September 26, 2025

analysis  
Scale AI Funding, Google AI Education, Meta Hires OpenAI Lead

Artificial intelligence continues to permeate various sectors, from education to consumer electronics and large-scale infrastructure projects. Musician and entrepreneur will.i.am is expanding AI education through a new course, "The Agentic Self," at Arizona State University (ASU) starting in spring 2026. This course, which utilizes NVIDIA technology and will.i.am's FYI.AI platform, aims to help students understand AI's impact on jobs and develop AI companions. ASU is also collaborating with will.i.am and Google on a UN initiative to bring AI and robotics education to underserved students in Africa. Meanwhile, the tech industry is seeing significant investment and talent movement. Meta has hired Yang Song, a former research lead from OpenAI, to head its Superintelligence Labs, signaling a push in AI development. This comes as OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank announce a massive $500 billion "Stargate" project to build five AI data centers, a development that has coincided with a 52% surge in AI business sales on platforms like Whop. In the smartphone market, Honor's upcoming Magic 8 Pro will feature a dedicated AI button and use the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, alongside features like "Magic Color" for image and video restyling. Universities are also bolstering AI education, with UC San Diego launching a new undergraduate AI major and Fordham University establishing a faculty research fund in AI thanks to a $1 million donation. Even smaller businesses like SaaStr are leveraging AI, using over 20 AI agents to manage sales and customer support, contributing to significant revenue growth. The growing importance of AI is also being recognized on a global stage, with leaders at the United Nations General Assembly discussing its implications.

Key Takeaways

  • Will.i.am is launching a new AI course, "The Agentic Self," at Arizona State University in spring 2026, utilizing NVIDIA technology.
  • A UN-Google initiative, involving will.i.am and ASU, aims to provide AI and robotics education to students in several African countries.
  • Meta has hired Yang Song, a former OpenAI research lead, to head its Superintelligence Labs.
  • OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank are collaborating on a $500 billion "Stargate" project to build five large AI data centers.
  • AI businesses on Whop saw a 52% sales increase, reaching $8.9 million in the past 90 days, amid the "Stargate" project announcement.
  • Honor's upcoming Magic 8 Pro smartphone will include a dedicated AI button and use the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.
  • UC San Diego is introducing a new undergraduate major in Artificial Intelligence starting this fall.
  • Fordham University received a $1 million donation to establish a faculty research fund for AI, particularly in finance and economics.
  • SaaStr is using over 20 AI agents to manage sales and customer support, contributing to eight-figure revenue.
  • Leaders at the United Nations General Assembly are addressing artificial intelligence as a critical global challenge.

Rapper will.i.am to teach AI class at ASU

Musician and entrepreneur will.i.am will teach a new course called "The Agentic Self" at Arizona State University's Los Angeles campus starting in spring 2026. He will be a professor of practice at The GAME School, focusing on increasing digital fluency. Will.i.am aims to use his experience in music and technology to help students understand AI's impact on jobs. The course will also involve developing a new platform called EDU.FYI using NVIDIA technology.

will.i.am to teach ASU class on agentic AI

Arizona State University is partnering with will.i.am to offer a new AI course titled "The Agentic Self" in spring 2026. Will.i.am, a tech innovator, will serve as a professor of practice, teaching students about AI's role in the digital economy. The collaboration also includes creating EDU.FYI, an educational platform using NVIDIA technology, built on will.i.am's FYI.AI tool. ASU also joined a UN coalition to address the global AI skills gap.

will.i.am brings AI education global with ASU course and UN-Google initiative

Will.i.am is expanding AI education globally through a new course at Arizona State University (ASU) and a UN-Google initiative. At ASU, he will teach "The Agentic Self," a 15-week course using his FYI.AI platform and NVIDIA tools to help students build AI companions. Additionally, he is partnering with the International Telecommunication Union and Google to bring AI and robotics education to underserved students in several African countries. This initiative aims to equip youth with skills for the AI-driven economy.

Honor Magic 8 Pro gets new AI button

Honor's upcoming Magic 8 Pro smartphone will feature a dedicated AI button alongside its power and volume controls. The phone will be among the first to use the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. Honor also introduced a feature called Magic Color, which allows users to restyle images and videos using a chosen color palette. The Magic 8 Pro is expected to launch in China next month and will likely include a powerful camera system.

Honor Magic 8 design revealed with AI button

The Honor Magic 8 smartphone will feature a dedicated AI button and be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. Official images show the phone retains a round rear camera island similar to its predecessor. Honor confirmed the new button is for AI features and introduced "Magic Color" for restyling images and videos. A sample image from the Magic 8 Pro's 200 MP sensor also highlighted its low-light photography capabilities.

AI sales surge 52% amid $500B Stargate project

AI businesses on Whop experienced a 52% sales increase this week, reaching $8.9 million in the past 90 days. This surge coincides with the announcement of the $500 billion "Stargate" project by OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, which aims to build five massive AI data centers. The project is expected to boost demand for semiconductors and cloud capacity, while smaller businesses are capitalizing on AI tools and services. The market is seeing rapid AI adoption across industries.

UN General Assembly focuses on AI challenges

Leaders at the United Nations General Assembly are recognizing artificial intelligence as a critical challenge of our time. Mattermost CEO Ian Tien noted the growing attention AI is receiving among global leaders. Discussions at the assembly are likely to cover the significant implications and potential issues surrounding the rapid advancement of AI technology.

Meta hires OpenAI scientist for AI lab

Meta has hired Yang Song, a former research lead from OpenAI, to head its Superintelligence Labs (MSL). Song's move follows a recruitment drive by Mark Zuckerberg, who brought in at least 11 top researchers from major AI companies this summer. Song's research focuses on processing large datasets, and he previously developed techniques that informed large language models. He joins other former OpenAI employees now working in Meta's AI division.

Finance exec funds AI research at Fordham

Finance executive Peter Zangari has donated $1 million to Fordham University to establish the Zangari Family Faculty Research and Innovation Fund. This fund will support faculty research in artificial intelligence, particularly its applications in finance, economics, and asset management. The initiative aims to foster industry collaborations, enhance student experience, and raise Fordham's profile in AI research. Zangari, an alumnus, is also teaching a course on AI and financial markets.

Geneva teacher launches first AI literacy course in NYS

George Goga, an English teacher at Geneva High School, has developed what he believes is New York State's first AI literacy course, set to begin in January. The class, which is already full, will explore the fundamentals, benefits, pitfalls, and ethics of artificial intelligence. Goga aims to equip students with a vocabulary to understand AI's complexities and demystify the technology. He also created an AI newsletter for educators.

UC San Diego launches new AI major

The University of California San Diego is introducing a new undergraduate major in Artificial Intelligence this fall, based in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. The program aims to prepare students to build and improve AI systems while understanding their ethical implications. It combines a strong computer science foundation with hands-on AI experience. The major is expected to enroll 1,000 students by 2029, with over 200 starting this fall.

SaaStr uses 20+ AI agents to scale revenue

SaaStr has deployed over 20 specialized AI agents to manage tasks like outbound sales and customer support, enabling them to achieve eight-figure revenue with a small team. These agents require significant training and daily management. Key agents include an AI SDR for personalized outreach, an Inbound AI BDR for website conversions, and a digital advisor named Jason. SaaStr also uses AI for sales collateral automation and RevOps, eliminating manual tasks and reducing costs.

Sources

AI Education Artificial Intelligence AI Ethics AI Literacy AI Research AI Skills Gap AI Technology AI Tools ASU Data Centers Digital Fluency EDU.FYI Finance FYI.AI Global AI Honor Magic 8 Pro International Telecommunication Union Meta NVIDIA OpenAI Oracle Robotics Education SoftBank Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Superintelligence Labs The Agentic Self UN Coalition UN General Assembly UC San Diego will.i.am