Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping various sectors, from the job market and education to government operations and industry practices, prompting both adaptation and significant investment. New graduates, particularly in computer science and marketing, face a tougher job search as companies slow white-collar hiring and increasingly use AI to handle entry-level tasks. For instance, Drexel University graduate Colton Masi applied to 100 jobs without an interview, and the average job search now takes 24 weeks. The hiring process itself has become a "robot-versus-robot arms race," with 88 percent of companies using AI for initial candidate screening and 23 percent for interviews, as experienced by Ohio State University student Kendiana Colin during an AI bot interview for a sales associate role. In education, AI has become a pivotal force. While some schools initially banned tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT, most large districts now integrate them, with only 1 percent banning AI and over half training educators. Teachers like Nate Fairchild in Evans, Colorado, use chatbots from MagicSchool to help students summarize texts. Experts like Ian Bogost and Linda Darling-Hammond from Stanford University suggest AI highlights existing educational shortcomings, pushing schools to move beyond outdated models towards more practical, skills-based learning. Workforce training is also adapting; Beaufort County Community College in North Carolina is embedding AI lessons into programs like HVAC and construction maintenance, with students earning Microsoft badges. Similarly, ServiceNow has partnered with SENAI-SP in Brazil to launch an AI skills training program, aiming to train hundreds by 2025 and contribute to ServiceNow's global goal of upskilling three million people by 2027. AI's influence extends to government and specific industries. The Montana Commissioner of Political Practices (COPP) used a ChatGPT-powered system, built by 3M Data for $38,000, to provide an opinion on robocalls targeting state Representative Llew Jones, highlighting gaps in campaign finance laws. In the restaurant industry, AI solutions like Winnow are significantly cutting food waste; the Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica reduced waste by 50 percent in eight months, and Ashford Castle in Ireland saw a 69 percent reduction in 2024. Healthcare is also seeing major integration, with Ambience Healthcare strengthening its AI product integration with Epic Systems, assisting Onvida Health's 495 providers with tools for clinical documentation, even as Epic plans its own AI scribe. Major AI companies are making strategic moves. OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, is acquiring Statsig for $1.1 billion to accelerate the launch and improvement of its generative AI products, intensifying its competition with rivals like Google and Anthropic. Vijaye Raji, Statsig's CEO, will become OpenAI's CTO of Applications. Meanwhile, Switzerland has launched Apertus, a new open-source AI model with 8 billion or 70 billion parameters, comparable to Meta's 2024 Llama 3. Its code and training data are available on HuggingFace, offering an alternative to private systems from companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. The rapid growth of AI startups and the need for established software leaders to adapt within one to two years underscore the profound and swift transformation AI is bringing across all sectors, while employees generally prefer AI as a coach (75 percent) rather than a boss (30 percent).
Key Takeaways
- AI is making the job search harder for new graduates, with companies using AI for screening and slowing white-collar hiring, leading to longer job search times averaging 24 weeks.
- Most employees prefer AI as a coach for skill recommendations (75 percent) rather than a manager (30 percent) making decisions about recruitment or pay.
- American schools are increasingly integrating AI, with only 1 percent of districts banning it and over half training educators to prepare students for an AI-powered world.
- Beaufort County Community College and ServiceNow are launching AI training programs, with ServiceNow aiming to train three million people globally by 2027, including a partnership with SENAI-SP in Brazil.
- The Montana Commissioner of Political Practices used a ChatGPT-powered system, built by 3M Data for $38,000, to issue an opinion on robocalls, highlighting gaps in campaign finance laws.
- OpenAI is acquiring Statsig for $1.1 billion to accelerate the launch and improvement of its generative AI products, intensifying competition with Google and Anthropic.
- Switzerland launched Apertus, an open-source AI model with 8 billion or 70 billion parameters, available on HuggingFace, offering an alternative to private systems like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude, and comparable to Meta's Llama 3.
- AI is helping restaurants significantly reduce food waste, with solutions like Winnow enabling Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo to cut waste by 50 percent and Ashford Castle by 69 percent.
- Ambience Healthcare has expanded its AI tools for clinical documentation within Epic Systems' platforms, assisting Onvida Health's 495 providers, even as Epic plans to develop its own AI scribe.
- Software leaders must adapt to AI within one to two years or risk becoming irrelevant, as AI is fundamentally changing how people work and AI startups are growing rapidly.
AI Makes Job Search Harder for New Graduates
Artificial intelligence is making it harder for new graduates to find entry-level jobs, especially in computer science and marketing. Colton Masi, a Drexel University software engineering graduate, applied to 100 jobs without an interview. Companies are slowing white-collar hiring due to economic factors and see AI as a way to handle entry-level tasks. While the US unemployment rate is low at 3.8 percent, it now takes 24 weeks on average to find a job, and 1.8 million people are long-term unemployed. The job application process has become a "robot-versus-robot arms race" where AI screens resumes, and many new jobs are in sectors like healthcare and government, not white-collar fields.
AI Impacts Job Search and Hiring Process
Artificial intelligence is changing how people look for jobs and how companies hire. AI helps job seekers improve their resumes and cover letters, and it helps employers sort through many applications. Kendiana Colin, an Ohio State University student, experienced an AI bot interview for a sales associate job at StretchLab, which repeated strange phrases. The World Economic Forum reports that 88 percent of companies use AI for initial candidate screening, and 23 percent use AI for interviews. Hilke Schellman, an NYU professor and author, notes that while AI is widely adopted, it still has flaws and raises concerns about human interaction and fairness.
Schools Embrace AI for Learning and Teaching
Artificial intelligence is becoming common in American schools, with many districts now allowing and even encouraging its use. Nate Fairchild, an 8th-grade teacher in Evans, Colorado, used a chatbot from MagicSchool to help students summarize Elie Wiesel's memoir Night. While some schools initially banned AI tools like ChatGPT, most large districts now integrate them, especially for teachers. A survey found only 1 percent of districts ban AI, while 30 percent embrace it, and over half are training educators. Educators believe students need to learn with AI to prepare for an "AI-powered world," despite ongoing concerns about its impact on critical thinking and potential biases. The cost for a typical district to implement AI could range from $100,000 to $1 million each year.
AI Marks a Turning Point for Education
Experts believe artificial intelligence has become a "breaking point" for K-12 and higher education. Students graduating now have used AI chatbots like ChatGPT throughout their entire high school and college careers since November 2022. While professors initially panicked, many now have a "blind spot" to how widely students use AI for all tasks. University professor Ian Bogost suggests AI highlights existing problems in education, calling it "pedagogical debt." Solutions include more practical, skills-based learning, like new AP courses in Business and Cybersecurity, or a return to hands-on work. The discussion emphasizes that AI's widespread use means schools must rethink their purpose and teaching methods.
Rethinking Education in the Age of AI
Teachers like Kayla Jefferson and Ludrick Cooper are grappling with how to handle AI in their classrooms, with some banning it and others allowing it for learning. Experts like Linda Darling-Hammond from Stanford University say AI is a major force disrupting education, making us question the very purpose of schools. She explains that the current "factory model" of education, with its curriculum set in 1892, is outdated for the 21st century. AI could be a positive push to move away from standardized lessons towards "deeper learning" that better prepares students. The goal is to redesign schools to help students succeed in an AI-powered world, rather than just following old methods.
Montana Office Uses AI for Political Advice
The Montana Commissioner of Political Practices (COPP) used ChatGPT to give an opinion on robocalls targeting state Representative Llew Jones. John Sivlan, an 80-year-old Republican, received many calls in July that criticized Jones for working with Democrats, but the calls did not say who paid for them. ChatGPT's opinion stated that only ads appearing within 60 days of an election and telling people how to vote could be regulated. Commissioner Chris Gallus said the AI system, built by 3M Data for $38,000, is being prepared for the 2026 primary elections and uses only Montana laws. This incident highlights gaps in campaign finance laws, especially for ads on streaming services, which currently have no disclosure requirements. The robocalls are part of an internal conflict within the Montana Republican Party, where hardliners are trying to remove more moderate legislators.
Montana Office Uses AI for Political Advice
The Montana Commissioner of Political Practices (COPP) used ChatGPT to give an opinion on robocalls targeting state Representative Llew Jones. John Sivlan, an 80-year-old Republican, received many calls in July that criticized Jones for working with Democrats, but the calls did not say who paid for them. ChatGPT's opinion stated that only ads appearing within 60 days of an election and telling people how to vote could be regulated. Commissioner Chris Gallus said the AI system, built by 3M Data for $38,000, is being prepared for the 2026 primary elections and uses only Montana laws. This incident highlights gaps in campaign finance laws, especially for ads on streaming services, which currently have no disclosure requirements. The robocalls are part of an internal conflict within the Montana Republican Party, where hardliners are trying to remove more moderate legislators.
Workers Want AI as Coach Not Their Boss
A 2025 report by Workday and Hanover Research shows that most companies are increasing their use of artificial intelligence. While 75 percent of employees welcome AI as a coach for skill recommendations, only 30 percent are comfortable with it acting as their boss. Workers do not want AI to manage them or make important decisions about recruitment, pay, or legal matters. Employers see AI as a way to reduce workloads, innovate faster, and cut costs, but acknowledge risks like AI's lack of empathy. The research found that trust in AI grows as employees gain more experience with the technology. Overall, employees prefer AI to assist humans and make work easier, rather than taking over management roles.
Software Leaders Must Adapt to AI or Risk Extinction
Software leaders must quickly adapt to artificial intelligence or risk becoming irrelevant, as AI is fundamentally changing how people work. AI startups are growing much faster than cloud companies did, reaching major milestones in less time. Companies that do not move from traditional software to AI-powered solutions within one to two years could fail. Examples like Canva and Intercom show how existing companies are successfully integrating AI to enhance their products and services. New rules for success in the AI era include focusing on understanding entire workflows, building strong defenses with unique data, and valuing human judgment. Investors note that while new AI companies are emerging, established companies with large data sets also hold an advantage.
AI Helps Restaurants Cut Food Waste
Artificial intelligence is being used in restaurant kitchens to significantly reduce food waste, a problem that costs the industry billions each year and harms the environment. Solutions like Winnow, used in over 90 countries, employ scales and cameras to track discarded food and provide real-time data to chefs. The Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica cut its food waste by 50 percent in eight months using Winnow, repurposing trimmings and donating meals. Similarly, Ashford Castle in Ireland reduced its waste by 69 percent in 2024, with chefs creatively turning surplus ingredients into new menu items like sourdough crackers and chicken-skin crackers. Staff, especially younger team members, have responded well to the technology, finding it engaging and easy to integrate into daily operations. This technology helps create a culture of sustainability by making chefs more aware of waste and inspiring them to use ingredients more fully.
Switzerland Launches New Open AI Model Apertus
Switzerland has released a new open-source artificial intelligence model named Apertus, which means "open" in Latin. Launched on Monday, this model offers an alternative to private AI systems like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude. Apertus aims to create a new standard for trustworthy and globally relevant open models, with its code and training data available on HuggingFace. The model was trained on over 1,800 languages and comes in two sizes, with 8 billion or 70 billion parameters, comparable to Meta's 2024 Llama 3. It follows European Union copyright laws and AI practices, using only public training data and respecting opt-out requests.
Beaufort CCC Adds AI to Job Training
Beaufort County Community College in North Carolina is adding artificial intelligence lessons to its workforce training programs. Starting with heating and air technician and construction maintenance courses, BCCC aims to prepare students for jobs using smart technologies. Over the next two years, all industry training programs will include AI lessons, covering practical skills like AI-assisted fault detection in HVAC systems. Justin Rose, director of industry training, believes AI will enhance students' abilities and help them become leaders in their fields. Students will earn Microsoft badges along with their industry certifications, making them more competitive and adaptable for future careers. This initiative makes BCCC one of the first community colleges in North Carolina to embed AI into short-term workforce training.
Ambience Healthcare Expands Epic Integration
Ambience Healthcare has strengthened its product integration with Epic Systems, a major electronic medical record company, through their shared customer Onvida Health. All of Ambience's artificial intelligence tools for clinical documentation are now built into Epic's desktop and mobile platforms, Epic Hyperspace and Epic Haiku. This includes Ambience's pre-visit chart summarization and post-visit compliance and coding features, adding to its ambient scribe and patient instructions tools already integrated since 2023. Onvida Health, a large healthcare provider in southwestern Arizona, found Ambience's tools significantly eased documentation for its 495 providers across 52 specialties. The integration helps doctors quickly access patient information, improving care and reducing costs. This partnership continues even as Epic Systems plans to develop its own AI scribe by early next year.
OpenAI Buys Statsig for $1.1 Billion
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT and Codex, is acquiring Statsig, a product development platform based in Washington, for $1.1 billion. This acquisition aims to speed up the launch of new generative AI products and improve existing ones faster, helping OpenAI compete with rivals like Google and Anthropic. Statsig's technology offers real-time testing and feature flagging tools, which will allow OpenAI to refine its products with greater precision. Vijaye Raji, Statsig's CEO, will become OpenAI's CTO of Applications, leading product engineering for ChatGPT and Codex. The AI assistants market is expected to grow significantly, reaching over $21 billion by 2030. Statsig employees will join OpenAI but will continue to serve their current customers from Seattle for now.
ServiceNow Launches AI Skills Training in Brazil
ServiceNow has partnered with SENAI-SP to launch a major artificial intelligence skills training and certification program in Brazil. This new program, part of ServiceNow University, aims to train hundreds of users by 2025. It contributes to ServiceNow's global goal of teaching AI skills to three million people by 2027. Learners will gain technical skills in AI, digital workflow automation, and development, along with job readiness support. The initiative helps people from various backgrounds succeed in the new AI-driven job market and gives Brazil an opportunity to excel in the AI field. Companies like ServiceNow are playing a key role in creating a more balanced future by providing these essential upskilling opportunities.
Sources
- How AI is coming for your job
- How AI is changing the job marketplace
- Silicon Valley’s Drive to Get AI Into America’s Schools Is Working
- Opinion: AI is a 'Breaking Point' in K-12 and Higher Ed
- How to redesign schools for the AI age
- Artificial intelligence offering political practices advice about robocalls in Montana GOP internal spat
- Artificial intelligence offering political practices advice about robocalls in Montana GOP internal spat
- Employee Anxiety Grows as 2025 Report Shows AI Bosses Could Be the Future
- How Software Leaders Need To Adapt To AI — Or Risk Going Extinct.
- In some kitchens, AI is helping keep food out of the garbage and on your plate
- Switzerland releases an open-weight AI model
- BCCC integrates artificial intelligence lessons into workforce programs
- Ambience Healthcare deepens Epic integration with shared customer Onvida Health
- OpenAI acquires Statsig to speed up generative AI-based product launches
- ServiceNow Partners with SENAI-SP to Launch AI Skills Training Program in Brazil