SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " Bos " 2,956 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Boston pub plans outdoor venue on Cape Cod. What to know about Backyard by Foley's.
Backyard by Foley's will be a large entertainment venue, run by the family behind J.J. Foleys in Boston's South End. Here's what we know.
Pols & Politics: Baker makes return trip to Massachusetts this week
Former Massachusetts Governor and current NCAA President Charlie Baker will be making a return trip to the Bay State this week as the featured speaker at a luncheon in Boston.
See list of Livingston County entrants in 130th Boston Marathon
Here's the list of 16 Livingston County runners entered in the 130th Boston Marathon Monday, April 20.
JD Vance could yet save his political skin. But it will mean turning on Trump
The vice-president has endured his most humiliating – and damaging – week as his boss’s fall guy. How much more can Maga’s great hope take? asks Guardian foreign affairs commentator Simon Tisdall
Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres odds, picks and predictions
The Boston Bruins and the Buffalo Sabres play Game 1 of their best-of-7, first-round series Sunday in Buffalo, New York. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Boston researchers take home top science honors
Boston researchers were honored for their work from physics to cosmology to gene editing.
A packed postseason for Boston fans
Who has it better than us?
Why isn't Pete Davidson in 'Lorne,' the new documentary about 'SNL' boss Lorne Michaels? Its director explains
'Lorne' director Morgan Neville reveals why Pete Davidson isn't in his new documentary about 'SNL' boss Lorne Michaels.
'Really poor in terms of chances created'
Stoke boss Mark Robins says they gave away two bad goals and did not create enough opportunities going forwards following their defeat by Wrexham.
Apple AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs. Sony WH-1000XM6: Who Wins High-End ANC?
We tested the latest premium noise-cancelleing cans from Apple, Bose, and Sony. Here’s how they stack up on price, performance, and features. And boy, is it a close race!
We need to learn for the future
The Rs boss speaks after his side's loss at The Den.
How is the business community going to tackle health care costs?
Twenty years after "Romneycare" passed in Massachusetts, the health care business community is trying to figure out how to rein in soaring costs.
How is the business community going to tackle health care costs?
Twenty years after "Romneycare" passed in Massachusetts, the health care business community is trying to figure out how to rein in soaring costs.
BREAKING: Nebraska men’s basketball lands 6-foot-11 big man
The Huskers landed 6-foot-11 Boston College transfer forward Boden Kapke on Wednesday afternoon, per On3.
‘For All Mankind’ Boss Explains A.J. Jarrett’s ‘Comeback’ Story
Executive producer Matt Wolpert also talked about casting the perfect Gordo and Tracy look-alike.
76ers vs. Celtics: Will Boston be challenged in Round 1? Series keys, schedule and prediction
How running can save democracy
The Boston Marathon and other races offer rare, politics-free public moments.
With a healthy Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics are contenders
Jayson Tatum has elevated the Boston Celtics to a whole new level heading into the playoffs
MGB, CVS primary care partnership could inflate health care spending
The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission doesn’t have the authority to prevent the partnership from going through, but it can recommend conditions to address its concerns.
LTRI hosts annual Region 1 Science and Engineering Fair
The Louisiana Tech Research Institute (LTRI) recently partnered with Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC) to host the 2026 Louisiana Region 1 Science Fair, marking the second consecutive year the e
Healey announces economic development bill as businesses, residents pour out of MA
Gov. Maura Healey introduced an economic development bill Thursday she says puts a focus on create jobs, lower costs and attract global investment as residents and businesses flee the state.
Road America hints IMSA sports car racing after dark could come soon
Road America fans got their IMSA endurance event, so is racing in the dark next? The Wisconsin track's boss drops hints about the possibility.
UNC Baseball set to host massive series against Georgia Tech
It’s #2 against #3 this weekend at the Bosh
Raskin v Moore: what do the stats say?
Midfielder Nicolas Raskin and on-loan Tottenham winger Mikey Moore have split opinion among fans over who should be Rangers player of the year. Raskin, who was phased out under previous boss Russell Martin, has become a key player in Danny Rohl's team as Rangers continue their push for the league title. Moore, at just 18 years old, has also been impressing since joining on a temporary spell from the English Premier League outfit.
Political violence trending: Congress faces rising threats
We hear and read the increasingly graphic and profane abuse that elected officials and staffers are getting daily.
Collaboration needed
Illinois Times published an article April 2 entitled “A collaborative effort for downtown,” referring to the push to create a new taxing body to expand the BOS Center and construct a new hotel. I only wish a “collaborative effort” was indeed the case. While I am not an elected official, I am a longtime advocate […]
ChatGPT maker OpenAI shifts its focus to business users amid Anthropic pressure
OpenAI executives say they will introduce a new artificial intelligence model for “high-value professional work” as the company faces heightened competition with rival Anthropic in attracting corporate customers to adopt AI assistants in their workplaces.
Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers - Live Score
View the Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers game played on April 30, 2026. Box score, stats, play-by-play timeline, highlights, odds & more
Red Sox 9, Twins 5; Boston swings to salvage finale
The Red Sox broke out the bats in need of a response from Tuesday’s shutout loss. A big day for Trevor Story (5 RBIs) helped Boston earn a 9-5 win over the Minnesota Twins. The Red Sox avoided the sweep against the best team in the American League so far. Here are three takeaways from […]
Anitta, like you've never heard her before. The Brazilian superstar talks new album, 'SNL' and God
Anitta’s upcoming album “Equilibrium” showcases her roots with a vibrant mix of Brazilian funk, samba, bossa nova and more | WBEN
City and Olympic boss joust over who gets big Games contracts
Your morning catch-up: L.A. officials want more business from 2028 Olympic committee, another woman accused Swalwell of assault and more big stories
Commentary: Let’s judge our would-be judges on merit, not on political background
There is nothing illegal or unsavory about appointing former or even sitting legislators to a judicial position, writes former R.I. Supreme Court justice.
100 Points: Breaking Apart Bruins’ Win Over Devils
BOSTON – The Boston Bruins reached 100 points on Tuesday, and so did David Pastrnak, just in a different way. […] The post 100 Points: Breaking Apart Bruins’ Win Over Devils appeared first on Boston Hockey Now.
Jarren Duran explains obscene gesture after fan’s mental health heckle
The incident occurred in the fifth inning of the Sox’ 6-0 loss to the Twins.
Hugo Ekitike injury: Liverpool boss Arne Slot gives worrying update after France international stretchered off in PSG defeat
As companies leave Massachusetts, Spain sees opportunity in Boston’s life science hub
The Spanish government is taking its chance on Boston’s booming life sciences hub. Here’s how.
Arteta on team fitness, 'pure fire' and Sporting
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Sporting at Emirates (kick-off 20:00 BST). Arteta was vague on team news, adding that "a few of the boys" will be assessed Wednesday morning to see if they can play. Declan Rice, who did not train on Tuesday, is one of those but Arteta would not give details on the reason he is sidelined.
CEPI and PAHO expand partnership to strengthen regulatory systems and vaccine safety across the Americas
The agreements build on a broader five-year Memorandum of Understanding, signed in 2024.
Indian American Neurologist Pria Anand wins literary science writing award
Boston-based physician earns PEN/E.O. Wilson prize for exploring the brain, the mind, and the soul.
Gossip: Howe still involved in transfer plans despite uncertain future
Newcastle's hierarchy are continuing to include boss Eddie Howe in discussions on transfer plans for the summer despite uncertainty over his future at St James' Park for the first time. The I) Arsenal and Chelsea are leading the chase to sign Newcastle's Lewis Hall, 21, but the Magpies will not let the left-back leave easily. (Caught Offside)
Eliot Wolf: 'Business as usual' foe Patriots before NFL Draft
There were no updates on two popular offseason topics: the looming extension for cornerback Christian Gonzalez and the pursuit of Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown.
‘Yellowstone’s Jefferson White to Guest Star on ‘Boston Blue’
See him with Donnie Wahlberg and Sonequa Martin-Green.
Spain to launch $200 million investment fund here.
Spanish government to launch a $200 million life science investment fund in Massachusetts.
Romney returns to Mass. 20 years after 'Romneycare' passage
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney made a rare public appearance in Boston on Monday to celebrate his signature health care law, which later became a liability during his unsuccessful run for president.
R.I. Health and Human Services Secretary Richard Charest to retire
A plan for interim leadership will be announced before Charest’s retirement on July 3, Governor Dan McKee’s office said.
Romneycare turns 20: Mass. leaders celebrate health care reform
The landmark health care reform made Massachusetts the most insured state in the country.
Mitt Romney returns to Massachusetts to mark the 20th anniversary of landmark health reform law
A lot happens in Boston every day. To help you keep up, WBUR, Boston's NPR News station, pulled these stories together just for you.
PureTech Health: Notice of Results
BOSTON, April 13, 2026--PureTech Health: Notice of Results
Shorthanded Celtics upset Magic in 113-108 stunner (PHOTOS)
The Boston Celtics needed just eight players to upset the Orlando Magic on Sunday night.
UberDoc Health Technologies Corp. Announces Upcoming Investor Webinar
Boston, Massachusetts--(Newsfile Corp. - April 13, 2026) - UberDoc Health Technologies Corp. (CSE: APPT) (FSE: 4KL0) ("UberDoc" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Sean Kearney, Chief Executive Officer, and Dr. Paula Muto, Founder and Chief Medical Advisor, will present an introduction to UberDoc in a live investor webinar taking place on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at 11:00 AM PT / 2:00 PM ET.The webinar will be hosted by Cory Fleck of the Korelin Report and provide an overview of...
Bruce Springsteen's former drummer pushes back on the Boss's political attacks on Trump: 'Gotta have respect'
Bruce Springsteen's former drummer Vini Lopez speaks out against the Boss's anti-Trump rhetoric, saying everyone should respect the president.
Dons boss Robinson will not relax until safety is secured
Stephen Robinson does not want Aberdeen to relax during their two-week break after they recorded a much-needed 2-0 win over Hibernian to boost their William Hill Premiership survival hopes. Kevin Nisbet netted from the penalty spot after Grant Hanley was sent off for hauling down Toyosi Olusanya and the Scotland striker added a second with 15 minutes to go to end a nine-match winless league run. The Dons are five points above Kilmarnock, who sit in the relegation play-off spot with five games to play, and the two teams clash at Pittodrie in the next round of Premiership fixtures which does not take place until April 25.
Red Sox eager to build momentum in finale vs. Cards
Brayan Bello will take the mound on Sunday afternoon against the St. Louis Cardinals as the Boston Red Sox try to win their second consecutive series and first one on the road this season.
Pols & Politics: Romney, Patrick, Dukakis, Weld, and Healey to celebrate 20 years of MassHealth
A group of former Massachusetts governors will be joining Gov. Healey in Boston to celebrate 20 years of public health insurance as two of three GOP gubernatorial candidates gear up for a debate.
Ex-Tesla president mimicked Domino's pizza ordering to boost car sales
A former Tesla boss said he and Elon Musk spotted a problem with the carmaker's website. They turned to Domino's for inspiration.
ON THE JOB: “What is the Best Business Advice You’ve Ever Received?
Interviews by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Sound advice can contribute to your success. We recently asked area business leaders, what was their best advice they’d ever received. Here’s what they said: “The best advice I ever received was from my then –boss, Gerry Church, Fulton plant manager at Miller Brewing Co. He told me that whenever I wanted to discuss a business problem or issue with him, I should also be prepared to offer possible solutions. It’s the difference between being proactive or reactive. It’s also the difference between being a leader or follower. That has served me well in any business relationship I have had since then.” — Stephen Chirello, Owner, Steve Chirello Advertising, Fulton “Someone will always do it for less; they will also take the most effort to service or satisfy and leave you for the next lower price.” — John M. Henry, Owner, Speedway Press, Mitchell Printing, Phoenix Press, Oswego “I’m going to answer this question by turning it around and giving my own advice that is, ‘Always treat every customer as if they were your only customer!’ We are celebrating our 50th anniversary in business this year. We started our business on March 25, 1976. My advice works.”” — Nick Chervinsky, President, Brewerton Pharmacy, Brewerton “’You need to toot your own horn, my grandfather, Howard D. Dice, told me.” — Beth Ann Dice, Women’s active aging and cancer recovery coach, Mission Movement Wellness Studio & Breast Cancer Recovery Studio, Fulton “In the micro enterprise class, they taught, ‘Get a good lawyer, accountant and bank.’ That was over 30 years ago and I still have those three today. I chose good people I could grow with.” — Tony Pauldine, Owner, Anthony M. Pauldine General Contractors Inc., Oswego “From my grandfather; ‘Listen to everyone! You never know where you will get the solution you need.’” — Kevin Dean, Executive director, Oswego County Opportunities, Fulton “‘Preparation is the mother of success.’ My dad always drilled that into my head growing up, and it has helped me avoid a lot of snags in both my personal and professional life. Thanks, Dad!” — Bekkah Frisch, Owner and president, iHeart Holdings, Inc., Fulton “If you don’t take a risk and try, you will never know.” — Justin Taber, Owner, Torbitt’s Service Center, Oswego “Be ready to take a loss.” — Cody Seymour, Manager, Damiano’s Eatery, Mexico “I’ve received so much good business advice over the years. When people are giving you advice, always be curious rather than judgmental. Follow your gut. Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing.” — Dana Decker, Principal owner/broker, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Oswego ’Do it and figure it out later.’ It hasn’t failed me yet. Too many people take time to think about doing this and this and this and then the opportunity is over with. If it’s somewhat reasonable — if it’s not something outrageous — do it and figure it out later.” — Jeremy Allen, Licensed real estate salesperson, Acropolis Realty Group, Syracuse “’Try to meet the needs of the customer. Treat them like you’d like to be treated.’ It’s like the Golden Rule says.” — Douglas Dickson, Physician and associate at CNY Foot Surgery and Podiatry Care, East Syracuse “The best piece of business advice I’ve ever received applies to life in general: always be honest. Never overstate your capabilities and always be willing to ask questions. The more specific you can be in any given topic will always lead to a better outcome.” — Tom Fernandez, President, Woodbine Hospitality, Syracuse “As a business owner, the advice would be ‘Don’t overextend yourself. Especially in agriculture, expect issues to come up.’ If something is going right, it’s not true agriculture. This last season, we scaled very hard to field another crew. We got more drones, crew and generators based on projections. This last season hit the ag community hard with a very wet spring. We did 15,000 to 20,000 acres for fungicide and the same for cover crop seeding in 2024. We scaled to 25,000 to 30,000 for 2025. We ended up doing 2,000 for fungicide and 3,000 for cover crop seeding. That’s why that advice was good.” — Rick Jordan, Operations manager, CNY Drove Services, Clinton “’Keep your head down, mind your own business and do the best for your clients that you can do.’ It has a lot to do with my success in working for Galloway Century 21.” — Ed Fayette, New York state licensed real estate agent, Century 21 Galloway, Oswego “’Expand in all ways, always.’ It just keeps you going and keeps you growing.” — Stephen Baier, Licensed real estate person, The Real Estate Agency & Bouck Commercial, Auburn “The best advice is, ‘Your biggest asset you won’t see on the books because it comes from your employees.’” — David Flickinger, Owner, Edible Arrangements, Syracuse “Don’t take things personally when you’re working with the public.” — Leeann Desimone, Manager, Annie’s Hallmark Shop, Auburn “‘Follow up.’ The customer knows that you care about what you are doing and that their opinion counts. Sometimes they might be on the fence about whether they want to use your company. If they’re asking your opinion on things, they feel you are concerned about what you’re doing. They like to be kept in the loop if they’re spending money with you.” — Dorothy Casper, Saslesperson, SweetWoods Memorials, Phoenix “The best business advice I received is ‘Never be the smartest person in the room. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.’ That’s how you learn.” — Debbie Bilello, Owner, Virtual Office Solutions, Central Square “’You need to grow your business but you can’t grow too big too fast.’ That’s what we’ve done at Pinnacle Maintenance. We’ve tried to grow but not too fast. Along those same lines, there’s another good piece of advice, ‘Don’t take on more than you can handle because it only leads to a bad name for your business and a bad experience for your customers.’ It goes along the same lines as growing your business slowly and carefully.” — David Wines, Owner, Pinnacle Maintenance, Central Square “Always be on time and do what you say you are going to do.’ I’ve done very well following that advice. Most of my work is referral and I don’t really do any advertising so I have a pretty good customer base. It’s mostly word-of-mouth from satisfied customers.” — Robert J. Fleming, Owner, Bob Fleming Windows & Doors, Brewerton “’Concentrate on your finances, always pay your taxes, and form a team you can depend on. Try to help the community you’re in as much as you can.’ We do all of these all the time here. We give and give and give to the community and the community gives back to us always.” — Susan Bonnet, Co-owner, Bonnet Sales and Service, Central Square “Keep smiling. It brings a positive attitude to the workplace.” — Karin Lindsley, Vice president, DTS Truck Service, Syracuse “‘Customer service above all.’ Following this advice has served us very well.’ — Guy Fox, Owner, Fox’s Discount Parts, West Monroe “The best thing to do is to make sure you’re taking in more money than you’re spending. I wish I could say I’m a good businessman but I have been in business since 1981. I’m not a bean counter but work well with my hands and its’s served me well all these years and I am still in business.” — Matt McGill, Owner, Matt McGill Collision, Brewerton
Youth wheelchair racing clinic helps athletes prepare for Boston Marathon
“It’s so good to see them at such a young age getting involved in sports."
“AI polls” are fake polls
A few weeks after Donald Trump’s second presidential win, I took the train up from London (where I was living at the time) to Oxford to attend a conference on polls and forecasts of the 2024 election. Most of the attendees were pollsters or academics, but I also watched presentations from Aaru and Electric Twin, two companies that do what is interchangeably called synthetic sampling, silicon sampling, or synthetic audiences. Stripped of startup jargon, that means they use large language models (LLMs) to simulate responses to public opinion polls by having AI agents take on the role of survey respondents. I had already heard of Aaru thanks to some articles with eye-catching headlines like “No people, no problem: AI chatbots predict elections better than humans” in the months leading up to Election Day. The founders were making some big, some might even say far-fetched claims, such as: “within two years, we will simulate the entire globe — from the way crops are grown in Ukraine to how that impacts production of oil in Iraq, trade through the strait of Malacca, and elections for the mayor of Baltimore.” When Semafor asked Aaru’s cofounders — Cameron Fink and Ned Koh — about my boss, they said “we respect all those who came before us.” Nate (as he so often does) shared his thoughts on Twitter: Fink and Koh were relatively good-natured about this back-and-forth when we spoke at Oxford. They even offered to mail me one of the t-shirts featuring Nate’s quote they apparently had made. I never took them up on the offer, which I now somewhat regret. These synthetic sampling companies fell off my radar for a while, but they do still exist. In fact, Aaru recently received a $1 billion valuation. Is what they’re doing anywhere close to the most important frontier in AI development? Not by a longshot, especially when Anthropic just developed a model so adept at exploiting software vulnerabilities that it’s only being released to 40 companies. Still, silicon sampling is increasingly finding its way into public polling. Axios reported in March that “a majority of people trust their own doctors and nurses” based on findings from Aaru — without mentioning that the “people” in that sentence were actually LLMs. Around the same time, the Public Sentiment Institute “boosted” their online sample of 373 real survey respondents with 114 AI agents.1 (Spoiler alert: even the co-founder of Electric Twin doesn’t think that’s a particularly defensible approach.) Polling companies like Qualtrics and Ipsos are also developing synthetic data panels. So, what should we make of these … “polls”? Let’s get one thing out of the way: whatever they are, they’re not polls in the way that term is usually defined. Subscribe You can’t replace polls with AI On one hand, using LLMs to essentially make up fake survey respondents sort of sounds like the dumbest idea ever, one that will at best imperfectly replicate real polls while introducing all sorts of biases. On the other hand, with LLMs improving at a remarkable, perhaps even alarming rate, maybe that means I’m a dinosaur at the ripe old age of 24 because I still want to rely on polls that talk to actual people. I’m not going to argue that synthetic samples are completely useless. In fact, as I’ll return to later, there is evidence that some techniques can replicate topline survey results quickly and cheaply. But the marketing from certain companies can be slightly optimistic. “No traditional poll will exist by the time the next general election occurs,” said Fink in 2024. We’re just 206 days away from the midterms, and based on the fact that I still have to collect a bunch of polls every day, I’d say he should have run that prediction by a sample of AI agents before the interview.2 To see why synthetic samples can’t replace polls, here’s a quick primer on how they work. The simplest version of these models involves taking a LLM (like ChatGPT or Claude), giving it a demographic profile (e.g., a white, college-educated woman who lives in Utah and makes $70k a year), and then asking it to respond to a survey question. You repeat that process a few thousand times using different demographic profiles and end up with a sample of synthetic survey responses. The actual models used by private companies are more sophisticated than this, usually because they incorporate more hypothesized demographic characteristics for each agent and provide them with extra information. Aaru, for example, feeds agents a diet of news and information they’d be likely to consume, while Electric Twin incorporates their customers’ proprietary data about the audience they’re trying to replicate. The way Ben Warner, the co-founder of Electric Twin, explained it to me was “we have a large amount of data on […] for instance, 5,000 people. Can we make an accurate prediction of how they would respond to another question?” Still, it should be obvious why synthetic samples can’t replace polls. Polling is fundamentally a data collection process. We might use surveys to make predictions by feeding them into election forecasts, but the main purpose of a poll isn’t prediction, it’s gathering new data about what people think and how they feel. Silicon sampling, on the other hand, produces no new data. It’s simply a model: you input LLM training data, demographic prompts, and a bunch of other information, and it spits out a prediction for what a poll would say. We love models here, but models aren’t polls. That difference is an important philosophical sticking point for most pollsters I talk to. “I think politics should stay away from [synthetic sampling], because we’re trying to […] represent the voice of the people,” said Natalie Jackson, a vice president at GQR Insights. Democratic pollster John Hagner told me: “I think I’m just incredibly skeptical of this idea. I don’t think it’s research. At that point, you’re asking the machine to tell you what you already believe.” Hagner has seen some presentations of early synthetic sampling experiments, but so far, “if it’s being used in a campaign, people are keeping it incredibly quiet.”3 But Eli, I hear you saying, aren’t polls themselves increasingly governed by modeling decisions? Indeed they are: pollsters’ choices on which sampling method to use, how to define their likely voter models, and how to weight their samples can and do lead to dramatic differences in the results they publish. Aaru even referenced these limitations in the methodology statement included with that maternal mortality “poll” — although I’m using the term “methodology statement” loosely here, because it doesn’t really explain how the model works at all. We can ignore the (frankly preposterous) implication that synthetic sampling isn’t subject to a separate set of biases. The important point is that there’s still a meaningful difference between using weighting and other statistical techniques on actual polling data and using a model to predict what a poll would say. The latter is far closer to election forecasts or techniques like MRP — potentially useful models, but not a replacement for polls.4 To be fair, other synthetic sampling companies are perfectly happy with the distinction between polls and models. Warner compared polling and synthetic sampling to different tools in a toolbox. “The mistake I think we make is we think that these new tools should either work in exactly the same way or somehow replace these old tools,” he said. “Rather than thinking of it as, okay, so we’ve always had the hammer, we’ve always had the screwdriver, now we’ve got a saw. But don’t use a saw to try [to] do the job of a hammer.” A quick comment from Nate Eli didn’t ask me for a comment — rather rude of him, don’t you think? But since I’m editing this story, I figured I’d add a few quick thoughts rather than putting words in his mouth. Beyond the frequently misleading marketing, what bothers me about the AI “poll” hype is that as AI tools make statistical inference cheaper and/or better (note that these are not synonyms) that actually increases the comparative value of collecting original data. You might be able to train a model to make a reasonable estimate of what some hard-to-reach poll respondent would say — say, a young Black man who voted for Trump. (Such a person checks a number of boxes for a voter who is usually hard to reach in surveys.) Indeed, this is closely related to what models like the Silver Bulletin forecast already do. They essentially smooth out the kinks in noisy survey data by making inferences based on past voting patterns or national polls or surveys of other states. But you don’t actually know what these voters think unless you’re reaching them directly. If there’s a shift in opinion among this subgroup, you’re not going to detect it. So if I were running a campaign, I’d invest more in going the extra mile to find a representative sample of those voters. And then I’d hire some smart quants — or Claude? — to figure out the implications for campaign strategy based on proprietary data that my competitors didn’t have access to. -Nate Silver Are these models any good? If synthetic surveys are just a new type of model, the next obvious question is whether the models are at least accurate. The answer very much depends on who you ask. On one end of the spectrum, you have the maximalist argument that synthetic sampling is more accurate than actual polls. “It’s an incredibly challenging problem to go to someone and say ‘hey, we’re going to be more accurate at predicting human behavior than you, even when you talk to your customers directly’,” Koh recently told CNBC. In his view, synthetic sampling isn’t a saw to polling’s hammer, it’s “magic.” There’s certainly evidence that synthetic samples can replicate certain survey toplines. But if Aaru does have any examples of their approach outperforming the polls, they’re keeping those to themselves.5 Aaru’s 2024 election model, for example, had Kamala Harris leading in Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin on November 4th. And although they’ve since taken down their forecast page, they gave Harris a 50.5 percent chance of winning the race on November 2nd.6 After the election, Fink told Semafor he was happy enough with those results because they were “within margin of error,” a term that is completely meaningless when applied to a “sample” of AI agents. And of course, Aaru says their models have improved since 2024, so supposedly now they’d be more accurate than the polls? Still, their stronger argument is on cost: “We are significantly faster and cheaper than traditional polling, and still more accurate,” said Fink. The first two claims are undeniably true, but the third brings us to the opposite end of the spectrum. Both Jackson and Hagner are skeptical that these models are reliable for anything beyond replicating common survey toplines. “I just […] don’t think the machines are what we want when we’re looking for nuanced views. My example on this is people in Arizona and Nevada in 2024 who voted for Trump and voted for expanding abortion in their states on ballot initiatives,” said Jackson. Hagner identified another issue. Maybe the synthetic respondents, like sycophantic LLMs, are inhuman in one important way: they’re too nice. “The reports that have come through at the meetings that I’ve been at are that the early experiments on this, they cannot get respondents to be as racist or sexist or, frankly, as negative as human respondents,” he said. Academic research mostly agrees on this point. While there are some papers that show promising results when using LLMs to replicate polling data, most show that LLMs suffer from various quirks like producing too few “don’t know” responses and can seriously overpredict the favorability of politicians like Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. They also seem to struggle with too little variation between demographic subgroups, so the difference in predicted opinion between Democrats and Republicans, for example, is too small. When I asked Warner about these studies, his response to these papers was that just because academics can’t get synthetic sampling to work doesn’t mean that the technique doesn’t work in general. “Actually, the argument is, okay, yours does not [work]. That does not mean […] for this complex set of machinery, which uses a lot of investment, a lot of time, a lot of money, you can’t get it to work.” Cards on the table, I’m somewhat sympathetic to this argument because academics aren’t exactly great at making election forecasts. Usually, the people with skin in the game are the most accurate. Warner’s argument is that the approach Electric Twin takes — which includes, for example, making multiple predictions for each synthetic respondent using different models and prompts and subsequently averaging those to get a final prediction in a sort of ensemble forecast — produces better results than the simpler academic models. Warner shared a comparison between his method and the method from a recent academic paper with me, and Electric Twin was indeed able to get more accurate replication. But even still, he acknowledged that synthetic sampling “is not a crystal ball.” “If you asked me, do I think using other data sources will be more accurate than asking somebody who they will vote for, I would probably say no. But if you asked me ‘would your system be useful for our turnout modeling today?’ I would say yes.” For better or worse, it looks like the method is already getting more popular in the market research world. Most of the clients Aaru touts these days are businesses like EY and McDonald’s. And AI will probably begin to pop up in other parts of the political polling process. Pollsters are already using it to code open-ended survey responses, and some firms, like YouGov, are testing using LLMs to ask survey respondents questions. More worryingly, one danger to actual polls is that AI agents can be used to infiltrate online surveys. Most online polls use various checks to prevent that from happening, but there’s conflicting evidence on how effective those filters are and how prevalent AI agents currently are in online panels. If those agents ever become impossible to detect, it might spell the end of online polling, but the solution isn’t to replace all of your respondents with ChatGPT. Silver Bulletin is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber. Subscribe 1 That particular poll obviously doesn’t meet Silver Bulletin standards for aggregation. But we exclude all Public Sentiment Institute polls from our averages because we classify them as an amateur polling firm. 2 You could argue that Fink meant the next presidential election, but (a) I’m also confident we’ll still have real polls in 2028 and (b) in that case he should have asked an LLM to define “general election.” 3 Quick caveat: that’s reporting from a Democratic pollster. It’s possible that Republicans are more willing to use AI in political campaigns. 4 Indeed, Silver Bulletin does not include “polls” produced by MRP in our forecasts or averages, and we think it’s extremely misleading when their practitioners describe them in a way that suggests original data had been collected among a large number of states or Congressional districts. 5 A recent report from Aaru and EY did show two examples of a synthetic estimate being closer than a survey to a real-world benchmark — but I’d take those findings with a grain of salt because the report reads more like an ad and didn’t involve any sort of prediction being made ahead of time. 6 For comparison, our odds for Harris on the same day were 48.2 percent.
'It was difficult for both teams'
QPR boss Julien Stephan spoke to BBC Radio London after the goalless draw with Bristol City
2026's dark horse GOTY contender just hit 1.0 and you can’t miss it
The visually dazzling Sol Cesto breaks a dungeon crawler down to its essence
Where to Watch Boston Red Sox vs St. Louis Cardinals Live Stream, TV Channel for Saturday, April 11, 2026
The Red Sox and Cardinals continue their series in St. Louis on Saturday.
Social media erupts after Harris introduces 'mob boss' accent to attack Trump: 'Total cringe'
Kamala Harris impersonated Donald Trump as a mob boss while criticizing his foreign policy at a National Action Network event, sparking online backlash.
I tested the AirPods Max 2, Sony WH-1000XM6, and Bose QuietComfort Ultra — here's the only pair I’d keep
This might ruffle some feathers
“Who's the Boss?” star reveals he's delivering for Amazon: 'There's no shame in staying in motion'
Danny Pintauro portrayed Jonathan Bower on the ABC sitcom that aired between 1984 and 1992.
'Who's the Boss?' star reveals he's delivering for Amazon: 'There's no shame in staying in motion'
'Who's the Boss' star Danny Pintaturo reveals that he's delivering for Amazon because the entertainment business has been so slow.
Rachael Rollins claps back at rivals over her Suffolk DA bid
Rollins took out papers earlier this week, signaling her intention to run to regain her old job as Suffolk district attorney.
Al Roker stops 'Today' interview with 'Laguna Beach' star over wardrobe malfunction: 'Guys, on live television?'
'Laguna Beach' star handled a wardrobe malfunction that occurred on live TV like a pro Friday on 'Today.'
Kara Swisher examines the science, tech and business of living longer in new CNN docuseries
Kara Swisher begins her new CNN series in a cemetery, reflecting on her father’s death.
Kara Swisher examines the science, tech and business of living longer in new CNN docuseries
Kara Swisher begins her new CNN series in a cemetery, reflecting on her father’s death.
‘The Testaments’ Boss Explains That Big Book Change
All the details on this new version of Daisy and her ties to June Osborne.
Climate change is outpacing evolution. Scientists are using DNA to catch up
Coral reefs are among the first ecosystems where these tools are being put to use.
Every Davidson player drafted by the Boston Celtics
Let's take a look at every player who has been drafted by the Celtics out of Davidson.
Trump admits error in accusations about New York health care fraud
The error prompted health analysts to question how many of the Republican administration’s sweeping anti-fraud efforts around the country were based on faulty findings.
Boston 25 News
Spring sports season is here, and for millions of kids, that means teammates, competition, and time on the field, and the benefits can last a lifetime.
Xbox Is Sending Out Project Helix Gift Packages Signed By New Boss Asha Sharma
No console yet, just a bunch of free merch
Crimson Desert is getting boss rematches, difficulty settings, and extra skills in upcoming updates
Pearl Abyss has outlined some of the new content and features coming to Crimson Desert in future free updates.
Crimson Desert Dev Confirms Boss Rematches, Hard Difficulty, Enemy Territory Recapture, and a Whole Lot More Is Coming Soon
Crimson Desert developer Pearl Abyss has outlined a number of significant changes coming to the game in the coming months, each addressing various community complaints that were highlighted recently. Here's everything you need to know.
Knicks stay in hunt with late win over rival Celtics
Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson kept the New York Knicks in the hunt for second place in the NBA's Eastern Conference as they beat the Boston Celtics 112-106 Thursday.But a Hart layup and a Brunson free throw restored the Knicks' lead, before Hart finished the game off.
Wilson Sonsini Honored Among Boston Business Journal’s 2026 Best Places to Work
On April 8, 2026, Wilson Sonsini was honored among Boston Business Journal's "Best Places to Work" for the third consecutive year. The exclusive ranking celebrates Massachusetts companies that have…
Why Kendrick Perkins Thinks Knicks 'Need' Win Over Celtics
The Boston Celtics face the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.
The Science Behind the Pain of Losing a Beloved Pet
Earlier this year, one particular Reddit thread struck a nerve with dog owners across the country. The original poster reportedly lost their dog and asked their boss for a couple of days off to grieve...
Mariano urges business leaders to make a deal on income tax cut
House Speaker Ron Mariano appealed to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce on Thursday for help in preventing the tax-cut question from reaching the ballot.
Xbox Boss Reveals New 'Dedicated Team' Focusing On Fan Feedback
Following the rollout of new achievement features
Riz Ahmed powers stripped down modern-day ‘Hamlet’
Who wouldn’t want to see “to be or not to be” as delivered by an Oscar-winning actor behind the wheel of a speeding car?
Iran’s Reality Shatters JD Vance’s Hungarian Fantasy
If what mattered most in the world was the political future of JD Vance, this would be a very good week. The US vice president gave a rousing speech in support of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a model leader for the global conservative right, while at the same time helping his boss toward the off-ramp from an unpopular war with Iran.
Jalen Brunson, Knicks stand between Celtics, No. 2 seed
The Boston Celtics can clinch the No. 2 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs when they visit the New York Knicks on Thursday night.
Red Cedar Chamber Music returns with MainStage concerts, free music
Violinist Miera Kim and cellist Carey Bostian will be joined by violist Oliver Bostian to present MainStage concerts Wednesday, April 15 and Thursday, April 16 in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, along with free concerts around the Corridor.
Physicists zero in on the mass of the fundamental W boson particle
When fundamental particles are heavier or lighter than expected, physicists' understanding of the universe can tip into the unknown. A particle that is just beyond its predicted mass can unravel scientists' ...
PAHO Director urges global action to combat rising dengue and other arboviral threats at One Health Forum in Lyon
Lyon, France, 8 April 2026 (PAHO) – The escalating surge of dengue and other arboviral diseases is a direct indicator of how environmental changes are reshaping global public health, underscored the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, during his remarks at the One Health Summit in Lyon, France.
Massachusettsticks: health risks, types, and prevention tips
The cold spring means ticks may be off to a slower start, but disease transmission keeps climbing.
Life Science Cares Boston Marks 10 Years of Impact, Calls Life Sciences Community to Lead the Next Decade of Change
BOSTON, April 08, 2026--Life Science Cares Boston marks 10 years, uniting the life sciences community to combat poverty through nonprofit funding and employee engagement.
Brad Stevens embraces Celtics role, shuts down college coaching rumors
Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens made it clear that he's not going anywhere, despite the rumors.
Local thrift, pawn shops say rising costs are driving more business
Boston area thrift stores and pawn shops see an uptick in customers looking for quick cash or inexpensive items as they struggle with high inflation and rising costs.
DA identifies man killed by Boston Police after alleged sword attack, mental health crisis
A 29-year-old Boston man has been identified as the person shot and killed by police over the weekend after he allegedly stabbed first responders with a sword during a mental health crisis.
Boston man killed by police during mental health crisis ID'd
Experts say the police shooting highlights the risks associated with an underfunded, overburdened mental health treatment system.
Museum of Science Nominated for Two Webby Awards
BOSTON, April 07, 2026--The Museum of Science, Boston has been nominated for two honors in the 30th Annual Webby Awards, recognizing the institution’s leadership in bringing science, technology, and creativity to digital platforms. Hailed as the "Internet’s highest honor," the Webby Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), celebrate excellence on the Internet.
City’s BLM-era mental health push puts cops in danger after sword-wielding suspect stabs officer: police
Boston's mental health-first crisis response model faces scrutiny after police say a man emerged with a sword and stabbed an officer on Saturday.
Boston College falls from top 50 in latest business school rankings
Massachusetts MBA programs slip in U.S. News rankings
Mass. business confidence dips back into pessimism
Stories you may have missed from the world of business.