National Association of Counties Launches AI Training Course

by  News Staff

The rise of artificial intelligence in the public sector has given birth to various programs designed to train officials about the details of the tech. The latest example focuses on county officials

As artificial intelligence makes its mark in the public sector, the push to educate officials about how to view and deploy the fast-moving technology keeps spreading.

Now that effort includes counties.

The National Association of Counties (NACo) has launched the NACo Artificial Intelligence (AI) Leadership Academy.

Described as “an innovative, online program to equip frontline county government leaders with practical knowledge and tools,” the pilot course runs six weeks.County officials taking the course will learn how to understand and use AI to advance public-sector goals, the association said.

 Read full story at GovTech…

State Procurement Offices Should Carefully Avoid Tech Fads

by  Chadwick Stephens

Officials must weigh factors such as total cost of ownership and longevity when acquiring solutions.

Artificial intelligence is everywhere these days. News media and advertising may leave you feeling pressured to join the crowd and be an early adopter. However, successful IT procurement involves engaging with a comprehensive list of stakeholders, conducting thorough research and careful implementation planning.

Emerging technologies often present unforeseen challenges and novel issues that procurement offices must be aware of and prepared for. Failure to do due diligence can lead to embarrassing or costly results. While chatbots are a common use of AI, Air Canada recently discovered that risks still exist when its chatbot hallucinated an incorrect answer on fares while working with a customer, leading to a lawsuit. Government technology breakdowns can have much more consequential impacts.

 Read full story at StateTech…

The Coming Cyber Reckoning for Federal Contractors

by Edward Tuorinsky

Contractors face a 90-day deadline to prove their cybersecurity compliance as awards for the OASIS+ vehicle start to fall and that is a precursor to broader industry-wide requirements, DTS CEO Edward Tuorinsky writes.

All signs point to contractor cybersecurity this fall as OASIS+ contracts are awarded and the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification moves toward a final rule.

OASIS+ will set the pace as it is the General Services Administrations government-wide, multi-agency, multiple-award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract for non-IT services.

The awards started rolling out on July 30, giving awarded contractors 90 days to produce proof of their cybersecurity compliance.

 Read full story at NextGov/FCW…

Apple's Mac Mini With M4 Chip Will Be Its Smallest Computer Ever

by  Mark Gurman

Apple is planning a new version of the Mac mini that will be its smallest desktop computer yet, part of a broader overhaul of the Mac line with AI-focused chips.

The new model — due later this year — will mark the first major design change to the mini since it was revamped under Steve Jobs in 2010, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The device will be far smaller than its predecessor, approaching the size of an Apple TV set-top box, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the work is secret.

The updated mini is one of several new Macs coming over the next several months. The company is preparing versions of the iMac desktop and MacBook Pro with chips from the M4 line, also for as early as this year. There are MacBook Airs in development for the spring, and Mac Pro and Mac Studio models are planned for the middle of next year.

 Read full story at Seattle Times…

City of Boston Partners With Google on Traffic Signal Optimization

by  Boston Mayor's Office

Program uses technology to analyze signals to reduce congestion on city streets

The City of Boston, Streets Cabinet, and the Innovation and Technology Cabinet announced a partnership with Google's Project Green Light team to optimize traffic signal timing and improve traffic flow in highly congested areas. The technology uses AI to model traffic patterns and creates signal timing recommendations that can reduce stop-and-go traffic and emissions. In 2023, Boston was ranked 8th in the world for highest traffic delays. Through this partnership, the City has implemented four recommendations at intersections in Fenway-Kenmore, Mission Hill, and Jamaica Plain by changing signal timing.

“One of the most frustrating parts of living in a major city is traffic, so Boston is taking every step to combat congestion and get people to where they need to go,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “We often find that small traffic hotspots from mistimed signals or curbside issues can swell into larger congestion, so targeting these micro spots goes a long way. This innovative work with the latest technology from Google's Project Green Light will help relieve the frustrating congestion that so many of our residents face, while helping to reduce emissions and inefficiencies on our city streets.”

 Read full story at Boston.gov…

Instagram Is Testing Its Own Take on Snap Map

by  Jacob Kastrenakes

It's basically just Snap's mapping tool, but on Instagram.

Instagram has starting testing a new feature that looks a whole lot like Snap Map.

This allows Instagram users to post text and video updates to a map based on where they were taken. The map is shared with friends, whose updates can all appear alongside each other. It is, pretty much, just the Snap Map feature, which was originally launched in 2017.

The difference for now seems to be that Instagram may have much more limited privacy settings. Users have to choose a “specific group of people” to share their location with, such as “Close Friends or only followers they follow back,” Christine Pai, a Meta spokesperson, told The Verge. Snapchat allows public posts to Snap Map.

 Read full story at The Verge…

Carbon Market Governing Body Tightens Standards for Renewable Energy Credits

by  Zoya Mirza

The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market said carbon credits issued under existing renewable energy methodologies won't qualify for its Core Carbon Principles label.

The governing body said its CCP label is “designed to build trust in the voluntary carbon market,” guarantee credit comparability and allow the market to unlock its potential to curb increasing greenhouse gas emissions and provide private funding for climate solutions. The label also gives assurance that each credit is representative of a metric tonne of emissions that have been reduced or removed from the atmosphere, per the organization.

To qualify for the organization's CCP label, carbon credits undergo a rigorous evaluation process based on ICVCMs' ten core principles. These principles are categorized under “governance,” “emissions impact” and “sustainable development,” and include determinants such as transparency, permanence, robust quantification and contribution to a net-zero pathway.

 Read full story at UtilityDive…

The Future of Data Centers &Mdash; On Land, at Sea, and in Space

by  Kristin Houser

We need more data centers for AI. Developers are getting creative about where to build them.

It's 2035. Global electricity demand has skyrocketed, driven in large part by the data centers that support our digital world. Rather than worsening climate change, though, these power-hungry facilities are a major reason 100% of our electricity is now generated by clean energy.

… The power needs of these new data centers can be truly gigantic. Microsoft and OpenAI's planned “Stargate” data center is estimated to cost $100 billion and will consume up to 5 gigawatts of electricity — more than the capacity of the largest nuclear plant in the US today. In northern Virginia, the power utility reports that planned data centers are asking for the equivalent of several nuclear reactors' worth of new power.

 Read full story at Freethink…

TVA Sells $1 Billion of Bonds as Utility Prepares for Record Capital Spending

by  Staff

In its first major issue of 10-year bonds since 2017, the Tennessee Valley Authority sold $1 billion of new global power bonds Thursday with an interest rate of 4.375%.