Emerging Tech

Before last week, no one had ever reached the bottom of Lake Tahoe, despite the attempts of past engineers and researchers, but a new remotely operated vehicle has now changed that.

The East Bay Municipal Utility District’s newest $325 million addition to the Orinda Water Treatment Plant centers around a high-tech plan to use ultraviolet light as a primary decontamination strategy.

For utility companies in the Pittsburgh area, chasing data centers as customers might offer vast rewards, but those rewards also come with some clear risks.

The mission of the Maryland Data Centers Analysis Group, as described by an organizer, is to “elevate verifiable data” about the critical digital infrastructure industry and its potential implications for the state.

With an executive order, Gov. Josh Stein has stood up an AI Leadership Council and Accelerator to shape policy, ethics and training, bringing together leaders from government, education and technology.

The state will work with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop the Quantum Frontier Project, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Tuesday. It’s part of the agency’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has signed legislation that amends a previously passed state AI law. The original aims to enact safeguards against high-risk AI systems, while the new bill delays enforcement.

In a split vote on Tuesday, the Frederick County Council voted to approve a bill that will create a special zoning mechanism for data centers and the electric substations that power them.

A new survey from Boston University revealed that respondents support enacting protections against deepfakes — AI-generated images or videos depicting something that did not happen. Their backing is bipartisan.

Travelers at the Harry Reid International Airport can use biometric data instead of placing their ID in a card reader and having a photo taken. Three airlines are using the system; passengers must be enrolled in TSA PreCheck.

Albuquerque will host this year's Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Quantum Week conference — a first for the city as New Mexico makes a name for itself in the quickly evolving industry.

Bristol, Tenn., officials are considering a two-year moratorium on new data processing centers as they study how the growing industry could impact the city.

With several projects in the works, a big question is who will foot the bill for their power needs. Watchdog groups are eyeing the proceedings, but utility company reps have said they intend to protect consumers.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed three bills aimed at preventing sexual harassment by making it a crime to create and distribute generative AI images or videos that feature a specific person in sexual situations.

Despite neighbors’ protests, the Statesville Planning Board unanimously backed a Texas developer’s planned data center on hundreds of acres of lush green farmland in western Iredell County.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's new release cautions public-sector agencies against acquiring AI-powered tools without giving them an adequate level of vetting and governance.

An Illinois audit found that a popular provider of license plate reading technology violated data protection law. In response, the company paused all federal pilot projects and outlined new distinct search permissions.

Since the announcement that Google is considering building a data center in Botetourt County, questions have swirled about how a project of that scale could impact the region’s utilities — especially water.