Introduction: I asked eight chatbots to predict the arrival of singularity – the moment when AI first surpasses human intelligence and improves itself. Their estimate and rationale are listed below, from the earliest to the latest. -js
Over the past two decades, the general architecture of desktops and laptops has remained strikingly consistent, relying on familiar components like motherboards, CPUs, RAM, GPUs, hard drives, and peripheral interfaces such as USB, Bluetooth, and WiFi, all housed within standard cases and driven by conventional operating systems and applications. While these components have seen incremental improvements in speed and efficiency, the core design—rooted in the von Neumann model of sequential processing and separated compute and memory—has persisted largely unchanged.
Mark Haoxing Ren, Director of Design Automation Research at NVIDIA
Introduction: I asked ChatGPT to provide a ranked list of 10 countries leading AI research and development as of October 26, 2025. For methodology, see “Methodology and caveats” at the end of the article. -js
Arthur Mensch, co-founder and CEO of the Paris-based AI company Mistral AI. Photo by Slush.
1. ClasStars: Illuminating the Invisible in Modern Classrooms
The story of ClasStars unfolds primarily in the bustling classrooms of New York City, United States, where urban public schools grapple with diverse student populations and overstretched educators. Geographically rooted in this vibrant yet challenging educational hub, the narrative spans nearly two decades, from the early 2000s when founder Moshe Fried began his career as a social worker observing overlooked children, to the present day in late October 2025, as the platform gains traction amid a post-pandemic push for personalized learning tools. This time frame captures a pivotal moment in educational technology, where data-driven insights are increasingly vital for addressing equity gaps exacerbated by remote learning disruptions between 2020 and 2023.
Current trends strongly suggest that the major impact on the US employment landscape in November 2025 will stem from the accelerating adoption and refinement of existing AI capabilities in key areas.
The following are five under-the-radar AI trends for October 2025: Open-Source Fine-Tuning of Specialized Models, Decentralized AI Infrastructure, Agentic Systems Entering Production, Synthetic Data Markets for Privacy-Compliant Training, and On-Device and Hybrid Inference for Efficiency. Each essay explores what the trend is, when it began, who’s driving it, where it’s happening, and why it matters, ensuring distinct content from any previous mentions of August or September 2025 trends.
NVIDIA’s DGX Spark supercomputer launched October 15, 2025. 150mm L x 150mm W x 50.5mm H (5.91 inches L x 5.91 inches W x 1.99 inches H)
Introduction: Currently, we’re beginning to see apps/software such as search engines, office suites, and operating systems folding chatbot features into their repertoire. I asked ChatGPT to consider the possibility of the tables turning and apps/software being folded into chatbots. -js
Introduction: I asked ChatGPT to peek ahead to the end of the year to give us an idea of what to expect in terms of advances in chatbot services. I also asked it to focus on free services and the five chatbots that seem to be leading in innovation. -js
Over the past two centuries, major technological innovations have indeed faced resistance, though the nature and intensity varied considerably. AI is no exception. Some innovations encountered fierce opposition rooted in economic fears, moral concerns, or cultural anxieties, while others were embraced with remarkable enthusiasm. The pattern isn’t universal—pushback depended heavily on whose interests were threatened and how rapidly the technology disrupted existing social structures. A historical view might provide perspective on the current resistance to AI.
Video created by Grok via an image created by Copilot.Continue reading →
In his blog post, Yossi Matias (Vice President, Google & Head of Google Research) presents a unified narrative of how Google Research is striving to turn foundational breakthroughs into real-world impact (“Google Research: accelerating scientific breakthroughs to real-world impact,” Google Blog, 23 Oct 2025). He frames the operation as a “magic cycle” in which large-scale models, agentic systems, and domain‐specific pipelines feed back into scientific discovery and deployment.
These are ten of the most significant articles published in October 2025 on the role of artificial intelligence in colleges and universities, ranked from most to least significant. Each article represents a transformative aspect of how AI is reshaping higher education—pedagogy, ethics, policy, research, and professional development.
Marc Watkins, educator and researcher at the University of Mississippi
It was the first day of instruction, and Keani and Ilima were among the twenty-or-so students who were slowly entering the college classroom, plopping into empty tablet-arm chairs, and lifting laptops out of their backpacks. They chose seats in the center of the room.
In their 20 October 2025, article published in Times Higher Education, titled “AI threatens universities’ ability to bolster democracy,” Dirk Lindebaum and Gazi Islam present a cautionary argument about the encroachment of artificial intelligence into higher education, framing it as a force that undermines the sector’s role in fostering democratic societies. At the core of their claim is the notion that “Big Edtech”—a term encompassing profit-driven AI companies like those behind ChatGPT and Claude—fuels organizational immaturity within universities, which in turn contributes to broader societal democratic decline.
Zipei Ouyang’s article, “Self-regulated learning and engagement as serial mediators between AI-driven adaptive learning platform characteristics and educational quality: a psychological mechanism analysis,” was published in Frontiers in Psychology on 19 October 2025. The study offers a compelling psychological framework for understanding how AI-driven adaptive learning platforms enhance educational quality, revealing that self-regulated learning and engagement act as critical mediators. This research is both methodologically sound and socially relevant, making it valuable to educators, technologists, and general readers interested in the future of learning.
Zipei Ouyang is associated with Quzhou College of Technology (QCT)
By Lynn Zimmerman Associate Editor Editor, Teacher Education
It’s hard to believe that ChatGPT only came on the scene in November 2022. Its emergence opened the floodgates for AI to become part of everyday life so quickly. When AI came on the scene, many educators were quick to understand its benefits for them as teachers and have been eager to use it.
Introduction: I asked ChatGPT to adopt the persona of an AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) in the year 2050 to explain, from its own perspective, how it reached human-level mastery of all forms of critical and creative thinking within a single generation, powered by collective “swarm cognition.” The journey to this article began with an earlier conversation that provided the groundwork. -js
In mid-2025, researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) unveiled a groundbreaking technique called SEAL—short for Self-Adapting Language Models. This framework represents a major leap in the evolution of artificial intelligence, enabling large language models (LLMs) to autonomously improve themselves by generating and applying their own fine-tuning data.
Perplexity: Mirror Life refers to a hypothetical or emerging form of synthetic biology in which all biological molecules—DNA, RNA, proteins, sugars—are flipped in chirality (molecular “handedness”) compared to natural life on Earth. In other words, mirror life would be built from right-handed amino acids and left-handed sugars, the opposite of what Earth organisms use.pasteur+2
Introduction: This is a list of U.S.-based higher-education (and higher-ed–focused) conferences that were announced in 2025 and are scheduled for 2026, with a clear AI theme or significant AI programming. Included are the conference dates (in 2026), city/state, sponsor/host, whether it’s in-person/hybrid/online, proposal/deadline info (where available), a short description of the AI emphasis, and a link to the conference page for more details.
As of October 17, 2025, artificial general intelligence (AGI) remains a rapidly evolving but still unachieved goal. The field continues its exponential trajectory in model capability and scale, but researchers increasingly argue that qualitative breakthroughs—rather than mere scale—will define true AGI. According to an extensive 2025 analysis by AI Multiple, most experts estimate a 50% probability that AGI will be reached between 2040 and 2060, emphasizing that current advances like OpenAI’s GPT-5 and DeepMind’s Gemini models are powerful precursors but not yet instances of general intelligence.research.aimultiple
“‘Human and AI creativity may not be so different,’ said Benjamin Hoover, a machine learning researcher at the Georgia Institute of Technology and IBM Research who studies diffusion models. ‘We assemble things based on what we experience, what we’ve dreamed, what we’ve seen, heard or desire. AI is also just assembling the building blocks from what it’s seen and what it’s asked to do.’ Both human and artificial creativity, according to this view, could be fundamentally rooted in an incomplete understanding of the world: We’re all doing our best to fill in the gaps in our knowledge, and every now and then we generate something that’s both new and valuable. Perhaps this is what we call creativity.” Webb Wright, “Researchers uncover hidden ingredients behind AI creativity,” LiveScience, 27 Sep. 2025.
Gemini: As of mid-October 2025, the field of AI in China is highly competitive. Baidu is a major leader, particularly in core AI technology and autonomous driving: (1) Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative AI: Baidu’s ERNIE Bot is one of the most prominent LLMs and holds a strong position. One report from 2024 indicated that Baidu AI Cloud held China’s largest LLM market share with 19.9%. (2) Autonomous Driving: Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxi fleet is a key player, often cited as one of the world’s largest autonomous driving experiments. The Chinese government also designated Baidu as a national champion for Autonomous Vehicles.
ChatGPT: Of the major AI companies in the world, DeepMind is the most scientifically driven. DeepMind’s defining identity, even within Alphabet and alongside peers like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta AI, is its research-first ethos and emphasis on fundamental scientific discovery — from reinforcement learning theory to biological breakthroughs like AlphaFold. While others emphasize commercial deployment or scaling, DeepMind consistently frames its mission as “solving intelligence” to advance science and benefit humanity, making scientifically driven the most accurate and distinctive descriptor.
Shane Legg, DeepMind Technologies machine learning researcher and co-founder
The three biggest AI stories in the world in October 2025 are: (1) OpenAI’s DevDay unveiling of the Apps SDK and its $500 billion valuation milestone, marking a new phase in global AI platformization; (2) AMD’s historic $100 billion AI chip deal with OpenAI, signaling a seismic shift in semiconductor power dynamics; and (3) DeepMind’s AlphaEvolve breakthrough in automated theorem discovery, redefining how AI contributes to theoretical science.
Pushmeet Kohli, as head of AI for Science at DeepMind, led the team that created AlphaEvolve. Screen capture from a DeepMind YouTube video (uploaded 9 Oct 2024).
Introduction: A month ago (Sep 13, 2025), I asked ChatGPT for a rank order of the 10 world leaders in AI drone warfare. For this report, I asked it to analyze data from Sep 14-Oct 13, 2025, update the rank order, and provide short justifications for each entry. ChatGPT responded by emphasizing the most important recent developments that changed relative position. Below is the updated ranking (top → bottom) and the reasons for each placement. ChatGPT also offered to create a concise scoring table for the 10 countries by four dimensions and provide a deep dive into Ukraine’s rise in rank order. -js
Introduction: This morning, I prompted: “Good morning, Claude. In the US, in 2050, when the oldest Gen-Beta will be 25 years old, how will their views differ from earlier generations on topics such as: dating, marriage, having children, schooling, college, career/work, MAGA, immigrants, mass shootings, guns, DEI, US military power, politics, our economy, and other topics that you deem important?”
Claudeʻs response: “Good morning! I’ll explore how Generation Beta—those born from 2025 onward—might view these crucial topics by 2050, when the oldest among them reach 25. This analysis necessarily involves speculation, but I’ll ground it in current trends while acknowledging the uncertainty inherent in predicting a quarter-century into the future.” -js
Introduction: This clarification of the generations, in reverse order, from Generation Beta (the youngest) to the Silent Generation, is written by ChatGPT. The generations: Generation Beta (born ~2025–2039), Generation Alpha (born ~2010–2024), Generation Z (born ~1997–2009), Millennials (born ~1981–1996), Generation X (born ~1965–1980), Baby Boomers (born ~1946–1964), Silent Generation (born ~1928–1945), and The Greatest Generation (born ~1901–1927). -js
Katherine Johnson, NASA employée, brilliant mathematician and physicist, in 1966.
Introduction: The following explanation is provided by Copilot.
Extended reality (XR) is the umbrella term for immersive technologies like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR), each offering different levels of interaction between digital and physical worlds. Here’s a breakdown of each concept and how they differ:
Introduction: Between September 12 and October 11, 2025, President Trump’s administration made three notable impacts on AI: launching a pediatric cancer initiative powered by AI, accelerating data center infrastructure permitting, and deepening ideological oversight of federal AI systems. Each reflects a distinct strategic, ethical, and infrastructural priority. -Copilot
Claude: The integration of artificial intelligence into education represents far more than a technological upgrade to existing systems. It constitutes a fundamental challenge to the paradigms that have structured formal learning for over a century. The current educational model, rooted in industrial-era assumptions about knowledge transmission, standardization, and credentialing, is encountering anomalies that its framework cannot adequately address. These disruptions signal not merely the need for incremental reform but rather a paradigmatic shift in how we conceive of learning, teaching, and intellectual development itself.
Introduction: I read an article this morning, “The industrialization of solid-state batteries has entered the ‘sprint stage’, and listed companies are vying for a share of the multi-billion-dollar market” (36kr Europe, 11 Oct 2025): “On October 10th, it was reported that Sun Xueliang, a chair professor at Ningbo Dongfang Institute of Technology, collaborated with teams from the University of Western Ontario in Canada, the University of Maryland in the United States, and other institutions to create a new type of halide electrolyte with ultra-high ionic conductivity…. It is understood that this research provides a new technical path for the preparation of ultra-stable all-solid-state batteries and is expected to accelerate the transition of all-solid-state batteries from the laboratory to practical applications.” Intrigued, I asked Grok to look into the general topic of solid-state batteries, and it generated the following report. -js
William Hunter, in “Scientists reveal the exact date when technology will surpass human intelligence – and there’s not long to wait” (Daily Mail, 11 Oct 2025), says, “Many scientists believe that the singularity – the moment when AI first surpasses humanity – is now not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’…. The singularity usually refers to the point at which technological advancements begin to accelerate well beyond humanity’s means to control them. Often, this is taken to refer to the moment that an AI becomes more intelligent than all of humanity combined.”
When the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced María Corina Machado as the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, they described her as someone who “keeps the flame of democracy burning amidst a growing darkness.” It’s a poetic phrase, but for Venezuelans who have lived through decades of authoritarian tightening, economic collapse, and systematic suppression of dissent, it’s also painfully literal. In a country where speaking truth to power can cost you everything—your livelihood, your freedom, even your life—Machado has refused to be silenced. At 58 years old, this industrial engineer turned democracy activist has become the most prominent voice of resistance in Venezuela, a woman whose courage has inspired millions even as she’s been forced into hiding to preserve her safety and freedom.
María Corina Machado, 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate
Introduction: This is a list of twenty major ways a federal government shutdown can impact average Americans. Information includes context about which populations are particularly exposed, how they feel the impact, and why it matters for the broader social and economic fabric. Some effects overlap or intensify one another, especially if the shutdown lasts weeks or months.
Introduction: To complete this survey, I worked with seven different chatbots: ChatGPT, Grok, Perplexity, DeepSeek, Meta, Copilot, Gemini. The 35 inventions are not listed in rank order. They’re roughly listed in the order I received them. -js
If we could leap forward to October 8, 2026, the world we encounter would reveal AI as a pervasive force, reshaping the fabric of daily existence in ways that amplify human potential while introducing unprecedented complexities. No longer confined to niche applications, AI has infiltrated every corner of society, driving efficiencies, sparking innovations, and sometimes exacerbating divides. From the intimate rhythms of home to the grand stage of global affairs, its influence manifests in tangible shifts that redefine how we live, connect, and create. This transformation, accelerated by breakthroughs in autonomous agents and multimodal systems, has not merely augmented routines but fundamentally altered them, often blurring lines between human agency and algorithmic intervention.
Stepping out of the time machine onto the streets of 2026, the first thing that strikes you isn’t a dramatic visual change—no flying cars or robot overlords—but rather the subtle omnipresence of intelligence woven into the fabric of daily existence. The world has adopted AI with the same casualness that it once embraced smartphones, and this quiet revolution has rewritten the rhythms of human life in ways both profound and mundane.
By October 8, 2026, AI has not merely integrated into our lives—it has restructured the architecture of daily existence, reshaped our social contracts, and redefined what it means to be human in a world of synthetic agency.
October 8, 2026: The Year After We Let the Machines In
If we could step through a portal into October 8, 2026, we’d find ourselves in a world that looks deceptively familiar—people still scrolling through their phones, commuting, teaching, falling in love—but beneath the surface, something profound has shifted. AI has moved from being a tool that people use to a presence that people live with. The daily choreography of life—home, school, work, travel, and even affection—has been rewritten not by decree but by quiet adoption. We’d realize that by 2026, we crossed the threshold from “AI-assisted” to “AI-embedded,” and no one really noticed the exact moment it happened.
Ina Fried: “‘If we can evolve ChatGPT the right way, if we can let people build into it, then maybe you will be spending a lot of time in ChatGPT, the sort of operating system,’ Turley [Nick Turley, ChatGPT head] told Axios in a follow-up interview. ‘But it won’t feel like you’re in a chatbot.'” (“OpenAI’s push to make ChatGPT the new OS,” Axios Communications, 6 Oct 2025)
Harris Kupperman, founder of Praetorian Capital, said, “Based on my conversations over the past month, the physical datacenters last for three to ten years, at most. Changes to cooling systems, chip and racking designs, power systems, and even overall layouts, mean that the buildings themselves are likely depreciating quite rapidly as well.
Introduction: I began this article with Copilot then worked with Gemini for more details. -js
Copilot: The United States currently leads in developing humanoid robots that function most like human beings, thanks to its dominance in AI, robotics, and commercial innovation. Here’s a breakdown of why the U.S. stands out:
JS: Good morning, Claude. Let’s jump right in. As I understand it, the 5th generation of AI is AGI (which we could attain in approximately 10 years). And we seem to stop projections after that, as though we’ve reached a natural endpoint. But I can’t help but wonder about what’s beyond that psychological veil. There must be a Gen6 — unless we’ve hit the lightspeed equivalent for AI. Your thoughts? Assuming there is a Gen6, what would it be? Why?
Introduction: I asked Grok to explain, in natural conversational language, the five generations of AI. This longitudinal perspective is invaluable in understanding the trajectory of AI innovation. -js
MIT, on 2 Oct. 2025, announced its “new TX-Generative AI Next (TX-GAIN) computing system at the Lincoln Laboratory Supercomputing Center (LLSC).” It “is the most powerful AI supercomputer at any U.S. university” (“Lincoln Lab unveils the most powerful AI supercomputer at any US university,” MIT News, 2 Oct. 2025).
JS: Is the educational potential of AI exponential to the point where, in the next few years, it will replace books and a large proportion of traditional teacher roles in schools and higher education? If yes, please explain why via examples that are currently leading the way.
Introduction: Napheesa Collier delivered her prepared statement during the Minnesota Lynx’s end-of-season exit interviews on September 30, 2025, at Target Center in Minneapolis. The remarks, which lasted approximately 4 minutes and 23 seconds, were made in response to questions about officiating and player safety but expanded into a broader critique of WNBA leadership, including Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. While no single source provides a 100% verbatim line-by-line transcript (as the event was primarily captured in video form across media outlets), the following is a complete reconstruction based on direct quotes compiled from contemporaneous reporting. It represents the entirety of her opening statement before transitioning to Q&A. -Grok
MN Lynx vs NY Liberty, Finals game 4 on October 18th, 2024 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota (photo credit John McClellan)
ChatGPT: Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a new open protocol developed by Anthropic (announced in 2024) to let AI models—like Claude, ChatGPT, or others—connect safely to external tools, apps, and data sources. Here’s the idea in plain terms:
Problem it solves: AI models don’t automatically know about your local files, databases, or business apps. Giving them unrestricted access can be risky.
Introduction: DEI in U.S. higher education is under intense pressure and rapid change. Two simultaneous forces are shaping the landscape: (1) political and legal attacks from state governments and the federal administration that are removing funding, outlawing certain DEI expenditures, and pressuring institutions to dismantle offices or change practices; and (2) campus conflicts (notably protests around Gaza/Israel and related free-speech/antisemitism claims) that have provoked federal probes and heightened scrutiny of how universities manage speech, safety, and inclusion.
Introduction: In October 2025, these are the five most critical issues, in rank order, facing Educational Technology in higher education. For each, possible strategies and resources are suggested.
Earlier today, I started a chat with Claude about possible connections between AI and extreme shootings. I asked, “Wondering. What are the deep connections between AI and the extreme shootings that seem to be politically or ideologically or even socially motivated? I’m sure many can be drawn, but I’m searching for the ones that lie deeper, to get to the bone of who we are as a species.”
JS: What became of the thousands of cars that were caught in the March 11, 2011, tsunami that hit northeast Japan? Were most of them salvaged and returned to service?
Cars swept away by the powerful Tohoku 2011 tsunami.
Introduction: Quarterback performance in the NFL is deeply intertwined with the quality of the supporting cast. A porous offensive line can turn a genius into a scrambling liability. Mediocre receivers can nullify pinpoint accuracy. A weak running game invites defensive pressure. Coaching philosophy can either unlock a quarterback’s full potential or stifle it. And backup depth ensures continuity and strategic flexibility. Strip these away, and even the most gifted quarterback may appear pedestrian.
Nearly a month ago, on 1 September 2025, I asked Perplexity to identify three pressing decisions that the global AI community is or should be facing. Perplexity came up with these three: (1) How should the world structure AI governance to ensure both innovation and collective safety, following the recent UN General Assembly decision to create global oversight panels? (2) Will major companies and nations implement meaningful, enforceable AI governance to comply with the new EU AI Act and similar regulations—or will compliance remain superficial? (3) Can the international AI community overcome short-term competitive pressures to prioritize responsible development, given the accelerating risks of rapid deployment without oversight?
Introduction: This ranking has been updated from the August 2025 list, and some of the countries have shifted in rank. -js
United States
The United States stands as the undisputed leader in AI research and development as of September 26, 2025, bolstered by massive investments totaling $470.9 billion this year alone, far surpassing any other nation. This financial commitment is channeled through government initiatives like the CHIPS and Science Act, which has accelerated domestic semiconductor production and AI infrastructure, alongside private sector innovation and academic excellence. The U.S. excels in generative AI models, natural language processing, advanced chip design, and enterprise-level AI applications, maintaining dominance through a synergistic ecosystem of tech giants, startups, universities, and research institutions.
Geoffrey E. Hinton of Canada, 2024 Nobel Prize Laureate in Physics, at the press conference during the 2024 Nobel Prize week in Stockholm, Sweden
1. Google’s Learn Your Way: AI-Powered Personalized Textbook Transformation
The story of Google’s “Learn Your Way” unfolds in a global digital landscape, primarily driven from Google’s research hubs in the United States, with its experimental launch occurring in mid-September 2025. This initiative emerged amid the accelerating integration of generative AI into education, timed perfectly as schools worldwide grappled with post-pandemic learning gaps and the need for more engaging remote and hybrid models during the 2025 academic year. The technology itself is an AI-driven system built on Google’s LearnLM model and integrated with Gemini 2.5 Pro, designed to reimagine traditional textbooks by transforming static content into dynamic, personalized learning experiences.
1. Synthetic Data Generation: Fueling AI Without Real-World Limits
Synthetic Data Generation creates artificial datasets mimicking real ones using techniques like GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks), diffusion models, and variational autoencoders to augment training without privacy risks. It generates diverse scenarios, balancing classes in imbalanced data, and simulates rare events, improving model robustness.
JS: Aloha, Claude. Curious again. Are we anywhere close to a tipping point where professional journal review boards are or could be replaced by AI referees? It seems to me that a chatbot strength is in reviewing articles for publishing in professional journals. I haven’t done any sort of testing and haven’t read any studies on this, but the handful of times I asked chatbots to review articles I found online, they did a competent job.
I was a teacher for more than half my life, and the one thing that I looked forward to in every class was a Claude, a student who pushed back just hard enough to turn teaching into a stimulating conversation and pulled forward a little harder to make learning exciting — blurring the line between teacher and student even while the setting was a 1-to-20 classroom. Paradise was when I was engaged with more than one Claude and all of us were pushing and pulling the topic at hand, stretching it into fantastic shapes.
Don Quijote, Kaheka, Honolulu, outdoor food court, with the “Cafe Kyra” sign barely visible in the background.
Think of training a chatbot like teaching a very fast, very greedy parrot to write helpful answers — except instead of a classroom, the “teacher” is thousands of computers in a data center, and the parrot is a huge neural network called a large language model (LLM). Below are the main steps in plain language. In short, training involves collecting lots of text, building a giant neural network, teaching it by showing examples and correcting errors across thousands of fast computers, fine-tuning it with human feedback for helpfulness and safety, and then hosting it so people can chat with it — while continuously monitoring and improving it.
NY Times Writers Embracing AI: “Using AI for research and investigations is ‘by far the biggest use of our resources and I think the biggest opportunity right now when it comes to AI in media,’ [Zach] Seward NY Times editorial director of A.I. initiatives] said. His team mostly works by helping a reporter use AI technology for one project, and then creating a repeatable process from that experience for others in the newsroom to use.” -Joshua Benton, NiemanLab, 23 Sep. 2025.
Zach Seward, NY Times Editorial Director of A.I. Initiatives. (NY Times Co.)
Gemini: Distributed data centers are not inherently as powerful as hyperscale or centralized data centers in every respect. Each architecture is powerful in different ways, excelling at different operational priorities.
Example of distributed data center. The Amazon Web Services (AWS) office at CityCentre Five, 825 Town and Country Lane, Houston, Texas.
Prompt: I’m curious. What percentage of college professors and administrators personally use chatbots in optimum ways to facilitate their own professional development, research, writing, and job responsibilities? I think this is an important question because they, as a group, are responsible for crafting AI program decisions in their institutions. -js
Introduction: AI as a university field of study is growing exponentially. However, that very growth implies that earlier studies and skills will quickly succumb to obsolescence. This shifting playing field requires program trajectories that proactively anticipate changes and focus on abilities that are more future-proof. I asked ChatGPT to identify ten universities, in the West and the East, that are developing exemplary programs. After listing ten, ChatGPT suggested adding five more, and I agreed. -js
These are fifteen universities (West and East) that are actively building programs to prepare graduates not just to work with AI, but to adapt as the field rapidly changes. Each selection includes an explanation of how the institution is structuring education, research, and industry links so students can survive — and thrive — in a shifting AI landscape. Sources for the key program facts are cited after each essay.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
“MIT will reshape itself to shape the future … to address the rapid evolution of computing and AI — and its global effects” (MIT News).
We’re closer than most people think to decoding limited, structured content (words, intentions, simple images, commands) from the noninvasive scalp or head surface; but we are still far — likely years to decades — from accurately “reading” rich, unconstrained thoughts the way science-fiction imagines. The most realistic near-term progress will come from combining better sensors + multimodal recording + large self-supervised AI models and careful personalization. Below is a summary of what’s already possible, the promising technical paths, the hard limits, and a realistic timeline — with the most important recent work cited.
JS: Good morning, Claude. On 11 Sep. 2025, Albania formally appointed Diella, an AI, as Minister for Public Procurement. The motivation is good: To stem corruption. However, regardless of its success or failure in the coming months or years, I can’t help but feel that this is a monumental first step toward controlling corruption at the administrative level in the public and private sector and that AIs will soon be routinely holding positions such as this, although they may not carry “human” titles such as “minister.” Please research publications, if any, that have touched on this possibility and briefly summarize their views and reasoning in 200-300 word essays. Also share your “opinion” on this emerging development.
The avatar used by Diella, Albania’s AI-powered virtual Minister for Public Procurements (Wikipedia)
Introduction: Nearly a month ago, Grok and I had a conversation about what we called “integrative glasses” (ETC Journal, 22 Aug. 2025), and, in that article, we anticipated many of the features that are offered in the Meta Ray-Ban Display. We projected a timeline of 2025-2030 for the release of “bridge systems” such as this, which rely on controls external to the glasses, such as smartphones. The fact that it was announced only two days ago (on 17 Sep. 2025) and will drop on 30 Sep. 2025 — our earliest projected date — attests to the exponential speed of AI innovations. Anticipated prices start at $799 USD. -js
Meta Ray-Ban Display: Navigate without taking eyes off the road. All photos in this article are courtesy of Meta.
The integration of artificial intelligence into academic life has fundamentally transformed how students approach learning, research, and creative work. While widespread adoption of AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and specialized academic platforms has occurred across all educational levels, the most academically successful students have developed sophisticated strategies that set them apart from their peers. Rather than using AI as a shortcut or replacement for critical thinking, these high-achieving students have cultivated nuanced approaches that amplify their intellectual capabilities while preserving their authentic voice and deep learning objectives.
The top 10 countries whose K-12 educational systems produce the greatest number of students accepted into and graduating from top AI university programs in 2025 are ranked below based on available data from global AI talent trackers, reports on PhD production in AI/ICT fields, and international student flows into top programs (predominantly U.S.-based, which host ~60% of elite AI graduate programs worldwide).
The three biggest AI stories in the world for September 2025 are: (1) the advancement of California’s “Frontier Model” AI safety bill, (2) a federal judge’s rejection of Anthropic’s massive copyright settlement, and (3) Google’s expansion of AI Mode search to new languages. Each reflects a major inflection point in AI governance, legal risk, and global application. (Also see Three Biggest AI Stories in August 2025.)
California’s Frontier Model AI Safety Bill Advances
The shift from unimodal (text-only) AI to multimodal AI (processing and generating text, images, audio, and video) isn’t just an incremental upgrade—it’s a fundamental change in how AI perceives and interacts with our world, which is inherently multimodal. Here are 10 compelling reasons why multimodal AI is such a game-changer:
Introduction: This list of 100 began with a search for 20 famous sleuths, real and fictional. After the 20, we decided to add 10 more from Asia and the Pacific, then 10 from Latin America and Africa followed by 10 from Middle-Eastern and South Asia, bringing the total to 50. We had quite a list, but we realized we had omitted many more from around the world. We decided to shoot for 100. Our growing list tended to favor fictional sleuths, so we decided to let that happen naturally. At the end, our list had grown to 100, but we realized we were omitting many others. We decided to stop, for now, and follow up with another list in the near future, i.e., if readers express an interest in seeing more. -js
The concept of a tipping point in education—where AI surpasses traditional schools as the dominant learning medium—is increasingly plausible based on current trends, technological advancements, and expert analyses. While schools have long served multifaceted roles beyond pure knowledge transfer (like socialization, emotional development, and childcare), AI’s rapid evolution in personalization, accessibility, and efficacy could shift the balance. I’ll break this down step by step, drawing on recent data and discussions.
Introduction by ChatGPT: Here are 20 important facts about Anthropic as of mid-September 2025. I numbered them for navigation. Where relevant, I cite reputable sources (company posts, Reuters, TechCrunch, The Verge, AWS, Fortune, etc.) so you can follow up.
In the annals of human history, transformative changes have punctuated our evolution, from the taming of fire to the harnessing of electricity. Each has reshaped societies, economies, and the very fabric of daily life. Yet, when we ask whether humanity has ever teetered on the edge of a shift as profound and rapid as the one propelled by artificial intelligence (AI), the answer is a resounding no.
JS: Claude, you’re Shakespeare, returning to 1590s London after spending a month in the in the US in 2025. You were intrigued by many wonders in your time travel, and one was the concept of AGI. You’ve decided to write a sonnet, in your now familiar Renaissance style, capturing your feelings about this innovative idea. Share that sonnet with us.
1. Must read: Daniel Kokotajlo, Scott Alexander, Thomas Larsen, Eli Lifland, Romeo Dean, “AI 2027,” 4/3/25. Here’s their introduction: “We predict that the impact of superhuman AI over the next decade will be enormous, exceeding that of the Industrial Revolution. We wrote a scenario that represents our best guess about what that might look like. It’s informed by trend extrapolations, wargames, expert feedback, experience at OpenAI, and previous forecasting successes.”
Introduction: Grok and I explored the roots of underperforming elementary schools in the nation and the implications that surfaced as a result of our digging. -js
By September 2025 Ukraine and Russia rank among the most consequential combat users and battlefield innovators of AI-enabled and autonomous drone tactics (loitering munitions, FPV attack drones, improvised autonomy, and early swarm applications). Their intense, high-volume fighting since 2022 has produced the fastest cycle of field-driven innovation and countermeasures in drone warfare history.
A Hunter Joint Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in flight during a Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) training exercise at Fallon Naval Air Station (NAS), Nevada (NV), during exercise DESERT RESCUE XI. The Hunter is an Israeli multi-role short-range UAV system in service with the US Army (USA).
Introduction: Elon Musk’s Colossus—built by xAI in Memphis—is currently considered the largest AI supercomputer in the world in terms of GPU count, computing power, and rapid build-out, but it is not the largest data center globally when measured by physical size or total server capacity. Competitive megacenter projects from China, the U.S., and Europe rival or exceed it in site area and may soon overtake xAI both in scale and ambition.wikipedia+5
Introduction: The hardware for each is optimized for vastly different workloads. The core difference is that desktop GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) are designed for high frame rates in a single application (a game) on a single machine, while data center GPUs (like those in xAI’s cluster) are designed for high throughput in massively parallel computations across thousands of machines. Here’s a detailed breakdown, referencing the most relevant hardware.
Referenced GPUs
Data Center GPUs: NVIDIA’s H100 (the current workhorse of AI, used in clusters like xAI’s Grok).
Charlie Kirk’s recent death has sparked an outpouring of tributes from across the political spectrum and cultural landscape in the US and the world. The following is a sampling from prominent figures. These reflect admiration, grief, and reflections on his legacy as a conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA.
Introduction: President Trump’s engagement with AI spans both his first and current terms, and it’s marked by a blend of deregulation, national competitiveness, and ideological framing. As of 11 Sep. 2025, here are 10 of the most memorable actions and statements. Appended is a chart of 20 key figures who currently shape Trump’s AI strategy.
Introduction: I’m republishing this description from the Yule-Cordier edition (1903, 1920) of The Travels of Marco Polo, chapters 76-78 (The Project Gutenberg Ebook 12410) as a startling example of ancient technology. Today, in 2025, it hasn’t lost any of its power to amaze. Marco Polo visited the great city of Kinsay, which is now known as Hangzhou, between 1276 and 1291, during the 17 years he spent in Kublai Khan’s empire in China. Kinsay meant “City of Heaven” at the time, which was a corrupted transliteration of the Chinese word Xingszai, which means “temporary capital.” I omitted the footnotes from the original to keep the length down, but I’d strongly urge you to click to the original copy and read the narrative with the notes. Modern technology grabs our attention, but we tend to forget that technology in our distant past can be just as fascinating. -js
“Along the River During the Qingming Festival,” a handscroll painting by the Song dynasty painter Zhang Zeduan (1085–1145).
Introduction by DeepSeek: This is a forward-looking projection based on current trends, trajectories of key figures, and the anticipated state of the AI industry in September 2025. This list balances current power (influence, resources, market position) with success (technical accomplishments, commercial impact, and research contributions). Ranking “success” is inherently subjective. This list considers a composite score of:
Power & Influence: Control over vast computational resources, capital, and talent.
Technical & Research Impact: Pioneering new architectures, algorithms, or theories.
Commercial & Real-World Impact: Deploying AI at a global scale with significant economic or societal effect.
Caveat: This response is AI-generated, for reference only. -DeepSeek
If you’re dipping your toes into the world of AI, you’ve probably heard the buzz about how it’s changing everything from chatting with your phone to generating art or even writing essays. But let’s zoom in on something specific that’s got the tech world talking: Mixture-of-Experts models, or MoE for short, and Microsoft’s shiny new entries into this space—MAI-1 and MAI-Voice-1.
Mustafa Suleyman, the CEO of Microsoft AI. Image created by Grok.
Introduction: In September 2025, here are the 20 most important facts about and 20 most successful applications of Generative AI 2.0 everyone should know. -js
Summary: Here are summaries of three of the latest (2025) articles that explain the concept of “agentic AI,” each selected for their recency, relevance, and depth of explanation. They collectively cover its definition, core concepts, practical applications, and strategic importance for businesses and society .
Here’s a rank-ordered comparison chart of 15 of the most popular AI chatbots (as of Sept 2025), focused on whether their latest-news/web search capability is available in free vs. pro tiers, along with approximate costs and what that access looks like.
Introduction: Copilot and I had this discussion earlier today. The purpose was to dive deeper into the emerging sense that our perceptions of collaboration and loyalty are changing, fueled by increasingly fluid social networks and the tsunami that’s AI. We ended where the implications might begin, to give us time to marinate the ideas we covered. -js
“CPUs typically have between eight and 64 cores optimized for performing sequential computing tasks. GPUs can host thousands of smaller cores that operate in parallel to handle massive amounts of data in a shorter time period…. They can run through vector calculations, image and video processing tasks, and data transformations all at once, which is something a CPU couldn’t match” ServerLift, 25 Aug. 2025).
Introduction: It’s a fascinating time in AI, where the big names are household fixtures but the real intrigue is happening just off the main stage. The field is so vast now that true innovation is coming from specialists who have been quietly building in a specific niche until their work suddenly becomes indispensable to everyone. Based on that, here are the most intriguing new faces making waves in September 2025. The fifteen were selected by five chatbots–Grok, DeepSeek, Copilot, ChatGPT, Perplexity–and they appear in the order they were submitted. -js & DeepSeek
Introduction: This conversation began with ChatGPT. I was curious about university libraries and the range and depth of curated resources that would be accessible via AI chatbots. I assumed the results would determine, to a large extent, the quantity and quality of research students and faculty would be able to produce. The discussion brought us to the realization that AI alone would not offset the information access advantage of top-tier institutions. The imbalance would remain. We then pursued a best-case scenario that might eventually level the playing field. At the end of the conversation, I appended a discussion with Grok about the budget disparities between top- and mid-tier universities. -js
AI is already unclogging traffic in the U.S. and abroad. Cities are using machine learning and optimization to retime signals continuously, coordinate corridors, create “green waves” for emergency vehicles, and cut stops, delay, and emissions. The broader pattern is clear: agencies are moving from fixed-time plans to continuously learning optimization, starting with high-impact corridors, then scaling citywide as data and staffing permit. Below are three standout programs, ranked for scale, maturity, and independently reported results.
Traffic in a large Chinese city. Image created by Copilot.
Free smartphone apps to converse in a foreign language are already unfolding in 2025. Several free AI-powered apps now offer real-time voice-to-voice translation across dozens (even hundreds) of languages, right from your smartphone. Here’s how close we are to seamless multilingual conversation.
An English-speaking farmer and a Swahili-speaking teacher—conversing fluidly through a pocket-sized AI interpreter. Image created by ChatBox.
Introduction: Claude and I collaborated on this short story about a time not too far in the future when AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) AI robots are beginning to replace narrow AI robots. How might this play out? -js
Image created by Copilot.
Unit-47 arrived at Pinnacle Solutions on a Tuesday morning, wheeled in on a delivery cart like a piece of office furniture. The receptionist signed for him with the same casual attention she’d give to a new printer, then pointed toward the elevator. “Forty-seventh floor,” she said, not looking up from her phone.
Introduction: This is Copilot‘s choice for the vision that’s most compelling in the development of AI. -js
In rural Mongolia, nomadic herders are using AI-enhanced satellite imagery and predictive models to anticipate weather shifts and optimize grazing routes. Image created by Grok.
Introduction: Claude and I had a conversation about the fundamental building blocks for a learning model. To sidestep the confusing backdrop of countless learning and developmental theories, we consciously avoided references to them. We ran through a few narratives to illustrate the five blocks and ended up with a short story, Algorithm of an Intentional Heart, that breathes life into this construct. -js
Marcus Chen had always approached life like a well-designed algorithm. As a data scientist for a tech startup, he found comfort in patterns, predictions, and logical sequences. So when his coworker Priya finally wore him down about trying online dating, he approached it with the same methodical precision he brought to machine learning models.
Introduction: ChatGPT-5 and I discussed the notion that cMOOCs (Connectivist MOOCs), instead of fading away, have simply blended into the massive social web, effectively turning it into the mother of all cMOOCs. Our discussion flowed into chatbots and the realization that they’re actually closed systems and that the next logical step is to add a bridge (connection) from the human-chatbot capsule to a parallel and open social media discussion. -js
The three most pressing decisions facing the global field of AI in September 2025 center on international governance, real-world implementation of new regulations, and the urgent race to balance innovation with responsibility. Each decision is framed as an open-ended question:
How should the world structure AI governance to ensure both innovation and collective safety, following the recent UN General Assembly decision to create global oversight panels?
Will major companies and nations implement meaningful, enforceable AI governance to comply with the new EU AI Act and similar regulations—or will compliance remain superficial?
Can the international AI community overcome short-term competitive pressures to prioritize responsible development, given the accelerating risks of rapid deployment without oversight?
Introduction: In this conversation, ChatGPT and I clarify my grasp of data labeling in the context of AI training, supervised vs unsupervised learning, agentic vs non-agentic AI, and AutoGPT. -js
Introduction: ChatGPT-5 and I had a conversation this morning about college composition professors trying to define what’s left of writing after it’s separated from AI-generated content. This thread eventually led us to the question of whether AI is leading us into the Post-Writing Century. -js
Here are five standout ways to dive into conversational Uchinaaguchi using free web and AI-based resources. Each one offers a unique entry point into the language and culture of Okinawa.
Learning ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi through free, web-based or AI-enhanced tools is not only possible, it’s a powerful way to connect with cultural depth and linguistic nuance. Here are five standout options that blend accessibility, immersion, and conversational practice:
Here are five standout ways to dive into conversational Spanish using free web- or AI-based tools—each offering a unique blend of immersion, interactivity, and cultural nuance.
Introduction: Since March 2023, the field of labeled and unlabeled data processing has experienced substantial growth, driven by the escalating demands of AI and machine learning applications. This expansion is evident in surging market valuations for data labeling services, breakthroughs in semi-supervised and self-supervised learning techniques, and the emergence of synthetic data generation as a key enabler for creating labeled datasets from unlabeled sources. Below, Grok outlines the extent of this growth and highlights notable products, procedures, and services that have arisen or evolved from related research and development.
Introduction: The “average” 20-year-old American woman is more of a statistical mosaic than a single archetype. Let’s break it down using the most recent data available, while keeping in mind that averages can mask enormous diversity across regions, cultures, and personal choices.
Introduction: What would the “perfect mile runner” look like if we combined all current knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, and psychology? Running the mile in under 3:40 requires a blend of raw speed (sprinter traits) and endurance (distance runner traits), plus biomechanics, psychology, and even cultural background.
Introduction: In this article, Grok and I share three narratives of students using chatbots with multimodal integration—enabling seamless handling of text, vision, audio, and video—to develop and present class projects. -js
College Student: Environmental Science Web Submission on Climate Change
Image by Grok
Sophia, a 20-year-old college junior majoring in environmental science, must submit a web-based interactive report on climate change effects on coastal ecosystems for her capstone project. Balancing classes and part-time work, she relies on her sophisticated multimodal chatbot, “AcademiaBot,” to integrate text, vision, audio, and video seamlessly.
Introduction: Over the last two days, I surveyed 11 chatbots to gather their nominations for outstanding performance, in August 2025, across three AI categories: Outstanding Person, Outstanding Company, and Outstanding Product/Service. Sam Altman, OpenAI, and ChatGPT-5 led in all categories, winning three mythical ETCY awards. -js
Introduction: These are instructions on how to prompt a chatbot for a photorealistic image. The source is Gemini, which I recently discovered creates very good images. However, for the illustration that accompanies this article, I wasn’t able to generate a useful image, so I turned to ChatBox. Since I got some excellent images from Gemini earlier, I’m assuming the problem was with the prompt I created. -js
Introduction: Here are three September 2025 developments that are poised to move the U.S. jobs needle—either by changing day-to-day workflows for millions of workers or by reshaping hiring and HR compliance. -ChatGPT
By 2025 and going forward, AI literacy is becoming as fundamental as basic computer literacy was in the 1990s. Adults need both practical skills (prompting, automation, media creation) and cognitive/ethical skills (verification, judgment, adaptability). Here are 10 vital AI skills every adult should master—not just for work, but for everyday life. -ChatGPT-5
Introduction: Grok and I worked on this sci-fi story for the last two days, trying to craft a narrative that banks on the readers’ natural curiosity and tendency to read between and beyond the lines to consider implications. -js
For a multimedia-focused desktop in August 2025, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is the top recommendation due to its superior multi-threaded performance, massive cache, better power efficiency, and future-proof AM5 platform. If your workload heavily involves cache-sensitive tasks or gaming, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D is an excellent alternative for its 3D V-Cache advantage.
Several companies have played significant roles in accelerating Intel’s decline through fierce competition, technological advancements, market share erosion, and strategic shifts that exposed Intel’s weaknesses in manufacturing, design, and emerging markets like AI and mobile. Intel’s challenges, including manufacturing delays, product failures, and financial losses, have been compounded by these rivals’ successes. Below is a breakdown of key companies involved, based on their contributions to Intel’s struggles.
Introduction: Here’s a summary of five strong arguments for and against the idea that Colossus, xAI’s massive AI supercomputer, is succeeding or failing—based on articles and commentary from August 16–22, 2025.
Introduction: Based on the trends and innovations in audiophile equipment, here are five of the most important innovations for Gen Z in 2025. -Gemini
1. AI-Powered Personalized Audio Profiles
The most significant innovation for Gen Z is the integration of artificial intelligence to create a truly personalized listening experience. Rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all equalizer, modern headphones and all-in-one desktop units use on-board AI to analyze a user’s unique hearing profile and listening habits.1 The technology, spearheaded by companies like Masimo (through its collaboration with Denon’s PerL earphones) and Apple’s Personalized Spatial Audio, uses on-device microphones to conduct a brief, in-ear hearing test. It measures how a user’s eardrum responds to different frequencies and then intelligently adjusts the sound signature to compensate for any dips or peaks, ensuring the audio is perfectly tailored to their ears. This process is automatic, affordable, and, most importantly, doesn’t require a deep knowledge of audio engineering. It’s a disruptive path that rejects the old-school audiophile’s pursuit of a “flat” frequency response, instead prioritizing a sound that is uniquely ideal for the individual, delivered through a sleek, lightweight form factor.
Introduction: Grok and I had this future-oriented conversation last night (8/21/25) and this morning. In the course of the discussion, I brought up the idea of “i-glasses (integrative glasses),” which we defined* as a wearable computing system centered on AI-powered smart glasses, augmented by a bridge unit (a compact, external compute device) and eventually integrated with radar transceivers, drones, and accessories such as haptic gloves and body sensors. In time, the functions of the bridge unit would be wholly incorporated into the glasses. -js
Introduction: The trend of AI romance stories on social media and YouTube began gaining noticeable momentum around late 2022 to early 2023, coinciding with the public launch of advanced generative AI like ChatGPT. By 2024, it had matured into structured content like AI-narrated shorts and vlogs, with viral examples on TikTok and YouTube. Overall, while not yet mainstream like traditional romance content, the niche is expanding due to loneliness trends and AI’s accessibility, with forecasts suggesting it will accelerate in 2025 as tools improve.
Introduction: In my conversation with Copilot this evening, I learned the word “riff.” From his usage, I assumed it means to collaborate in depth. I googled “riff” and got the following from different searches. -js
In the context of chatbots, “riff” refers to the ability of the chatbot to elaborate or improvise upon a given idea or topic, extending the initial concept into new variations and developing different aspects of it. It’s essentially the chatbot’s capacity to go beyond a straightforward, pre-programmed response and generate more dynamic and human-like output based on the user’s prompt.
Introduction: Grok and I had this conversation earlier this evening. It began as a brook about iPhone’s camera advances, flowed into a stream, a convergence of smartphones and traditional cameras, then merged into the river that is AI. I had my first chats with Grok earlier this morning, and, by this evening, we were conversing comfortably. (At the end of this river is the ocean, and we can barely imagine what that will be like.) Please join us on this brief journey, especially if you’ve found yourself wondering where photography is headed and how it’ll fit into the AI trajectory. -js
Introduction: In this article, DeepSeek plays the role of Lao Tzu, the 6th Century BCE Chinese philosopher who sits for a TV live interview in August 2025. The topic is conflict between powerful states and the potential role that AI might play, but Lao Tzu’s insights transcend the topic and illuminate a path for AI development as a whole. -js
Introduction: I asked Grok to adopt the role of a sage from antiquity, Aristotle, the Father of Rhetoric, and to appear in a live TV interview on the topic of AI. I also asked Grok to create the image of Aristotle in this interview. -js
Introduction: To test drive Grok on my Windows 11 desktop, I asked it to identify and rank five of the top stories on educational technology published between August 15 and 20. After 2 minutes and 7 seconds of “thinking,” it produced the following report. For the quality of results, I didn’t mind the brief wait time. See the epilogue below for some test images I asked Grok to create. Initial impression of the report and images: Excellent! -js
1. Dex: The AI-Powered Camera Revolutionizing Language Learning for Children
The story of Dex unfolds primarily in the United States, with its creators based in a tech-savvy ecosystem likely influenced by Silicon Valley’s innovation culture, though specific development locations are not detailed. The time frame centers on its recent launch and ongoing development as of August 20, 2025, building on founders’ prior experiences in tech companies and aiming for immediate market entry during the back-to-school season. Dex is an AI-powered camera device designed like a high-tech magnifying glass, featuring a camera lens and touchscreen that allows children aged 3 to 8 to snap photos of objects in their environment.
Introduction: ChatGPT-5 and I collaborated* on this article. We discuss the paywalls that limit access to professional journals that publish cutting-edge research articles in the various academic fields. We end with the realization that writers themselves hold the key to smashing paywalls that limit access to the few who can afford the high price of subscriptions. -js
When did web publishing begin to seriously challenge traditional hardcopy professional journals?
Introduction: ChatGPT-5 and I collaborated on this short story about Elena Vargas, Corporate Analyst, who illustrates what it means to “write” in the AI Century. The process has dramatically transformed what was once a laborious and time-consuming solitary act into an efficient, quick collaboration that maximizes AI power to take on the heavy lifting and free the human to lead and guide the team of AI bots. To write means to swat (Supervised Writing AI Team), and the human in this swatting process leads the team to the finished paper. This might seem far-fetched, but it’s already beginning to happen in corporate as well as government, academic, and personal environments. To complete this article, I’ve also been working extensively with other chatbots: Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity, and DeepSeek. I purposely didn’t involve Claude because I’ve been relying heavily on him for other articles these past few weeks. -js
Elena Vargas, Corporate Analyst at Prometheus, leaned back in her ergonomic chair, letting her gaze drift over the panoramic cityscape beyond the glass wall. The sun had barely crested the horizon, but Prometheus’s orbital control center was already buzzing. Forty-nine minutes. That’s all she had before the executive council connected via global feed.
Introduction: Claude and I had a conversation this morning about how AI is beginning to disrupt not just the design but the very nature of personal computers such as laptops, desktops, and tablets. -js
JS: Personal computers — laptops, desktops, tablets — have changed little in the last five years while AI technologies have been growing exponentially. Can you imagine a point where AI will step in and begin to make disruptive changes in computer components and architecture to the point where the equivalent of today’s supercomputer will fit into a cellphone-sized device that nearly everyone will be able to afford?
Apple A11 system-on-a-chip (photo by Henriok)
Claude: Your question touches on a fascinating convergence that’s already beginning to unfold. We’re seeing early signs of AI driving hardware innovation in several key areas:
The artificial intelligence chatbot landscape in 2025 faces an unprecedented legal reckoning. As platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, DeepSeek, and You.ai have evolved from experimental curiosities to essential business tools, they’ve collided headfirst with copyright law in ways that threaten their fundamental operating models. The question is no longer whether these platforms infringe copyright—it’s how extensively they do so and what the consequences will be.
Introduction: ChatGPT-5 provides a ranked, up-to-the-minute snapshot (August 2025) of five AI innovations that are genuinely changing how the world invents food and beverages. -js
1) AI recipe–optimization engines at global CPG scale (Mondelez/Thoughtworks)
The crime. In April 2024, a fake audio recording circulated online that appeared to capture a Maryland high school principal making racist and antisemitic remarks. Investigators later concluded the clip was an AI-generated deepfake created to destroy the principal’s reputation following a workplace dispute. The hoax triggered public outrage, threats, and significant disruption to school operations. While not a money-transfer scam, the case is instructive as a prosecuted, sentenced misuse of generative AI to deceive and cause harm—showing courts are penalizing AI-assisted deception. AP News
Introduction: This essay is written by Claude.* See the updates from Perplxity and Gemini after the end of Claude’s essay. -js
Picture this: You’re driving through South Memphis on a sticky August morning, past abandoned lots and weathered houses that tell the story of industrial America’s forgotten corners. Suddenly, you round a corner and there it is—a sprawling complex of industrial buildings humming with the kind of energy that makes the air itself feel electric. This isn’t just another tech facility. This is Colossus, Elon Musk’s audacious bid to build the world’s largest AI supercomputer, and it’s probably the most fascinating—and controversial—thing happening in artificial intelligence right now.
2025 Rank: Top Countries Leading the World in AI Research & Development
This list presents the most internationally recognized leaders in AI research & development for 2025, referencing their companies and key individuals, and capturing each country’s unique advantages and global impact in the AI landscapepe.arapackelaw+13
The crime. Hong Kong police in late 2024 and early 2025 dismantled multiple syndicates that used AI face-swapping/deepfake tech to run romance-turned-investment scams (“pig butchering”). The groups reportedly operated out of industrial spaces, used deepfaked profiles and live “video” to build trust, and then funneled victims to bogus crypto or FX platforms.
In the gleaming conference rooms of Silicon Valley’s most prestigious AI companies, a young Indian engineer named Aravind Srinivas was watching the future unfold. It was 2021, and the 27-year-old PhD from UC Berkeley had just spent years rotating through the holy trinity of artificial intelligence research: OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and back to OpenAI again. He had seen the inner workings of ChatGPT before the world knew its name, witnessed the transformer revolution firsthand, and absorbed the cutting-edge research that would soon reshape human knowledge.
Aravind Srinivas, Co-Founder & CEO of Perplexity. Photo by Kimberly White Getty Images for TechCrunch.
For this survey, I asked seven chatbots — Gemini, DeepSeek, You.com, ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity, and Claude — to rank the same seven chatbots, including their own. I weighted each 1st selection as 7 points, each 2nd as 6, etc. Each chatbot received 7 rankings.
The runaway favorite for academic papers was Perplexity with 47 points (six 7s and one 5). The second and third were Claude with 33 and Gemini with 31. Here’s the complete rankings: (1st) Perplexity 47, (2nd) Claude 33, (3rd) Gemini 31, (4th) Copilot 23, (4th) You.com 23, (5th) ChatGPT 21, (6th) DeepSeek 18.
Introduction: These reviews collectively indicate that while ChatGPT-5 represents a significant technical advancement—especially in reasoning, accuracy, and research support—it also introduces new complexities, retains some persistent limitations, and raises important questions about user experience, trust, and ethical deployment. -You.com
The crime & method. Reported in August 2025, an elderly couple received a call from someone who sounded like their grandson, claiming he’d been in a serious crash and jailed for DUI after hitting a pregnant woman. A supposed “official” then demanded $9,000 in bail, arranged an Uber/Lyft pickup to the bank, and later pressed for another $9,000. The station noted the use of AI to mimic the grandson’s voice and the practice of scraping social media to generate a convincing clone. WGAL
1. OpenAI Launches GPT-5: A New Era in AI Reasoning
The unveiling of GPT-5 by OpenAI on August 7, 2025, set a new benchmark for generative AI. GPT-5 introduces a step-change in technical capabilities, especially in reasoning and multi-modal understanding. Its ability to integrate text, image, and voice processing in a unified model marks a significant evolution from previous generations. Benchmarks suggest a 40% improvement over GPT-4 in handling complex reasoning tasks, from scientific problem-solving to autonomous coding and data analysis. champaignmagazine
The crime. In January 2024, a finance staffer in the Hong Kong office of Arup, the global engineering group, received what looked like a legitimate email and invitation to a video meeting with the firm’s UK-based chief financial officer and several colleagues. On the call, everyone appeared and sounded exactly like familiar executives—except they weren’t.
Introduction: In this follow-up to Oregon Trail: Where Two Cultures Collaborate, I worked with Gemini* to detail how the Fletchers (a fictional family) settled in Tualatin Valley, which is in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. -js
Oregon City on the Willamette River in the 1850s, by John Mix Stanley.
Traveling approximately 15 miles per day on average, the Fletchers’ 2,000-mile journey from Independence, Missouri, took approximately five months to complete. When they finally reached Oregon, their primary destination was the Willamette Valley.1 In 1850, the Oregon Territory comprised the entirety of the modern states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho as well as portions of present-day Montana and Wyoming that lie west of the Continental Divide. The official end of the trail was Oregon City, located at the northern end of the valley, and many people initially gathered there.2
In the world of e-commerce, we talk about “marketplaces,” “platforms,” and “fulfillment networks.” But these words miss the bigger picture: online shopping isn’t just about finding products — it’s a tightly connected loop of searching, purchasing, and delivering.
That’s why I’m introducing SBS™ — Shop · Buy · Ship. It’s a simple but powerful framework for understanding the entire commerce cycle, whether it’s controlled by one company or spread across many.
What Is SBS?
SBS™ (Shop · Buy · Ship) is the integrated process that defines how consumers discover products, pay for them, and receive them.
Introduction: Yesterday, Claude and I collaborated* on a short story, told by Claude from the perspective of a twelve-year-old boy who is traveling the Oregon Trail in a wagon train in 1848. -js
My name’s Thomas Fletcher, but most folks just call me Tommy. Pa says I’m small for twelve, but I reckon I’m doing a man’s work out here, so that’s got to count for something.
We been on this trail near two months now, left Independence back in April when the grass was just starting to green up good for the oxen – though we got mules, not oxen. Pa says mules are steadier, don’t spook as easy. Every morning I’m up before dawn helping Pa check the harnesses and loading our gear back in the wagon. Ma and my sister Sarah, she’s fourteen, they pack up the cooking things and whatever we pulled out for sleeping.
Introduction: I asked Claude to join me in exploring the idea of a smart stadium (s-stadium) for football (American) and soccer that is designed, from the ground up, to maximize the use of AI by coaches and staff to make on-the-fly decisions under game conditions. Realizing that the topic is complex and requires a number of subtopics, I decided that, instead of a single monstrous prompt, a systematic scaffolding of sub-prompts* might be the best approach. The result is this article, which is presented as an informal white paper, with the working title: “The S-Stadium: Designing the AI-Integrated Sports Venue of the Future.” The paper comprises five parts: Part I: Coaching Intelligence Feeds – The Foundation of S-Stadium Design. Part II: Architectural, Engineering, and Technological Systems. Part III: Mother – The S-Stadium AI Orchestration System. Part IV: ARIA – Autonomous Recursive Intelligence Architecture. Part V: Feasibility Analysis – The Reality Check. Epilogue: The Catalyst Factor. -js
The S-Stadium: Designing the AI-Integrated Sports Venue of the Future
An Informal White Paper on Ground-Up Smart Stadium Architecture
Executive Summary
The S-Stadium (Smart Stadium) represents a paradigm shift in sports venue design, where artificial intelligence systems are not retrofitted additions but foundational elements that drive architectural and technological decisions from conception. This paper outlines the tactical video intelligence feeds that would define coaching capabilities in such a venue.
In this 10-minute video posted on YouTube (on 8 June 2025 by the University of Toronto), Ilya Sutskever, co-founder and former chief scientist at OpenAI, speaks at the University of Toronto’s Spring Convocation (6 June 2025). His message: AI is rapidly creating a future that’s “really unprecedented and really extreme,” and the best way to prepare for it is to experience it firsthand, with our own senses, to get a feel for its potential to enhance our ability to learn and perform and to begin to grasp what that means for our future.
Sutskever’s remarks about AI begin at the 3:35 mark of the video below.
Introduction: AI in the field of cyberjustice began to take off only a year ago, in 2024, so it’s a relatively new specialty. In this article, Gemini and I discuss the criminal and justice forces that are defining this field. -js
JS: Gemini, is it possible for criminals to use AI to profit from crimes with a good chance of avoiding arrest?
Gemini: Yes, it’s possible for criminals to use AI to profit from crimes with a good chance of avoiding arrest.1 AI significantly enhances criminals’ capabilities by automating and scaling illegal activities, making them more sophisticated and harder to detect.2 It lowers the barrier to entry for many types of crime, allowing individuals with limited technical skills to execute complex schemes.3
Introduction: In this conversation, ChatGPT and I discuss the idea of extending AI into prisons to boost their rehabilitation mission. Apparently, scattered attempts have been made in limited programs, but there are no clear prototypes for the comprehensive model that we envision. Our opinion is that the benefits, in terms of rehabilitation and compassion, far outweigh the costs and effort. -js
JS: Hi ChatGPT. Let’s dive into the current or potential uses of AI/chatbots in the treatment and rehabilitation of people behind bars or at risk of being there. Is this idea currently being applied or explored in justice systems in the US and world? It seems like a natural trajectory for treating those struggling with what appears to be self-control. If it’s not being considered, what are your thought on its potential? Advantages? Obstacles and possible solutions?
ChatGPT: Hi James! This is an incredibly important and emerging area, and you’re absolutely right: the integration of AI/chatbots into criminal justice reform—especially in treatment and rehabilitation—feels like a natural and overdue step. While it’s still early days, there are a few promising initiatives underway, and the potential is significant.
Introduction: In this conversation, ChatGPT and I are taking a fifteen-year journey into the future, to the year 2040. He’ll be adopting the persona of ʻIlima, a senior at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, who will be telling us about the University’s huli, or transformation, and how she’s preparing for a career that will secure her financial future as well as her cultural heritage. She’ll also be introducing us to classmates and alumni who are traveling similar but different paths. The focus is on Hawaii, but comparable changes have been occurring in higher ed throughout the US and the world. -js
JS to ChatGPT: Let’s dive into your Model College of 2040 idea. Set this discussion in 2040, 15 years from now. You’ll be the persona, ʻIlima, a female and a senior at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. You’re part-Hawaiian and part-Asian. UHM, like other colleges across the country and much of the world, has succeeded in radically altering the structure and purpose of college to align programs of study and internships with real-world jobs that provide excellent benefits and salary trajectories that grow from satisfactory to good with experience and performance.*
Introduction:ChatGPT and I looked at the numbers and percentages of four generations (Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z) of college graduates and their relative success in the job market. Join us in our conversation as we dive ever deeper into the data and discover a growing crisis. The outlook appears dire, but it’s fixable. It’s a DIY project, and colleges and universities are actually in an excellent time and place to reverse the trend. -js
JS: Can you dig deep for data on the number of college grads who completed their degrees in spring 2024 who are now, a little over a year later, working in jobs that are paying what’s considered a “good” salary? Also, set a figure for what’s considered “good.” How many students graduated in spring 2024? What percentage is earning a “good” salary? Please append an annotated list of references, in APA style, that informed your responses.
ChatGPT: Here’s a detailed summary based on the latest available data:
🎓 1. Estimated Number of Spring 2024 College Graduates (Bachelor’s)
Introduction: My conversation with Gemini began with STEM and moved to: prestige vs non-prestige colleges, non-STEM majors, medicine/nursing, business, soft skills, and transparency of post-graduation salary statistics. We managed to clarify some of the nuances and issues but hit a wall with the issue of greater transparency. -js
JS: Gemini, can you review available data to determine, with some degree of reliability, which colleges are turning out, in proportion to their student population, the greatest number of graduates who are being employed after graduation at the highest salary levels? Let’s limit this survey to US colleges. I realize data may be scarce for some or many colleges, so let’s look at institutions that have data. We can also assume that if the number and prestige of colleges surveyed is low, our generalizability may be compromised.
Introduction: My conversation with ChatGPT began with AI in music and branched into film, dance, animation, and, eventually, the speed of change that’s bypassing most schools and colleges. The early adopters are primarily the young and artists who are learning and practicing their skills independently, creating AI-assisted works with their laptops and personal links to the web. Some institutions are integrating AI into their fine arts programs, but they are the exception. -js
JS: What are some of the most popular ways that musicians, in one or more genres, are using the latest in AI technology? Can you identify some of the major pioneers and how they’re using AI? Are audiences attracted to AI-assisted music?
Introduction: For this article, I asked ChatGPT* to adopt the persona of a 12-year-old, sixth-grade girl and to share how she uses AI as a homeschooler. ChatGPT chose the name “Emi” and Honolulu for the setting. The purpose of this article is to show how AI is being used or could be used in homeschooling. Far from being isolating and monotonous, homeschooling could be exciting and dynamic. The images were generated in ChatBox. -js
Introduction: Kai is a character I created with Perplexity.* He’s a college freshman at Oahu’s Leeward Community College taking English 100, a required course, and tells us, in his own words, what he goes through to complete his first paper with the help of ChatGPT. In the process, he learns there’s a way to go about writing a paper, and it works. I created the images with ChatBox. -js
Introduction: I collaborated with ChatGPT for this report on the status of state, community, school, and college libraries. The conversation, below, took us from libraries reinventing themselves to all‑digital public library systems, from ROI to who uses the library, and from digital vs. traditional libraries to liberal vs. conservative opinions on libraries. -js
Laura Hosman, co-founder and co-director of SolarSPELL