Welcome to the Week of February 3!

 

This week brings important updates, exciting opportunities, and forward-thinking discussions. Stay ahead of the curve with Adobe Creative Cloud changes, explore how AI is reshaping careers, and sharpen your skills with hands-on workshops—including Deep Learning with NVIDIA and Building a Second Brain with AI.

 

Plus, don’t miss the chance to submit your research to the Provost’s Proof of Concept Fund or to register for the upcoming Love Data Week sponsored by Tulane Libraries.

 

Let’s innovate, learn, and grow together!

 

Mike Griffith, PhD 

Executive Director -  Strategic Digital Innovation  | Information Technology 

Director - Innovative Learning Center 

 

Beginning Today, February 3, 2025:

Adobe will begin discontinuing the Creative Cloud content synchronization process as well as synced file and folder sharing and permanently remove the cloud-based copies of files for users.

Hacker Headlines: Valentine's Day Hacks

Any holiday is a payday for scammers and Valentine's Day is no exception. Protect yourself against common romance, blackmail, and fraud scams with these quick tips.

Spring 2025 Teach Anywhere Office Hours will take place Mondays and Thursdays from 12pm to 1pm both online via ZOOM and you are welcome to visit us in-person [HTML Suite 300]. 

(W.A.V.E.) Building a Second Brain with AI: Using RAG AI for Productivity and Efficiency

Tuesday, February 4 | 1pm to 2:30pm | Hybrid

 

The purpose of this workshop is to introduce participants to the concept of a "Second Brain," a personal knowledge management system enhanced by Grounded AI. By leveraging AI tools to store, organize, and retrieve information, attendees will learn how to boost productivity, streamline research, and enhance creativity in both personal and professional contexts.

Creating Online Portfolios Using Express

Wednesday, February 5 | 1pm to 2pm | Zoom

Learn how to create online, sharable portfolios using Adobe Express and Portfolio. Showcase anything from research to art and design using Adobe's online platforms. 

Deep learning is a powerful AI approach that uses multi-layered artificial neural networks to deliver state-of-the-art accuracy in tasks such as object detection, speech recognition, and language translation. Using deep learning, computers can learn and recognize patterns from data that are considered too complex or subtle for expert-written software. In this workshop, you’ll learn how deep learning works through hands-on exercises in computer vision and natural language processing. You’ll train deep learning models from scratch, learning tools and tricks to achieve highly accurate results. You’ll also learn to leverage freely available, state-of-the-art pre-trained models to save time and get your deep learning application up and running quickly.

By Blaine Fisher, Ph.D., MS, MA, NRP, PG-Cert

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the global job market in profound ways. Its rapid advancements are not only transforming industries but also redefining the nature of work itself. AI has the potential to create new opportunities, enhance productivity, and solve complex problems. However, it also poses significant challenges, such as job displacement and the need for workforce adaptation. This article explores AI’s dual role in creating and eliminating careers, the industries most affected, and strategies to prepare for an AI-driven future.

 

AI won't replace jobs, but people using AI will.

 

The Transformative Power of AI

AI as a Driver of Innovation

 

 

AI is fueling innovation across sectors. It automates repetitive tasks, optimizes workflows, and generates insights from data. For instance, in agriculture, AI-powered drones monitor crop health, identify irrigation needs, and even plant seeds with precision, reducing waste and improving yields. Similarly, in public safety, AI analyzes crime patterns, predicts hotspots, and deploys resources effectively, enhancing law enforcement capabilities. Technologies like machine learning, natural language processing, and robotics are enabling breakthroughs in fields as diverse as healthcare, finance, and entertainment. These advancements often lead to the creation of new industries and roles, such as AI ethics specialists, data scientists, and machine learning engineers.

 

In healthcare, AI-powered tools assist doctors in diagnosing diseases with greater accuracy and speed. This has spurred demand for professionals who can develop, implement, and maintain these tools. Similarly, in finance, AI algorithms are revolutionizing fraud detection and investment strategies, necessitating roles in algorithm auditing and financial technology development.

AI-powered tools also enhance the precision of weather forecasting and disaster response, demonstrating the expansive reach of AI innovation. Furthermore, industries like education are leveraging AI to personalize learning experiences, creating demand for specialists in adaptive technologies and AI-enhanced teaching methods.

 

The Acceleration of Automation

 

While AI drives innovation, it also accelerates automation, replacing human labor in repetitive, mundane, or hazardous tasks. In manufacturing, for instance, robots powered by AI assemble products with precision and consistency, often outperforming their human counterparts. This has led to significant reductions in demand for certain types of manual labor, such as assembly line workers.

 

In retail, self-checkout kiosks and AI-driven inventory management systems are reducing the need for cashiers and stock clerks. These shifts highlight a broader trend where AI eliminates roles that can be codified into algorithms or executed by machines. Industries like agriculture are also seeing automation, with AI-driven machinery handling planting, irrigation, and harvesting, further illustrating the pervasive impact of automation. Additionally, sectors such as hospitality are beginning to adopt AI for customer service and reservation systems, further showcasing its expansive reach

The Provost’s Proof of Concept Fund (PPOC) funding opportunity is designed to help advance promising ideas and technologies to a become more market ready. We will fund 2-3 projects across the Tulane community, and eligible individuals include faculty, staff, and PhD students or Postdocs with a letter of mentor support.

 

Deadline to submit is Friday, February 7, 2025.

 

Technologies should be at a stage where $50,000 will make a significant contribution towards preparation for commercial application. Already licensed technologies are not eligible for this award unless the funds will be used for applications of the technology not covered in the license. Awards will be announced on April 9, 2025. 

 

Please apply using the StartupTree platform here. Additional information can be found on the Tulane University Innovation Institute website here. You can also check out our portfolio of funded projects at this link.

 

 If you have any questions, please reach out to Jillian Delos Reyes at JDelosReyes@tulane.edu

Join the Tulane University Libraries and the Connolly Alexander Institute for Data Science (CAIDS) for a week of events celebrating

Love Data Week 2025 (February 10-14, 2025).

 

Monday, February 10 | 2pm to 4pm

AI - How it works and how to work with it

Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, 430

 

Friday, February 14 | 2pm to 3pm

Why Bother Composing When AI Can?

Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, 430

 

Events will be hosted in Howard-Tilton Memorial and virtually. 

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