News/AI Implementation
Pennsylvania’s $108K AI pilot saves employees 95 minutes daily
Pennsylvania has launched a year-long generative AI pilot program with 175 employees across 14 state agencies, incorporating ChatGPT Enterprise into routine government work like brainstorming and document proofreading. The $108,000 pilot program saved employees an average of 95 minutes per day and has encouraged the state to explore broader AI adoption, positioning Pennsylvania as one of the first states to systematically examine generative AI usage across government operations. Key results: The pilot program demonstrated significant time savings and positive employee reception, leading to expansion plans. Employees used ChatGPT Enterprise primarily for "writing assistance, research, brainstorming and summarizing large amounts of...
read Aug 20, 2025Pentagon moves AI office under research division to accelerate military adoption
The Department of Defense has moved its Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) to report directly under the Under Secretary for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E)), effective immediately. This organizational realignment represents the Pentagon's latest effort to accelerate AI adoption across military operations through a unified "AI-first" strategy that connects research capabilities with battlefield implementation. The big picture: The restructuring positions AI development within the DoD's research and engineering arm, creating what officials describe as a "powerful innovation engine" designed to deliver AI superiority from laboratory to battlefield. Why this matters: By placing the CDAO under USD(R&E), the Pentagon aims...
read Aug 20, 2025Hollywood agent uses AI to prove Amazon star’s power in streaming negotiations
Hollywood talent representatives are increasingly using AI tools like Grok and ChatGPT to analyze their clients' impact and leverage data-driven insights in contract negotiations. This shift addresses a longstanding opacity problem in the streaming era, where platforms have closely guarded viewership metrics, making it difficult for agents to quantify their clients' value for sequel deals and future projects. What you should know: Representatives for Priyanka Chopra Jonas used AI analysis to demonstrate her outsized impact on Amazon's "Heads of State," despite being the third lead. AI data showed Chopra Jonas generated more than double the buzz of co-stars Idris Elba...
read Aug 20, 2025PTA-I: California schools launch AI training for parents as teachers save 6 weeks yearly
Modesto City Schools has introduced comprehensive artificial intelligence guidelines for classroom use, becoming the only district in Stanislaus County with a dedicated AI committee. The district will launch parent training sessions next month to help families support their children with the same AI tools being adopted in schools, marking a proactive approach to educational technology integration. What you should know: The district formed a 20-member AI committee including students, staff, and parents to establish responsible AI policies across all schools. The committee developed a guidebook titled "Modesto City Schools AI Exploration: Navigating Our Digital Future" along with brochures and posters...
read Aug 19, 2025AI helps 4K Liverpool students boost grades across 100 schools
Liverpool's 4,000 primary school students have improved their academic grades over the past school year after using Century AI, an artificial intelligence tool designed to automate teaching tasks. The pilot program demonstrates how AI can enhance educational outcomes by freeing teachers to focus more on student relationships rather than administrative work. What you should know: Century AI handles routine educational tasks so teachers can prioritize direct student interaction and instruction. The software automates marking, lesson planning, and data gathering, allowing educators to "focus on building human relationships with students." Century Tech, the company behind the tool, developed it using data...
read Aug 19, 2025Zoom launches AI virtual receptionist for 24/7 phone support in 6 languages
Receptionists are not going to be receptive to this. Zoom has launched Virtual Agent for Zoom Phone, an AI-powered receptionist that can handle customer calls 24/7 without human intervention. The no-code tool allows companies to replace or supplement traditional receptionists by greeting callers, processing requests, and routing calls autonomously across six languages at launch. What you should know: Virtual Agent operates as a fully automated digital receptionist that promises to reduce missed calls and hold times for businesses. The AI agent can greet callers naturally, process their requests, and initiate next steps without requiring human pickup. Available in English, Spanish,...
read Aug 18, 2025AI transcription saves Channel Islands doctors, along with those forced to read their handwriting
A Jersey GP practice has become the first on the island to implement Heidi Health, an AI-powered transcription system that records and processes doctor-patient conversations. The technology allows doctors to focus entirely on patient care rather than manual note-taking, while also automating administrative tasks like drafting referral letters. Why this matters: Health Plus, a Jersey medical practice, is pioneering the use of AI transcription technology in Jersey's healthcare system to improve both doctor efficiency and patient experience. Dr. Ed Klaber of Health Plus explains that artificial intelligence will "allow GPs to be more present during appointments, improve communication with patients...
read Aug 15, 2025Apple’s UICoder AI masters SwiftUI by generating its own training data
Apple researchers have developed UICoder, a specialized large language model that teaches itself to generate high-quality SwiftUI interface code through automated feedback loops. The breakthrough demonstrates how AI models can overcome training data limitations by creating their own curated datasets, potentially revolutionizing how developers approach UI code generation across multiple programming frameworks. What you should know: The research team started with StarChat-Beta, an open-source coding model, and used an innovative self-improvement process to create nearly one million SwiftUI programs. Researchers instructed the model to generate SwiftUI code from UI descriptions, then filtered outputs through Swift compiler checks and GPT-4V visual...
read Aug 15, 2025UK tackles AI data center power surge with smart scheduling
The United Kingdom faces a critical infrastructure challenge as artificial intelligence reshapes the digital economy. AI data centers consume enormous amounts of electricity at precisely the moment when national grids are transitioning toward renewable energy sources. This creates a complex balancing act between technological advancement and environmental sustainability that could determine whether the UK achieves its ambitious AI leadership goals. The scale of this challenge is substantial. The International Energy Agency reports that a single ChatGPT query requires 2.9 watt-hours of electricity—nearly ten times more than a traditional Google search, which consumes just 0.3 watt-hours. With ChatGPT surpassing 100 million...
read Aug 15, 2025Cutting off your nose? McKinsey deploys 12,000 AI agents while slashing 5,000 jobs
McKinsey, a global consulting firm, is confronting an existential threat as artificial intelligence agents prove capable of performing the same consulting work that has generated billions in revenue for the firm. The company has deployed 12,000 AI agents across its operations while simultaneously reducing its workforce from 45,000 to 40,000 employees over the past 18 months, highlighting the tension between embracing automation and maintaining human expertise. What you should know: McKinsey's leadership acknowledges AI poses fundamental challenges to the consulting industry's traditional model. "Do I think that this is existential for our profession? Yes, I do," said Kate Smaje, a...
read Aug 14, 2025It’s All Geek to Me: JetBrains develops programming language that lets you code in English
JetBrains, creator of the Kotlin programming language, is developing a new unnamed programming language that would allow developers to write code using English-based descriptions rather than traditional syntax. The company envisions this higher-abstraction language enabling AI agents to automatically generate cross-platform applications from natural language specifications, making AI code generation more controllable and transparent. What you should know: JetBrains CEO Kirill Skrygan describes this as the next evolution in programming abstraction levels, moving beyond current languages like Java and C#. "And now it's time to move even higher," Skrygan said. "So when we write the code, we'll basically lay out...
read Aug 14, 2025Google’s tiny Gemma 3 270M is no pipsqueak, brings AI to smartphones
Google has released Gemma 3 270M, a compact open AI model with just 270 million parameters that can run locally on smartphones and web browsers. The tiny model represents a shift toward efficient, on-device AI that prioritizes privacy and low latency over raw computational power, offering developers a fast-tuning alternative to massive cloud-based models. What you should know: Gemma 3 270M delivers surprising performance despite its small size, running efficiently on mobile devices with minimal battery drain.• The model scored 51.2% on the IFEval benchmark for instruction-following, outperforming other lightweight models with more parameters.• Testing on a Pixel 9 Pro...
read Aug 14, 2025DOGE builds AI tool to slash federal regulations in hours, not months
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has developed SweetREX, an AI tool designed to automatically review federal regulations and identify rules for elimination across US government agencies. Created by Christopher Sweet, a University of Chicago undergraduate who took leave to join DOGE, the tool aims to support President Trump's deregulation agenda by reducing the time needed to review regulations from months to just hours or days. What you should know: SweetREX operates by scanning federal regulations to flag sections it deems unnecessary based on statutory requirements, then generates draft revisions for government review. The tool primarily uses Google's Gemini AI...
read Aug 13, 2025AI is reshaping the $300B business outsourcing and banal task market for startups
Andreessen Horowitz partner Kimberly Tan has published an analysis exploring how artificial intelligence is disrupting the $300 billion Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry. The piece examines AI's potential to fundamentally reshape outsourced work—from traditional call centers and invoice processing to advanced cross-system automation and coding agents—while creating new market opportunities beyond Fortune 500 companies. The big picture: AI is challenging the traditional economics of scale that have defined the BPO industry, potentially democratizing access to automated business processes that were previously only viable for large enterprises. What's being disrupted: The transformation spans multiple areas of outsourced work operations.• Traditional call...
read Aug 13, 2025Stanford study: 40% of 9K teachers now use AI in daily classroom routines
A Stanford University study tracking over 9,000 K-12 teachers using AI tools reveals that more than 40% have integrated artificial intelligence into their regular classroom routines. The research, conducted through SchoolAI platform data during the 2024-25 school year, provides the first large-scale behavioral analysis of how educators actually use AI in their daily work, moving beyond surveys to examine real usage patterns. What you should know: The study categorized teachers into four groups based on their 90-day platform engagement, with sustained adoption rates exceeding typical software benchmarks. Single-Day Users (16%) logged in once and never returned Trial Users (43%) used...
read Aug 13, 2025Tencent revenue jumps 15% to $25.7B as AI investments pay off
Tencent, China's largest tech conglomerate, reported a 15% jump in second-quarter revenue to $25.7 billion, driven by strong gaming performance and strategic AI investments across its platform. The company's capital expenditures surged 119% as it doubled down on AI upgrades for advertising, gaming, and its WeChat social media service, positioning itself to capitalize on the growing intersection of entertainment and artificial intelligence. Key financial highlights: Tencent's Q2 2025 results exceeded expectations across multiple metrics. Revenue reached 184.504 billion Chinese yuan ($25.7 billion), up from 161.117 billion yuan in the same period last year. Operating profit climbed to 63.052 billion yuan,...
read Aug 13, 2025WordPress gets native AI website builder through 10Web plugin
WordPress now includes native generative AI website creation capabilities through a new plugin from 10Web, a website builder platform, eliminating the need for third-party builders or separate AI tools. The white-labeled solution allows hosting providers to offer customers AI-powered website creation directly within their WordPress environment, potentially transforming how web hosting companies deliver value to their customers. What you should know: The 10Web plugin integrates directly into WordPress hosting stacks, enabling users to create fully functional websites through a simple chat interface. Users describe their business needs, and the AI generates complete websites including mobile-friendly design, proper structure, and WooCommerce...
read Aug 13, 2025AI helps manufacturers maintain lean inventories amid tariff uncertainty
Manufacturers are increasingly deploying artificial intelligence to navigate supply chain volatility caused by tariffs and trade disruptions, with companies like The Toro Company using AI to maintain lean inventories despite global uncertainties. This shift represents a significant business opportunity, as spending on generative AI for supply chains could surge from $2.7 billion today to $55 billion by 2029, according to Gartner, a research firm. What you should know: Companies are returning to "just in time" inventory management despite ongoing trade tensions, relying on AI to make this approach viable. U.S. manufacturers' inventories have mostly contracted since their post-pandemic expansion, with...
read Aug 12, 2025Post at your peril: UK’s HMRC uses AI to monitor social media for tax fraud investigations
HMRC has confirmed it uses artificial intelligence to monitor social media posts as part of criminal investigations into suspected tax cheats, marking a significant expansion of automated surveillance in tax enforcement. The technology enables the tax authority to streamline investigations while raising important questions about privacy, accuracy, and the role of AI in government oversight. What you should know: HMRC, the UK's tax authority, emphasizes that AI monitoring is limited to criminal investigations and includes human oversight to prevent automated decision-making. The technology is only used as part of criminal investigations, not on everyday taxpayers, according to an HMRC spokesperson....
read Aug 12, 2025Employee of the Month: Salesforce’s CoAct-1 hybrid AI agent achieves 60% task success rate
Salesforce researchers have developed CoAct-1, a new computer-use AI agent that combines traditional point-and-click navigation with code execution to automate complex tasks. The hybrid system achieved a 60.76% success rate on the OSWorld benchmark while requiring significantly fewer steps than purely GUI-based agents, potentially solving the brittleness issues that plague current automation tools. How it works: CoAct-1 operates as a three-agent team that strategically chooses between coding and clicking based on the task at hand. The Orchestrator acts as project manager, analyzing user goals and delegating subtasks to either the Programmer or GUI Operator based on which approach would be...
read Aug 12, 2025AI transforms K-12 education as 2.5M teachers give into it, save hours weekly
AI is rapidly transforming K-12 education, with nearly a third of teachers now using the technology weekly and millions accessing specialized platforms like MagicSchool AI. This shift represents a fundamental change in how both students and educators approach learning, creating new opportunities for personalized instruction while raising concerns about academic integrity and over-reliance on artificial intelligence. What you should know: The current high school senior class represents the last generation to experience pre-ChatGPT education, having started freshman year just months before the chatbot's release. Students have evolved beyond simple copy-pasting, now using multiple AI models and asking chatbots to introduce...
read Aug 11, 2025TD Securities launches AI assistant for equity teams using OpenAI tech
TD Securities has launched the TD AI Virtual Assistant, powered by OpenAI's GPT models and developed with Layer 6, a Canadian AI company acquired by TD Bank in 2018, to deliver real-time equity insights to its institutional sales, trading, and research teams. The assistant, which went live on July 8, represents a significant step forward for AI adoption in the highly regulated financial services sector, where banks have traditionally taken a cautious approach to implementing AI agents. What you should know: The TD AI Virtual Assistant serves as a sophisticated knowledge management system designed specifically for front-office equity professionals. The...
read Aug 11, 2025Claude gets 4 new personalization features to remember your work style
Anthropic has rolled out a comprehensive personalization upgrade for Claude, its AI assistant, marking a significant shift from generic chatbot interactions toward truly adaptive AI partnerships. The company, which competes directly with OpenAI's ChatGPT in the enterprise AI market, introduced four major features designed to make Claude remember your preferences, maintain project continuity, and adapt its communication style to match your specific needs. This upgrade addresses one of the most persistent frustrations with AI assistants: the need to repeatedly provide context and preferences in every conversation. Instead of treating each interaction as a blank slate, Claude now builds understanding over...
read Aug 11, 2025The AI will take your statement now: Jersey police streamline witness interviews and boost forensics
Jersey police have successfully integrated artificial intelligence into their crime-fighting operations, with AI-powered tools now helping transcribe witness interviews and enhance digital forensics capabilities. The States of Jersey Police Authority's annual report highlights how these technological advances are delivering "long-term efficiencies and enhanced decision-making" while maintaining human oversight of all AI-assisted processes. What you should know: The Jersey police force began testing AI transcription technology in March to streamline witness interview processing and improve operational efficiency. Police Chief Robin Smith emphasized that while AI promises enhanced capabilities, all processes remain under human supervision to ensure accuracy and accountability. The technology...
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