The AI training push extends beyond tech companies into manufacturing and education. The Manufacturing Institute partnered with the Alabama Community College System to launch an AI Skills for Manufacturing Training Suite at Calhoun and 23 other community colleges. The program is free for current manufacturing workers, students, and anyone pursuing manufacturing careers. With $10 million in funding, the initiative aims to train 40,000 workers over two years. More than half of manufacturers now use AI, yet fewer than one in five train their employees, highlighting a significant skills gap.
Canadian provinces are also investing heavily in AI workforce development. Since early 2025, provincial governments have committed roughly $100 million to AI programs with training components. Alberta leads with $50 million over five years for the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, while Ontario allocated $30 million to Toronto's Vector Institute. Quebec, Manitoba, and Newfoundland fund small-business AI training through programs like Productivité-Compétences. Despite these efforts, only 37% of workers say they received sufficient AI training, according to the 2026 TD AI Insights Report.
High schoolers are getting AI education too. Kyndryl and Skillsoft expanded access to AI-focused learning for students in grades 9 through 12. The program provides content through the Skillsoft Percipio Platform to U.S. school districts with up to 25,000 student and educator users through May 29, 2027. The curriculum covers foundational AI concepts, prompt engineering, and everyday AI tool use.
Meanwhile, the political and regulatory environment around AI keeps shifting. President Trump signed an executive order requiring the executive branch to use the terms Super Intelligence and SI instead of Artificial Intelligence and AI. He unveiled the America.gov website at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC on September 29, 2026. Trump rejected concerns raised by CEOs of Anthropic and OpenAI about AI risks, calling them a hoax, and described himself as a Hoax Buster.
On the corporate side, Google faces legal challenges in Europe. Alphabet stock slipped as Google appealed European Commission orders regarding AI access. The appeal raises questions about whether rivals can turn access into products people actually use. At $337.825, shares sit 33.79% above the chart's GF Value of $252.50. The legal fight continues while Europe's rules may affect ties between Android, Gemini, and Search. CNBC's Jim Cramer said the AI industry is losing the battle over public perception, pointing to Meta's Muse AI agent as a positive example for small businesses while worrying that deteriorating sentiment could pressure the market during a midterm election year.
Companies are also grappling with how to present their AI efforts honestly. Experts recommend open communication and clear documentation to avoid AI washing accusations. Testing representations by coordinating product teams with spokespeople and reviewing drafts helps catch errors, while documenting the process creates a paper trail showing any misstatement was not made knowingly. In product news, CData Software introduced Connect AI Gateway, a platform that controls how AI agents use models, tools, and company data. In tests, Connect AI answered 98.5 percent of enterprise queries correctly.
Key Takeaways
- The Manufacturing Institute and Alabama Community College System launched free AI training at Calhoun and 23 other community colleges, backed by $10 million to train 40,000 workers over two years.
- Canadian provinces committed roughly $100 million to AI workforce training since early 2025, with Alberta contributing $50 million and Ontario $30 million.
- Only 37% of workers say they received sufficient AI training, per the 2026 TD AI Insights Report, and more than half of manufacturers use AI but fewer than one in five train their workers.
- President Trump signed an executive order requiring the executive branch to use the terms Super Intelligence and SI instead of Artificial Intelligence and AI.
- Trump rejected concerns from Anthropic and OpenAI CEOs about AI risks, calling them a hoax during the America.gov website unveiling on September 29, 2026.
- Google appealed European Commission orders on AI access, with Alphabet stock at $337.825, sitting 33.79% above the GF Value of $252.50.
- CNBC's Jim Cramer said the AI industry is losing public perception battles and highlighted Meta's Muse AI agent as a beneficial example for small businesses.
- Kyndryl and Skillsoft expanded AI education for high schoolers in grades 9 through 12, offering content through the Skillsoft Percipio Platform to districts with up to 25,000 users through May 29, 2027.
- Experts recommend clear documentation and open communication to help companies avoid AI washing accusations.
- CData Software launched Connect AI Gateway, which answered 98.5 percent of enterprise queries correctly in testing.
Alabama Community Colleges Launch New AI Training Partnership
The Manufacturing Institute and Alabama Community College System partnered to offer AI Skills for Manufacturing Training Suite at Calhoun and 23 other community colleges. The training is available online at no cost for current manufacturing workers, students, and anyone interested in manufacturing careers. The broader initiative aims to train 40,000 manufacturing workers over two years with $10 million in funding. Alabama has 12 FAME chapters, and Calhoun's Rocket City FAME chapter was the first nationally to complete FAME USA's Quality Assurance accreditation. The training teaches workers to use AI as a tool to make jobs safer and more productive.
Manufacturing Institute and Alabama Colleges Partner on AI Training
The Manufacturing Institute partnered with the Alabama Community College System to deploy AI skills training for the manufacturing workforce. The partnership focuses on developing AI training programs tailored to manufacturing industry needs. ACCS will provide infrastructure and resources to support the training programs. The initiative addresses the growing skills gap as manufacturers increasingly rely on AI and automation. According to the Manufacturing Institute, more than half of manufacturers use AI but fewer than one in five train their workers.
Canadian Provinces Spend on AI Workforce Training in 2026
Canadian provincial governments have announced roughly $100 million since early 2025 for AI programs with workforce training components. Alberta leads with $50 million over five years for the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, while Ontario committed $30 million to Toronto's Vector Institute. Quebec, Manitoba, and Newfoundland fund small-business AI training through programs like Productivité-Compétences. Only 37% of workers say they received sufficient AI training according to the 2026 TD AI Insights Report. Businesses investing in AI are 5.4 percentage points more likely to also invest in employee training.
Trump Signs Order Replacing AI with Super Intelligence in Government
President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring the executive branch to use the terms Super Intelligence and SI instead of Artificial Intelligence and AI. The order states the branch shall not acknowledge the usage of AI in any applicable setting. Trump said the name change reflects that the technology is extreme, superior, and supreme intelligence rather than artificial. The order follows the unveiling of a new AI-powered federal website called America.gov at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC.
Trump Announces AI Renaming to Super Intelligence in Government
President Trump announced he would sign an executive order to have the government refer to artificial intelligence as Super Intelligence or SI. He unveiled the America.gov website at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC on September 29, 2026. Trump said the word super is the best and simplest word for the technology. He has rejected concerns from CEOs of Anthropic and OpenAI about AI risks, calling them a hoax. Trump described himself as a Hoax Buster and previously posted that AI would not take over the world.
Study examines progressive skill loading for AI agents
Workday users often request features that can be added as named skills to LLM-based agents. As the skills library grows, operational costs increase too. A new report finds that progressive disclosure, or lazy-loading skills as needed, improves skill-retrieval quality but slightly increases latency.
Steps to avoid AI washing claims cost little
Companies face risk of AI washing accusations when they exaggerate their AI use. Open communication and clear documentation can help prevent false statements. Testing representations by coordinating product teams with spokespeople and reviewing drafts can catch errors. Documenting the process creates a paper trail that shows any misstatement was not made knowingly or recklessly.
Alphabet stock dips as Google appeals EU AI orders
Alphabet stock slipped as Google appealed European Commission orders regarding AI access. The appeal keeps open the question of whether rivals can turn access into products people actually use. At $337.825, the shares sit 33.79% above the chart's GF Value of $252.50. The legal fight continues while Europe's rules may affect ties between Android, Gemini and Search.
Cramer says AI narrative is shifting and stocks may suffer
CNBC's Jim Cramer said the AI industry is losing the battle over public perception. Concerns about jobs, electricity costs and safety are challenging the technology's economic promise. He pointed to Meta's Muse AI agent as a good example of AI benefits for small businesses. Cramer worries that deteriorating public sentiment could pressure the market during a midterm election year.
Kyndryl and Skillsoft expand AI education for high schoolers
Kyndryl and Skillsoft expanded AI education access for high school students in grades 9 through 12. Eligible students and educators will get AI-focused learning content through the Skillsoft Percipio Platform. The program is available to U.S. school districts with up to 25,000 student and educator users through May 29, 2027. The curriculum covers foundational AI concepts, prompt engineering and everyday AI tool use.
Five AI stocks to watch including Tempus AI and Hut 8
MarketBeat lists Tempus AI, Hut 8, SoundHound AI, SentinelOne, and Upstart as top artificial intelligence stocks. Tempus AI focuses on AI-powered cancer diagnosis and treatment. Hut 8 uses AI to improve cryptocurrency mining. SoundHound AI builds voice assistants, SentinelOne uses AI for cybersecurity, and Upstart uses AI for lending. These stocks offer exposure to the growing AI market.
AI data center demand boosts natural gas investment
Orbis Investments portfolio manager Alec Cutler says rising electricity demand from AI and data centers benefits natural gas. He says developed economies have underinvested in foundational infrastructure for years. Data centers can help solve pipeline bottlenecks in the Marcellus region of Pennsylvania. Generating electricity near gas fields for AI computing creates a new route to market. Cutler believes natural gas is an underappreciated enabler of AI.
CData launches Connect AI Gateway for enterprise agents
CData Software introduced Connect AI Gateway, a platform that controls how AI agents use models, tools, and company data. The gateway gives IT teams one place to register models and set access rules. It includes a context engine that improves answer accuracy and limits data exposure. In tests, Connect AI answered 98.5 percent of enterprise queries correctly. The product extends CData's existing Connect AI platform and managed Model Context Protocol offering.
Sources
- Alabama Community Colleges Launch New AI Training Partnership
- Manufacturing Institute, Alabama Community College System Partner To Deploy AI Skills Training
- Workforce training for AI: How much are provinces spending in 2026?
- Trump signs 'Super Intelligence' executive order to replace 'AI' in government use | MLex | Specialist news and analysis on legal risk and regulation
- Trump says order will give AI a new name in government documents
- Report: Progressive Disclosure of Agent Skills
- Steps for Avoiding AI-Washing Allegations Cost Little, Save Much
- Alphabet Stock Slips as Google Appeals EU AI-Access Orders
- Cramer warns the narrative around AI is turning — and stocks could pay the price
- Kyndryl and Skillsoft Expand AI Education Access to Help High School Students Build Future-Ready Skills
- Best Artificial Intelligence Stocks To Consider
- Surging AI electricity needs spell boon for natural gas
- CData's AI gateway governs agents’ access to enterprise data
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