Tag Archives: AI

Senator Klobuchar working on bipartisan AI safety bill

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KFGO reports...

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar is working with Republican senators on legislation aimed at reducing potentially catastrophic risks from advanced artificial intelligence.

The proposal under negotiation would require developers of the most powerful AI models to assess and report serious risks and take steps to prevent potential harm.

It could also give the federal government greater authority to test models and intervene if safety concerns aren’t adequately addressed.

The legislation is still being negotiated and has not yet been formally introduced.

Striking doctors at Allina concerned about role of AI in decision making (Coon Rapids – Anoka County)

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The MN Star Tribune reports…

Dr. Ted Longinow was picketing at the Allina Health hospital in Coon Rapids, where he has worked for three decades, because he said physicians need a stronger role in decision-making at Mercy, where he believes the adoption of AI tools could interfere with their judgments about patients’ needs.

“We’re going to be seeing [AI] on the front lines sooner” in hospital care, said Longinow, a hospitalist (or inpatient doctor) at Mercy. “We want to be able to raise concerns about that for our patients and have a voice.”

The dispute over physician involvement in changes including AI use wasn’t the only reason for the strike, which is believed to be the first in U.S. history by staff doctors at a non-governmental hospital. The two sides remain divided on wages and sick pay, among other issues.

But the Mercy doctors said it will remain a priority when the walkout ends at 7 a.m. Friday and they return to bargaining after nearly two years and more than 60 negotiating sessions.

Allina is a big user of AI…

Allina has been an early adopter of artificial intelligence technologies, including a system that takes notes and summarizes them that has been well-received by doctors. The hospital also is using AI tools through a partnership with Ferrum Health to double-check doctors’ reads of imaging scans and cancer diagnoses.

Patient rooms in the expanded Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis include video boards capable of disseminating AI-gathered summaries to patients about their conditions and medical care.

AI tools also can help physicians select the best billing codes to maximize revenue from insurers, but that’s a slippery slope toward tools that could weed out high-cost patients, said Dr. John Wust, a staff obstetrician at Mercy’s Coon Rapids campus, who was striking this week.

[Added 30 minutes after original posting – a different video on the same topic from KARE11] 

Rep Kelly Morrison joins 100 colleagues urging the US House to address AI concerns

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Willmar Radio reports…

Minnesota Congresswoman Kelly Morrison is calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson to cancel the House recess over concerns about artificial intelligence. Morrison has joined more than 100 of her Congressional colleagues urging the House to stay in session and address the warnings from industry experts and leaders on risks posed by advanced AI. Members point to recent disclosures involving rogue AI agents, biological misuse, cyberattacks, foreign surveillance, and efforts by Chinese companies to replicate American AI systems. The members want the House to stay in session until safeguards are in place.

Tips to protect Minnesota homeowners from technology-supported real estate scams

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Mostly I like to talk up technology, point out awesome uses and maybe introduce some new trends. Today that includes some warnings. MinnPost reports…

The threat is showing up much more frequently. New data shows that nearly six in 10 title companies encountered at least one attempt by a criminal pretending to be a property owner in 2025. That’s double the number that reported seeing one just two years earlier.

What makes these schemes especially concerning is how convincing they can look and sound. Criminals are not relying only on obvious, fake emails anymore. More than half of title companies reported that they have encountered deepfake technology, including AI-generated voices and manipulated images that can make an imposter seem real.

Just last week, our systems detected that a consumer’s email account had been compromised and that communications were being intercepted from Russia. We immediately contacted the consumer and confirmed the breach. Quick action helped prevent the consumer from potentially losing several hundred thousand dollars. Most Minnesota families can’t afford to absorb such a loss on their own. It’s up to all of us to play a role, notice warning signs and be a part of the solution.

What concerns me most after four decades in this business is not simply that criminals are trying more often. It is that these schemes are more sophisticated and convincing, and the old warning signs are becoming less obvious. A fraudulent email now looks polished. A phone number appears familiar. Someone may know your property address, closing date and names of everyone involved in the transaction.

Consumers have to adjust, too. If someone creates urgency or suddenly changes wiring instructions, slow down. Independently verify the information using a phone number you already know rather than one contained in the email or text you just received. Familiar information should never substitute for independent verification.

Minnesota homeowners should also keep an eye on their property records. Counties across the state offer free property-notification services that can alert owners when certain documents involving their property are recorded. I use this type of service for my own home because I want to know if something changes without my knowledge.

There are also new protections worth asking about. Post-closing coverage is available in Minnesota, which can provide protection against fraud and forgery after someone already owns their home.

UofM student used AI makerspace to create app to detect sustainability of food

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I love a good makerspace story, especially in Minnesota! This one from the University of Minnesota caught my eye…

 [Student Daquari Hollins] started thinking, ‘Well, is there anything that exists that shows the sustainability practices of every product that you buy?’”

Hollins could not find an app on the market that offered that level of transparency, so he decided to build it himself.

The result is UConserve, a sustainability lifestyle app designed to give consumers immediate environmental transparency right at the grocery store shelf. By allowing users to scan the barcode of any domestic product, the application generates a screening-level estimate of its carbon footprint alongside deeper sustainability factors like acidification and eutrophication.

The tool bridges a critical gap for everyday shoppers trying to make ethical choices. In a time when socially conscious shoppers can find it difficult to understand a company’s carbon footprint, the app provides a glimpse into the hidden environmental toll of manufacturing, transportation and disposal.

He found a way at an AI Makerspace…

Turning his vision into a reality required bridging two historically isolated worlds: environmental data analysis and advanced computer science. When Hollins initially pitched the idea to peers in an environmental student group, he was met with skepticism. The work would likely be tedious to calculate an accurate environmental estimate for even a single item.

“I took that feedback in stride,” he says. “I was like, OK, it’s a huge undertaking, but that’s not impossible.”

To solve the scale problem, Hollins looked outside traditional sustainability disciplines. This interdisciplinary approach led him to the University of Minnesota’s AI Makerspace, where he collaborated with its manager, Joe Finnegan, and eventually consulted nationwide life-cycle assessment (LCA) professionals. By combining environmental science with machine learning, the team found a way to take massive, vetted government databases and translate them into an instantaneous mobile tool.

Located in Walter Library, the College of Science and Engineering’s AI Makerspace serves as a hybrid physical and digital sandbox designed to break down barriers for students from all academic backgrounds. Whether a student is studying computer science or philosophy, such as Hollins, the space provides free access to high-powered computing resources and expert guidance.

AI leaders sound alarm over growing risks

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FOX9 reports…

Leading artificial intelligence voices are raising concerns about whether safety measures are keeping pace with rapidly developing AI systems. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned of serious potential risks in a new essay, drawing public agreement from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk, while President Donald Trump responded to concerns about AI safeguards.

See the fill video below:

 

North Minneapolis event asks how Black communities can shape the AI era

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MSR Media Group reports…

Artificial intelligence may be changing how people work, learn and create, but Dr. Elizabeth M. Adams wants Black communities to think beyond just responding to the technology.

“I would like to see us leapfrog and actually shape the future, specifically with how we engage with AI,” Adams said.

That idea was at the center of “The AI Era: What to Know and How to Use It,” a Sister Spokesman event held Saturday, Sept. 5, at the NorthPoint Conference Center in North Minneapolis.

Presented by Sister Spokesman and the Minnesota CHILL Foundation, the gathering showed attendees how AI can boost career development, entrepreneurship, and daily tasks. Panelists also addressed concerns around privacy, bias, misinformation and its use among youth.

The event’s panel featured Adams, chief engagement officer at the Minnesota Responsible AI Institute, and Chuck Hill, president of Programming Solutions Incorporated and chair of the Minnesota CHILL Foundation.

The article shares highlights from the session.

 

Trump Administration and tech CEOs ask G-20 to adopt pro-AI policies

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Quoting from the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society’s recap of an article in the Wall Street Journal…

Tech executives and Trump administration officials urged policymakers from other leading economies to minimize artificial-intelligence regulations, arguing that strict rules could strangle an industry capable of supercharging global growth and curing diseases. Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX were among the speakers at a Group of 20 summit focused on innovation and technology, and they cautioned that aggressive regulations could limit the benefits of AI. Their message was echoed by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, White House AI adviser David Sacks and Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, who said the administration’s light-touch strategy is boosting the economy. “Don’t regulate hypothetical, theoretical harm. Regulate actual and pragmatic harm,” Huang told officials from the G-20 countries, adding that tech advancements such as advanced model training to make models more accurate are making AI safer than regulations proposed by the Biden administration and others.

Coon Rapids Police detail work 911 works for calls and how AI helps with non-emergency calls (Anoka County)

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MinneapoliMedia reports...

Coon Rapids police are reminding residents what happens when they call 911, when they should instead use Anoka County’s non-emergency line, and how a newer artificial intelligence-assisted system now fits into the county’s emergency communications operation.

They do it all in a clean graphic.

DIGIDAZE in St Paul aims to boost digital confidence for attendees

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KSTP reports…

Digital literacy takes center stage at St. Paul community fair amid statewide AI changes

Community members at the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center attended DIGIDAZE on Saturday, a free community technology fair designed to boost digital confidence across St. Paul.

The event, presented by the Community Technology Empowerment Project (STEP), St. Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN) and AmeriCorps, offered hands‑on activities, refurbished devices, raffles and one‑on‑one help with computers, smartphones and online tools.

“Our goal is to bridge the digital gap,” said Dasiyah Franklin‑Carter, event co-organizer. She said digital literacy is becoming essential for families navigating schoolwork, job applications and everyday communication.

“I want people to leave with more confidence with using technology,” she said.

U of M students create AI-generated butter busts at the MN State Fair

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Something fun for a Sunday, KARE 11 cover the AI-generated butter busts at the Minnesota State Fair…

For generations, Minnesota State Fair visitors have watched Princess Kay of the Milky Way and her court have their likenesses carved into butter. On Saturday, some fairgoers got the chance to see what they might look like in butter, too, with a little help from artificial intelligence.

The University of Minnesota’s Data Science and AI Hub offered visitors the chance to create 3D-printed plastic “butter busts” of themselves as part of an effort to get people talking about AI.

Unfortunately, it was a one-day only event, but what a great way to get people to talking to about AI with experts and experts-in-the-making.

A quick look at AI, business and training from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

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The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis reports…

The number of businesses currently using AI shows there’s potentially many workers to be trained. But much of the training needed is likely to be basic because most businesses that use AI don’t appear to be doing very much with it.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 22 percent of U.S. businesses used AI as of the end of July 2026. That’s a 4 percentage point increase since the beginning of the year.

Around the Ninth District, the share of businesses currently using AI ranges from 14 percent in North Dakota to 22 percent in Montana (see figure).

It seems like there’s interest…

Business demand for AI training appears strong, though much of it appears to be from businesses that aren’t sure about how to use the technology.

“What we’ve seen so far is the [client] organization wants to equip their people to use AI, but they don’t necessarily have an enterprise-wide strategy yet,” said the University of Minnesota’s Jahnke. “So they’re wanting to equip their employees with the basic knowledge with particular emphasis on how to use it ethically and a basic understanding of how AI works.”

And it’s growing…

Demand for training in AI skills is likely to grow with businesses’ growing use of the technology.

Over the next six months, the share of U.S. businesses using AI is expected to increase by 3 percentage points compared with July, based on Census Bureau surveys.

Among most Ninth District states, the expected increase is about 2 percentage points. Montana and North Dakota expected a decrease due to a growing number who expressed doubt that they would still be using AI.

Despite the technology’s limited impact on employment so far, there is a simmering fear in the public that massive job losses are not far off. Experts disagree on whether this is realistic, and where they land depends on how much artificial intelligence they think can replace human intelligence, and how soon.

Ayush Chopra, who developed a simulation of AI impact on the labor market while a grad student at MIT, said he doesn’t expect a “job catastrophe.” The simulation found that, among states, South Dakota had the highest concentration of jobs exposed to AI disruption, such as those in finance. By “exposure” he means that those jobs contain more tasks where AI can enhance human labor, not replace it.

If AI can improve productivity, that’s not a bad thing for South Dakota given the labor shortage, according to Hultman. The state’s unemployment rate in June was 2 percent, the lowest in the nation.

Do workers actually use Artificial Intelligence on the job?

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KSTP 9 looks into the question: Do workers actually use Artificial Intelligence on the job? (Apparently only a third of workers have used it.)…

Minnesota Schools are looking at AI policies. Examples from Morrison, Stearns and Ramsey Counties

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Last week, I wrote about one Minnesota student’s role in helping to craft a national artificial intelligence policy for schools. This week, I see that a few schools have been busy, as KSTP reports on a few. In Royalton (Morrison County)…

On Monday, the Royalton school board approved a new AI policy for its students and staff.

“There’s probably three themes,” LePard said. “One is safety for staff and students, and how they use things with AI, student academics and staff instruction.”

He said teachers will be posting the guidelines in middle and high school classrooms.

He said they primarily fall into four quadrants.

“Anywhere from the continuum of no AI use to full AI use,” he explained. “And then somewhere in between there, whether it might be just brainstorming or it might be using it as a resource or a source in their schoolwork.”

Next week, he said, the district’s teachers and staff will begin reviewing the new policy.

Designed for students in middle and high school, Royalton’s new policy puts an emphasis on responsibility and transparency.

In St Cloud (Stearns County)…

“Our amazing superintendent was actually one of the first in Minnesota to … bring up an AI policy and to implement one in our school. So we kind of were the leaders of the line,” said Acho.

In St Paul (Ramsey County)…

Some schools, like the St. Paul district, are still working out their AI policy. St. Paul Public Schools told KSTP, “the Board of Education has created a goal for the district to adopt one by spring 2028. Here is the language of that goal:
“By the end of the 2027–2028 school year, the Board will adopt an Artificial Intelligence Governance Policy that addresses the safe, ethical, human-centered, equitable, environmentally responsible, and instructionally meaningful use of AI across teaching, learning, critical thinking, workforce readiness, accessibility, data privacy, academic integrity, staff support, and district operations. The policy will include expectations for public reporting on how SPPS is preparing students and staff to use, question, evaluate, and create with AI.”

In the meantime, SPPS says it has robust resources around responsible staff and student use of AI, available on its website.

Help for other districts…

Click here for the Minnesota Department of Education’s guiding principles for AI in the classroom.

Is it AI or is it art? And how do we differentiate? The Walker is looking into it

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MPR News covers a story about art gallery patrons accusing art of being “AI slop” and The Walker figuring out what to do with that. It’s a teachable moment for everyone involved – with teachers and learners writing the curriculum in real time…

The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis is adding new explanatory language to an exhibition after visitors mistook an artist’s digitally rendered work for generative AI.

Joe Dobrow recently took his two children to the Walker. They wandered from exhibition to exhibition, eventually settling in front of a screen in a dark hallway.

The screen was looping the 2026 video “Field Recordings” by artist Olalekan Jeyifous. It is the first solo museum exhibition for the New York-based artist who is known for his immersive speculative world-building artworks. The video features realistically animated people in leafy riverine settings, sometimes in groups, sometimes with deer, sometimes tinkering with what seem like remnants of analog technology.

“My kids were fairly intrigued with it,” Dobrow said, but “it seemed to me to be almost entirely AI slop.”

Part of the solution…

The Walker, along with the rest of the museum world, is grappling with how to develop policy about the display and disclosure of AI-generated or AI-assisted art. “We are in the process of developing one,” she said.

Jasper and Huldisch said the new explanatory language for the exhibition will be installed this week.

“I recognize that AI usage raises very real ethical questions, and I understand why people want transparency around it,” Jeyifous said. “The difficulty right now is that we don’t have much nuance in the language to describe it. Saying that AI was utilized somewhere in a process can very quickly become perceived as ‘this artwork was entirely AI-generated,’ even when those are fundamentally different things. Disclosure can provide useful context, but it can also unintentionally become the lens through which the entire work is understood, regardless of how marginal that tool was to its production.”