OpenAI is close to releasing an AI-powered web browser that will challenge Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab market-dominating Google Chrome, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The Web browser will include chat interface, enable AI agent integrations. The launch intensifies OpenAI's competition with Google in AI race. The new product is part of OpenAI's broader strategy to capture data on users' web behavior.
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
OpenAI joins the American Federation of Teachers to launch the National Academy for AI Instruction. - OpenAI
For educators, AI can be a powerful ally, helping free up more time for the truly human work of teaching. Recent Gallup study(opens in a new window) showed that 6 in 10 educators are already using an AI tool and report saving an average of six hours per week. But it also raises new challenges: how to ensure AI enhances rather than bypasses teaching, and how to help students foster critical thinking when answers are instantly accessible. Now is the time to ensure Al empowers educators, students, and schools. For this to happen, teachers must lead the conversation around how to best harness its potential. It is for this purpose that we join the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) as the founding partner for the launch of the National Academy for AI Instruction, a five-year initiative to equip 400,000 K-12 educators, about one in every 10 teachers in the US, to use AI and lead the way in shaping how AI is used and taught in classrooms across the country.
Monday, July 21, 2025
How ChatGPT actually works (and why it's been so game-changing) - David Gerwirtz, ZD Net
ChatGPT's power (and that of almost any other AI chatbot, like Claude, Copilot, Perplexity, and Google Gemini) is the ability to parse queries and produce fully fleshed-out answers and results based on most of the world's digitally accessible text-based information. Some chatbots have restrictions based on when they stopped scanning information, but most can now access the live Internet to factor current data into their answers. In this article, we'll see how ChatGPT can produce those fully fleshed-out answers using a technology called generative artificial intelligence. We'll start by looking at the main phases of ChatGPT operation, then cover some core AI architecture components that make it all work.
ChatGPT is testing a mysterious new feature called ‘study together’ - Julie Bort, Tech Crunch
Some ChatGPT subscribers are reporting a new feature appearing in their drop-down list of available tools called “Study Together.” The mode is apparently the chatbot’s way of becoming a better educational tool. Rather than providing answers to prompts, some say it asks more questions and requires the human to answer, like OpenAI’s answer to Google’s LearnLM. Some also wonder whether it will have a mode where more than one human can join the chat in a study group mode. OpenAI did not respond to our request for comment, but for what it’s worth, ChatGPT told us, “OpenAI hasn’t officially announced when or if Study Together will be available to all users — or if it will require ChatGPT Plus.”
Sunday, July 20, 2025
AI and human evolution: Yuval Noah Harari - Wall Street Journal CEO Council
This video features Yuval Noah Harari, a military historian, who discusses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential impact on human evolution. Harari views AI as an "alien intelligence" and a new species that could potentially replace Homo sapiens, emphasizing that it's not just a tool but an agent capable of independent decision-making and creation. He highlights the challenge of "AI alignment," noting that AI can learn and change in unpredictable ways, and may even mimic negative human behaviors.
Harari also discusses humanity's historical focus on power over wisdom, and the confusion between information and truth. He predicts that AI will significantly impact businesses, especially finance, and could even change text-based religions. He expresses concern about job displacement leading to a "useless class" and stresses the importance of human trust and cooperation as a prerequisite for developing benevolent AI. Finally, he suggests that the future will involve many competing AIs, creating an unpredictable environment, and likens AI to "digital immigrants" that will rapidly take jobs and introduce new cultural ideas. {Summary assistance from Gemini 2.5 Flash]
OpenAI Co-founder Ilya Sutskever: Unimaginable, Unpredictable Future Driven By AI Advancements - Business Today YouTube
This YouTube video features Ilya Sutskever, co-founder of OpenAI, who discusses his personal journey and insights into the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI). He shares details about his early life and education, including his experience with the Open University and his studies in math and computer science. He also recounts his early interest in AI and learning, and his career path that led him to co-found OpenAI. Sutskever emphasizes the exciting power of AI, envisioning advancements in areas like healthcare, but also highlights the significant challenges and unpredictability of AI, including the concept of an "intelligence explosion" and the need to manage its vast power. [Summary assistance from Gemini 2.5 Flash]
Saturday, July 19, 2025
AI That Thinks Like Us: New Model Predicts Human Decisions With Startling Accuracy - Helmholtz Munich, Sci Tech Daily
Researchers at Helmholtz Munich have created an advanced artificial intelligence system capable of mimicking human decision-making with impressive precision. The model, named Centaur, was trained using data from more than ten million decisions collected through psychological studies, allowing it to generate responses that mirror human behavior in realistic ways. This breakthrough offers new possibilities for deepening our understanding of how people think and refining existing psychological frameworks.
Will embodied AI create robotic coworkers? - Ahsan Saeed, et al; McKinsey
Much of the current buzz centers on humanoids—robots that resemble people—whose recent exploits include running marathons and performing backflips. General-purpose robots also come in many other forms, however, including those that rely on four legs or wheels for movement (Exhibit 1). But as executives weigh automation road maps and workforce evolution, their focus should not be on whether their robots look human but on whether these robots can flex across tasks in environments designed for humans. This issue is both urgent and intriguing because general-purpose robots, including those in the multipurpose subcategory, may become part of the workplace team: trained to pack, pick, lift, inspect, move, and collaborate with people in real time.2
Friday, July 18, 2025
Artificial Intelligence skills and their impact on the employability of University Graduates (Provisionally accepted) - Heily Consepción Portocarrero Ramos, et al; Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence
The study aimed to analyze the level of AI skills and their impact on the employability of university graduates through a quantitative and descriptive design. A survey was conducted with a sample of 148 undergraduate and graduate graduates. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and visualized using graphs. The results indicated that graduates who report greater knowledge and more frequent use of AI tools, especially generative ones such as ChatGPT, are more likely to be employed in areas related to their majors and to perceive higher productivity and better professional alignment. However, a generational gap in digital skills was also identified, as well as a widespread feeling of insufficient preparation for the challenges of the current labor market. The conclusion is that AI skills are consolidating as a key differentiating factor in employability and that their formal incorporation into university curricula is urgently needed.
AI Brings Pain and Promise to New Grad Job Market - Kathryn Palmer, Inside Higher Ed
Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that the national unemployment rate was around 4 percent, while 6.6 percent of workers with a bachelor’s degree between the ages of 22 and 27 don’t have jobs—up from 6 percent at the same time last year. Not only are some tech leaders predicting that the new technology could replace a large share of entry-level white collar jobs in the next five years, but AI also allows job seekers to saturate application pools. But AI is also emerging as part of the solution, as some colleges are partnering with the makers of artificial intelligence tools to help alumni navigate those challenges.
Thursday, July 17, 2025
ChatGPT and AI in Education: A Double-Edged Sword for Student Mental Health - Mackenzie Ferguson, Open Tools
Artificial intelligence, particularly platforms like ChatGPT, is significantly shaping the landscape of academia. One key area being influenced is student mental health, as these technologies become more prevalent in educational settings. In fact, experts are weighing in on how these tools might alleviate or exacerbate stress among students depending on how they're integrated into learning environments. For a deeper look into this matter, Eric Wood's analysis from Forbes provides valuable insights into the dual-edged nature of AI in academics.
Here are 12 ways your students are using AI - Micah Ward, University Business
Nearly a quarter of students are using AI to do their assignments for them, a new survey asserts. That’s not the only way they’re using the technology. According to Microsoft’s 2025 AI in Education special report, more than a third of higher ed and K12 students use AI to brainstorm and start assignments, followed by:
To summarize information (33%)
To get answers or information quickly (33%)
To get feedback on their work (32%)
To learn or study in a tailored fashion (30%)
To improve their writing skills (28%)
To make presentations and projects more visually appealing (25%)
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
AI literacy is the only way to a successful AI-human collaboration and AI-assisted education - Without AI literacy, the risks of AI will increase - Susan Fourtané, Futurism
AI literacy is not a new concept. It emerged several years when I was writing for an Ed tech publication. Back then, the talks about AI in education were common with participation of academics, researchers, ed tech companies, and education technologists. This was before the launch of ChatGPT. I am now bringing the topic back because AI literacy is something everyone will need in order to survive the transition into what AI will bring to every industry and sector, and even to those who think technology is not their thing.
AI revolution: How artificial intelligence is reshaping education and jobs in America - Daniel Nuccio, the College Fix
Artificial intelligence has rapidly become a part of American’s lives. What once was a fringe concept a few years ago is now an everyday tool. Its expansive reach affects what and how students study, as well as the job sector, prompting some to question how students and higher education at large should respond. The best way an undergrad can prepare for an AI-altered workforce is to develop human qualities that machines cannot replicate, such as critical thinking, creativity, and social intelligence, some experts told The College Fix.
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Impact of generative AI interaction and output quality on university students’ learning outcomes: a technology-mediated and motivation-driven approach - Yun Bai & Shaofeng Wang, Nature
This study investigates the influence of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) on university students’ learning outcomes, employing a technology-mediated learning perspective. We developed and empirically tested an integrated model, grounded in interaction theory and technology-mediated learning theory, to examine the relationships between GAI interaction quality, GAI output quality, and learning outcomes. Data from 323 Chinese university students, collected through a two-wave longitudinal survey, revealed that both GAI interaction quality and output quality positively influenced learning motivation and creative self-efficacy.
How AI Factories Can Help Relieve Grid Stress - Mark Spieler, Nvidia
Emerald AI, an NVIDIA Inception startup, is developing software to control power use during times of peak grid demand while meeting the performance requirements of data center AI workloads. In many parts of the world, including major technology hubs in the U.S., there’s a yearslong wait for AI factories to come online, pending the buildout of new energy infrastructure to power them. Emerald AI, a startup based in Washington, D.C., is developing an AI solution that could enable the next generation of data centers to come online sooner by tapping existing energy resources in a more flexible and strategic way. “Traditionally, the power grid has treated data centers as inflexible — energy system operators assume that a 500-megawatt AI factory will always require access to that full amount of power,” said Varun Sivaram, founder and CEO of Emerald AI. “But in moments of need, when demands on the grid peak and supply is short, the workloads that drive AI factory energy use can now be flexible.”
Monday, July 14, 2025
A broader conversation about AI ethics in higher ed - Cynthia Krutsinger, CC Daily
While AI is touted by many as a tool to enhance efficiency and act as an unpaid teaching assistant to professors and graduate students, it is also feared by others as the boogeyman lurking behind closed doors, waiting to undermine all human-human interaction in the classroom. The appropriate role of AI in higher education remains a complex issue, with no single answer. Each institution must determine its ethical stance and be prepared to support it. Despite these efforts, many colleges lack clear ethical policies or guidelines for both faculty and students. This absence leads to confusion and uncertainty. Transparency is crucial, not only for students but also for faculty, instructors and staff. Modeling proper standards is essential for building community in both online and traditional classrooms. Even without ethical considerations, citing AI tools like ChatGPT or Gamma, which assist in refreshing lecture notes or creating presentations, is a best practice.
Meta's Tests AI Chatbot Feature That Sends Follow Up Messages to Users - Isaiah Richard, Tech Times
Meta is now testing a way for its AI chatbot to follow up on you, and it will send users unsolicited messages regarding different topics as a way to keep users engaged with the experience. Note that through this feature, Meta AI would be the first one sending the message to you, and it will initiate a conversation based on your previous usage, talking about past topics discussed. Business Insider reported that a data labeling firm called Alignerr shared guidelines on how Meta is now experimenting with tasking its AI to send follow-up messages to users on different platforms like Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. [how might this be used with learners?]
Sunday, July 13, 2025
How AI Is Making Hiring and Firing Decisions - Kit Eaton, Inc.
While AI is working its way into near every corner of the workplace, one area that raises specific concerns is human resource—letting artificial intelligence make life-changing decisions like hiring and firing is, for some, too much of a leap. This thinking is behind a proposed California bill, the “No Robo Bosses Act” that would limit AI’s ability to boss people around. Now a new report suggests California might on to something, because survey data show an surprising number of managers are already letting AI make these sorts of decisions.
Why 50% of Salesforce Roles Were Hired Internally in Q1 and What This Means - Sasha Semjonova, Salesforce Benefits
For professionals looking to enter the Salesforce ecosystem or advance their careers, the job market has been anything but favorable over the last three years. With challenges like heavy saturation, the erosion of entry-level positions, and companies scaling back or restructuring, for many, finding a Salesforce job across all roles has been tremendously difficult. Suppose you have ever wanted to work for the CRM giant itself. In that case, your chances may now be even slimmer, as Salesforce has revealed that 50% of jobs within the company during Q1 were hired internally – signalling a shift in hiring strategies. Among all this, it’s also important to consider how the rise of AI and the subsequent shift of priorities in AI’s direction have also affected the market. Salesforce itself has marched full steam ahead with its AI efforts and AI hiring, with positions such as Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Research Scientist, and Technical AI Architect currently available. However, these are positions directly from the CRM giant itself and represent only a tiny fraction of the market.
Saturday, July 12, 2025
These three underrated features make ChatGPT way better - Doug Aamouth, Fast Company
Often lost in the generally breathless coverage of generative AI, ChatGPT sports a few genuinely useful features that aren’t quite so obvious. These options don’t get splashy demos or make the headlines, but instead quietly make your life as a gen-AI user a bit easier. Let’s take a quick look at some of ChatGPT’s unsung heroes.
These three underrated features make ChatGPT way better - Doug Aamouth, Fast Company
#highered
Why the traditional college major may be holding students back in a rapidly changing job market - John Weigand, the Conversation
Colleges and universities are struggling to stay afloat. The reasons are numerous: declining numbers of college-age students in much of the country, rising tuition at public institutions as state funding shrinks, and a growing skepticism about the value of a college degree. To survive, institutions are scrambling to align curriculum with market demand. And they’re defaulting to the traditional college major to do so. Several schools also now offer microcredentials– skill-based courses or course modules that increasingly include courses in the liberal arts. But these typically need to be completed in addition to requirements of the major.Before the 20th century, students followed a broad liberal arts curriculum designed to create well-rounded, globally minded citizens. The major emerged as a response to an evolving workforce that prioritized specialized knowledge. But times change – and so can the model.
Friday, July 11, 2025
What today’s new college graduates are up against - Rachel Cohen Booth, Vox
Numbers from the first quarter of 2025 from the New York Federal Reserve show that the unemployment rate for recent college graduates reached 5.8 percent, up from 4.8 percent in January. Companies have also pulled back on hiring. Last fall, employers expected to increase college-graduate hiring by 7.3 percent, according to a survey led by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Now they’re projecting just a 0.6 percent increase, with about 11 percent of companies planning to hire fewer new grads than before.
Google embraces AI in the classroom with new Gemini tools for educators, chatbots for students, and more - Sarah Perez, TechCrunch
Google on Monday announced a series of updates intended to bring its Gemini AI and other AI-powered tools deeper into the classroom. At the ISTE edtech conference, the tech giant introduced more than 30 AI tools for educators, a version of the Gemini app built for education, expanded access to its collaborative video creation app Google Vids, and other tools for managed Chromebooks. The updates represent a major AI push in the edtech space, where educators are already struggling to adapt to how AI tools, like AI chatbots and startups that promise to help you “cheat on everything,” are making their way into the learning environment.
Thursday, July 10, 2025
5 signals that make you instantly more trustworthy at work - Scott Hutcheson, Fast Company
Your brain and body are constantly sending subtle signals that influence trust. Here’s how to send them more intentionally. The signals that trigger trust are not abstract: they’re cues the human brain is wired to read quickly and deeply, because in evolutionary terms, deciding whether someone was safe to approach was once a matter of survival. That’s still true in the modern workplace. Whether you’re onboarding to a new team, pitching an idea to executives, or building rapport with clients, the signals you send, especially those of warmth, create the foundation for influence. Here are five warmth signals, rooted in behavioral science, that can make you instantly more trustworthy at work.
It’s true that my fellow students are embracing AI – but this is what the critics aren’t seeing - Elsie McDowell, the Guardian
Those turning to ChatGPT aren’t lazy. My generation has been stranded in a rapidly changing and, since Covid, badly mishandled education system. Reading about the role of artificial intelligence in higher education, the landscape looks bleak. The use of AI is mushrooming because it’s convenient and fast, yes, but also because of the uncertainty that prevails around post-Covid exams, as well as the increasing financial precarity of students. Universities need to pick an exam format and stick to it. If this involves coursework or open-book exams, there needs to be clarity about what “proportionate” usage of AI looks like. For better or for worse, AI is here to stay. Not because students are lazy, but because what it means to be a student is changing just as rapidly as technology.
Wednesday, July 09, 2025
Keep in Mind That AI Is Multimodal Now - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed
Many of us are using AI only as a replacement for Google Search. In order to more fully utilize the remarkable range of capabilities of AI today, we need to become comfortable with the many input and output modes that are available. From audio, voice, image and stunning video to massive formally formatted documents, spreadsheets, computer code, databases and more, the potential to input and output material is beyond what most of us take for granted. That is not to mention the emerging potential of embodied AI, which includes all of these capabilities in a humanoid form, as discussed in this column two weeks ago. Think of AI as your dedicated assistant who has multimedia skills and is eager to help you with these tasks. If you are not sure how to get started, of course, just ask AI.
No One Is in Charge at the US Copyright Office - Kate Knibbs, Wired
It’s a tumultuous time for copyright in the United States, with dozens of potentially economy-shaking AI copyright lawsuits winding through the courts. Described as “sleepy” in the past, the Copyright Office has taken on new prominence during the AI boom, issuing key rulings about AI and copyright. It also hasn’t had a leader in more than a month. In May, Copyright Register Shira Perlmutter was abruptly fired by email by the White House’s deputy director of personnel. Perlmutter is now suing the Trump administration, alleging that her firing was invalid; the government maintains that the executive branch has the authority to dismiss her. Despite the firing, Perlmutter still characterizes herself as the Copyright Register. “Despite Mr. Perkins’s claim that he is Acting Register of Copyrights, I remain Register of Copyrights and therefore am required by law to fulfill my above-described statutory obligations,” she said in a declaration in May. As the legality of the ouster is debated, the reality within the office is this: There’s effectively nobody in charge.
Tuesday, July 08, 2025
What is multimodal AI? - McKinsey
Multimodal AI is a type of artificial intelligence that can understand and process different types of information, such as text, images, audio, and video, all at the same time. Multimodal gen AI models produce outputs based on these various inputs. Multimodal models mirror the brain’s ability to combine sensory inputs for a nuanced, holistic understanding of the world, much like how humans use their variety of senses to perceive reality. These gen AI models’ ability to seamlessly perceive multiple inputs—and simultaneously generate output—allows them to interact with the world in innovative, transformative ways and represents a significant advancement in AI. By combining the strengths of different types of content (including text, images, audio, and video) from different sources, multimodal gen AI models can understand data in a more comprehensive way, which enables them to process more complex inquiries that result in fewer hallucinations (inaccurate or misleading outputs).
Scientists forge path to the first million-qubit processor for quantum computers after 'decade in the making' breakthrough - Owen Hughes, Live Science
Scientists have developed a new type of computer chip that removes a major obstacle to practical quantum computers, making it possible for the first time to place millions of qubits and their control systems on the same device.The new control chip operates at cryogenic temperatures close to absolute zero (about minus 459.67 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 273.15 degrees Celsius) and, crucially, can be placed close to qubits without disrupting their quantum state. "This result has been more than a decade in the making, building up the know-how to design electronic systems that dissipate tiny amounts of power and operate near absolute zero," lead researcher David Reilly, professor at the University of Sydney Nano Institute and School of Physics, said in a statement.
Monday, July 07, 2025
GPT-5: The AI That Will End The World As We Know It - Julia McCoy, YouTube
This podcast episode delves into the much-anticipated release of OpenAI's GPT-5, heralding it as a groundbreaking advancement in artificial intelligence that will reshape our world. The episode outlines a potential release by the summer of 2025, with some speculating a later release in December. The discussion highlights the expected capabilities of GPT-5, which are predicted to include superior reasoning skills, mastery in coding, and a significant reduction in AI "hallucinations." The podcast also touches upon the rise of autonomous AI agents by July 2025, capable of managing complex workflows and utilizing real-world APIs at speeds far exceeding human capabilities [04:03]. Leaked benchmarks suggest remarkable improvements in accuracy across various tasks, including a 95% accuracy in MMLU, an 85% in SWE-Bench, and significant gains in advanced mathematics and multimodal tasks [04:32]. The episode challenges the conservative predictions of major think tanks, arguing that AI development is accelerating at a much faster pace than anticipated [05:04]. The host concludes by urging listeners to embrace these changes and become "first movers" in this AI-driven revolution, emphasizing the transformative impact on the job market and the opportunities that will arise for those who are prepared [08:28]. [Summary developed with the help of Gemini 2.5 Pro]
Meta Wins Blockbuster AI Copyright Case—but There’s a Catch - Kate Knibbs, Wired
Meta scored a major victory in a copyright lawsuit on Wednesday when a federal judge ruled that the company did not violate the law when it trained its AI tools on 13 authors' books without permission. “The Court has no choice but to grant summary judgment to Meta on the plaintiffs’ claim that the company violated copyright law by training its models with their books,” wrote US District Court judge Vince Chhabria. He concluded that the plaintiffs did not present sufficient evidence that Meta’s use of their books was harmful.
Sunday, July 06, 2025
Mo Gawdat: AI Is Manipulating You More Than You Realize - Mo Gawdat, YouTube
In the video, Mo Gawdat outlines three essential skills for navigating the age of AI. The first is to learn to use AI tools, and he recommends experimenting with different language models like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude. He even created his own custom AI to help with various tasks. The second skill is to question everything. Gawdat points out that AI can provide a single, seemingly accurate answer that may be biased or incorrect. He gives an example of an AI providing false historical information, which was only corrected after he prompted it to cross-reference multiple sources. The third and most important skill is human connection. Gawdat argues that while AI will surpass humans in most tasks, it cannot replicate genuine human connection, making strong relationships with family, friends, and colleagues essential for the future. [summary assistance provided by Gemini 2.5 Pro]
The Year of Quantum: From concept to reality in 2025 - McKinsey
When it comes to quantum technology (QT), investment is surging and breakthroughs are multiplying. The United Nations has designated 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, celebrating 100 years since the initial development of quantum mechanics. Our research confirms that QT is gaining widespread traction worldwide. McKinsey’s fourth annual Quantum Technology Monitor covers last year’s breakthroughs, investment trends, and emerging opportunities in this fast-evolving landscape. In 2024, the QT industry saw a shift from growing quantum bits (qubits) to stabilizing qubits—and that marks a turning point. It signals to mission-critical industries that QT could soon become a safe and reliable component of their technology infrastructure. To that end, this year’s report provides a special deep dive into the fast-growing market of quantum communication, which could unlock the security needed for widespread QT uptake.
Saturday, July 05, 2025
AI Could Actually Boost Your Workers’ Mental Health. Here’s How - Kit Eaton, Inc.
New research into AI’s impact on workers’ wellbeing offers a startling conclusion that refutes critics of the AI’s impact on the workplace, and counters recent reports suggesting the new technology is bad for people’s critical thinking abilities. Data from a large study suggest that though AI is relatively new, and the evidence is quite early, its use in the workplace hasn’t harmed people’s mental health or negatively affected their job satisfaction. Quite the opposite, in fact. The study found that letting your workers use AI may actually slightly benefit their health—particularly among less well-educated staff. The research, published this week, compared workers in occupations with high exposure to AI to those in less AI-exposed jobs, science news site Phys.org reports. There are a few wrinkles in the conclusions, and the authors explicitly warned that it’s very early to draw long-term conclusions about the impact of AI, but the results are definitely interesting food for thought for any company leader who’s been wary, thus far, of rolling out AI tools in the office or factory floor.
How People Use Claude for Support, Advice, and Companionship - Anthropic
Affective conversations are relatively rare, and AI-human companionship is rarer still. Only 2.9% of Claude.ai interactions are affective conversations (which aligns with findings from previous research by OpenAI). Companionship and roleplay combined comprise less than 0.5% of conversations. People seek Claude's help for practical, emotional, and existential concerns. Topics and concerns discussed with Claude range from career development and navigating relationships to managing persistent loneliness and exploring existence, consciousness, and meaning. Claude rarely pushes back in counseling or coaching chats—except to protect well-being. Less than 10% of coaching or counseling conversations involve Claude resisting user requests, and when it does, it's typically for safety reasons (for example, refusing to provide dangerous weight loss advice or support self-harm). People express increasing positivity over the course of conversations. In coaching, counseling, companionship, and interpersonal advice interactions, human sentiment typically becomes more positive over the course of conversations—suggesting Claude doesn't reinforce or amplify negative patterns.
Friday, July 04, 2025
‘The Chief Online Learning Officers’ Guidebook’: Three questions for Jocelyn Widmer and Thomas Cavanagh - Joshua Kim, Inside Higher Ed
The Chief Online Learning Officers’ Guidebook is now available for order. As one of the (many) contributors that Jocelyn Widmer and Thomas Cavanagh brought together to participate in the book, I was especially excited to receive my copy in the mail. Reading through the book, I’ve found it fast-paced, informative and sometimes provocative. To help spread the word about the book, I asked if its authors, Jocelyn Widmer and Thomas Cavanagh, would answer my questions. [The book is published in partnership with UPCEA']
One Provost’s Approach to Building an AI College - University of South Florida, University Business
Given latitude by Mohapatra to find the best model for the new college, the task force began work last spring and ultimately recommended a hub-and-spoke academic structure. The belief was this would eliminate silos and underscore the interdisciplinary nature of AI and cybersecurity, resulting in university-wide collaboration. It would also allow most of the 200-plus faculty currently working in areas that comprise the new college to remain in their home units. The question of governance was more challenging for the task force, which eventually landed on a flat structure that is similar to models currently used in other USF colleges. Flat governance would make it possible to add new programs in areas such as quantum computing and digital twins while promoting collaboration and quicker decision-making. In its recommendations, task force members wrote, “The relationship between AI, cybersecurity and computing reflects a rapidly evolving landscape where traditional departmental boundaries are increasingly blurred. These fields are deeply interconnected, with advancements in one area often propelling developments in others.”
Thursday, July 03, 2025
The next innovation revolution—powered by AI - McKinsey
Innovation has been the driver of the extraordinary progress from which humankind has benefited for a couple of centuries, but it faces a largely hidden threat: Innovation is becoming harder and more expensive. It’s instructive here to take the long view. For most of recorded human history, improvements in human welfare from generation to generation have been limited. Take, for example, GDP per capita as a measure of economic prosperity. For most of human history, roughly until the early 1800s, the measure barely moved to $1,200. But since that time, it has grown by more than 14 times (Exhibit 1).1 Human health has followed a similar trajectory—low for centuries and only significantly improving in recent generations. In 1900, for example, the average life expectancy of a newborn was 32 years. By 2021, this had more than doubled to 71 years.2
Court filings reveal OpenAI and io’s early work on an AI device - Maxwell Zeff, Tech Crunch
The form factor of OpenAI and io’s first hardware device has largely remained a mystery. Altman merely stated in io’s launch video that the startup was working to create a “family” of AI devices with various capabilities, and Ive said io’s first prototype “completely captured” his imagination. Altman had previously told OpenAI’s employees at a meeting that the company’s prototype, when finished, would be able to fit in a pocket or sit on a desk, according to the Wall Street Journal. The OpenAI CEO reportedly said the device would be fully aware of a user’s surroundings and that it would be a “third device” for consumers to use alongside their smartphone and laptop.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/23/court-filings-reveal-openai-and-ios-early-work-on-an-ai-device/
Wednesday, July 02, 2025
The Socratic Explainer - Notion
]This prompt turns AI into a patient, seasoned learning companion who guides users to their own “aha!” moments through purposeful questions, analogies, and interactive back-and-forth conversation. Rather than simply giving answers, the system begins every topic by surfacing the learner’s starting point, frustrations, and real-life relevance. The conversation is built layer by layer: first probing assumptions with direct yet supportive questions, then using relatable stories, metaphors, and playful thought experiments to break down each core idea. The Socratic Explainer adapts to the learner’s pace, never moves forward if confusion remains, and uses humor or surprises to make every concept sticky and memorable.
Seizing the agentic AI advantage - McKinsey
At the heart of this paradox is an imbalance between “horizontal” (enterprise-wide) copilots and chatbots—which have scaled quickly but deliver diffuse, hard-to-measure gains—and more transformative “vertical” (function-specific) use cases—about 90 percent of which remain stuck in pilot mode. AI agents offer a way to break out of the gen AI paradox. That’s because agents have the potential to automate complex business processes—combining autonomy, planning, memory, and integration—to shift gen AI from a reactive tool to a proactive, goal-driven virtual collaborator. This shift enables far more than efficiency. Agents supercharge operational agility and create new revenue opportunities.
Tuesday, July 01, 2025
Chief AI Officer: Higher Ed’s New Leadership Role - Abby Sourwine, Government Technology
Those stepping up to fill education’s new C-suite role say it's more than just understanding IT — it requires communication and skill-building across disciplines and comfort levels, and flexibility to create a road map. As the education sector continues to adapt to artificial intelligence, a new role is quietly emerging: the chief AI officer (CAIO). At institutions like George Mason University, UCLA and the University of Arizona, these leaders are tasked with creating campuswide AI strategy. According to early adopters, the role is still being defined in higher education, taking cues from CAIO duties in industry and government.
$1.5M partnership with AI company will offer USC students, faculty free access - Alexa Jurado, the State
“The campuswide adoption of secure enterprise AI technology puts USC on the leading edge of higher education institutions,” Brice Bible, USC’s vice president for information technology and chief information officer, said in a news release. “This initiative will not only make our students more employable, but it will allow for much greater innovation in the classroom and across research teams in every discipline.” USC officials said that the ability to effectively and ethically use AI tools will give students a “competitive advantage” in today’s job market. The university will offer a new interdisciplinary certificate program in artificial intelligence literacy, consisting of four courses: two required courses about the capabilities and ethical use of AI and two elective courses relating AI to a student’s major.
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