Local Stories
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Tennessee Sets Bold Course with First AI Action Plan
Tennessee releases its first comprehensive AI Action Plan, outlining a strategy to integrate artificial intelligence into state government while ensuring ethical oversight and workforce readiness…
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White House Taps ORNL for “Genesis Mission” to Accelerate AI Science
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is set to be a central player in the newly announced “Genesis Mission,” a federal initiative comparing its urgency to the Manhattan Project. The mission aims to build an interconnected AI supercomputing platform to double the productivity of American research within a decade…
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Tennessee Joins Regional AI Policy Caucus to Harmonize State Laws and Economic Strategy
Tennessee has partnered with five other states—Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Ohio, and Oklahoma—to establish the new Heartland AI Policy Caucus. This interstate initiative is designed to foster collaboration on state-level AI policies that will strategically drive economic growth and prepare the regional workforce…
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Learn the Power of Mapping and AI at UTC’s GIS Day Workshop on Nov 19
The Center for Applied Geospatial Data Science (CAGDS) at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga (UTC) is hosting a free workshop on the occasion of GIS Day to introduce the power of geographic information systems (GIS). The workshop will take place on Nov. 19 from 9–11 a.m…
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University Launches New AI Bachelor’s Degree, First in Tennessee
Tennessee Tech is launching a new Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence, beginning in Fall 2026. This marks the first undergraduate major in the field within the state of Tennessee. The program emerges from the university’s existing “data science and artificial intelligence” concentration within its computer science major, and has…
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Tennessee AI Advisory Council Meeting on November 17
The Tennessee AI Advisory Council will hold a public meeting on Monday, November 17, from 2:30–4:30 p.m. CST at the William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower in Nashville. The session will focus on advancing the state’s approach to using AI technologies in ways that are ethical, adaptable, and collaborative…
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Tennessee Human–AI Readiness & Innovation “THRIVE 2025″ Call for Proposals
The College of Arts & Sciences at UT Knoxville has launched a new initiative called THRIVE: Tennessee Human–AI Readiness & Innovation – Ventures in Excellence 2025 aimed at UTK College of Arts & Sciences faculty, staff, or graduate research/teaching assistants with continuing appointments. THRIVE seeks to connect research, teaching and service by supporting projects…
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DOE Seeks Business Partners for Nuclear-Powered AI Campuses in Tennessee
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a request for proposals (RFP) aimed at private companies to build AI-data centers on federal land in Tennessee, adjacent to Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The move responds to – and operationalizes – a 2024 report by the DOE that warned hyperscale AI facilities increasingly…
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Energy Department Unveils New Public-Private Model and Two Next-Gen Supercomputers
The DOE has unveiled a new partnership framework that allows combined investment from the government and private industry to deploy advanced computing systems more rapidly than traditional procurement. One of the first projects under this model is the “Lux AI” cluster at ORNL, slated to come online in early 2026…
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Tennessee’s AI Status Report: What It Means for Our Communities
Earlier this year, Tennessee’s AI Advisory Council released its first major status report. It’s not just a technical update- it’s a wake-up call. The state is laying the groundwork for how artificial intelligence will be used, governed, and understood across every corner of Tennessee. And if you’re a city leader…