Iowa

As cyber attacks increase, more Iowa residents face having their personal information stolen as Iowa businesses risk having their computers shut down — or paying a ransom to stay up.

With a plan to transition to lower-emission vehicles and become carbon-free by 2050, Cedar Rapids officials are seeking federal funding to add five hybrid electric buses to their transportation fleet.

For the Mason City Police Department and the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Office, the implementation of new and not-so-new tech has led to a more efficient workflow and enhanced public safety.

From creating discussion boards, to making syllabuses and annotated bibliographies, to simulating different personas with mental illnesses for psychology students, professors are exploring their own uses for AI.

The bill is also being paired with a crackdown on distracted driving in the state, a combination that recently drew concerns from the families of Iowans killed in distracted driving incidents.

Courts vary widely in their approaches to using electronic recordings of proceedings as well as on using digital reporters. Proponents of the profession say digital reporters can train up fast to ease strain from stenographic court reporter shortages.

As courts grapple with a growing need for more reporters, some are considering turning to automated speech-to-text tools and other less traditional alternatives.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, the grant funding, allocated under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, aims to propel digital construction tools such as computer modeling and 3D design in 10 state DOTs.

The state Department of Management Division of Information Technology will provide K-12 schools with 16 months of endpoint detection and response services, including 24-hour monitoring and incident response.

Iowa teachers are using artificial intelligence to draft emails, write individual educational plans and create rubrics, and they recommend students use it to check their work and come up with extra practice problems.

Members of the community are encouraged to join a new program about cybersecurity awareness, specifically those who may not be aware of their digital risks or what to do about them.

Staff in the business office of the Marion Independent School District are stepping out of their comfort zone and using their expertise to inform educators and residents about school finance.

The Jacobson Institute at Grand View University announced a partnership with the technology training company SkillStorm to fit regional workers for available positions in growing industry. SkillStorm has similar programs at southern schools.

Iowa CIO Matt Behrens shares the IT strategies his team is using to stay on track for an ambitious deadline to consolidate the technology systems of 37 state cabinets down to 16 in alignment with recent legislation.

The Iowa Department of Transportation is testing how well unmanned aerial systems – commonly called drones – can help to move traffic around wrecks, temporary road closures and construction zones.

When it comes to what IT functions can be contracted out, Iowa CIO Matt Behrens said it’s important that his office “not outsource our brains” and make sure that decision-making stays in-house.

About half of Iowa’s K-12 schools are connected to the Safe + Sound anonymous tip line that became available March 21. Dispatchers are trained to address non-emergency concerns with the appropriate level of urgency.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said there is potential for nefarious actors to use artificial intelligence to fool their victims, pointing to several recent examples of the technology being misused.