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Free health screenings in Boston neighborhoods thanks to the Family Van
With barriers rising in health care access, mobile clinic fills critical gaps
Marc Rowan accused of misusing Apollo resources for political work
Chief executive of private capital group used company email and staff for lobbying, unions say
Big Europe and Asian private equity health funds merge to defy AI disruption
Global Healthcare Opportunities and CBC Group say $21bn investment manager will be world’s largest in sector
Google to release smart glasses and add AI ‘agents’ to search engine
CEO Sundar Pichai says features powered by new Gemini model will close gap with Anthropic and OpenAI
State Health Coverage for Immigrants and Implications for Health Coverage and Care
Noncitizen immigrants, particularly those who are undocumented, face significant barriers to accessing health coverage and care and are significantly more likely than citizens to be uninsured. This brief provides an overview of state health coverage programs for immigrants, including among states that have taken up options in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to expand coverage for lawfully present immigrants and/or established fully state-funded programs to fill gaps in coverage for immigrants.
Why politicians struggle to read the public on immigration
The government overreacts to popular opinion, which prompts a pendulum swing the other way
Traditional Medicine Innovation for Health Impact: Financing, Collaboration, and Future Pathways
This session brings together WHO, Member States, innovators, regulators and private sector partners to explore the role of integrating and advancing traditional medicine to improve health outcomes, while accelerating innovation, partnerships and collaboration. Discussions will focus on translating evidence and innovation into implementation, addressing financing and policy barriers, and identifying practical pathways to scale credible, community-rooted traditional medicine approaches to expand access, equity and health impact.Watch live on YouTube
A hidden barrier to starting a family
Endometriosis is a widespread disease affecting at least one in eight women, often leading to infertility, which can be prevented with earlier diagnosis and treatment.
Free sports physicals eliminating barriers, preventing future injuries
With summer approaching, it’s time for athletes to get their yearly physical.
Helping seniors navigate digital-first health care
Discover how CVS Health is improving digital health literacy, reducing barriers, and designing more accessible health care
Cambridge Science Park launches £3bn expansion plan
Hub for scientific and tech innovation aims to triple in size over next 30 years
Crime increasingly a ‘serious barrier’ to UK growth, say business leaders
British Chambers of Commerce survey shows firms ‘are dealing with rising levels of theft, fraud and cyber-attacks’
Business investment growth in UK is less than half pace of US
There has been a widening divergence between the two economies since 2019
Donald Trump Jr’s VC firm flaunts political edge in investment push
1789 Capital is seeking to grow its assets to $10bn after building sprawling AI portfolio
Opinion: When voting rights are weakened, health suffers
Communities facing voting barriers are often living with higher rates of chronic disease, shorter life expectancy, and reduced access to care.
China launches new war on deserts with technology tested on far side of the moon
Projects meant to help Xinjiang region build ecological barrier to protect its arable land from erosion and desertification.
‘Never-ending’ AI slop strains corporate hacking reward schemes
‘Bug bounty’ programmes have seen a jump in spurious AI-generated submissions
Scientists reverse Alzheimer’s in mice with breakthrough nanotechnology
A new nanotechnology treatment reversed Alzheimer’s symptoms in mice by restoring the brain’s natural cleanup system. The specially engineered nanoparticles helped clear toxic amyloid proteins from the brain and repair the blood-brain barrier, which normally protects and regulates the brain’s environment. In one striking experiment, elderly mice treated with the therapy later behaved like healthy younger mice.
Trump’s Hormuz ship insurance facility has done $0 business
US president’s $40bn scheme has had zero uptake due to absence of naval escorts through key waterway
Marine Corps Veteran embraces first Winter Sports Clinic
Sixteen years ago, a car accident left USMC Veteran Joe Gibson paralyzed. Through adaptive sports at the Winter Sports Clinic, he is pushing past barriers.
Schroders looks to exit China mutual funds business after just three years
London-listed group is set to be taken over by US-headquartered asset manager Nuveen in £10bn deal
Bomani Jones on Jordan, LeBron, Politics, and Why Sports Are Never Just Sports
In this new episode Maury sits down with the brilliant @righttimebomani to explore the powerful intersection of sports and culture. The conversation serves as a moving tribute to Maury’s father, the legendary Shirley Povich, a titan of sports journalism who utilized his iconic column to challenge the status quo and break social barriers. Together, Maury […]
Business school academics cancel US conference and switch to Europe
Foreign delegates stay away over visa and political concerns under Trump administration
CVS Health® and WGU launch online pre-pharmacy degree program for future pharmacists nationwide
New program helps reduce financial barriers to higher education while building a stronger, more robust pharmacy workforce
Xi Jinping tells Nvidia, Tesla and Apple CEOs that China will ‘open wider’
US business leaders praise ‘great importance’ of Chinese market on visit to Beijing alongside Donald Trump
Mom moved abroad with my family; we stayed and she returned to US
My 70-year-old mom struggled with the language barrier in Spain and didn't find community overseas as I'd hoped. Now, she's back in the US without us.
Donald Trump demands Xi Jinping ‘open’ China to US business
US president arrives in Beijing for two-day summit clouded by geopolitical tensions and conflict over trade and tech
Miami got NYC’s billionaires. Will it get their businesses?
Wall Street South vs Wall Street North
Making sports and fitness accessible to Ypsi-area kids is this nonprofit's focus
The grassroots nonprofit Ypsilanti Community - The Village was created by Ypsilanti Community High School alumni who wanted to reduce young people's barriers to participating in sports.
How AI Is Reshaping Entrepreneurship for Gen Z and Small Business Owners
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming entrepreneurship by lowering barriers like cost, connections, and expertise. As a result, 77% of founders say it’s now accessible to start and grow a business regardless of background. Gen Z is driving this shift, with 73% managing multiple income streams and using AI to start and grow businesses. The result is a rise in flexible “portfolio careers,” where networks, personal branding, and digital tools are key to success. Key findings from LinkedIn’s research: 77% of founders say entrepreneurship is accessible regardless of background 73% of Gen Z entrepreneurs have multiple income streams 69% of founders say entrepreneurship is more achievable than ever 75% of entrepreneurs say networks are critical to success 68% of Gen Z entrepreneurs say AI is important to their business How are Gen Z entrepreneurs reshaping business? New research from LinkedIn shows how the use of AI, shifting career priorities, and evolving definitions of success are reshaping how businesses are started and grown. Gen Z is leading a shift toward more flexible ways of working, with nearly three-quarters (73%) of Gen Z entrepreneurs reporting multiple income streams, compared to 56% of Gen X. This highlights growth in “portfolio careers” designed to build resilience and create greater control over work and income. How is AI making entrepreneurship more accessible? AI and digital tools are making entrepreneurship more accessible, lowering traditional barriers such as cost, connections, and expertise. More than three-quarters (77%) of founders say entrepreneurship is accessible regardless of background, while 69% say it is more achievable today than ever before. Younger entrepreneurs are driving this change, with more than two-thirds (68%) of Gen Z entrepreneurs reporting that AI and digital tools are important to their business, more than twice the rate of Baby Boomers (27%). Nearly one in five (18%) Gen Z entrepreneurs say AI made starting their business feel possible. AI is also helping small business owners compete for talent: 57% of US entrepreneurs say that AI can help them compete with larger companies to find and attract better candidates. Related: The AI Edge for Entrepreneurs
Nintendo share value falls as president admits increased prices will "raise the barrier to purchase"
Nintendo shares have dropped after president Shuntaro Furukawa acknowledged that raising the prices on its hardware "wi…
Crain's Chicago Business reports: Building on its reputation, Chicago area, City Colleges of Chicago, becomes a force for workforce development
Aon has already hired more than 300 apprentices through its long-running collaboration with City Colleges of Chicago and workforce programs are increasingly designed around employer needs while also addressing barriers to employment.To support the individual needs of students, City Colleges offers wraparound support such as tutoring, internships, apprenticeship and advising. The goal is upward mobility — especially for students from underrepresented communities.
Schools and nonprofits help people clear barriers to employment when ‘life happens’
Chicago has an entire ecosystem dedicated to helping applicants navigate factors holding them back from securing a job.
Commentary: Dominican University’s Pilsen campus targets a workforce shortage
By removing barriers in higher ed, the River Forest-based institution connects students mainly from the West Side with communities that need their skills and talents.
Learner spotlight: Vivian’s path to rights based mental health advocacy
For Vivian Anyango Aola, mental health is deeply personal. Growing up she witnessed people around her struggling with emotional distress without access to support, understanding or solutions. Those early experiences laid the foundations for her work today as a mental health advocate at St. Daniel Comboni mission in Nairobi, Kenya.“Mental health is about feelings – something we all experience every day,” Vivian explains. “Ensuring people are supported in those feelings is what drives my work.” Creating safe spaces and challenging stigmaIn her role, Vivian works closely with people living with mental health conditions and psychosocial, intellectual and cognitive disabilities. Through dialogue, listening and shared learning, she helps create safe spaces where people feel seen, heard and respected. However, stigma and discrimination remain significant barriers.“Witnessing stigma only strengthens my resolve to fight for inclusion, acceptance and equal treatment for all,” she says. Vivian enrolled in the WHO ‘QualityRights in Mental Health’ online, self-paced course available on the WHO Academy learning platform to strengthen her knowledge and advocacy skills. The six-module course provides the foundation for challenging stigma and discrimination and for promoting person-centred, rights-based approaches in mental health.“The course gave me a new perspective,” she says. “It showed me how to support people in ways that respect autonomy and promote recovery, rather than focusing only on treatment.”The importance of language and cultureSince its launch, more than 141 000 people have enrolled in the course globally, and it is now available in 17 languages on the learning platform – the highest number of languages of any WHO course. For Vivian, accessibility is key to transforming mental health systems. “Language is a bridge between professionals and communities,” she explains. “When mental health resources are available in local languages, they reduce misunderstanding, build trust and encourage people to seek help. It also empowers health workers to deliver care in ways that are culturally sensitive and relevant.”In a global evaluation of the course, which analysed data from over 3000 learners, attitudes toward people with mental health conditions improved by 22.78% overall after completing the course, with even greater shifts in low- and middle-income countries (29.18%) compared to high-income countries (20.58%)[1].“The course equips participants with the essential knowledge and skills to transform mental health into a more rights-based, inclusive and recovery-oriented system,” explains Vivian. “It reinforces that change is possible. When people understand rights, dignity and recovery, the entire system can begin to shift.”Mental Health, Brain Health and Substance Use[1] Breaking stigma, discrimination and promoting rights: global evaluation of the World Health Organization QualityRights e-training on mental health, recovery and community inclusion
China expanding its industrial dominance, warns US business group
Chamber of Commerce says west is running out of time to sever its growing reliance on Chinese supply chain
School politics class. Trump adrift: the president’s second term is at risk of foundering
US Presidency
The Wellness Conversation: Let’s Talk About It - The Vaginal Health Episode
Vaginal health can often get overlooked due to embarrassment and misinformation. As women continue to grow and change throughout their lives, it’s important to normalize the conversation surrounding vaginal health. On this episode of The Wellness Conversation, Sarah Froman, MD, OhioHealth OBGYN, helps to break this barrier and empower women by...
Military spouses want government to waive up to $1 million business loan fees
"...one of the biggest barriers to entrepreneurship is access to funding."
Military spouses head to the Hill, push for removal of barriers to small businesses to boost retention
Advocates aim to introduce the Military Spouse Small Business Recognition Act, arguing it could improve access to capital, national security and retention.
Yakuza Dev's Stranger Than Heaven Drops English Dub Option Due to Bilingual Characters
Language barrier
IOC urges sports to let Belarus athletes compete again without vetting as neutrals
Athletes from Belarus should once again compete with their full national identity and not be vetted for neutral status, the International Olympic Committee said on Thursday. One barrier to Russia’s return is an ongoing World Anti-Doping Agency investigation into recent reports implicating Russian anti-doping agency official Veronika Loginova. The IOC said its executive board noted “with concern the recent information” being looked at by WADA, without naming Loginova.
What we’ve learned in Bristol about reproductive freedom
Abortion bans not only create barriers to health care, like we saw with the closure of the Bristol health clinic, but they also change how doctors and nurses approach treatment, guest columnist Cheryl Hanzik writes.
UniCredit to sell parts of its Russian business
Bank says move will hit by profits by up to €3.3bn
Free prostate screenings aim to close health gaps
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and Cobb County Public Library are working together to help close health barriers + disparities. Now man who are uninsured or can't afford a prostate screening will be able to get checked for cancer screenings through a free mobile clinic. Per Emory, Black men are at a higher risk to get prostate cancer and its second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the state of Georgia, The first clinic at a Cobb library is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Switzer Library, 266 Roswell St. in downtown Marietta.
Ex-WHSmith high street business to shut up to 150 stores
Owner Modella Capital launches deep restructuring of TG Jones less than one year after buying chain
RFK Jr.’s dangerous crusade against antidepressants
The challenge facing Americans struggling with mental health isn’t overprescription. It’s insurance barriers, plus a stigma Kennedy risks increasing.
Apple reaches $250mn settlement over delayed ‘AI Siri’
iPhone buyers sued the tech giant for touting features in 2024 that have yet to launch
U.S. Embassy Supports Tunisian Business Delegation at 2026 SelectUSA Investment Summit - U.S. Embassy in Tunisia
U.S. EMBASSY SUPPORTS TUNISIAN BUSINESS DELEGATION AT 2026 SELECTUSA INVESTMENT SUMMIT The SelectUSA Investment Summit is the premier U.S. investment event, connecting thousands of investors, companies, economic development organizations, and industry experts to make deals happen. Media Note TUNIS, May 5, 2026 – U.S. Embassy Tunis is pleased to support a delegation of 11 Tunisian companies traveling to the United States to participate in the 2026 SelectUSA Investment Summit at National Harbor, Maryland, May 3-6, 2026. The Summit is an opportunity for these dynamic entrepreneurs to establish new connections and explore business and investment opportunities in the United States. This year, three Tunisian women entrepreneurs and members of the delegation representing Spiraw and Sotetel were accepted into the Select Global Women in Tech year-long mentoring program which will kick off at the summit. Since 2022, more than 50 Tunisian entrepreneurs in fields ranging from e-gaming, robotics, software engineering, coding, online fashion, and green tech have participated in SelectUSA Investment Summits, where they have taken their businesses to the next level. Hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the SelectUSA Investment Summit is a one-stop shop for companies considering expanding to the United States and provides economic development organizations (EDOs) with the opportunity to meet directly with international companies to facilitate investment deals. Since inception, the SelectUSA Investment Summit has attracted tens of thousands of companies and economic development representatives, generating over $250 billion in new investment projects that support more than 125,000 jobs across the United States and its territories. The previous SelectUSA Investment Summit saw record-breaking numbers with more than 5,500 participants, including EDOs from 54 U.S. states and territories and over 2,700 business investors from 100+ countries, including Tunisia. The following Tunisian businesses will take part in this year’s SelectUSA delegation: AquaDeep – Revolutionizes aquaculture with AI-powered monitoring solutions, including a real-time larva counting system and a SaaS platform for environmental monitoring. The company is expanding operations across Tunisia, Europe, Africa, and the United States. Bouraoui Group – Specializes in event venues, hospitality experiences, innovative real estate development, and technology driven customer solutions. The business develops experience- focused and tech enabled lifestyle destinations that combine entertainment, culture, retail, and smart services, and is seeking international partners to co-develop hospitality, PropTech, smart retail, and experiential digital projects. Digital Cook – Builds HR and recruitment software solutions, including HRMS, ATS, and custom tools that streamline hiring, employee management, and talent development. It provides custom software, system integration, and scalable HR platforms for SMEs, large enterprises, and recruitment agencies seeking efficient, user-friendly ways to manage their workforce and improve recruitment. El Kanaouet – Provides high-quality and low-cost hydraulic infrastructure for the supply and distribution of drinking water. The company manufactures prestressed concrete structures based on current technological developments in the field and trends in integrated and digitalized management. El Kanaouet aims to enter the U.S. market with its production of centrifugal prestressed concrete pipes and other technical products and services. Fluoink Nanotechnologies – A deep‑tech startup developing next‑generation antimicrobial additives for paints, coatings, and industrial materials, enabling everyday surfaces to act as long‑lasting barriers against harmful bacteria and pathogens without changing their appearance or performance. Mare Custos – A subsea robotics company specializing in ROV-based underwater inspection services for offshore energy, ports, and marine infrastructure, using high-precision imaging, PAUT, and NDT to inspect structures in challenging conditions. SmartMed SA – A fast-growing digital health company operating in Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, offering an integrated ecosystem that helps patients book appointments (MedPro), enables clinics to digitize workflows and EMRs (MedLink), and supports targeted digital marketing for healthcare and pharma (MedAds). With millions of appointments and users, SmartMed has become a leading e-health platform in North Africa. Sototel – Builds telecommunications networks and services, including fixed, radio, and mobile networks. Sototel focuses on technological innovation and continuous improvement, providing high-value-added digital solutions. SOTUPRIN HGE – Specializes in manufacturing household electrical appliances under the brand HGE and OEM. Expanded from the local market to North Africa, Central Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Spiraw by Food4Future – Designs and manufactures smart, AI-powered cultivation systems allowing individuals and businesses to grow fresh, highly nutritious food – starting with spirulina – directly at the point of consumption. Combining patented hardware, controlled-environment agriculture, and a connected app with an AI assistant, Spiraw aims to decentralize food production and create a new category at the intersection of agri-tech, consumer health, and smart home ecosystems. WaterSec (Istidama) – A climate-tech startup that uses IoT, AI, and smart sensors to help high consumption facilities (such as industries, hotels, and commercial buildings) monitor water use in real time, detect leaks, and optimize consumption. The company’s digital platform turns raw water data into alerts and actionable insights, making water management more transparent, proactive, and sustainable. Learn more about the SelectUSA Investment Summit at https://www.selectusasummit.us/. Follow live developments from the summit on X at https://x.com/SelectUSA.
Breaking Barriers at 3rd Annual Findings from the Field Symposium
This year's Findings from the Field Student Research Symposium welcomed 106 students, grades four through eight, 29 educators, and 15 Subject Matter Experts, and it featured 68 research posters, 14 lightning talks, and 5 discussion sessions.
Three things we learned from the Miami Grand Prix
Kimi Antonelli proved that age is no barrier and that he is on track to becoming a Formula One great with his stunning third straight career win. Wolff’s decision to fast-track Antonelli into Mercedes in 2024, before he had passed his normal road car driving test, raised eyebrows.
Politics just got even more partisan in the US
The gutting of the Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court will intensify the fight over redistricting
Trouble for Labour across a scrambled political map
Breadth of previous support for the party makes it vulnerable to losing everywhere, to everyone, this week
Control Science — a one-sided case against managers
From the inspection towers of 19th-century factories to the data architecture of Amazon warehouses, Henry Snow casts those who surveil workers as capitalism’s villains
After Voting Rights Act setback, Black Americans brace for new fight
A generation of Black Americans across the South fought in courtrooms and in the streets during the Civil Rights Movement to dismantle barriers to voting.
Disabled Seneddd election candidates on the barriers they face
Disabled election candidates speak about their own personal experiences of disability and politics.
America’s political identity crisis
The outer edges of both parties are overlapping on a growing number of issues
Everyone loves Nintendo
Higher memory chip costs fuel fears of price rise for Switch 2 and cast shadow over console’s success
Start-ups challenge Apple over curbs on AI ‘vibe coding’ apps
iPhone maker warns about security risks as new software floods its review process
Britain enters the era of seven-party politics
Labour and the Conservatives combined account for barely a third of voters in polls — threatening the UK’s constitutional certainties
‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field
‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field ‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field A field that once seemed like a direct path to stable, lucrative work is becoming less certain under AI, students and faculty told Spectator. By Ria Vasishtha and Arjun Menon May 3, 2026 Shanying Liu / Deputy Illustrations Editor Asia Genawi, SEAS ’29, first encountered artificial intelligence during her sophomore year at her high school in Indiana. Back in 2023, policies on AI varied widely—even within the same district—and some schools had no guidance at all. As Genawi began to see the effects of AI trickle into her classroom, she turned to guidance from her home state’s Department of Education, which she said she found “outdated and inaccessible.” Genawi spent the rest of her high school career dedicated to the issue, including writing a 15-page memo exploring varying AI policies across Indiana schools, which she sent to every Indiana state senator and representative whose contact information she was able to find. She later helped draft a bill that would have required public high schools to establish and share their own AI policies with students in an accessible format. But with so many other bills already awaiting referral, hers never made it to committee. When Genawi arrived at Columbia to study computer science, she found that the gaps she had spent years trying to address in Indiana had followed her there. Many students and professors were also grappling with what AI meant for the field. Across Columbia’s undergraduate schools, computer science has become the most popular major—accounting for around 11 percent of degrees awarded in Columbia College, 32 percent in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and 12 percent in the School of General Studies in 2024. While the number of computer science majors in SEAS grew from 166 to 173 during the 2024-25 academic year, the total number across the three schools fell around 4.5 percent from 393 to 375, driven by declines at Columbia College and General Studies. At Barnard, it has grown to become the second most popular major as of 2025, up from third the year prior. The number of degrees awarded have grown fivefold since 2016. Faculty members and students in the department told Spectator that the surge in the major’s popularity has been driven in large part by its apparent promise of a secure, well-paid career path. However, they noted that the recent rise of generative AI has compromised the sense of stability that once defined the field, even as interest in technical skills among students persists. According to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 2024, out of 74 majors tracked, computer science had the fifth highest unemployment rate among majors at 7 percent, while computer engineering had the second highest at 7.8 percent. “Anecdotally, people are moving away from CS as a major,” Daniel Bauer, a senior lecturer in the computer science department, said. “They’re still taking some of our classes, right, because they think they need that, but they’re instead majoring in other things.” Bauer described a field that had shifted from what he called a “nerdy outlier discipline” to one that “everyone needs,” a sign that technical skills have become a baseline expectation across industries with the emergence of AI. “A lot of people thought, ‘Oh, it’s a guaranteed path to a stable income. You get a six-figure job right out of your undergrad,’” Bauer said. Now, companies may see AI as a way to reduce demand for entry-level programmers, especially in what he calls “code monkey jobs,” roles where a large number of employees are “just writing out code nine-to-five.” Chris Murphy, a senior lecturer in the computer science department, described the current moment as the convergence of two forces: the downturn of the job market and generative AI coming onto the scene. “Things kind of started to really pick up in 2014, 16,” he said, recalling the years after the weaker 2010 market. Murphy added that this was also a period where “students were getting more experience outside of class than they were inside of class” through internships, jobs, and side projects. Murphy suggested that the earlier momentum helped make computer science feel like both an academic program and a reliable pathway into work. That feeling is harder to sustain now as the industry reconfigures, which is a shift that students are seeing firsthand. Rebecca Yu, SEAS ’27, said that during a recent internship in Big Tech, she saw that “every single tech company was racing to integrate” large language models. She added that her manager said her intern class was the first to complete their assigned projects, which she attributed to the increased efficiency that comes with AI. Frank Liu, SEAS ’29, said that with AI lowering the barrier to coding, companies now expect everyone to write code. “A lot of companies outright say if you’re not using coding in your job, you might get fired for not being productive enough,” Liu said. Yu similarly expressed that students increasingly have to accept AI being a part of industry workflow, adding that many also “make use of it to maximize their productivity.” Richard Li, CC ’28, described a “franticness” among his peers as the pace of change accelerates. He explained how “some new tool” is released regularly, noting that tools rise and fall in prominence within weeks. He has come to believe that he doesn’t need to “match that speed all the time” and keep up with every development. Li has learned that AI tools allow him to “take a breath” and “get back into the loop much easier than before” when he needs to. While some companies specifically target Columbia when hiring, sending representatives to campus career fairs and recruiting large numbers from Columbia, a computer science degree cannot be treated as a static credential, Yu described. “You can’t just get your degree and stop learning after that. You have to always be learning,” Yu said. “That is something you basically have to expect for your job.” AI has not only affected students’ decisions to major in computer science, but also reshaped how the subject is taught. Across departments, faculty members no longer treat work done outside the classroom as a reliable measure of understanding, shifting instead toward in-person exams, quizzes, and attendance checks. While homework once made up as much as 60 to 70 percent of a student’s grade in computer science classes, Murphy said that breakdown has since flipped, with exams and quizzes now accounting for the majority. “The assumption—especially among pessimists—is that they’re using it to do their homework,” Murphy said. “They take the homework assignment. They put it into generative AI. Out comes the solution. Submit solution. The end.” Murphy said that faculty members ranged in their responses from fully prohibiting AI use to actively teaching students how to effectively work with AI. He said he shifted his approach this year after his teaching assistants called his belief that students weren’t using the technology “naïve,” and now permits students to use AI on assignments. His surveys of students in his introductory classes have told a more complicated story than the one so-called pessimists offer: Around 60 to 70 percent of students who reported using AI said they used it to have concepts explained to them, to clarify assignment instructions, to generate test cases, or to create practice questions. “Those are all ways that you might have had a tutor in the past to do that, and now you have this AI essentially as your tutor,” he said. Bauer has taken a different approach, teaching students how to use AI productively without sacrificing the core principles of the discipline. “People who are trained to actually use AI tools productively, while being in charge of designing the overall project, will be very much in demand in the next couple of years,” he said. Over the past year, a working group of computer science faculty has been redesigning the introductory and intermediate programming sequence to integrate generative AI as both a subject and a tool, representatives from SEAS wrote in a statement to Spectator. The effort is “coordinated” across the department, “not course-by-course,” with a systematic assessment of how AI integration is affecting student outcomes underway to shape the next round of changes. The goal, the department explained, is for students to be able to “read, verify, and reason about code, whether they or a model wrote it.” Tony Dear, senior lecturer in the computer science department, is piloting individualized AI feedback in a discrete mathematics course, while a machine learning course is also testing a Socratic AI dialogue system designed to “guide inquiry rather than supply answers,” the statement reads. Beyond individual courses, SEAS funded seven cross-departmental faculty projects in generative AI this past academic year, spanning biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, industrial engineering, and computer science, according to the statement. This phenomenon extends beyond the computer science department. SEAS’ new AI minor, which it announced in November 2025, reflects the University’s attempt to adapt. The minor is specifically designed for noncomputer science majors and aims to provide “essential AI knowledge” while emphasizing practical and responsible use across disciplines, according to the SEAS website. At the center of the minor is AI in Context, a course taught by a team of faculty from the departments of computer science, applied mathematics, philosophy, music, literature, and the Writing Center, the representatives told Spectator. Bauer described it as targeted at students who want to bring AI into fields like economics or biology, rather than as a path into software engineering itself. At the graduate level, SEAS announced a new Master of Science in artificial intelligence in February, with the inaugural cohort starting in the fall. While recognizing how AI has helped them navigate coursework, students also described its rise as isolating, even among members of the Application Development Initiative, one of Columbia’s largest computer science clubs. “As people start to ask AI for questions that they would normally ask students and members, it starts to isolate people” Li said. Alexa Kafka, BC ’27, echoed Li’s sentiment, pointing out that computer science has always been a collaborative discipline with code reviews and pull requests, even as AI makes independent work easier. Despite this, Kafka noted that she hasn’t been to office hours “in at least a year.” Bauer added that faculty are exploring long-term solutions to the assessment problem. “One of the things that we’re trying to do at the department or school level is to maybe move towards computerized testing facilities,” Bauer said, referring to ideas in the department to revitalize computer labs as an alternative to pen-and-paper exams. “We have to accept that this is the reality, for better or worse.” But more exams, students say, does not mean better learning, nor does it reflect how computer science is actually done. “Code is so variable and can be approached in so many directions, there’s never just going to be one correct answer. There can be multiple optimal solutions,” Kafka said. Students also expressed concern that the shift toward exam-heavy grading pulls focus away from the applied, project-based work that better reflects both discipline and industry expectations. ADI has tried to respond more quickly than the curriculum can. Through a vibe coding workshop this past semester, club members said they wanted to help students understand not just that AI exists, but how to use it deliberately. “Vibe coding” refers to the practice of prompting AI to write code for a task or project, and has become widespread enough that ADI felt the gap in formal instruction was worth addressing, according to Sophia Huang, BC ’29. The workshop introduced students to the concept of context engineering, which Shaina Sahu, SEAS ’27, described as not just writing a prompt, but optimizing “the rest of the relevant information that you would feed into the model.” Without that, students said that AI-generated code can fail at scale or introduce difficult-to-detect bugs. Genawi said the shift toward AI has changed what it means to be good at computer science. “I think the shift has kind of gone towards what can you create and what can you do, instead of, what do you know,” she said. Indeed, during ADI DevFest, its annual hackathon, Li said more teams are trying to complete their projects than in years past. While sign-ups have historically outpaced submissions, Li said this is beginning to change because teams “have a tool that completes the vision for them.” While many students see AI as an equalizer that lowers the barrier to entry for coding and technical work, Murphy said it also creates new equity concerns inside the classroom around who can afford stronger tools and who already knows how to use them. “The equity issues I worry about are students who have access to paid versions of things versus free versions of things,” he said. Although popular AI models like ChatGPT and Claude have free versions available, both have paid models that can reach over $100 per month, which output different qualities of code. Murphy also pointed to differences in prior exposure to AI literacy itself. “Students who go to high schools or K-12 education, where they’re taught AI literacy, prompt engineering, context engineering, they understand how to do this, as opposed to students who go to schools who don’t teach that,” he said. “Then they come in, and then they’re somehow expected to know how to use these tools.” For Genawi, those disparities begin long before students arrive on campus. “It’s very interesting to consider how lucky you were geographically,” she said. “To be born where you were is influencing your ability to get access to these spaces.” Students like Yu, though broadly apprehensive about the future of computer science, are not without hope. “I’m optimistic, because I think if you’re truly passionate about CS, there will definitely be a place in the field to do something you want to do,” she said. Senior Staff Writer Ria Vasishtha can be contacted at ria.vasishtha@columbiaspectator.com. Follow Spectator on X @ColumbiaSpec. Staff Writer Arjun Menon can be contacted at arjun.menon@columbiaspectator.com. Follow Spectator on X @ColumbiaSpec. Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter and like Spectator on Facebook. Produced with Spectate by Emily Ta
Black Americans face a new fight for racial representation after justices' Voting Rights Act ruling
A generation of Black Americans across the South fought in courtrooms and in the streets during the Civil Rights Movement to dismantle barriers to voting
Black Americans face a new fight for racial representation after justices' Voting Rights Act ruling
A generation of Black Americans across the South fought in courtrooms and in the streets during the Civil Rights Movement to dismantle barriers to voting.
Black Americans face a new fight for racial representation after justices' Voting Rights Act ruling
A generation of Black Americans across the South fought in courtrooms and in the streets during the Civil Rights Movement to dismantle barriers to voting.
Black Americans face a new fight for racial representation after justices' Voting Rights Act ruling
A generation of Black Americans across the South fought in courtrooms and in the streets during the Civil Rights Movement to dismantle barriers to voting.
The problem with healthy life expectancy
A crude blend of very different statistics is not the best tool for the job
PwC will drop cover for weight-loss drugs from employee health plans
Big Four accountancy balks at high cost of medication it says has become ‘cultural phenomenon’
Tulane students are betting big as sports wagering becomes campus norm
With one parlay bet, you can turn the $20 your mom gave you for food into $200. Enticing, right? This mindset is common on college campuses across the country. 67% of students living on campus participate in sports betting, and Tulane University is no exception. “There’s no barrier to entry for these gambling sites. It’s...
KKR explores $10bn sale of ex-Unilever spreads business
Private capital firm hires bankers to sell Flora Food Group after ditching targets to make its portfolio plant based
Letter: Science and the liberal elite
From Lord Wallace of Saltaire, Liberal Democrat Peer, House of Lords, London SW1, UK
It’s never a good idea to sack the entire National Science Board
Donald Trump is spurning the research that makes progress possible
Chinese scientists turn carbon dioxide into jet fuel as prices soar
Scientists use iron-based catalyst to overcome barriers in chemical process, bringing tech closer to industrial reality.
MIT scientists turn chaotic laser light into powerful brain imaging tool
Scientists at MIT discovered that chaotic laser light can spontaneously form a highly focused beam instead of scattering—if the conditions are just right. This “pencil beam” enabled them to image the blood-brain barrier in 3D at speeds 25 times faster than existing techniques. The method also lets researchers watch how drugs move into brain cells in real time. It could dramatically accelerate the development of treatments for neurological diseases.
Wizz Air accuses Gulf airlines of putting politics before safety
Chief executive József Váradi claims carriers are ‘operating based on political pressure’ in highly unusual criticism
Data-Driven Research is Helping Health Policy
Dr. William Schpero has seen firsthand how public policy drives patient outcomes at the population level, cementing a core idea that continues to guide his work as a health economist: that policy can be a powerful force for improving health equity — or, if poorly designed, a barrier to it.
Motivations and barriers to participation in citizen science: the case study of the Hong Kong Jellyfish Project
Authors assessed the experiences of 87 citizen scientists in a project in Hong Kong, with a particular focus on barriers to and motivations for participation.
👟 Y! Sports AM: 1:59:30
The 2-hour marathon barrier was broken on Sunday. By two different people!
Prep talk: High jumper Dean Guzman of Moorpark clears 7-foot barrier
A Southern California high school high jump battle is shaping up between Moorpark's Dean Guzman and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame's JJ Harel.
Healthcare is driving America’s economy
This is a huge industry — and that’s not necessarily a good thing
Inside the business most exposed to Trump’s tariff war
German nut and bolt maker reports stable demand despite facing one of the largest US levy rises in 2025
Restoring Hope in Housing
Two pilot programs are helping Hawai‘i families overcome the financial barriers standing between them and a place to call home.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s biggest rivals merge Israeli political parties
Former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid combine forces ahead of this year’s election
Good news for business travellers
The seats in economy that so many of us use are finally getting an upgrade
The ROC Podcast Episode 50: Second Chance Hiring As a Business Strategy in Idaho
In this episode, Right On Crime Idaho State Director Molly Lenty joins Britt Allen to explore the connection between reentry, employment, public safety, and why second chance hiring is becoming a key part of the conversation in business. From rising incarceration rates despite declining crime, to the real barriers people face when returning to rural
The Apple juggernaut and the AI roadblock
John Ternus will face innovation challenges that Tim Cook never had to
US health secretary’s son launches investment fund tied to health movement
Child of Robert F Kennedy Jr seeks $100mn in capital raise while touting links to ‘policy initiatives in government’
Are You Overdue for a Doctor's Visit? We'll Come to You!
Cone Health’s mobile medicine program brings primary care, heart health, women’s services, and cancer screenings directly to neighborhoods, removing barriers to care.
Sainsbury’s and WHSmith warn war will hit customers and business
Retailers flag weak outlook as consumers rein in spending
The politics of trust in science
Public confidence in scientific research is spread unevenly across the population
The politics of trust in science
Public confidence in scientific research is spread unevenly across the population
Science in the shadow of the Third Reich
In postwar West Germany, the link between cigarettes and cancer was ignored — with real and deadly effects
How Nestlé’s pioneering China business fell into disarray
Chinese distributors are chasing the Swiss giant for refunds after it allegedly oversupplied the market as demand dropped
Behavioral health data exchange challenges impede interoperability, says ONC
Technical barriers, workforce limitation, privacy concerns and cost may all contribute to lower rates of electronic exchange of health information by mental health and substance abuse treatment facilities, a new analysis shows.