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).
Educational Technology and Change Journal 
