News/Education
Bank of New York Mellon invests $10M in Carnegie Mellon AI research lab
Bank of New York Mellon is investing $10 million over five years to establish an AI research lab at Carnegie Mellon University, with the physical BNY AI Lab set to open this academic year. The partnership positions both organizations at the forefront of AI research in financial services while strengthening Pittsburgh's growing reputation as an artificial intelligence hub. What you should know: The collaboration extends far beyond basic research funding, creating comprehensive opportunities for students and faculty alike. The BNY AI Lab will support faculty-led research and multi-disciplinary projects focused on AI governance, trust, and accountability frameworks for financial services....
read Sep 12, 2025Canada education report addressing AI safety ironically includes 15+ fake AI citations
A major education reform report for Newfoundland and Labrador, a Canadian province, contains at least 15 fabricated citations that experts suspect were generated by artificial intelligence, despite the document explicitly calling for ethical AI use in schools. The irony is particularly striking given that the 418-page report, which took 18 months to complete and serves as a 10-year roadmap for modernizing the province's education system, includes recommendations for teaching students about AI ethics and responsible technology use. What you should know: The fake citations include references to non-existent sources that bear hallmarks of AI-generated content. One citation references a 2008...
read Sep 12, 2025AI sign language platform debuts at Rochester’s Susan B. Anthony Museum
The National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House is partnering with Rochester-based startup Sign-Speak to provide on-demand AI-powered American Sign Language interpretation for visitors. This marks the first museum collaboration for the AI platform and addresses a significant accessibility gap in Rochester, which has one of the world's largest deaf populations per capita. Why this matters: The partnership aligns with the museum's mission to broaden conversations about civil rights and inclusion, making historical narratives accessible to previously underserved visitors while showcasing how AI can bridge communication barriers. How it works: Visitors will scan a QR code to access Sign-Speak's AI...
read Sep 11, 2025Swim team? Old news! All-girls underwater robotics team raises $2K through community raffle.
The Clarkston P.E.O. FE Chapter has partnered with ECH Science, an all-girls underwater robotics team, to promote women's education through a fundraising raffle. The collaboration highlights growing community support for encouraging girls to pursue STEM careers through hands-on robotics and engineering programs. What you should know: ECH Science brings together girls from different schools and communities who share a passion for science, technology, engineering, and math. The team explores new concepts through hands-on outreach activities and competitive challenges, applying scientific and engineering processes in real-world scenarios. They have become a local role model and inspiration for others in the community...
read Sep 11, 2025Naval War College and Salve Regina host AI national security forum
The U.S. Naval War College partnered with Salve Regina University to host the third Forum at Newport, focusing on artificial intelligence and national security implications. The event brought together military leaders, academics, and industry experts to examine how AI technologies are reshaping defense strategies and preparing tomorrow's military leaders for emerging challenges. What you should know: The forum featured keynote remarks from Admiral (ret.) Michael S. Rogers, former commander of U.S. Cyber Command, emphasizing the critical intersection of AI and national security.• The event was designed to strengthen collaboration between the two Rhode Island institutions and foster scholarship on global...
read Sep 11, 2025Water in a dust bowl: Tulsa teachers build underwater robots for Navy-aligned STEM program
The Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance hosted professional development training for 20 teachers to launch underwater robotics programs at their schools through the SeaPerch Challenge. The initiative aims to expand access to hands-on STEM education while preparing students for real-world careers in fields like naval operations and engineering. What you should know: The SeaPerch program teaches students to build and operate remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs), developing skills directly applicable to military and civilian careers. Teachers learn comprehensive technical skills including cutting pipe, soldering, and drilling to construct the underwater robots. The program is partnered with the Naval League, which helps...
read Sep 11, 2025New Jersey teachers adopt AI with $1.5M in state funding
New Jersey teachers are increasingly embracing artificial intelligence as a classroom tool, with some educators creating AI-powered teaching assistants and interactive learning experiences for their students. This shift comes as the state has invested $1.5 million in grants to fund AI education programs, signaling a broader acceptance of the technology despite ongoing concerns about academic integrity and student safety. What you should know: Teachers across New Jersey are using AI platforms to create customized learning experiences and streamline classroom management. Erin Cutillo, a technology teacher at Memorial Elementary School in Howell, uses SchoolAI to create chatbots that act as teaching...
read Sep 11, 2025To LEGO, and beyond! Over 1,200 students compete in California FIRST robotics challenge DECODE
Over 115 California high school engineering teams gathered at La Cañada High School for the FIRST Tech Challenge DECODE season kickoff on September 6, drawing more than 1,200 participants and family members. The event launched this year's robotics competition, where students design and build robots to compete in challenges that prepare them for STEM careers through hands-on engineering experience. What you should know: FIRST Tech Challenge is a global nonprofit program that engages students ages 4-18 in team-based robotics competitions designed to build future-ready skills. Teams work with mentors throughout the year to design, build, and program robots for competition....
read Sep 10, 2025Job alert: UNC system seeks first Chief AI Officer to lead 250K student network
The University of North Carolina System Office has announced it is hiring a Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO) to oversee AI strategy across its 17-campus network serving nearly 250,000 students. This appointment reflects a growing trend among U.S. universities to formalize AI leadership at the senior executive level as higher education institutions seek to harness artificial intelligence for operational efficiency and educational enhancement. What you should know: The CAIO will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer and coordinate AI initiatives across the entire UNC system. The role focuses on identifying, planning, and implementing system-wide AI initiatives to enhance administrative...
read Sep 10, 2025The Wire(s): Baltimore’s new AI lab tackles 27% internet gap in East Baltimore
Baltimore has launched an AI Computer Resource Lab at the Greenmount Recreation Center through a partnership with Intel and NWN, an AI-powered technology modernization company. The initiative targets underserved youth and seniors in East Baltimore, where over 27% of households lack internet access and 22% of adults don't have a high school diploma, positioning the lab as a critical resource for bridging digital equity gaps in an increasingly AI-driven economy. What you should know: The lab provides Intel-based AI PCs and hands-on learning experiences designed to build AI literacy among community members who traditionally lack access to advanced technology. Mayor...
read Sep 9, 2025AI Quests from Google aims to teach students real-world AI applications
Google has launched AI Quests, an interactive online game series designed to teach students aged 11-14 about real-world AI applications through fantasy-based gameplay. The initiative represents part of a broader tech industry push to familiarize younger generations with AI technology and build early user loyalty in what companies view as the foundational technology of the future. What you should know: AI Quests transforms Google's actual AI research projects into educational games where students learn by solving real-world challenges. The first quest, based on Google's Flood Forecasting research, tasks students with tracking variables like rainfall and river flow to train an...
read Sep 8, 2025Notre Dame wins university’s Presidential Award for AI governance framework
The University of Notre Dame's AI Enablement Team has been honored with the Presidential Team Irish Award for successfully establishing the university's artificial intelligence infrastructure and governance framework. The collaborative effort between the Office of Information Technology and Hesburgh Libraries has positioned Notre Dame as a leader in responsible AI adoption across higher education. What you should know: The team created comprehensive AI capabilities and ethical guidelines that now serve the entire Notre Dame community. They developed secure access to generative AI tools while establishing clear best practices for ethical use and data protection. The team built a foundational campus...
read Sep 8, 2025Stanford professor returns to handwritten exams…at students’ request
Stanford computer science professor Jure Leskovec made a surprising pivot two years ago, switching from open-book, take-home exams to handwritten, in-person tests in response to the rise of AI tools like GPT-3. The change came at the request of his students and teaching assistants, who wanted a way to genuinely assess knowledge without AI assistance, highlighting the complex challenges educators face as artificial intelligence reshapes academic evaluation. What happened: Leskovec, a machine learning researcher with nearly three decades of experience, found himself grappling with an "existential crisis" among students when GPT-3 launched publicly. Students questioned their role in a world...
read Sep 5, 2025New Orleans high school launches AI ethics program as 60% of teachers use AI
Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans has launched a comprehensive AI ethics and literacy program, with engineering teacher Rebecca Gaillot leading a team of educators to explore artificial intelligence applications in the classroom. Backed by NOAI, a local technology group, the initiative addresses the growing challenge of AI integration in education, where 60% of teachers used AI tools last school year and nearly half of students ages 9-17 have used ChatGPT recently. The big picture: Schools nationwide are struggling to develop AI policies, with less than a third having written guidelines according to federal data, leaving educators to navigate...
read Sep 5, 2025Everyday low-skill upskilling: OpenAI and Walmart partner to train 10M people in AI by 2030
OpenAI has partnered with Walmart to launch an expanded certification program through its OpenAI Academy, aiming to train 10 million people in AI skills by 2030. The initiative comes as studies show AI-savvy workers command higher pay and productivity, positioning both companies to address the growing demand for AI literacy in the workforce. What you should know: OpenAI's Academy has already connected over 2 million people with AI learning resources and will now offer formal certifications across different skill levels. The certifications will range "from the basics of using AI at work all the way up to AI-custom jobs and...
read Sep 4, 2025NSF launches national AI research operations center to scale pilot
The National Science Foundation has launched a solicitation for proposals to establish the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Operations Center (NAIRR-OC), a community-based initiative designed to create a comprehensive management framework for national AI research infrastructure. This represents a critical step in transitioning the successful NAIRR Pilot program into a sustainable, scalable national resource that could significantly accelerate AI research capabilities across the United States. What you should know: The NAIRR-OC will serve as the organizational backbone for America's national AI research infrastructure, building on the foundation established by the current pilot program.• The center will develop overarching frameworks, management...
read Sep 4, 2025African researchers release 9,000-hour speech dataset for AI in 18 languages
African researchers have released what's believed to be the largest known dataset of African languages for AI development, capturing 9,000 hours of speech across 18 languages from Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. This $2.2 million Gates Foundation-funded initiative addresses a critical gap in AI accessibility, as most current AI tools like ChatGPT are trained primarily on English and other European languages, leaving millions of Africans excluded from the AI revolution. Why this matters: With Africa home to over a quarter of the world's languages—more than 2,000 in total—the lack of African language representation in AI creates barriers to essential services...
read Sep 4, 2025Melania Trump urges treating AI development “like our own children”
Melania Trump hosted the White House Task Force on AI Education, urging members that "we must manage AI's growth responsibly" and treat artificial intelligence "as we would our own children." The event signals the administration's focus on establishing educational frameworks for AI development while emphasizing careful stewardship of the technology's advancement. What you should know: The First Lady's remarks emphasized a parental approach to AI governance, suggesting the need for nurturing yet careful oversight of artificial intelligence development. What they're saying: Melania Trump drew a direct parallel between AI management and child-rearing during her address to the task force.• "We...
read Sep 4, 2025AI skills boost salaries 28-43% across industries, including marketing, PR and science
Jobs requiring AI skills command salaries 28% to 43% higher than comparable positions without AI requirements, according to a new study from labor market research firm Lightcast. The premium extends beyond tech roles into marketing, research, and other industries, signaling that AI competency has become a valuable differentiator across the modern job market. What you should know: The salary boost varies based on the number of AI skills listed in job postings. Positions requiring just one AI skill offer average salaries 28% higher than those without AI requirements, translating to roughly $18,000 more per year. Jobs listing two or more...
read Sep 3, 2025MIT’s FlowER AI predicts chemical reactions while conserving physics
MIT researchers have developed FlowER (Flow matching for Electron Redistribution), a new generative AI system that predicts chemical reactions while maintaining fundamental physical constraints like conservation of mass and electrons. The breakthrough addresses a critical limitation in existing AI models that often violate basic scientific principles by creating or destroying atoms during reaction predictions, potentially revolutionizing drug discovery and materials science. The big picture: Previous AI attempts at reaction prediction have struggled because they ignore fundamental physics, leading to scientifically impossible outcomes where atoms appear or disappear during reactions. Large language models like ChatGPT use computational "tokens" to represent atoms,...
read Sep 3, 2025Future sport activity sees 4-legged robot ANYmal play badminton with humans
Scientists at ETH Zürich have successfully trained a four-legged robot called ANYmal to play badminton against human opponents, achieving rallies of up to 10 shots through advanced AI and reinforcement learning. The breakthrough demonstrates how quadruped robots can master complex sports requiring coordinated whole-body movement and real-time visual perception, potentially opening new applications for disaster relief and debris removal operations. What you should know: ANYmal combines sophisticated hardware with AI-powered learning to compete in dynamic sports scenarios. The robot weighs 110 pounds, stands 5 feet 3 inches tall with an attached arm, and operates 18 joints simultaneously across four legs...
read Sep 3, 2025OpenAI launches “OpenAI for Science” platform powered by GPT-5
OpenAI is launching "OpenAI for Science," an AI-powered platform designed to accelerate scientific discovery, according to Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil. The initiative will leverage GPT-5 and hire "AI-pilled" academics to build what the company calls "the next great scientific instrument," though the project timeline remains unclear. What you should know: The platform aims to automate key aspects of the scientific research process using OpenAI's latest model capabilities. GPT-5 will play a central role in the effort, with Weil citing its ability to suggest ideas for theoretical physics proofs as evidence of its scientific potential. OpenAI plans to hire a...
read Sep 3, 2025NSF launches national AI research center to scale America’s computing power
The U.S. National Science Foundation announced a new solicitation to establish the National AI Research Resource Operations Center (NAIRR-OC), marking a pivotal transition from the successful NAIRR pilot program to a sustainable national AI research infrastructure. This initiative directly supports the White House's AI Action Plan and aims to expand access to critical AI resources for researchers and educators across the country, addressing a significant gap in computational tools needed for AI innovation and training. What you should know: The NAIRR-OC represents a strategic investment in scaling America's AI research capabilities through a community-based operational framework. The solicitation invites proposals...
read Sep 3, 2025California launches statewide AI education workgroup for K-12 guidance for use by mid-2026
The California Department of Education has launched its first statewide Artificial Intelligence in Education Workgroup to develop guidance for safely integrating AI into K-12 public schools. This legislative initiative, stemming from Senate Bill 1288 passed in 2024, positions California among the first states to take a comprehensive, mandated approach to AI in education policy. What you should know: The workgroup is tasked with creating both guidance and model policies for AI use across California's school districts by mid-2026. At least half of the workgroup members are current classroom teachers, ensuring educator perspectives drive policy development. The group includes students, administrators,...
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