Learners Live

Did you Know?
Menu

3M, Microsoft Partner to Advance AI Data Center Infrastructure

William Attardi on July 17, 2026

3M and Microsoft announced a strategic partnership focused on AI data center infrastructure and enterprise transformation. Microsoft’s Azure Cloud and AI Infrastructure will become the first announced hyperscale cloud provider to deploy 3M’s Expanded Beam Optical (EBO) technology. 3M will also use Microsoft’s AI and digital platforms as part of its enterprise transformation across key business functions. Together, the companies will combine Microsoft’s digital and hyperscale infrastructure with 3M’s materials science and precision manufacturing to accelerate AI adoption and strengthen the physical networks required for the growth of cloud and AI workloads. 3M, Microsoft Partner to Advance AI Data Center Infrastructure

Jensen Huang Says AI Will Reshape Work Like the Industrial Revolution and the US ‘Should Absolutely Lead’

William Attardi on June 21, 2026

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang thinks artificial intelligence will transform the workforce much like the Industrial Revolution did, creating new jobs and reshaping how Americans work. Speaking Thursday on “The Will Cain Show,” Huang urged young people to embrace AI rather than fear it, arguing that the technology will become a tool that enhances workers’ abilities across nearly every field. The Nvidia co-founder said the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure is already fueling demand for skilled labor, including electricians, welders and construction workers, as companies build chip manufacturing facilities, computer plants and data centers across the country. “AI is going to last a long time, and there’s no end,” he said. .Jensen Huang says AI will reshape work like the Industrial Revolution and the US ‘should absolutely lead’

President Signs AI Executive Order

William Attardi on June 19, 2026

President Trump signed an executive order on June 2 establishing a voluntary federal framework to address cybersecurity risks posed by advanced artificial intelligence systems. The final order asks developers of the most advanced AI models to voluntarily submit their systems for government review 30 days before public release, down from a previously proposed 90-day review period. The goal is to give federal agencies time to assess potential threats to financial systems, critical infrastructure, and national security networks. As AI-driven technologies are adopted across the economy, cybersecurity requirements throughout the electrical supply chain are likely to expand. The order signals growing federal attention to AI-related cyber risks, which could lead to new security expectations for distributors supporting energy infrastructure, industrial automation, smart buildings, data centers, and grid modernization projects. Washington Wire: Trade, Energy, Labor, and AI Policy Updates – tEDmag

BriteSwitch: Commercial Lighting Rebates Are Still Widely Available

William Attardi on June 18, 2026

As energy demand continues to rise, driven in part by new data centers built to support the growth of artificial intelligence, both homes and businesses are feeling the pressure of higher utility bills. For commercial customers, those increases are bringing renewed attention to energy-saving projects. One of the most familiar options, lighting upgrades, is once again becoming a way for businesses to help offset rising operating costs. Support for commercial lighting rebates remains strong and help make an even stronger case for lighting upgrades. Currently, 75% of the U.S.has access to an active commercial lighting rebate program. Rising Electric Rates Make Lighting Upgrades Worth Another Look

Successfully Incorporating AI Into Building by Gretchen Catlin

William Attardi on June 4, 2026

Operations Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging as one of the most practical tools: not as a replacement for skilled staff, but as a workforce multiplier that captures knowledge, sharpens decisions and extends the capacity of the teams we have. Key Takeaways:

  • With a large portion of the facilities workforce nearing retirement, AI can help preserve critical institutional knowledge before it is lost.
  • AI can improve facility operations by supporting predictive maintenance, analyzing data and streamlining everyday tasks such as communications, documentation and capital planning.
  • Organizations can successfully adopt AI by starting with small, practical applications while addressing cybersecurity, cost and workforce training considerations.

Successfully Incorporating AI Into Building Operations – Facilities Management Insights

A.I. Doesn’t Have to Mean Layoffs by Patricia Cohen

William Attardi on June 3, 2026

A French multinational, Schneider Electric, decided to use artificial intelligence in manufacturing to make workers more productive, rather than to replace them. Here’s how that’s going. For many chief executives, success in adopting artificial intelligence is measured by the number of jobs they can eliminate. But such views reflect “a very narrow understanding” of A.I.’s potential, said Erik Brynjolfsson, who directs the Digital Economy Lab  at Stanford University. It’s a message that Schneider Electric, a global energy technology company based in France, has taken to heart. Before the company started using A.I., customer service agents received thousands of questions from callers and engaged in a grand hunt through millions of pages of information to track down the answer. Now A.I. does the hunting and details how the information was selected and the source. The agent then reviews and if necessary, modifies and refines the answer with the caller. In the last three months of 2025, call centers fielded 150,000 questions. Three-quarters of the time, A.I. was able to provide the right answer to straightforward questions. I. Doesn’t Have to Mean Layoffs – The New York Times

AI Is Enabling the Next Generation of Distributor Workflows by Michael Delgado

William Attardi on June 1, 2026

Customer expectations have never been greater, and distributors must respond to growing volumes of requests quickly and accurately, often across fragmented inputs and constantly changing information. Highly manual workflows can’t keep up with this new reality. AI represents a practical solution. Not as a bolt-on tool, but as a way to change how work gets done — handling the translation between how requests come in and how orders need to be processed. That shift removes the bottleneck at the center of quoting and order entry, allowing teams to respond faster, reduce errors and operate more consistently despite the rising pressure. AI has moved from a competitive advantage to a baseline requirement to keep pace. Distributors that embed it into their core workflows will operate more efficiently, compete more effectively for customers and build an operation that holds up as the industry continues to evolve. Those that don’t will find themselves poorly positioned to keep up with a world that isn’t slowing down. NAED Selects IDEA & Pull Logic for ProjectNexus E-Commerce Initiative | Electrical Wholesaling

Introducing the NVIDIA RTX Spark™ Superchip

William Attardi on June 1, 2026

Your PC Just Went from Tool to Teammate. The fusion of NVIDIA AI and RTX graphics in a single chip redefines Windows PCs and delivers amazing creating, AI development, and gaming—on the slimmest, most beautiful RTX laptops ever and small, ultra-efficient desktops.  Welcome to the PC where agents work alongside you—running tasks, generating assets, writing code, on demand. You set the objective. The machine handles the rest. There’s intelligence on both sides of the keyboard now. RTX brings you exclusive features and the latest advancements in AI, simulation, and ray tracing. Experience incredible 3D performance, smoother video editing, photorealistic simulations, and stunning visuals in the apps, AI tools, and games that pros, creators, and gamers use every day. https://www.nvidia.com/en-eu/products/rtx-spark/ 

AI Is Enabling the Next Generation of Distributor Workflows by Michael Delgado

William Attardi on May 26, 2026

Workflows at distributors have been more or less the same for decades. Quoting, order entry, PO tracking and invoicing still rely on emails, spreadsheets and ERPs with manual effort expected to close the gap. That model worked when volumes were lower and expectations were more forgiving, but the world is changing.AI does not just speed up existing processes, it changes where the work starts. Instead of manually decoding customer requests from zero, teams can rely on AI to interpret imprecise inputs and return accurate product matches. Translating requests into usable data becomes a background process that happens before a request ever reaches a sales rep. AI also has a level of adaptability that traditional software lacks. It learns over time, picking up on customer preferences and surfacing relevant SKUs and frequently ordered items preemptively. The result is a faster, more accurate quoting process, and reps who are free to spend time with customers instead of spreadsheets. AI has moved from a competitive advantage to a baseline requirement to keep pace. AI Is Enabling the Next Generation of Distributor Workflows | Electrical Wholesaling

NextEra, Dominion Merger Creates World’s Largest Utility

William Attardi on May 18, 2026

NextEra Energy will buy Dominion Energy in an all-stock deal valued at nearly $67 billion, uniting two leading players in the race to meet growing electricity demand from data centers that run artificial intelligence. NextEra Energy (NEE) to buy Dominion Energy (D)  The combination will create the world’s largest regulated electric utility business, fortified by North America’s premier energy infrastructure platform and developer. The combined company will be more than 80% regulated, serve approximately 10 million utility customer accounts across Florida, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina and own 110 gigawatts (GW) of generation across a broad mix of energy sources. The combined company will drive affordability in the long term by leveraging scale and operating and capital efficiencies as the company makes smart investments on behalf of its customers to meet growing power demand. Additionally, the combined company is proposing $2.25 billion in bill credits for Dominion Energy’s customers in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina spread over two years post-close.  Business News Today – tEDmag

Remembering the Solemn Purpose of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the last Monday in May to honor and mourn U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. The holiday traces its roots to the years immediately following the American Civil War (1861–1865), which caused massive casualties—roughly 620,000 soldiers dead, about 2% of the U.S. population at the time. Communities across the North and South began spontaneously decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers, wreaths, and flags, a practice that gave rise to the original name: Decoration Day. On May 5, 1868, Major General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)—a powerful Union veterans’ organization—issued General Order No. 11. This proclaimed May 30, 1868, as a nationwide “Decoration Day” to honor those who died in the Civil War. After World War I, the holiday expanded to honor all American service members who died in any war, not just the Civil War.  In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to create more three-day weekends for federal employees. This moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May, effective in 1971, when it was also officially named “Memorial Day.” As one 1868 quote put it: “That Nation which respects and honors its dead, shall ever be respected and honored itself.”