Tools & Platforms

AI Horizons summit: Pa. must invest in energy production, embrace AI

Published

4 days ago

September 12, 2025

This week’s second annual AI Horizons summit brought together academics, politicians, and leaders from storied Pittsburgh institutions and upstart startups.

“We have to combine the forces and the resources of our old and new leaders in energy industry and AI to all row in the same direction,” said Joanna Doven, executive director of AI Strike Team, which hosted the gathering. “Now is the time to radically merge.”

The two-day event unfolded at Bakery Square, the anchor for a stretch of Penn Avenue that is home to more than a dozen technology and AI companies including Google and the Pittsburgh-based Duolingo. Developers and AI enthusiasts have termed the mile-long corridor “AI Avenue.”

It was the second AI-related summit held in Pittsburgh in as many months; U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick’s inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit debuted at Carnegie Mellon University in July with high-profile guests including President Donald Trump. That event touted roughly $90 billion worth of energy- and AI-related investment in the state (though a sizable chunk of that spending was already in place).

This week’s AI Horizons summit seemingly sought to forge more immediate connections between the companies, venture capitalists, and researchers in attendance, albeit at a smaller scale. On Thursday, BNY and CMU jointly announced the financial services company will invest $10 million in an AI lab at the university over the next five years.

The investment aims to “make sure that we are going to be at the very forefront of the research of how AI can apply to our firm and our industry,” said BNY CEO Robin Vince.

“Artificial Intelligence has emerged as one of the single most important intellectual developments of our time, and it is rapidly expanding into every sector of our economy,” CMU president Farnam Jahanian said in a statement. “Carnegie Mellon University is thrilled to collaborate with BNY — a global financial services powerhouse — to responsibly develop and scale emerging AI technologies and democratize their impact for the benefit of industry and society at large.”

And speakers said western Pennsylvania is well positioned to facilitate the AI boom, thanks to the expertise and skilled labor force being created by local universities including CMU and the University of Pittsburgh. The region’s industrial history and proximity to open land and natural resources needed for massive AI data centers could also help.

“Power and the ability to consume it is going to be one of the biggest challenges we face” when expanding the use of AI, said Toby Rice, president and CEO of EQT Corporation, the largest natural gas producer in the U.S.

Data centers have, as one speaker put it, an “insatiable appetite for energy,” and need vast amounts of power both to run the computers and to keep them cool.

A recent analysis from the federal Energy Information Administration predicts electricity used for commercial computing will increase faster than any other use in buildings over the next 25 years, sparking fears that the added stress on the power grid could spike rates for everyday Pennsylvanians.

“The only way to keep those prices down,” said Republican state Sen. Devlin Robinson, “is to open up the gas fields, make sure that the nuclear power plants are online, make sure that we’re cultivating the renewable energy so that we have a full grid that is able to sustain all of the energy needs of the Commonwealth and especially the region where these data centers are gonna go up.”

Democratic state Senate leader Jay Costa too encouraged an “all-of-the-above approach” to energy generation, but cautioned that “ the costs cannot be solely borne by the ratepayers.

“We have to have some balance and some guardrails in place” to protect consumers, he said.

But the focus on natural gas at the summit drew criticism from local environmental groups who decried the absence of robust discussion about renewable energy like solar and wind.

The Clean Air Council’s Larisa Mednis said reliance on fossil fuels contributes to worsening climate change.

“If this technology and AI is a sign of progress or a sign of innovation, why are we relying on antiquated forms of energy use … that we know are not serving people and are not going to help sustain the planet?” Mednis asked.

Critics say investments in gas-powered data centers rarely generate long-term economic or job growth.

“Data centers are very automated, highly capital-intensive projects that can soak up billion-dollar investments like a sponge and leave next to nothing for surrounding communities,” said Joanne Kilgour, executive director of the Appalachian think tank Ohio River Valley Institute.

The environmental costs of AI drew little discussion at the summit.

Many of the conversations mirrored those that took place at the July event. Indeed, the two events shared a number of speakers, including Sen. McCormick and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and similar talking points.

Shapiro once again touted the state as a leader in the “AI revolution,” likening it to previous technological upheavals like the agricultural and industrial revolutions.

“ We were the epicenter of growth and development and revolution because of the coal under our ground, because of the steel that we’ve made here, because of the ingenuity of our farmers,” he said. “This is the next chapter in our innovative growth as a commonwealth, which is gonna fuel growth in this country, fuel growth around the globe. And it happens because of AI.”

During a panel discussion with BNY CEO Vince and Westinghouse interim CEO Dan Sumner moderated by CMU president Jahanian, Shapiro said his administration will expand a generative AI pilot program for state employees launched in 2024.

“ I view AI not as a job replacer, but a job enhancer,” he said. “ We can streamline our processes and make things work more effectively.”

“ We can do big things with these tools, and we are showing how to deploy them in a responsible way,” he added.

Still, leaders in government and business need to take bigger swings to get ahead in the AI arms race, said U.S. Senator Dave McCormick. Pennsylvania isn’t just competing with neighboring states to attract data centers and AI companies, he said, but also with countries that are AI powerhouses in their own right, like China.

“We’re not gonna win with incrementalism,” he said. “This has to be disruptive. We’re gonna get disrupted one way or the other. The question is whether we’re gonna be the disruptor or the disruptee.”

AI is already changing the ways people do business, McCormick added, and the amount of money being poured into the industry far exceeds that which was spent on past innovations.

“This is not something that we’re gonna be able to slow down. It is something we can guide,” McCormick said.

He urged officials in both parties to accelerate AI and energy production, and establish Pennsylvania as a leader in the industries.

“ I think we have a good hand to play, but we don’t have a royal flush,” he said. “So we gotta … make the effort to improve the things that are lacking.”

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Tools & Platforms

Defense at scale: How agentic AI secures without extra headcount

Published

20 minutes ago

September 16, 2025

Aaron Momin

This underscores a shift in strategy from reactive to proactive defense. Rather than waiting for attacks to occur and then scrambling to respond, Agentic AI can potentially identify vulnerabilities, predict attack patterns and implement countermeasures before threats can be exploited.

The speed advantage becomes increasingly important in cases like distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, an attempt to disrupt normal traffic of a server, service or network by overwhelming the target or its surrounding infrastructure with a flood of Internet traffic. When nation-state actors launch DDoS attacks to bring down networks, an agentic AI deployed at the network perimeter can potentially identify attack patterns, analyze traffic anomalies and modify firewall rules autonomously, thereby eliminating the response delays that typically allow attacks to succeed.

Strategic implementation: Building your agent defense network

Successfully deploying Agentic AI moves beyond a traditional “one-size-fits-all” approach. Instead, organizations should build teams of specialized agents, each designed with its own function that work within coordinated defense networks. This could be like the following:

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Tools & Platforms

AI Academy Launches Region’s First Executive Program for Chief AI Officer

Published

47 minutes ago

September 16, 2025

EIN Presswire

AI Academy, a regional hub for executive education and leadership in AI, has opened early applications for its Executive Program for Chief AI Officer (CAIO)

The AI Academy, a regional hub for executive education and leadership in artificial intelligence, has opened early applications for its Executive Program for Chief AI Officer (CAIO). The AI Academy was first unveiled at the prestigious Machines Can See 2025 summit in the presence of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence in the UAE. The new first-of-its-kind Executive program in the region will equip senior executives and decision-makers with the vision and expertise to drive the next wave of AI transformation. The latest research shows 69% of organizations in the Middle East plan to increase investment in AI, highlighting the urgent need for skilled leadership.

The executive program is launched under the strategic collaboration between the Abu Dhabi School of Management (ADSM) and Polynome AI Academy, reinforcing a regional commitment to shaping future-ready leadership as a global hub for AI adoption and regulation.

Also Read: AiThority Interview with Tim Morrs, CEO at SpeakUp

The AI Academy will integrate NVIDIA’s expertise and technologies into select programs—reinforcing its mission to accelerate AI readiness and real-world deployment across the region.
The intensive two-week program is scheduled to begin on 16 November 2025 and includes 10 advanced modules covering AI systems architecture, enterprise deployment, governance frameworks, ethics, and public policy. With a strong emphasis on real-world application, the program prepares executives to lead cross-functional AI strategies and unlock innovation agendas across the MENA region. Participants will also have an opportunity to join an optional five-day international module in Europe or the United States as an extension of the main program, expanding their exposure to leading global innovation ecosystems.

Polynome Group ensures participants gain exclusive access to enterprise-grade AI infrastructure, global best practices, and hands-on deployment insights. This uniquely positions The AI Academy’s Executive Program at the intersection of education and execution. With Chief AI Officers already appointed across government entities and corporates in the region, the program is a catalyst for national AI strategies and government visions which seek to position the Middle East at the forefront of global AI and digital transformation.

“In today’s fast-changing landscape, visionary and strategic leadership is critical to unlocking the full potential of AI in a responsible way that meets the needs of businesses and society alike,” said Dr. Tayeb Kamali, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at ADSM. “This program equips leaders with the strategic foresight, ethical foundation, and practical skills required to leverage the exciting opportunities AI creates, while strengthening the Middle East’s role as a global hub for technological excellence.”

“What makes this program unique is that it was designed by leaders who have implemented AI at scale,” added Alexander Khanin, Founder of Polynome Group. “Participants will leave with execution-ready strategies, direct access to enterprise tools, and membership in a powerful peer network of global AI leaders.”

From Global Expertise and Industry Depth To Local Context
The program’s instructors unite world-class expertise from academia, government, and industry. Professors and researchers from leading institutions such as Oxford University, ETH Zurich, Khalifa University and Carnegie Mellon University contribute deep academic insight. Alongside them, Chief AI Officers, Heads of Technology, Vice Presidents and Executive Directors from top AI organizations, including NVIDIA, the UAE Cybersecurity Council, X, G42, NASA JPL, Mubadala, AMD, e&, HCLTech and others, bring practical leadership and industry perspective. Together, this distinguished panel highlights the program’s global influence on AI strategy and governance.

Exclusive Access to Global Network
Graduates will join an exclusive global alumni circle of Chief AI Officers and senior leaders, gaining lifelong access to a peer network shaping the next decade of AI transformation across industries and geographies.

Also Read: Cognitive Product Design: Empowering Non-Technical Users Through Natural Language Interaction With AI-Native PLM

[To share your insights with us as part of editorial or sponsored content, please write to psen@itechseries.com]

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Tools & Platforms

Tencent Announces Global Rollout of Scenario-Based AI Capabilities to Accelerate Industrial Efficiency

Published

58 minutes ago

September 16, 2025

The Editors

Tencent Announces Global Rollout of Scenario-Based, AI Capabilities to Accelerate Industrial Efficiency

Launch of AI Agent Development Platform 3.0, available internationally via Tencent Cloud, at the 2025 Global Digital Ecosystem Summit

Tencent Cloud’s overseas client base doubled since last year; achieved high double-digit year-over-year growth over the past three years

Dowson Tong, Senior Executive Vice President of Tencent and CEO of the Cloud and Smart Industries Group, delivering a keynote speech at the 2025 Global Digital Ecosystem Summit

Tencent today announced the global roll-out of new scenario-based AI capabilities, empowering enterprises across diverse industries to accelerate industry efficiency and advance international growth. Announced at the 2025 Tencent Global Digital Ecosystem Summit, held at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center from 16 to 17 September, it comprises a suite of intelligent agent applications, “SaaS + AI” solutions and large model technological upgrades.

“Truly usable and practical AI applications drive industrial efficiency, while internationalization charts new growth possibilities,” said Dowson Tong, Senior Executive Vice President of Tencent and CEO of the Cloud and Smart Industries Group. “Our newly launched and upgraded solutions will support enterprises in their intelligence and internationalization journey as they build scalable and sustainable growth.”

Accelerating Implementation of Intelligent Solutions

The Tencent Cloud Intelligent Agent Strategy Panorama highlighted the global launch of Agent Development Platform 3.0 (ADP), which enables enterprises to generate and integrate intelligent, autonomous AI agents into their workflows, for scenarios such as customer service, marketing, inventory management, research, and more. Tencent is continuously iterating on various intelligent agent development frameworks like LLM+RAG, Workflow, and Multi-Agent, to help enterprises efficiently build stable, secure, and business-aligned agents using proprietary data. In addition, AI Infra’s “Agent Runtime” was also launched to provide a robust infrastructure foundation for building, deploying, and operating AI agents.

The upgraded SaaS+AI toolkit enhances office collaboration, including AI Minutes in Tencent Meetings, which has seen a year-on-year growth rate of 150% over the past year. It also supports knowledge management, such as Tencent LearnShare, currently used by over 300,000 enterprises enjoying 92% response accuracy. CodeBuddy, an AI-powered AI coding tool for developers, reduces coding time by 40% and increases R&D efficiency by 16%.

New models powered by Hunyuan, Tencent’s proprietary large language model, were announced, including Hunyuan 3D 3.0, Hunyuan 3D AI and Hunyuan 3D Studio, imbued with cutting-edge 3D generation capabilities for creators and developers in media and gaming industries, and more. Hunyuan 3D series models have been downloaded over 2.6 million times on Hugging Face, making them the most popular open-source 3D models globally.

Over the past year, Tencent’s Hunyuan large model has released more than 30 new models and fully embraced open-source development. It has gradually open-sourced models such as the hybrid inference model Hunyuan-A13B and a translation model supporting over 30 languages, along with comprehensive multimodal generation capabilities and tools for image, video and 3D content.

Fully Embrace Internationalization

At the summit, Tencent Cloud highlighted its milestones in global expansion, noting that its overseas client base has doubled since last year. Over the last three years, Tencent Cloud International has achieved high double-digit year-over-year growth globally, across Asia markets, namely Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Japan, and more.

Today, more than 90% of leading Chinese internet companies, and 95% of leading Chinese gaming companies are also using Tencent Cloud to support their global expansion initiatives.

During the Tencent Cloud International Summit held in the afternoon, Tencent’s global partners including Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions, DANA, e& UAE, Hong Kong Jockey Club, Fusion Bank, GoTo Group, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH), Miniclip, MUFG Bank (China), Prosus, True IDC, and more, discussed the need for enterprises to adopt advanced cloud and AI solutions to power their next stage of growth and internationalization ambitions.

Poshu Yeung, Senior Vice President, Tencent Cloud International said, “Tencent Cloud brings to overseas enterprises our deep expertise and experience in integrating AI across our ecosystem. With the launch of new solutions such as Tencent Cloud Agent Development Platform, we hope to expand our reach globally, and serve wider industries and enterprise use-cases.”

The summit also saw Tencent Cloud International signing partnership agreements with global enterprises, from Asia Pacific companies including Datacom, IOH, Gardi Management, GoTo Group, MahakaX, MUFG Bank (China), RYDE Technologies, StoneLink, True IDC, 99 Group; to Middle Eastern companies including Coop Bank Oromia and Nativex; European companies including eMAG; and North American company InCloud.

Tencent will upgrade its Tencent Cloud internationalization strategy across three areas — infrastructure, technology products, and service capabilities — to help more enterprises across different industries to transform digitally. Today Tencent Cloud products like the Superapp-as-a-Service solution and PalmAI have been widely embraced by overseas enterprises from Asia Pacific, the Middle East and The Americas.

Tencent Cloud has introduced international versions of products such as Tencent Cloud Agent Development Platform (TCADP), CodeBuddy and Cloud Mall. These globalized solutions are designed to better accommodate local requirements and provide reliable support for high-concurrency enterprises worldwide. For instance, its EdgeOne security and acceleration platform recently integrated large language models with the Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server, resulting in the launch of EdgeOne Pages. This development significantly enhanced developer efficiency by reducing website development and deployment time from one day to merely one minute. Within three months, the platform garnered over 100,000 global users.

Tencent Cloud operates 55 data centres across 21 markets and regions, and plans to invest USD150 million in the future to build its first Middle East data center in Saudi Arabia. Simultaneously, it will build a third data center in Osaka, Japan, and establish a new Osaka office. Today, Tencent Cloud has deployed 9 global technical support centers in Jakarta, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo, Seoul, Palo Alto, and Frankfurt.

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