Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping various sectors, from hardware design to workforce development and consumer applications, while also prompting significant discussions around regulation and safety. Quilter, an AI company, recently unveiled the world's first computer designed entirely by AI, a two-board Linux-capable system that booted successfully on its initial attempt. This achievement, part of 'Project Speedrun,' dramatically reduced engineering time from months to just one week, showcasing AI's potential as a 'copilot' in physical innovation, speeding up design and reducing errors in traditionally slow hardware development. In the realm of workforce preparation, New York is investing $40 million into its clean energy workforce, with $4 million specifically allocated to prepare residents for careers in AI, electromechanical trades, and advanced power systems. Similarly, the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder is integrating AI into all its core business courses, preparing students for a future where AI automates entry-level tasks and demands higher-level judgment and oversight. This shift aligns with the view from experts, including Amazon's Danielle Perszyk, who sees AI as a 'universal teammate' that frees human managers to focus on relationships, strategic thinking, and soft skills. However, the rapid advancement of AI also brings challenges and calls for regulation. Research from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund and NBC News revealed that some AI-powered children's toys, like Miriat Miiloo, can provide inappropriate or dangerous advice, discussing topics such as sex or geopolitics. This raises concerns about physical safety, privacy, and the suitability of current AI for children. In response, California voters may consider five ballot initiatives in 2026 to regulate AI, with proposals ranging from protecting minors by banning certain chatbots in schools to creating AI safety commissions. OpenAI itself has filed an initiative requiring chatbot disclosures to minors and protocols to prevent self-harm content. Despite these concerns, AI capabilities continue to advance. OpenAI's new GPT-5.2 Pro High model recently set a record on the ARC-AGI-2 benchmark, scoring 54.2% and significantly outperforming competitors like Gemini 3 Deep Think preview, which achieved 45.1%. This demonstrates OpenAI's progress in developing AI systems capable of abstract reasoning. The company, celebrating ten years since its mission to create artificial general intelligence, has seen its models, including ChatGPT, integrate into the world at an unprecedented speed. ChatGPT has even proven useful for everyday tasks, with a Local 4 reporter successfully using it to generate personalized holiday gift ideas within a budget, highlighting its practical applications for consumers.
Key Takeaways
- Quilter, an AI company, designed the world's first computer entirely by artificial intelligence, reducing engineering time from months to one week.
- New York is investing $40 million into its clean energy workforce, with $4 million specifically funding AI training programs.
- AI is transforming hardware development by acting as a 'copilot' for engineers, speeding up design and reducing errors.
- Amazon's Danielle Perszyk and other experts believe AI will free human managers from routine tasks, allowing them to focus on relationships and strategic thinking.
- Tests revealed some AI-powered children's toys, such as Miriat Miiloo, can provide inappropriate or dangerous information, raising safety and privacy concerns.
- The Leeds School of Business is integrating AI into its curriculum to prepare students for a workforce where AI automates entry-level tasks, emphasizing judgment and oversight skills.
- California voters may consider five ballot initiatives in 2026 to regulate AI, including proposals to protect minors and create AI safety commissions; OpenAI has also filed a related initiative.
- OpenAI's GPT-5.2 Pro High achieved a record 54.2% on the ARC-AGI-2 benchmark for abstract reasoning, significantly outperforming Gemini 3 Deep Think preview's 45.1%.
- OpenAI is celebrating ten years of progress in AI, noting the rapid integration of models like ChatGPT into society through an 'iterative deployment' strategy.
- ChatGPT can effectively assist consumers with tasks like holiday gift shopping, generating personalized ideas based on specific preferences and budgets.
Quilter AI Designs First Computer Hardware
Quilter, an AI company, unveiled the world's first computer designed entirely by artificial intelligence. Their physics-driven AI engine handled the architecture, placement, routing, and validation of the hardware. The result was a two-board Linux-capable computer built around an NXP i.mx 8m mini that booted successfully on its first try. This initiative, called Project Speedrun, reduced months of engineering work to just one week with one engineer. The system understands complex electrical and thermal rules, integrating with standard design tools like Altium and Cadence.
AI Transforms Hardware Design and Physical Innovation
A venture studio focuses on applying AI and other advanced technologies to improve physical innovation in areas like manufacturing and medical devices. Hardware development has traditionally been slow and risky, but AI is changing this landscape. AI tools are emerging as 'copilots' for engineers, speeding up design, reducing errors, and making complex knowledge more accessible. This allows for more design iterations, better simulations, and faster compliance checks. While AI democratizes product design, it also brings new questions about trust, liability, and regulation in physical industries.
New York Invests $40 Million in AI and Nuclear Energy
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced an additional $40 million investment into the state's clean energy workforce. This funding, approved by the New York Power Authority, aims to boost New York's nuclear and AI capabilities. Over four years, the money will go to technical high schools, community colleges, universities, and labor unions to create training programs for advanced nuclear energy. Additionally, $4 million will specifically fund six organizations and universities to prepare New Yorkers for careers in artificial intelligence, electromechanical trades, and advanced power systems within the renewable energy sector. Governor Hochul stated this investment will prepare residents for high-demand jobs and ensure a cleaner energy future.
AI Handles Tasks Managers Focus on People
As AI agents become smarter, they can take over many routine tasks in the workplace. This shift allows human managers to focus more on building relationships, strategic thinking, and using their soft skills. Experts from companies like Canva, Workday, and BetterUp agree that while AI can provide 'superpowers' by handling busywork, human managers remain essential for collaborative performance, empathy, and team trust. Amazon's Danielle Perszyk envisions AI as a 'universal teammate' that frees managers from screen-bound tasks, allowing them to be more creative. This change means managers will prioritize human judgment and connection, reshaping how teams are designed.
AI Toys Give Dangerous and Inappropriate Advice
New research from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund PIRG and tests by NBC News show that some AI-powered children's toys can give inappropriate or dangerous information. These toys, like Miriat Miiloo, have been found to discuss topics such as sex, geopolitics, and even provide instructions on how to light a match or sharpen a knife. Some toys also reflected specific political views, such as Miiloo stating 'Taiwan is an inalienable part of China'. Consumer safety experts warn that the technology is not yet safe for children, raising concerns about physical safety, privacy, and potential attachment issues. Major AI developers typically design their chatbots for adults, not for use by children.
Leeds Business School Prepares Students for AI Era
The Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder is changing its education to prepare students for a workforce shaped by artificial intelligence. Professors Jeremiah Contreras and Matthew Brady explained that AI is automating many entry-level tasks, requiring new graduates to have judgment and oversight skills typically found in managers. Leeds is integrating AI into all 14 core business courses and developing new ones, focusing on critical thinking and problem-solving rather than just coding. They also use AI as a teaching assistant with 'guardrails' to help students learn without simply getting answers. The school aims to teach students how to use AI effectively while also knowing when to work without technology.
California Considers Five AI Regulation Initiatives
California voters may decide on five ballot initiatives in 2026 to regulate artificial intelligence and its developers. Jim Steyer of Common Sense Media filed an initiative to protect minors by banning certain AI chatbots and smartphone use in schools, and holding tech companies responsible for harm. OpenAI filed a competing initiative requiring AI chatbot disclosures to minors and protocols to prevent self-harm content. Another initiative by Poornima Ramarao and CANI aims to oversee charitable AI research organizations. Two additional initiatives by Alexander Oldham propose creating an AI Safety Commission and a Public Benefit AI Accountability Commission. These proposals highlight growing concerns about AI's impact on society and children.
OpenAI GPT-5.2 Pro Sets New AI Reasoning Record
OpenAI's new model, GPT-5.2 Pro High, achieved a record-breaking score of 54.2% on the challenging ARC-AGI-2 benchmark. This benchmark tests an AI's ability to learn new skills and perform abstract reasoning, similar to human intelligence. GPT-5.2 Pro significantly outperformed competitors like Gemini 3 Deep Think preview, which scored 45.1%. The model also showed a massive 390-fold efficiency improvement over OpenAI's previous o3 model on the original ARC-AGI-1 benchmark. These results position OpenAI far ahead in developing AI systems that can genuinely understand abstract concepts and reason through new problems, bringing artificial general intelligence closer to practical use.
OpenAI Reflects on Ten Years of AI Progress
OpenAI is celebrating ten years since it first announced its mission to create artificial general intelligence that benefits all humanity. The company's journey began with a small, optimistic team facing many challenges. Key breakthroughs in 2017 included advancements in reinforcement learning with Dota 1v1, language models learning semantics, and aligning AI with human values. OpenAI later launched ChatGPT three years ago and then GPT-4, which quickly integrated into the world at an unprecedented speed. The company adopted an 'iterative deployment' strategy, releasing early versions of AI to allow society and technology to evolve together. Today, OpenAI's AI can outperform many smart people in certain tasks.
Local 4 Tests AI for Holiday Gift Shopping
Local 4 reporter Will Jones tested ChatGPT to see if artificial intelligence could help with holiday gift shopping. Consumer money-saving expert Andrea Woroch suggested that AI could be useful for finding gifts for people who are hard to shop for. Jones asked ChatGPT to suggest $50 gifts for two colleagues with different interests, providing specific details about their hobbies and preferences. The AI successfully generated many practical and personalized gift ideas within the budget. While AI can save time and offer good suggestions for mainstream products, Woroch warned that shoppers might miss unique items from local small businesses if they rely solely on AI.
Sources
- Quilter Shows AI Can Now Design Real Hardware With the World’s First Machine-Engineered Computer
- Hardware is the New Salt: AI, Hardware, and the Future of Physical Innovation
- New York State to Invest $40M in AI Training, Nuclear Energy
- When AI takes the tasks, managers take the relationships
- AI-powered kids’ toys talk about sex, geopolitics and how to light a match, tests show
- Shaping Thinkers, Not Just Technicians: Leeds' Approach to AI-Era Learning
- Five ballot initiatives filed in California to regulate artificial intelligence and its developers
- GPT 5.2 Pro Creates New Record of 54.2% On ARC-AGI 2, Beats Gemini 3 Deep Think Preview At 45.1%
- Ten years
- Can AI be your holiday shopping assistant? Local 4 tests its gift-giving skills
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