Learners Live

What to Know About AI Agents and Their Impact on Lighting by David Shiller

AI agents differ significantly from traditional AI systems in terms of functionality. AI agents possess higher autonomy, making independent decisions without constant human oversight. AI agents are poised to reshape the lighting industry, bringing next levels of intelligence, efficiency, and personalization to lighting systems. Here’s how AI agents will transform various aspects of the lighting industry:

    1. Intelligent Lighting Control
    2. Personalized Lighting Experiences
    3. Automated Commissioning and Maintenance
    4. Energy Optimization
    5. Enhanced Design and Planning
    6. Integration with Smart Building Systems
    7. Market Growth and Innovation

More information is available hereWhat To Know About AI Agents And Their Impact On Lighting | LightNOW

AI in Education: Process Over Product by Thomas G. Farrell, M.B.A., Ed.D.

Don’t let AI steal the learning process.  The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education should be about prioritizing the learning PROCESS over the end product or rote knowledge acquisition.  AI is transforming industries worldwide, and education is no exception.  From personalized learning to data-driven insights, AI offers tools to enhance learning experiences.  However, unlike the private sector, where outcomes and products often drive innovation, education emphasizes the learning process itself—an essential distinction.  I would argue that true learning involves exploration and mistake-making—essential components of the process-oriented nature of education (Zhao, 2020).  AI in schools should support this ethos by encouraging inquiry-based learning and providing formative feedback, rather than just rewarding final products.

What is AI?  AI is software that can perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence.  Ideally, it is a tool/assistant that allows the world’s information (knowledge) and makes it universally accessible.  AI Chatbots are based on a data set [LLM – Large Language Models] and it trains itself on that data set; constantly looking for patterns and connections.  This, in turn allows it to make predictions, while learning and improving with practice.  Tasks include understanding and processing language, recognizing patterns, making decisions, and solving problems.  AI has actually been around for a while; spell check, “Turnitin.com”, “Grammarly”, “Siri”, “Alexa”, etc.

How will AI affect productivity (The Brookings Institute)  [What else can AI do?]

AI will not hinder the education process, nor is it a zero-sum game.  AI’s potential is limitless and we need to adapt to it.  How does AI impact how we prepare students for their future?  AI tools like adaptive learning platforms, automated assessment systems, and virtual tutors are reshaping traditional learning environments.  Applications such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Gamma, NotebookLM, or Khan Academy’s AI-driven tutors help personalize instruction by identifying individual student needs and tailoring content accordingly.  These tools empower teachers by automating administrative tasks, enabling them to focus on deeper, student-centered instruction.

In Brick Schools, we utilize AI as a tool for delivery of instruction that promotes our District’s vision and mission.  Our District Vision is “Student-Centered, Teacher-Led, Community-Connected”.  Our hope is that we, as an organization, can make all decisions that are “student centered”, implement those decisions through our faculty with fidelity, and connect / communicate those decisions with our community – we will be successful.  Student-Centered instruction implies that differentiation and personalized learning is a priority and AI can support teaching in helping create dynamic lessons tailored to students’ individual needs.  By automating routine administrative tasks, teachers are afforded with more time to build stronger relationships with their students and focus on increased student engagement.  Community-Connected education can utilize AI to promote digital citizenship and support project-based/service-learning initiatives, as well as strengthen home-school connections through more efficient communication (i.e., multilingual support, etc.).  Organizational policies can ensure the ethical and legal use of AI, and policymakers must remain vigilant about the ethical use of AI,

True learning has always been a process.  While AI in the private sector often prioritizes measurable outcomes, such as increased efficiency or revenue, or profit maximization; education values the learning journey.  The emphasis in education is on fostering critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and resilience—skills that are not easily quantified.  For instance, in teaching and learning, a student’s ability to reflect on their thought process when solving a problem or iteratively improve a project is as crucial as arriving at the correct answer.  AI’s role in education is not to mimic the private sector’s focus on products and outcomes but to enrich the journey of learning.  By leveraging AI tools to support the learning process, educators can nurture students’ growth, adaptability, and curiosity—skills essential for thriving in a rapidly changing world.

What skills are relevant?  Businesses’ top 10 skill priorities for 2027 (World Economic Forum).

The private sector can benefit from AI as a superior marketing research tool, information gathering, data synthesizing, and much more.  Before AI, you had to have the data existing, mine the data, and create a database, in order to synthesize the information.  Now with AI, the entire Internet is your data and AI can synthesize and correlate the information for you in an instant.  Engaging all stakeholders with constant and creative communication mechanisms will not only connect an organization but help improve the bottom line as well.  To strike a balance, AI needs to align with the goals of education and the future of industry; ensuring equitable access and preventing over-reliance on automation that might detract from the human connections.  Implementation should focus on enhancing the teaching and learning process in education, rather than replacing it with rote knowledge.  Tools that offer dynamic feedback, foster collaboration, and allow for student agency can complement educators’ efforts to cultivate lifelong learners. When used thoughtfully, AI can amplify the process-oriented goals of education, preparing students not just for jobs but for a lifetime of learning.

The learning process helps students to grow academically, socially, and emotionally.  For all the hype about AI replacing teachers, the reality is that teachers/instructors/coaches/mentors are irreplaceable.  It is a deeply human endeavor.  The great ones who can leverage this human element through authentic learning and relationship-building will ultimately prepare students for an unpredictable world forged by AI.  References provided on request

About the authorDr. Farrell is currently the Superintendent of Schools for the Brick Township Public Schools District in New Jersey.  He has served in this capacity for six years and is in his thirteenth year overall as a Superintendent.  He received his Doctorate of Education Degree in Leadership from Monmouth University.

The Critical Need for a Crisis Communication Plan for Your Business by Frank Grobmeier

What is one of the biggest mistakes any business can make? It’s believing that nothing bad will ever happen to it. As a result, leadership doesn’t prepare for the inevitable crisis. The reality is every business faces challenges that they never see coming. But taking a little time to prepare a crisis communication plan would allow them to quickly and effectively respond to their employees, customers and stakeholders with a unified message and the critical details that will protect its reputation, maintain public trust, and minimize negative impacts.

We’ve watched recent crises unfold, like the California wildfires and Hurricane Helene, which have shown us that unexpected situations can alter our day-to-day business dramatically. However, natural disasters are not the only unexpected things that can impact our business. Other crisis situations can include corporate scandals, bankruptcies, product recalls, severe weather closings, and technical failures, just to name a few.

A thorough crisis communication plan provides your employees with the knowledge and direction that guides how they appropriately respond to customers, stakeholders, and media requests.  A strong plan can help your organization maintain operational efficiency during a crisis and provide employees with clear guidelines on how to engage with first responders, contractors, and media, while minimizing damage and restoring regular operations.

The following 10 simple steps can help you develop a comprehensive crisis communication plan:

  1. Anticipate the crisis. Take your head out of the sand and begin to list out all the potential crisis situations that could put your business at risk. Today’s “anticipations” could be tomorrow’s “situations.”
  2. Assemble a crisis team. No matter how competent you are as a leader, a crisis requires multiple people to execute the plan. You should also identify backup personnel for each of those roles in anticipation of what could happen if someone on the crisis team is directly involved in the crisis.
  3. Decide on a spokesperson for the organization. This person will provide a unified message to the media, stakeholders, and if applicable, shareholders to update these key constituencies on the situation.
  4. Assign a leadership point person. This role is different from the spokesperson. This point person oversees managing the crisis situation while the spokesperson is solely responsible for informing people and speaking on behalf of the business.
  5. Create a place to centrally store the crisis communication plan. This will need to be a software / cloud storage area that can be readily accessed by the crisis management team. You will also need to develop email groups / text chains /  virtual links that the team can use to communicate with each other during a crisis situation.
  6. Protect employees. The first, critical piece of every crisis plan is to ensure the safety and security of your employees. Create an action plan that is specific to your employees and your facilities.
  7. Identify all stakeholders, other than your employees. In a crisis you will want to reach out personally to key stakeholders, such as board members, investors, vendors, and key customers. Others, such as smaller customers and prospective customers, you can alert through social media, while friends and small vendors may also be contacted via email. Rely on general media to inform industry folks and the surrounding communities. Make sure your plan identifies each type of stakeholder; the action required, for example notifying customers of warehouse closures; and the method of notification.
  8. Develop information management processes and protocols. These include how to interface with first responders, government officials, and other agencies, as well as how to protect employees, etc.
  9. Establish a company media policy and make sure employees fully understand the guidelines. In larger organizations, the Human Resources team will need to have a media policy in place not only for crises but also to guide how employees regularly represent the company in social media posts. In your crisis communication plan, your employees need to know who the spokesperson is and understand that they should not comment on the situation but direct all questions to that spokesperson.
  10. Create holding statements. While it’s not possible to create detailed statements about every potential crisis, it is possible, and even desirable, to write several crisis statement templates that can be easily and quickly reworked into specific statements and releases during the early stages of the event. Being prepared with holding statements speeds up response time during the event and increases the odds of successful communication with stakeholders—protecting the business reputation and relationships.

The whole idea of crisis planning is to mitigate risk during unexpected situations. The operative word is unexpected. So, there’s no time like the present to devote time and resources to developing a comprehensive crisis communication plan because you never know when you might need it.

The Lagging Transition to LEDs in Schools — Part 3 by Jessica Kelly, Andrea Wilkerson, Dan Blitzer

Parts 1 and 2 of this series discussed the sluggish adoption of LED technology in schools and the dim prospects for fluorescent lighting. This final part addresses the LED choices school facility personnel are considering and the new tradeoffs they face. Based on PNNL’s conversations with schools, the change to LEDs is underway. Upgrading lighting can reduce energy consumption and operating costs and refresh the look and feel of the school. Fluorescent lighting has served schools for a long time. What does maintaining an LED system look like for the next 30 or 40 years? While TLEDs seem like an easy solution today, relying on fluorescent luminaires and other components will become more challenging in the future. Compare the up front and ongoing costs for each LED option and consider developing a “standard” lighting solution that can be repeated over time, space by space, or school by school. The Lagging Transition to LEDs in Schools — Part 3 | EC&M

Where Humans Still Have the Edge on AI by Marc Zao-Sanders, CEO filtered.com

Since ChatGPT’s launch two years ago, generative AI (gen AI) has been promising to reshape how work gets done. The use cases are many and varied, and we’re still discovering what’s going to work best, for us as individuals, in teams, and as organizations. In a surprising twist, it’s the white-collar work of the office that seems to be more imminently replaceable than the blue-collar work of the field and factory. Gen AI has several attributes that we humans lack. It’s always on. It draws on a vast segment of the web. It generates output instantly. It can scale endlessly.  This new era of AI can feel intimidating for the limited, lumbering life forms that created it. We now need to look harder to see where our unique value still lies. Where Humans Still Have the Edge on AI

The Value of Dimming by Levin Nock

It’s easy to see the energy benefits of dimming: the more an LED fixture is dimmed, the less electricity it uses. In terms of future-proofing the energy savings of lighting projects, the longevity of LED products makes it paramount to strengthen requirements for dimmability and other lighting control strategies now, since LEDs installed today are expected to work for a decade or more. The latest version of the DesignLights Consortium’s (DLC) Solid-State Lighting (SSL)Technical Requirements stresses the importance of dimming as a way to increase energy savings, while allowing occupants of offices, conference rooms and other spaces to adjust light levels to their comfort or needs. All LEDs are inherently able to dim and nearly 100% of DLC-listed fixtures are dimmable. Expanded adoption is the necessary next step to capturing the benefits of dimming. The Value of Dimming | EC&M

Wireless, Digital, and IoT Lighting Systems for Modern Buildings by Colm Nee

The choice between wired and wireless lighting control systems often presents a pivotal decision point for contractors and customers alike. Each option carries its own set of advantages and challenges, impacting factors such as cost, ease of installation, maintenance requirements, scalability, security, and flexibility. Staying at the forefront of the transforming landscape of lighting technology presents a significant challenge. Yet, it’s hard to ignore the range of tangible benefits that a modern, wireless lighting system can provide to the contractors installing the systems and the building owners and occupants. This article explores the benefits of the key modern lighting technologies – wireless, digital, and Internet of Things (IoT)-based lighting systems. A Bright Idea: Wireless, Digital and IoT Lighting Systems for Modern Buildings | EC&M

Cost of Electricity Expected to Skyrocket Due to Data Center Demand by Greg Zimmerman

The explosion of artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency mining, and other computing-intensive processes have fueled a building boom for data centers. But they’ve also fueled a massive spike in energy demand, which is in turn leading to higher energy prices for many facilities across the country.  One study estimates data centers could be responsible for a 70 percent increase in the cost of electricity over the next 10 years. One hyperscale data center, as a point of reference, can use as much electricity as 40,000 homes.  Cost of Electricity Expected to Skyrocket Due to Data Center Demand – Facility Management Data Centers Quick Read

Harnessing AI to Empower Electrical Contractors by Sal Paraltore

The electrical contracting industry is no stranger to innovation. AI is set to transform the tools of the trade, enabling smarter, safer, and more efficient work. One of the core tasks for an electrician/technician is measurement — voltage, current, resistance, and beyond. Historically, these measurements have relied on the precision of the tools in hand and the expertise of the technician using them. But what happens when AI is introduced into this equation? AI, coupled with machine learning (ML), allows for the analysis of vast datasets at speeds and accuracies far beyond human capability. By recognizing patterns in data that might be invisible to the human eye, AI can enhance the precision of measurements and reveal insights that were previously unattainable. Moreover, AI can integrate data from multiple modalities to provide a more comprehensive understanding of a system’s health. Imagine a tool that not only measures but also analyzes and predicts potential issues, offering recommendations on the spot. This isn’t science fiction; it’s the future of electrical work. Harnessing AI to Empower Electrical Contractors | EC&M

The Great Reshoring: Wake Up, America, Your Factory Floor Is Calling by Alexander De Ridder

The real AI revolution isn’t happening in Silicon Valley conference rooms — it’s about to explode on America’s factory floors. This isn’t your standard automation upgrade. AI-powered manufacturing is like giving every worker a superpower. Suddenly your maintenance tech isn’t just fixing machines — it’s preventing breakdowns before they happen. Your quality control is catching defects that human eyes can’t even see. Your production planning is adjusting to market changes in real time. But here’s the best part: AI turns your biggest cost center—labor—into your greatest asset. Instead of replacing workers, AI elevates them. It handles the mind-numbing routine tasks while your people focus on what humans do best: innovating, problem-solving, and making the kind of judgment calls no algorithm can match. This approach not only creates new jobs but also transforms existing roles into hybrid positions that synergize human and AI capabilities.    The great reshoring: Wake up, America, your factory floor is calling

Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Hire – While most of us have heard the term artificial intelligence, few could predict the explosion of GenAI technologies in the public sphere over the last two years. In the work setting alone, Microsoft and LinkedIn reported that “75% of knowledge workers use AI at work” and “66% of leaders say they wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills”.                 

So how did this all happen:

1956, August: At the Dartmouth Conference, researchers discuss creating machines capable of intelligent behavior and the term “Artificial Intelligence” is introduced.

2017, June: Google researchers introduce the Transformer architecture, the foundation for generative AI (GenAI) models. (GPT = Generative Pre-trained Transformer)

2022, November: OpenAI unveils ChatGPT, a conversational GenAI model, marking a tipping point in public access and accelerated adoption.

2024 NOW: Commercialization is accelerating. Globally, the GenAI solutions market is expected to exceed $50 billion by 2028 with over 60,000 GenAI companies already doing business (Horban, 2024).  The biggest tech/communications companies are all involved in a very big way to drive and influence our lives now and in the future with their GenAI models:

  • OpenAI’s ChatGPT
  • xAI’s Grok
  • Google’s Gemini
  • Microsoft’s Copilot
  • Anthropic’s Claude
  • Apple’s Apple Intelligence
  • Meta’s Llama
  • Coming: Orion by OpenAI 

Plan for your future, because that is where you are going to spend the rest of your life. Mark Twain