7 skills Harvard says will keep you employed in the age of ChatGPT - Times of India

Generative AI is transforming workplaces. Harvard research highlights seven key human skills that will keep workers valuable. These include critical thinking, AI fluency, complex problem-solving, communication, lifelong learning, ethical judgment and experimentation. Mastering these abilities will allow individuals to effectively leverage AI tools and navigate the evolving job market. Employers will prioritise these durable human capabilities.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/7-skills-harvard-says-will-keep-you-employed-in-the-age-of-chatgpt/articleshow/124550008.cms

Growing share of Americans say the U.S. higher education system is headed in the wrong direction - Pew Research

In the new survey, majorities across all major demographic groups share the view that the U.S. higher education system is going in the wrong direction. But some groups are more likely than others to say this. For example, adults who have a four-year college degree are somewhat more likely than those without a college degree to express this view (74% vs. 69%). A line chart showing that views of higher education have turned more negative in both parties. Similarly, 77% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say the higher education system is going in the wrong direction, compared with a smaller majority (65%) of Democrats and Democratic leaners. In both parties, these shares have gone up by at least 10 percentage points since 2020 – and the gap between Republicans and Democrats has narrowed.

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/10/15/growing-share-of-americans-say-the-us-higher-education-system-is-headed-in-the-wrong-direction/

‘Urgent need’ for more AI literacy in higher education, report says - Anna McKie, Research Professional News

There is an “urgent need” to improve AI literacy among both staff and students at British universities, according to a report from the Higher Education Policy Institute. The report takes a broad view on how AI is reshaping higher education, including institutional strategy, teaching and assessment, research, and professional services. Wendy Hall, an internet pioneer and director of the Web Science Institute at the University of Southampton, and Giles Carden, chief strategy officer at Southampton, state in the report’s foreword that “simply acknowledging AI’s presence is insufficient”. “Active, informed engagement and a structured approach to skill development are paramount to ensure universities remain relevant and effective,” they say.

https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-universities-2025-10-urgent-need-for-more-ai-literacy-in-higher-education-report-says/

Concern and excitement about AI - Jacob Poushter, Moira Fagan and Manolo Corichi, Pew Research Center

A median of 34% of adults across 25 countries are more concerned than excited about the increased use of artificial intelligence in daily life. A median of 42% are equally concerned and excited, and 16% are more excited than concerned. Older adults, women, people with less education and those who use the internet less often are particularly likely to be more concerned than excited. Roughly half of adults in the U.S., Italy, Australia, Brazil and Greece say they are more concerned than excited about the increased use of AI in daily life. But in 15 of the 25 countries polled, the largest share of people are equally concerned and excited. In no country surveyed is the largest share more excited than concerned about the increasing use of AI in daily life.

https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2025/10/15/concern-and-excitement-about-ai/

Sharing Resources, Best Practices in AI - Ashley Mowreader, Inside Higher Ed

While generative artificial intelligence tools have proliferated in education and workplace settings, not all tools are free or accessible to students and staff, which can create equity gaps regarding who is able to participate and learn new skills. To address this gap, San Diego State University leaders created an equitable AI alliance in partnership with the University of California, San Diego, and the San Diego Community College District. Together, the institutions work to address affordability and accessibility concerns for AI solutions, as well as share best practices, resources and expertise. In the latest episode of Voices of Student Success, host Ashley Mowreader speaks with James Frazee, San Diego State University’s chief information officer, about the alliance and SDSU’s approach to teaching AI skills to students.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/academic-life/2025/10/17/podcast-san-diego-colleges-create-equitable-ai

Rethinking student assessment in the age of AI - Max Lu, University World News

As large language models (LLMs) demonstrate astounding capability, they are increasingly being used for tasks once reserved for human judgement. From evaluating essays to assessing conversational exams in medical training, LLMs are increasingly being considered for use beyond formative feedback, including in the high-stakes world of summative assessment. Their appeal is obvious, but before we delegate the complex task of evaluation to algorithms, we must ask a more fundamental question: To what extent does an LLM’s rating represent a student’s actual capability?

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20251008171609398

How to Teach Critical Thinking When AI Does the Thinking - Timothy Cook, Psychology Today

Students who've learned dialogic engagement with AI behave completely differently. They ask follow-up questions during class discussions. They can explain their reasoning when challenged. They challenge each other's arguments using evidence they personally evaluated. They identify limitations in their own conclusions. They want to keep investigating beyond the assignment requirements. The difference is how they used it. This means approaching every AI interaction as a sustained interrogation. Instead of "write an analysis of symbolism in The Great Gatsby," students must "generate an AI analysis first, then critique what it missed with their own interpretations of the symbolism. “What assumptions does the AI make in its interpretation and how could it be wrong?" “What would a 20th-century historian say about this approach?” “Can you see these themes present in The Great Gatsby in your own life?”

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-algorithmic-mind/202510/how-to-teach-critical-thinking-when-ai-does-the-thinking

‘The Future of Teaching in the AI Age’ Draws Hundreds of Educators to Iona University - Iona University

“At Iona, we are choosing to engage with AI not because it is fashionable, but because it is necessary. Our students, and of course us as educators as well, are entering a world where AI will shape – or has begun to shape already – nearly every profession, from health care to business to education itself,” said Tricia Mulligan, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at Iona. “AI can provide outputs in seconds, but it cannot help us discern whether those outputs are true, fair, ethical, or good. That work remains profoundly human. Our role as educators is to guide students in cultivating this habit of discernment, so that they graduate not just knowing how to use the latest tool, but how to direct it toward the service of humanity.”

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/10/06/3161914/0/en/The-Future-of-Teaching-in-the-AI-Age-Draws-Hundreds-of-Educators-to-Iona-University.html

‘It would almost be stupid not to use ChatGPT’ - Hoger Onderwijs Persbureau, Resource Online Netherlands

Amid widespread concern among lecturers about students’ use of AI tools, public philosopher Bas Haring mostly sees opportunities: ‘Outsourcing part of the thinking process to AI shouldn’t be prohibited.’ Bas Haring annoyed a lot of people with a provocative recent experiment. For one of his students last year, the philosopher and professor of public understanding of science delegated his responsibilities as a thesis supervisor to AI. The student discussed her progress not with Haring, but with ChatGPT – and the results were surprisingly positive. While Haring may be excited about the outcome of his experiment, not everyone shares his enthusiasm. Some have called it unethical, irresponsible, unimaginative and even disgusting. It has also been suggested that this could provide populists with an excuse to further slash education budgets.

https://www.resource-online.nl/index.php/2025/10/07/it-would-almost-be-stupid-not-to-use-chatgpt/?lang=en

How to lead through the AI disruption - Ruba Borno, McKinsey

Prompt engineering as a career path now seems almost quaint. The speed of AI capability is burning a future path for work and leaving recent convictions in the dust. Few executives see the pace of AI innovation as closely as Ruba Borno. As vice president of the Global Specialists and Partners group at Amazon Web Services (AWS), she works with partners and customers across industries to turn rapid technological advances into business impact. On this episode of the At the Edge podcast, she speaks with McKinsey Senior Partner Lareina Yee about leadership strategies, how to avoid pilot purgatory, and why AI security doesn’t slow growth, but speeds it up.

https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/how-to-lead-through-the-ai-disruption

C-RAC Releases Statement on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) - MSCHE

On October 6, 2025, the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC) released a Statement on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Advance Learning Evaluation and Recognition. C-RAC stated: 

Put simply, the use of AI in learning evaluation does not conflict with accreditation standards, policies, or practices.  Accreditation is never a reason to not implement technology solutions that leverage AI for learning evaluation. Since innovating to advance student success is a central tenet of accreditation expectations, C-RAC supports the exploration and application of transparent, accountable, and unbiased AI solutions within the practice of learning evaluation and credit transfer. 

https://www.msche.org/2025/10/06/c-rac-releases-statement-on-the-use-of-artificial-intelligence-ai/

As we celebrate teachers, AI is redefining the classroom - Hani Shehada, CGTN

Hani Shehada, a special commentator for CGTN, is a regional manager at Education Above All Foundation's Al Fakhoora Program. He works on global interventions that provide access to higher education for young people whose futures have been disrupted by war and injustice. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN. 

Artificial intelligence is not knocking politely on the door of higher education; it is kicking it wide open. What we thought would take decades is happening in just a few years. In some cases, in months. Universities that stood for centuries as the ultimate gatekeepers of knowledge are now watching that monopoly evaporate in real time. Here lies the irony: the very institutions that claim to prepare us for the future are themselves unprepared for the speed at which the future is arriving. And that forces us to ask a deeper question: What were universities for in the first place?

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-10-05/As-we-celebrate-teachers-AI-is-redefining-the-classroom-1HdvUEhKQSY/p.html

Higher Education AI Transformation 2030 - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

We have begun a transformation in higher education that will make us more responsive, efficient and effective at achieving our multiple missions. This will not be easy or without trauma, but it is necessary. To build this new future, we must first rethink the very foundations of our institutions. This is not about adding a few new apps to the learning management system. Rather, it’s about a fundamental re-architecture of how we operate, how we teach and how we define the work of our faculty and students. Key factors include institutional strategy, pedagogy and the future of work. 

https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/online-trending-now/2025/10/15/higher-education-ai-transformation-2030

From Detection to Development: How Universities Are Ethically Embedding AI for Learning - Isabelle Bambury, Higher Education Policy Institute

The Universities UK Annual Conference always serves as a vital barometer for the higher education sector, and this year, few topics were as prominent as the role of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). A packed session, Ethical AI in Higher Education for improving learning outcomes: A policy and leadership discussion, provided a refreshing and pragmatic perspective, moving the conversation beyond academic integrity fears and towards genuine educational innovation. Based on early findings from new independent research commissioned by Studiosity, the session’s panellists offered crucial insights and a clear path forward. 

https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2025/10/03/from-detection-to-development-how-universities-are-ethically-embedding-ai-for-learning/

Four Ways To Improve The Selection Of Leaders -Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes

Few decisions have greater consequences for an organization than the appointment of its leaders. The right leaders can elevate culture, accelerate innovation, and deliver sustainable results. The wrong ones destroy value, diminish trust, and push talented employees out the door. If you’ve ever worked under an incompetent boss, you don’t need the data to tell you how damaging bad leadership can be. But the data is unequivocal: poor leadership selection costs companies billions in disengagement, attrition, and underperformance. It is no exaggeration to say that leadership selection determines the fate of organizations and, by extension, societies. Whether in the corporate world, politics, or sport, getting it wrong is expensive. Getting it right is transformative.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomaspremuzic/2025/09/29/four-ways-to-improve-the-selection-of-leaders/

William & Mary launches ChatGPT Edu pilot - Laren Weber, William and Mary

The initiative is a collaboration between the School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics (CDSP), Information Technology, W&M Libraries and the Mason School of Business and is part of a broader push to embed advanced AI into everyday academic life.  The pilot will explore how AI can enhance teaching, research and university operations, while also gathering feedback to guide the responsible and effective use of AI across campus. The results will help shape how W&M leverages AI to advance our world-class academics and research. Additionally, faculty and staff outside of the pilot who are interested in purchasing an Edu license can visit the W&M ChatGPT Edu site for more information.  

https://news.wm.edu/2025/10/01/william-mary-launches-chatgpt-edu-pilot/

UMass Students Showcase AI Tools Built for State Agencies - Government Technology

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey invited University of Massachusetts, Amherst students to create AI tools to assist public agencies. The students traveled to Boston last week to share their work.  Government leaders in Massachusetts are looking to university students as partners in delivering AI services to their constituents, and a recent showcase highlighted how these collaborations have simplified user experiences with state technology.

https://www.govtech.com/education/higher-ed/umass-students-showcase-ai-tools-built-for-state-agencies

The agentic organization: Contours of the next paradigm for the AI era - Alexander Sukharevsky, et al; McKinsey

AI is bringing the largest organizational paradigm shift since the industrial and digital revolutions (see sidebar, “The evolution of operating models”). This new paradigm unites humans and AI agents—both virtual and physical—to work side by side at scale at near-zero marginal cost. We call it the agentic organization. McKinsey’s experience working with early adopters indicates that AI agents can unlock significant value. Organizations are beginning to deploy virtual AI agents along a spectrum of increasing complexity: from simple tools that augment existing activities to end-to-end workflow automation to entire “AI-first” agentic systems. In parallel, physical AI agents are emerging. Companies are making strides in developing “bodies” for AI, such as smart devices, drones, self-driving vehicles, and early attempts at humanoid robots. These machines allow AI to interface with the physical world.

https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-agentic-organization-contours-of-the-next-paradigm-for-the-ai-era

Winning through the turns: How smart companies can thrive amid uncertainty - McKinsey

We are living through a period of nearly unprecedented upheaval. Measures of global uncertainty have been rising steadily, according to McKinsey research, and are now nearly double where they stood in the mid-1990s.1 From the pandemic-induced digital acceleration to the ongoing AI revolution, businesses have been caught in a whirlwind of change, which has been exacerbated by new geopolitical tensions and an increasingly uncertain regulatory landscape. This combination of shocks has created one of the most difficult environments leaders have faced—and one that likely won’t change anytime soon. 

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/winning-through-the-turns-how-smart-companies-can-thrive-amid-uncertainty

ChatGPT Study Mode - Explained By A Learning Coach - Justin Sung, YouTube

The main issue is that the interaction remains very user-led, as Study Mode struggles to dynamically adjust its teaching to a beginner's exact level or pinpoint the root cause of confusion without specific, targeted input from the student [10:10]. The coach found that a passive learner could be stuck in confusion for 30 minutes, whereas an active, metacognitive learner was able to break through the same confusion in just two minutes by asking the right questions [16:15]. Ultimately, the host recommends using Study Mode for targeted study with specific questions, advising that users must embrace active, effortful thinking because effective learning cannot be made easy [19:18]. [summary provided in part by Gemini 2.5 Flash]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3jNwwuvqx8

Linking digital competence, self-efficacy, and digital stress to perceived interactivity in AI-supported learning contexts - Jiaxin Ren, Juncheng Guo & Huanxi Li, Nature

As artificial intelligence technologies become more integrated into educational contexts, understanding how learners perceive and interact with such systems remains an important area of inquiry. This study investigated associations between digital competence and learners’ perceived interactivity with artificial intelligence, considering the potential mediating roles of information retrieval self-efficacy and self-efficacy for human–robot interaction, as well as the potential moderating role of digital stress. Drawing on constructivist learning theory, the technology acceptance model, cognitive load theory, the identical elements theory, and the control–value theory of achievement emotions, a moderated serial mediation model was tested using data from 921 Chinese university students. The results indicated that digital competence was positively associated with perceived interactivity, both directly and indirectly through a sequential pathway involving the two forms of self-efficacy.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-18873-3

Sans Safeguards, AI in Education Risks Deepening Inequality - Government Technology

A new UNESCO report cautions that artificial intelligence has the potential to threaten students’ access to quality education. The organization calls for a focus on people, to ensure digital tools enhance education. While AI and other digital technology hold enormous potential to improve education, a new UNESCO report warns they also risk eroding human rights and worsening inequality if deployed without deliberately robust safeguards. Digitalization and AI in education must be anchored in human rights, UNESCO argued in the report, AI and Education: Protecting the Rights of Learners, and the organization urged governments and international organizations to focus on people, not technology, to ensure digital tools enhance rather than endanger the right to education.

https://www.govtech.com/education/k-12/sans-safeguards-ai-in-education-risks-deepening-inequality

From Veterans to Caregivers—The Importance of Expanding Remote Education for Women Worldwide - Brittany R. Collins, Ms. Magazine

Taking the above into consideration, we need to continue normalizing and destigmatizing nontraditional remote learning opportunities as valid, accessible pathways toward women’s realization of their right to an education. This means expanding the number of hybrid and remote learning options available through well-established colleges and universities. It means rethinking the types of technological adaptations deemed as “undue hardships” in the context of student disability. It means investing in longitudinal research regarding best pedagogical practices—the impacts of evidence-based instructional interventions in the remote learning milieu—and in the professional development of online instructors in synchronous and asynchronous online programs to ensure impact. 

https://msmagazine.com/2025/09/27/remote-learning-online-school-women/

The relationship between online learning self-efficacy and learning engagement: the mediating role of achievement motivation and flow among registered nurses - Tong Zhou, Frontiers Psychology

Online learning self-efficacy influences RN learning engagement both directly and indirectly, with mediation effects exerted through achievement motivation and flow. These findings highlight the importance of fostering self-efficacy and motivational processes to enhance engagement in online nursing education.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1629174/full

We’re introducing GDPval, a new evaluation that measures model performance on economically valuable, real-world tasks across 44 occupations. - OpenAI

We found that today’s best frontier models are already approaching the quality of work produced by industry experts. To test this, we ran blind evaluations where industry experts compared deliverables from several leading models—GPT‑4o, o4-mini, OpenAI o3, GPT‑5, Claude Opus 4.1, Gemini 2.5 Pro, and Grok 4—against human-produced work. Across 220 tasks in the GDPval gold set, we recorded when model outputs were rated as better than (“wins”) or on par with (“ties”) the deliverables from industry experts, as shown in the bar chart below.... We also see clear progress over time on these tasks. Performance has more than doubled from GPT‑4o (released spring 2024) to GPT‑5 (released summer 2025), following a clear linear trend. In addition, we found that frontier models can complete GDPval tasks roughly 100x faster and 100x cheaper than industry experts.

https://openai.com/index/gdpval/

We urgently call for international red lines to prevent unacceptable AI risks. - AI Red Lines

Some advanced AI systems have already exhibited deceptive and harmful behavior, and yet these systems are being given more autonomy to take actions and make decisions in the world. Left unchecked, many experts, including those at the forefront of development, warn that it will become increasingly difficult to exert meaningful human control in the coming years.  Governments must act decisively before the window for meaningful intervention closes. An international agreement on clear and verifiable red lines is necessary for preventing universally unacceptable risks. These red lines should build upon and enforce existing global frameworks and voluntary corporate commitments, ensuring that all advanced AI providers are accountable to shared thresholds. We urge governments to reach an international agreement on red lines for AI — ensuring they are operational, with robust enforcement mechanisms — by the end of 2026. 

https://red-lines.ai/?utm_source=newsletter.theaireport.ai&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=200-world-leaders-demand-ai-red-lines&_bhlid=11a58d14d5cf5f15774f2f52256329b3db7ab7ea

AI Hallucinations May Soon Be History - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

On Sept. 14, OpenAI researchers published a not-yet-peer-reviewed paper, “Why Language Models Hallucinate,” on arXiv. Gemini 2.5 Flash summarized the findings of the paper: "Systemic Problem: Hallucinations are not simply bugs but a systemic consequence of how AI models are trained and evaluated. Evaluation Incentives: Standard evaluation methods, particularly binary grading systems, reward models for generating an answer, even if it’s incorrect, and punish them for admitting uncertainty. Pressure to Guess: This creates a statistical pressure for large language models (LLMs) to guess rather than say “I don’t know,” as guessing can improve test scores even with the risk of being wrong."

https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/online-trending-now/2025/10/01/ai-hallucinations-may-soon-be-history

Charting the GenAI Blue Ocean: A paradigm shift in business education - Bert Verhoeven, Dr Vishal Rana, Dr Timothy Hor - University of Oxford

The rise of Generative AI (GenAI) signals not just technological progress but a seismic shift in how industries innovate, compete, and create value. Beyond chatbots and workflow automation, GenAI’s potential lies in its ability to personalise experiences, analyse data in real time, and redefine market opportunities. In an era where traditional competition—marked by diminishing margins in "red oceans"—feels increasingly obsolete, the fusion of GenAI with Kim and Mauborgne’s (2005) concept of the Blue Ocean Strategy unlocks new frontiers of innovation, enabling Higher Education to transcend zero-sum competition and imagine entirely new paradigms, reconfiguring the relationship between institutions, teachers, learners, and markets. Blue Ocean Strategy focuses on creating new, uncontested market spaces by redefining industry boundaries and delivering unique value to customers. It shifts the focus from competing in existing markets to innovating and unlocking new demand.

https://aieou.web.ox.ac.uk/article/charting-genai-blue-ocean

US faces shortfall of 5.3M college-educated workers by 2032 - Laura Spitalniak, Higher Ed Dive

Nursing, teaching and engineering would experience the largest gaps, per a study from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. The U.S. will need over 5 million additional workers who have at least some postsecondary education by 2032, according to a report released Tuesday by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. Of that total, 4.5 million will need at least a bachelor’s degree, according to the report. Degree-requiring positions facing “critical skills shortages” include nurses, teachers and engineers, it said.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/us-faces-shortfall-of-53m-college-educated-workers-by-2032/760155/

Learning analytics-informed teaching strategies: enhancing interactive learning in STEM education - Ying Zheng &Dexian Li, Taylor and Francis Online

Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 1,483 students and 95 teachers through random and purposive sampling. The findings indicate adaptive learning technologies significantly improve student performance by tailoring instruction to individual needs. Real-time educational data analysis enables early identification of disengagement, facilitating timely interventions. Additionally, insights into student interaction patterns inform the development of evidence-based teaching strategies that foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The study highlights the transformative role of educational data mining in creating immersive learning environments that enhance conceptual understanding and practical application, reducing achievement gaps among diverse student populations.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10494820.2025.2553113

The infrastructure moment - Alastair Green, Ishaan Nangia, and Nicola Sandri - McKinsey

A confluence of global forces is accelerating the need for infrastructure investment. Outdated assets, rapid urbanization, geopolitical shifts, and technological advancements are exposing the limitations of yesterday’s infrastructure. These forces are also changing the very definition of infrastructure. Traditionally, the term has been synonymous with assets such as power grids, roads, ports, and bridges. More recently, advances in technology have meant that newer assets such as fiber-optic networks, hyperscale data centers, and electric-vehicle charging stations are increasingly vital. These modern types of infrastructure share traits with “traditional” infrastructure, including long lifespans, significant initial investment, predictable and resilient cash flows, and critical economic roles.

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/infrastructure/our-insights/the-infrastructure-moment

Linking digital competence, self-efficacy, and digital stress to perceived interactivity in AI-supported learning contexts - Jiaxin Ren, Nature

As artificial intelligence technologies become more integrated into educational contexts, understanding how learners perceive and interact with such systems remains an important area of inquiry. This study investigated associations between digital competence and learners’ perceived interactivity with artificial intelligence, considering the potential mediating roles of information retrieval self-efficacy and self-efficacy for human–robot interaction, as well as the potential moderating role of digital stress. Drawing on constructivist learning theory, the technology acceptance model, cognitive load theory, the identical elements theory, and the control–value theory of achievement emotions, a moderated serial mediation model was tested using data from 921 Chinese university students. The results indicated that digital competence was positively associated with perceived interactivity, both directly and indirectly through a sequential pathway involving the two forms of self-efficacy. 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-18873-3

Google Notebook LM’s Capabilities and Impact: Expert analysis from - Agentic Brain, AI Report

 The rapid expansion of artificial-intelligence tools has produced dozens of note-taking and research assistants, but few have delivered a coherent, end-to-end learning experience. Google’s Notebook LM stands out because it blends multimodal analysis, grounded responses and interactive learning aids into a single platform. Released in 2023 and continuously updated, Notebook LM has quickly become one of the most impressive AI-enhanced research agents available today. Unlike traditional chatbots that draw on general internet knowledge, Notebook LM grounds every response in the documents you provide. Uploads can include PDFs, Google Docs, Google Slides, websites, YouTube videos, audio files or plain text. Once added, the system becomes an “instant expert” on your materials. You can converse with it in a familiar chat interface or any of the following incredibly diverse capabilities

https://www.theaireport.ai/partner-columns/google-notebook-lms-capabilities-and-impact

The Declining ROI of MBA Degrees and the Rise of Alternative Skill-Building Platforms - Eli Grant, AInvest

- Micro-credentials ($500–$5K) offer faster ROI (12–18 months) with 15%–30% salary boosts, prioritizing job-ready skills over generalized degrees.

- Employers increasingly value micro-credentials equally to MBAs (68% LinkedIn survey), reflecting a shift toward skills over degree prestige.

- Hybrid models (e.g., MIT MicroMasters) and AI-driven learning platforms are reshaping education by blending affordability with personalized, on-demand upskilling.

https://www.ainvest.com/news/declining-roi-mba-degrees-rise-alternative-skill-building-platforms-2509/

Google narrows the gap with ChatGPT as millions tap Nano Banana to make hyperrealistic 3D figurines. - Robert Hart, the Verge

The surge has likely propelled Gemini to the top of various app stores around the world. At the time of writing, Gemini is the leading iPhone app on Apple’s App Stores in the US, UK, Canada, France, Australia, Germany, and Italy. In many cases, it reached the prime position by surpassing OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which now sits in second place. On September 11th, Woodward said “India has found” the image editor and later said that Google was going to have to implement “temporary limits” on usage in order to manage extreme demand. “It’s a full-on stampede to use” Gemini, he said, adding that the “team is doing heroics to keep the system up and running.” So, what’s driving the surge? While a variety of edits have been popular, the runaway hit of Nano Banana has people turning themselves — or their pets — into 3D figurines. 

https://www.theverge.com/news/778106/google-gemini-nano-banana-image-editor

First-of-its-kind AI tool to save 75% of academics’ time - Sara AlKuwari, Khaleej Times

Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) in the United Arab Emirates has announced the launch of the region’s first AI-powered academic agent, a pioneering tool designed to save up to 75% of faculty members’ time while enhancing students’ academic achievement by 40%, marking a significant step in reshaping the future of higher education, writes Sara AlKuwari for Khaleej Times. The initiative, titled Artificial Intelligence Agent for Every Faculty, is the first of its kind in the UAE and the wider region. It integrates advanced AI capabilities into higher education in line with the UAE National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031 and Education Strategy 2033.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20250913105932566

White House AI Task Force Positions AI as Top Education Priority - Julia Gilban-Cohen, GovTech

When Trump administration officials met with ed-tech leaders at the White House last week to discuss the nation’s vision for artificial intelligence in American life, they repeatedly underscored one central message: Education must be at the heart of the nation’s AI strategy. Established by President Trump’s April 2025 executive order, the White House Task Force on AI Education is chaired by director of science and technology policy Michael Kratsios, and is tasked with promoting AI literacy and proficiency among America’s youth and educators, organizing a nationwide AI challenge and forging public-private partnerships to provide AI education resources to K-12 students.

https://www.govtech.com/education/k-12/white-house-ai-task-force-positions-ai-as-top-education-priority

The common future of humans and artificial intelligence will be “hybrid professions”! - Uskudar University (Turkey)

On the place that “hybrid professions,” where humans and AI work together, will hold in the future, Dr. İldiz explained: “The definition of a hybrid profession is shaped by how much you can adapt to AI, how you integrate it into your life, and the boundaries you set with your professional expertise. This can provide a future where we do not lose our human aspects but continue to grow, both for ourselves and for our world.” 

https://uskudar.edu.tr/en/new/the-common-future-of-humans-and-artificial-intelligence-will-be-hybrid-professions/62826

Got AI skills? You can earn 43% more in your next job - and not just for tech work - Webb Wright, ZDnet

Demand for AI skills is on the rise across industries. A single AI skill makes a huge difference in listed salaries. Different industries are looking for different AI skills. As businesses race to adopt AI, they're placing a higher premium on job candidates who know their way around the technology. A recent study from labor market research firm Lightcast found that jobs requiring AI-related skills offer higher annual salaries than those that don't. This is true not only in tech-heavy industries like IT and computer science but also across a range of other sectors.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/got-ai-skills-you-can-earn-43-more-in-your-next-job-and-not-just-for-tech-work/

Did OpenAI just solve hallucinations? - Matthew Berman, YouTube

The video explains that hallucinations are ingrained in the models' construction, functioning more as features than bugs. This is compared to human behavior, where guessing on a test might be rewarded, leading models to guess rather than admit uncertainty. The core issue is the absence of a system that rewards models for expressing uncertainty or providing partially correct answers. The proposed solution involves creating models that only answer questions when they meet a certain confidence threshold and implementing a new evaluation system. This system would reward correct answers, penalize incorrect ones, and assign a neutral score for "I don't know" responses. The video concludes by suggesting that the solution lies in revising how models are evaluated and how reinforcement learning is applied. (summary provided in part by Gemini 2.5 Plus)

youtube.com/watch?si=bKmPqaT8ihGTtWDn&v=xGO5Q94XXf0&feature=youtu.be

How AI Impacts Academic Thinking, Writing and Learning - Does AI make for better grades or better thinkers? - Michael Hogan, et al; Psychology Today

Over-reliance on AI risks eroding students’ knowledge and skill development through reduced cognitive effort. In writing tasks, findings suggests that students primarily prompt ChatGPT for data, facts, and information. Educators need activity designs that encourage questioning and verification rather than blind AI acceptance.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-one-lifespan/202509/how-ai-impacts-academic-thinking-writing-and-learning

OPINION: AI can be a great equalizer, but it remains out of reach for millions of Americans; we cannot let that continue - Erin Mote, Hechinger Report

This digital divide is a persistent crisis that deepens societal inequities, and we must rally around one of the most effective tools we have to combat it: the Universal Service Fund. The USF is a long-standing national commitment built on a foundation of bipartisan support and born from the principle that every American, regardless of their location or income, deserves access to communications services. Without this essential program, over 54 million students, 16,000 healthcare providers and 7.5 million high-need subscribers would lose internet service that connects classrooms, rural communities (including their hospitals) and libraries to the internet.

https://hechingerreport.org/opinion-ai-can-be-a-great-equalizer-but-it-remains-out-of-reach-for-millions-of-americans-we-cannot-let-that-continue/

OPINION: Schools cannot teach AI literacy without a way to measure it - Amit Sevak, Hechinger Report

Everywhere you look, someone is telling students and workers to “learn AI.”  It’s become the go-to advice for staying employable, relevant and prepared for the future. But here’s the problem: While definitions of artificial intelligence literacy are starting to emerge, we still lack a consistent, measurable framework to know whether someone is truly ready to use AI effectively and responsibly.  And that is becoming a serious issue for education and workforce systems already being reshaped by AI. Schools and colleges are redesigning their entire curriculums. Companies are rewriting job descriptions. States are launching AI-focused initiatives. 

https://hechingerreport.org/opinion-schools-cannot-teach-ai-literacy-without-a-way-to-measure-it/

Duke University pilot project examining pros and cons of using artificial intelligence in college - AP

As part of a new pilot with OpenAI, all Duke undergraduate students, as well as staff, faculty and students across the University’s professional schools, gained free, unlimited access to ChatGPT-4o beginning June 2. The University also announced DukeGPT, a University-managed AI interface that connects users to resources for learning and research and ensures “maximum privacy and robust data protection.” Duke launched a new Provost’s Initiative to examine the opportunities and challenges AI brings to student life on May 23. The initiative will foster campus discourse on the use of AI tools and present recommendations in a report by the end of the fall 2025 semester. 

https://www.wral.com/story/duke-university-pilot-project-examining-pros-and-cons-of-using-artificial-intelligence-in-college/22146542/

Worst to first: What it takes to build or remake a world-class team - Kevin Carmody, Mark Hojnacki, and Rick Gold with Shayne Skov; McKinsey

Building a team is hard; building a winning team is even harder. For every organization that manages to achieve the right mix of talent, culture, and performance expectations, many more find themselves lacking in one area or another. Consider the following cautionary tales. One team of “superstars” in a large technology organization failed to gel simply because they could not agree on working norms. Another high-performing group underachieved because the executive team and line managers had very different views of their roles: Executives were frustrated by line managers’ hesitancy to make and own critical decisions, while the line managers were afraid to be labeled as failures by these same executives if their moves deviated too far from the status quo. Both sides pointed fingers at each other when outcomes failed to meet expectations.

https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/transformation/our-insights/worst-to-first-what-it-takes-to-build-or-remake-a-world-class-team

Why liberal arts schools are now hopping on skills-based microcredentials - Alcino Donadel, University Business

New market demands are pushing small, four-year liberal arts colleges to offer microcredentials, indicating growing momentum across sectors of higher education to elevate workforce readiness within their academic offerings. Chief learning officers at community colleges are leading the charge in expanding non-degree offerings, reporting the highest levels of institutional investment in this area. Meanwhile, large research universities—like the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville—are catching up. However, strict faculty governance and curriculum processes and different accreditation standards have caused some liberal arts schools to lag, says Mike Simmons, an associate executive director at the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

https://universitybusiness.com/why-liberal-arts-schools-are-now-hopping-on-skills-based-microcredentials/

Academics must be open to changing their minds on acceptable AI use - Ava Doherty, Times Higher Education

Honest and open-ended conversations over how AI can be productively used in the learning journey are needed, not ChatGPT bans, says Ava Doherty. Students today face a striking paradox: they are among the most technologically literate generations in history, yet they are deeply anxious about their career prospects in an artificial intelligence-driven future. Since the launch of ChatGPT, the rapid advance of artificial intelligence (AI) has fundamentally reshaped the graduate job market. This shift presents unique challenges and opportunities for students, universities and the broader higher education sector.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/academics-must-be-open-changing-their-minds-acceptable-ai-use

Navigating the AI Revolution in Higher Education - Alyse Jordan, Frontiers in Education

A systematic review conducted in the first nine months following ChatGPT's release provides valuable early insights into how AI has affected teaching, curriculum design, and assessment practices in higher education. The review identified both benefits and threats of AI integration, offering preliminary evidence to inform institutional policies and faculty practices (Liang et al., 2025). As the authors note, this represents "a first wave" of research, acknowledging how quickly AI systems are evolving and changing educational landscapes.Additionally, in specialized fields such as Mechanical Engineering Education (MEE), AI integration demonstrates unique applications and challenges. Research shows that AI significantly enhances learning experiences through technologies like computer-aided translation and natural language processing, making education more accessible and interactive.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1682901/abstract

On-screen and now IRL: FSU researchers find evidence of ChatGPT buzzwords turning up in everyday speech - McKenzie Harris, Florida State University News

Recent large-scale upticks in the use of words like “delve” and “intricate” in certain fields, especially education and academic writing, are attributed to the widespread introduction of LLMs with a chat function, like ChatGPT, that overuses those buzzwords. “The changes we are seeing in spoken language are pretty remarkable, especially when compared to historical trends,” Juzek said. “What stands out is the breadth of change: so many words are showing notable increases over a relatively short period. Given that these are all words typically overused by AI, it seems plausible to conjecture a link.” Words including “surpass,” “boast,” “meticulous,” “strategically,” and “garner” have also seen considerable increases in usage since the release of ChatGPT. While these words are often used in a formal or academic tone, which makes them less common in unscripted, spoken language, researchers found that nearly three-quarters of these target words showed increased usage with some more than doubling in frequency.

https://news.fsu.edu/news/education-society/2025/08/26/on-screen-and-now-irl-fsu-researchers-find-evidence-suggesting-chatgpt-influences-how-we-speak/

Balancing AI And Human Intellect In Higher Education - Noreen Saher, The Friday Times

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming higher education, particularly for research students who stand at the intersection of technological innovation and scholarly inquiry. AI offers unprecedented intellectual opportunities, yet it simultaneously presents profound challenges to academic integrity. The central task is not to privilege Artificial Intelligence (AI) over Original Intelligence (OI), or vice versa, but to cultivate a sophisticated equilibrium between the two. Only through this balance can higher education institutions preserve the authenticity of scholarship while embracing the possibilities of technological advancement.

https://www.thefridaytimes.com/29-Aug-2025/balancing-ai-and-human-intellect-in-higher-education

How people and technology can achieve more together - McKinsey

In the new world of work, success depends on how well humans and technology can partner. Research by Lareina Yee, Michael Chui, and Roger Roberts shows that while most organizations are investing in gen AI, few are realizing its full benefits—and the barrier isn’t just technical. Employees are adopting AI faster than many leaders expected, but without the right support, they can’t harness its full potential. Building “superagency” means embedding AI into everyday workflows, fostering trust between people and machines, and giving teams the skills to guide and collaborate with AI systems. For organizations, this is a roadmap to productivity and innovation; for individuals, it’s a chance to amplify your capabilities and shape how work is done in the AI era. Check out these insights to learn how to turn AI adoption into lasting human and organizational advantage.

https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-guide-to-navigating-the-new-world-of-work/how-people-and-technology-can-achieve-more-together

Mass Intelligence: From GPT-5 to nano banana: everyone is getting access to powerful AI - Ethan Mollick, One Useful Thing

There have been two barriers to accessing powerful AI for most users. The first was confusion. Few people knew to select an AI model. Even fewer knew that picking o3 from a menu in ChatGPT would get them access to an excellent Reasoner AI model, while picking 4o (which seems like a higher number) would give them something far less capable. According to OpenAI, less than 7% of paying customers selected o3 on a regular basis, meaning even power users were missing out on what Reasoners could do. Another factor was cost. Because the best models are expensive, free users were often not given access to them, or else given very limited access. Google led the way in giving some free access to its best models, but OpenAI stated that almost none of its free customers had regular access to reasoning models prior to the launch of GPT-5.

https://www.oneusefulthing.org/p/mass-intelligence

Why did the CSU spend millions on ChatGPT amid a budget crisis? We asked school leaders - Julia Barajas, LAist

CSU CIO Ed Clark explained. We were [also] seeing that some universities in our own system were starting to negotiate deals with these vendors, but then others couldn't afford to do that. So, we're thinking: “We're not going to create a digital divide within our own system. We're going to make sure that everybody has access to these tools.” And we buttress that with: We believe that these tools are going to become fundamental, just like the internet is today — every industry, every academic field, every discipline is going to be using these tools. So, we need our students, our community members, to engage with them now. We're not going to wait until we're far behind everybody else ... to give this access. And on the workforce side, in terms of student preparation, we already know that employers are expecting students to graduate with [AI] skills. ... We want our students to be prepared for the workforce or graduate school or whatever they're going to do when they leave the CSU.

https://laist.com/news/education/csu-artificial-intelligence-chatgpt-budget-gap-administrators

Colleges see significant drop in international students as fall semester begins - Elissa Nadworny, NPR

Over the last six months the Trump Administration has clamped down on international student visas, temporarily pausing and then revamping the student visa interview process and bringing more scrutiny to the vetting system. That led to long delays and meant many accepted students couldn't get appointments at embassies or consulates in time for the start of the fall semester. "I only had one goal from the beginning, it was to go to college here, so if I didn't reach that goal it would have been very painful," explains Shivaka Sing, a freshman psychology major from New Delhi. When she got accepted to Buffalo she joined a group chat of other students from India. Many of them couldn't get a visa appointment in time to start the fall semester with her. "Most of them are now transferring to the U.K. because of the visa situation," she says. "Some are planning to defer to the spring semester."

https://www.nprillinois.org/2025-08-27/colleges-see-significant-drop-in-international-students-as-fall-semester-begins

A ‘Great Defection’ threatens to empty universities and colleges of top teaching talent - Jon Marcus, Hechinger Report

Paulina Cossette spent six years getting a doctoral degree with the goal of becoming a university professor. But it wasn’t long before she gave up on that path. With higher education under political assault, and opportunities as well as job security diminished by enrollment declines, Cossette felt burnt out and disillusioned. So she quit her hard-won job as an assistant professor of American government at a small private college in Maryland and used the skills she’d learned to go into business for herself as a freelance copy editor. Now Cossette is hearing from other newly minted Ph.D.s and tenured faculty who want out — so many, she’s expanded her business to help them leave academia, as she did. 

https://hechingerreport.org/a-great-defection-threatens-to-empty-universities-and-colleges-of-top-teaching-talent/ 

Team building for a new era - McKinsey

In the new world of work, teams operate with more autonomy, speed, and complexity than ever before. Research by Aaron De Smet, Gemma D’Auria, Maitham Albaharna, and coauthors challenges common myths about teamwork and introduces data-driven models to help teams thrive. Their analysis highlights three archetypes—cycling, relay, and rowing—each requiring a distinct approach to drive performance. By understanding these patterns and the conditions that fuel collaboration, leaders can build teams that are resilient, innovative, and ready to meet the demands of a rapidly changing workplace. Check out these insights to learn what makes teams effective in today’s environment and how to position yours for lasting success.

https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-guide-to-navigating-the-new-world-of-work/team-building-for-a-new-era

Your next move: Thriving in a changing job market - McKinsey

In a job market marked by rapid change, many HR functions are still reacting to change rather than preparing for it—leaving gaps in workforce planning, hiring success, and skills development, according to McKinsey research from Julian Kirchherr, Vincent Bérubé, and coauthors. For individuals, that means opportunity for those ready to act. By building future-facing skills, seeking feedback, and being strategic about career moves, you can position yourself to advance, pivot, or land a new role even as organizations adapt to shifting needs. Check out these insights to stay ahead of shifting workforce trends, sharpen your competitive edge, and take charge of your career trajectory.

https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-guide-to-navigating-the-new-world-of-work/your-next-move-thriving-in-a-changing-job-market

AI Is Eliminating Jobs for Younger Workers - Will Knight, Wired

Economists at Stanford University have found the strongest evidence yet that artificial intelligence is starting to eliminate certain jobs. But the story isn’t that simple: While younger workers are being replaced by AI in some industries, more experienced workers are seeing new opportunities emerge. Erik Brynjolfsson, a professor at Stanford University, Ruyu Chen, a research scientist, and Bharat Chandar, a postgraduate student, examined data from ADP, the largest payroll provider in the US, from late 2022, when ChatGPT debuted, to mid-2025. The researchers discovered several strong signals in the data—most notably that the adoption of generative AI coincided with a decrease in job opportunities for younger workers in sectors previously identified as particularly vulnerable to AI-powered automation (think customer service and software development). In these industries, they found a 16 percent decline in employment for workers aged 22 to 25.

https://www.wired.com/story/stanford-research-ai-replace-jobs-young-workers/

Taking AI Welfare Seriously - Robert Long, et al; arXiv

In this report, we argue that there is a realistic possibility that some AI systems will be conscious and/or robustly agentic in the near future. That means that the prospect of AI welfare and moral patienthood, i.e. of AI systems with their own interests and moral significance, is no longer an issue only for sci-fi or the distant future. It is an issue for the near future, and AI companies and other actors have a responsibility to start taking it seriously. We also recommend three early steps that AI companies and other actors can take: They can (1) acknowledge that AI welfare is an important and difficult issue (and ensure that language model outputs do the same), (2) start assessing AI systems for evidence of consciousness and robust agency, and (3) prepare policies and procedures for treating AI systems with an appropriate level of moral concern. To be clear, our argument in this report is not that AI systems definitely are, or will be, conscious, robustly agentic, or otherwise morally significant.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.00986

A ‘Great Defection’ threatens to empty universities and colleges of top teaching talent - Jon Marcus, Hechinger Report

An exodus appears to be under way of Ph.D.s and faculty generally, who are leaving academia in the face of political, financial and enrollment crises. It’s a trend federal data and other sources show began even before Trump returned to the White House. On top of everything else affecting higher education, this is likely to reduce the quality of education for undergraduates, experts say. Nearly 70 percent of people receiving doctorates were already leaving higher education for industry, government and other sectors, not including those without job offers or who opted to continue their studies, according to the most recent available figures from the National Science Foundation — up from fewer than 50 percent decades ago.

https://hechingerreport.org/a-great-defection-threatens-to-empty-universities-and-colleges-of-top-teaching-talent/

Anthropic’s Higher Ed AI Board Signals Shift From Tools To Guardrails - Dan Fitzpatrick, Forbes

Today, the company behind the AI chatbot Claude announced two initiatives designed to shape how institutions adopt AI. The first is the creation of a Higher Education Advisory Board made up of distinguished academic leaders. The second is the launch of three new AI Fluency courses aimed at both students and faculty. The moves underscore Anthropic’s dual strategy to influence policy through academic leadership while providing practical tools to accelerate adoption. Anthropic was founded in 2021 by former OpenAI employees and is known for its “safety-first” approach to AI. Its foray into education seems to reflect this ethos. “The choices made in the next few years about how AI enters the classroom will shape a generation’s relationship with both technology and learning,” the company said in its announcement.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danfitzpatrick/2025/08/21/anthropics-higher-ed-ai-board-signals-shift-from-tools-to-guardrails/

Are States Prepared for Workforce Pell? - Sara Weissman, Inside Higher Ed

Some states are going to have a harder time than others proving their noncredit programs are eligible for Pell money, a new report says. But they can start preparing now. Workforce Pell is now a reality and federal aid dollars are expected to flow to low-income students in short-term programs as soon as next July. But now comes the hard work of figuring out which programs are eligible—and some states aren’t ready, according to a new report from the State Noncredit Data Project, which helps community college systems track data related to noncredit programs. Not all states collect the data needed to make that determination, and some offer programs that wouldn’t make the cut, the report concluded.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-innovation/alternative-credentials/2025/08/28/are-states-prepared-workforce-pell

Ex-Google exec says degrees in law and medicine are a waste of time because they take so long to complete that AI will catch up by graduation - Preston Fore, Fortune

“AI itself is going to be gone by the time you finish a PhD. Even things like applying AI to robotics will be solved by then,” Jad Tarifi, the founder of Google’s first generative-AI team, told Business Insider. Tarifi himself graduated with a PhD in AI in 2012, when the subject was far less mainstream. But today, the 42-year-old says, time would be better spent studying a more niche topic intertwined with AI, like AI for biology—or maybe not a degree at all. “Higher education as we know it is on the verge of becoming obsolete,” Tarifi said to Fortune. “Thriving in the future will come not from collecting credentials but from cultivating unique perspectives, agency, emotional awareness, and strong human bonds. “I encourage young people to focus on two things: the art of connecting deeply with others, and the inner work of connecting with themselves.”

https://fortune.com/2025/08/18/ex-google-exec-ai-founder-jad-tarifi-advanced-degrees-phd-waste-of-time-higher-education-becoming-obsolue/

At one elite college, over 80% of students now use AI – but it’s not all about outsourcing their work - Germán Reyes, Middlebury, The Conversation

Over 80% of Middlebury College students use generative AI for coursework, according to a recent survey I conducted with my colleague and fellow economist Zara Contractor. This is one of the fastest technology adoption rates on record, far outpacing the 40% adoption rate among U.S. adults, and it happened in less than two years after ChatGPT’s public launch. What we found challenges the panic-driven narrative around AI in higher education and instead suggests that institutional policy should focus on how AI is used, not whether it should be banned.

https://brookingsregister.com/premium/theconversation/stories/at-one-elite-college-over-80-of-students-now-use-ai-but-its-not-all-about-outsourcing,148387

Carol Gilbert: A Different Way to Learn - KQED

Do I think all online learning is bad? Certainly not. Using smart educational software, educators can use student data to develop individualized learning programs that include all of the support that students need to be successful. Future online education is anticipated to evolve in a manner that combines virtual reality, artificial intelligence and global cooperation. These advancements hold great promise, but a teacher with whom you connect will always be needed. With a Perspective, I am Carol Gilbert.

https://www.kqed.org/perspectives/201601146360/carol-gilbert-a-different-way-to-learn

'This stuff is moving so quickly': Utah Tech leaders discuss AI, unveil new cybersecurity degree - Nick Fiala, St. George News / KSL

Utah Tech University spent part of its recent Fall Academic Convocation discussing the evolving use of artificial intelligence in both business and academia and how best to implement it in the future. The university also announced on Wednesday that it will be launching a new program this fall for students to acquire a bachelor of science degree in cybersecurity. The new cybersecurity degree will reportedly offer coursework in areas including ethical hacking, cloud and IoT security, cyber law and infrastructure defense. The university added that the program anticipates enrolling 35 students by its third year. "IoT" refers to "Internet of Things," meaning devices equipped to exchange data over the internet.

https://www.ksl.com/article/51361734/this-stuff-is-moving-so-quickly-utah-tech-leaders-discuss-ai-unveil-new-cybersecurity-degree

Does GenAI provide the opportunity for creativity to take centre stage? - Ioannis Glinavos, Times Higher Education

For centuries, universities have delivered scarce expertise. We stacked programmes like layer cakes: first theory, then practice, finally – if there was time – a sprinkle of creativity. Generative AI flips that order. Because routine skills are on tap, the bottleneck shifts upstream to ideation: spotting problems worth solving and framing them so the machine can help.

How should assessors use AI for marking and feedback?

An insider’s guide to how students use GenAI tools

Three reasons to harness AI for interdisciplinary collaboration

That demands divergent thinking, curiosity and ethical judgement – qualities our assessment regimes often squeeze out. We  need to treat creativity as a core literacy, not a decorative extra. Don’t get me wrong, skills are not irrelevant – they just look different. Prompt craft, data stewardship and model critique replace manual citation and calculator drills. But they are means, not ends.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/does-genai-provide-opportunity-creativity-take-centre-stage

Claude Opus 4 and 4.1 can now end a rare subset of conversations - Anthropic

We recently gave Claude Opus 4 and 4.1 the ability to end conversations in our consumer chat interfaces. This ability is intended for use in rare, extreme cases of persistently harmful or abusive user interactions. This feature was developed primarily as part of our exploratory work on potential AI welfare, though it has broader relevance to model alignment and safeguards. In pre-deployment testing of Claude Opus 4, we included a preliminary model welfare assessment. As part of that assessment, we investigated Claude’s self-reported and behavioral preferences, and found a robust and consistent aversion to harm. This included, for example, requests from users for sexual content involving minors and attempts to solicit information that would enable large-scale violence or acts of terror. Claude Opus 4 showed:

A strong preference against engaging with harmful tasks;

A pattern of apparent distress when engaging with real-world users seeking harmful content; and

A tendency to end harmful conversations when given the ability to do so in simulated user interactions.

https://www.anthropic.com/research/end-subset-conversations

AI Is Designing Bizarre New Physics Experiments That Actually Work - Anil Ananthaswamy, Wired

Although AI has not yet led to new discoveries in physics, it’s becoming a powerful tool across the field. Along with helping researchers to design experiments, it can find nontrivial patterns in complex data. For example, AI algorithms have gleaned symmetries of nature from the data collected at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland. These symmetries aren’t new—they were key to Einstein’s theories of relativity—but the AI’s finding serves as a proof of principle for what’s to come. Physicists have also used AI to find a new equation for describing the clumping of the universe’s unseen dark matter. “Humans can start learning from these solutions,” Adhikari said.

https://www.wired.com/story/ai-comes-up-with-bizarre-physics-experiments-but-they-work/

Anti-Perfectionist Productivity Coach - There's an AI for That (TAAFT) on Notion

This prompt turns the AI into a high-empathy, anti-perfectionist productivity coach, someone who doesn’t force rigid systems onto messy lives but instead creates flexible, psychologically safe, adaptive frameworks. It’s designed for people who struggle with traditional productivity advice because of real-life unpredictability, resistance patterns, emotional fluctuations, or perfectionistic paralysis. Instead of treating resistance as a flaw, it treats it with curiosity and compassion, helping users map where and why they get stuck, and designing flexible, adaptive plans around their real patterns. The system emphasizes weekly momentum over daily rigidity, deep work tuned to natural energy rhythms, and reflection that prioritizes learning, not self-criticism. Everything in the prompt is built around the core philosophy: progress over perfection, always.

https://taaft.notion.site/Anti-Perfectionist-Productivity-Coach-1e1ed82cbfd380b0a7ead6eed58a0cfa

AI in the Classroom: MIT Study Explores ChatGPT and Critical Thinking - University of Louisiana at LaFayette, Distance Learning

As instructional designers and technologists within the Office of Distance Learning, one of our goals is to help faculty navigate new and changing technologies in education, including AI. Our website includes a reference bank of generative AI tools and possible uses, as well as guidelines for both encouraging and preventing AI usage. We’re in good company as institutions worldwide consider the role of AI in education, including MIT. Recently, the MIT Media Lab published a study raising important questions about how generative AI may be shaping student learning.  

https://louisiana.edu/distancelearning/blog/ai-classroom-mit-study-explores-chatgpt-and-critical-thinking

OpenAI’s Deep Research Agent Is Coming for White-Collar Work - Will Knight, Wired

Deep Research is available as part of all paid ChatGPT plans, although most users are capped at 10 queries per month. (People on the $200 ChatGPT Pro plan get 120 queries per month.) It takes a query, such as “Write me a report on the Massachusetts health insurance industry,” or “Tell me about WIRED’s coverage of the Department of Government Efficiency,” and then comes up with a plan, searching for relevant websites, combing through their content, and deciding what links to click and what information deserves further investigation. After exploring for sometimes tens of minutes, it synthesizes its findings into a detailed report, which may include citations, data, and charts.

https://www.wired.com/story/openais-deep-research-agent-is-coming-for-white-collar-work/

Why Faculty Hold The Keys To Higher Ed’s AI Digital Transformation - Aviva Legatt, Forbes

If the 20th century belonged to the textbook, the 21st belongs to the prompt. In lecture halls from Toronto to San Diego to Ho Chi Minh City, students are already co-writing their education with algorithms. Nearly 80% of undergraduates worldwide are already using generative AI, often daily. What’s missing is not adoption—it’s alignment. While students are busy teaching themselves AI, most universities remain frozen between prohibition and pilot. Eighty percent of students report that they have no structured AI support for teaching or learning, even as employers accelerate toward AI-mandatory job descriptions. This is more than a skills gap. It’s pedagogical infrastructure debt—every semester without faculty readiness compounds the cost and complexity of catching up.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/avivalegatt/2025/08/10/why-faculty-hold-the-keys-to-higher-eds-ai-digital-transformation/

Education as a driving force for self-determination, equity, and the reclamation of knowledge systems - Education International

Marking the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (9 August), President Mugwena Maluleke reaffirmed Education International’s commitment to Indigenous Peoples’ right to free, quality, public education that is culturally relevant. On 9 August and every day, Education International (EI) member organisations defend and promote the collective rights of Indigenous educators and students, advocating for their voices to be heard and reflected in the education policies that affect their communities. Education unions also stand as allies to broader movements for land rights, cultural preservation, climate justice, and decolonisation.

https://www.ei-ie.org/en/item/30885:education-as-a-driving-force-for-self-determination-equity-and-the-reclamation-of-knowledge-systems

How should higher ed prepare students for a world where AI is everywhere? - Dayton Daily News

The roThe role of education today should be to create broadly literate students who understand how things work, why they work that way, and what the consequences are of inventing and adopting new writing tools. Educators need to face our current moment by teaching the students in front of us and designing learning environments that meet the times, not looking to the past. AI is not to blame for cheating. If students are cheating to get good grades, that is a logical consequence of turning college into diploma factories that churn out workers. We need to rethink that role of college as a degree factory.

https://www.daytondailynews.com/ideas-voices/how-should-higher-ed-prepare-students-for-a-world-where-ai-is-everywhere/KH7RBPRLVZDB7HNPK2XGSZRVR4/

OpenAI says they are no longer optimizing ChatGPT to keep you chatting — here’s why - Amanda Caswell, Tom's Guide

With over 180.5 million monthly active users and nearly 2.5 billion prompts per day, OpenAI recently revealed it is optimizing ChatGPT to help, not hook. In a new blog post titled “What we’re optimizing ChatGPT for,” OpenAI revealed it’s moving away from traditional engagement metrics like time spent chatting. Instead, the company says it’s now prioritizing user satisfaction, task completion and overall usefulness. This is an unconventional stance, as apps like TikTok, Meta, and similar Silicon Valley companies strive to keep users tied to their screens.

https://www.tomsguide.com/ai/openai-says-they-are-no-longer-optimizing-chatgpt-to-keep-you-chatting-heres-why

These College Professors Will Not Bow Down to A.I. - Jessica Grose, NY Times

Where does this leave college students? Gen Z is not giving up on the arts or the pleasures of reading and thinking for themselves. As A.I. creates chaos and uncertainty in the market for entry-level jobs, more students may react by following their passion for the humanities; why begrudgingly major in tech or business if it doesn’t even lead to employment? There’s some evidence that humanities departments are rebounding after a long period of decline. U.C. Berkeley, which is considered one of the best public universities in the country, has seen a nearly 50 percent increase in majors in their arts and humanities division over the past four years.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/06/opinion/humanities-college-ai.html?unlocked_article_code=1.cU8.c-6B.tz9aF4s4j4jW&smid=url-share

OpenAI Announces Massive US Government Partnership - Joe Schiffer and Will Knight, Wired

OpenAI is partnering with the US government to make its leading frontier models available to federal employees. Under the agreement, federal agencies can access OpenAI’s models for $1 for the next year, per a Wednesday announcement from the company and the General Services Administration (GSA). The partnership is the culmination of months of effort on the part of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and other OpenAI executives, who have been cozying up to the Trump administration since before President Donald Trump retook the White House in January. In a statement emailed to WIRED, Altman said: “One of the best ways to make sure AI works for everyone is to put it in the hands of the people serving the country. 

https://www.wired.com/story/openai-is-giving-chatgpt-federal-workers/

Researchers create ‘virtual scientists’ to solve complex biological problems - Hanae Armitage, Stanford

Stanford Medicine researchers created a team of virtual scientists backed by artificial intelligence to help solve problems in their real-world lab. There may be a new artificial intelligence-driven tool to turbocharge scientific discovery: virtual labs. Modeled after a well-established Stanford School of Medicine research group, the virtual lab is complete with an AI principal investigator and seasoned scientists. “Good science happens when we have deep, interdisciplinary collaborations where people from different backgrounds work together, and often that’s one of the main bottlenecks and challenging parts of research,” said James Zou, PhD, associate professor of biomedical data science who led a study detailing the development of the virtual lab. “In parallel, we’ve seen this tremendous a  Researchers create ‘virtual scientists’ to solve complex biological problems - Hanae Armitage, Stanford dvance in AI agents, which, in a nutshell, are AI systems based on language models that are able to take more proactive actions.”

https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/07/virtual-scientist.html

ChatGPT’s Study Mode Is Here. It Won’t Fix Education’s AI Problems - Reece Rogers, Wired

OpenAI’s new study mode for ChatGPT throws questions back at students, but the learning feature doesn’t address generative AI’s underlying disruption of education. The mode is designed around the Socratic method, so when activated, OpenAI’s generative AI chatbot rejects direct requests for answers, instead guiding the user with open-ended questions. The new study mode is available to most logged-in users of ChatGPT, including those on the free version.

https://www.wired.com/story/chatgpt-study-mode/

CSU Faculty Projects Test AI for Creative Majors, Design - Abby Sourwine, GovTech

 Sixty-three projects funded by the California State University system are experimenting with generative AI, from single-course pilots to full program overhauls, and producing open resources for others to consult. In classrooms across the California State University (CSU) system, faculty are looking to turn generative artificial intelligence from a disrupter into a teaching tool. From musical theater production to departmentwide curriculum redesigns, instructors are testing how generative AI can support creativity and critical thinking. The experiments are part of 63 faculty-led projects launched in the CSU system this summer as part of a push to bring AI into curricula. Funded through CSU’s inaugural AI Educational Innovations Challenge, the projects range from arts and humanities pilots to general education reforms and full program overhauls.

https://www.govtech.com/education/higher-ed/csu-faculty-projects-test-ai-for-creative-majors-curriculum-design

150K fewer international students this fall? That’s what one analysis predicts. - Ben Unglesbee, Higher Ed Dive

A sharp drop in foreign enrollment could cost colleges $7 billion in revenue and 60,000 jobs, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators. International enrollment at U.S. colleges could drop by as much as 150,000 students this fall unless the federal government ramps up its issuing of visas this summer, according to recent projections from NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The financial consequences could be severe. A 30% to 40% decline in new foreign students would lead to a 15% overall drop in international enrollment and, with it, a potential loss of $7 billion in revenue for colleges and 60,000 higher education jobs, NAFSA estimated. The organization attributed the projected decline to various Trump administration actions, including travel bans and an earlier suspension of visa interviews. NAFSA called on Congress to direct the State Department to expedite processing for student visas.  

https://www.highereddive.com/news/international-student-decline-fall-2025-projection/756500/

1 in 2 graduates say their college major didn’t prepare them for today’s market - Carolyn Crist, Higher Ed Dive

Respondents report feeling unprepared in numerous ways, especially in finding a job after graduation and navigating student debt and personal finances. Beyond that, 1 in 6 Americans who went to college said they regret it. When thinking about their college experience, college graduates said their top regrets included taking out student loans, not networking more and not doing internships. “One of the main concepts of seeking higher education after high school is that college will prepare you for the rest of your life. While some graduates leave their alma mater feeling prepared to enter the workforce and begin their career, others feel underprepared,” according to the report.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/americans-believe-their-college-major-didnt-prepare-them-for-market/754144/

Google Just Defeated Human Genius: Why Even Google’s CEO Is Terrified - Julia McCoy, YouTube

This podcast discusses Google's recent AI breakthrough with their Gemini model, enhanced with "deep think," which achieved a gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). This demonstrates the AI's unprecedented reasoning capabilities, solving complex mathematical problems that have long stumped human experts. Google attributes this to "parallel thinking," where the AI explores multiple solution paths simultaneously, and its training on multi-step reasoning and problem-solving. This achievement signifies a shift in AI development from pre-training with facts to teaching AI how to think and improve itself. The breakthrough has significant implications for Google's technologies, including search algorithms and advertising optimization. There was also a controversy with OpenAI, who announced similar results prematurely. Google is rolling out these advanced reasoning capabilities to Google AI Ultra subscribers first, giving them a considerable advantage. The podcast emphasizes that this development is happening faster than anticipated, and viewers are encouraged to learn about AI to benefit from this revolution. (summary provided in part by Gemini 2.5 Flash)

https://youtu.be/FXSNC92o70k?si=Ql9WrnGwoHjbQZ6b

AI in the University: From Generative Assistant to Autonomous Agent This Fall - Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Education

We have become accustomed to generative artificial intelligence in the past couple of years. That will not go away, but increasingly, it will serve in support of agents. “Where generative AI creates, agentic AI acts.” That’s how my trusted assistant, Gemini 2.5 Pro deep research, describes the difference. By the way, I commonly use Gemini 2.5 Pro as one of my research tools, as I have in this column, however, it is I who writes the column. Agents, unlike generative tools, create and perform multistep goals with minimal human supervision. The essential difference is found in its proactive nature. Rather than waiting for a specific, step-by-step command, agentic systems take a high-level objective and independently create and execute a plan to achieve that goal. This triggers a continuous, iterative workflow that is much like a cognitive loop.

https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/online-trending-now/2025/08/05/ai-university-assistant-autonomous-agent

Six Tactics to Get Better Results From AI - Ethan Mollick, et al; Knowledge at Wharton

Achieving valuable results from AI is as much about the quality of your prompts as the capabilities of the tool. You can be a more effective “human in the loop” by refining your ability to formulate clear, specific, and context-rich queries, and obtain more useful solutions and actionable insights as a result. Here are six key tactics — grounded in Wharton research — to help you create more effective AI prompts for business applications.

https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/six-tactics-to-get-better-results-from-ai/

Americans Recognize Nuances of Higher Ed’s Value - Kathryn Palmer, Inside Higher Ed

New data shows that confidence in higher education is on the rise and most Americans, regardless of party affiliation, share a similar vision for what colleges should prioritize. A group of university students are seen from behind walking outside on campus as they make their way to class. Most Democrats and Republicans believe higher ed should equip students to become informed citizens and critical thinkers. “Increasingly, higher ed is being cast as elite, expensive and not connected with everyday Americans,” said Sophie Nguyen, senior policy manager with the higher education team at New America, the left-leaning think tank that published its annual Varying Degrees survey on Wednesday. “There’s a significant disconnect in the narrative about what higher ed is” and how it’s perceived.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/academics/2025/07/17/americans-recognize-nuances-higher-eds-value

How higher education is coping with surging budget deficits - Alcino Donadel, University Business

Budget cuts—followed by tuition increases and staff layoffs—at Duke, Cornell, Johns Hopkins and Harvard universities midway through the spring semester sent shockwaves through the higher education community as the sector copes with challenging deficits. Their struggles proved to be the canary in the coal mine for further announcements from more than a dozen colleges and universities through the summer. “This is a day of loss for all of us,” wrote four executive leaders from Boston University as they announced 120 staff layoffs last week. “Over the coming months, there will be many efforts to reshape and reimagine the university in its most efficient and vital form.”

https://universitybusiness.com/how-higher-education-is-coping-with-surging-budget-deficits/

Mapping the AI economy: Which regions are ready for the next technology leap - Mark Muro and Shriya Methkupally, Brookings

Artificial intelligence is transforming the U.S. economy, yet regional disparities in talent development, research capacity, and enterprise adoption are stark, and not yet fully understood.  AI activity remains highly concentrated, with the Bay Area alone accounting for 13% of all AI-related job postings.  However, the recent boom in generative AI and agentic systems is beginning to widen the geography of AI activity to a broader set of emerging metro areas. To fully harness the power of AI, the U.S. should combine supportive national strategy with “bottom–up” economic development by regions.

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/mapping-the-ai-economy-which-regions-are-ready-for-the-next-technology-leap/

AI is helping students be more independent, but the isolation could be career poison - Tara García Mathewson, CalMatters

Students don’t have the same incentives to talk to their professors — or even their classmates — anymore. Chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude have given them a new path to self-sufficiency. Instead of asking a professor for help on a paper topic, students can go to a chatbot. Instead of forming a study group, students can ask AI for help. These chatbots give them quick responses, on their own timeline. For students juggling school, work and family responsibilities, that ease can seem like a lifesaver. And maybe turning to a chatbot for homework help here and there isn’t such a big deal in isolation. But every time a student decides to ask a question of a chatbot instead of a professor or peer or tutor, that’s one fewer opportunity to build or strengthen a relationship, and the human connections students make on campus are among the most important benefits of college. 

https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2025/07/chatbots/

AI is rewiring how we learn, and it’s a game-changer for L&D - Josh Bersin, Chief Learning Officer

As AI becomes central to learner engagement, L&D leaders are being urged to fundamentally rethink corporate training, says global industry analyst Josh Bersin. Put simply: there’s no turning back. L&D remains a major global industry—set to surpass $400 billion this year—and for good reason. Training will always play a vital role in helping employees gain essential knowledge, develop new skills and stay resilient in the face of constant change. But here’s the critical point: Clinging to the traditional, classroom-style model, where an expert leads learners through a fixed, linear curriculum, no longer meets the needs of today’s workforce. That approach, rooted in education systems of the past, must now give way to something more dynamic, responsive and learner-driven.

https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2025/07/14/ai-is-rewiring-how-we-learn-and-its-a-game-changer-for-ld/

Think Your Student Can Pass an AI Literacy Test? A Concerning New Study Says Otherwise - Tim McMillan, the Debrief

In an era where artificial intelligence tools are becoming as common in classrooms as textbooks, a new study suggests most students don’t actually know how to use them well. Despite the widespread adoption of generative AI systems like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, researchers have found that university students overestimate their ability to engage with these technologies—and that illusion of competence could have real-world consequences. Set to be published in the December 2025 issue of Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, a paper by Monash University researchers introduces the Generative AI Literacy Assessment Test (GLAT). This pioneering exam is the first of its kind, designed to not only evaluate students’ ability to use generative AI tools but also their capacity to comprehend and ethically apply them.

https://thedebrief.org/think-your-student-can-pass-an-ai-literacy-test-a-concerning-new-study-says-otherwise/

Teaching Creativity and Durable Skills in an AI World - Abbie Misha, EdSurge

When a high school student uses AI to design a community mural or a college freshman collaborates with peers across continents on a digital storytelling project, it’s clear the boundaries of learning are shifting. Classrooms are no longer just spaces for absorbing information; they’re becoming creative studios where students use technology to solve real-world problems. 

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2025-07-14-teaching-creativity-and-durable-skills-in-an-ai-world

It’s true that my fellow students are embracing AI – but this is what the critics aren’t seeing - Elsie McDowell, the Guardian

Reading about the role of artificial intelligence in higher education, the landscape looks bleak. Students are cheating en masse in our assessments or open-book, online exams using AI tools, all the while making ourselves stupider. The next generation of graduates, apparently, are going to complete their degrees without ever having so much as approached a critical thought. Given that my course is examined entirely through closed-book exams, and I worry about the vast amounts of water and energy needed to power AI datacentres, I generally avoid using ChatGPT. But in my experience, students see it as a broadly acceptable tool in the learning process. Although debates about AI tend to focus on “cheating”, it is increasingly being used to assist with research, or to help structure essays.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/29/students-ai-critics-chatgpt-covid-education-system

Exploring the ethical use of LLM chatbots in higher education - Gustave Florentin et al; Science Direcct Journal of Business Research

This research examines the factors influencing the ethical use of LLM chatbots in higher education. Environmental, personal, and perceived risk factors contribute to the ethical use of AI chatbots. Personal factors mediate the relationship between environmental influences and ethical use. fsQCA highlights the ineffectiveness of deterrent strategies in addressing AI plagiarism in the era of LLM chatbots. fsQCA further shows that ethical climate alone is insufficient and must be complemented by supervision and personal factors.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0148296325003984

OpenAI’s Education Head Says Real Learning Takes Struggle—Not Just ChatGPT Help - Rachel Curry, Observer

Students must struggle to learn, and offloading to ChatGPT risks weakening critical thinking skills, OpenAI's head of education warns. With ChatGPT now widely available to students around the globe, concerns about cheating and the erosion of critical thinking skills are growing. OpenAI is well aware of these issues and is working to address them. Speaking today (July 9) at the AI for Good Summit in Geneva, Kevin Mills, OpenAI’s head of education and government, outlined the company’s efforts to explore how A.I. tools can be used to support, rather than replace, meaningful learning.

https://observer.com/2025/07/openai-education-head-ai-for-good/

AI aiding cheating in higher education - Wycliffe Osabwa, People Daily

The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education is the subject of ongoing debate—particularly regarding how students use it to complete assignments. While AI offers immense opportunities for enhancing learning, concerns arise when students use tools like ChatGPT to generate term papers or assessments, then claim ownership. As an instructor, I have encountered cases where students submit assignments that are technically correct but suspiciously flawless, especially when contrasted with their previous work. Even after designing highly contextual questions, some students still relied on Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPTs), producing generic responses that lacked relevance or depth.

https://peopledaily.digital/insights/ai-aiding-cheating-in-higher-education

The need to reinvent universities for the learning society - Patrick Blessinger, University World News

The traditional boundaries between and among post-secondary institutions are transforming. The university is no longer the exclusive owner of knowledge. The disciplinary silos continue to erode as interdisciplinary learning continues to grow. Learning is no longer a one-time activity; now it’s a continuous practice. The need for accessible, applicable, skills-based learning paths is reshaping the relationship between post-secondary institutions, civil society and learners. Every university has to shift away from its traditional role as knowledge gatekeepers to become learning facilitators so that learners are able to gain knowledge and skills in a world increasingly characterised by risk, uncertainty and complexity.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20250711132629137

GPT-5: The New Era is Here - Serban Sita, There's an App for That

This podcast discusses the anticipated release of GPT-5, predicted for mid-2025 (specifically July 2025). This update is expected to be revolutionary, bringing significant advancements over GPT-4. Key improvements include enhanced step-by-step reasoning, exceptional coding proficiency, and a substantial reduction in hallucinations (from 30% to under 15%). GPT-5 is also expected to feature "True Omni AI" with real-time two-way audio communication, ultra-high-definition image and video processing, and a natural-sounding native voice. While GPT-4 uses 1.4 trillion parameters, GPT-5 is rumored to have over one quadrillion, though OpenAI is shifting focus from sheer parameter scale to smarter models with better reasoning. By mid-2025, fully independent AI agents capable of seamless workflow automation and real-world API connections are expected. Leaked benchmarks project GPT-5 to surpass human experts in MMLU, SWE Bench, and multimodal tasks, and compete with human PhDs in advanced mathematics. The podcast concludes by emphasizing that GPT-5 will redefine AI, with AI agents working autonomously and multimodal AI acting like a "digital god."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48_fcg0tnrk