September 14, 2025

news  
Microsoft AI, ChatGPT Platform, Nvidia Server, $500M Fund

Artificial intelligence continues to permeate various sectors, from government initiatives to business investments and public safety. Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama has appointed a virtual AI minister named Diella, developed with Microsoft, to combat corruption and enhance transparency in public tenders. Meanwhile, Ohio has launched Safeguard Ohio, an AI-powered app developed with Vigiliti, allowing citizens to anonymously report suspicious activities to aid law enforcement. In education, Newfoundland and Labrador's Education Minister denied that AI created fake sources in an Education Accord, attributing them to errors. The Hispanic Organization of Mortgage Experts has introduced Wholesale Search, an AI platform built on ChatGPT, to assist Hispanic homebuyers by helping loan officers navigate the mortgage process. IBM has launched a $500 million fund to invest in AI startups that align with its Watsonx platform, aiming to foster enterprise AI innovation. MM International Trading LLC is now offering an Inference Server utilizing NVIDIA's HGX H200 platform for high-performance AI and LLM applications. PAR Technology Corp. has introduced Coach AI, an intelligent assistant within its OPS platform to provide operational insights for restaurant management. Universities are facing challenges in recruiting and retaining AI doctoral students due to intense competition from the private sector offering lucrative compensation. In California, a proposed bill to regulate AI-driven decisions, requiring disclosure and appeals, has been delayed for the third time to allow for further discussion.

Key Takeaways

  • Albania has appointed a virtual AI minister, Diella, developed with Microsoft, to combat corruption.
  • Ohio launched Safeguard Ohio, an AI app for citizens to report suspicious activities anonymously.
  • IBM has established a $500 million fund to invest in AI startups complementing its Watsonx platform.
  • MM International Trading LLC is offering a new server based on the NVIDIA HGX H200 platform for AI and LLM applications.
  • PAR Technology Corp. introduced Coach AI to provide operational insights for restaurant management.
  • A bilingual AI platform built on ChatGPT, Wholesale Search, is helping Hispanic homebuyers by assisting loan officers.
  • Universities are struggling to recruit and retain AI doctoral students due to high private sector competition.
  • California's bill mandating disclosure and appeals for AI-driven decisions has been delayed for the third time.
  • Newfoundland and Labrador's Education Minister denied AI involvement in creating fake sources in an Education Accord.

Albania taps AI minister Diella to fight corruption

Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama has appointed a virtual AI minister named Diella to combat corruption and boost transparency. Diella, whose name means 'Sun' in Albanian, is a digital entity designed to ensure public tenders are corruption-free and to speed up government work. Created with Microsoft, Diella previously served as a virtual assistant on the e-Albania platform, helping users access digital services. While the President has mandated Rama to form the new government, the official status of Diella as a minister is being debated, with some opposition members calling it unconstitutional.

Albania's prime minister appoints an AI-generated 'minister' to tackle corruption

Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama has introduced Diella, an AI-generated virtual minister, to his new cabinet to fight corruption and promote innovation. Diella, named after the Albanian word for 'sun', will operate virtually to ensure public tenders are free of corruption and to increase government transparency and efficiency. This AI minister uses advanced models to guarantee accuracy in its duties. Diella was developed with Microsoft and previously assisted users on the e-Albania platform. The move comes as Albania aims for EU membership and tackles ongoing issues of organized crime and corruption.

Ohio launches AI app Safeguard Ohio for suspicious activity reports

Ohio Homeland Security has launched Safeguard Ohio, a new web application that uses artificial intelligence to help citizens report suspicious activities. Developed with Vigiliti, the app allows anonymous uploads of photos, videos, and audio for eight categories, including drug activity and human trafficking. Governor Mike DeWine stated the app simplifies reporting to law enforcement for threat prevention. Information is sent in real-time to the Statewide Terrorism and Analysis Crime Center for prompt review. The app's AI can prompt users to call 911 for urgent situations and supports reports in 11 languages.

Ohio uses AI app Safeguard Ohio for public safety tips

Ohio has introduced the Safeguard Ohio app, a new tool that uses artificial intelligence to help the public report suspicious activities and potential threats. Launched by Ohio Homeland Security and Vigiliti, the app allows users to anonymously submit photos, videos, and audio. Governor Mike DeWine emphasized that the app makes it easier to provide timely, detailed information to law enforcement. Submitted tips go directly to the Statewide Terrorism Analysis and Crime Center for immediate review. The app covers eight categories of reporting, including drug activity, human trafficking, and school threats, and uses AI prompts to gather more detailed intelligence.

Education minister denies AI created fake sources in accord

Newfoundland and Labrador Education Minister Bernie Davis stated that artificial intelligence did not create non-existent sources in the Education Accord. He referred to the fake citations as errors but denied AI involvement. Davis admitted he did not know how the errors entered the document. The CBC's Zach Goudie reported on the minister's statements regarding the incident.

AI helps bridge gap for Hispanic homeownership

A new bilingual AI platform is helping to overcome obstacles for Hispanic homebuyers, such as loan officers who don't speak Spanish or understand non-traditional applicants. The Hispanic Organization of Mortgage Experts launched an AI platform called Wholesale Search, built on ChatGPT, to help loan officers quickly find lenders and explain the mortgage process. This tool aims to serve underrepresented communities as federal housing agencies shift to English-only services. The AI platform can handle complex cases and aims to make the home buying process more accessible and efficient.

White House AI task force prioritizes education and workforce

The White House Task Force on AI Education met to emphasize AI literacy, workforce training, and public-private partnerships as crucial for U.S. competitiveness. Officials stressed that education must be central to the nation's AI strategy, aiming to prepare youth and educators. The task force, established by President Trump, is chaired by Michael Kratsios and focuses on promoting AI proficiency and resources for K-12 students. The administration views AI as key to maintaining U.S. leadership against rivals like China and is shifting federal funding to incentivize AI adoption in schools.

IBM launches $500M fund for AI startups aligned with Watsonx

IBM has launched a $500 million Enterprise AI Venture Fund to invest in startups that complement its Watsonx platform. The fund, established in late 2023, targets companies developing generative AI solutions for business applications. Claudia Fan Munce, head of IBM's venture capital, outlined a disciplined investment strategy focusing on technological differentiation, market readiness, team strength, scalability, and ethical impact. IBM aims to support innovation in enterprise AI while strengthening its market position amidst a surge in AI investments.

MM International launches NVIDIA HGX H200 server for AI

MM International Trading LLC has launched a new Inference Server based on the NVIDIA HGX H200 platform, designed for AI and Large Language Model (LLM) applications. The server features up to eight NVIDIA H200 GPUs with 141 GB of HBM3e memory each, offering significant performance gains over previous models. This hardware provides ASIC-like acceleration for AI workloads and massive memory capacity for large models. The server is available through MM International's official store, millionminer, and is aimed at enterprises and researchers needing high-performance AI computing.

PAR Technology introduces Coach AI for restaurant operations

PAR Technology Corp. has launched Coach AI, an intelligent assistant embedded within its PAR AI intelligence suite for restaurant operations. Coach AI is designed to provide operational insights to corporate leaders, area coaches, and managers directly within the PAR OPS platform. It offers instant answers by pulling live data from various sources, reducing the need for manual data analysis. This allows staff to focus more on training and guest engagement. PAR Technology also plans to release a marketing-intelligence assistant later this fall.

AI talent demand challenges universities recruiting doctoral students

Universities are facing difficulties in retaining and recruiting doctoral students in AI due to intense competition from the private sector. Tech companies are offering high salaries and perks, making it hard for universities to compete with compensation packages. This "feeding frenzy" for AI talent is particularly affecting doctoral candidates nearing completion of their studies. Universities are attempting to attract students by increasing stipends and highlighting the unique benefits of academic research, but the competition remains fierce.

California delays AI regulation bill for third time

California's proposed bill, AB 1018, which would mandate disclosure and appeals for AI-driven decisions, has been delayed until next year for the third legislative session. Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan stated the pause allows for further discussions with Governor Gavin Newsom. The bill aims to inform individuals when AI makes consequential decisions about them in areas like housing, employment, and healthcare, and grants them the right to appeal errors. Opposition from industry groups and tech companies has been significant, citing concerns about costs and stifling innovation.

Sources

AI Minister Corruption Transparency Virtual Assistant e-Albania Public Tenders Government Efficiency EU Membership Organized Crime Public Safety Suspicious Activity Reports Law Enforcement Threat Prevention Terrorism Analysis Human Trafficking School Threats Education Accord Fake Sources AI Errors Hispanic Homeownership Mortgage Process Loan Officers Underrepresented Communities Federal Housing Agencies AI Literacy Workforce Training Public-Private Partnerships K-12 Education AI Strategy U.S. Competitiveness AI Startups Venture Fund Watsonx Platform Generative AI Enterprise AI Ethical AI NVIDIA HGX H200 AI Server Large Language Models LLM Applications High-Performance Computing Restaurant Operations Intelligent Assistant Operational Insights PAR OPS Platform Data Analysis Guest Engagement AI Talent Doctoral Students University Recruitment Private Sector Competition AI Research AI Regulation AI Decision Making Appeals Process Housing Employment Healthcare Industry Opposition Innovation