Ithaca College is responding to backlash over its new AI major. A town hall on September 29 drew only about 25 people, despite a petition titled "Remove Ithaca College's AI Major." Faculty say the department is adding required philosophy courses to ensure students engage with ethical and humanities-based questions surrounding artificial intelligence.
Meanwhile, the San Francisco Bay Area is wrestling with AI anxiety on the ground. Protesters demanded OpenAI keep its technology away from the military, while senior citizens shared their unease at Oakland Tech Week. Governor Gavin Newsom signed bills aimed at making AI safer for children and workers. Meta and Coinbase continue to lay off employees as AI reshapes the workplace.
In academia, Stony Brook University professor Tuhin Chakrabarty analyzed over 14,000 books and found that titles with more than 25% AI-generated content are capturing growing shares of sales. His research raises concerns that human authors could be squeezed out as AI-generated books scale rapidly.
Biology may be the next frontier for AI, but data remains a bottleneck. Current cell datasets cover hundreds of millions of cells, yet accurate models will need billions or trillions. Biohub is building this dataset from scratch, and Danaher and Anthropic are investing in biology-focused AI research. The biopharma industry already spends roughly $140 billion annually on human clinical testing.
Meta says agentic AI is enabling single-person companies to reach billion-dollar valuations. More than one million businesses now use AI agents on WhatsApp and Messenger. A Meta vice president argues the technology gives startups access to strategic intelligence once reserved for large enterprises, and that adopting AI requires a mindset change rather than just new tools.
Mark Zuckerberg hosted a White House AI meeting where top tech CEOs signed a safety risk document he drafted. Zuckerberg called the gathering historic, though critics say the document was too vague and worry about big tech's growing influence on AI policy. Despite the pushback, Zuckerberg remains a central figure in shaping US AI rules.
On the cybersecurity front, AI is making enterprise-level protection affordable for small businesses. ESET redesigned its PROTECT portfolio to offer AI-powered services starting at just 10 seats, combining machine speed with human judgment to reduce alert fatigue and simplify operations for small IT teams.
The University of Alabama is teaming up with 14 other southern universities in a new AI computing consortium. The public-private partnership will share computing resources, pursue federal and industry funding, and operate leadership-class AI systems in the Southeast to advance scientific research.
Lawmakers are sending a clear signal: halting AI development is off the table. The chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee stated that stopping AI advancement is not an option, even after reports warning of catastrophic risks. The discussion centered on balancing progress with safety oversight.
The Office of Personnel Management launched an AI chatbot on its federal workforce data website, letting users ask questions about government hires, separations, and demographics. The tool aims to help the public understand civil service trends. Separately, a university professor criticized Google Gemini representatives for visiting campuses to promote their products, arguing that chatbots rely on stolen data, erode social skills, and can spread harmful biases.
Key Takeaways
- Ithaca College is adding required philosophy courses to its new AI major after a town hall drew only 25 attendees despite a petition opposing the program.
- San Francisco Bay Area residents are protesting OpenAI's military AI ties, while Governor Newsom signed bills to protect children and workers from AI harms.
- Stony Brook University research found that books with over 25% AI-generated content are winning growing shares of sales, raising concerns about human authors being displaced.
- Biohub, Danaher, and Anthropic are investing in biology-focused AI, but accurate models need billions to trillions of cell data points that currently do not exist.
- Meta reports over one million businesses use AI agents on WhatsApp and Messenger, enabling single-person companies to reach billion-dollar valuations.
- Mark Zuckerberg hosted a White House AI meeting where CEOs signed his safety risk document, despite criticism that it was too vague.
- ESET is offering AI-powered cybersecurity services starting at 10 seats, making enterprise-level protection affordable for small businesses.
- The University of Alabama is leading a 15-school southern AI computing consortium to share resources and attract federal and industry funding.
- The House Energy and Commerce Committee chair says stopping AI development is not an option, even amid warnings of catastrophic risks.
- The OPM launched an AI chatbot for federal workforce data questions, while a professor warns that Google Gemini campus visits promote tools that erode social skills and spread bias.
Ithaca College addresses frustration over new AI major
Ithaca College's Department of Computer Science held a town hall on Sept. 29 to address concerns about its new AI major. A petition titled "Remove Ithaca College's AI Major" gathered signatures, but only about 25 people attended the event. Professor Ali Erkan said the college is working on adding required philosophy courses. Faculty members emphasized the need for ethical debate and humanities focus within the AI curriculum.
San Francisco Bay residents confront AI concerns
San Francisco Bay Area residents are grappling with AI technology despite living in the heart of the AI boom. Protesters demanded OpenAI keep AI away from the military, while senior citizens discussed AI anxiety at Oakland Tech Week. Governor Gavin Newsom signed bills to make AI safer for children and workers. Tech giants like Meta and Coinbase continue to lay off employees due to AI reshaping the workplace.
Researcher studies what humans lose as AI learns to write
Tuhin Chakrabarty, an assistant professor at Stony Brook University, studies how generative AI affects human authors. His research analyzed over 14,000 books and found that books with more than 25% AI-generated content are winning growing shares of sales. Chakrabarty studies AI, natural language processing and copyright policy. He worries human authors could be pushed out by the scale of AI-generated books.
AI needs vast data to cure diseases
AI companies and researchers believe biology could be the next major breakthrough in AI, but a lack of data remains a key obstacle. Current cell datasets cover hundreds of millions of cells, but accurate models will need billions or trillions. Biohub is working to build this dataset from scratch. Danaher and Anthropic are also investing in biology-focused AI research. The biopharma industry spends about $140 billion yearly on human clinical testing.
Meta says AI enables single-person billion-dollar companies
A Meta vice president says agentic AI is transforming how businesses operate and enabling single-person companies to reach billion-dollar valuations. More than one million businesses already use AI agents on WhatsApp and Messenger. The technology allows startups to access strategic intelligence and personalization once available only to large enterprises. The VP emphasized that AI requires a mindset change, not just new tools.
Mark Zuckerberg shapes AI policy at White House meeting
Mark Zuckerberg led a White House AI meeting where top tech CEOs signed a document he created about managing AI safety risks. Zuckerberg called the meeting historic and sees it as a major step in his role as an AI policy leader. The meeting was controversial because critics said the document was too vague. Some people also worry about big tech companies having too much influence on AI policy. Despite criticism, Zuckerberg remains a key figure in shaping AI rules in the US.
AI makes cybersecurity protection affordable for small businesses
AI is changing managed detection and response services by automating routine security tasks. This makes enterprise level cybersecurity monitoring affordable for small and medium sized businesses. ESET redesigned its PROTECT portfolio to offer AI powered services starting at just 10 seats. The new approach combines machine speed with human expert judgment to reduce alert fatigue. Guided onboarding and integrated tools also reduce complexity for small IT teams.
University of Alabama joins AI computing consortium with southern schools
The University of Alabama is a founding partner in a new AI computing consortium with 14 other southern universities. The group will share AI computing resources through a public private partnership. The consortium aims to attract federal, state and industry funding. It also plans to develop and operate leadership class AI computing systems in the Southeast. The goal is to advance scientific research and create a more innovation focused future for the region.
Lawmakers say halting AI development is not an option
Key lawmakers discussed AI and data center policy at a recent Tech Summit. The chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee said stopping AI development is not an option. This comes after reports that the technology could be catastrophic. The discussion focused on how to balance AI advancement with safety concerns. The summit highlighted growing attention from government leaders on AI regulation.
OPM launches AI chatbot for workforce data questions
The Office of Personnel Management launched a new AI chatbot on its federal workforce data website. Users can ask questions and receive AI generated answers about government hires and separations. The chatbot also provides workforce demographics including age, veteran status and education level. The tool is designed to help people understand civil service employment trends. This new feature was added to OPM's existing public data website.
Professor warns against Big Tech campus visits
An English professor at a university is concerned about the mental health effects of generative AI chatbots. Google Gemini representatives visited the campus on October 13th and 14th to promote their products to students. The professor argues that these tools are not truly intelligent and rely on stolen data to predict text patterns. She believes that using such products can erode social skills and create a false sense of emotional safety. Additionally, the professor notes that these tools may spread harmful biases like racism and sexism. The article suggests that relying on chatbots could undo progress made in reducing student loneliness.
Sources
- Faculty try to address ongoing concerns and frustration with AI major
- At the epicenter of AI, San Francisco Bay residents take on the technology
- As AI Learns to Write, Tuhin Chakrabarty Studies What Humans Stand to Lose
- AI wants to cure disease. It needs data first
- Meta VP: AI in advertising and the rise ofĀ single-person billion-dollar company
- āPolitical chameleonā: How Mark Zuckerberg charmed Trump and got his way on AI
- Transforming MDR: How AI challenges and strengthens protection services
- UA to collaborate with southern universities on AI initiative
- Tech Summit: Key lawmakers discuss AI, data center policy
- OPM launches AI chatbot to answer questions about workforce trends
- Commentary: Would your campus host credit card companies or Big Tobacco? Then why Big Tech?
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