AGP Executive Report

AI in courts: A Mississippi judge’s AI-assisted TRO was replaced after it contained major drafting errors, renewing calls for clear rules and human review for generative AI in legal writing. Public safety tech: Providence police say Flock license-plate cameras helped identify a suspect in a deadly stabbing, while residents again debate privacy tradeoffs. Health AI in practice: A study reports AI-enhanced handheld ultrasound can improve detection of carotid plaque in community screening, but shouldn’t be used alone to rule out risk. RI education/AI access: URI students can get free one-year access to AWS Kiro for Students, an AI coding platform, with URI guidance on responsible use. Energy & policy: A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled the EPA acted illegally when it canceled the $7B Solar For All program. Local business tech: Centreville Bank selected Jack Henry to modernize banking systems and improve digital and employee tools. STEM/health research: New data highlights wide geographic gaps in type 1 diabetes prevalence and pediatric endocrinologist availability. Campus security upgrades: Brown University expanded cameras and classroom safety tools after a 2025 mass shooting, adding more tech and reporting systems.

Public Safety Tech in Focus: Pawtucket’s new mayor says he’ll review the city’s Flock automated license plate reader contract, citing civil liberties concerns and promising public hearings and a decision within 30–45 days. Health Tech & Research: URI researchers published a risk-stratified framework for pharmacist accountability in AI-assisted managed care, aiming to close an “accountability gap” as AI moves into prior authorization. Medical Imaging: A study on AI-enhanced handheld ultrasound images found higher carotid plaque detection in community screening, but still warns it shouldn’t be used alone to rule out unstable plaques. Energy Policy: A federal judge in Rhode Island vacated EPA’s cancellation of the $7B Solar for All program, saying the agency acted beyond its statutory authority. Campus Security Upgrades: Brown University says it expanded cameras, added card-sweep readers, and increased classroom panic buttons after a 2025 mass shooting. Tech Leadership: Wilmington, N.C. named Jennifer Clift its new Information Technology Director, continuing her interim work. Space & STEM Events: URI will host Mars Society founder Robert Zubrin for a lecture on sending humans to Mars within a decade.

AI & National Security: Rhode Island lawmakers are weighing in after reports that an AI-assisted U.S. military intelligence report nearly triggered a China incident, raising fresh concerns about hallucinations and accountability. Cybersecurity & Public Safety: Massachusetts police chiefs are split over Flock license-plate cameras as some towns pause the AI-powered system over privacy and misuse fears. Offshore Wind in RI: Revolution Wind completed installation of its final turbine, a milestone for Rhode Island and Connecticut even as federal policy uncertainty continues to chill new projects. Semiconductor Manufacturing: Teradyne unveiled Iris 100, a production-ready optical test platform for microLED devices—built for high-throughput, per-emitter precision. Healthcare Access: Brown University Health opened its first Massachusetts primary care clinic in Taunton, expanding regional access with new provider teams. Coastal Science: URI launched Salt Pond Smart, offering free training and property guidance to help residents protect Rhode Island salt ponds and Narrow River watersheds. AI Policy in RI: Rhode Island College cybersecurity experts warn Congress may not act fast enough on AI safeguards without public pressure. Robotics & ICE: ICE is considering buying Boston Dynamics Spot robot dogs, prompting protests over escalation and how the tech would be used.

Offshore Wind in Rhode Island: Revolution Wind completed installation of its final 65th turbine, keeping the 704-megawatt project on track to reach full output later this year—despite federal stop-work orders that have slowed the sector. Coastal Ecology: Rhode Island offshore wind foundations are drawing Jonah crabs and other marine life, raising a live question for researchers and fishermen: are turbines creating new habitat or just concentrating existing species? AI & Public Safety: Rhode Island and the region are watching the fallout from Flock license-plate readers as Massachusetts debates keeping or pausing the cameras, with privacy and misuse concerns driving the fight. Health & Care Access: Brown University Health opened its first Massachusetts primary care clinic in Taunton, expanding adult and family medicine services for the Greater Taunton and Foxborough area. Assistive Tech in the Region: The SHARE Foundation’s Walk and Roll returns to Westport Point, celebrating 45 years of free assistive technology support for people with serious disabilities in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. AI Risk Debate in RI: Rhode Island experts say AI safeguards can’t be ignored as policymakers and industry push for faster deployment. Cybersecurity/Robotics: ICE’s proposed purchase of Boston Dynamics robot dogs has sparked protests, adding to the debate over how far law enforcement should go with autonomous tools.

Offshore Wind in Motion: Revolution Wind installed its final 65th turbine, bringing Rhode Island and Connecticut closer to full 704-megawatt capacity later this year, even as federal stop-work orders and broader policy headwinds continue to stall new projects. Coastal Protection, Local Hands-On Help: URI launched Salt Pond Smart, offering free training and personalized property assessments for residents in the Salt Ponds and Narrow River watersheds to reduce runoff and protect coastal resources. AI + Privacy Fight: Connecticut’s new law will tighten how Flock license-plate data can be shared and searched across state lines, with warrant requirements for out-of-state access—another sign Rhode Island-area communities are watching surveillance tech closely. RI Health & Research: URI College of Nursing welcomed nurse scientist Sean Reed to expand palliative and end-of-life care research and training, while URI also recruited Rhode Islanders for the StrengthenHER study to help women 50–75 reduce sarcopenia risk through virtual strength and nutrition coaching. Space-Grade Air Monitoring: NASA’s TEMPO satellite is delivering near-real-time hourly “chemical weather” snapshots of daytime pollution across North America, helping public health teams track fast-moving air quality threats. Tech Policy Spotlight: Rhode Island experts warned that AI risks can’t be ignored as Congress debates whether regulation will keep up with the pace of deployment.

Offshore Wind in Rhode Island: Revolution Wind installed its final 65th turbine, bringing the $6.2B project closer to full 704-megawatt output for RI and Connecticut, even as the Trump administration has issued stop-work orders and slowed new offshore development. Coastal Protection, Local Action: URI launched Salt Pond Smart, offering free training and personalized property assessments to help residents reduce runoff and protect the Salt Ponds and Narrow River watershed. AI Safety in RI: Rhode Island experts say AI risks can’t be ignored as policymakers debate whether Congress will act, with local cybersecurity leadership calling for regulation. Public Health Tech: NASA’s TEMPO satellite is delivering near-real-time “chemical weather” snapshots of daytime pollution across North America, improving how researchers track bad air days. Healthcare Research: URI College of Nursing welcomed a palliative care nurse scientist to expand serious illness care training and research. Fiber Internet Expansion: AccessPlus and MBI brought affordable fiber service online at Hearthway Properties. Telecom Upgrade: Verizon seeks FCC permission to retire copper landlines in Rhode Island, pushing customers toward fiber and wireless.

AI Policy in Rhode Island: Rhode Island College cybersecurity experts warn that AI regulation is getting harder as the U.S. leans on “self-regulation,” with the China–U.S. race raising the stakes. Robotics & Public Safety: ICE is considering buying Boston Dynamics Spot robot dogs (up to four units) for inspections and hazard checks, drawing protests over escalation concerns. Offshore Wind: Revolution Wind completed installation of its final turbine, a milestone for Rhode Island and Connecticut even as federal policy uncertainty continues to chill new offshore projects. Health & Research: URI College of Nursing added a palliative care nurse scientist to its faculty, while URI researchers are recruiting women 50–75 for the StrengthenHER virtual study to prevent sarcopenia. Space-Grade Air Monitoring: NASA’s TEMPO satellite is delivering near-real-time hourly “chemical weather” snapshots to track pollution across North America. Local Tech & Data: A Rhode Island-linked story highlights how a “Taylor Swift Tax” on non-owner luxury properties is sending Providence bills to fund low-income housing. Connectivity: Verizon is moving to retire copper landlines in Rhode Island, pushing customers toward fiber or wireless. Education Tech/Community: Drake Maye and Ann Michael funded Amazon classroom wish lists for all 54 educators at a Providence elementary school.

AI Policy & Cybersecurity: Rhode Island College’s cybersecurity leaders warn that AI regulation is slipping as Congress hesitates while the U.S.-China tech race accelerates. Public Safety Robotics: ICE is weighing purchases of Boston Dynamics Spot robot dogs, drawing protests over escalation and use in enforcement. Retail Tech & Labor: San Jose is considering rules for self-checkout—staffing ratios, item limits, and keeping a staffed lane open—after theft and worker-safety concerns. Offshore Wind: Revolution Wind installed its final turbine, a milestone for Rhode Island and Connecticut even as federal actions have slowed new projects. Health Research & Care: URI College of Nursing added a palliative care nurse scientist to its faculty, while URI researchers recruit Rhode Island women for the StrengthenHER study to prevent age-related muscle loss. Air Quality Monitoring: NASA’s TEMPO satellite is delivering near-real-time hourly “chemical weather” snapshots to track pollution over North America. RI Tech & Data Governance: A new Connecticut law tightens how license-plate reader data can be shared and searched across state lines, with Rhode Island in the mix. Local Business Tech: Watsco plans to acquire The Granite Group, expanding plumbing/HVAC distribution across RI and neighbors. Housing & Screening Tech: LeaseRunner reports that portable tenant screening rules can still produce very different outcomes depending on the underlying data model. Education & Community: Drake Maye and Ann Michael funded Amazon classroom wish lists for all 54 teachers and support staff at a Providence elementary school.

AI & Media: Uprise RI is turning a Rhode Island progressive brand into an automated site with AI avatars writing stories, raising fresh questions about transparency and trust in local reporting. Autonomous Marine Tech: Blue Water Autonomy is testing AI-powered, laptop-driven ferry navigation out of Quonset Business Park, partnering with Rhode Island Fast Ferry’s Atlantic Endurance for real-world trials. Ocean & Climate Research: URI researchers highlight how submerged offshore wind turbines can act like artificial reefs—supporting species like Jonah crabs—and what that could mean for local biodiversity and fisheries. Education & Attendance: Rhode Island reports a statistical link between sustained arts education participation and lower chronic absenteeism, with arts-involved high school seniors averaging about 19% lower absenteeism. Housing & Credit Pressure: A new analysis warns affordability crises are worsening credit stress for municipalities and utilities as costs for housing, food, and fuel outpace income. Tenant Screening Tech: LeaseRunner argues that Rhode Island’s portable tenant screening reports can look similar on paper, but different underlying data models can drive very different screening outcomes.

AI in RI Media: Uprise RI is shifting from human-written local reporting to AI avatars that now generate most stories, raising fresh questions about transparency and trust. Autonomous Maritime Tech: Blue Water Autonomy is testing AI-powered, laptop-driven ferry-scale boats at Quonset, partnering with Rhode Island Fast Ferry for real-world trials. Cybersecurity & Surveillance: A report says hackers extracted encryption keys and millions of images from a Flock camera, despite the company’s claims of on-device protection. Education & Attendance: Rhode Island released a statistical review linking sustained arts education participation with lower chronic absenteeism in K–12. Housing & Homelessness Policy: A federal appeals court allowed HUD to proceed with changes to homeless funding, a key fight over notice-and-comment rules. Public Safety Tech: Westfield’s planning board postponed a data center permit extension after concerns about whether the special permit is still valid. Infrastructure & Energy: ISO New England selected Eversource/Avangrid’s TIDE transmission upgrade as a preferred long-term solution to ease congestion and enable more northern wind. Digital Access: AccessPlus and MBI celebrated new affordable fiber service at Hearthway Properties in Pittsfield. Health Research: A new study finds waist circumference can predict higher mortality risk in older adults even when BMI looks normal.

Cybersecurity & Privacy: A security researcher says hackers extracted encryption keys from a stolen Flock camera, pulling about 27,000 clips and 1.6 million images over 21 days, raising fresh questions even as Flock insists on on-device protection. Transportation & Infrastructure: Cybertruck owners are paying extra on Rhode Island’s Pell Bridge because their vehicles exceed the 8,000-pound threshold for the discounted E-ZPass rate. Higher Ed & Research: URI’s biomedical engineering acting chair Yalda Shahriari won a $1.015M NIH R01 to build a multimodal neurotechnology framework for studying and potentially improving brain motor networks. Public Tech & Data: Rhode Island’s payroll transparency portal hasn’t been updated since Oct. 9, 2025, as the state transitions to a new ERP system. Broadband Access: AccessPlus and the Massachusetts Broadband Institute celebrated new high-speed fiber going live at Hearthway Properties in Pittsfield for affordable housing residents. Climate & Environment: A NASA TEMPO satellite is helping track “chemical weather” by showing how pollution shifts hour to hour, improving monitoring of bad air days. Life Sciences & Industry: Ocean State Labs named a new CEO, Cormier, as Rhode Island’s first life science incubator looks to expand. Community Science: A 17-year-old URI student is testing whether native seaweed (sugar kelp) can cut coastal nitrogen pollution by 30% through field research and advocacy.

RI Life Sciences: Ocean State Labs names a new CEO, with Sentec veteran Cormier stepping in and pointing to workforce, funding, and life sciences as Rhode Island’s next growth lane. Public Health Tech in the Sky: NASA’s TEMPO satellite is improving monitoring of “bad air” days by capturing near-real-time, hour-by-hour pollution patterns across North America. Genomics & Diagnostics: Nabsys 2.0 reports proof-of-principle results for electronic genome mapping, showing it can detect key chromosomal and genomic abnormalities in hematologic malignancies. Workforce & Education: Former RI Commerce Secretary Liz Tanner joins CCRI as interim VP for workforce and institutional advancement, aiming to close the skills gap businesses keep flagging. Privacy & Surveillance: A new investigation into Flock Safety camera systems raises fresh questions about how AI-enabled license plate readers track people and vehicles. Coastal Restoration Modeling: LSU and URI collaborate on EcoCARE, using AI-enabled simulations to help plan wetland restoration in Rhode Island and Louisiana. Local Governance & Housing: Providence’s rent-control push gets new momentum after David Morales defeats incumbent Brett Smiley in the Democratic primary. Elections & Seniors: A CMS memo and new toolkit urge nursing homes to protect residents’ voting rights amid ballot-harvesting concerns. Cybersecurity & AI: Hackers claim they accessed and copied Flock camera data, including an encryption key, offering a rare look under the hood of the system.

Electronic Genome Mapping in RI: Nabsys announced proof-of-principle results from Augusta University showing its OhmX™ platform can detect chromosomal abnormalities in hematologic malignancies, matching standard cytogenetics and adding detail on smaller variants. Coastal AI for restoration: LSU and URI are collaborating on EcoCARE, using AI-enabled simulation tools (with a public-facing website) to help plan wetland restoration in Rhode Island and Louisiana. Uncrewed ocean research: NOAA is testing uncrewed surface vehicles in Narragansett Bay to expand oceanographic and fisheries data collection where ships can’t safely go. Surveillance tech scrutiny: A WIRED/404 Media report details how hackers accessed Flock camera systems, raising fresh privacy and security questions about AI-based license plate readers used by law enforcement. Local housing policy: Warren councilors sparred over an affordable housing resolution, while Providence’s rent-control debate heats up after David Morales’ win. Public charge legal fight: Rhode Island’s AG joined a multi-state lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s public charge rule. EV charging buildout: Maverick will lead make-ready engineering and installation for NYC’s PlugNYC curbside EV charging network. Digital civic tools: Two URI students launched the Rhode Island Elections Project to explain state races with data visualization and candidate info.

Defense Tech in Rhode Island: NUWC Division Newport urged “radical collaboration” with industry partners at Defense Innovation Days, signaling a more transparent, faster way to deliver undersea capabilities. University & Research: URI celebrated a $99M Fine Arts Center expansion with new digital art/media and recording spaces, while URI geosciences students host free public field trips tied to the New England Intercollegiate Geological Conference. Local Tech & Privacy: A national backlash against Flock’s AI license-plate cameras is spreading, with cities cutting contracts over data-privacy concerns. Health Tech & Access: Guardant’s Shield blood test for colorectal cancer screening won broader coverage via EviCore by Evernorth starting Jan. 1, 2027. Civic Tech: Two URI students launched the Rhode Island Elections Project website to make state legislative races easier to track. Housing Policy: Providence’s rent-control fight is reigniting after David Morales’ win, while Warren councilors sparred over an affordable housing resolution. Climate & Ocean Science: A Rhode Island offshore wind explainer highlights ongoing research into impacts on local fisheries.

Digital Retail Tech: Excel Tire Gauge, a Rhode Island digital tire calibration maker, is now the exclusive tire inflation equipment provider for EG America’s 1,500+ convenience stores and fuel locations across 30 states. Maritime AI & Sensing: Robosys Automation (Providence) integrated FarSounder’s forward-looking sonar into its VOYAGER AI autonomous navigation system to detect underwater hazards in shallow or poorly charted waters. Offshore Wind Research: A new Rhode Island-focused report asks whether offshore wind farms are helping or harming New England marine life, with URI oceanography research looking at impacts on local fisheries. Campus Innovation: URI cut the ribbon on a new Fine Arts Center expansion, adding a 71,000-square-foot academic building with spaces for digital art, recording studios, and classrooms. Health Tech Coverage: Guardant Health’s Shield blood test for colorectal cancer screening won expanded coverage from EviCore by Evernorth starting Jan. 1, 2027. Local Infrastructure: Woonsocket is temporarily shifting sewage treatment operations to Veolia as the city continues work toward shutting down its sludge incinerator. Policy Fight: Rhode Island AG Nick Brown joined a multi-state lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s “public charge” rule, set to take effect Sept. 18.

Public Charge Legal Fight: Rhode Island’s AG Nick Brown joined a multi-state lawsuit to block a Trump DHS “public charge” rule that would let immigration officers weigh lawful use of public benefits against green-card applicants, with the rule set to take effect Sept. 18. Healthcare Coverage & Cancer Tech: Guardant Health’s Shield blood test for colorectal cancer screening won expanded coverage from EviCore by Evernorth, pushing covered lives for eligible patients to about 94 million starting Jan. 1, 2027. Maritime Autonomy Upgrade: Robosys Automation (Providence) integrated FarSounder’s forward-looking sonar into its VOYAGER AI autonomous navigation system for real-time underwater hazard detection. Local Water Infrastructure: Woonsocket is moving to temporarily hand sewage treatment operations to Veolia North America for six months while it pursues a longer-term fix for its sludge incinerator. RI Research Funding: Rhode Island Hospital and Brown split nearly $2M from Tiny Blue Dot to study emotional regulation and habit change using a web-based program for middle schoolers and a game-based approach for college students. STEM in the Spotlight: Dr. Mae Jemison will deliver a Sept. 22 URI Honors Colloquium lecture on inclusive STEM and exploration. Education Innovation: Rhode Island Hospital and Brown split nearly $2M from Tiny Blue Dot to study emotional regulation and habit change using a web-based program for middle schoolers and a game-based approach for college students.