Georgia

University of Georgia investing $800,000 in program providing students with AI tools

Published

4 weeks ago

February 4, 2026

University of Georgia investing 0,000 in program providing students with AI tools

The University of Georgia is investing $800,000 into a pilot program giving its students access to artificial intelligence tools in the hopes it will keep them competitive in the job market.

UGA President Jere W. Morehead announced the pilot program during his annual State of the University Address on Wednesday.

The program would give thousands of students licenses for AI tools, including ChatGPT Edu and Gemini Pro.

“Faculty and staff already have access to these platforms through their departments, and we look forward to broadening this student pilot in the months ahead,” Morehead said.

The debate over AI use in universities

Many schools initially banned the use of AI after ChatGPT launched in late 2022. But views on the role of artificial intelligence in education have shifted dramatically. The term “AI literacy” was highly discussed as people headed to college last year, with university officials, professors, and students focusing on how to balance the strengths of AI with its risks and challenges.

Learning to use the tools could help graduates secure a foothold in a workforce where the use of AI is causing companies to streamline their operations, reducing plans to hire new employees. According to a report from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, companies directly pointed to the use of the technology in announcing 55,000 job cuts in 2025. Companies that have announced AI-related cuts include Pinterest, chemical and plastics manufacturer Dow, HP, and CrowdStrike.

A historic marker on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, Georgia.

Athens, Georgia, University of Georgia school campus, North Campus Quad, historic marker. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Some educators worry the overuse and misuse of AI programs could decrease students’ ability to think critically and independently or to have persistence when attempting to solve complex problems.

University of Georgia officials emphasized that the pilot program would ensure that graduates are skilled in using AI tools “responsibly and effectively.”

A new school at the University of Georgia

Along with the AI program, Morehead announced that the university’s School of Medicine expects to learn if it will receive preliminary accreditation status by the national accreditation body in the coming weeks. If that happens, the school will be allowed to start recruiting its inaugural class.

This follows the authorization UGA received last year from the University System of Georgia Board of Regents to establish its School of Nursing.

“Together, the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing will expand the university’s transformational impact and place UGA and our graduates at the forefront of improving health care outcomes for people and communities in every corner of our state,” Morehead said.

Construction is continuing on UGA’s $100 million medical education and research building, which is expected to be finished in December.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Georgia

Man accused of raping University of Georgia student, police say

Published

2 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Man accused of raping University of Georgia student, police say

ATHENS, Ga. – A 19-year-old is facing assault-related charges after police said he raped a University of Georgia student early Saturday morning while she was walking home.

What we know:

Tydarius Wingfield of Athens allegedly approached the student in the area of 400 North Thomas Street just before 1:40 a.m. and asked to walk her home.

Wingfield and the victim did not know each other.

Wingfield then forced the woman behind a building where he sexually assaulted her, police said.

Investigators used the Real Time Crime Center’s camera system to see where the assault happened and track the victim and Wingfield’s movements. Officers continued tracking Wingfield until his arrest and positively identified him using the RTCC technology.

He is charged with rape, kidnapping, aggravated sexual battery and battery.

An investigation is ongoing.

What we don’t know:

It is unclear whether the victim was taken to the hospital after being attacked.

What you can do:

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Detective Burgamy at Charles.Burgamy@accgov.com or 762-400-7173.

The Source: Information in this report comes from the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.

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Georgia

Georgia’s Iranian community reacts to death of Ayatollah Khamenei

Published

14 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Georgia’s Iranian community reacts to death of Ayatollah Khamenei

ATLANTA – As conflict intensifies between the United States, Israel and Iran, reactions are pouring in across the Atlanta metro area after President Donald Trump confirmed the death of Iran’s supreme leader.

The president confirmed on Truth Social that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a joint strike led by the U.S. and Israel.

What they’re saying:

“I have been waiting to hear this news for the last 20 years,” said Dr. Sasan Tavassoli, an Atlanta-based pastor born in Iran.

“Ayatollah Khamenei has been responsible for the killing of tens of thousands of Iranians over the last three decades. He has been a very evil dictator and a very oppressive tyrant.”

Other local Iranians, like Shohreh Mir, expressed a long-standing desire for internal change rather than outside intervention.

“This was an imposed war,” Mir said. “We still very much would like for Iranian people to change the regime by themselves.”

What’s next:

Tavassoli said the Ayatollah’s death now creates a new issue.

“Ayatollah Khamenei never invested in raising a succession after himself,” he said, “so the crisis of the Iranian revolution and the Iranian regime is there is no legitimate successor.”

While the long-term duration of the conflict remains unknown, Iran has already begun launching retaliatory strikes following the attack.

“This is a huge development for day one, but the war is not over,” Tavassoli noted. “There are still many ways that things can become even more bloody and destructive in the coming days and weeks.”

The Source: Information in this article came from FOX 5’s Rey Llerena speaking with Iranian Americans across Georgia.

IranDonald J. TrumpNewsPolitics

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Georgia

Body found near Georgia Power dam on Radium Springs Road in Albany

Published

1 day ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Body found near Georgia Power dam on Radium Springs Road in Albany

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) – A person was found dead in the 5200 block of Radium Springs Road on Saturday morning, according to Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler.

Body recovered in early morning water rescue call(WALB NEWS 10)

Fowler said the call came in as a water rescue. The body was recovered early Saturday, Feb. 28.

The coroner confirmed the person found was male. His identity and age remain unknown.

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