  —  Manycore Tech Inc. built a billion-dollar valuation in China's once-sizzling real estate market.

Jane Seymour, 75, says having a great relationship is "the icing on the cake." Paul Archuleta/Getty Images Actor Jane Seymour says dating in her 70s has changed how often she marks milestones. She and her partner celebrate their relationship monthly, since it's "a waste of time" to wait a full year. Being at the same life stage allows them to support each other through the realities of getting older, she said. Jane Seymour says dating in her 70s has changed how often she celebrates milestones. Speaking to Business Insider on Wednesday as part of her partnership with The Body Firm, Seymour said she believes a good relationship can have a positive impact on health. "For me, I have absolutely found my perfect match in John Zambetti. August 4th will be our third anniversary of living together, being together," the former Bond girl said. Seymour has been dating Zambetti, a doctor and musician, since 2023 after they met through their children. She is a mother of six, including stepchildren, and has been married four times previously. "It's very sweet. He celebrates every month on the fourth because he says that we are living dog years at our age, and waiting a year to celebrate is a waste of time," she said. Even though both of them have busy careers, they still find time for each other. "That's what's really lovely, to have someone that is so supportive," Seymour said, adding that he often takes photos and videos for her, which end up on her Instagram. Being at the same life stage helps them relate to each other better, she said. "I mean, he will understand if my back tweaks out or if I am coughing or have a cold or whatever, and I'm there for him if whatever aging process he's going through," she said. "And we have a sense of humor about it. We're in it together." For Seymour, that playfulness is a big part of what makes the relationship work. "We have a lot of fun, and I would say having a great relationship is the icing on the cake," Seymour said. She has spoken about their relationship in previous interviews. In October, Seymour told Hello Magazine they decided it was "safer" to celebrate every month since they met in their 70s. "So every month, on the fourth, he sends me roses, wherever I am, whatever's going on. We're just so grateful for every minute we have together," she said. Read the original article on Business Insider

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Seventeen wrapped up their "NEW_" tour two weeks ago and I haven't been the same since. Pledis Entertainment I've flown to see Seventeen live multiple times. Each concert was incredibly fun in its own way, but one stop in particular was the most unforgettable. The K-pop supergroup just wrapped its world tour, with members heading off to new activities. This is what they call a core memory: Watching the night sky light up with fireworks while dancing in the rain, as your favorite K-pop boy band plays their greatest hits. Much like Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, K-pop touring is a behemoth of an economic machine, rolling across continents and reaping in billions. I've been a willing participant, watching the boy band Seventeen perform five nights in three Asian cities. Every stop was enjoyable, but one night of the tour was by far the most memorable. I watched Seventeen start and end their tour in South Korea I flew to Seoul to attend Seventeen's Seoul concert and had the time of my life. Cheryl Teh September 13 was the start of my journey with Seventeen's "NEW" tour. Over two days at Incheon's Asiad stadium, the nine active members of the group unveiled their new set list, complete with songs out of the band's song archive, like "Hit" and "Rock With You." This was also the first time fans heard the group's solo songs live. There was lots of variety, from sweet ballads like Joshua Hong's "Fortunate Change" to leader S.Coups' head-banging hip-hop number "Jungle." The team's usually in great form, but on a whole other level on home ground Seventeen wrapped up their "NEW_" tour in Incheon, South Korea, on Sunday night, Pledis Entertainment The encore concert in April saw some special performances from Seventeen's units: CxM (the rapper-duo, formed by leader S.Coups and the team's resident Calvin Klein face, Mingyu), and the team's ballad unit, DK and Seungkwan. Their energy levels were through the roof during a particularly punishing part of the setlist, including high-octane songs like "Hit," "Hot," "Highlight," and "Rock." The group rolled out "Super," one of their most popular tracks by far, and got fans in their feels when the lyrics "I love my team, I love my crew" were splashed across the mega screens. I especially enjoyed that they rolled out some sentimental songs like "Circles" and "To You," as well as the very fitting "April Shower." I enjoyed the (literal) downpour less as I slogged out of the stadium. Japan's stops had special songs on the set list Seventeen's "NEW_" Dome tour in Japan was super fun, especially because some of my favorite Japanese songs were on the set list. Pledis Entertainment Seventeen performed in four Japanese cities: Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka. It's harder to get tickets for concerts in Japan than it is to win the Ticketmaster Hunger Games, because it comes down to luck in a ticket lottery system open only to locals. I snagged a seat alongside a friend who'd bought tickets to the Fukuoka shows. Japan's merchandise for the shows was top-tier, as was the citywide "Carat Bunkasai" festival that Fukuoka hosted in conjunction with the concert. The Japan shows were also a treat because of the setlist — the band played some of their Japanese tracks, like "Hitorijanai" and "Power of Love," which they don't do elsewhere. And there's nothing quite like seeing my favorite band in my city, Singapore. Seventeen pushed through the blistering Singaporean heat for close to four hours, kicking off the Southeast Asian leg of their tour. Pledis Entertainment After the chilly winter concerts in Japan, I saw Seventeen in a very different place: sweltering Singapore, my hometown. That was where the group kicked off the Southeast Asia leg of their tour. Even in 90-degree weather, the band rallied, hitting every beat on their intense choreography. But Seoul's encore concert — one of the last times we'll see some of them before they enlist — just hit different. The nine active members of Seventeen have now wrapped what will be their last big tour for a while. Pledis Entertainment. Maybe it's the comfort that comes with speaking in Korean — the first language for most of the band. Or maybe the band knew they were at the end of what might be their last tour for a couple of years, as some members are due to report for South Korea's mandatory military service soon. They were candid about their desire to keep performing together well into their thirties — and gave plenty of emotional moments during the concert's last two nights. The last night of the South Korea encore stop also saw the group standing arm in arm, watching the fireworks. Then they took a bow, one that I could barely see through my tears. "We kept our promise that all 13 will stay together," S.Coups said, before curtain call. "This has been Seventeen!" The longevity of bands like Seventeen shows just how sustainable the K-pop business can be Seventeen has shown just how profitable a boy group 10 years into their career can be. Pledis Entertainment Watching the band live in three cities cemented why Seventeen is one of the K-pop mega-company Hybe's highest-earning groups. The group's 2023 album, "FML," still holds the record for first-day sales for a K-pop album, with more than 6.4 million copies sold. Even at nine active members, the "NEW_" tour rolled through 14 cities, going from stadiums across Asia and four US cities. Over 31 shows, the band played to close to a million fans, in person and watching online. In their 11 years since debut, Seventeen hasn't lost a member in its 13-person lineup. For a third-generation group — a term applied to bands that debuted between 2012 and 2019 — that's rare, as bands often bleed members and fade into obscurity. Goodbye for now, Seventeen So long, Seventeen. Pledis Entertainment It'll be a while before I next see Seventeen on tour. Its leader, S.Coups, has vowed that they'll return as a 13-member set, but that might take years. Still, there's plenty to look forward to, between individual members' globetrotting and fan meetings. See you soon, Seventeen. Read the original article on Business Insider

Labubu might be losing its shine. VCG/VCG via Getty Images Labubu's virality propelled Pop Mart to fame last year, with dolls selling out moments after launch. Now, Labubu's shine is fading as collectors and analysts warn of a loss of exclusivity with the toy. Social media interest around Labubus has dropped, and Pop Mart's stock price has taken a hit. Kinly McCaffrey, a content creator from Texas, has collected about 30 Labubus, including the plush dolls and vinyl figurines, since the Pop Mart toy went viral last year. McCaffrey, who has more than 200,000 followers on TikTok, posts blind-box unboxings that rack up millions of views. One of her most viral posts includes a video comparing her Labubu to a "Lafufu" — its janky counterfeit cousin — which has amassed 3.1 million views. But she said viewer interest in Labubu, and Pop Mart as a whole, has "leveled out." "I think the value of the collection is declining as Labubu's popularity has been dropping," McCaffrey said. The 26-year-old said that she is focusing on other characters — or intellectual properties, as they're called in the toy industry — more than Labubu for her content. Pop Mart, a Chinese toymaker, rapidly gained popularity in the West since late 2024, with its "The Monsters" dolls selling out almost immediately upon each new release. Its stock price in September was up 400% year over year. But since its last annual report, released in March, it appears Pop Mart's hot streak is coming to an end. Market researchers have warned that Pop Mart's over-reliance on one hot IP might be its undoing. Investors are unsure about Labubu's longevity Pop Mart saw its stock price fall over concerns that it had become too Labubu reliant. Patrick Chengzhi Wang/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images On March 25, Pop Mart said in its 2025 annual report that "The Monsters" accounted for about 40% of the company's annual IP revenue. The IP earned 14.16 billion Chinese yuan, or about $2 billion. Its second- and third-most-sold IPs, Skullpanda and Crybaby, accounted for a combined 18% of total IP revenue. Pop Mart's stock slid after the annual report, and it's now about 50% below its all-time August high. Molly Frampton, the strategy director at New York-based brand consultancy Interbrand, said that in IP-driven industries, big success stories almost always begin with one defining moment or breakout IP, such as Mickey Mouse for Disney. "The risk comes when the brand remains anchored to that single moment for too long," she said. She added, "The recent market reaction made it clear that investors are increasingly unsure about the company's ability to sustain its momentum without broadening its creative base." In response to a request for comment, a Pop Mart representative directed Business Insider to comments made by CEO Grant Wang during a March earnings call. "Looking back, while we acknowledge there are still many issues to address, we have built solid strengths over the past year: a robust IP portfolio, a highly capable management team we take great pride in, and a deep understanding of brand building and market dynamics that we have accumulated," Wang said. Scarcity and supply When Labubu started gaining popularity in the US, there weren't a lot of stores in the US. But its store count in the Americas nearly tripled in a year, from 22 in December 2024 to 64 in December 2025. Pop Mart US's website stocks plenty of Labubus, from its older "Big into Energy" series to its mini Labubus that went viral last year. A 15-inch plush doll from the recently launched Sanrio collection, priced at $149, is still available. A North Carolina-based TikTok content creator, who goes by the name Ensito, focuses on collectibles for his TikTok content. He said Labubu's secret to success was the thrill of the chase, trying to own a toy that was always sold out. "But Pop Mart's popping up around every corner now. So it doesn't feel like it has that exclusivity thing anymore," Ensito, 35, said. The avid Pop Mart collector has amassed over 100 Labubu dolls since November 2024. Ensito has a substantial Labubu collection. Ensito He said any of his Labubu blind box unboxing videos on TikTok fetched at least 1,000 views in under 24 hours last year, with no effort needed to hook viewers. Now, he has to try a lot harder, such as using visual tactics to grab viewers' attention in the first few seconds. Google searches for Labubu peaked worldwide in July 2025, according to Google Trends, and are now about 90% lower. Joey Khong, a trends manager at London-based market research agency Mintel, said that when everyone knows they can buy a Labubu, it loses its "cool factor." "A lot of people who found that appeal in its exclusivity, its uniqueness, might not be as excited about it anymore, especially if you see your parents buying it or your aunts and uncles buy it," he said. In response to the criticism about mass distribution, a Pop Mart representative told Business Insider, "We carefully plan product launches to ensure sufficient supply and reduce the risk of shortages that could artificially drive up prices." The representative added, "We also use pre-sale mechanisms to limit reseller activity and have increased production capacity to meet growing demand." A clear path for Pop Mart Pop Mart needs to build richer universes around its characters, experts say. Cheng Xin/Getty Images Pop Mart has all the elements needed to get itself back on track, experts told Business Insider. "Pop Mart already has a wealth of IP and characters beyond Labubu, with partnerships with the likes of Disney to Powerpuff Girls and SpongeBob," Frampton from Interbrand said. She said that Pop Mart needs to show the world it can build a world, not just a character. Work has begun in that direction: Pop Mart announced in March that it would release a Labubu movie with Sony Pictures Entertainment. Its release date is not known. Frampton said the movie was a move in the right direction, and "the next step is applying that same imagination to some of its other characters." Mintel's Khong said that at the start, Pop Mart relied on Labubu's strangeness and the clout of celebrities walking around with Labubus on their bags. The movie helps Pop Mart build a "richer universe" around the product, he said. Ensito, meanwhile, doesn't regret buying over 100 Labubus. "I didn't really look at my collection as an investment to begin with," he said. "I love them for their sentimental value and the memories associated with them." Read the original article on Business Insider

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said an executive order requiring banks to get citizenship data is "in progress." Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images The Trump administration plans to require banks to collect citizenship data from account holders. The proposed executive order could cost banks billions and add millions of hours of paperwork. The rule could deter some people from banking in the US. An executive order that's "in progress" could cost banks billions of dollars — and millions of hours. This week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent teased a coming executive order requiring banks to obtain citizenship data for new and existing account holders. When asked about potential pushback, he said banks should be ready to comply. "If Treasury and the banking regulators say it's their job, it's their job," Bessent said on Wednesday. If that plan becomes reality, banks could face a costly, time-consuming set of new logistical processes. The American Action Forum, a center-right think tank, estimated that the new requirement could add between 30 million and 70 million additional hours of paperwork and cost between $2.6 billion and $5.6 billion. Banks in the US must verify customers' identities, but citizenship documents aren't necessarily part of that process. Under the federal Customer Identification Program, banks must collect accountholders' names, birthdays, addresses, and taxpayer identification numbers, such as a Social Security Number or an individual taxpayer identification number. American Action Forum's analysis, based on data from existing verification programs, found that a citizenship verification rule could have broader impacts "if such directives disrupted the banker-customer relationship across a significant number of accounts." Chasse Rehwinkel, the president of Devon Bank, a community bank in the Chicago area, told Business Insider that requiring banks to verify citizenship would serve no clear regulatory purpose and be burdensome for banks. He also said that, depending on how the order is implemented, it could dissuade some people from banking if they don't have the necessary paperwork, like a passport or birth certificate, or if they have changed their name or address and the information on their paperwork isn't up to date. "People that don't have access to banking don't have access to our economic system in the same way and tend to have to rely on predatory lenders," he told Business Insider. Rehwinkel, who previously served as the banking director for the state of Illinois, said most information collected by banks was for safety and fraud prevention, but that this requirement would be an added regulation without any clear benefit. He also said the policy seemed counter to the Trump administration's objective of deregulation. "How is this not adding red tape?" he said. "Adding additional collection of information is adding additional regulation." Higher compliance costs and lost customers George Braunegg, a professor at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business, said there was "no question" the rule would raise banks' costs. "New onboarding procedures, system upgrades, audits, and legal oversight. These aren't one-time — they're ongoing," he told Business Insider. He said if it requires banks to collect citizenship data for existing account holders, as is likely, it would cost them both in terms of compliance and in lost customers. Consumers could also pay more as some banks could pass on costs via account fees, he said. Dissuading people from banking was "one of the more predictable outcomes," Braunegg said, adding that could include people trying to avoid deportation, those with unclear citizenship status, and dual citizens who are "wary of cross-border reporting." It could also include international or high-net-worth clients, who he said tend to be highly mobile, meaning they can take their banking elsewhere. "This is where the largest financial stakes are on the revenue," he said. Braunegg said there could be potential upsides to the new rule, including insights into cross-border money flows, enforcement of sanctions and tax compliance, and easier identification of shell accounts tied to specific jurisdictions. But he said that money laundering risks are typically more closely tied to factors other than citizenship, such as transaction patterns. Anil Kashyap, professor of economics and finance at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, said the requirement could also raise privacy concerns. "People just may not want to be sharing even more information with the banks," he told Business Insider. "There's already a debate about whether some people don't participate in the financial system because they just don't want to reveal personal information." The new document requirement, if enacted, would impact a vast majority of Americans. As of 2023, around 96% of US households — roughly 128.0 million in total — were banked, meaning at least one person had a checking or savings account, according to an FDIC survey. Another immigration-related policy change from the Trump administration has come down hard on banks, which had generally anticipated an era of deregulation and reduced red tape under the president's second term. President Donald Trump raised the fee for H-1B visa applications to $100,000 in September, and filings at major financial firms, including JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs, have since fallen, according to recent data. More recently, he floated a 10% cap on credit card interest rates for one year, which many Wall Street leaders said would reduce access to credit. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said the plan would be an "economic disaster." The Treasury and the White House did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider

<p><strong>Release:</strong> <a href="https://github.com/simonw/datasette/releases/tag/1.0a28">datasette 1.0a28</a></p> <p>I was upgrading Datasette Cloud to <a href="https://simonwillison.net/2026/Apr/15/datasette/">1.0a27</a> and discovered a nasty collection of accidental breakages caused by changes in that alpha. This new alpha addresses those directly:</p> <blockquote> <ul> <li>Fixed a compatibility bug introduced in 1.0a27 where <code>execute_write_fn()</code> callbacks with a parameter name other than <code>conn</code> were seeing errors. (<a href="https://github.com/simonw/datasette/issues/2691">#2691</a>)</li> <li>The <a href="https://docs.datasette.io/en/latest/internals.html#database-close">database.close()</a> method now also shuts down the write connection for that database.</li> <li>New <a href="https://docs.datasette.io/en/latest/internals.html#datasette-close">datasette.close()</a> method for closing down all databases and resources associated with a Datasette instance. This is called automatically when the server shuts down. (<a href="https://github.com/simonw/datasette/pull/2693">#2693</a>)</li> <li>Datasette now includes a pytest plugin which automatically calls <code>datasette.close()</code> on temporary instances created in function-scoped fixtures and during tests. See <a href="https://docs.datasette.io/en/latest/testing_plugins.html#testing-plugins-autoclose">Automatic cleanup of Datasette instances</a> for details. This helps avoid running out of file descriptors in plugin test suites that were written before the <code>Database(is_temp_disk=True)</code> feature introduced in Datasette 1.0a27. (<a href="https://github.com/simonw/datasette/issues/2692">#2692</a>)</li> </ul> </blockquote> <p>Most of the changes in this release were implemented using Claude Code and the newly released Claude Opus 4.7.</p> <p>Tags: <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/datasette">datasette</a></p>

arXiv:2604.14193v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Human 3D vision involves two distinct stages: an Experience Module, where stereo depth is extracted relative to fixation, and an Inference Module, where this experience is interpreted to estimate 3D scene properties. Paradoxically, although our experience of stereo vision does not provide us with distance information, it does affect our inferences about visual scale. We propose the Inference Module exploits a natural scene statistic: near scenes produce vivid disparity gradients, while far scenes appear comparatively flat. QualiaNet implements this two-stage architecture computationally: disparity maps simulating human stereo experience are passed to a CNN trained to estimate distance. The network can recover distance from disparity gradients alone, validating this approach.

arXiv:2604.14165v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: We present EviSearch, a multi-agent extraction system that automates the creation of ontology-aligned clinical evidence tables directly from native trial PDFs while guaranteeing per-cell provenance for audit and human verification. EviSearch pairs a PDF-query agent (which preserves rendered layout and figures) with a retrieval-guided search agent and a reconciliation module that forces page-level verification when agents disagree. The pipeline is designed for high-precision extraction across multimodal evidence sources (text, tables, figures) and for generating reviewer-actionable provenance that clinicians can inspect and correct. On a clinician-curated benchmark of oncology trial papers, EviSearch substantially improves extraction accuracy relative to strong parsed-text baselines while providing comprehensive attribution coverage. By logging reconciler decisions and reviewer edits, the system produces structured preference and supervision signals that bootstrap iterative model improvement. EviSearch is intended to accelerate living systematic review workflows, reduce manual curation burden, and provide a safe, auditable path for integrating LLM-based extraction into evidence synthesis pipelines.