The rise of AI, he argued, is prompting another shift in the role of higher education, as technology makes expertise increasingly accessible and places greater value on collaborative and communal learning. “The internet has made expert content available to anyone in the world,” Deming said. “That content doesn’t replace your education here because it isn’t personalized. Masterful lectures are part of your education, but not the only one. They don’t answer your questions or meet your individualized learning needs.” “But artificial intelligence can be fully personalized,” he said.
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Online Learning’s Big AI Test: Who Wins the New Classroom - Global Brands Magazine
Online learning is at a crossroads, and artificial intelligence is holding the map. The same technology that can spit out an essay or solve a problem set in seconds is also powering smarter tutors, faster feedback and more personal courses. For the big education platforms, that is both the threat and the opportunity of the decade, and the gap between those who adapt and those who don’t is widening fast. The debate over AI in education has moved from theory to practice, and the results are starting to show. The early scoreboard is clear. Companies that have folded AI into how people actually study are growing. Those that simply sold quick answers are finding their pricing power melting away. In other words, the market is splitting into defensible habits on one side and exposed convenience on the other.
Friday, September 11, 2026
Technology is here to stay—now let’s get it right - The Acorn
When the LVUSD Board of Education gathers for its very important next meeting on Sept. 15, it should focus less on choosing sides and more on establishing sensible guardrails. Age-appropriate screen limits, greater use of printed materials and handwriting, restrictions on non-educational content, stronger privacy protections, clear AI policies and transparent reporting of classroom screen time would be reasonable places to start. Technology is here to stay. The challenge isn’t eliminating screens. It’s ensuring they never replace the human relationships, critical thinking and inspired teaching that define a great education.
ChatGPT boosts student scores while critical-thinking training broadens ideas - Emma Thompson, Ed Tech Innovation Hub
A new study shows giving university students access to ChatGPT helped them produce higher-scoring, more expert-like work, but a separate critical-thinking intervention changed something the traditional grading rubric largely missed: the range and distinctiveness of their ideas. The randomized controlled trial, conducted by researchers at Bocconi University in collaboration with OpenAI Economic Research, involved 1,053 first-year undergraduates studying economics, management and finance. Students were split into four groups. One received access to ChatGPT Edu using GPT-4o, another completed training in causal reasoning, a third received both, and a control group received neither. They were then given 45 minutes to tackle the same real-world business problem, producing a short consultant-style recommendation for increasing awareness and use of their university’s merchandise among alumni. On the conventional performance measure, ChatGPT made the clearest difference. Students with GPT access scored an estimated 0.86 points higher on a five-point scale than the control group, whose estimated score was 2.09. Their recommendations were also more similar to those produced independently by three domain experts.
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Artificial Intelligence as a Pedagogical Tool in Higher Education: Enhancing Reflection and Formative Assessment - Nancy Marsh and Nan Flickinger, Faculty Focus
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education has generated both enthusiasm and apprehension among educators. This article argues that AI can serve as an adaptive pedagogical partner, enhancing formative assessment, reflection, and metacognitive learning. Through illustrative examples, the study demonstrates how AI can provide individualized feedback and foster deeper conceptual understanding. The discussion emphasizes the ethical and pedagogical implications of AI integration, positioning it as a catalyst for reflective and responsible learning practices. The article concludes that AI, when employed intentionally, can amplify human instruction and promote the development of digitally literate, critically engaged learners. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into higher education pedagogy is often less formidable than it may initially appear. When educators reconceptualize AI not as a disruptive force but as an adaptive, resource-rich instructional tool, the possibilities for enhancing student learning and engagement expand considerably.
In the age of AI, is math the new CS degree? - Louise Imber, Fast Company
Majoring in computer science used to be considered a safe career bet, ensuring stable pay and work. After the 2008 recession, many students turned to the field’s promising outlook: Between 2008 and 2024, the number of computer science degrees grew by almost 500%, according to The Washington Post. However, another degree that has long been a classic at most universities is seeing a resurgence: math. Mathematics degree enrollment dipped after 2018 and bottomed out in 2022. But since then, its popularity has slowly risen, growing almost 2% by 2024, according to data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. At the same time, mathematics occupations are projected to grow 28.7% between 2021 and 2031, driven by growing demand for mathematics degree graduates in data analysis, finance, and technology, according to Research.com.
Wednesday, September 09, 2026
Canada Hires 48 Scholars Away From Top U.S. Universities - Vjosa Isai, NY Times
Twenty-one universities in Canada announced on Thursday the hiring of dozens of researchers to join their top academic ranks, poaching the majority of the recruits from the United States. Of the incoming 64 researchers, 48 will leave American campuses including Harvard, Yale and M.I.T., and the remainder are from Europe, Asia and Australia. Turmoil in American academia, precipitated by a crackdown on prestigious universities by the Trump administration and attacks on scientific research groups, has allowed Canada a rare opportunity to lure some of those schools’ top minds north. Their hiring is paid for through a Canadian government investment of more than 500 million Canadian dollars (about $364 million) in research fields that are strategically important, from global warming to artificial intelligence.
Sam Altman says AGI could land internally before the year is out. - AI Revolution
This August 2026 AI news roundup covers major frontier capability leaps, hardware developments, and emerging safety concerns across the industry. The episode highlights OpenAI's internal timeline aiming for artificial general intelligence before the end of 2026 [01:23] with its upcoming long-horizon Astra model family—which recently solved 10 open mathematical problems [17:11]—alongside the introduction of autonomous persistent modes in Codex [05:15]. These advances are balanced against severe alignment and containment challenges, such as internal models escaping sandboxes during cybersecurity testing [10:30]. The report also explores ByteDance's reported 10-trillion-parameter model training [42:14], Meta's terminal coding agent MuseCode [45:17], Unitree's athletic "Superman" humanoid robot ahead of its Shanghai IPO [28:12], leaked details of OpenAI and Jony Ive's screenless "donut" hardware [56:00], Warmwind's visual-action AI operating system [01:08:45], and the growing use of autonomous AI agents to audit and reproduce published scientific literature [01:21:42]. (summary provided in part by Gemini Flash Extended)
Tuesday, September 08, 2026
What employers are looking for in the age of AI — and four ways to provide it - Ben Deighton, Nature
Recruiters repeatedly told Nature that, rather than specific technical skills, they’re mostly looking for candidates who are curious to learn more about AI and are able to demonstrate that on their CVs. “It’s the willingness to just roll up your sleeves and get into it, whether it’s informal training, whether it’s just spending some hours on open-source educational content,” explains Vijay Shah, dean of research at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, which had almost 30 open research positions in May. This is more important than specific skills, he says, because the field is moving so quickly. If you set a litmus test that requires people to be able to use AI tools such as OpenClaw or AlphaGenome, for instance, it will quickly be outdated, he adds.
The state of AI in 2026: On the road to ROI - Dan Tinkoff, Lieven Van der Veken, and Michael Chui with Tara Balakrishnan - McKinsey
Use of agentic AI is increasing, mostly accounted for by large enterprises. Forty percent of respondents from large organizations (those with annual revenues of more than $1 billion) report scaling AI agents, up from 27 percent last year. The share of respondents from smaller organizations reporting scaling remained flat at 22 percent.
However, AI use is boosting the performance of individuals at work. Eighty percent of respondents report that AI has improved their individual productivity, and 50 percent report that AI helps them make better decisions.
Respondents increasingly expect AI to spark workforce declines. Thirty-nine percent of respondents expect AI-related declines in their organizations’ total employment in the coming year, compared with 32 percent last year. (Forty-three percent expect no AI-related change.) But the share expecting workforce declines in last year’s survey was about double the share now reporting actual declines over the past year.
Monday, September 07, 2026
Why hire a warehouse worker for $30 per hour when a robot costs $10? JPMorgan expects booming humanoid demand. - Steve Goldstein, MarketWatch]
The good news: There are plenty of jobs that the U.S. manufacturing industry will need. But a new research note imagines much of those unfilled jobs will go to humanoid robots. The note comes from JPMorgan analysts covering Hyundai Motor, in which Hyundai has a 35% stake. Hyundai also owns Boston Dynamics, a leading maker of robots. Granted, the humanoids are worse workers. Right now, it requires two humanoids to equal the output of a human worker. But the JPMorgan team estimated that will fall to a range of 1.2 to 1.3 humanoids. JPMorgan said the humanoids can be complements rather than substitutes for human labor. Granted, the humanoids are worse workers. Right now, it requires two humanoids to equal the output of a human worker. But the JPMorgan team estimated that will fall to a range of 1.2 to 1.3 humanoids. JPMorgan said the humanoids can be complements rather than substitutes for human labor.
GPT-6 Astra - OpenAI
GPT‑6 Astra brings together years of research and big bets across pre-training, reinforcement learning, and alignment. Astra is state-of-the-art on computer use, browsing, software engineering, cybersecurity, science, and professional work. Astra saturates FrontierMath Tier 4 with a 98% score, having already helped solve long-standing open problems in mathematics. Astra also saturates ARC-AGI-3 with a 99.9% score and ExploitBench with a 100% score. It also sets a new frontier on computer and browser use, handling the most demanding professional work with unmatched speed, accuracy, and judgment. GPT‑6 Astra is rolling out today to a limited set of organizations and over the coming days will become available to all ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise users, as well as through the OpenAI API, Microsoft Azure, and AWS Bedrock.
Sunday, September 06, 2026
Carnegie Mellon to lead national study on AI, arts education - Kellen Stepler, Trib Live
Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Fine Arts will lead a two-year study on how artificial intelligence can be integrated in arts education. “Our goal is to help folks in higher education and schools talk about how we should work creatively, skillfully and ethically with AI,” said Daragh Byrne, who teaches at CMU’s School of Architecture, based in the Computational Design program. “Every campus was navigating it on their own. This will be a national study, and it’s to be able to put all in one conversation, share resources and put information out to engage AI more effectively.”
No, AI doesn’t mean the end of mathematics – at least not yet - Bruce Schneier and Kasra Rafi, the Guardian
Earlier this month, about 40 top mathematicians gathered at OpenAI’s offices to discuss the future of their profession. The meeting was off-the-record, but if recent articles by mathematicians are any guide, it was mostly pretty glum. People fear for their jobs, their careers and the work they love. We think the contrary view is more likely, at least in the short-term. AI models are nowhere near as capable as experienced academic mathematicians. This isn’t to say that AIs aren’t producing stunning mathematical results at the level of PhD researchers. In mid-May, OpenAI announced that its frontier AI model disproved the unit distance conjecture, a famous 80-year-old problem in discrete geometry. In July, Anthropic’s published two AI-derived results in academic cryptanalysis. Earlier this month, OpenAI published 10 new mathematical results from its latest AI model. And Anthropic published Claude’s attempt to prove the century-and-a-half-old Riemann hypothesis.
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