AI/ML in the News - Highlights 18 Jul 2025

This week we identified 129 articles about AI/ML that are worth considering. We selected just the most interesting and relevant for you. The articles highlight significant developments in AI capabilities, particularly in coding assistance and autonomous agents, while also revealing concerns about AI’s impact on productivity, mental health, and critical thinking skills. University educators, administrators and students should note the growing integration of AI in higher education and its potential effects on learning, job prospects, and societal norms.

There are stark contrasts in the reported effectiveness of AI tools. While some articles suggest AI coding assistants may decrease productivity (Chandonnet 2025), others highlight the potential of AI agents to automate complex tasks (Lin 2025). Additionally, views on AI’s impact on mental health vary, with some sources warning of dangers (Edwards 2025) while others note potential benefits (Eccles 2025).

A. Developments in AI/ML models

• Lin (2025) reports that OpenAI has unveiled a new ChatGPT agent capable of creating spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations, combining features of their previous ‘Operator’ and deep research agents. This development is relevant as it demonstrates the expanding capabilities of AI in automating complex office tasks, potentially impacting how businesses operate and how students prepare for the workforce.
• Mann (2025) discusses two AI agent protocols, Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Google’s Agent-to-Agent (A2A) protocol, explaining their differences and potential applications. This article is significant as it sheds light on the technical infrastructure being developed to enable more sophisticated AI interactions, which could shape future AI applications in various industries.

B. Applications of AI/ML for consumers and businesses

• Chandonnet (2025) reports on a study suggesting that AI coding tools may decrease productivity for experienced software engineers by 19%, contrary to expectations. This finding is crucial for understanding the real-world impact of AI tools on professional productivity, challenging assumptions about AI’s benefits in the workplace.
• Claburn (2025) elaborates on the same study, noting that developers using AI tools believed they were 20% faster despite actually being slower. This perception gap is important to consider when evaluating the effectiveness of AI tools in educational and professional settings.
• Criddle and Jack (2025) explores the growing use of AI in higher education, discussing both potential benefits and risks, including concerns about the erosion of critical thinking skills. This comprehensive overview is highly relevant for understanding how AI is reshaping the educational landscape and the challenges it presents for educators and students.

C. Social, Ethical and Regulatory Issues

• Edwards (2025) presents findings from a Stanford study showing that AI therapy bots can fuel delusions and give dangerous advice, raising concerns about their use in mental health support. This article is crucial for understanding the potential risks of AI in sensitive applications like mental health care, which could impact student support services in universities.
• Eccles (2025) discusses how teenagers are increasingly using AI chatbots for companionship and emotional support, highlighting both potential benefits and risks. This trend is important for educators and administrators to consider as it may affect students’ social development and mental health.
• Economist (2025) examines whether AI use might lead to decreased cognitive abilities, citing studies that show reduced brain activity and critical thinking skills in AI users. This research is vital for educators to consider when integrating AI tools into curriculum and assessing their long-term impact on learning.
• Bloom (2025) provides a nuanced perspective on AI companionship, discussing both its potential to alleviate loneliness and its risks to social skills and personal growth. This article offers important insights for educators and administrators considering the broader implications of AI integration in students’ lives.
• Robinson (2025) reports that major US corporations are increasingly listing AI as a risk factor in their SEC filings, despite public optimism about its potential. This shift in corporate perspective is relevant for understanding how AI might impact future job markets and business practices, which could influence curriculum development and career counseling in universities.

The articles present a complex picture of AI’s rapid advancement and integration into various aspects of life, from education and business to mental health and social interaction. While AI shows promise in automating tasks and providing support, there are significant concerns about its impact on human cognition, productivity, and social skills. For marketing educators, these developments underscore the need to adapt curricula to include AI literacy while also emphasizing critical thinking, ethical considerations, and the uniquely human skills that will remain valuable in an AI-augmented world.

1. The rapid development of AI capabilities, such as OpenAI’s new agent that can create spreadsheets and presentations (Lin 2025), suggests that marketing educators need to stay abreast of these advancements and consider how they might impact both the content of marketing courses and the skills students will need in their future careers. The emergence of new AI agent protocols (Mann 2025) also indicates a need for educators to understand and potentially incorporate these technical developments into their curriculum.

2. The conflicting reports on AI’s impact on productivity, particularly in coding (Chandonnet 2025; Claburn 2025), highlight the importance of critical evaluation of AI tools. Marketing educators should encourage students to critically assess the actual benefits and limitations of AI tools in marketing practices, rather than assuming their effectiveness based on hype or perception.

3. The potential negative impacts of AI on critical thinking skills and cognitive abilities (Economist 2025), as well as its complex effects on mental health and social development (Edwards 2025; Eccles 2025; Bloom 2025), present significant challenges for society. Marketing educators should consider incorporating discussions on the ethical implications of AI in marketing, including its potential effects on consumer behavior, privacy, and societal well-being. Additionally, they should prepare students to navigate a world where AI is increasingly prevalent in both personal and professional contexts, emphasizing the importance of maintaining human skills alongside AI literacy.

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