Latest news with #CarnegieMellon
Fast Company
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Fast Company
Trump is trying to kill California's EV standards. It will affect cars across the country
For nearly 60 years, California has been able to set its own standards around auto emissions that are stricter than the federal government's, thanks to a special exception for the state under the Clean Air Act. California has used that waiver to implement aggressive emissions standards that prioritize the sale of EVs, and that aim to whittle down the sale of gas-powered vehicles until their complete ban by 2035. Now Trump has signed a joint resolution from Congress that overturns that California waiver —and essentially kills California's efforts to accelerate EV adoption (California has sued to stop the move). If its implementation is allowed, the resolution won't affect only California residents, but would hurt the entire country's EV efforts, and push the U.S. further behind the rest of the world. 'California has probably been the largest factor in accelerating EV adoption over the past decade,' says Jeremy Michalek, an engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University and director of the school's Vehicle Electrification Group. California has used its Clean Air Act waiver to set requirements for automakers to sell a certain percentage of vehicles that release zero tailpipe emissions (a requirement which, a few hydrogen powered prototypes aside, can currently be met only with electric vehicles). California has become the biggest market for EVs in the country, accounting for nearly a third of all EV sales in the U.S. The California effect When California sets stricter regulations around auto emissions, it changes what sorts of cars are available for drivers everywhere. 'That's been a huge driver in forcing the industry to provide additional options, like to roll out EVs in different market segments,' Michalek says. 'If California sets stricter standards than the rest of the country, automakers have to decide, 'Are we going to try to customize different vehicles for different markets and deal with all of the logistics and cost, or are we just going to make all vehicles comply with what California is doing?'' (California's stricter rules also catalyzed stronger federal standards because the state has long been a part of federal emissions negotiations.) This California effect has been noticed with other environmental regulations, too. A state law requiring product label warnings for toxic chemicals known to cause cancer led to chemical exposures decreasing for people across the country. When brands make a product to meet California's strict environmental regulations, they usually sell the same one across the country, and everyone benefits. If California's stricter auto standards go away, it stands to reason that the entire country would lose out on that benefit, too. That wouldn't happen immediately: It takes about five years for automakers to design and bring new vehicles to market. But the move—which California is already suing the Trump administration over—adds to the general uncertainty the auto industry is facing. Automakers lobbied the Senate to end California's ban on new gas car sales by 2035, and have spoken out in support of Trump's recent move, saying there should be one national standard. But there's still uncertainty because of the rapid changes to regulations, Michalek says. The U.S. falling behind in EV transition This move combined with the potential repeal of EV tax credits, Trump's tariffs, and his administration's efforts to weaken federal auto emissions standards all hurt the auto industry's ability to plan long term. And if automakers can't make investments in local EV battery factories or onshoring parts of the EV supply chain, that means the U.S. will continue to fall behind in the overall EV transition. The move to EVs is already on a strong trajectory, Michalek says. Changing California's emissions standards won't totally stop that transition, but it will slow it down. 'Meanwhile, the rest of the world is already ahead of us,' he says. China in particular is an EV leader—with technological advancements that have made ultra-affordable EVs a reality—and even countries across Europe are now outpacing the U.S. in EV sales. Because of the Trump administration's attacks on the Inflation Reduction Act as well, billions of dollars of investments into the EV industry have been canceled since the start of his second term, including plans for EV and battery factories. Part of the goal of the IRA was to diversify and relocate the supply chain for climate tech like EVs, moving it either into the U.S. or to its allies. But these pullbacks are making that plan more difficult. 'So by getting further behind,' Michalek adds, 'the risk is that if we're going to have to make this [EV] transition anyway, and we're lagging behind in building the industry to make the technology, then when we do have to transition, we'll be kind of at the mercy of other countries that are dominating the technology.' Eventually, he adds, we're going to be at a disadvantage for not having made these investments sooner. Chaos for automakers and states Repealing California's waiver could also hurt automakers that focus on EVs. Within the state's (and federal) regulations, there's been the option for automakers that weren't able to meet the standards to buy credits from companies that did, so that on average the industry is meeting these goals. 'If there are some automakers who wouldn't really sell electric vehicles unless they were forced to, because that's not where their profit center is, it enabled them to transition some funding to other automakers that were more focused on electric vehicles, like newcomers like Tesla,' Michalek says. He credits California's stricter standards for why, at least in part, Tesla was able to survive its early years. California is currently the only state able to set its own auto emissions standards that are stricter than federal ones, but the Clean Air Act does allow other states to adopt California's regulations, and 17 states, including Oregon, New York, and Massachusetts, have done so. In that sense, removing California's waiver also directly affects what those other states can do around auto emissions. (Ten other states have joined California's lawsuit against the Trump administration over its effort to revoke its waiver.) In attempting to revoke the waiver, Trump went through Congress, but California Governor Gavin Newsom says that move was illegal. It's not clear what the timeline will be for a resolution to the lawsuit. In the meantime, Michalek says, there's a sustained sense of uncertainty for automakers. 'The chaos of it is a deterrent to investment in the industry, and in planning for future vehicles.'
CBS News
12-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Trump to attend energy and innovation summit in Pittsburgh
President Trump will visit Pittsburgh to attend the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit next month. Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick is spearheading the summit at Carnegie Mellon University on July 15. McCormick's office announced that Mr. Trump will attend the summit, which will bring together leaders in energy and artificial intelligence as well as investors, labor and trade leaders and government officials. Mr. Trump just visited Pittsburgh at the end of May to talk about the U.S. Steel-Nippon deal and announce tariffs. "There's no question that the path to American energy dominance runs directly through Pennsylvania, and this Summit will celebrate all our Commonwealth has to offer," McCormick said in a news release. "Harnessing Pennsylvania's unique strengths to attract new data center investment and energy infrastructure development will jumpstart Pennsylvania's economy, create great, new jobs, and bolster our national security." The news comes after the Shapiro administration on Monday announced that Amazon will pump $20 billion into Pennsylvania to create high-tech cloud computing and artificial intelligence innovation campuses. Gov. Josh Shapiro said it's the largest private sector investment in the commonwealth's history. McCormick says that Pennsylvania's natural gas resources, skilled workforce, access to water and research institutions make the state "a logical base" to power America's technological future. "The Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit will align the leading energy companies, the most innovative AI platforms, global investors, and labor and trades behind President Trump's agenda to unleash American energy potential. Together, we can usher in a new age of energy production and power the AI and technological revolution. I am grateful to President Trump for announcing he will join us in Pittsburgh," McCormick said in the news release.
Forbes
12-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
AI Agents Are Rewriting The Playbook For Upskilling In 2025
Photo by Ling App on Unsplash Onboarding a new cohort of employees used to demand a huge investment: continual coaching, real-time feedback, and constant managerial oversight. When it worked, it drained leaders' time. When it didn't, the costs were even higher—unprepared employees and high turnover. Today's entrepreneurs have another option: AI agents. Staying competitive now depends on fast, effective training and upskilling—not just for business owners themselves, but for their teams, new and existing employees alike. AI agents are poised to change the corporate training landscape, helping businesses close skills gaps created by rapid technological change. Maybe you're skeptical of AI agents. Your fears aren't entirely misplaced. A recent Carnegie Mellon experiment attempted to run an entire company, TheAgentCompany, with AI agents. The results were far from reassuring—even the best-performing agent struggled to complete a quarter of its assigned tasks. It's safe to say that agents aren't ready to autonomously lead businesses. But when used thoughtfully, they can be powerful tools for a range of functions, including skill-building and personalized learning. At my company, Jotform, we've seen firsthand how AI agents can help scale learning, democratize opportunities, and future-proof companies in fast-changing economies. Here's a closer look at how. AI agents are systems designed to simulate human reasoning: they execute tasks, make decisions, and adapt—often without needing direct human intervention. There are various categories of AI agents, like voice agents, knowledge-based agents, and autonomous agents. Learning and training agents are a type of specialized autonomous agent designed for knowledge acquisition and skill-building. They're not fully autonomous educators, designing course curricula and activities out of thin air. (We saw the pitfalls of that approach with TheAgentCompany story.) But they're more autonomous than your traditional corporate learning modules, where everyone receives the same passive videos and quizzes. These have their own downfalls as well, like low completion rates (by some estimates, 3-6 percent) and, quite frankly, they're boring. Traditional corporate training programs, which lean on passive content, often fall short of their goals. Companies like Uplimit are rolling out educational AI agents that promise significantly higher completion rates (upwards of 90 percent) and better results. It boils down to engagement—the active learning, with role playing and personalized feedback, is more stimulating than merely watching a video and completing a quiz. Agents can provide 24/7 assistance, responding to questions as soon as they pop up. What's more, education and training with agents can be highly personalized. As Bill Gates noted: 'If a tutoring agent knows that a kid likes Minecraft and Taylor Swift, it will use Minecraft to teach them about calculating the volume and area of shapes, and Taylor's lyrics to teach them about storytelling and rhyme schemes. The experience will be far richer—with graphics and sound, for example—and more personalized than today's text-based tutors.' This example focuses on childhood education, but the takeaway holds: AI agents have the potential to tailor lessons using the most effective pedagogy. They won't replace teachers, but they can act as highly efficient teaching assistants—and they can also replace outdated virtual training sessions that fail to engage learners. The clearest advantage of using AI agents for training is faster, more effective learning. Agents can train a higher volume of employees in the same amount of time. Employees will gain skills more efficiently, giving them more time to apply what they've learned—and likely boosting engagement in the process. They'll be better prepared to stay competitive. Those wary of AI's impact on jobs may feel more confident, both in using new technologies and in their footing within the organization. For managers, AI agents mean less time spent overseeing basic training and more time to focus on higher-value tasks. Engagement can rise across the board. Of course, humans must still lead. As TheAgentCompany experiment showed, AI workforces can't run themselves. The key is smart delegation: entrepreneurs and managers should use AI agents to handle designated training tasks, while maintaining strategic direction. Businesses that move quickly to integrate AI-driven learning will reap a major competitive advantage. AI agents won't replace the human side of education, but they can massively enhance it, making corporate training faster, more personalized, and more engaging.
CBS News
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
2 Carnegie Mellon alumnae win 2025 Tony Awards
The 2025 Tony Awards honored the best of Broadway on Sunday night, and two Carnegie Mellon University alumnae took home two awards at the 78th edition of the award show. Natalie Venetia Belcon, a 1991 School of Drama alumna, won the Tony for Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for her role in "Buena Vista Social Club." Jamie deRoy, a 1967 graduate, also won an award for her producing role on "Sunset Blvd.," which won the Best Revival of a Musical category. Former CMU faculty member, Paul Tazewell, also won Best Costume Design of a Musical for "Death Becomes Her." Sunday's wins now bring CMU's Tony Awards total to 66. Other Carnegie Mellon alumni were among the award show performers, including Renée Elise Goldsberry (1993 School of Drama alumna) and Leslie Odom, Jr. (2003 School of Drama alumnus), who reunited with original castmates to celebrate the 10th anniversary of "Hamilton." Goldsberry and Odom both won Tonys in 2016 for their "Hamilton" roles. "The Carnegie Mellon community is thrilled to have the brilliance and talents of our performing arts alumni recognized once again by the Tony Awards," said CMU President Farnam Jahanian. "They are among the most inspiring and influential forces in theatre arts today. Congratulations to all of this year's winners and nominees!" The full list of winners can be found here.
Daily Mail
08-06-2025
- Daily Mail
College students use legal tactic to block people in real life
Colleges across the United States are experiencing a new epidemic of in-person blocking on campus, as 'No-Contact Orders' become a familiarity among students. Carnegie Mellon University, Lafayette College, and Georgetown University, are just a handful of institutions that adopted the 'No-Contact Order,' which keeps students in conflict from interacting. NCOs became more widely available in 2011 as a way to protect students who were victims of sexual harassment or assault without having to endure the legal system. Now, students are using NCOs far differently as the relaxed phrasing standards have made them easily accessible for a range of relationship troubles. Roommate spats, failed friendships, or bad breakups have become the new targets of the orders. Howard Kallem, a former attorney at the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights and administrator at both Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill, told the Wall Street Journal: 'At least at Duke, it wasn't hard for a student to request a no contact order and get one. 'They were considered non disciplinary, and the standards weren't particularly high.' At Carnegie Mellon, for example, a student can get an NCO by claiming to be 'the recipient of persistent unwanted or harassing contact by another student,' including 'indirect contact through third parties'. At Tulane University, the orders are 'based on the right of every Tulane community member to avoid contact with another community member if such contact may be harmful or detrimental'. And while the orders are not disciplinary, it is noted that 'a violation of this order could result in an immediate interim suspension' and conduct charges against you. One Tulane student received notice that an order had been placed against her, and she was sent into a panic. May, who asked to be identified by her middle name, told the WSJ that she and her roommate hadn't got along well. She said her roommate told her it was her 'life goal to sabotage someone'. But after hearing that May didn't like her, the roommate posted a note telling her to change rooms immediately. Several days later she received the order, which resulted from her ex-roommate telling administrators that she feared for her safety. For their next four years, they stayed well clear of each other. 'It was like a bad breakup,' May told the outlet. 'This person used a system that is supposed to do good in the world and used it against me,' she added. Some schools, such as Bentley University, cite 'psychological harm' as a valid reason for an order. Others, such as Carnegie Mellon, say 'problematic interactions' can constitute grounds for an order. Sociology professor, David R Karp, told the outlet: 'Schools hand them out like candy. We generally know that students are increasingly fragile and conflict-averse, which leads to an increased desire to request a no contact order.' One administrator at a public university said that the new generation of students tend to view other people as either hurtful or helpful with very little wiggle room. Younger generations have also become much more accustomed to therapeutic buzzwords and 'self-care,' often leading to an increased culture of black and white labels and quick reactions with shallow understanding. Many have said the increase in NCOs have come in the last eight to ten years, as political polarization, social justice movements and increased discussions on mental health and societal issues has increased. Several schools have seen many NCOs being created in relation to race, ethnicity, religion and political issues. One student, Dylan Jacobs, said he received an order in 2024 which kept him from contacting any member of the campus Students for Justice in Palestine. According to Jacobs and the Anti-Defamation League, which filed a letter on his behalf, the order put Jacobs at risk for disciplinary action as he had no way of knowing every member of the organization, WSJ reported. Many have grown concerned that the new use of the orders could create the 'weaponization' of Title IX policies. The fears grew after two student journalists were served NCOs after covering pro-Palestinian protests. Brian Glick, the president-elect of the Association of Student Conduct Administration, told WSJ: 'I've been in this field for 20 years, and the desire for administrative intervention has increased just as the number of students saying, "I am feeling unsafe" has increased.' Caroline Mehl, co-founder and executive director of Constructive Dialogue Institute said: 'This generation of college students grew up in an echo-chamber world where they could block or filter out voices they disagree with. 'They're bringing online communication norms to the real world.'
