News/Education
2 Southern Republican governors and a Midwestern one embrace AI data centers as revenue jackpot
Three Republican governors from Southern states embraced artificial intelligence data centers as economic game-changers while rejecting government subsidies for clean energy during a panel at the Southern States Energy Board conference. The governors of Mississippi, Georgia, and Missouri advocated for market-driven energy solutions as Southern states compete to attract AI data center investments that could generate substantial tax revenues and transform rural economies. What you should know: Southern states are aggressively pursuing AI data center investments as major tech companies expand their infrastructure footprint. Meta announced a $1.5 billion investment in a 1.3 million square foot data center in Montgomery,...
read Sep 29, 2025“Reverse brain drain” sees 85 US scientists leave for China
At least 85 scientists have left US research institutions to join Chinese universities full-time since early 2024, with more than half making the move in 2025 alone. This "reverse brain drain" threatens America's historic dominance in attracting top global talent—a cornerstone of its post-WWII leadership in science and technology—while potentially accelerating China's rise in critical fields like AI, quantum computing, and biotechnology. The big picture: China is capitalizing on US policy changes that create uncertainty for foreign researchers, particularly those with Chinese heritage, while simultaneously ramping up its own recruitment efforts and research investments. Chinese universities view Trump administration policies...
read Sep 29, 2025NY’s Alfred State gets $474K NSF grant for robotics technician training
Alfred State has been awarded a $474,019 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop educational pathways for robotics and automation technicians in agricultural and industrial sectors. The funding addresses the growing demand for skilled technicians in automation—a critical need for maintaining food security and supporting manufacturing workforces in rural areas. What you should know: The Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grant will fund a comprehensive program designed to prepare students for high-paying automation careers through innovative educational strategies. Assistant Professors Jessica Hutchison and Dr. Mohamed Eleshaky are leading the project titled "Developing a Robotics and Automation Technician Pathway for the...
read Sep 29, 2025Kansas City college student with hustle uses AI to turn dead leads into paying clients
Aaron Perry, a college student from Overland Park, has launched Misogi AI Solutions, a startup that uses artificial intelligence to convert unresponsive business leads into paying clients through automated text message conversations. The venture demonstrates how young entrepreneurs are leveraging AI tools to rapidly build scalable businesses while still pursuing their education. What you should know: Perry began studying AI in February and has since transformed that knowledge into a profitable business model focused on lead nurturing. Misogi AI Solutions specializes in turning "lost leads" into sales by handling text message conversations with potential clients on behalf of businesses. The...
read Sep 26, 2025UNC’s AI fellow shares 5 insights on balancing technology with academic integrity
Universities across the country are grappling with a fundamental question: how do you prepare students for a workforce increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence while maintaining academic integrity? At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, that challenge falls to Dana Riger, the institution's inaugural generative artificial intelligence faculty fellow—a role that positions her at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and traditional pedagogy. Riger, a clinical associate professor in UNC's School of Education specializing in human development and family science, has spent the past 16 months helping faculty navigate the complex terrain of AI integration in higher education. Since taking...
read Sep 26, 2025San Diego State launches first AI ethics degree in California system
San Diego State University has launched the first Bachelor of Science degree in Artificial Intelligence and Human Responsibility within the California State University system. This groundbreaking program addresses the growing need for AI professionals who understand both technical capabilities and ethical implications as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into society. What you should know: The degree represents a pioneering approach to AI education by explicitly combining technical training with ethical responsibility. San Diego State is the first university in the CSU system to offer this specific type of AI degree program. The program's focus on "human responsibility" suggests curriculum designed...
read Sep 26, 202524 high school robotics teams battle at New Jersey mall this weekend
Bridgewater Commons mall in New Jersey will host RoboCon this weekend, transforming the shopping center into a massive robotics and technology playground featuring 24 high school teams competing in robot battles. The free event, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, aims to inspire K-12 students in STEM fields through hands-on demonstrations and interactive activities spanning both levels of the mall. What you should know: The Robot Rumble competition will showcase teams from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland competing Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Five New Jersey FIRST Robotics Competition high school...
read Sep 25, 2025Southern Baptists release AI ministry guide for churches
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) has released a comprehensive guide titled "The Work of Our Hands: Christian Ministry in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," addressing how churches should navigate AI's growing influence across work, life, and relationships. Written by RaShan Frost, the ERLC's director of research, this resource builds on Southern Baptists' pioneering work in AI ethics and provides both theological frameworks and practical ministry applications for congregations grappling with artificial intelligence. Why this matters: As AI becomes increasingly integrated into daily life—from reasoning and decision-making to communications and learning—religious communities need guidance on how these technologies align...
read Sep 25, 2025Pennsylvania state rep seeks ban on AI primary teachers following pro-AI charter school rejection
Pennsylvania State Rep. Nikki Rivera has introduced legislation to ban charter schools from using artificial intelligence as the primary instructor, requiring certified human teachers instead. The bill follows the state Department of Education's rejection of Unbound Academy's charter application, which proposed AI-driven instruction with human "guides," highlighting growing concerns about AI replacing traditional teaching methods. What you should know: Rivera's proposed legislation would deny AI-powered charter and cyber charter applications as a safeguard against unproven instructional practices. The bill aims to prevent taxpayer dollars from being redirected "from those manipulating the law for their own profit at the expense of...
read Sep 25, 2025AI translations threaten Wikipedia’s vulnerable language editions
AI-generated machine translations have flooded Wikipedia's smaller language editions with error-riddled content, creating a dangerous feedback loop as AI models train on these flawed pages. The problem is particularly acute for vulnerable languages with few native speakers, where up to 60% of Wikipedia articles are now uncorrected machine translations that could accelerate language extinction rather than preserve these cultural treasures. The scale of the problem: Machine-translated content has overwhelmed Wikipedia editions in hundreds of lesser-known languages, with devastating accuracy issues. Volunteers working on four African languages estimate that between 40% and 60% of articles in their Wikipedia editions are uncorrected...
read Sep 24, 2025Iranian students win top spots in AI competition at Turkish TEKNOFEST 2025
Iranian students captured first and second places in the inventions and innovative technologies category at TEKNOFEST 2025, demonstrating the country's growing prowess in robotics and artificial intelligence. The achievement at Turkey's premier technology festival signals Iran's emergence as a competitive force in global tech innovation, with young engineers successfully competing against teams from 56 countries. What you should know: TEKNOFEST 2025 brought together nearly 1,000 projects from around the world in Istanbul from September 17-21, positioning itself as the world's largest aviation, space, and technology festival. The Iranian team consisted of eight members: Kian Karbalei, Mehrtash Razgordani, Artin Islampanah, Seyyed...
read Sep 23, 2025From Harvard to Hacker: Post-romantic, youthful AI founders are upending San Francisco
A new wave of brilliant, workaholic teenagers is flooding San Francisco, transforming vacant hotels into hacker houses and basement labs into brain-scanning operations as they race to build AI startups. This gold-rush mentality among Gen Z founders represents a fundamental shift in Silicon Valley's ecosystem, where 18-to-28-year-olds are raising millions pre-product while casually discussing humanity's potential extinction—what they call P(doom)—with the same nonchalance previous generations reserved for discussing the weather. The big picture: San Francisco's latest tech boom is being driven by exceptionally young founders who view traditional career paths as outdated and are willing to bet everything on AI...
read Sep 23, 2025AI to replace half of white-collar jobs as blue-collar opportunities ignored, Ford CEO warns
Ford CEO Jim Farley is warning that artificial intelligence will eliminate up to half of all white-collar jobs in America within the next decade, while the country simultaneously faces critical shortages in blue-collar and skilled trade positions. His call to action highlights a fundamental mismatch between where the economy is heading and where educational priorities currently focus, as entry-level white-collar positions disappear while hundreds of thousands of manufacturing and construction jobs remain unfilled. The big picture: Farley describes America as ignoring its "essential economy"—the sectors that get things "moved, built, or fixed"—while overemphasizing four-year college education and tech careers that...
read Sep 23, 2025Volusia County, Florida deploys AI metal detectors across 10 high schools
Volusia County Schools is expanding AI-powered metal detectors to all 10 of its high schools, with four campuses already equipped and the remainder scheduled for installation by the end of the school year. The technology represents a significant upgrade from traditional metal detectors, using artificial intelligence to identify specific items rather than simply detecting metal objects, aiming to enhance campus safety while minimizing disruptions to students' daily routines. How it works: The AI-powered system can distinguish between everyday items and potential threats with remarkable specificity. "It scans everything on the person and identifies each item," said Capt. Todd Smith with...
read Sep 22, 2025Back to tool: ChatGPT usage surges to 78B tokens as students return to class
OpenRouter data reveals that ChatGPT usage surged to a record 78.3 billion tokens on September 18, 2025, as schools reopened across the West following summer holidays. The dramatic seasonal pattern confirms that students drive a substantial portion of daily ChatGPT traffic, with usage dropping to just 36.7 billion tokens during June's summer break compared to nearly 80 billion tokens per day during May's exam period. The big picture: Academic calendars are directly shaping AI adoption patterns, with OpenRouter's 2.5 million user dataset showing consistent drops during school breaks and sharp recoveries when classes resume. Key usage patterns: The seasonal fluctuations...
read Sep 22, 2025Virginia Tech swaps human readers with AI for college admissions amid 10% surge
Virginia Tech has begun using artificial intelligence to help evaluate admissions applications for the fall 2026 cycle, replacing one of the two human readers in its review process. The change comes after the university experienced a 10.2% surge in applications from fall 2024 to fall 2025, prompting administrators to seek ways to accelerate decision-making while maintaining evaluation quality. What you should know: The AI system now handles essay reviews that were previously conducted entirely by human admissions officers. Previously, two human readers evaluated applications on a 12-point scale, requiring a third reviewer only if scores differed by four points or...
read Sep 19, 2025Troubled New Jersey school district deploys AI gun detection with 3-second alerts
New Jersey's Glassboro School District has become the first in the United States to implement an integrated AI weapon detection and mass notification system across its facilities. The system combines ZeroEyes' AI-powered gun detection technology with Singlewire Software's emergency communication platform, creating a comprehensive security network that can identify firearms and alert authorities within seconds of detection. How it works: The integrated system uses artificial intelligence to monitor hundreds of security cameras for potential weapons threats across six district buildings. ZeroEyes software analyzes video feeds in real-time, placing a green tracking box around any detected firearms visible to cameras. When...
read Sep 19, 2025UVA researchers use AI to simulate extreme physics events in seconds
University of Virginia researchers are using artificial intelligence to analyze extreme physics events—from rocket explosions to airbag deployments—that are too rare, dangerous, or fast to study with traditional methods. Led by associate professor Stephen Baek, the research team has developed AI algorithms that can predict these high-stakes phenomena in seconds on a laptop, replacing supercomputer simulations that previously took days to complete. The core challenge: Traditional machine learning excels at finding patterns in large datasets but struggles with rare, extreme events that are statistical outliers yet critical for safety and performance. "If I predict tomorrow will be sunny, I'll be...
read Sep 18, 2025Semper AI: Marines launch artificial intelligence training for entire workforce in 2-year plan
The Marine Corps is deploying digital transformation teams and preparing to launch comprehensive AI training for its entire workforce, according to AI lead Capt. Christopher Clark. The service has developed a two-year strategic implementation plan to integrate artificial intelligence across all levels, from headquarters to small tactical units, aiming to make Marines "more effective, more involved and more able to do their job." What you should know: The Marine Corps has established a structured approach to AI adoption through specialized teams and partnerships with leading institutions. Digital transformation teams (DTTs) are now operational at three key locations: II Marine Expeditionary...
read Sep 18, 2025Florida A&M and FSU researchers build AI-powered robotic unicycles for faster stroke rehab
FAMU-FSU researchers are developing an AI-powered robotic unicycle system to study how humans learn complex motor skills, with the ultimate goal of creating smarter physical therapy tools for stroke survivors and mobility-impaired patients. The $799,000 National Science Foundation project represents a novel approach to rehabilitation robotics by focusing on skill acquisition rather than simply assisting with movements people already know how to perform. How it works: The research unfolds in three distinct phases, each building toward more sophisticated human-robot interaction. Researchers first study how subjects learn to unicycle unassisted, using motion-capture suits to gather data from joint positions and mathematically...
read Sep 17, 2025Two top San Francisco art schools embrace AI with new leadership roles
Two San Francisco art universities have appointed new leadership roles focused on artificial intelligence, signaling a decisive embrace of AI technology in creative education. The Academy of Art University named its creative director as "chief AI evangelist," while the California College of the Arts launched an AI incubator partnership with Nvidia, marking a significant shift as mainstream art schools grapple with AI's controversial role in creative fields. What you should know: Both institutions are integrating AI directly into their core academic programs despite ongoing industry debates about AI-generated art. The Academy of Art University appointed Ross Patrick as "chief AI...
read Sep 16, 2025White House launches AI education task force with 2M worker training pledge
The White House Task Force on AI Education held its inaugural meeting, positioning artificial intelligence literacy as a cornerstone of America's competitive strategy and educational future. Led by science and technology policy director Michael Kratsios, the task force outlined plans to integrate AI education across K-12 systems while securing major private sector commitments to train millions of American workers. What you should know: The task force was established through President Trump's April 2025 executive order and focuses on three core missions: promoting AI literacy among students and educators, organizing a nationwide AI challenge, and forging public-private partnerships for K-12 AI...
read Sep 15, 2025Virginia Tech secures $500K NSF grant for robot theater AI ethics program
Virginia Tech researchers have secured a $500,000 National Science Foundation grant to expand their robot theater program, an innovative after-school initiative that teaches children robotics through performance-based learning. The funding will enable the team to integrate AI ethics education into the curriculum and develop materials for nationwide distribution, addressing the growing need for ethical technology education as human-robot interaction becomes increasingly prevalent. What you should know: Robot theater combines creative expression with hands-on robotics education, allowing elementary school children to collaborate with robots through dance, acting, music, and art. The program was conceptualized in 2015 by Myounghoon "Philart" Jeon, professor...
read Sep 12, 2025“Learning how to learn”: Humans’ own inference ability will be key, says Nobel winner
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, who recently won the 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry, told an Athens audience that "learning how to learn" will be the most crucial skill for the next generation as AI rapidly transforms education and workplaces. Speaking at an ancient Roman theater beneath the Acropolis, the neuroscientist warned that artificial general intelligence could arrive within a decade, making continuous adaptation essential for career survival. What they're saying: Hassabis emphasized the unpredictable pace of AI development and its implications for future planning. "It's very hard to predict the future, like 10 years from now, in normal cases....
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