Tag: AI

A group of people sit in chairs in a semi circle against a wall. They look at a big piece of white paper hanging on the wall. A woman to the left of the paper speaks into a microphone.

Champaign County group rallying against data centers hosts second information session

Resist AI Data Centers in Champaign County launched last month to push against data center development in the county.

Illinois State Board of Education issues AI guidance, written with help from AI

A 2024 survey of Illinois educators conducted by Teach Plus and the Illinois Digital Educator Alliance, or IDEA, found a common concern that misuse of AI could threaten student learning.

People are sitting and raising their hands.

As people protest data centers across the Heartland, lawmakers rush to regulate development

Development of large-scale data centers is booming across the Midwest and South. As some communities push back, local and state governments are trying to catch up on how to regulate the new development.

Illinois lawmakers pass landmark AI accountability bill

The measure aims to promote accountability among the most powerful AI models.

People sitting in chairs raise their hands. Some hold signs in support of a data center moratorium.

Champaign County Board approves 1-year data center moratorium

The Champaign County Board was previously considering a nine month moratorium on data centers.

Champaign County takes first step towards a one-year data center moratorium

The Champaign County Zoning Board of Appeals passed a one-year moratorium on new large-scale data centers.

Here’s how one Urbana High School teacher is using AI in the classroom

The Urbana School District released guidance for teachers in January on the use of artificial intelligence in classrooms, ahead of published guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education, which is expected this summer.

New laws: Illinois expands job-protected leave for parents with newborns in NICU

Gov. JB Pritzker signed House Bill 2978, dubbed the Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act, earlier this year and it takes effect Jan. 1. It requires employers of between 16 and 50 workers to provide up to 10 days of unpaid leave to employees who have a child in the NICU.

New Illinois law looks to put guardrails on AI in mental health as researchers push for innovation

As the use of artificial intelligence continues to grow, the technology is increasingly being considered for use in mental health settings. Lawmakers, however, are concerned this could cause patients to receive underqualified mental health care in the place of support from licensed therapists.