Tag Archives: AI

Trump releases memorandum on use of AI with Military and Intelligence Community

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The Trump Administration reports…

Under my Administration, the United States can and will responsibly accelerate the use of AI across intelligence and warfighting domains in line with American values.  The United States possesses the most effective and moral military in the history of world.  It is also among the most trusted institutions in American life.  That trust is rooted in an unbroken chain of command and accountability, from our democratic process through civilian and military leadership, to the men and women who carry out the mission.

This is their policy:

Sec. 2.  Policy.  My Administration will accelerate the development and use of AI for national security applications, guided by the following four pillars:

(a)  Adoption.  The national security enterprise shall accelerate AI adoption by identifying mission areas where AI can enhance operational effectiveness and eliminating unnecessary barriers to rapid deployment.  To this end, the national security enterprise shall maintain deep, proactive partnerships with industry, to make the most advanced frontier models broadly available to national security professionals without delay, ensuring technological overmatch while driving rapid experimentation and validation across potential applications.

(b)  Adaptation.  The national security enterprise shall adapt commercial or open-source AI technologies, leveraging the most cutting-edge capabilities available from diverse suppliers across the private sector, large and small, while ensuring that AI technologies chosen are optimized for their intended use.  In cases where the use of a commercial solution is not appropriate due to security or mission limitations, executive departments and agencies (agencies) may deploy commercially or internally customized AI technologies or develop AI technologies internally.  Such technologies shall be made available across the national security enterprise to support multiple missions where possible.

(c)  Assurance.  The national security enterprise shall assure that all AI technologies adopted are designed to be reliable, robust, steerable, and controllable, and that they operate, in accordance with applicable laws, government policies, and guidance.  To protect American warfighters, the national security enterprise shall ensure, through contractual clauses or other means, that no commercial entity or adversary possesses the capability to prevent use of, disable or degrade, or materially modify without Federal Government knowledge and approval, an AI system that our men and women depend on for their missions.  In addition, rigorous security and functionality measures, including testing, evaluation, validation, and verification, shall be implemented to assure the appropriate confidentiality, integrity, reliability, availability, and interoperability of AI systems across the national security enterprise.

(d)  Accountability.  American AI technologies shall neither be developed nor used by the national security enterprise to censor free speech, embed ideological bias, or conduct unauthorized or unlawful surveillance activities.  The use of AI by the national security enterprise must always be consistent with United States civil liberties and protections afforded by the Constitution and laws and regulations safeguarding the privacy of American citizens.  Commanders, directors, and heads of agencies shall remain responsible and accountable for ensuring that these obligations are met at every level of command, and that such accountability keeps pace with the evolution of AI capabilities and regulations governing the privacy and civil liberties of American citizens.

EVENT June 17: AI Impact Hour for Nonprofits

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From Tech Soup…

AI Impact Hour for Nonprofits

Jun 17, 12:00 – 1:00 PM (CDT)

Events at TechSoup

About this event

This isn’t just another webinar — it’s a meeting with nonprofits from around the world coming together to learn, share, and explore how AI can support their missions. If your organization has used AI in any way (big or small), or if you’re just getting started, we want to hear from you.

AI Impact Hour is a practical, interactive conversation designed for executive directors, staff, board members, and volunteers who want to understand what AI can realistically do in a nonprofit setting. You’ll see simple demonstrations and real examples, and you’ll have a chance to share your experiences, challenges, and insights with the group.

What makes this different:

  • It’s for you  — small to large nonprofits from around the world
  • We want to hear from you — how your nonprofit has been experimenting with AI
  • You’ll learn from each other — not just from the presentation

Who should attend:

  • Nonprofit leaders, staff, volunteers, and anyone curious about how AI can support their work, regardless of experience level.

Would you like to be a guest panelist to share your experience with AI?

Email Aretha Simons asimons@techsoup.org and put “panelist” in the subject line.

Community Networks offers a look at fiber in the US via Fiber First conference

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The Institute for Local Self Reliance (aka Community Networks) reports…

As reported by Telecompetitor, Bolton said, there are now over 1,500 active fiber providers operating nationally, with 42 new market entrants and 715 providers that doubled their footprints in just the past six months.

Meanwhile, he said, independent ISPs, electric cooperatives, and municipal networks together accounted for about 40 percent of all fiber deployment in 2025 – “a sign that the buildout is increasingly being driven by community-rooted operators, not just national giants.”

But the conference’s panel sessions made it clear that translating increased fiber demand into deploying networks is getting harder and more expensive, with one panelist describing it like going “from a sprint into a marathon.”

During a Broadband Breakfast Live event at the conference, Josh Summit, director of outside plant engineering and construction at Glo Fiber/Shentel, said that there has been a roughly 300 percent increase in pole make-ready costs over the past five years and that rural fiber deployments that once cost between $20,000 and $25,000 per mile are as expensive as $100,000 per mile, which he attributed to stricter pole loading requirements and “preexisting noncompliance being charged to new attachers.”

The conference also highlighted the mounting opposition and tensions related to the construction of AI hyperscale data centers, which panelists said are increasingly following cheap rural electricity away from traditional hubs like Loudoun County, Virginia while running into local opposition in communities across the country, as some states consider data center moratoriums.

Still, despite the challenges, there was an air of optimism from conference organizers, as the FBA said it is seeing record membership growth – up 16 percent year-over-year, with more than 8,000 broadband professionals now represented.

MN Star Tribune compare growth of AI and data centers with growth of broadband

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Minnesota Star Tribune columnist compares growth of AI and data centers with expansion of broadband in 2000. He starts with the history…

Everyone in business these days seems to be searching for a tale from history to meaningfully describe the growing importance of AI. I personally think it will transform the way people work with their digital devices and information. But we’re at a very confusing time in its development.

So the tale in history I’m going to invoke comes from the late 1990s and early 2000s: the time when the internet was in its hockey-stick period of fast adoption.

The buildout of the commercial internet had enormous effects on company valuations, but also on the nation’s physical environment, just as AI now does. Many people have forgotten how much the nation was ripped up to build what was initially called an “information superhighway” but eventually became known as the broadband network.

In July 2001, the longtime tech writer of the Star Tribune, Steve Alexander, wrote, “The information superhighway is getting wider in the Twin Cities.” He then described plans to lay fiber-optic lines along Interstate 94 and Interstate 35E in St. Paul — at a cost of around $10 million.

How quaint that seems when set against the multibillion-dollar expense of a single data center in 2026.

And talks about what he sees today…

Today, I’m very reluctant to say AI is being overhyped or overbuilt. And I wouldn’t even try to predict the effect AI will have on jobs and the environment.

AI may very well turn out to be overinvested in, however. The entire case for massive data centers may be overturned by an advance in software programming or by the decentralization of processing power as chip technology advances. AI companies’ debt loads may become too much to bear, even if the companies turn fabulously profitable. I remember stories about broadband buildouts appeared not long before a big crash in internet-related stocks.

The commercial internet did justify its investment, despite the bursting of an initial bubble that wiped out billions in shareholder value.

At the moment, however, the numbers on AI investments are jaw-dropping, even if you’ve got the mouth of a hippo.

DCN, Range, and WIN Technology create Heartland Fiber Project to expand fiber in the Midwest

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DCN reports…

DCN, Range, and WIN Technology, three regional backbone fiber providers, today announced a joint investment to expand high‑capacity fiber infrastructure across the America’s heartland. The initiative, known as the Heartland Fiber Project, will create a new long‑haul fiber route designed to increase network capacity, resiliency, and flexibility to support the rapidly growing connectivity requirements across the industry and meet demand from AI hyperscale data center development in the region.

The Heartland Fiber Project will span seven states – Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois – establishing a route containing high fiber count and future path conduit to support future growth between Denver and Chicago. The $700 million investment represents a 2,000-mile expansion of regional network infrastructure that is designed to deliver the scale, resiliency, and performance demanded by next‑generation AI workloads and hyperscale computing environments.

Artificial intelligence has dramatically increased the amount of data that must move quickly and reliably between data centers. Hyperscale operators are increasingly turning to America’s heartland due to available land, access to power, and favorable climate conditions that help improve energy efficiency. These developments are driving the need for purpose‑built fiber infrastructure capable of supporting massive, sustained bandwidth requirements.

The expanded network created through the Heartland Fiber Project is designed to help meet these evolving requirements while allowing DCN, Range, and WIN to continue delivering high‑quality service to customers across healthcare, education, government, finance, manufacturing, and wholesale and wireless markets.

Midco and Switch announce a multistate connectivity agreement supporting critical AI infrastructure in the Midwest

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This highlights our neighbors in North Dakota more than Minnesota, but MidCo announces…

Midco and Switch are proud to announce a five-year, multistate connectivity agreement supporting critical AI infrastructure in Ellendale, North Dakota.

“This connectivity deal strengthens Midco’s position as the nation’s largest 400G circuit provider1, enabling hyperscalers and data centers to grow with confidence,” said Midco President and Chief Operating Officer Ben Dold. “With unmatched network customization, engineering responsiveness and high-capacity transport reach, Midco is redefining what high-bandwidth fiber connectivity can deliver.”
The agreement includes more than 500 individual 400 gigabit-per-second (Gbps) circuits delivered across two geographically diverse routes, providing full path redundancy between Ellendale, ND and Chicago, IL. In total, the network enables 200 terabits of capacity.

They do frame it from a regional level…

“This partnership demonstrates that the Midwest is open for business,” said Midco Director of Wholesale Jeff Sanders. “It shows that our region, with its favorable climate, abundant natural resources, renewable energy and strong business environment, continues to be the optimal location for data centers and hyperscalers. Our network covers the heart of the region, and our long-haul routes connect business customers to major points of presence sites like Minneapolis, Omaha, Chicago and Denver, allowing the transmission of massive volumes of voice, video and data at reliable 400G speeds.”

REPORT: U.S. State of State of EdTech 2026 – cybersecurity, AI, procurement and teaching & learning

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The U.S. State of State of EdTech 2026 “provides insights into the state of K-12 education through the lens of education technology leaders—professionals who play a critical role ensuring technology is safe, reliable, and effective in supporting student learning, teaching, and district operations.” I have taught every age, from preschool to graduate school so I am always interested in what’s going on with education. When it comes to the world of education and technology it feels like so much has changes in the last 20 years and that the pace of change keep quickening. Here are the key findings from the report…

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity continues to rank as the No. 1 priority for education technology leaders, reflecting the essential role secure digital systems play in modern education. Most districts are actively investing in monitoring, detection, identity protection, and firewall technologies to safeguard networks, data, and learning continuity.

However, nearly two-thirds (65%) identify insufficient cybersecurity staffing and the lack of a dedicated budget as the top barriers to addressing cybersecurity challenges—highlighting the potential for a gap between responsibility and readiness. With increasing cyber insurance costs putting additional strain on budgets and new forms of AI-enabled cyberattacks increasing risks, districts must navigate how to best align funding decisions to keep up with ongoing pressures in the cybersecurity landscape.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Districts are making significant progress in establishing guidance for the responsible use of AI. More than three-quarters of districts (79%) report having AI guidelines in place, compared to 57% in 2025, reflecting growing clarity around AI’s role in education. The majority of education technology leaders welcome guidance and recommendations from state education agencies (SEAs) on these AI policies. Nevertheless, the vast majority report they do not want their SEA to issue AI mandates, underscoring the value of local decision making.

In just one year, education technology leaders have become strikingly more optimistic about AI’s potential, nearly doubling their confidence in areas like productivity and personalized learning and showing especially sharp gains in student tutoring and workforce readiness. Productivity gains are seen as the area of greatest impact: a vast percentage (96%) of education technology leaders view AI as having the potential to positively affect education. More than half of districts have AI initiatives that focus on productivity, such as productivity suites for administrators and teachers as well as training in the use of those tools. Fewer districts (41%) have initiatives for instructional platforms to support teaching and learning. More districts (64%) are using AI in operations—a notable jump from the prior year’s 37%.

Procurement

Responses to procurement questions indicate that many districts have established baseline purchasing practices, particularly around product safety. A majority of districts (56%) require vendors to provide information on the safety of their products. Fewer require information on the other key education technology quality indicators—such as evidence based design, inclusivity, usability, and interoperability—pointing to an opportunity to further strengthen and standardize procurement practices.

Regulations for accessibility impact all local education systems, though only 11% of districts regard accessibility as a key priority. As the framework of the Five EdTech Quality Indicators becomes more widely known, and expectations for meeting accessibility requirements are more broadly understood, districts are well-positioned to refine adoption criteria in ways that support high-quality education technology implementation.

Teaching and Learning

Districts continue to demonstrate strong foundational capacity to support education technology. The majority of districts (66%) report adequate staffing for core technical functions such as network administration, application installation, and maintenance as access to digital learning has expanded, with 1:1 implementation at an all-time high.

At the same time, most districts (58%) report they are understaffed when it comes to supporting the technology used for teaching and learning. Strengthening instructional support presents a clear opportunity to maximize the value of education technology investments and reinforce confidence among educators and communities.

Community interest and engagement around instructional technology is high. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of districts report that their communities express moderate to high levels of concern about the technology used for teaching and learning. This finding underscores the importance of clear communication, thoughtful implementation, and ongoing professional support to ensure technology continues to advance teaching and learning goals.

Some rural pharmacies looking at AI‐Enabled Telehealth Solutions

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Voice of Alexandria reports..

Independent Pharmacy Cooperative (IPC) announces a strategic partnership with Doctronic to help independent pharmacies expand access to AI‐enabled telehealth. Building on IPC’s Digital Health investments, this collaboration supports care models that prioritize convenience, speed, and trusted support close to home, while keeping pharmacies central to the patient relationship.

Through this partnership, IPC and Doctronic will offer member pharmacies a practical on-ramp to digital care. Doctronic’s platform streamlines AI-assisted intake and connects patients to licensed clinicians, helping pharmacies expand access to care without losing the community connections patients rely on. For more, visit: https://www.ipcrx.com/digital-health-for-independent-pharmacies-2.

” AI is everywhere, and it can feel overwhelming,” said Kate Helf, VP of IPC Digital Health. “We see AI‐enabled telehealth as a foundational tool, we’ll continue to build on, supporting independent pharmacies as they expand access to care while staying central to the patient relationship.”

In many rural and underserved communities, independent pharmacies are often the most accessible healthcare touchpoints. Enabling digitally supported care options through the pharmacy, IPC and Doctronic aim to help close gaps in availability, strengthen continuity of care, and expand the support patients can receive, regardless of geography.

How do job-seeking kids feel about AI? Not great

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Axios reports…

America, we have a problem: Young adults are scared and unprepared for the AI revolution upending their early career choices and prospects.

  • They tell pollsters they’re frightened, even angry, about AI’s fast arrival. They’re rightly unnerved by a tough job market for college grads. And most aren’t remotely equipped by schools to be AI-savvy.

Why it matters: This is a growing problem for just about everyone — kids, educators, employers and politicians.

  • The youngest, most technologically native age group should be among the biggest cheerleaders and beneficiaries of AI. They aren’t. If anything, their feelings are growing more sour.

By the numbers: Gen Z’s excitement about AI dropped 14 points over the last year to just 22%, according to Gallup polling released last week. Hopefulness about the technology fell nine points to 18%, while anger rose nine points to 31%.

AI’s impact on unemployment rate is real but minimal and mixed

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Axios reports…

The impact of AI on the job market is starting to show up in the data analyzed by Wall Street firms — so far it’s pretty modest, but certainly real.

What they found: AI has both created and destroyed jobs over the past year.

  • It reduced employment in occupations that are easily substituted by AI, translating to a slight 0.16 percentage point increase in the unemployment rate.
  • At the same time, AI decreased unemployment by 0.06 point in jobs that are “augmented” by AI — roles that rely on things that machines cannot replace, like human judgment, interpersonal interaction and accountability.

Zoom out: Overall, AI raised the unemployment rate by just 0.1 percentage point, they find.

The article goes on to explain that there are two sides to AI. It was help some professions and eliminate others…

The bottom line: AI’s impact on the labor market is small so far, and it’s more complicated than the doomers want you to think.

EVENT Mar 27: AI Literacy Day webinar spotlighting AI & workforce digital skills

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From the National AI Literacy Day…

Nationwide Day of Action: Professional Development Webinars

➤  10 AM EST: Flight Path 2030: A Principal’s Blueprint for Building AI-Ready High Schools

➤  11:30 AM EST: Student Voices on AI: National AI Literacy Day Town Hall

➤  1 PM EST: Engaging Parents and Families in AI Tools

➤  2 PM EST: AI Literacy in Action: The Path to the AI-Ready Graduate

➤  3 PM EST: SAFE and Connected: Negotiating for an Ethical, Interoperable, and Human-Centric AI Future

➤  4 PM EST: What AI Changes (and What It Doesn’t) A Framework for Educators

Access each webinar registration link here: https://tinyurl.com/NAILDPD2026

New MN Bill introduced: providing requirements for artificial intelligence chatbot technology HF4452

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I am going to try to at least track the bills that get introduced that are at all related to broadband and/or broadband use. I may not follow all closely. Click the bill number for more info and updates:

From the MN House:

Finke, Koegel, Sencer-Mura, Curran, Moller, Acomb, Jordan and Youakim introduced:

H. F. 4452, A bill for an act relating to civil law; providing requirements for artificial intelligence chatbot technology; creating a cause of action for harm caused by artificial intelligence chatbot use; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 604.

The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Commerce Finance and Policy.

MN lawmakers are proposing bills to regulate access to artificial intelligence

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Dakota News Network reports…

Minnesota state lawmakers are proposing bills to regulate access to artificial intelligence. One proposal is to ban children from using AI chatbots. It would also prohibit health insurers from using AI to determine if a procedure is medically necessary. A separate bill would ban the use of AI algorithms to set different prices for the same goods and services for different consumers. Both Republicans and Democrats alike at the Minnesota State Capitol believe that in the absence of federal regulations, states must create their own.

Press Conference: MN Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Regulate Artificial Intelligence

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Earlier today, Senator Erin Maye Quade, DFL-Apple Valley, legislators, and supporters held a press conference to introduce bills intended to regulate artificial intelligence for consumer protection and public safety. It’s a great peek at what might be happening later today and for the rest of the session. Reporters asked questions that many of us might ask – such as what does that mean in the real world.

Here are some of the sessions that will be happening today. You can watch in real time or view the archive later:

S.F. 1120 Maye QuadeGovernment entities prohibition from requesting or obtaining reverse-location information

scs1120a-1.pdf

ACLU-MN-Letter-of-Support-Reverse-Warrants-SF-1120.pdf

BCA-Opposition-to-SF1120-3-5-26-Signed-3-5-26.pdf

ILCM-SF1120-Pro.pdf

MCPA-_SF1120_Letter-of-Opposition.pdf

Reverse-Warrant-Flyer-SF-1120.pdf

20260302134430681_25-112-Google-Chatrie-Amicusfinal.pdf

S.F. 1856 Maye QuadeUsage of artificial intelligence in the utilization review process prohibition provision

scs1856a-1.pdf

S.F. 1857 Maye QuadeMinor access to chatbots for recreational purposes by persons prohibition provision

scs1857a-2.pdf

MFC-SF1857-Pro-Senate-Judiciary-and-Public-Safety-Committee-03092026.pdf

S.F. 1886 Maye QuadeIndividual communication with artificial intelligence disclosure requirement provision

RMAI-Memorandum-in-Opposition-to-SF1886-03-09-2026.pdf

S.F. 3098 Maye QuadeProhibition from using artificial intelligence to dynamically set product prices

scs3098a-1.pdf

MN for Open Government AI Regulation Presentation

MN_for_Open_Government_AI_regulation_presentation.pdf

Midwest FiberPath to build multi-conduit long-haul backbone to support AI

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Telecompetitor reports…

Midwest FiberPath says it will build a 1,200-mile multi-conduit long-haul backbone intended to support the increased traffic created by artificial intelligence (AI) in east-west and north-south directions in the Midwest. It will provide what it describes as next-generation carrier mesh diversity.

More details…

The long-haul topography will have three primary corridors:

  • Joliet, Illinois to Des Moines, Iowa to Council Bluffs, Iowa: This multi-conduit route will support hyperscale east-west traffic fabrics between Chicago interconnection ecosystems and numerous Iowa compute campuses.

  • Minneapolis, Minnesota to Des Moines, Iowa to Kansas City, Missouri: This corridor, also multi-conduit, will run north-south and enable regional mesh diversity and alternative long-haul routing across the central U.S.

  • Minneapolis, Minnesota to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Joliet, Illinois: This will be a diagonal extension reinforcing Iowa as a center-node aggregation point for multi-directional traffic exchange.