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Quiz: Artificial intelligence at ETH

Artificial intelligence will continue to have an ever greater impact on our lives in the years to come. We show in our quiz what AI can already do right now on the occasion of the national Digital Day.

by Felix Würsten

Would you have believed it? In our quiz series, we take you on a tour of discovery through remarkable, peculiar and fun facts from the research and teaching of ETH Zurich. This issue is dedicated to the topic of artificial intelligence.

Quiz: Artificial intelligence at ETH

  1. Question 1 of 6
    Drug infographic

    1. Chemists are hoping to tap into a range of benefits in the development of new drugs. What exactly does AI promise?

    • ✓ Correct AI is expected to make it possible to better predict the effects of chemical substances at an earlier stage of development. In turn, this may also make it possible to design new substances with desirable properties. The result: fewer substances have to be tested, which would reduce the number of substances found to be ineffective. Further information (Visualisation: ETH Zurich / Jack Burgess)

    • ✘ False AI is expected to make it possible to better predict the effects of chemical substances at an earlier stage of development. In turn, this may also make it possible to design new substances with desirable properties. The result: fewer substances have to be tested, which would reduce the number of substances found to be ineffective. Further information (Visualisation: ETH Zurich / Jack Burgess)

  2. Question 2 of 6
    binary code, music notes and a smartphone

    2. Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a method of storing data in music that can then be received using a smartphone. What type of music is not suitable for this method?

      • ✓ Correct So that the additional data does not disrupt how the listener experiences the music, researchers use loud, dominant sounds to mask the data. Pieces of music with many dominant sounds, such as in pop music, are particularly well suited for this type of data transfer. In contrast, soft music is less effective. Further information (Visualisation: Colourbox / Montage)

      • ✘ False So that the additional data does not disrupt how the listener experiences the music, researchers use loud, dominant sounds to mask the data. Pieces of music with many dominant sounds, such as in pop music, are particularly well suited for this type of data transfer. In contrast, soft music is less effective. Further information (Visualisation: Colourbox / Montage)

    • Question 3 of 6
      Anymal

      3. The robot known as ANYmal, which was developed at ETH, can see, hear and open doors, and is designed to work under extreme conditions. The device was recently tested at a very special location for this purpose. Where?

        • ✓ Correct Last autumn, researchers from the Robotic Systems Lab and ETH spin-off ANYbotics tested whether the ANYmal robot might also be used in Zurich’s sewer system. In the future, it could make work easier for city employees who regularly have to walk or crawl through the approximately 100 km of manholes throughout the city to look for damage. Further information (Photograph: Robotic Systems Lab)

        • ✘ False Last autumn, researchers from the Robotic Systems Lab and ETH spin-off ANYbotics tested whether the ANYmal robot might also be used in Zurich’s sewer system. In the future, it could make work easier for city employees who regularly have to walk or crawl through the approximately 100 km of manholes throughout the city to look for damage. Further information (Photograph: Robotic Systems Lab)

      • Question 4 of 6
        Scailyte team

        4. The search to discover what are known as biomarkers is one of the biggest challenges in the field of medicine. The goal is to detect signs of disease in patients’ blood samples. The ETH spin-off Scailyte has now developed a piece of software that can be used to analyse millions of individual cells to detect biomarkers. What is the main advantage of the software?

          • ✓ Correct One of the main advantages of Scailyte’s software is its efficiency. Traditional methods take several weeks to comb through the vast quantities of data, but this start-up promises the same performance in just two to three days. Since the software uses artificial intelligence, it learns from data already processed and then makes a prognosis based on abnormal cell types typically associated with certain diseases. Further information (Photograph: ETH Zurich / Scailyte)

          • ✘ False One of the main advantages of Scailyte’s software is its efficiency. Traditional methods take several weeks to comb through the vast quantities of data, but this start-up promises the same performance in just two to three days. Since the software uses artificial intelligence, it learns from data already processed and then makes a prognosis based on abnormal cell types typically associated with certain diseases. Further information (Photograph: ETH Zurich / Scailyte)

        • Question 5 of 6
          computer tower

          5. Artificial intelligence is increasingly perceived by politicians as a strategically important technology, and they are thus increasingly influencing the innovation process and dissemination of AI technology, according to researchers from the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich. What are scientists now proposing in order to ensure the peaceful use of this technology?

            • ✓ Correct In a recently published policy perspective, CSS researchers explain how international scientific diplomacy can cultivate the opportunities offered by new AI technology and mitigate the risks at an early stage. In the opinion of the authors, this requires establishing a politically neutral hub for AI research. Further information (Photograph: U.S. Department of Energy/Flickr)

            • ✘ False In a recently published policy perspective, CSS researchers explain how international scientific diplomacy can cultivate the opportunities offered by new AI technology and mitigate the risks at an early stage. In the opinion of the authors, this requires establishing a politically neutral hub for AI research. Further information (Photograph: U.S. Department of Energy/Flickr)

          • Question 6 of 6
            Roof of a taxi

            6. Driverless taxi services, such as those operating in Las Vegas or Phoenix, promise to provide mobility with fewer vehicles, less emissions and lower costs. ETH researchers have now studied how services such as these would affect traffic in the city of Zurich. What was their conclusion?

              • ✓ Correct In its Zurich case study, researchers at the ETH Institute for Transport Planning and Systems concluded that the number of private vehicles would not decrease as a result of ride-sharing services. Automated transit may even increase the number of kilometres driven. Further information (Photograph: pxhere.com / CC0 1.0)

              • ✘ False In its Zurich case study, researchers at the ETH Institute for Transport Planning and Systems concluded that the number of private vehicles would not decrease as a result of ride-sharing services. Automated transit may even increase the number of kilometres driven. Further information (Photograph: pxhere.com / CC0 1.0)

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