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New Conference at CSUB to Explore Ripple Effects of AI

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(TNS) — A free conference and tech showcase coming Oct. 2 to Cal State Bakersfield will focus on practical aspects of artificial intelligence in the areas of academia, business and security.

The university’s inaugural NextTech Kern isn’t expected to delve deeply into the thornier aspects of AI, like predicting what careers will suffer the most or least job losses. Instead, the event is intended to give attendees an understanding of how the technology will affect their education, benefit their workplace and alter their digital safety.

Organizer Chris Diniz, associate vice president and chief information officer at CSUB, said the plan is to bring together people from across Kern County to prepare for technology he called transformational. He expects to see industry leaders in the audience, as well as students in grade school.


“It’s really meant to be a community event,” he said. “We have to prepare our community. We have to prepare our people.”

Panelists and vendors expected to attend will include representatives of some of the biggest names in AI and high technology, including Open AI, Amazon Web Services and Apple.

The speaker list has not been finalized, but the university has identified the keynote speaker: Rep. Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield. He said in a statement he is honored to take part in the event.

“Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we learn, work and grow, and the Central Valley is uniquely positioned to be at the forefront of this innovation,” Fong stated.

“By fostering collaboration between education, industry and community,” he added, “we can drive economic growth, empower families and businesses, and ensure that the next generation has the tools to succeed in a rapidly changing world.”

Faculty members at CSUB have done research on AI, and Diniz said some of them have looked at how the technology can be integrated into classroom learning as a form of assistance. Attendees can expect to learn about some of those lessons.

As part of the education focus, professionals with the Kern High School District will be represented on panels at the event.

Business applications expected to be discussed at the event will include medicine and agriculture, as well as customer service.

Diniz said the plan is to have panelists talk about the ethical implications of AI in business settings. There will also be tips for using AI as a tool in the workplace, he said.

“This (AI) is one way to make us more efficient,” he said.

Cybersecurity, the third emphasis, will consider AI’s heightened threat potential. Diniz said a session will focus on how people can protect themselves from digital scams.

The event will take place in the university’s Student Recreation Center and its Student Union Multipurpose Room. The university hopes to attract more than 500 attendees, including 100 local high school students.

Information about the event, along with a registration portal, is available online at https://www.csub.edu/nexttechkern/index.shtml.

© 2025 The Bakersfield Californian (Bakersfield, Calif.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.





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Meta explores partnerships with “Google” and “OpenAI” to enhance its artificial intelligence capabilities

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28 minutes ago

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September 1, 2025

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News reports revealed that Meta Platforms (Meta Platforms) is exploring the possibility of forming strategic partnerships with tech giants Google (Google) and OpenAI (OpenAI) in order to enhance and develop artificial intelligence features within its various products and applications.

According to what was reported by “The Information” (The Information) from sources familiar with the matter, leaders in Meta’s new artificial intelligence unit, named “Meta Super Intelligence Labs” (Meta Super Intelligence Labs), have considered integrating the advanced model “Gemini” (Gemini) owned by Google. The goal of this step is to enable the company’s core chatbot, “Meta AI” (Meta AI), to provide more advanced and conversational text responses to the inquiries it receives.

The reports added, according to what was stated by “Reuters”, that discussions also included the possibility of leveraging the advanced models offered by “OpenAI” to power “Meta AI” and a range of other artificial intelligence features within Meta’s popular social media applications such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

The analysis indicates that any potential agreements with these external model providers are likely considered temporary measures aimed at pushing Meta’s artificial intelligence products forward, during the period it works to achieve critical advancements in its own internal models. The report stated that the top priority for the lab is to ensure that the next generation of its internally developed model, named “Llama 5” (Llama 5), can compete with similar models available in the market.

In a comment on these reports, a spokesperson for Meta stated in a statement: “We are taking a comprehensive approach to building the best artificial intelligence products, which involves building world-leading models ourselves and partnering with other companies in addition to open-source technology.”



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Ticketless train travel to be trialled across Derby, Leicester and Nottingham

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55 minutes ago

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September 1, 2025

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Isaac AsheBBC News, Derby

BBC A close-up of the new app being used on a mobile at a train stationBBC

Passengers in the East Midlands will be the first to test the ticketing technology

Ticketless train travel that works by tracking passengers’ locations is being trialled in the East Midlands.

The location-based technology will be tested by East Midlands Railway (EMR) from Monday, by up to 1,000 people travelling through Derby, Leicester, Nottingham and the stations in between.

The app promises to automatically charge these passengers “the best fare at the end of the day”.

Further 1,000-person trials will take place on three services run by rail operator Northern in Yorkshire from the end of September, the Department for Transport said.

The digital ticketing uses global positioning system (GPS) tracking on users’ mobile phones to automatically charge passengers the best overall fare at the end of the day, including on CrossCountry as well as EMR.

If multiple journeys are made, the government said it would calculate if a season ticket would have been cheaper.

For ticket inspections and to pass through barriers, the app will generate a bar code to scan.

Passengers can sign up to the trial, called Digital Pay As You Go, through EMR’s website.

‘Long overdue’

EMR head of commercial strategy and business planning Oli Cox said more than 500 people had already signed up.

He said “complex” fares were sometimes “a real barrier” for passengers and added: “This trial removes that uncertainty, making it easy to simply tap in and out on your phone, safe in the knowledge you’re always getting the best-value fare on the day.”

EMR added the trial would not affect the decision to install ticket barriers limiting access to platforms from the footbridge through Nottingham railway station.

Trials will begin running on Northern services between Harrogate, Leeds, Sheffield, Doncaster and Barnsley at the end of the month.

The EMR and Northern trials will run for nine months and have been given £1m of government funding as part of its Plan for Change.

Rail minister Lord Peter Hendy said testing ticketless travel should save passengers both time and money.

He said: “The railway ticketing system is far too complicated and long overdue an upgrade to bring it into the 21st Century.”



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Woongjin ThinkBig will officially launch its artificial intelligence (AI)-based reading platform “Bo..

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2 hours ago

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September 1, 2025

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Read a book in the voice that artificial intelligence wants. It won the Best Innovation Award at CES earlier this year

Woongjin ThinkBig announced on the 1st that it will introduce an artificial intelligence-based reading platform for the first time at the Gyeonggi Library, which will open next month.

Woongjin ThinkBig will officially launch its artificial intelligence (AI)-based reading platform “Book Story” in October. The first service will be officially introduced at the Gyeonggi Library, which will open next month.

Woongjin Thinkbig announced on the 1st that it recently signed a delivery contract with Gyeonggi Library and decided to supply book stories and books published by its company.

Accordingly, users of Gyeonggi Library can experience book stories through tablets placed in children’s zones in the library.

The contract was conducted with the aim of providing Gyeonggi-do residents with a differentiated reading and learning experience based on high-tech technology and leading digital reading innovation in the public sector.

Book Story is a reading solution in which AI analyzes the letters of picture books and reads books with the voice of the user’s choice. It increases children’s immersion in reading by adding visual effects, background sounds, and quizzes that fit the story.

Book Story was recognized for its technological prowess and efficacy by winning the AI Best Innovation Award at CES2025, the world’s largest consumer electronics fair, earlier this year.

Woongjin ThinkBig will seek further cooperation with libraries in Gyeonggi-do Province, while also pushing for the supply of libraries nationwide.

“Book Story is a service that helps children naturally get close to books and develop reading habits,” said Kim Il-kyung, head of Woongjin Thinkbig’s DGP business division. “Starting with the delivery of Gyeonggi Library, we will spread new reading experiences through cooperation with public institutions and work to close the digital reading gap.”



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