{"691102":{"#nid":"691102","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Hone AI Method to Track \u201cSmart\u201d Vapes with Digital Screens","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EE-cigarettes, also known as vapes, are battery-operated devices that heat a liquid that typically contains nicotine, an addictive substance. These devices are continually changing, with new flavors, novel device designs, and digital screens. Some of these e-cigarettes \u2014 sometimes called \u201csmart vapes\u201d\u2014 include built-in games and Bluetooth connectivity that have the potential to gamify the use of nicotine. Many of these devices are marketed online but cannot be easily monitored with existing data sources and methods. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new study published July 9 in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENicotine and Tobacco Research\u003C\/em\u003E demonstrates how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to automatically detect and classify new e-cigarette devices with screens. The study, led by Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) scientists, in collaboration with the CDC Foundation, analyzed publicly available product images from online tobacco retailers.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMonitoring online e-cigarette marketing is like a game of Whack-A-Mole, with so many new products and features popping up,\u201d said Kristy Marynak, PhD, Senior Director for Tobacco Control Initiatives at the CDC Foundation and a study author. \u201cThis study shows how machine learning techniques can shed light on the online e-cigarette marketplace and the vast quantities and types of e-cigarette products available.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/newsroom\/researchers-hone-new-ai-method-track-smart-vapes-digital-screens\u0022\u003ERead the full article\u003C\/a\u003E on the Georgia Tech Research Institute news page\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"New approach helps researchers track emerging e-cigarette products "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study published July 9 in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research demonstrates how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to automatically detect and classify new e-cigarette devices with screens. The study, led by Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) scientists, in collaboration with the CDC Foundation, analyzed publicly available product images from online tobacco retailers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study shows how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to automatically detect and classify new e-cigarette devices."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2026-07-13 16:43:05","changed_gmt":"2026-07-13 16:49:28","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680599":{"id":"680599","type":"image","title":"Example of an e-cigarette device that includes screens","body":"\u003Cp\u003EImage shows an example of an e-cigarette device containing screens. (Credit: CDC Foundation)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1783960355","gmt_created":"2026-07-13 16:32:35","changed":"1783960642","gmt_changed":"2026-07-13 16:37:22","alt":"Sample e-cigarette device with a screen","file":{"fid":"264882","name":"a-20250617-IMG_5887-Edit.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/13\/a-20250617-IMG_5887-Edit.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/13\/a-20250617-IMG_5887-Edit.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":798726,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/13\/a-20250617-IMG_5887-Edit.jpg?itok=fxwp5uQa"}}},"media_ids":["680599"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["john.toon@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}