Dougherty County robotics teams compete in district robotics competition. 4C Academy takes home the prize
Dougherty Comprehensive High School's TroTek Warriors, Monroe Comprehensive High School's Terminators, Westover Comprehensive High School's Flying Riots and the Commodore Conyers College & Career Academy's Commodores all competed in matches. GeorgiaFIRST Robotics partnered with host, Procter & Gamble to put on the Peachtree District Qualifier, which saw 26 competing teams.
Levent Gokcen , the senior manager for P&G and a member of the GeorgiaFIRST Board of Directors offered the students words of wisdom before they kicked off the competition.
'All the same things that you guys are using here on your robots are the same things that are powering the world,' Gokcen said. 'There's something that you guys have … that's going to continue to make you the work force for tomorrow and the talent for tomorrow. That trait is curiosity.'
Gokcen joked that the students making up the robotics teams would one day rule the world.
'Never lose that curiosity. It started out as when you were a kid. You try and take things apart to see how they work,' he said. 'As you grow older and as you start your career as adults, don't ever lose that curiosity. It's going to lead to a wonderful life in the future, and it's going to make the innovation and the inventions of tomorrow.'
As the clock counted down to the start of the first match, teammates waved their flags and cheered in the stands. On the arena floor, the students had a focus that seemed almost as programmed as the robots they created.
Six teams were split between two 'alliances' for the first matches. They used controllers to move robots around a ReefScape Course that was designed by the Haas Automation Inc. company. Students programmed their robots to be able to lift tubes and place them on a spiky object designed to look like a coral reef. The robots had to pick up and move balls and attach to and swing from a dangling cage. The teams that did this the quickest and with the most accuracy won.
Each teammate had their role, moving with a quick efficiency. The robots sped around the course, dancing around each other. If one robot needed aid, another came to its rescue. The matches ended before onlookers fully understood what they'd just witnessed. Game hosts announced the winner and the arena was cleared and prepared for the next match.
After two days of matches and fun, the 4C Academy's Commodores took home the prize as district event winners, with two allied teams, and recipients of the District FIRST Impact Award.
This latter award is the most prestigious award at FIRST, honoring the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the purpose and goals of FIRST.
The recipient team will be invited to the district championship where it will compete for the FIRST Impact Award against winners from other qualifying events and compete with their robot.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Upturn
a day ago
- Business Upturn
Bitcoin Swift Presale Stage 5 Nears Close With $750K Raised, 2,600+ Participants, and New Bonus Program Ahead of September 18 Deadline
By GlobeNewswire Published on August 17, 2025, 15:44 IST LUXEMBOURG, Aug. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitcoin Swift (BTC3), a decentralized financial operating system integrating AI automation, zk-privacy, and programmable incentives, has announced key progress in its ongoing presale. Now in Stage 5, the project has raised more than $750,000 from over 2,600 participants, with just days remaining before Stage 5 concludes and the September 18, 2025 presale deadline approaches. Presale Metrics: Current Status of Stage 5 Current Price: $5 $5 Launch Price Target: $15 $15 Stage 5 APY: 96% with more than $60,000 in staking profits already distributed to users 96% with more than $60,000 in staking profits already distributed to users Participants: Over 2,600 Over 2,600 Total Raised: $750,000+ Bitcoin Swift's presale is designed around a short, momentum-driven timeline of 64 days, with distributions applied automatically at the end of each stage. This structure allows participants to access real protocol benefits before mainnet launch. A referral bonus program is also live, offering 10% on both sides of every completed transaction, further fueling growth and expanding community engagement. New Tiered Bonus Program for Participants Bitcoin Swift has introduced an additional bonus program for presale participants that stacks with stage-based price steps, APY payouts, and Proof of Yield (PoY) distributions. The structure is designed to reward larger commitments with higher allocations: Tier 1: $100 – $1,999 → 10% Bonus Tokens $100 – $1,999 → 10% Bonus Tokens Tier 2: $2,000 – $4,999 → 20% Bonus Tokens $2,000 – $4,999 → 20% Bonus Tokens Tier 3: $5,000+ → 40% Bonus Tokens These tiers are available immediately and remain active until the close of the presale. Influencer buzz is accelerating Coverage from creators and analysts is pushing awareness beyond crypto‑native circles. Notable deep dives include: Token Galaxy : explains how stage‑by‑stage PoY payouts create real cash flow during presale. : explains how stage‑by‑stage PoY payouts create real cash flow during presale. Crypto Show : breaks down the AI contracts, zk‑privacy, and the logic behind a Solana‑first rollout. : breaks down the AI contracts, zk‑privacy, and the logic behind a Solana‑first rollout. Bull Run Angel : focuses on bonus tiers and how they multiply allocations. Technology: Building a Decentralized Financial OS Bitcoin Swift positions itself as a financial operating system rather than a single-purpose blockchain. Its technology integrates: AI-powered smart contracts that adapt to live network usage that adapt to live network usage A privacy-first decentralized identity (DID) layer utilizing zero-knowledge proofs to balance compliance and confidentiality utilizing zero-knowledge proofs to balance compliance and confidentiality Hybrid consensus that combines Proof of Work for block creation with Proof of Stake finality checkpoints every 100 blocks that combines Proof of Work for block creation with Proof of Stake finality checkpoints every 100 blocks Programmable PoY rewards tied directly to network activity, allowing active contributors to earn yields based on measurable participation The network launches first on Solana, leveraging high throughput, fees under one cent, and direct access to an ecosystem of more than 400 projects. After rollout, BTC3 transitions to its native chain for expanded autonomy. Audited and verified for trust BTC3 matches hype with verification. The project has public reviews through the Cyberscope Audit , a comprehensive Audit Solidproof report, and the Audit Spywolf analysis, alongside full KYC . This stack, combined with DID privacy and AI‑assisted governance, creates a security posture most presales cannot match. BTC3E Stablecoin To support real-world utility, Bitcoin Swift introduces BTC3E, a USD-pegged stable asset minted by locking BTC3 into collateral vaults at a 150% starting ratio. AI oracles update price data in real time, while automatic liquidations safeguard solvency. This enables participants to transact, move value, and access DeFi services inside the ecosystem without cross-chain dependencies. Influencer and Community Engagement Community awareness is accelerating as independent analysts and creators highlight the presale's structure and features. Coverage includes: Token Galaxy : examining stage-by-stage PoY payouts and their impact on presale value flow : examining stage-by-stage PoY payouts and their impact on presale value flow Crypto Show : detailing BTC3's AI contracts, zk-privacy architecture, and Solana-first strategy : detailing BTC3's AI contracts, zk-privacy architecture, and Solana-first strategy Bull Run Angel: outlining how the tiered bonus system multiplies allocations for early participants This wave of commentary has broadened awareness beyond crypto-native circles, increasing visibility in the final month of the presale. Exchange Discussions and Market Readiness Reports indicate that Bitcoin Swift is in active discussions with several exchanges, including MEXC, KuCoin, and LBank. While details remain unconfirmed, listings would introduce liquidity at the conclusion of presale and enhance accessibility for new participants. Key Dates and Next Steps Presale End: September 18, 2025 September 18, 2025 Stage 5 Closing: Final days before progression to next stage Final days before progression to next stage Duration: 64-day presale timeline 64-day presale timeline Launch Price: $15 target With just two days left in Stage 5, participants have limited time to secure allocations at the current $5 price point and access tiered bonus opportunities. Outlook Bitcoin Swift's presale continues to show strong momentum with rising participation, a defined roadmap, and verified technical foundations. With programmable PoY rewards, audited security, a Solana-first launch, and a stablecoin for everyday use, the project is positioning itself as a high-utility platform for both institutions and individual users. The combination of over 2,600 participants, more than $750,000 raised, and an active bonus structure underscores growing confidence as the September 18 deadline approaches. About Bitcoin Swift (BTC3) Bitcoin Swift is a decentralized financial operating system designed to connect network activity with wealth creation. The platform combines programmable rewards, AI-driven contracts, privacy-preserving identity, hybrid consensus, and stablecoin utility to deliver scalable financial infrastructure. For more information, visit: Contact:Luc Schaus [email protected] Disclaimer: This content is provided by Bitcoin Swift. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility. GlobeNewswire does not endorse any content on this page. Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an 'as-is' basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash GlobeNewswire provides press release distribution services globally, with substantial operations in North America and Europe.
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Yahoo
AI is already upending the corporate org chart as it flattens the distance between the C-suite and everyone else
AI is quietly changing the traditional corporate hierarchy, flattening structures and reshaping job roles from the bottom up. Companies like Amazon, Moderna, and McKinsey are eliminating layers of middle management, merging departments, and deploying AI agents to automate routine work. As AI automates various tasks, even the C-suite is changing, with new AI leadership roles emerging and long-held power dynamics shifting. The traditional corporate org chart, a neat triangle of power with executives at the top and junior workers at the base, is undergoing a quiet revolution, thanks to AI. At Moderna, HR and tech now live under the same roof overseen by one Chief People and Digital Officer. At another one AI-first healthcare company, a team of 10 software engineers have been replaced with three person unit overseeing AI agents. At Amazon, layers of middle management are being stripped out as part of a broader push toward a leaner, AI-ready structure. AI isn't just a new tool for the modern workplace; it's quietly reshaping how companies are organized. Call it 'the Great Flattening.' As business leaders race to integrate AI across their operations, entry-level roles are disappearing, management layers are thinning, and traditional team roles are starting to blur. Across the Fortune 500, middle management is taking hits, as are entry-level workers, but even at the C-suite, new power dynamics are at play as the old pyramid structure of corporate life starts to flatten out. Tech bosses have been keen to promote a vision where AI automates the drudgery of work, cutting out admin while allowing soft skills and creativity to flourish. Or, as Microsoft's Satya Nadella put it earlier this year: 'I think with AI and work with my colleagues.' While the utopian idea of a world without tasks like editing Excel spreadsheets or sorting through files sounds great in theory, what does an AI-first organization actually look like in practice? An AI flattening One key theme of organizations that are pivoting to 'AI-first' structures is a kind of 'flattening' of company structure, which essentially means fewer layers of management oversight, the removal of junior or support roles, and a growing reliance on AI systems to handle tasks that were once handled by human employees. It can also mean the collapse or conflation of traditional team structures. For example, pharmaceutical company Moderna recently merged its technology and human resources departments into a single function, appointing a Chief People and Digital Technology Officer to oversee both teams. The move, according to the Wall Street Journal, was driven in part by the company's partnership with OpenAI and the company leaning into AI to help handle things like HR support and some junior roles. At consulting giant McKinsey, the company is deploying thousands of AI agents to support consultants with tasks such as building decks, summarizing research, and verifying the logic of arguments. On top of this, around 40% of the company's revenue now comes from advising on AI and related technologies. 'If you're an AI-first organization, you can use these AI agents to essentially do a lot of the execution work of organizations,' Nick South, the managing director and senior partner of Boston Consulting Group, told Fortune. 'And when we organize our processes and our delivery processes around this AI native workforce, the role of the humans, then, is different.' This is partly because the nature of individual job roles will change as tasks get automated by AI tools or agents. 'Our job roles get kind of deconstructed, because some tasks might be taken over by AI and others might be new, so the meaning, or the function of the job changes,' Eva Selenko, a professor of work psychology at Loughborough Business School, said. 'You might need less of the one role, but that person will take over another function from another thing.' This doesn't mean that entire jobs will be replaced, but it could mean employees' roles become more diverse and take on tasks outside their normal scope of duties, or even their usual team. Job roles get deconstructed as tasks get automated, and their importance in the organization changes, Selenko said. As a result, strict divisions between teams may start to blur. Mix all this in with a few AI agents carrying out autonomous work, and the traditional org chart starts to look dramatically different. 'Now we're moving to this more flat network of human teams supervising AI agents,' Rob Levin, a partner at McKinsey & Company, said. 'In early examples, we're seeing that a client company that's building an agent factory supporting multiple business workflows, about 50 to 100 AI agents can be managed by just two or three people,' he said. In one example, Levin said a healthcare company had replaced a traditional 10-person software development team with much smaller, three-person units. These consist of a product owner, a software engineer who can effectively prompt AI coding tools, and a systems architect who ensures integration with the company's broader tech ecosystem. However, these kinds of major structural changes are easier to implement in smaller organizations or startups rather than in larger companies that have more complicated structures. The plight of the middle manager One of the ways companies, especially in the tech sector, have tried to simplify and flatten their structures for the AI age is to slash employees at the managerial level. Palantir CEO Alex Karp, for instance, announced on Monday's earnings call that he intended to cull 500 roles from his 4,100-person staff. he called it a 'crazy, efficient revolution.' Middle managers have especially taken a lot of flak, especially from the likes of Big Tech CEOs such as Andy Jassy, who has said that middle managers can hinder speed, ownership, and innovation at Amazon, particularly in the context of AI-driven organizational change. Jassy is currently pursuing a flatter company structure at Amazon by increasing the ratio of individual contributors to managers, aiming to remove layers and streamline decision-making. However, experts told Fortune organizations shouldn't be counting out middle managers just yet. 'One obvious possibility [of flatter organizations] is that it's going to cause some sort of managerial thinning,' said Tristan L. Botelho, an associate professor of organizational behavior at Yale School of Management. 'If AI is reducing the coordination burden, it could shrink the role of middle management, whose job it was previously to make these connections.' However, while AI might change how middle managers work, Botelho does not expect them to disappear completely. 'I don't think middle management is going to be erased. I think it's going to just redefine how managers think about their role within the organization,' he said. 'One thing I often talk about a lot with executives…is this kind of idea that AI integrated with the organization, should…level up your skill set as a manager.' In the AI age, soft skills also become increasingly important, with middle managers serving vital HR functions. Employees still need to be managed, and a workforce still needs to function with empathy or organizations risk losing their best performers. 'There is a human side of things,' Stella Pachidi, a Senior Lecturer in Technology and Work at King's Business School, said. 'It's not sustainable to just have a boss as an algorithm, it's not going to work in the longer term.' In contrast to the Big Tech narrative, some experts say the managerial class will expand within traditional organizational structures as automation replaces low-level work. BCG's Nick South told Fortune that execution-level jobs, which are typically at the bottom of the org chart, will be the first on the chopping block due to AI agents, while the managerial or 'orchestration' level will grow in complexity and importance. 'At the orchestration layer, that will need to be bigger than it is today…there'll be a critical human part of that, which is about making sure that all this stuff is doing things,' he said. 'If you think about a classic middle manager profile, it's sort of a general manager skill set. But what these people are going to need in the future is a combination of sufficient AI proficiency to manage a human-agentic workforce, plus the core skills of logic, understanding of ethics, rhetoric, and communication skills, so that they can communicate with others in much less siloed organizations,' he said. 'So those orchestration roles are going to be quite complex.' The new C-suite While middle managers and entry-level employees may be feeling the brunt of the AI burden, these changes go right to the top. AI is already shifting the power dynamics in the C-suite and creating new, powerful, executive-level jobs. According to a 2023 Foundry study on AI Priorities, 11% of mid- to large-sized companies have already appointed someone to serve as 'Chief AI Officer' (CAIO), while an additional 21% are currently in the process of recruiting for the role. According to LinkedIn's 2023 report on AI at work, companies with a 'Head of AI' position around the world had more than tripled in the five years, growing by 13% from 2022. Alex Connock, a senior fellow at the University of Oxford's Said Business School, has observed the growth of these roles firsthand. 'Whilst it was perhaps relatively rare when we first launched our AI for business programmes a few years ago, we now have many people … on our executive courses with the title of Chief AI Officer,' he told Fortune. 'It's the new mainstream. The level of interest transcends all levels, from the 20-year-old undergrads … up to seasoned executives.' While there's some debate about whether these roles will stand the test of time, for example, experts have said that these roles can lack a clear purpose or authority, the executive level is not immune to the AI boom. South said that while the rise of some of these roles could also be a symptom of our immaturity with AI rather than a direct need for this work, the C-suite will still have to take on new responsibilities in the AI age. 'People feel quite nervous about missing the boat,' he said. 'I think it will be interesting to see how this evolves over time … as things settle down, how different will that be to the classic chief data officer?' But here is a new 'responsibility in the C-suite … to think about our competitive landscape, where are the potential sources of disruption, how we protect our sources of advantage. These are C-suite questions, and it would be a mistake to think, if we hire a chief AI officer, somehow we leave that with them. This is a really top-level thing to be thinking strategically about.' While AI is set to disrupt all levels of organizations, Selenko noted that management structures are likely to protect those at the top from too much turmoil. 'In an influential management structure, if those at the top's job might be partly doable by an AI, they will not give up that power. So I think you will see this shift in power balance is probably more among less powerful positions in an organization,' she said. This story was originally featured on Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Yahoo
Apple raises investment in US by $100bn after Trump pressure
Apple has pledged a $100bn (£75bn) investment in American manufacturing after Donald Trump told Tim Cook, the chief executive, to stop making iPhones in India. The tech giant will announce a new 'American manufacturing programme' designed to bring more of Apple's supply chain to the US. Mr Cook is expected to confirm details of the deal at the White House on Wednesday alongside the president. It means Apple has now pledged to invest $600bn in the US since Mr Trump's return to the presidency, after committing to spend $500bn in February. Apple is among the biggest potential losers from Mr Trump's tariffs and the president has repeatedly exhorted Mr Cook to assemble iPhones in the US. Most of the phones the company sells in the US are now made in India after a years-long effort to move manufacturing away from China. But in May, Mr Trump said he had a 'little problem' with Mr Cook over Apple's manufacturing plans. 'We've treated you really good, we've put up with all the plants that you've built in China for years, now you got to build [for] us,' he said. 'We're not interested in you building in India, India can take care of themselves ... we want you to build here.' Mr Trump has threatened Apple with 25pc tariffs if its iPhones are not made in the US, an announcement that knocked tens of billions off the company's value. Also, in a fresh headache for Mr Cook, the White House announced new tariffs on India on Wednesday as a penalty for buying oil from Russia. Karoline Leavitt, the White House's assistant press secretary, said: 'President Trump's America-first economic agenda has secured trillions of dollars in investments that support American jobs and bolster American businesses. 'Today's announcement with Apple is another win for our manufacturing industry that will simultaneously help re-shore the production of critical components to protect America's economic and national security.' Shares in Apple rose more than 4pc following news of the investment plans. Mr Cook has repeatedly secured exemptions for Apple's phones, tablets and smartwatches from Mr Trump's tariffs, but the president's shifting policies have led to uncertainty from investors about whether the company will be stung in future. It still paid $800m in tariffs in the three months to June, and expects to pay $1.1bn in the next three months. It has flown planeloads of iPhones to the US in order to beat new levies. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
