AI Journal 160th Edition

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Swiss Workers Embrace AI—But Often Break Rules and Trust Remains Low
A KPMG survey reveals 77% of Swiss workers use AI at work—many in violation of company rules, such as uploading sensitive data to public tools. While 63% report AI-related errors, 74% don’t verify AI outputs. Despite low training rates, 57% feel confident using AI. Still, trust remains low, with 65% of Swiss favoring legal regulation.
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California Taps Generative AI to Improve Public Services
Governor Newsom announced a statewide initiative to integrate generative AI into California's public services. The program aims to enhance traffic flow, road safety, and customer service without cutting services. AI will analyze highway data, reduce congestion, and streamline tax support. Stemming from a 2023 executive order, the plan also boosts civic engagement through the new Engaged California platform.
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Decentralized AI Training Gains Momentum.
Startups Flower AI and Vana developed Collective-1, a 7B-parameter AI model trained using globally distributed GPUs and user-contributed private data. Their open-source tool, Photon, enables scalable, flexible training without centralized data centers. This approach could democratize AI development, offering smaller entities access to frontier capabilities while maintaining data privacy and ownership for contributors.
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AI Tool Speeds Permits for Wildfire Recovery in LA.
Los Angeles launched a new AI-powered tool Wednesday to cut permitting delays for wildfire victims. Led by Steadfast LA and founder Rick Caruso, the initiative aims to fast-track rebuilding efforts. Supported by local and state leaders, the tool promises quicker return to homes for thousands, marking a major step in tech-driven disaster recovery.
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Akka Empowers Enterprises with Flexible Agentic AI Deployment.
Akka now enables enterprises to deploy agentic AI systems on any infrastructure with two new options: self-managed Akka nodes and self-hosted Akka Platform regions. These updates eliminate platform lock-in, offering Docker-based flexibility and full operational control. This marks a major step in simplifying scalable, resilient distributed system development while supporting Akka's expanding role in enterprise AI.
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India Leads in Daily AI Adoption, Driving Modernization Across Sectors
India tops global AI tool usage, with 41% of citizens integrating AI into daily life, surpassing the U.S. and U.K., according to Statista. Reports from Gartner, Elsevier, and Deloitte highlight India's rapid AI-driven modernization across sectors like government, banking, and telecom, despite scalability and security challenges in adopting complex, multimodal AI systems.
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AI in Funding

AI in Education

• IIT-BHU signs MoU with US institute to advance AI education in India. Link

• The Halifax school district has established guidelines to ensure the ethical and safe use of artificial intelligence in classrooms. Link

• New Holstein Board of Education hears report on use of AI. Link

• Trump's executive order promotes AI in education, forming a task force, funding teacher training, and launching national student challenges. Link

Interesting Posts

• A new study accuses LM Arena of favoring top AI firms by allowing hidden tests, boosting their leaderboard rankings unfairly. Link

• Google's Gemini chatbot now allows editing AI-generated and uploaded images, rolling out globally with support for 45+ languages soon. Link 

• IBM and ESA launched TerraMind, an open-source Earth model trained on TerraMesh, the largest geospatial dataset, advancing Earth observation AI. Link

• AI startup Cluely claims undetectable cheating tech; rivals like Validia and Proctaroo say they can detect and stop it. Link

• AI's impact on corporate tax is substantial. 94% optimistic, 88% foresee AI centrality in 5 years, 42% currently exploring AI solutions. Link 

• Berkeley Lab pioneers AI tools accelerating research, enabling new discoveries, and keeping U.S. science and technology globally competitive across disciplines. Link

• AI in banking uses machine learning algorithms to detect and prevent fraud, enhancing security and reducing financial crime risks effectively. Link