This Month's Latest Tech News in Billings, MT - Wednesday April 30th 2025 Edition

Billings sits at a pivotal intersection as artificial intelligence transforms its local economy and tech landscape, blending tradition with innovation. The Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) describes AI as a possible "second industrial revolution," with seminars across Montana - Billings included - helping business leaders harness these changes through improved staff recruitment, productivity, and operational automation (AI could change Montana's economy).

According to JPMorgan Chase's 2025 Business Leaders Outlook Survey, 80% of small business leaders are now using or planning to implement AI, primarily for customer service, data analysis, and operational tasks (emerging technologies for business growth).

As AI streamlines repetitive work, local companies can compete more effectively and find new avenues for growth (AI automation in Billings small businesses).

As BBER's Patrick Barkey notes in a recent seminar,

“AI could change enough about our economy that some people are starting to call it the second industrial revolution.”

This fusion of AI progress and Montana's innovative spirit is poised to shape Billings' economic trajectory for years to come.

Montana photographers are sounding the alarm as AI-generated images, now nearly indistinguishable from true photographs, flood social media and blur the line between artistry and algorithm.

Local landscape photographer Steve Leitner notes that even experienced eyes are challenged to spot the difference, with AI images often gaining disproportionate engagement in Montana-themed Facebook groups and threatening the livelihoods and visibility of authentic creators.

As Leitner puts it,

“AI hasn't figured out how to add feeling to an image yet. When you go out and take a photo, you can catch the feeling just by being there. AI will never be able to replicate the feeling, I hope anyway.”

This sentiment matches broader concerns among photographers nationwide, as documented in AI's Impact on Photography and How to Adapt, where oversaturation and ethical issues around style replication and copyright take center stage.

Efforts to protect authenticity - like durable watermarks, cross-industry authentication standards, and visual education campaigns - are already emerging, highlighted in research from Stanford's Knight Fellowship on the erosion of trust in photojournalism.

Legislation and technical solutions such as C2PA-compliant cameras and content credentials are gaining traction, but challenges remain in public education, cost, and social media policies.

For a deeper dive into how AI is forcing photographers to embrace both adaptation and activism, see the full story, “AI or Real? Montana Photographer Warns of Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Photography Industry,” and an exploration of the path toward restoring trust in images in “Seeing is no longer believing: Artificial Intelligence's impact on photojournalism.”

Meta has launched its first dedicated AI app, powered by the advanced Llama 4 model, signaling a major leap in social and personalized digital interaction. The new Meta AI app uses Llama 4 to offer context-aware conversation, voice-first multitasking, and personalized assistance by learning from user preferences and Meta profiles across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Landmark features include the Discover feed - a platform for sharing and remixing AI-driven prompts and content - plus seamless integration with Ray-Ban Meta glasses for hands-free, cross-device continuity.

The app's core differentiator is its multimodal capability, leveraging Llama 4's state-of-the-art mixture-of-experts architecture for text, voice, and image generation, and robust personalization, with privacy controls and opt-in data sharing.

Initial rollout covers the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and as of January 2025, Meta AI boasts around 700 million monthly active users. Meta unveiled its app at the first-ever LlamaCon developer event, emphasizing its commitment to open-source innovation and AI security for both users and developers, supported by new tools like Llama API and enhanced safety features.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg remarked, “2025 is going to be the year when a highly intelligent and personalized AI assistant reaches more than 1 billion people, and I expect Meta AI to be that leading AI assistant.”

This development positions Meta directly against offerings like ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, with vast consumer reach and fast-growing market traction (Meta AI app takes on ChatGPT in AI assistant race).

For developers, LlamaCon brought one-click API access, playgrounds to experiment with Llama 4's models, and industry-standard open-source integrations (Meta's LlamaCon: Llama API and open innovation lead rollout).

Montana's retail scene is undergoing a transformation as AI-powered loyalty and engagement programs revolutionize the way convenience stores connect with customers.

Companies like Liquid Barcodes are leading this shift, recently bringing their highly successful European Foodservice Frequency Booster Program to the U.S. market, introducing features like prepaid bundles, gamified challenges, and 1:1 personalized mobile offers that drive increased purchase frequency and deeper engagement.

This AI-driven approach is reshaping loyalty programs from traditional punch cards to dynamic, app-based experiences - complete with daily challenges, time-sensitive incentives, and real-time analytics for retailers.

As highlighted in Retail Tech Innovation Hub's analysis, the next wave of retail loyalty centers around forging emotional bonds and community with customers, leveraging agentic AI to autonomously personalize content and rewards at scale.

This innovation is not just theoretical; over 63% of U.S. retailers see AI as critical for competitive advantage, with expected ROI from AI deployments averaging 51% within three years, according to CSP Daily News.

The result for Montana shoppers is more relevant rewards, engaging experiences, and a sense of belonging with their favorite brands - a retail revolution where attention, personalization, and technology converge for long-term loyalty and business growth.

Alphabet's commitment to AI is paying substantial dividends, as its Q1 2025 earnings reveal: revenue hit $90.2 billion - a 12% year-over-year increase - coupled with a 46% surge in net income to $34.54 billion, fueled by robust gains in both advertising and Google Cloud.

The company's aggressive $75 billion annual capital expenditure, largely devoted to AI infrastructure - such as launching the seventh-generation Ironwood TPU and scaling data center power and cooling with initiatives like Project Deschutes - has positioned Alphabet at the forefront of enterprise AI solutions.

According to CEO Sundar Pichai,

“Our differentiated, full stack approach to AI continues to be central to our growth. Gemini 2.5, our most intelligent model yet, is providing an extraordinary foundation for our future innovation.”

AI Overviews now serve 1.5 billion users monthly while cloud revenues rose 28% to $12.3 billion, even as hardware investments outpace customer demand.

The company is also set to bolster its cloud security offering with the $32 billion Wiz acquisition. For a closer look at Alphabet's financial momentum and AI strategy, see the full analysis by The Futurum Group, and review key performance metrics in the table below.

Additional deep dives are available on CNBC's earnings report for Alphabet Q1 2025 and Cyber News Centre's feature on Alphabet's AI-driven gains.

Metric	Q1 2025 Result	Year-over-Year Growth
Total Revenue	$90.2B	+12%
Net Income	$34.54B	+46%
Google Cloud Revenue	$12.3B	+28%
Advertising Revenue	$66.9B	+8.5%
Operating Margin	33.9%	+229 bps

China's race for AI chip independence has reached a pivotal moment, as President Xi Jinping makes artificial intelligence a linchpin of the nation's economic and security policies.

On a recent visit to Shanghai, Xi highlighted the city's role as an innovation powerhouse and set the tone for China's ambitious AI roadmap, including a 55 billion dollar AI industrial cluster planned by 2025.

At the heart of this tech offensive is a pledge of approximately ¥2 trillion (about $275 billion USD) over the next five years, targeting breakthroughs in advanced chip technologies, foundational software, and talent development.

Despite persistent U.S. export controls and tariff battles - with U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods reaching up to 145% - Chinese firms like Huawei are increasingly competitive, leveraging domestic chip design and software ecosystems to challenge American leadership in AI. Xi's strategy aims to close gaps in “core technologies,” intensify patent generation, and achieve full-stack autonomy in AI by 2030 (see table below).

As AI now accounts for 20% annual industry growth and 36% of global large language models produced in China, questions remain about data privacy and regulatory risks.

In Xi's words,

“We must recognize the gaps and redouble our efforts to comprehensively advance technological innovation, industrial development, and AI-empowered applications.”

This bold vision not only reflects China's determination to reduce reliance on the West but also signals a coming divergence in the global digital landscape.

For a deeper dive into Xi's comprehensive AI blueprint and its geopolitical ramifications, visit Xi Jinping's Push for AI Self-Sufficiency: What It Means for Global Technology.

Metric	China (2024–2025)
Investment in AI/Chips	$275 billion (2025–2030)
AI Industry Value	$96 billion/year
Market Share in Global AI LLMs	36%
Global AI Patents Held	60%

This month, Google's long-reigning dominance in online search and advertising is facing an unprecedented challenge as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) moves to curb its monopoly.

Following rulings that declared Google guilty of antitrust violations, court proceedings have shifted their focus to remedies that could reshape the digital marketplace - including a potential forced sale of the Chrome browser, which acts as a vital gateway to Google Search for its vast global user base.

The DOJ argues that Google's web of exclusive agreements and integration of artificial intelligence, such as its Gemini chatbot, threatens to extend its monopoly into the next technological frontier, creating a cycle where "control over search enhances its AI products, which brings users back to Google search" and stifles competitors.

As NPR notes, DOJ attorneys suggest Google license its troves of search data and halt exclusive distribution deals with device makers to foster genuine competition in both search and AI sectors.

Meanwhile, Google's legal team claims such measures are extreme and that robust competition from ChatGPT, MetaAI, and Perplexity proves a healthy AI landscape remains; recent data highlights that ChatGPT boasts 160 million daily users to Gemini's 35 million.

The proceedings - closely watched and likely to spark a landmark appeal - mirror the magnitude of antitrust showdowns seen in the Microsoft and Standard Oil eras.

For a deeper look into the historic DOJ case and its possible remedies, see the Department of Justice's statement on its landmark antitrust victory, read NPR's detailed coverage on how the Google antitrust trial now centers on AI dominance, and explore The New York Times' reporting on the far-reaching stakes for AI competition in the digital age.

Product	Daily Active Users (March 2025)	Monthly Active Users (March 2025)
ChatGPT	160 million	~600 million
Gemini	35 million	350 million

“We are not here for a Pyrrhic victory. This is the time for the court to tell Google and all other monopolists who are out there listening, and they are listening, that there are consequences when you break the antitrust laws.” - David Dahlquist, DOJ lawyer

Meta has launched a pivotal policy in the European Union, announcing that - starting May 27, 2025 - it will use public posts, comments, and AI interactions from adult users across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads to train its AI models, seeking to make these systems more attuned to European cultures, languages, and local nuances.

Private messages, data from users under 18, and WhatsApp communications remain excluded from this data collection. As a privacy safeguard, all EU users will receive in-app and email notifications outlining these changes and featuring a direct opt-out link, which Meta promises to honor at any time and from all users, following regulatory approval by the European Data Protection Board full announcement.

This move aligns Meta with tech peers like Google and OpenAI, but advocacy groups and regulators such as the Dutch privacy watchdog caution users about potential loss of data control, prompting concerns over the transparency and simplicity of the opt-out process.

As Monique Verdier, Vice-Chair of the Dutch regulator, warns:

The risk is that as a user you lose control over your personal data. Data you posted on Instagram or Facebook may be used in AI models without knowing what happens.

Meta plans significant infrastructure investments of $60–65 billion in 2025 to power this initiative, underscoring the industry's reliance on vast, region-specific datasets detailed breakdown.

EU users must act before the deadline, as data already used in AI training cannot be retroactively removed. For a complete overview and user guidance, including opt-out procedures and the regulatory debate, see the independent expert summary.

Krispy Krunchy Chicken, one of America's fastest-growing hot food brands, has ignited Billings' tech-driven food scene with its recent debut in Montana at the T&C Market Basket convenience store.

This Louisiana-founded franchise, now operating in over 3,200 locations nationwide and more than 600 new openings in 2024 alone, strategically leverages partnerships with convenience stores and digital delivery platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats to expand its reach and adapt to evolving consumer preferences.

With an emphasis on profitability, cohesive brand strategy, and operator-focused innovation, Krispy Krunchy Chicken's expansion marks the completion of its presence across all 48 contiguous states - adding Montana's Treasure State to its growing empire.

Store managers cite “overwhelmingly positive” community response and exceptional training support, while CEO Jim Norberg underscores,

“Our sights keep getting bigger, and our loyal customers and dedicated operators are truly leading the way for our incredible growth. It's a thrill to bring our premium offerings to more communities and share what makes our chicken highly sought after across the country.”

The menu highlights include hand-breaded Cajun-spiced chicken, honey biscuits, and limited-time value offerings designed to combine quality with affordability.

This regional debut mirrors broader national trends as quick-service restaurants invest in technology, digital ordering, and automation to enhance customer experience and streamline restaurant operations - a movement noted in industry analysis showing that 42% of restaurant operators identify AI and automation as major drivers of change in 2025.

For a deeper look at Krispy Krunchy Chicken's Montana launch, visit CSP Daily News coverage on Krispy Krunchy Chicken's Montana debut; explore their nationwide expansion at Krispy Krunchy Chicken's official Montana launch news; and review fast-food technology trends at PYMNTS' QSR industry technology insights for 2025.

March Networks' generative AI-powered Smart Search is now commercially available, marking a notable shift in how local retailers in Billings and beyond manage security and operations.

Announced at ISC West 2025, AI Smart Search harnesses natural language processing and large language model (LLM) technology, enabling users to quickly pinpoint specific events, objects, or individuals from vast networks of surveillance cameras using both voice and text commands.

This innovative solution, featured at industry events and in the company's March 2025 tech update, boasts practical features such as photo uploads for image-based search, advanced filtering by location and time, and the ability to save favorite searches for faster investigations.

Organizations benefit from operational oversight, safety compliance, and liability reduction without the need to sift through hours of video footage, making the technology especially attractive to retail, banking, and enterprise users.

As CEO Peter Strom highlights,

“With these latest feature enhancements, AI Smart Search is redefining how businesses and security teams interact with video data... [they] can search for anything – they are likely to find issues they never knew they had and fix them.”

Businesses deploying March Networks' solutions join a global network of over 1,000 financial institutions, 300 retailers, and 800 commercial brands in more than 70 countries, as described in their official press release on ISC West 2025.

For a deeper look at the cloud and AI integration powering these insights, visit the product details on March Networks' AI Smart Search and LPR announcement.

Qsic, a leading AI-powered in-store audio platform, has secured $25 million in Series B funding, led by Hedosophia, to accelerate the rollout of its advanced audio solutions in retail environments from global giants to local stores.

The platform, which already reaches over 100 million point-of-purchase shoppers each month and partners with industry leaders such as 7-Eleven, Coles Express, and McDonald's, leverages its proprietary generative AI model, Lucy, to deliver dynamic, localized audio ads based on real-time data like pricing, inventory, and even weather conditions.

Notably, Qsic is powering the rapid expansion of Gulp Radio - set to reach 12,000 stores by the end of 2025 - making it one of North America's largest commercial radio networks.

The company reports that retailers using its tech have seen average sales lifts of up to 14%. As CEO Matt Elsley explains,

"Retailers that have deployed our tech are seeing sales lifts average up to 14%, and we've barely scratched the surface with our technology capabilities. The demand for our solution is strong. Now, we're positioned to accelerate product development to enhance our tech capabilities and put new resources in place to grow our network to drive even greater, measurable outcomes for our retail partners and brands globally."

The table below highlights Qsic's impact in the retail audio market:

Metric	Details
Funding Raised	$25 million (Series B, January 2025)
Monthly Shopper Reach	100+ million
2025 Speaker Deployment Goal	70,000+ across North America
Sales Lift Reported	Up to 14% average
Main Clients	7-Eleven, Coles Express, McDonald's

For further insights into Qsic's strategy and funding, see the Shoptalk 2025 reveal of their AI-powered innovations, learn more from the RetailTech Innovation Hub's coverage of the investment and client success stories, and explore Adweek's perspective on how Qsic tracks music's impact on in-store sales.

As Billings enters a new era shaped by artificial intelligence, the city finds itself at the intersection of tradition and technological innovation. Recent state legislation, such as Montana's SB 212 “Right to Compute Act”, signals a unique, libertarian approach, guaranteeing open access to AI-related hardware, software, and networks, while simultaneously requiring risk policies for AI systems controlling critical infrastructure.

Economic experts from the Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research now liken AI's impact to a “second industrial revolution,” emphasizing the technology's transformative power across sectors from tourism to healthcare and the growing necessity for upskilling Montana's workforce.

As BBER's Patrick Barkey notes,

“AI could change enough about our economy that some people are starting to call it the second industrial revolution… it could be a game changer.”

Reflecting national trends, Congress and regulatory agencies have also prioritized workforce skills, legislative guardrails like deepfake regulation, and federal resources for AI research and education - efforts that converge with local initiatives such as the upcoming nine-city “Montana's AI Future” seminar tour.

For Billings residents seeking to join this new wave, affordable training options like Nucamp's Full Stack Web + Mobile Development bootcamp and Cybersecurity Fundamentals bootcamp offer practical pathways into AI-adjacent roles.

The combined focus on regulatory balance, upskilling, and local growth positions Billings as a place where tradition and technology can co-exist and thrive - an opportunity highlighted in recent analysis by the Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

Key Initiative	Description
SB 212 “Right to Compute Act”	Legally ensures access to AI development resources and risk management for critical systems
Montana's AI Future Seminar	Statewide, business-focused events for AI adoption and workforce strategies
Nucamp Bootcamps	Affordable coding and cybersecurity education to fuel tech careers in the AI era