Author: IBL News

IBL News | New York

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang declared that the era of AGI (artificial general intelligence) has arrived after OpenAI released its latest model, GPT-6 Astra, last Thursday.

Huang wrote a post on X about the breakthrough, saying that it marks the outset of the AGI era.

“GPT-6 Astra, trained on ~100K+ NVIDIA Grace Blackwell NVLink72. From ChatGPT to o1 to Astra in 4 years. AGI has arrived. Congratulations @OpenAI team. 400K GPUs coming online next,” Huang said.

This model features major improvements in computer use, coding, scientific research, and professional work. It can also carry out tedious computer-based tasks, such as filling out online forms, updating customer records, organizing calendars, and conducting research.

Astra is already available to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise customers, as well as through the OpenAI API and Amazon Web Services.

AGI lacks a common definition across the tech sector, though it generally refers to an AI system that has human-level cognitive abilities for learning and reasoning, and is able to learn new skills and capabilities without being retrained.

Huang and Nvidia have defined AGI as an AI system that can pass professional certifications and standardized tests across a range of professional fields with top-tier scores.

OpenAI defines AGI as “highly autonomous systems that outperform humans at most economically valuable work.”

IBL News | New York

New York City’s Department of Education is placing strict limits on AI tools and digital devices in its school system — the nation’s largest — particularly for elementary and middle-school students, setting one of the most restrictive technology policies in the country for classrooms.

During the current school year, younger students will be barred from using AI tools, and no individual screens will be allowed until third grade. And teachers will not be able to ask AI to grade assignments. Companion chatbots that offer emotional and mental support will be banned in all grades.

In total, around 600,000 students in the city’s schools — that is, about two-thirds of all students in New York City public schools — will not be allowed to use AI until they enter high school, and even then, it will be permitted only in specific cases.

The department is also recommending caps on screen time, such as limiting middle schoolers to 45 minutes per day.

These new rules will be in place for at least the upcoming school year and could be extended or amended after that.

The new rules will not apply to “centrally approved instructional programs” across all grades, such as e-books and coding software, according to a department summary of the guidelines obtained by The New York Times. It will also not apply to some student tests or tools to help students with disabilities and those still learning English.

New York City teachers will not face the same set of restrictions. They can use AI in their jobs for purposes such as crafting lesson plans, translating materials, and writing messages. But there are limits: AI cannot be consulted to determine whether a student should graduate, for instance, or to decide how to counsel a student in crisis.