Schumer details how Congress can harness AI’s benefits

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It was a speech outlining his vision for how Congress can harness the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and protect society from its “potential harms.” U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D–N.Y.) on June 21 spoke on the topic of “SAFE Innovation in the AI Age” at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) […]

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It was a speech outlining his vision for how Congress can harness the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and protect society from its “potential harms.”

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D–N.Y.) on June 21 spoke on the topic of “SAFE Innovation in the AI Age” at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C., his office said.

The Senate leader was joined by Manish Bhatia, executive VP of Boise, Idaho–based Micron Technology Inc., which is building a semiconductor campus in Clay, and Jonathan Adashek, chief communications officer and senior VP of IBM.

Schumer said that as AI transforms the world around us, leading manufacturers and innovators of semiconductor chips like Micron and IBM “will be at the center,” and the increased demand for their products will help “boost business” for the companies in the years ahead.

Portion of Schumer’s remarks

In his address, Schumer outlined a two-part proposal to move the nation forward on AI: one part on framework, one part on process.

“First, Congress needs a framework for action…what should our framework be? What issues within AI should we look at to prepare legislation?” Schumer pondered.

After months of talks with more than 100 AI developers, executives, scientists, researchers, workforce experts, and advocates, Schumer shared his proposed blueprint for action.

He calls it the SAFE Innovation Framework for AI policy.

“The SAFE Innovation Framework. I call it that because Innovation must be our north star. The U.S. has always been a leader in innovating on the greatest technologies that shape the modern world,” the senator said.

He went on to say, “But if people think AI innovation is not done safely, if there are not adequate guardrails in place, it will stifle or even halt innovation altogether. So it is SAFE innovation that we must seek.”

Second, Congress will also need to invent a new process to develop the right policies to implement the framework.

“AI moves so quickly and changes at a near exponential speed, and there’s such little legislative history on this issue, so a new process is called for. The traditional approach of Committee hearings play an essential role, but on their own won’t suffice. We will need help from creators, innovators, and experts in the field,” Schumer noted. “That is why later this year, I will invite the top AI experts to come to Congress and convene a series of first-ever AI Insight Forums, for a new and unique approach to developing AI legislation.”

Hodge rejoins MACNY as director of Partners For Education & Business

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Health Care, Manufacturing & Engineering, People on the Move, Subscriber Only

DeWITT, N.Y. — MACNY, The Manufacturers Association, recently welcomed Taylor Hodge back to the team as director of Partners for Education & Business, Inc. Stepping down from her role as director, Tanya M. Eastman will remain with MACNY as senior advisor for STEM workforce initiatives, the association said in a June 26 release. Hodge was

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MACNY appoints Pipes as chief growth & development officer

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Manufacturing & Engineering, New York News, People on the Move, Subscriber Only

DeWITT, N.Y. — MACNY, The Manufacturers Association, recently welcomed Kyle Pipes to the organization as its chief growth & development officer. He started in his position on July 1. Pipes brings MACNY experience in helping develop organizational culture. He is especially skilled at assisting organizations through assessment and development of relational habits, leadership, healthy systems,

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Oswego Health promotes two in Info Services & Technology Department

Health Care, Subscriber Only, Technology

A clinical analyst III manager offers support to all 1,300 employees at Oswego Health. From day-to-day technological demands to troubleshooting clinical requests, to process and workflow efficiencies, both Windey and Bacon play a key role in the organization’s equipment integration and updates, Oswego Health said in a June 20 release. In addition, they work side-by-side

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Windey, a registered nurse, started at Oswego Health in 2000 as a nurse aide in the Medical Surgical Unit at Oswego Hospital. For the past 23 years, she has held various positions as a registered nurse, including clinical trainer for the health-care system, before understanding her passion was in information services & technology. That came when Windey was asked to advise on the adoption of a new clinical technology that would assist with patient care. In 2011, Windey transitioned to the IS&T department as an IS&T clinical analyst II. In 2013, she was promoted to clinical analyst III and now, clinical analyst III manager.

Bacon started working at Oswego Health in 2005, originally in the Pharmacy Department at Oswego Hospital as a technician. In 2011, she was also tasked with assisting the IS&T department with a new clinical platform and quickly realized how both careers could overlap. Bacon was then promoted to pharmacy IT technician before transitioning fully to the department in 2013 as an IS&T clinical analyst II, then a clinical analyst III in 2017, before earning her new title as clinical analyst III manager.

“It gives me immense pleasure to announce the promotion of Brooke and Jennifer to Managers in our Applications Department. They have both been an integral part of the IS&T Clinical Applications Team for more than a decade and have been instrumental in building and deploying the applications that we have today. We are all so proud of their accomplishments and are eager to see their continued growth in the organization,” Barry Ryle, Oswego Health’s VP of information systems & chief information officer, said in the release.

Visit Binghamton receives award for website

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BINGHAMTON, N,Y. — Visit Binghamton, the tourism organization promoting the attractions and experiences of Broome County, announced it has received the 2023 Award of Excellence in the travel and tourism category by The Communicator Awards. The awards celebrate creative excellence among marketing and communications professionals. Visit Binghamton said it was honored for its website, which

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MVCC names director of Airframe & Powerplant program

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UTICA, N.Y. — Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) has announced that Walter Constantini, previously director of Aviation Programs, has transitioned to the role of director of the Airframe & Powerplant program. In his new role, he will be responsible for planning, leadership, and administration of the Airframe & Powerplant program and other Federal Aviation Administration

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Lockheed Martin’s suburban Syracuse plant awarded more than $13M Navy contract modification

Manufacturing & Engineering, Subscriber Only, Technology

SALINA — The Lockheed Martin Rotary and Missions Systems plant in Salina has recently won a nearly $13.4 million firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded U.S. Navy contract. The pact is for provisioned spare parts in support of the full-rate production of Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program AN/SLQ-32(V)6 and AN/SLQ-32C(V)6 systems, according to a July

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Menlo Microsystems to begin Ithaca–area operations in 2024

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Manufacturing & Engineering, Regional News, Subscriber Only, Technology

LANSING — Menlo Microsystems, Inc. (Menlo Micro) says it has finalized an asset purchase in Tompkins County, which will house the company’s first domestic- microelectronics fabrication (fab) facility, which it dubs the Ideal Fab. Menlo Micro will invest $50 million in the Ideal Fab over the next three years, creating more than 100 high tech

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Menlo Micro will invest $50 million in the Ideal Fab over the next three years, creating more than 100 high tech jobs at the site within the next five years, per its July 11 announcement.

Built out of a “decade-long effort” at General Electric’s global research center in Niskayuna, Menlo Micro’s research and development (R&D) arm is located at the Albany NanoTech Complex, the Irvine, California–based company noted.

In its online news release, Menlo Micro describes itself as the company “responsible for reinventing the electronic switch with its Ideal Switch technology.”

Menlo Micro expects U.S.–based manufacturing to begin in 2024 with the new Lansing fab that will produce thousands of wafers per month when fully operational. The company has university partnerships with the SUNY Polytechnic Institute and the University at Albany, with hopes to expand its research and workforce-development partnerships to Cornell University and other universities across upstate New York with the launch of the new Ideal Fab.

To support the construction of Menlo Micro’s new fab, Empire State Development will provide $6.5 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs tax credits in exchange for 122 new jobs in Lansing. As with all Excelsior Jobs projects, Menlo Micro will receive the credits after demonstrating that it has met its job and investment commitments, New York State says.

The company will locate its fab in the Cornell Business and Technology Park, per a Facebook post from Ithaca Area Economic Development.

“This is a tremendous investment in the Ithaca area and a testament to the local, state, and federal partners that worked together to bring Menlo Micro’s fab to our community., with a special thanks to Senator Schumer for ensuring passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, and to encourage Menlo Micro to site in New York State,” Heather McDaniel, president of Ithaca Area Economic Development, said in a statement. “They will benefit from our dedicated and highly educated workforce, and we stand ready to support them in their efforts to create quality employment opportunities.”

CHIPS and Science Act effect

Both U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) and Gov. Kathy Hochul say the Menlo Micro announcement follows “their long advocacy to make New York a global microelectronics manufacturing hub and Schumer’s personal call to Menlo Micro CEO Russ Garcia last year.”

“Today’s announcement represents the first step toward significantly increasing the domestic-production capacity of our Ideal Switch to help secure critical infrastructure and further strengthen America’s technology stronghold,” Garcia said. “We want to thank Senate Majority Leader Schumer for his leadership on the CHIPS and Science Act, which is directly supportive of and aligned with our plan to onshore our manufacturing capabilities. We look forward to continuing to work with Sen. Schumer, Gov. Hochul, Sen. Gillibrand, Rep. Molinaro and the entire New York delegation as we begin ushering in the next generation of electrification, delivering unprecedented cost and energy savings to essential U.S. industries. We believe this fab modernization project is in 100% alignment with the presidential directive on bringing semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States.”

Schumer and Hochul said that the retrofitting of Menlo Micro’s new Ideal Fab has already begun in the village of Lansing.

“With this agreement to bring Menlo Microsystems to Tompkins County, we are once again declaring New York State as Chips Country,” Hochul said. “Menlo Micro’s groundbreaking chip technology powers the tools and electronics that New Yorkers rely on every day, and thanks to a remarkable partnership between local, state, and federal officials, their New York production facility will create more than 100 high-tech jobs and unlock millions of dollars in investment to support the entire region. I am excited to welcome Menlo to New York’s chip-making ecosystem as we continue our work to attract the innovative, 21st century businesses that will provide good-paying jobs, grow our advanced manufacturing sector, and move our economy forward.”

Menlo Micro says it has pioneered next-generation switch technology, which includes “hyper-efficient” switches that have broad base application, including aerospace, energy, communications, critical infrastructure, and more.

The switches are also a vital component of the microelectronics industry, supporting the growth of the domestic semiconductor industry “that is being driven by Schumer’s CHIPS and Science Act,” per Schumer’s office.

Michaels named STEM GEAR UP program assistant at MVCC

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UTICA, N.Y. — Daniel Michaels has recently transitioned to the grant-funded position of STEM GEAR UP program assistant in the Student Affairs Division at Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC). Michaels will provide instruction to GEAR UP students in support of the grant’s STEM priority and improve GEAR UP students’ academic performance through the delivery of

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OPINION: Biden losing Millennials as 2024 rapidly approaches

Opinion, Subscriber Only

President Joe Biden, who is seeking reelection in 2024, before he was elected in 2020, enjoyed national polling leads among key age demographics across the country, with a solid base of support among younger voters. He led 49 percent to 32 percent among 18–29-year-olds and 54 percent to 33 percent among 30–44-year-olds against former President

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Almost three years later, the situation has dramatically changed. Inflation is higher, the economy is slowing down, and Biden’s legislative record or lack thereof has been laid bare (Biden had very slim majorities his first two years, making major bills difficult to enact). And, now other programs he campaigned on, including student-loan forgiveness and aggressive lawmaking under the guise of regulations by federal agencies, have been rolled back by Supreme Court — with more to come.

Now, in the June 2023 Economist-YouGov poll, among key age groups, Biden still holds a 40 percent to 27 percent lead over Trump among 18–29-year-olds, but is now losing to Trump 40 percent to 39 percent among 30–44-year-olds. Those are Millennials, who are now fully integrated into the U.S. labor force and many are getting married and having kids. They started paying taxes years ago.

Overall, it represents a 22-point swing among Millennials, (who number 72.2 million), or almost 16 million potential voters with shifting attitudes born between 1980 and 1996. That creates a massive opening for Trump or another potential GOP nominee to build Republican support among the largest age demographic in the country, more than either Baby Boomers or Generation X, who Trump also comfortably leads among at the moment.

Trump is ahead of Biden among 45–64-year-olds by 46 percent to 34 percent, and among those 65 years old and older, by 48 percent to 40 percent. Biden’s only lead comes among Generation Z, or 18-29-year-olds.

Given that partisan attitudes have remained roughly the same — Democrats still support Biden and Republicans still support Trump — the greatest shift for the moment appears to be among younger independents, or just independents in general.

Whereas in 2020, Biden led independents by 48 percent to 39 percent, now Trump leads Biden 38 percent to 28 percent, with a third of independent voters up for grabs. For an incumbent president like Biden, that is indeed troubling news, as he attempts to reconstruct the coalition that got him elected during the COVID pandemic.

If demographics are destiny, then an aging population may be an emerging strength for Republicans in elections going forward, if indeed shifts in attitudes come with age. But swings among independents can be deceptive that way, and could just as easily signal an unpopular incumbent, opening the potential for Democrats to later win back wayward Millennials. But so far, Biden isn’t closing the deal. Stay tuned.

Robert Romano is the VP of public policy at Americans for Limited Government (ALG). The organization says it is a “non-partisan, nationwide network committed to advancing free-market reforms, private property rights, and core American liberties.”

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