Tag Archives: artificial intelligence

I am so sick of Mike Miles

Posted on June 7, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From Lisa Falkenberg’s latest: For months, I had written about other schools within Houston ISD, scrutinizing superintendent Mike Miles’ reforms in the state’s takeover, his closure of libraries and sidelining of storybooks, all the while harboring some relief that my own three kids’ campuses had been … Continue reading →

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Hill County undoes its data center moratorium

Posted on June 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Nothing like a big lawsuit to force the issue. A rural North Texas county that appears to be the first in the state to pass a data center moratorium has rescinded the measure after being sued by a developer for … Continue reading →

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As goes Hood County

Posted on June 3, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

So goes the battle to have some control over data centers. This is just the beginning of the data center revolution in Hood County, a rural community of 62,000 people about an hour southwest of Fort Worth. Developers have proposed eight … Continue reading →

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Three Flock stories

Posted on June 2, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From Bandera: After months of discussion and outrage from residents, the city council of the tiny town of Bandera, Texas voted 3-2 to immediately end its contract with the surveillance company Flock. In the aftermath of the vote, one of the dissenting council … Continue reading →

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Going old school

Posted on May 28, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Fascinating. After years of classrooms adopting more tech, a small but growing number of Houston-area private and charter schools are dialing back screens. The pandemic saw many students move to online instruction, and afterward schools began to quickly adopt technology, … Continue reading →

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The rain reprieve

Posted on May 23, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

You’re welcome, Corpus. A projection for when Corpus Christi expects to reach a water crisis was pushed back by three months after a wet April brought enough rain to delay an emergency but too little to quench a brutal drought. … Continue reading →

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More data center pushback

Posted on May 21, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck. A rural Texas county on Tuesday approved a one-year pause on the construction of new data centers in unincorporated areas, citing public safety and public health concerns. The 3-2 vote by county commissioners in Hill County, roughly 55 … Continue reading →

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The Republican data center problem

Posted on May 15, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

What do you do when your business interests want one thing and your voters want the opposite? What do you think? As the massive, digital information-processing facilities proliferate, Republicans are caught between a zealous president and governor bent on Texas … Continue reading →

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Restaurants and AI images

Posted on May 10, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I’m still thinking about this. The pastelitos nestle in a wicker basket, golden and precisely crimped. Behind them two young, smiling people bite in. Their skin is smooth. Their nails are round. Posted to the Facebook account of a Venezuelan … Continue reading →

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Mike Miles wants to foist a bunch of AI on us

Posted on April 21, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I missed this originally, but now that I’ve seen it I must say, WTF? Houston ISD’s state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles will convert four more schools into AI-focused “Future 2” schools, up from two previously announced kindergarten-to-eighth-grade schools. But according to … Continue reading →

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AI and prediction markets need to be kept out of elections

Posted on April 15, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Ain’t gonna happen this year, though. Artificial intelligence and prediction markets have opened new frontiers in Texas politics, but one expert said the growth of platforms like ChatGPT and Polymarket is far outpacing legislative efforts to limit their impact on elections. It’s … Continue reading →

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Sorry, but data centers don’t need those tax breaks

Posted on April 13, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Let them pay their taxes. Texas will lose out on at least $3.1 billion in sales tax revenue over the next two years thanks to an exemption for the state’s booming data center industry, according to the comptroller’s office. That … Continue reading →

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The Bennett School

Posted on April 7, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Lots to think about in here. When junior Karson Reeder stepped off the mound in the fifth inning of the UIL Class 6A Division II state championship game last June, he had thrown his last pitch for Tomball High School. Instead … Continue reading →

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Using AI to ban books

Posted on April 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

And also to review books that have been challenged. The AI vendors want a piece of the action either way. Conservative parents’ advocacy groups have been experimenting with using commercially available artificial intelligence tools to help them flag more books … Continue reading →

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Robot cooking

Posted on March 26, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Who’s eating? When a customer orders kung pow chicken at the new iWok restaurant by the Texas Medical Center, a robotic system sends small white bowls of pre-cut ingredients to sit next to an electric wok. A metal gripper dumps … Continue reading →

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Lawsuits have been filed against xAI over Grok nonconsensual sexual images

Posted on March 24, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good. On Monday, three girls filed a class-action lawsuit against xAI alleging that the company’s Grok AI tool was used to generate child sexual abuse material from their photos. This new civil case joins at least two others revolving around nonconsensual deepfakes … Continue reading →

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On deepfakes and accountability

Posted on March 9, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll be keeping an eye on this. A class action lawsuit accusing X.AI of enabling the mass creation of sexualized deepfakes marks a new stage of liability in cases involving artificial intelligence. Now, plaintiff lawyers are focusing on technology platforms … Continue reading →

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A useful guide to spotting AI images

Posted on February 22, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good stuff from the Trib. Misinformation and disinformation are especially common during election times, and the spread of AI-created content — such as the AI-generated video of Jasmine Crockett and John Cornyn dancing — has only made it harder to discern fact … Continue reading →

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Dems call on Paxton to investigate Grok

Posted on January 13, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

That’s what I’m talking about. Texas House Democrats on Monday dared Attorney General Ken Paxton to take on Elon Musk. Led by Rep. Mihaela Plesa of Dallas, more than 40 Democrats demanded an inquiry into allegations that Musk’s social media … Continue reading →

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So when will Ken Paxton sue Grok?

Posted on January 9, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This year sure is off to a strong start. We’re now into the first full week of January, and not only are Grok users still able to manipulate the bot into generating inappropriate images of minors, but many of the offending deepfakes … Continue reading →

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DPS investigating Flock

Posted on January 3, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

More of an administrative matter than anything else, but potentially with real consequences. State troopers are investigating the company behind thousands of license plate-reading cameras used by police agencies and private groups across the Houston region, over claims the company … Continue reading →

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Using AI to screen school library books

Posted on November 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Oh for crying out loud. Pearland school board members knew they couldn’t personally vet hundreds of books for “indecent” or “profane” content prohibited under a new state law. So when they met this fall to consider a 1,400-title purchase list, … Continue reading →

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The restaurant AI experience

Posted on November 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Several Houston restaurants have cracked the code on efficiency, using artificial intelligence to streamline small tasks and free up staff to focus on hospitality. ChatGPT and other AI tools have surged in popularity across industries, and the restaurant world … Continue reading →

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Eagle Eye Gun Detection

Posted on October 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a new AI-enhanced weapons detection system on the block. Eagle Eye Networks has launched its newest feature, Eagle Eye Gun Detection, an AI-enabled technology designed to detect visible firearms in real-time and alert first responders within seconds. The system … Continue reading →

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Home Depot is watching you

Posted on September 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Beware the surveillance cameras. Hundreds of AI-powered automated license plate reading cameras paid for by Lowe’s and Home Depot and stationed in the hardware stores’ parking lots are being fed into a massive surveillance system that law enforcement can access, … Continue reading →

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Say “no” to AI music

Posted on September 14, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. When pop groups and rock bands practice or perform, they rely on their guitars, keyboards and drumsticks to make music. Oliver McCann, a British AI music creator who goes by the stage name imoliver, fires up his chatbot. McCann’s … Continue reading →

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STAAR to be replaced with even more tests

Posted on August 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I’m so glad my kids have graduated. The Texas House on Tuesday greenlit plans to scrap the STAAR test, clearing a path to replace the state exams with three smaller ones given throughout the year. The plan passed, 78-58, over … Continue reading →

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And the At Large #4 race gets underway

Posted on August 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Bring it on. Two candidates for Houston City Council for are waging a war over who used AI to create their list of campaign priorities. Alejandra Salinas’ campaign website lists a series of priorities she would champion if elected to fill the council … Continue reading →

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HISD enters its AI slop era

Posted on June 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. The Harlem Renaissance produced a rich tapestry of poems, novels and paintings of Black life in the early 20th century, all expressing the artistry and brilliance of people whose equal citizenship and full humanity had long been denied. Yet … Continue reading →

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Immersive art lawsuits

Posted on March 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Fascinating. Immersive art experiences transform how audiences interact with creativity, and legal experts on Monday discussed how copyright law is protecting these dynamic works of art. At a South by Southwest session, two legal experts explored the complexities of copyright … Continue reading →

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Evolv sued over false advertising claims for its AI-aided weapons detection system

Posted on March 2, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. Mansfield ISD officials are standing by a new artificial intelligence-powered weapon’s detection system despite the technology’s maker facing a pending federal lawsuit for false advertising. A lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission accuses Evolv of making false claims about the … Continue reading →

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Be careful what Christmas music you listen to

Posted on December 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot of AI crap out there. AI slop has consumed Facebook, is running Wikipedia editors ragged, is rapidly destroying Google search, probably put an extra finger on the scales of election influence, is confusing and annoying crafters, steals endlessly from authors, is on … Continue reading →

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Trying to improve on ShotSpotter

Posted on December 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Meet Wytec, a new type of AI-powered gunshot-detection system. Wytec International Inc., a builder of 5G wireless networks, is working on artificial intelligence software to deploy on networks of sensors to pinpoint the location of gunshots or other campus problems … Continue reading →

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Evolv

Posted on November 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. In the 2022–23 school year news reports nationwide identified more than 1,150 guns brought to K-12 campuses that were seized before anyone fired them. That averages out to more than six guns per day, according to an investigation … Continue reading →

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