Connect with us

Tools & Platforms

Oregon Tech Leaders See Impactful, Eventful Future for AI

Published

5 days ago

on


WILSONVILLE, Ore. — Technology leaders in Oregon are bullish on the possibilities AI can bring to the state’s government IT posture, and its education and economic development opportunities. But, they admit, this sizable technology advancement has also opened a Pandora’s box of concerns.

“I get excited first, waking up in the morning and seeing all the possibilities,” Jimmy Godard, Oregon state chief technology officer, said Thursday during the annual meeting for Link Oregon. “There’s so many great things on the horizon. And I believe the artificial intelligence ecosystem is one area you cannot ignore. Because it is here. It will happen.”

“And yes, it keeps me awake at night, in terms of what could happen,” the CTO, whose office resides within Oregon Enterprise Information Services, told roughly 150 tech professionals from around the state. Link Oregon is a nonprofit providing high-speed broadband to other state nonprofits and public-sector members.


It’s not so much the change AI is likely to bring to virtually all levels of life in the coming months and years, it’s the velocity of this change that concerns people like Skip Newberry, president and CEO of the Technology Association of Oregon. He reflected on the ability of societal systems — including education, workforce, government and legal — “to effectively keep pace with that change,” during a panel discussion with Godard.

The rate of AI development is moving much faster than the Internet evolved 25 to 30 years ago, Newberry said, “with far more money involved. And also, a very large existential threat perceived, and otherwise.”

Some of those threats come from nation-states like China, a world leader in AI.

“There’s a lot of external factors that are driving this train. And I’m concerned, again, about the speed in which it’s going, and how quickly our systems can adjust,” Newberry said.

Then again, AI has the ability to cut both ways.

“It has the potential to democratize and change some status quo systems that haven’t been serving a lot of folks all that well,” Newberry said.

Government organizations at every level have been moving forward toward adopting, regulating or at least considering AI policies and tools that include the technology. The GovAI Coalition includes more than 1,700 professionals from about 550 government organizations. The group has been at the forefront of policy conversations to examine use cases, risks and concerns related to new AI technologies.

“It is really trying to see all the touch-points of the technology that our agencies are dealing with,” Godard said, outlining part of what guides Oregon’s adoption of AI, as it considers technology modernization projects.

Some of the AI use cases Newberry said he would like to consider include using the technology to improve K-12 education, by offering more personalized instruction and support for students.

“And you can do that with AI, in terms of where things are headed. And so, I think that’s an opportunity for us,” Newberry said.

Oregon’s future as a technology leader will be predicated, in part, on improved educational outcomes, he added.

“That’s potentially the biggest issue that’s holding us back right now. We’re not doing well in terms of reading, math and science outcomes at the K-12 level. And it’s even worse for STEM,” said Newberry, outlining the state’s educational weaknesses, which could impact Oregon’s ability to be a technology leader.

Skip Descant writes about smart cities, the Internet of Things, transportation and other areas. He spent more than 12 years reporting for daily newspapers in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and California. He lives in downtown Yreka, Calif.

See More Stories by Skip Descant





Source link

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tools & Platforms

Tech Companies Pay $200,000 Premiums for AI Experience: Report

Published

55 minutes ago

on

July 7, 2025

By


  • A consulting firm found that tech companies are “strategically overpaying” recruits with AI experience.
  • They found firms pay premiums of up to $200,000 for data scientists with machine learning skills.
  • The report also tracked a rise in bonuses for lower-level software engineers and analysts.

The AI talent bidding war is heating up, and the data scientists and software engineers behind the tech are benefiting from being caught in the middle.

Many tech companies are “strategically overpaying” recruits with AI experience, shelling out premiums of up to $200,000 for some roles with machine learning skills, J. Thelander Consulting, a compensation data and consulting firm for the private capital market, found in a recent report.

The report, compiled from a compensation analysis of roles across 153 companies, showed that data scientists and analysts with machine learning skills tend to receive a higher premium than software engineers with the same skills. However, the consulting firm also tracked a rise in bonuses for lower-level software engineers and analysts.

The payouts are a big bet, especially among startups. About half of the surveyed companies paying premiums for employees with AI skills had no revenue in the past year, and a majority (71%) had no profit.

Smaller firms need to stand out and be competitive among Big Tech giants — a likely driver behind the pricey recruitment tactic, a spokesperson for the consulting firm told Business Insider.

But while the J. Thelander Consulting report focused on smaller firms, some Big Tech companies have also recently made headlines for their sky-high recruitment incentives.

Meta was in the spotlight last month after Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, said the social media giant had tried to poach his best employees with $100 million signing bonuses. 

While Business Insider previously reported that Altman later quipped that none of his “best people” had been enticed by the deal, Meta’s chief technology officer, Andrew Bosworth, said in an interview with CNBC that Altman “neglected to mention that he’s countering those offers.”





Source link

Continue Reading

Tools & Platforms

Your browser is not supported

Published

58 minutes ago

on

July 7, 2025

By


Your browser is not supported | usatoday.com
logo

usatoday.com wants to ensure the best experience for all of our readers, so we built our site to take advantage of the latest technology, making it faster and easier to use.

Unfortunately, your browser is not supported. Please download one of these browsers for the best experience on usatoday.com



Source link

Continue Reading

Tools & Platforms

A Recipe for Tech Bubble 2.0

Published

2 hours ago

on

July 7, 2025

By


The tech industry’s history is littered with cautionary tales of irrational exuberance: the dot-com boom, the crypto craze, and the AI winter of the 2010s. Today, Palantir Technologies (PLTR) stands at the intersection of hype and hubris, its stock up over 2,000% since 2023 and trading at a Price-to-Sales (P/S) ratio of 107x—a metric that dwarfs even the most speculative valuations of the late 1990s. This is not sustainable growth; it is a textbook bubble. With seven critical risks converging, investors are poised for a reckoning that could slash Palantir’s valuation by 60% by 2027.

The Illusion of Growth: Valuation at 107x Sales

Let’s start with the math. A P/S ratio of 107x means investors are betting that Palantir’s revenue will grow 107-fold to justify its current price. For context, during the dot-com bubble, Amazon’s peak P/S was 20x, and even Bitcoin’s 2017 mania never pushed its P/S analog to such extremes. shows a trajectory that mirrors the NASDAQ’s 2000 peak—rapid ascents followed by catastrophic collapses.

Seven Risks Fueling the Implosion

1. The AI Bubble Pop

Palantir’s valuation is tied to its AI product, Gotham, which promises to revolutionize data analytics. But history shows that AI’s promise has often exceeded its delivery. The AI winters of the 1970s and 1980s saw similar hype, only to crumble under overpromised outcomes. Today’s AI tools—despite their buzz—are still niche, and enterprise adoption remains fragmented. A cooling in AI enthusiasm could drain investor confidence, leaving Palantir’s inflated valuation stranded.

2. Gotham’s Limited Market

Gotham’s core clients are governments and large enterprises. While this niche offers stability, it also caps growth potential. Unlike cloud platforms or social media, Palantir’s market is neither scalable nor defensible against competitors. If governments shift spending priorities—or if AI’s ROI fails to materialize—the demand for Gotham’s services will evaporate.

3. Insider Selling: A Signal of Doubt

Insiders often sell shares when they anticipate a downturn. While specific data on Palantir’s insider transactions is scarce, the stock’s meteoric rise since 2023 has coincided with a surge in institutional selling. This behavior mirrors the final days of the dot-com bubble, when executives offloaded shares ahead of the crash.

4. Interest-Driven Profits, Not Revenue Growth

Palantir’s profits now rely partly on rising interest rates, which boost returns on its cash reserves. This financial engineering masks weak organic growth. When rates inevitably fall—or inflation subsides—this artificial profit driver will vanish, exposing the company’s fragile fundamentals.

5. Dilution via Equity Issuances

To fund its ambitions, Palantir has likely diluted shareholders through stock offerings. The historical data shows its adjusted stock prices account for splits and dividends, but no splits are noted. This silent dilution reduces equity value, a tactic common in bubble-stage companies desperate to fund unsustainable growth.

6. Trump’s Fiscal Uncertainty

Palantir’s government contracts depend on political stability. With a potential Trump administration’s fiscal policies uncertain—ranging from spending cuts to regulatory crackdowns—the company’s revenue streams face existential risks.

7. Valuation Precedents: The 2000 Dot-Com Crash Revisited

Valuation metrics matter. In 2000, the NASDAQ’s P/S ratio averaged 4.5x. Palantir’s 107x ratio is 23 times higher—a disconnect from reality. When the dot-com bubble burst, companies like Pets.com and Webvan, once darlings, lost 99% of their value. Palantir’s fate could mirror theirs.

The Inevitable Correction: 60% Downside by 2027

If Palantir’s valuation reverts to a more rational 10x P/S—a still aggressive multiple for its niche market—its stock would plummet to $12.73, a 60% drop from its July 2025 high. Even a 20x P/S, akin to Amazon’s peak, would price it at $25.46—a 75% drop. This is not a prediction of doom; it is arithmetic.

Investment Advice: Avoid the Sizzle, Seek the Steak

Investors should treat Palantir as a warning sign, not a buy signal. The stock’s rise has been fueled by sentiment, not fundamentals. Stick to companies with proven scalability, sustainable margins, and valuations grounded in reality. For Palantir? The only question is whether it will crash to $12 or $25—either way, the party is over.

In the annals of tech history, one truth endures: bubbles always pop. Palantir’s 2023–2025 surge is no exception. The only question is how many investors will still be dancing when the music stops.

Data sources: Historical stock price summaries (2023–2025), Palantir’s P/S ratio calculations, and fusion of market precedents.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending