This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro

The Blue "tsunami" that washed across America on Tuesday, sweeping Republicans out of office in even what had previously been considered "safe" strongholds, such as Texas, Kansas, South Carolina, and Ohio, led to a massive downturn in Tech stocks on Wall Street, yesterday. While at first there had been some investor euphoria on Wednesday, on hopes that at least with a divided Congress–instead of one completely dominated by Republicans–there might be some hope for less regulation while the two sides bickered. But, by yesterday; that hope apparently fizzled, and investors rushed to sell off tech stocks, on concerns that AI and data center regulation may indeed be on the way, now that Democrats will make up a majority in both houses of Congress, and many previously "red" state Governorships have also changed hands. One of those states where the future of data centers is in question, is Ohio, where there are now over 200 of those types of facilities statewide, as a result of efforts over the past 15 years on the…

As we celebrate Halloween this weekend; we're having some fun exploring spooky technology. From AI that could one day kill us al, to the popular resurgence of "dead" media formats, like VHS, DVD, CD, and even cassettes; we've got tales from the tech crypt this week that will keep you on the edge of your seat. We'll hear from ABC News about how Anthropic took the next step toward what is believed will be the biggest IPO in history, and also from Jonathan Carmichael, who is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Akron's non-profit Killer Video Museum. So, sit back, grab your bucket of Halloween candy, (what, doesn't everybody have one?) and listen as we explore the good, the bad, and the just plain scary, on This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro.

What makes us truly human? Is it our superior intellect, our scientific discoveries, or our ability to create awe-inspiring works of art, literature, music, and poetry? What if it is all of the above, but somehow; we no longer possess superior intellect, and our creative output has been surpassed by super-intelligent machines? What if, in the age of AI; we have become irrelevant, mundane, and nothing more than sweaty, profane, meat puppets dancing on marionette strings manipulated by tech titans in Silicon Valley and beyond? What if our future is the dark sequel to this 1961 Twilight Zone episode, "The Obsolete Man"? Well, we can't know "what if" today, but what we do know, is that creative human beings are pushing back against the AI overlords, and that's what we're talking about today. Listen now, as we explore Spotify's new effort to remove AI-generated slop music from its platform, and find out how you can participate in an interesting gathering coming up November 12-14 at Kent State University, called…

Cybersecurity professionals are always facing new threats, and even with their best efforts; sometimes the bad guys win. But now, the "bad guys" are not just...you know...actual "guys". Now, they are also AI agents, that according to some of their creators, have at least in some sense; a mind of their own. Sure, we can quibble about anthropomorphizing AI; but since leaders at both Anthropic and Open AI have come out in the past few weeks admitting they don't have complete control over their models; what we do know is that cyber defense just got much more complicated, and potentially; impossible, without the right tools, and right people who know how to use them against these new "super intelligent" adversaries. So, that's where today's special guest comes in. Barrett Busch is a cybersecurity instructor at Stark State College, in North Canton, and we asked him how, in this rapidly changing threat environment; he's working to train students who will soon be our next line of defense. Listen now.

From Anthropic's new rules that bar users from engaging in repeated, severe cruelty or verbal abuse directed at Claude, to AI helping fight wildfires out West; today's show is all about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the expanding, developing, and ever more consequential world of artificial intelligence. Listen now for some of this week's biggest tech stories from ABC News, as well as my own DIY home improvement adventures with ChatGPT.

Today we've got great news about how Tech startups, entrepreneurs, and established companies can get help to succeed, and prosper in Northeast Ohio. Listen now, as we talk with Akron's Bounce Innovation Hub President and CEO, Jessica Sublett, as well as McKelvey Packard, who organized Cleveland's second annual Tech Week, which is going on through tomorrow, October 3. For more information about Bounce Innovation Hub, go Bouncehub.org, and for Cleveland Tech Week schedule of events, visit Cletechweek.com/#events.

This week, high stakes political fallout, and concern about data centers in Ohio, an AI-based dispute between Meta and Amazon, and a major hack on the FBI, which exposed confidential information of thousands of applicants, agents, and even–reportedly–FBI Director, Kash Patel. To find out more, I talked with two ABC Radio News national correspondents; Technology Reporter, Mike Dobuski, and Former FBI Agent and Profiler, Brad Garrett, who is now working with ABC News as a Crime & Terrorism Analyst.

Pharmacies make it pretty easy these days to pick up a prescription, with convenient options like drive-through pickup windows, and mail order delivery. But, what if you’re too sick, injured, or disabled to stop by the drugstore, or need your prescription more quickly than you can get it by mail? Well, now you can get it by drone, if you live within five miles of the Cleveland Clinic’s Beachwood Family Health and Surgery Center, in Northeast Ohio. Listen now as we talk about their first in the nation drone home delivery pharmacy service, with the Manager of that program; Pharmacist Bri Robinson.

This week it is all about big tech, big money, and big consequences, as Meta agreed to a nearly $18 billion dollar settlement with Attorneys General from dozens of States and four US territories, who sued over claims that their social media platforms were hooking and harming children and teens. $318 million dollars of that settlement, which will be paid in installments over the next ten years, is coming to the State of Ohio, where Attorney General Andy Wilson says it “marks a significant step toward fundamentally transforming how the entire social media industry designs products for kids and teens.” Also this week, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) settled a lawsuit with Tik-Tok and Byte Dance for $400 million dollars, to resolve children’s privacy issues, and the streaming platform Twitch and its parent company, Amazon, got hit with a class-action lawsuit related to non-consensual use of user data to train AI. Elon Musk is making headlines again as well, with plans to build a build a massive $100 billion…

Turns out people don't like being spied on, having their jobs threatened, or having to pay more for electricity to support technology and infrastructure that is both powered by, and necessary to support AI. Huh. So, while we both celebrate Ohio as a great place to do business–particularly with regard to advanced manufacturing technology–we're also hearing that the natives are restless here, when it comes to police illegally using Flock license plate reader data to stalk and surveil citizens, and to build huge, energy-sucking data centers. For example, this week, WTOL TV, in Toledo reports that vandals attacked at least three flock surveillance cameras in Toledo. We also have a report from ABC News, also centered on Toledo, about how a county official there tried to have their cameras shut down after it was revealed that 3,200 law enforcement agencies nationwide did more than 900,000 searches on their database in just one month. That didn't happen though, after pushback from the County Sheriff, who calls the…

Honestly, I'm beginning to sound like a broken record. I can't even tell you how many stories I've written over the past few years about how social media is harming kids. On the other hand, it's not like it is my imagination. Everybody has been talking about it for a long time, and now finally; somebody is doing something about it. Well, a whole group of "somebodies"; i.e., Attorneys General from states nationwide. Why, you might ask? Well, it's because the federal government isn't doing squat about it, that's why. While this administration (and to be fair; previous ones as well) cozies up to tech billionaires, and members of Congress collectively sit on their collectively inactive behinds; kids are getting "left-behind". So, in the absence of reasonable laws to keep kids safe; they're getting hurt by media platforms that are designed to both addict them, and leave them prey to pimps, perverts, and predators. Until now. That's because this week it is all about State authorities stepping up to fill the void…

The federal government is committing more than $5 billion dollars to a national effort to expand the Genesis Mission, which is aimed at harnessing AI for science. Part of that effort involves seeking domestic sources for critical and rare earth minerals that are vital for a wide range of industries, including aerospace, health care, and defense. According to the US Department of Energy (DOE), these minerals are also key inputs to many clean energy technologies, including solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicle batteries, and energy storage technologies. As a result; they’re giving out grants worth between $500 and $750 thousand dollars, to researchers who can help them find the these critical resources here home, instead of having to import them from other countries. I talked to one of those researchers this week, Dr. David Costello, from Kent State University, who tells us his team will work on the project over the next nine months. We’re also talking with ABC Radio News Correspondent Jim Ryan, about…

From soft-spoken but creepily bossy HAL on 2001 a Space Odyssey, to Arnold Schwarzenegger's killer robot on The Terminator, we've long been worried about out of control artificial intelligence. But so far, at least until this month; we never saw any actual evidence that what we feared could happen, actually did happen. Now, however; it has, twice--from our nation's two top AI companies--Open AI, the maker of ChatGPT, and Anthropic, the maker of Claude. So today, we're going to talk about how something like that could happen, and what we might be able to do about it, someday, because right now, our government has absolutely no laws on the books to control--nor have they stepped up and just seized control, of this now demonstrably out of control technology. When we recorded this program earlier this week; only Open AI was reporting their model had gone rogue on July 9. But then today, July 31, there is a new report that Anthropic's Claude did the same thing, on July 21. Clearly, something big and new is afoot,…

From the relatively low-tech thermostat that tells your home HVAC system when to turn up the AC, to the incredibly complex strategic early warning systems that help keep our nation safe from nuclear missiles; sensors are a vital part of our daily lives. In fact, they are so ubiquitous that you just take them for granted, from the motion sensor that opens the door at the grocery store, to the GPS chip built into your phone. But what if there was something so mind-bindingly different and fantastic, that you’d swear it was powered by science fiction, instead of just plain old everyday science–and even better– what if it already exists today? Well, it turns out that it does, it’s called “next generation quantum sensing”, and they’re researching it right now at Ohio State University, thanks in part to a $4 million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation. Listen now, as we talk about how it works, what it can do already, and what it could do in the future, with Physics Professor, Dr. Ezekiel “Zeke”…

While there is no doubt that AI is a transformative and extremely useful technology; there is also a lot to well-founded concern about how it is being deployed, where the resources needed to support its proliferation are coming from, and who is in charge of ensuring that it won’t destroy our economy, democracy, and global security. In Ohio, a number of cities in our area, including Cleveland, Berea, Twinsburg, and North Ridgeville, have put a moratorium on the construction of new data centers, because citizens are worried about issues including noise, pollution, power outages, and electricity price hikes. Citizens are also questioning the cost and wisdom of deals such as former Republican Ohio Governor John Kasich’s 40 year, 100 percent state sales tax exemptions, for Amazon, Google, and Meta, which never came up for public discussion or debate when they were negotiated between 2014, and 2018. But today we’re going to focus not just on the increasingly expensive effects of AI expansion at the state level,…

Ohio lawmakers made it very clear they wanted to protect children from online harms back in 2023, when they passed a law mandating that minors under the age of 16 could not use social media unless they obtained parental consent. But just one month after the new law went into effect in 2024; a big tech advocacy group called NetChoice went to federal court and obtained a preliminary injunction keeping the law from going into effect, because, they argued; it violated children’s First Amendment right to free speech, guaranteed by the US Constitution. Then, in 2025, a federal judge made that preliminary injunction permanent, barring it from going into effect–until now. That’s because the US Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled this month that NetChoice not only had no legal standing in the case, but also, that the companies they were representing were actually harming the children whose free speech they were purportedly trying to protect. But will this new law actually do anything to really protect children from…

This week, we’re looking at the profound impact that technology is having on all of our lives; sometimes, in very unexpected ways. From a social media ban for children under 16 in the UK, to President Trump’s order aimed at keeping foreign nationals from having access too Anthropic’s newest and most powerful AI models; we’re once again talking about people all over the globe are trying to grapple with tech forces seemingly beyond anyone’s control–including the people who make it. We’ll also take a look at the surprising way both parents and children are using tracking apps, and some personal reflections on how using AI can both enrich and imperil our lives. Listen now.

I was inspired to write this story by the tumultuous events at CBS News last week, which resulted in the high profile firings of several key members of the 60 Minutes staff, including longtime correspondent, Scott Pelley. The internal intrigue spilled out onto the world stage, when details leaked about the fiery staff meeting in which Pelley told his new boss that he wasn't qualified to run their team. Then, he did a lengthy podcast interview with the New York Times, in which he disputed the network's side of things, while spilling the tea and a whole ocean of emotions, about why this was such a shock, loss, and source of immense sadness. Now, you can debate all day long about whether or not somebody who openly confronts their boss in a staff meeting has any right to quibble about what happens next, but what is undeniable; is that whenever you lose a job that you really love, or even hate but need to pay the rent; it will massively disrupt your life, least for awhile–and maybe longer–if you're not lucky. But…

This week's story is about the interconnected web of global technology and energy production, disruption, and politics. But more than that; it is about how Ohioans are caught up in that web, pushing back against it, trying to navigate it, and worrying about how it is affecting their everyday lives. Listen now to hear about how the lack of oil flowing from the Middle East because of the war with Iran, is affecting Ohioans with higher gas prices, and the possibility that if state and federal politicians decide to enact "gas tax holidays"; that could mean less money for much needed bridge repairs in Ohio. You'll also hear about a public hearing in the Ohio House which gave citizens the chance to speak out on what they believe will be the damaging effects of big data centers that power AI, how FirstEnergy is asking state regulators to approve rate increases over the next three years, and how they are already planning for a vast increase in the number of data centers in Ohio over the next decade. But Ohioans are…

You can dress them up, you can dress them down, and you can use them anywhere. Drones are technology's new little black dress; delivering everything from bombs, to life-saving medicine, and this week we're going to talk to some experts from Northeast Ohio who are helping train the students who will be the backbone of tomorrow's professional drone workforce. Our featured guests are Dr. Manigandan "Mani" Kannan, who is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Akron, and Kent State University Assistant Aeronautics Professor, Jason Lorenzon. Kannan, who is the Advisor for the U-A drone team, tells us they won second place two years in a row, in a prestigious national competition, beating out a number of much bigger, and more well-funded schools. Lorenzon, who is also an Attorney, wrote the book, "Drone Law: The Past Present And The Future", a few years ago, on the laws that regulate how drones can be used in the United States, which he is the process of revising as both drone…

While the US Government mends fences with Anthropic, which recently introduced an AI tool known as "Mythos",which they claim is so powerful it can punch holes in even the most powerful cybersecurity safeguards today; we're heading down an entirely new path with even faster, stronger, and better technology. That's because it is based on quantum physics, and as such; is capable of computational speed and complex operations that can run circles around every kind of system and program that we have today. The downside is that it is still in development, though, as you'll hear today; it is getting closer to becoming the next big thing in more than just theory. Our special guest is Dr. Ronald M. Reano, who is a Professor at The Ohio State University's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering as well as the Co-Director of their Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering. There, he is working on ways to vastly improve cybersecurity, by securely sending quantum particles that are immune from…

While the US Government mends fences with Anthropic, which recently introduced an AI tool known as "Mythos", which they claim is so powerful it can punch holes in even the most powerful cybersecurity safeguards today; we're heading down an entirely new path with even faster, stronger, and better technology. That's because it is based on quantum physics, and as such; is capable of computational speed and complex operations that can run circles around every kind of system and program that we have today. The downside is that it is still in development, though, as you'll hear today; it is getting closer to becoming the next big thing in more than just theory. Our special guest is Dr. Ronald M. Reano, who is a Professor at The Ohio State University's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering as well as the Co-Director of their Center for Quantum Information Science and Engineering. There, he is working on ways to vastly improve cybersecurity, by securely sending quantum particles that are immune from…

While the US Government mends fences with Anthropic, which recently introduced an AI tool known as "Mythos", which they claim is so powerful it can punch holes in even the most powerful cybersecurity safeguards today; we're heading down an entirely new path with even faster, stronger, and better technology. That's because it is based on quantum physics, and as such; is capable of computational speed and complex operations that can run circles around every kind of system and program that we have today. The downside is that it is still in development, though, as you'll hear today; it is getting closer to becoming the next big thing in more than just theory. Our special guest is Dr. Ronald M. Reano, who is a Professor at The Ohio State University's Department of Electrical and Computer Science, as well as the Co-Director of their Center for Quantum Science and Engineering. There, he is working on ways to vastly improve cybersecurity, by sending quantum particles that are immune from eavesdropping, securely over…

Hats off to Todd Rundgren, who inspired today's headline with his ever-popular 1982 classic hit, "Bang The Drum", because that's certainly what I'm doing (at least in my head) today, thinking about a unique fusion of art, music, and technology that's happening right here in Northeast Ohio. While Akron used to be known as the "Rubber Capital of The World"; it is now considered the nation's premier polymer tech hub, with millions of dollars pouring in from both the federal government and private industry to fund research and development of advanced, sustainable polymers. But Professor Markus Vogl is doing something different, more colorful, and more creative, with polymers. He's making and selling custom, 3-D printed drums that are not only cool to look at, but also smokin' hot to play! Listen now to find out how Vogl is using technology to turn art into music, music into money, and business know-how, into practical lessons for the artists and engineering students who take his classes on 3-D printing at the…

In what could be a weeks-long trial; the world's richest man, Elon Musk, is squaring off against Open AI CEO, Sam Altman, over whether or not Musk, who voluntarily walked away from a seat on the Open AI Board in 2018, deserves $134 billion dollars in compensation for alleged harm. That is a big ask, and according to reports this week, including by NBC News, is also leading to bigger questions such as "Will AI lead to the extinction of the human race?". But, as you'll hear now in my conversation with former CNET Editor, and current CBS News Tech Contributor, Ian Sherr, it's more about money, power, and control, than it is about any high-minded moral quandaries or existential arguments. Find out more. Listen now.

The next time you apply sunscreen to project your skin from potentially cancer-inducing Ultraviolet rays from the sun; consider this: rays of light are actually being used right now to kill skin cancer, and may one day be used on other forms of cancer deep inside the body. This promising new development is being explored by a research team at the Cleveland Clinic, headed by Dr. Vijay Krishna, who tells us all about their ground-breaking research, in this week's edition of This Week In Tech With Jeanne Destro. Listen now to find out how this project, which just won a $2 million dollar award through Wellcome Leap’s Quantum for Bio Challenge , is powered by a Quantum computer which can process information in the blink of an eye that would take, in Krishna's words, "trillions" of years for even the most advanced, conventional, binary computer.

Will the new Anthropic "Mythos" AI model be a blessing, or a curse? Well, that depends on who wields what could be the most powerful cyber weapon ever created, according to a tech expert we talked to on this week's edition of "This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro". We'll also be talking about an escalating backlash to AI in general, and data centers in particular, why you should always double-check the medical advice you get from AI, violence aimed at those who aim to further AI development., and Anthropic's ongoing dispute with the Pentagon. Listen now.

This week, an AI model from Anthropic so powerful its creators are limiting its release, a lawsuit claiming Open AI’s Chat GPT was behind a mass shooting, farmers notching a win for the right to repair, and NASA astronauts once again orbiting the moon.

Did you know that the cells in your eyes can "talk" to one another? Well, they can, according to some new research going on right now at the University of Akron. Listen now, and find out more from U-A Biology Chair, Dr. Jordan Renna. He's our special guest, on "This Week in Tech With Jeanne Destro".

This week, the business landscape in which big tech companies operate dramatically shifted, as juries in two different states awarded big monetary judgements to plaintiffs who alleged the social media giants Meta and Google were harming children. While the two cases—one in California, and the other; in New Mexico–were similar, they were not the same. So, to get some clarity on what was claimed in each, and how the juries made their decisions; I talked about it with University of Akron Visiting Law Professor, Jess Miers. Miers focuses on the intersection of law and technology, has actually worked in the tech industry, and has done a great deal of research on issues including online speech, the federal law that has protected big tech from legal judgements for decades known as Section 230, AI, cybercrime, and more:

AI continues to stir controversy nationwide this week, as more communities, including some in Ohio, are pushing back against huge data centers that support AI, which use a lot of resources, but bring very few jobs to the communities in which they are located. In addition, despite all the hype about how great AI will be for efficiency and possible advances in many areas including science and medicine; there are growing concerns about job losses, with thousands already cut from big Tech companies like Meta, Amazon, Oracle, Pinterest, and eBay. There is also concern that the US Postal Service might run out of money in the next year, because of long-term, and expanding financial problems, exacerbated this week by the news that Amazon, which is their largest customer, is reducing the number of packages it plans to have delivered through USPS. We've also got a story about how analog vinyl records, which have become increasingly popular among young people raised in the digital age, are now smashing sales records…

Why Anthropic is suing the US government, a solemn reminder of how even the most advanced technology is no match for Mother Nature, and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's plea for protecting children from the harmful effects of technology. That's what's on tap in the latest edition of "This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro." Listen now.

As the US gears up for a possible military confrontation with Iran; the federal government has issued a warning for US companies and government agencies, to tighten up cyber defenses to ensure our networks here at home, can withstand possible state-sponsored cyber attacks. But though the current buildup of military force against Iran is fairly recent; our adversarial relationship with that country goes back many years, perhaps exemplified best by the release of the Stuxnet worm that sabotaged Iran's nuclear program, in 2011. Listen now to find out more, and also what you can do right now, to harden your company or government agency’s defenses against persistent threats from Iran.

More smart traffic cameras, better coordinated Emergency response, and smoother bus rides are all on the way within the year, as Summit County's $50 million dollar, high speed broadband fiber ring network project nears completion. That's the word today from Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro's Chief of Staff, Brian Nelsen, who is our featured guest on this week's edition of This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro. Listen now for more information on how getting all of the county's governmental agencies and municipalities hooked up to high speed fiber is going to improve their operations, and what that means for you.

This week, we're featuring an in-depth discussion about the harm social media is doing to kids and teens; addiction, depression, anxiety, and in some cases—even suicide. It is in sharp focus now, because two separate lawsuits went to trial this week, alleging that the big companies running social media platforms, including Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Threads), and Alphabet (YouTube), know that they are causing harm, and aren't doing enough to stop it. While the two suits are similar, they are not exactly the same, so we asked CBS News Tech Contributor, and former CNET Editor, Ian Sherr, to help us sort it all out. Listen now:

It was quite a week for news related to the world's richest man; Elon Musk, who announced he was merging X-AI with SpaceX, caused quite a stir on Wall Street, and simultaneously faced serious legal issues when French Prosecutors raided the X office in France. They are investigating allegations including complicity in possessing and spreading pornographic images of minors, and sexually explicit deepfakes, as well as denial of crimes against humanity such as the Holocaust. But they are not alone. An investigation into Musk's AI tool, Grok, also launched in the UK where authorities are also concerned about the production of harmful sexualized videos and images. In addition , there are growing questions about what's next for Tesla, as Musk recently announced they're discontinuing some Tesla models, so they focus more attention on building robots. To find out more about that; I had a conversation with CBS News Automotive industry expert, Jeff Gilbert.

We're covering some of the biggest stories in tech this week, including a big civil trial out in Los Angeles involving a teen who is suing big tech companies, alleging that social media addiction has severely damaged her mental health, AI technology that is helping consumers build even better custom playlists on Spotify, and big-name musical artists create new songs. It is also National Data Privacy Week, and we're getting some expert advice on how to better stay safe from scams and hackers, from the Superintendent of Financial Institutions for the Ohio Department of Commerce, Robert Rutkowski. Listen now:

Everybody, everywhere, it seems, wants you to "like" their product, podcast, delivery service, social media post, or whatever. But, did you ever stop to wonder, who actually invented the "Like" button? Well, business strategy expert and author, Martin Reeves did, and he turned what was supposed to be a short coffee conversation with Like button inventor, Bob Goodson, into a new book called "Like: The Button that Changed The World". Listen now, as Reeves explains how that seemingly innocuous little "Like" button, has supercharged commerce, and changed society worldwide.

This was quite a week both for big tech developments, and big tech hassles. Listen now, to find out more about Verizon’s big outage , which affected more than a million customers on Wednesday. We'll also hear about how the US Government is planning to integrate Elon Musk’s controversial Grok AI into Pentagon networks, rising concerns about the potentially damaging environmental effects of data center expansion throughout Ohio, and new federal EPA air pollution rules that no longer take the economic cost of harm to human health into consideration. I also had a really interesting conversation this week with Telle Whitney, who is a Computer Scientist, Entrepreneur, and Author. Her new book “Rebooting Tech Culture: How to Ignite Innovation and Build Organizations Where Everyone Can Thrive”, explores why she believes creating an inclusive and welcoming work environment for women and other employees who don’t fit the typical “Tech Bro” mold, is not only better for employee morale and productivity; but also, for…

This week, all the reasons why the currently popular “bring your whole self to work” trend is most definitely not a great idea when it comes to being successful and effective at work. At least, that’s what organizational psychologist, author, and entrepreneur, Dr. Tomas-Chamorro-Premuzik, tells us his new book; “Don’t be yourself: Why authenticity is overrated, and what to do instead”. Listen now:

This week, I interviewed Dr. Dane Quinn who is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Akron, while I was hosting the Ray Horner Morning show. I wanted to hear what he thinks about future employment prospects for students interested in pursuing that type of degree, in the face of so much change and disruption expected from AI.

Dr. Dane Quinn, University of Akron's Professor of Mechanical Engineering, joined Jeanne Destro to discuss the future of engineering, employment, and more.

As tech giants ramp up their investments in AI, and artificial intelligence-driven applications continue to be deployed throughout society; both the costs and benefits of this rapidly developing technology were on display in dramatic ways this week. Listen now, as we find out more about how the Stock Market reacted to concerns about returns on investments in AI, how teen reliance on AI chatbots to alleviate loneliness is becoming a mental health issue, Disney licensing some of its most iconic characters to OpenAI, and the Akron Police Department using an AI-powered virtual assistant to help answer non-emergency calls.

There is a new legal battle brewing now between the Trump administration and states, including Ohio, over who gets to regulate AI. Congress recently punted on the question, when they refused to pass a measure embedded in the recent continuing resolution that reopened the federal government, that would have denied states the right to regulate AI. But that did not make President Trump happy, and just yesterday; he signed an executive order to stop "excessive" state regulation of Artificial intelligence. Exactly how his administration is going to define "excessive" is still up in the air though, and may not sit well with states like California, Colorado, Tennessee, and Utah, which have already passed some form of AI regulation, or, like Ohio, Illinois, Maryland, Connecticut, and Virginia; are working on it now. That's because there is a lot of genuine concern at the state level, about the kind of harm that unregulated AI could do, or perhaps already has done to citizens. In addition, because it is not exempt…

Imagine you are a hit-making musician. Then, imagine that you are excited about sharing your work, and making a living, when– poof–it all evaporates because somebody, somewhere on the internet, just ripped you off. Well, that’s exactly what’s been happening to creative artists of all types, especially musicians, at an ever-accelerating speed since the dawn of the internet. And, because federal law shields digital platforms from getting sued for copyright infringement on the part of people who use their services; digital piracy continues to flourish. But copyright owners are just plain sick of it. They’re tired of letting other people steal their work, distribute it worldwide, and getting nothing in return. So, they fought back in a big way, suing Cox Communications for copyright infringement. But, you may be wondering; why Cox Communications? After all, they are not a big online platform like YouTube, or Facebook, for example. They are an internet service provider. They don't actually host the copyrighted…

Oh, the irony! While millions of other people were knocked offline for hours when the global internet infrastructure company, Cloudflare, experienced an outage on Tuesday, November 18; my online life at work was humming along just fine, as the critical systems I rely upon to keep our Newsroom and Morning Show running, just kept on ticking. But when I got home and started working on this show; something very weird happened. First, there was an area-wide Spectrum internet outage, which happened after the Cloudflare issue was resolved. Once it was over; I tried to get online to file a story for this website, and for some reason, just could not connect. Eight hours later, after countless calls to Apple Tech Support, and a complete reformat of my hard drive; I was back up and running–and almost completely out of my mind with anxiety and concern about not getting my work done on time, and suffering from a massive headache. What happened to me, was related to a glitch in the Apple OS, which presented itself in a…

Would you know the difference between an AI generated song and one by a real band, and if so; would you care? The answer this week seems to be "No" and "No", as a song entirely generated by AI is now topping the Country Digital Charts. Find out more about that, and other hot tech topics like Russian threats to the global internet, Denmark banning social media for children, a new way to increase the number of EV charging stations, and how some people are using technology to talk to God–or at least, an app that lets them think they're texting Jesus. Find out more. Listen now.

From the touch screen on your phone, to the"Popcorn" setting on your microwave; there's somebody, somewhere, who had to figure out how to make that work for you, and hopefully; how to make it work in such a way that the experience was seamless, satisfying, and really served your needs. But that doesn't happen all the time. If you've ever yelled at your computer, tried unsuccessfully to pair your phone with your car, or even tried to cancel a subscription onliine only to find out the "cancel" button doesn't work; you suspect that somebody, somewhere, is either purposely trying to rip you off, or just incompetent. Of course, neither one of those things may be true, but in the moment; you really don't care. You're just the victim of another tech gizmo that doesn't work, and all you want to do is throw it out the window. On the other hand, there are days when you are just super happy that everything is clicking along in your world, and the things you need to do your job and live your life just work. In fact,…

From high tech hauntings, to new tech-related jobs in Northeast Ohio, 3-D printed homes, layoffs at Amazon, and more; we've got the latest in tech stories from all over the world this week. Find out more, listen now.

This week we're doing a roundup of some of the biggest stories in tech, including this week's AWS outage, a huge cyber breach, Amazon plans to replace much of their warehouse workforce with robots, and AI threats to musicians. Listen now: