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Washington State University will lead a new federally funded research institute to take the agriculture industry further into the future via artificial intelligence.

The USDA-NIFA Institute for Agricultural AI for Transforming Workforce and Decision Support also known as the AgAID Institute will look at how AI can help tackle farming challenges related to climate change, weather, water supply and labor.

To that end, WSU researchers will lead a coalition of colleges and universities as well as private-sector partners through the AgAID Institute, which will be funded through a five-year, $20 million U.S. Department of Agriculture grant.

We also know that agriculture has entered in some ways a new era. Its what some people talk about as Agriculture 4.0, said WSU professor Ananth Kalyanaraman, director of the AgAID Institute. Its almost an evolution that is needed in agriculture to tackle some of the 21st-century challenges.

AgAID is one of 11 new AI research institutes announced Thursday by the National Science Foundation.

The University of Washington will lead another: The NSF AI Institute for Dynamic Systems will focus on AI innovations with real-time learning and control of complex dynamic systems, which describe chaotic situations caused by constantly shifting conditions, according to the university.

Some of our specific questions include: Can we develop better machine-learning technologies by baking in and enforcing known physics, such as conservation laws, symmetries, etc.? institute associate director Steve Brunton, a UW associate professor of mechanical engineering, said in a statement. Similarly, in complex systems where we only have partially known or unknown physics such as neuroscience or epidemiology can we use machine learning to learn the physics of these systems?

Kalyanaraman, a professor with WSUs School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, will lead the AgAID Institute.

Partners with the institute include Oregon State University; the University of California, Merced; the University of Virginia; Carnegie Mellon University; Heritage University; Wenatchee Valley College; Kansas State University; IBM Research; and the start-up innov8.ag.

Kalyanaraman said WSU first formed an internal team of computer science researchers and agricultural stakeholders a few years ago to look into the perceptions and practical applications of AI with farming. The team then grew with external entities, including a number of the institutes partnering universities.

These partnerships incidentally put the coalition in prime position when the National Science Foundation put out a call for proposals with the research institute initiative last year, Kalyanaraman said.

One of the focuses of the institute will be education programs from K-12 through higher education and worker training. Kalyanaraman also said much of the institutes initial years will be spent working directly with stakeholders in the agricultural industry essentially the end users of these systems to determine their needs and practical restraints.

Its one thing to have AI tools and design AI tools to work in lab settings, he said, but its a completely different beast when we talk about transferring AI to work while in the field.

AI, Kalyanaraman said, can help farm managers better forecast the availability of water and allocate that supply in smart ways to prevent significant losses. He said such innovations can also help farmers better predict the weather and plan for extreme weather.

How can you take the data that is being generated and convert that into some kind of actionable knowledge to make real-time decisions? Kalyanaraman said. That is where AI comes in.

Labor, meanwhile, is another challenge particularly with specialty crops such as apples, cherries, mint and almonds that require skill-intensive processes. Specialty crops account for 87 percent of the U.S. agricultural workforce, according to the university.

As an example, Kalyanaraman said an AI-driven device could guide a farm worker in pruning crops with adroitness.

But dont expect robots to manage these specialty crops anytime soon.

A machine simply cant substitute the human on the farm, Kalyanaraman said. Farmworkers are an integral part of the chain, and they will continue to be. Except now with machines, we can help train them better and also have some degree of automation in the sense that guidance is possible.

U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, both Washington Democrats, lauded Thursdays announcement.

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WSU will lead effort to apply artificial intelligence to farming - The Columbian

Researchers at the University of Tennessee at Chattanoogas Center for Urban Informatics and Progress have been awarded a $1.37 million grant from the National Science Foundation.The funds will create Smart Corridor+ along a section of the existing M.L. King Boulevard Smart Corridor, a 1.2-mile stretch in downtown Chattanooga used by CUIP to study traffic flow, public safety and transportation, environmental impacts and other quality-of-life issues.Through an online portal, researchers from around the world will be able to study Smart Corridor+ through video, high-speed internet connectivity, computer analysis, performance-measuring tools, continuously updated data and other technology to reduce pedestrian injuries and coordinate autonomous and connected vehicles.Smart Corridor+ is a major step forward for Chattanoogas Smart City research community, said Kevin Comstock, director of Smart City for Chattanooga.

The city will be able to offer state-of-the-art research technologies to the nations top Smart City researchers. Its a huge win for everyone involved, he said.The National Science Foundation grant also provides funds to expand the existing MLK Smart Corridor to include a portion of U.S. 27 and its on and off ramps.In addition, Smart Corridor+ will be available to high school students in the Chattanooga area, growing education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).CUIP works with university and laboratory researchers across the country, and Smart Corridor+ gives it the capability to collaborate with even more.We have been working toward this for some time now, and it wouldnt have happened without our close collaboration with the city of Chattanooga, EPB and The Enterprise Center, said CUIP Director Mina Sartipi.Securing funding for this initiative is exciting. We want Chattanooga to advance as a hub for smart and connected community research and development, she said.Once implemented, Smart Corridor+ will support growing computer science, engineering and Smart City research in Chattanooga.CUIP keeps Chattanooga on the cutting edge of smart community work, said Enterprise Center President Deb Socia. The Enterprise Center is glad to be a partner, helping to ensure that the voice of the community is represented as our city continues to embrace the opportunities that this testbed enables.David Wade, EPB president and CEO, calls Smart Corridor+ another major step in the effort to utilize Chattanoogas Smart City infrastructure to research and pioneer solutions that can enhance quality of life for the people in our community.This effort exemplifies how smart infrastructure can serve as a platform for innovation that can really make a difference in peoples lives in terms public safety, improved traffic flow, positive environmental impacts and more, he said.

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UTC Center For Urban Informatics And Progress Awarded $1.37M Grant From National Science Foundation - The Chattanoogan

TikTok has one of the worlds greatest algorithms when it comes to discovering talented individuals. We had the pleasure of speaking with one of those individuals who was discovered on TikTok.

We interviewed Jacob Fraizer who goes by @jayspanks across social media platforms. The success story of the TikTok star is quite inspirational. He somehow gained around 3 million fans in a year. Mr. Fraizer was a Software developer before fame, but that all changed with one clip. His career started a year ago when Jacob was studying Computer Science at UC San Diego. He was on his way to a life behind a desk. At this time he was an ordinary college kid that was unaware of his hidden talent.

One of his best friends introduced him to TikTok, and at first Fraizer thought the app was for kids, so I brushed it off. Jacob decided to download the TikTok app, and after a few weeks he started making videos for fun. He was aware of the power of social media sites, but thought it was, a bit embarrassing to take social media seriously. He started uploading quality content that attracted some followers, and a few of his videos went viral. He told us after a few nights of research, I found out people can make a living just by making TikToks. Now, his main focus was to create content that provides value to the viewers.

A few months of consistent posting, and he had amassed a following of over 100k people. Fraizer told us that, at first, most of my videos revolved around following existing trends on the platform. However, in order for him to stand out, he started to create trends of his own. He successfully started a couple of trends, including hide and seek videos. The hide and seek trend garnered 30+ million views on his page in less than a week. His following grew exponentially and Fraizer hasnt looked back.

Jacob has inspired millions with his creative ideas and quality content. He is one of the few TikTok stars who gained around 3 million followers in one year.

This emerging TikTok star was on his way to become a software developer when he decided to pursue his dreams. These days Jacob is planning to move to Los Angeles to give a push to his career. In L.A., he plans to collaborate with other social media stars, something he hasnt been able to do in his hometown. We plan to reach out to Mr. Fraizer as he settles into L.A.

Media ContactCompany Name: Jacob FraizerContact Person: Media RelationsEmail: Send EmailCountry: United StatesWebsite: https://www.tiktok.com/@jayspanks?

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From a Computer Science Student to TikTok Star: The success story of JaySpanks - Digital Journal

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Whether you've dreamed of attending a Yale lecture or sampling a University of Michigan course before applying to grad school, online learning offers a convenient way to explore your interests or gain valuable new skills.

And on e-learning platforms like edX, Coursera, and FutureLearn, you can take thousands of online courses led by accredited universities, many of them completely free. Most also offer optional paid certificates of completion you can add to your resume or LinkedIn, or are part of longer programs that can potentially be more affordable alternatives to on-campus learning.

To narrow down all the free options, we outlined the most popular free online classes from the top 20 universities, as ranked by US News. (Note: University of California, Los Angeles, and University of California, San Francisco don't offer online classes through these platforms, so they don't appear on this list.) We determined popularity by the highest number of current enrollments, and included courses that are part of longer certificate programs as you can still audit them for free.

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The best free online course from the top 20 universities - Business Insider