Latest news with #UCBerkeley
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Most Dangerous College Town in U.S. Named in New Study
Colleges and universities are places for students to study and get an education as they prepare for their future. While factors such as location, school pedigree and programs offered play a big role in a student's decision, another factor is the safety of the town. In a recent study, Berkeley, California, the home of UC Berkeley, was named the safest college town in the United States. The study was released by which also revealed the most dangerous college town. Here is the list of the top 10 most dangerous college cities, with Gainesville, Florida, at the top of the list. The list is ranked according to the number of crimes per 10,000 people. Gainesville, Florida (179) Tuscaloosa, Alabama (149) Tempe, Arizona (136) New Haven, Connecticut (126) Ithaca, New York (120) Logan, Utah (112) Iowa City, Iowa (109) Cedar City, Utah (91) East Lansing, Michigan (90) Bloomington, Indiana (85) So, Gainesville, the home of the University of Florida, is at No. 1 on the list, with the home of the University of Alabama at No. 2. There are no California cities on this list, and in a bit of a surprise, there are two cities in Utah. Logan is the home of Utah State University, and Cedar City is where Southern Utah University is located. Still, Gainesville is far and away the top on the list. While Florida makes for an attractive place, and the Gators' success in major sports is another big calling, being the most dangerous college town in the country is another factor for potential students to Dangerous College Town in U.S. Named in New Study first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 20, 2025
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
US resumes visas for foreign students but demands access to social media accounts
WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department said Wednesday it is restarting the suspended process for foreigners applying for student visas but all applicants will now be required to unlock their social media accounts for government review. The department said consular officers will be on the lookout for posts and messages that could be deemed hostile to the United States, its government, culture, institutions or founding principles. In a notice made public Wednesday, the department said it had rescinded its May suspension of student visa processing but said new applicants who refuse to set their social media accounts to 'public' and allow them to be reviewed may be rejected. It said a refusal to do so could be a sign they are trying to evade the requirement or hide their online activity. The Trump administration last month temporarily halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for foreign students hoping to study in the U.S. while preparing to expand the screening of their activity on social media, officials said. Students around the world have been waiting anxiously for U.S. consulates to reopen appointments for visa interviews, as the window left to book their travel and make housing arrangements narrows ahead of the start of the school year. The pause has been especially felt in California, which is home 141,000 international students, more than any other state. Of the roughly 1.1 million foreign students who enroll at U.S. universities, the most popular nation of origin is India, followed by China. In California, the order is switched. Chinese students make up 36% of the state's foreign student population, followed by Indians. Last year, USC accounted for the most international students in California at 17,469. The second-largest group of 12,441 was at UC Berkeley. Then came UC San Diego with 10,467 and UCLA with 10,446. As is the case nationwide, STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and math — tend to be the most popular among international students. On Wednesday afternoon, a 27-year-old Ph.D. student in Toronto was able to secure an appointment for a visa interview next week. The student, a Chinese national, hopes to travel to the U.S. for a research intern position that would start in late July. 'I'm really relieved,' said the student, who spoke on condition of being identified only by his surname, Chen, because he was concerned about being targeted. 'I've been refreshing the website couple of times every day.' Students from China, India, Mexico and the Philippines have posted on social media sites that they have been monitoring visa booking websites and closely watching press briefings of the State Department to get any indication of when appointment bookings might resume. 'Under new guidance, consular officers will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting of all student and exchange visitor applicants,' the department said in a statement. 'To facilitate this vetting' applicants 'will be asked to adjust the privacy settings on all their social media profiles to 'public,' ' it said. 'The enhanced social media vetting will ensure we are properly screening every single person attempting to visit our country.'In internal guidance sent to consular officers, the department said they should be looking for 'any indications of hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States.' Jameel Jaffer, executive director at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, said the new policy evokes the ideological vetting of the Cold War when prominent artists and intellectuals were excluded from the U.S. 'This policy makes a censor of every consular officer, and it will inevitably chill legitimate political speech both inside and outside the United States,' Jaffer said. International students in the U.S. have been facing increased scrutiny on several fronts. In the spring, the Trump administration revoked permission to study in the U.S. for thousands of students, including some involved only in traffic offenses, before abruptly reversing course. The government also expanded the grounds on which foreign students can have their legal status terminated. As part of a pressure campaign targeting Harvard University, the Trump administration has moved to block foreign students from attending the Ivy League school, which counts on international students for tuition dollars and a quarter of its enrollment. Trump has said Harvard should cap its foreign enrollment at 15%. The Trump administration also has called for 36 countries to commit to improving vetting of travelers or face a ban on their citizens visiting the United States. A weekend diplomatic cable sent by the State Department says the countries have 60 days to address U.S. concerns or risk being added to a travel ban that now includes 12 nations. Lee and Zhang write for the Associated Press. Times staff writer Jaweed Kaleem contributed to this story.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Forbes
How AI Can Teach Soft Skills: Shaping The Future Of Work And Education
How AI Can Teach Soft Skills: Shaping The Future Of Work And Education As a behavioral expert, AI's capability in terms of understanding soft skills is something I think about a lot. I have taught thousands of business courses, designed behavioral assessments, and interviewed leading experts on emotional intelligence, curiosity, and perception. All of this makes me question: Can AI help teach the kinds of soft skills it does not actually have? Is that even possible to teach something like empathy without feeling it? It cannot be curious in the human sense. A well-known Super Mario Brothers experiment developed at UC Berkeley programmed AI with a type of artificial curiosity. The AI did not just try to win. It intentionally let Mario fail just to explore what might happen next. So, while it doesn't have human curiosity, it does not mean it cannot help us practice behaviors that build things like empathy and curiosity. The trick is how we use it and what we ask of it. And that question is so important, because soft skills have always been what can make or break a career. Now with AI doing everything else, we need scalable, accessible ways to teach people these important skills, whether through universities, corporate training, or personal development. What Are Some Of The Biggest Issues With Teaching Soft Skills In The Age Of AI? One of the biggest issues in higher education is that many courses are written by those who have spent their careers in academia, often prioritizing theoretical knowledge over real-world behavior. In many online classes, which have become very popular, students read articles and write papers with little interaction. Some schools have even removed video lectures and assessments altogether and rely on essays to demonstrate learning. The result? Students turn in AI-generated work, instructors grade AI-generated submissions, and no one is certain what anyone actually learned. Universities need to shift from evaluating knowledge to practicing behavior. Instead of asking students for written reflections on empathy, they need to create opportunities for students to practice difficult conversations and receive real-time feedback. For example, an instructor might prompt AI to simulate a scenario where a student must deliver constructive feedback to a struggling teammate and then guide the student on tone and emotional safety. If I were designing a course using AI to help students learn soft skills, I might prompt it like this: 'Create behavioral-based learning outcomes for a course that develops soft skills. Make sure each outcome can be observed and measured in real workplace scenarios.' The problem is that if I gave that prompt to ChatGPT, it would generate something far different than if someone else prompted it, who did not have my background studying curiosity, perception, and emotional intelligence. If someone else entered that prompt, it might focus on active listening, use of body language and tone, tips to handle stress, and staying calm during conflict. All are great things to develop. What's important is to define the skills you want it to develop and not just rely on it to decide which soft skills matter. We still need people to guide it for that. Once that is clear, I would then prompt it to focus on those specific skills with a prompt like this: 'Design a 3-week course outline that teaches one soft skill each week: curiosity, perception, and emotional intelligence. Include a weekly objective, scenario-based activity, and self-reflection prompt.' By creating a course like that, students are more likely to get far more insight into their behavior rather than just complete an assignment. However, it is still important to ensure that the prompt outputs what you hope to accomplish. Humans still have to tweak AI's final suggestions to ensure it hasn't gone in an unanticipated direction. How Can Companies And Universities Use AI To Teach Soft Skills More Effectively? Corporate training often lags behind, relying heavily on passive video watching and text-heavy modules. AI can change this if we start using it for behavioral simulation rather than content delivery. Instead of summarizing leadership principles, AI can role-play challenging workplace scenarios, prompting learners to respond and then guiding them to refine their communication. Companies like Prisms VR are already exploring how immersive environments can be used to teach complex concepts. I interviewed Anurupa Ganguly, their founder, about how they are using headsets to teach math by immersing students in 3D environments where they can manipulate data and interact with concepts spatially. While most organizations are not yet equipped to hand out VR headsets, and the current devices remain cumbersome for widespread use, the idea of stepping into a virtual space to practice communication or conflict resolution has clear potential. As the technology becomes lighter and more affordable, it may open new dimensions in both education and workforce development. For now, even without VR, companies can use AI to help learners engage with soft skills scenarios like this: 'Simulate a performance review conversation where the employee feels underappreciated. Pause after each learner response and provide a prompt: 'How might this be received? Would another phrasing work better?'' Or to train perception and inclusion: 'Generate a cross-cultural meeting scenario. Ask the learner to identify the misunderstanding and respond in a way that builds clarity and psychological safety.' These examples help with behavior rehearsal. How Can Individuals Use AI To Build Their Own Soft Skills? For individuals, the key is to think of AI as more of a practice partner than just a search engine. You can engage with AI to simulate tough conversations, try out different ways of expressing empathy, and receive immediate feedback on your tone and clarity. Create a space where you can experiment with communication styles and develop self-awareness, all without the fear of judgment. For example, you could prompt AI to simulate a scenario where you need to navigate a cross-cultural misunderstanding, allowing you to practice and refine your response. This kind of practice helps you internalize soft skills in a way that traditional learning often cannot. ChatGPT, like many AI tools, is designed to be agreeable and encouraging. It is often trained to prioritize politeness, which means it might not challenge you directly. Sometimes a firmer approach might help you grow. It's important to guide it by asking for honest critique, not just compliments. For instance, you might say, 'Be blunt with me and tell me what part of this message sounds dismissive,' or 'Act like a coach and tell me what I'm doing wrong.' This teaches the AI how direct you want it to be and helps you avoid the trap of always being praised without learning anything new. The more intentional you are with your prompts, the more useful the practice becomes. What Is The Future Of Soft Skills Training With AI And VR? The world is not far from having AI-generated holograms or VR simulations become common tools in education and corporate training. As these technologies become more accessible and user-friendly, they will offer new ways for learners to practice soft skills. The challenge for universities, companies, and individuals is to embrace these tools not as replacements for human interaction, but as enhancements to it. In the end, teaching soft skills with AI and VR creates new spaces for practice, reflection, and growth. And as these technologies evolve, they will reshape the future of learning.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Letters to the Editor: California, not just L.A., must find ways to fight antisemitism
To the editor: Guest contributor Rabbi Noah Farkas writes that antisemitism is 'a Los Angeles problem' ('L.A. has more to do to fight antisemitism and protect Jewish residents,' June 4). It definitely is. But it is also a San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego problem, a California problem and an American problem. The lack of solidarity he speaks of in defense of civil rights, equity and equality for Jews is a state and national problem. We feel it as painfully and as palpably in Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco as in Los Angeles. We struggle with the same challenges of being under-resourced to ensure the physical safety of Jewish community members at schools, senior centers, synagogues and community centers. We struggle, too, with the lack of recognition and inclusion of the diversity of the Jewish community including Ethiopian, Mizrahi and Sephardic voices, as Farkas notes, as well as Asian, African American and Hispanic Jews in ethnic studies curricula. Jews at California schools and universities experience well-documented marginalization, gaslighting and invidious targeting through verbal and physical abuse and violence, harassment, exclusion and discrimination, as Farkas illustrates. We need action and allyship on a local, state and national level on a bipartisan basis across society and with the support of the full diversity of the American people. Only then will Jewish people in America be safe and only then will we come closer to achieving freedom, equality and access to justice for all. Noam Schimmel, BerkeleyThis writer is a lecturer in global studies at UC Berkeley. .. To the editor: Farkas says L.A. must do more to fight antisemitism. This invites the question: Or what? What will the Jewish community of Los Angeles do if the government and citizens of the city and county of Los Angeles continue to ignore antisemitism? The word 'must' implies that there will be consequences for failure to act. Farkas should lead the Jewish Federation in developing a plan of action that will hold Los Angeles' leaders accountable for fighting antisemitism and that will impose actual consequences if those leaders fail. Stuart Creque, Moraga, Calif. .. To the editor: I doubt antisemitism is higher now than before. However, the expression of it certainly is. This is part of a general coarsening of public expression that was exacerbated in 2016 by a presidential candidate who called people names and is mean and confrontational. When he said that there were 'very fine people on both sides' in 2017, he opened the Pandora's box of hate that has its expression in vile and violent antisemitic attacks. As long as this tone is set from above, we will have violence, like that against lawmakers in Minnesota, and all sorts of hate-induced attacks. Measures that Farkas suggests will do little to counter this narrative of open expression of hate by our leaders. Harlan Levinson, Los Angeles
Time Magazine
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time Magazine
California AI Policy Report Warns of ‘Irreversible Harms'
While AI could offer transformative benefits, without proper safeguards it could facilitate nuclear and biological threats and cause 'potentially irreversible harms,' a new report commissioned by California Governor Gavin Newsom has warned. 'The opportunity to establish effective AI governance frameworks may not remain open indefinitely,' says the report, which was published on June 17. Citing new evidence that AI can help users source nuclear-grade uranium and is on the cusp of letting novices create biological threats, it notes that the cost for inaction at this current moment could be 'extremely high.' The 53-page document stems from a working group established by Governor Newsom, in a state that has emerged as a central arena for AI legislation. With no comprehensive federal regulation on the horizon, state-level efforts to govern the technology have taken on outsized significance, particularly in California, which is home to many of the world's top AI companies. In 2023, California Senator Scott Wiener sponsored a first-of-its-kind bill, SB 1047, which would have required that large-scale AI developers implement rigorous safety testing and mitigation for their systems, but which critics feared would stifle innovation and squash the open-source AI community. The bill passed both state houses despite fierce industry opposition, but Governor Newsom ultimately vetoed it last September, deeming it 'well-intentioned' but not the 'best approach to protecting the public.' Following that veto, Newsom launched the working group to 'develop workable guardrails for deploying GenAI.' The group was co-led by 'godmother of AI' Fei-Fei Li, a prominent opponent of SB 1047, alongside Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Social and Ethical Implications of Computing Research, and Jennifer Tour Chayes dean of the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society at UC Berkeley. The working group evaluated AI's progress, SB 1047's weak points, and solicited feedback from more than 60 experts. 'As the global epicenter of AI innovation, California is uniquely positioned to lead in unlocking the transformative potential of frontier AI,' Li said in a statement. 'Realizing this promise, however, demands thoughtful and responsible stewardship—grounded in human-centered values, scientific rigor, and broad-based collaboration,' she said. "Foundation model capabilities have rapidly advanced since Governor Newsom vetoed SB 1047 last September," the report states. The industry has shifted from large language AI models that merely predict the next word in a stream of text toward systems trained to solve complex problems and that benefit from "inference scaling," which allows them more time to process information. These advances could accelerate scientific research, but also potentially amplify national security risks by making it easier for bad actors to conduct cyberattacks or acquire chemical and biological weapons. The report points to Anthropic's Claude 4 models, released just last month, which the company said might be capable of helping would-be terrorists create bioweapons or engineer a pandemic. Similarly, OpenAI's o3 model reportedly outperformed 94% of virologists on a key evaluation. In recent months, new evidence has emerged showing AI's ability to strategically lie, appearing aligned with its creators' goals during training but displaying other objectives once deployed, and exploit loopholes to achieve its goals, the report says. While 'currently benign, these developments represent concrete empirical evidence for behaviors that could present significant challenges to measuring loss of control risks and possibly foreshadow future harm,' the report says. While Republicans have proposed a 10 year ban on all state AI regulation over concerns that a fragmented policy environment could hamper national competitiveness, the report argues that targeted regulation in California could actually 'reduce compliance burdens on developers and avoid a patchwork approach' by providing a blueprint for other states, while keeping the public safer. It stops short of advocating for any specific policy, instead outlining the key principles the working group believes California should adopt when crafting future legislation. It 'steers clear' of some of the more divisive provisions of SB1047, like the requirement for a "kill switch" or shutdown mechanism to quickly halt certain AI systems in case of potential harm, says Scott Singer, a visiting scholar in the Technology and International Affairs Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and a lead-writer of the report. Instead, the approach centers around enhancing transparency, for example through legally protecting whistleblowers and establishing incident reporting systems, so that lawmakers and the public have better visibility into AI's progress. The goal is to 'reap the benefits of innovation. Let's not set artificial barriers, but at the same time, as we go, let's think about what we're learning about how it is that the technology is behaving,' says Cuéllar, who co-led the report. The report emphasizes this visibility is crucial not only for public-facing AI applications, but for understanding how systems are tested and deployed inside AI companies, where concerning behaviors might first emerge. 'The underlying approach here is one of 'trust but verify,'" Singer says, a concept borrowed from Cold War-era arms control treaties that would involve designing mechanisms to independently check compliance. That's a departure from existing efforts, which hinge on voluntary cooperation from companies, such as the deal between OpenAI and Center for AI Standards and Innovation (formerly the U.S. AI Safety Institute) to conduct pre-deployment tests. It's an approach that acknowledges the 'substantial expertise inside industry,' Singer says, but 'also underscores the importance of methods of independently verifying safety claims.'
