NEWS YOU CAN’T MISS

Can AI Replace Teachers? This Arizona School is About to Find Out

An Arizona charter school is pushing boundaries with a bold and controversial move: integrating AI to replace human teachers for 2 hours of daily academic instruction.

The Unbound Academy, opening for grades 4-8, recently secured approval from the state's Charter Schools Board. The decision has sparked both excitement and skepticism about the role of tech in education.

Here's how it works:

• The school will be 100% online, with students spending 2 hours daily with an AI powered by platforms like IXL and Khan Academy.

• The AI will adapt in real-time to each student's performance, customizing lesson difficulty and style according to how well they’re doing.

• The rest of the day will focus on practical skills like financial literacy and public speaking, guided by human mentors.

The company behind this (which runs similar programs called Alpha Schools in Texas and Florida private schools) claims students learn twice as much in half the time.

They're not the only ones experimenting with AI education - Arizona State University already uses ChatGPT to assist faculty, while London's David Game College is running AI-taught classes with VR headsets.

While AI might make learning more efficient, it raises questions about the true value of education beyond just academic achievement. Some critics feel that AI can't replace the emotional support and mentorship that human teachers provide.

Will Unbound Academy’s experiment be a stepping stone for AI schools popping up everywhere, or will it just reaffirm the irreplaceable touch of human educators? What do you think? 🧐

Microsoft CEO’s Prediction: AI Agents to Rule Business Software

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella predicts a major shift in business software: traditional SaaS applications will evolve as AI agents begin coordinating work across multiple systems.

[SaaS (Software as a Service) delivers internet-based programs like Gmail, Salesforce, and Slack through subscriptions instead of traditional software installation.]

Nadella’s vision for 2025 outlines a shift in how business software functions, with AI agents becoming the central drivers of business workflows.

A rundown of Nadella's argument:

• Current SaaS applications are essentially databases with business know-how added on top.

• In the upcoming AI era, this business logic will be managed by AI agents, which can work across multiple databases and systems at once.

• Instead of using different apps for various functions, AI agents will coordinate workflows across all your data sources. This is a pretty big deal if it happens!

The implications are significant: rather than having separate tools for customer relationship management (CRM), human resources, or project management, businesses will rely on AI agents that can access and update multiple systems simultaneously.

Microsoft is already advancing in this direction. Through tools like Copilot and AI-native applications, they are showing how AI agents can break down traditional software boundaries.

It’s not just them: Google DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis has outlined plans to "turbocharge" Gemini, positioning it as a universal assistant that operates across different domains and use-cases.

This is precisely why companies like ServiceNow and Salesforce are pivoting their core value proposition from SaaS to AI agent workforces. 😎

Are AI Friends the Future of Social Media?

Meta plans to invest heavily in creating AI-generated characters and profiles over the next two years, which will exist on social media just like real humans. 😳

These AI entities or “friends” will have bios, profile pictures, and the ability to create and share content. Meta aims to use these characters to make its platforms more entertaining and boost user interaction.

While some find it to be an exciting idea, some note that it is a step closer to the ‘Dead Internet Theory,‘ which claims that most of the content being shared on the internet is actually created by bots.

Experts have also warned about potential risks such as the spread of misinformation and a growing lack of authentic human interactions.

WOMAN IN TECH

Meet Dr. Lynne E. Parker, Director of President-elect Trump’s Tech Advisory Council

Celebrating this week's Woman in Tech 🥳: Meet Dr. Lynne E. Parker, newly appointed by President-elect Donald Trump as the Executive Director of his new tech advisory council.

Dr. Parker previously served the Trump administration as Deputy CTO of the US. She was also the founding director of the National AI Initiative Office.

Dr. Parker earned her MS in Computer Science from the University of Tennessee (1988) and a PhD in the same field from MIT (1994).

Her career trajectory:

• Joined the University of Tennessee as a Professor in 2002, and served in research roles at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and HRL Labs.

• In 2015, she served as Director for Information and Intelligent Systems at the National Science Foundation, leading key initiatives such as the AI R&D Strategic Plan.

• In 2018, Dr. Parker joined the White House and led the implementation of Trump's Executive Order establishing the American AI Initiative, aimed at strengthening AI research, governance, and workforce training.

She is a leading expert in distributed robotics, human-robot interaction, and AI, with over 140 peer-reviewed publications.

Her contributions have earned her prestigious accolades:

• Computing Research Association's Distinguished Service Award (2023)

• IEEE Robotics & Automation Society's Distinguished Service Award

• US Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE, 2000)

In her new role, Dr. Parker will advise Trump on science and tech policy, helping advance AI initiatives and contributing to the vision of a "Golden Age of American Innovation”. Great to see a woman in this role!