AI Research

UWF lands $100,000 Air Force research grant to advance multi‑agent AI

Published

4 days ago

September 2, 2025

The University of West Florida has received a $100,000 award from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s Munitions Directorate to support research in multi‑agent artificial intelligence while training Ph.D. students.

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The one‑year grant was awarded through AFRL/RW’s University Day program and is led by Dr. Kristen “Brent” Venable, a professor and director of UWF’s Intelligent Systems and Robotics doctoral program. The project will design and test computer environments where multiple agents—robots, drones, or software systems—learn to work together across multi-step missions with less need for constant human direction. In plain terms, the team is building simulations that teach autonomous systems how to divide tasks, share information, and adapt as conditions change.

“We are excited for this opportunity to collaborate with AFRL/RW and are confident that it will serve as the first step toward a long‑term, fruitful research partnership, positioning UWF as a research partner of choice,” Venable said in a press release announcing the award.

The research focuses on decentralized strategies for “multi‑phase operational scenarios,” the kinds of step‑by‑step missions that could range from mapping an area to coordinating actions once a target is found. According to UWF, potential applications include disaster response, search and rescue, and reconnaissance. The work will also support two ISR doctoral students, Raffaele Galliera and Alessandro Amato, who will help design missions and specifications and apply advanced machine‑learning techniques to train cooperative agents.

“UWF is proud of our collaboration with AFRL/RW and of the contributions of our students and faculty to the cutting‑edge research conducted there,” said Dr. Mohamed Khabou, dean of the Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering and professor.

The Intelligent Systems and Robotics doctoral program itself reflects close ties between UWF and the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. The program was established in partnership with IHMC, giving students access to nationally recognized researchers in robotics, human–machine interaction, and artificial intelligence. IHMC faculty co‑teach courses, mentor doctoral candidate,s and provide research facilities alongside UWF’s academic resources.

The AFRL award also arrives amid a broader push to grow autonomy research capacity in Northwest Florida. Earlier this year, IHMC secured a Triumph Gulf Coast grant of up to $6.72 million to establish the National Center for Collaborative Autonomy, a regional initiative focused on coordinating autonomous systems and enabling human operators to oversee safe and effective operations. While separate and much larger in scale, that investment complements UWF’s AFRL‑funded project by expanding the region’s facilities and workforce pipeline in autonomy and AI.

Together, the AFRL and Triumph awards underscore how UWF and IHMC are building a shared research ecosystem, positioning Pensacola as a hub for advanced autonomy research and workforce development.

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Artificial intelligence, rising tuition discussed by educational leaders at UMD

Published

2 hours ago

September 6, 2025

Ella Schoeberl

DULUTH, Minn. (Northern News Now) – A panel gathered at UMD’s Weber Music Hall Friday to discuss the future of higher education.

The conversation touched on heavy topics like artificial intelligence, rising tuition costs, and how to provide the best education possible for students.

Almost 100 people listened to conversations on the current climate of college campuses, including UMD Associate Dean of the Swenson College of Engineering and Science Erin Sheets.

“We’re in a unique and challenging time, with respect to the federal landscape and state landscape,” said Sheets.

The three panelists addressed current national changes, including rising tuition costs and budget cuts.

“That is going to be a structural shift we really are going to have to pay attention to, if we want to continue to commit for all students to have the opportunity to attend college,” said panelist and Managing Director of Waverly Foundation Lande Ajose.

Last year alone, the University of Minnesota system was hit with a 3% budget cut on top of a loss of $22 million in federal grants. This resulted in a 6.5% tuition increase for students.

Even with changing resources, the panel emphasized helping students prepare for the future, which they said includes the integration of AI.

“As students graduate, if they are not AI fluent, they are not competitive for jobs,” said panelist and University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham.

Research shows that the use of AI in the workplace has doubled in the last two years to 40%.

While AI continues to grow every day, both students and faculty are learning to use it and integrate it into their curriculum.

“These are tools, they are not a substitute for a human being. You still need the critical thinking, you need the ethical guidelines, even more so,” said Sheets.

Following the panel, UMD hosted a campus-wide celebration to mark the inauguration of Chancellor Charles Nies.

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AI startup CEO who has hired several Meta engineers says: Reason AI researchers are leaving Meta is, as founder Mark Zuckerberg said, “Biggest risk is not taking …”

Published

3 hours ago

September 6, 2025

TOI Tech Desk

Shawn Shen, co-founder and CEO of the AI startup Memories.ai, has stated that some researchers are leaving Facebook-parent Meta due to frequent company reorganisations and a desire to take on bigger risks. Shen, who left Meta himself last year, notes that constant changes in managers and goals can be frustrating for researchers, leading them to seek opportunities at other companies and startups. Shen’s startup, which builds AI to understand visual data, recently announced a plan to offer up to $2 million compensation packages to researchers from top tech companies. Memories.ai has already hired Chi-Hao Wu, a former Meta research scientist, as its chief AI officer. Shen also referenced a statement from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg who earlier said that the “the biggest risk is not taking any risks.”

What startup CEO Shen said about AI researchers leaving Meta

In an interview with Business Insider, Shen said: “Meta is constantly doing reorganizations. Your manager and your goals can change every few months. For some researchers, it can be really frustrating and feel like a waste of time. So yes, I think that’s a driver for people to leave Meta and join other companies, especially startups.There’s other reasons people might leave. I think the biggest one is what Mark (Zuckerberg) has said: ‘In an age that’s evolving so fast, the biggest risk is not taking any risks. So why not do that and potentially change the world as part of a trillion-dollar company?’We have already hired Eddy Wu, our Chief AI Officer who was my manager’s manager at Meta. He’s making a similar amount to what we’re offering the new people. He was on their generative AI team, which is now Meta Superintelligence Labs. And we are already talking to a few other people from MSL and some others from Google DeepMind.”

What Shen said about hiring Meta AI researchers for his startup

Shen noted that he’s offering AI researchers who are leaving Meta pay packages of $2 million to work with his startup. He said: “It’s because of the talent war that was started by Mark Zuckerberg. I used to work at Meta, and I speak with my former colleagues often about this. When I heard about their compensation packages, I was shocked — it’s really in the tens of millions range. But it shows that in this age, AI researchers who make the best models and stand at the frontier of technology are really worth this amount of money. We’re building an AI model that can see and remember just like humans. The things that we are working on are very niche. So we are looking for people who are really, really good at the whole field of understanding video data.”He even explained that his company is prioritising hires who are willing to take more equity than cash, allowing it to preserve its financial runway. These recruits will be treated as founding members rather than employees, with compensation split between cash and equity depending on the individual, Shen added.Over the next six months, the AI startup is planning to add three to five people, followed by another five to ten within a year, alongside efforts to raise additional funding. Shen believes that investing heavily in talent will strengthen, not hinder, future fundraising.

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AARP warns of “Grandparent Scams”

Published

4 hours ago

September 6, 2025

Emma Ellis

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – While artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming our world, a troubling trend shows scammers using it to steal from seniors, specifically grandparents.

You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘seeing is believing’ your whole life. But in an age of artificial intelligence, the turn of phrase doesn’t exactly stand the test of time. When it’s in the wrong hands, this new technology can make our senior citizens, who didn’t grow up in the digital age, a vulnerable population.

“One of the ways we see that being done is with what’s known as the grandparent scam,” Jamie Harding, AARP of Alabama Communications director, said. “The grandparent scam is basically, it usually happens late at night, they’re asleep, and someone calls them purporting to be their grandchild, they’re in trouble, they need money immediately.”

However, it isn’t actually their grandchild on the other end of the phone. Scammers have used AI technology to replicate the sound of their grandchild’s voice to try to take money.

“These are very sophisticated international crime rings, and they have access to a lot of very sophisticated technology,” Harding said.

To protect your family from these scams, Harding suggests having a code word that every member of your family knows so you can be sure it’s actually your loved one calling.

She also advises you not to answer phone calls from unknown numbers and to keep your personal information off the internet.

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