The rise of artificial intelligence is prompting college students to second-guess their career paths. Students say that picking a major that’s AI-proof feels like shooting at a moving target, as they try to prepare for a job market that is changing rapidly. A surge of recent polls show that college students see AI as a threat to their job prospects, particularly those majoring in technology-related fields. Until recently, the narrative that guided many students was that learning to code would lead to good jobs. But students who followed that path and are now majoring in computer science, analytics and other popular STEM majors fear that AI is taking entry-level jobs.
Law enforcement authorities in Florida say they have found the body of one of the two missing University of South Florida doctoral students on a bridge over Tampa Bay, and a roommate has been taken into custody. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said Zamil Limon’s remains were found on the Howard Franklin bridge Friday morning, but Nahida Bristy is still missing. He said Limon’s roommate faces several charges including domestic violence and unlawfully moving a body. The couple from Bangladesh disappeared from campus on April 16.
More kids than ever are attending state-funded preschool in the U.S., 1.8 million of them the last school year. A report by the National Institute of Early Education Research finds that 37% of 4-year-olds and about 10% of 3-year-olds are enrolled. However access to free preschool remains uneven across states. California contributed significantly to the increase by making all 4-year-olds eligible for a program called “transitional kindergarten.” But the rapid rollout meant the state missed many quality benchmarks last school year. Evidence shows that high-quality preschool can positively impact a child's future, but challenges such as uneven access and funding persist.
Authorities are seeking a 17-year-old on charges of attempted murder after a weekend shooting near the University of Iowa campus. Five people were treated for gunshot wounds, including three students. One woman remains in critical condition with a head injury. Police say the suspect allegedly fired six times into a crowded area after a fight early Sunday that may have involved up to 40 people. Authorities say the minor is to be charged as an adult under Iowa law on charges including five counts of attempted murder. Officials say the victims were not targets of the shooting. The investigation is ongoing, and more charges are expected.
Court rulings are bolstering mandates to display the Ten Commandments in public schools in the U.S. as supporters push to expand the role of religion in classrooms. The biggest push yet to put the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom began last year in Texas, where a challenge to the law was batted down Tuesday by a U.S. appeals court. While the issue remains far from settled, the ruling was a victory for conservatives who reject arguments that the displays proselytize to students or trample the rights of parents, including families of other faiths.
A growing number of U.S. college instructors are turning to oral exams to help combat an AI crisis in higher education. Some are replacing written assignments with oral exams. Others are pairing Socratic-style questioning with written assignments or requiring students to attend office hours. Instructors say they know student use of AI is ubiquitous but hard to police, and it's impacting student learning. Oral exams allow instructors to determine what students know and where they need help. Students say they don't always love the testing format, but many agree that it's effective. As one student says, knowing that you will be face-to-face with a professor “makes you realize, ‘I should study this.’”
A U.S. appeals court says Texas can require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms. The ruling Tuesday by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals was a victory for conservatives who have long sought to incorporate more religion into schools. The ruling sets up a potential clash at the U.S. Supreme Court over the issue in the future. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said in the decision that Texas’ law did not violate the First Amendment, which protects religious freedom and prevents the government from establishing a religion. Critics have said the law violates the separation of church and state.
Texas can require public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, US appeals court rules.
Florida's attorney general has opened an investigation into OpenAI's ChatGPT. The probe, announced Tuesday, examines the AI app's interactions with a gunman charged with a fatal shooting at Florida State University last year. Attorney General James Uthmeier says prosecutors reviewed chat logs between ChatGPT and the gunman, Phoenix Ikner. They aim to determine if the app aided or abetted the crime. Florida's Office of Statewide Prosecution has subpoenaed OpenAI for records. Ikner faces charges of murder and attempted murder, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty. An OpenAI spokeswoman called the FSU shooting a tragedy but said the company had no responsibility.
Across Shreveport, Louisiana, schools were limping through the day, stung by the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. in more than two years. Seven siblings and a cousin were killed Sunday. The children ranged in age from 3 to 11. At a preschool program in the city, teacher Angela Hall lasted until noon. One of the dead was a student, a boy she described as a “cool little dude.” She had just pulled his mother aside last week to brag that he could write his first and last name. Now she is praying. “Just give us that strength.”