Latest news with #MissouriUniversity
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Parkview senior earns perfect score on national Spanish exam
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.- Learning a foreign language and mastering how to speak it became a high-scoring achievement for one Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School student named Jayden Bledsoe. 'I knew I was going to have trouble on the listening part, and I heard that they had different accents and stuff,' Bledsoe said. 'I didn't know that I was going to get a 100, though.' Two Pulaski Academy musical theater students head to NYC for national competition Bledsoe earned a perfect score on the national Spanish exam and is the only student in Arkansas to have done it. His teacher, Robin Kratzke, was also taken aback by how well he did. 'I truly never knew there could be a 100%,' Kratzke said. 'When I took it, I didn't score that.' Bledsoe says it took many hours of studying with his teacher helping to lead the way. 'I would want to come to class, like I wouldn't skip, it would be fun, the different projects and stuff we would have to actually speak,' Bledsoe said. Otter Creek Elementary School teacher named 2025 Arkansas Fine Arts Teacher of the Year He now wears the gold medal he earned with honor and has a full scholarship to Missouri University of Science and Technology, where he'll be majoring in computer science. 'When you work hard, you can accomplish anything,' Bledsoe said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Yahoo
Friends without benefits: people warned against getting close to AI
As artificial intelligence (AI) is made more sophisticated, some people could be vulnerable to engaging in relationship-like interactions or perceiving "romance" with the increasingly garrulous chatbots. 'The ability for AI to now act like a human and enter into long-term communications really opens up a new can of worms,' said Daniel Shank of Missouri University. In a paper published in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Shank and colleagues argued that there is a "real worry" that "artificial intimacy" with AI bots could see some "disrupting" of human relationships. "Through weeks and months of intense conversations, these AIs can become trusted companions who seem to know and care about their human partners," the team said. That chatbots are prone to "hallucination" - insider-speak for their tendency to churn out seemingly inaccurate or incoherent responses - is a further cause for concern, as it means "even short-term conversations with AIs can be misleading." "If we start thinking of an AI that way, we're going to start believing that they have our best interests in mind, when in fact, they could be fabricating things or advising us in really bad ways,' the researchers warn, adding that the bots "can harm people by encouraging deviant, unethical, and illegal behaviors." Earlier this week, OpenAI announced the roll-out of an enhanced "memory" function for its ChatGPT, meaning the bot will tailor its responses to users based on recalling previous interactions, likely adding to the perception of intimacy in human-machine interactions. Google DeepMind last week published research suggesting artificial general intelligence (AGI), or machines with human-esque capabilities, could be developed by 2020. While AGI, if comes about, would be "a transformative technology," it would likely pose "significant risks" to people, including those of "severe harm," the Google team warned.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Yahoo
Downtown Nashville riverfront safety report highlights areas for improvement
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A safety report highlights Nashville's plan to improve safety along the Cumberland River just over a year after the disappearance of Missouri University student Riley Strain. Since Strain's disappearance, there has been an emphasis by Metro Councilmembers and Nashville's mayor to improve safety both downtown and along the riverfront. Read the safety report here '[The report] talks about security and lighting and fencing and riverfront safety and cleanliness,' Metro Councilmember Jacob Kupin, whose district covers both sides of the downtown riverfront, told News 2. Strain, 22, accidentally fell into the Cumberland River in March 2024. He drowned after a night of drinking on Broadway with his fraternity brothers. The report added that between January and December 2024, the Nashville Fire Department responded to 47 water and ice-related rescue calls in the area. 'Riley really caught the hearts of the nation,' Kupin said. 'He was someone that could have been anybody — downtown with some buddies in the evening, drinking [and] having a good time. The ending, obviously, was fatal.' Kupin said Metro Council has already allocated $1.5 million toward riverfront safety improvements as part of the Capital Spending Plan. The report breaks down four primary focus areas — safety infrastructure, litter management, unhoused population support and security coverage — and provides policy recommendations to make the riverfront safer. 'Planning is underway for type of fencing and locations and cutting back vegetation — things like that,' Kupin said. 'There's additional trash cleanup and remediation that's going on.' However, the report highlighted the additional long-term work that needs to be done. The installation of a consistent, permanent barrier along the riverbank, the installation of advanced camera systems and the implementation of a comprehensive vegetation management plan to address yearly maintenance and prevent trees from falling onto the barriers. Riley Strain Continuing Coverage | The latest in the case of the Missouri student 'The recommendations presented in this report provide a roadmap for both immediate and long-term improvements, ensuring that the riverfront will be a safer, more accessible, and cleaner space for residents and visitors alike,' the report said. As part of those longer-term efforts, the report highlighted partnerships between agencies like the Nashville Department of Transportation and Nashville Electric Service to install new LED streetlights and pedestrian lighting fixtures along the riverfront. As for camera system improvements, the report noted that any implementation of advanced video analytics for real-time security monitoring 'may require Council approval and a public hearing.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
