openai unveils new tools as microsoft ships new models

Key Takeaways

• North Carolina Treasurer's Office is expanding AI use, including OpenAI's ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and GitHub Copilot, with plans to explore Anthropic's Claude, aiming for up to 10% productivity increase and taxpayer savings.
• The University of Florida (UF) reported a significant rise in AI-related academic misconduct, with 66 cases mentioning AI or ChatGPT in Spring 2025, leading to expanded AI training programs.
• InvoiceCloud launched an AI-powered Billing Experience for regulated industries, using generative AI and machine learning to automate billing, reminders, and reconciliation.
• Cloudflare introduced Agent Lee, an AI assistant in its dashboard, enabling natural language management of services, troubleshooting, and resource deployment (e.g., R2 buckets), with explicit user approval for write operations.
• Cloudflare also released a reference architecture for secure enterprise AI deployments, utilizing products like AI Gateway to manage AI activity and reduce token costs.
• Spencer Fane CIO Allen Darrah emphasized the importance of robust AI governance, including visibility, controls, and accountability, beyond just policy, for law firms.
• Nokia and AI chip designer Blaize are partnering to develop a hybrid AI architecture to simplify and reduce costs for AI inference deployments across the Asia-Pacific region.
• A 76-year-old man lost $1.6 million to an AI investment scam, highlighting the increasing sophistication and prevalence of AI-driven financial fraud.
• John Palfrey of the MacArthur Foundation calls for public dialogue on AI guardrails and ethical development, noting AI's potential to cut jobs and replicate creative work without compensation.
• Some faculty at UF are integrating AI tools like Google NotebookLM into courses for curriculum development and grading, while an opinion piece advocates for AI's use in efficiency but firmly rejects its use in artistic creation.

NC Treasurer's Office Uses AI to Boost Efficiency and Save Money

The North Carolina Treasurer's Office is expanding its use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve daily operations and save taxpayer money. Following a successful 12-week pilot program with OpenAI's ChatGPT, which showed up to a 10% increase in productivity, the office plans to implement AI tools across all its divisions. These divisions include Financial Operations, Retirement Systems, State Health Plan, State and Local Government Finance, and NCCash. The office assures that strict policies are in place to keep personal and private data safe and secure. Information Technology chief information officer Lawrence Koffa stated that his team is focused on modernizing job functions and ensuring data security.

NC Treasurer's Office Embraces AI for Efficiency and Savings

The Department of State Treasurer in North Carolina is continuing to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into its daily workflow. Republican Brad Briner, the state treasurer, stated that using AI helps save taxpayer money by improving the department's efficiency. The AI tools are being used to assist with the department's overall workflow, aiming to streamline processes and provide better value for taxpayer dollars. The office is committed to using AI to enhance its operations.

NC Treasurer's Office Expands AI Use, Faces Union Concerns

The North Carolina Treasurer's Office is significantly increasing its use of artificial intelligence (AI) across the agency, aiming to improve efficiency and wisely use taxpayer money. State Treasurer Brad Briner highlighted a pilot program with OpenAI's ChatGPT that boosted productivity by up to 10% in some divisions. The office has purchased licenses for ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and GitHub Copilot, with plans to explore Anthropic's Claude. However, the State Employees Association of North Carolina (SEANC) expressed caution, noting the unknown impact of AI on workers and calling for transparency and employee involvement in the adoption process. The Treasurer's Office manages significant responsibilities including state pension plans and health insurance.

Treasurer's Office Adopts AI for Efficiency and Cost Savings

The Department of State Treasurer is continuing to implement artificial intelligence (AI) in its daily operations to improve efficiency and save taxpayer money. Following a pilot program using ChatGPT, which showed a 10% productivity increase in certain areas, the office plans to expand AI use. Treasurer Brad Briner emphasized the moral obligation to use taxpayer funds wisely and improve government efficiency. The office assures that strict policies are in place to protect personal and private data, with IT Chief Information Officer Lawrence Koffa confirming a focus on safety and security during this modernization effort.

UF Sees Surge in AI Misconduct Cases Amidst Training Efforts

The University of Florida (UF) is experiencing a significant rise in academic misconduct cases involving artificial intelligence (AI), with nearly half of all Honor Code violations in Fall 2025 related to AI misuse. Reports mentioning AI, ChatGPT, or 'artificial intelligence' increased from zero in Fall 2023 to 66 in Spring 2025. In response, UF is expanding AI training and academic programs, encouraging responsible use rather than outright bans. The AI Academic Initiative Center is integrating AI concepts across the curriculum and offers student certificates, with nearly 800 students enrolled this Spring. Officials acknowledge the difficulty in accurately detecting AI use, noting a 4% false positive rate in detection tools.

UF Professor Explores AI's Role in Curriculum and Grading

University of Florida (UF) faculty are increasingly experimenting with artificial intelligence (AI) for curriculum development, research, and grading, while students have mixed views on its use. Senior lecturer Brian Avery has been integrating AI into his sport management courses since Spring 2024, using tools like CogUniversity and Google NotebookLM to enhance learning and research. He believes AI should complement instruction, not replace it. While some students feel AI is unnecessary for professors, others see potential benefits. Experts like Dorothy Leidner suggest AI can help eliminate grading bias and fatigue, but emphasize that instructors must maintain control over the learning experience.

InvoiceCloud Launches AI Billing Experience for Regulated Industries

InvoiceCloud has introduced its AI-powered Billing Experience, a new platform designed to integrate artificial intelligence into every step of the billing and payment process for regulated organizations. Debuting at IUCX 2026, the platform uses generative AI and machine learning to automate tasks like intelligent invoice generation, proactive payment reminders, and automated payment reconciliation. It also aims to enhance customer support with AI chatbots and provide predictive analytics for better decision-making. CEO Adam Holden stated the experience will help clients manage complexity and turn it into an opportunity for greater efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Cloudflare Introduces Agent Lee AI Assistant for Dashboard Management

Cloudflare has launched Agent Lee, an AI assistant integrated into its dashboard that allows users to manage services, troubleshoot issues, and deploy resources using natural language commands. This conversational interface aims to simplify tasks by replacing manual log cross-referencing and tab navigation. Agent Lee can answer account-specific questions, debug issues, enable services, and create resources like R2 buckets, even generating visualizations directly in the chat. Robust safety mechanisms are in place, requiring explicit user approval for write operations. Agent Lee is currently in beta for Free plan users and is built using the same foundational technologies available to Cloudflare customers.

Allen Darrah Discusses AI Governance at Legalweek Conference

Spencer Fane Chief Information Officer Allen Darrah recently spoke at Legalweek 2026 about AI governance and responsible adoption in law firms. His session, 'AI Acceptable Use 2.0: Enforcing Policies and Closing Compliance Gaps,' focused on moving beyond initial AI experimentation to mature governance models. Darrah stressed that policy alone is insufficient, emphasizing the need for visibility, controls, and accountability in AI governance. He shared insights on vendor management, monitoring, enforcement, and client expectations, highlighting that effective AI governance, not just adoption, will be the key differentiator for firms.

Cloudflare Shares Architecture for Enterprise MCP AI Deployments

Cloudflare has detailed its reference architecture for simpler, safer, and cheaper enterprise deployments of MCP (presumably a Machine Configuration Protocol or similar AI-related system). The architecture uses Cloudflare products like Access, AI Gateway, and MCP server portals to create a unified security framework for autonomous AI. Key features include remote MCP servers for better visibility and control, centralized MCP server portals for discovery and governance, and slashing token costs with Code Mode. This approach aims to manage AI activity securely, with policies controlling access and tool exposure based on user groups.

Opinion: Embrace AI, But Not for Art

The author expresses a love for artificial intelligence (AI), using it for everyday tasks like managing workflow, optimizing errands, and even finding lost items. They highlight AI's ability to calculate optimal times for shopping and manage personal schedules. However, the author draws a firm line at using AI for artistic creation, calling those who do 'freakin' hacks.' The piece suggests that while AI can improve efficiency in many areas, its application in art diminishes genuine creativity and contribution.

Nokia and Blaize Partner to Boost AI Inference in Asia-Pacific

Nokia and AI chip designer Blaize are collaborating to create a hybrid AI architecture aimed at addressing challenges in deploying AI inference across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Their joint reference architecture will simplify AI deployments in edge, cloud, and data center environments, focusing on end-to-end performance, reducing deployment complexity, and lowering infrastructure costs. This partnership seeks to help enterprises and service providers monetize their AI investments by moving from model training to inference. The collaboration will utilize the Nokia Innovation Lab in Singapore for development and testing.

Elderly Man Loses Millions to AI Investment Scam

A 76-year-old man named Ron Williams lost $1.6 million in savings due to an artificial intelligence (AI) scam that originated from a text message. This incident highlights a growing trend of sophisticated fraud targeting individuals online. The scam involved AI, demonstrating a new and concerning type of financial crime that is becoming more prevalent on the web.

Philanthropy's Role in Shaping AI's Future and Human Agency

John Palfrey, president of the MacArthur Foundation, discusses the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on human agency and the role of philanthropy in shaping its future. He questions the value of certain professions in an AI-dominated world and emphasizes the need for public dialogue on AI guardrails, ethical development, and regulation. Palfrey notes that while AI promises advancements, companies are using it to cut jobs, and creators are seeing their work replicated without compensation. He argues that philanthropy can ensure AI development centers people and promotes opportunity, especially for young people, rather than solely benefiting a few companies.

Sources

• Artificial intelligence apps save taxpayer money in treasurer’s office
• Artificial intelligence apps save taxpayer money in treasurer’s office
• NC Treasurer’s office expands use of AI throughout the agency
• Artificial intelligence apps save taxpayer money in treasurer’s office
• AI misconduct cases are climbing at UF — and so are the stakes for students
• Cognitive computing curriculum: Should UF professors be able to use AI?
• InvoiceCloud Unveils AI-Powered Billing Experience to Bring Purpose-Built Intelligence into Every Step of Payment Operations
• Cloudflare's AI Agent Lee Arrives
• Allen Darrah Speaks at Legalweek on AI Governance and Responsible AI Adoption
• Scaling MCP adoption: Our reference architecture for simpler, safer and cheaper enterprise deployments of MCP
• Opinion | Just Because I Wrote This Doesn’t Mean I’ll Be On Your Panel About A.I.
• Nokia, Blaize target AI inference gap in APAC
• 76-year-old loses $1.6 million savings to AI investment scam
• Agency in the Age of AI