This Month's Latest Tech News in Chicago, IL - Sunday August 31st 2025 Edition

Week-in-Review: Chicago's AI and tech scene at a crossroads - city institutions are juggling the promise of generative AI with hard realities: legacy systems, tight budgets, and the need for governance that actually scales.

Presidio's roundup of “4 GenAI Trends” flags a familiar playbook - shrink the AI readiness gap, scope for mission-ready tools (think campus security and student services), and pair modernization with strong ethical guardrails - and even notes its Human‑AI (HAI) approach can shave a year or more off migration timelines (Presidio's GenAI trends reshaping the public sector in 2025).

At the same time, national chip and data‑center deals are rewriting infrastructure choices that Chicago stakeholders will feel locally (US chip and data-center deals impacting infrastructure).

For professionals and campus leaders looking to translate strategy into skills, the AI Essentials for Work bootcamp offers a practical, 15‑week path to prompts, tooling, and workplace AI use cases that meet today's operational needs (AI Essentials for Work bootcamp - 15-week practical AI skills for work).

Bootcamp	Length	Early Bird Cost	Register
AI Essentials for Work	15 Weeks	$3,582	Register for AI Essentials for Work - practical AI skills for the workplace
Solo AI Tech Entrepreneur	30 Weeks	$4,776	Register for Solo AI Tech Entrepreneur - launch an AI startup in 6 months
Cybersecurity Fundamentals	15 Weeks	$2,124	Register for Cybersecurity Fundamentals - top cybersecurity certificates in one bootcamp

Illinois is moving from discussion to data-driven action on DuSable Lake Shore Drive: Senate Bill 1507 directs the University of Illinois Chicago's Urban Transportation Center to study crash patterns and whether traffic enforcement technologies - including AI-driven speed cameras - can tame a stretch where a 40–45 mph limit regularly gives way to drivers clocking 70+ mph and, alarmingly, an average of about seven crashes per day since 2019 (more than 16,000 crashes and 4,000 injuries over five years).

The new law, signed this summer and effective Jan. 1, 2026, builds on proposals that would let cameras detect unsafe behaviors (speeding, tailgating, lane‑weaving) and issue tickets for going 6 mph or more over the limit with fines starting around $50 to $100; advocates point to randomized camera programs in Europe as evidence they can change driver behavior long-term.

Watch for the UIC study to shape whether Chicago leans on AI enforcement or other engineering fixes as it reimagines safety along the lakefront - a high-stakes test of governance, technology, and public trust.

Read the full text of the bill and analysis at Senator Sara Feigenholtz's analysis of SB1507 and reporting from Block Club Chicago reporting on DuSable Lake Shore Drive.

“DuSable Lake Shore Drive is one of our region's most popular routes for families, visitors and commuters - but it's also one of our most dangerous.” - Senator Sara Feigenholtz

2) Expanded coverage: How AI speed cameras might work and the debate they spark - Cities are moving beyond basic radar to layered systems that pair edge AI vision sensors, lidar and machine‑learning analytics to detect direction, seatbelt or phone use, and other high‑risk behaviors in real time, shifting enforcement from reactive ticketing to proactive prevention.

Pilots show how the playbook works: San Francisco activated a 33‑camera program after a 60‑day warning phase and reported average speeding events down more than 30% - with some corridors seeing 40–63% drops - illustrating the deterrent effect when cities pair cameras with clear signage and data-driven site selection (San Francisco automated speed camera program).

At the same time, technology briefs like Elovate's roundup and Smart Cities Dive's look at Sony's edge AI sensors flag both opportunity and pitfalls - privacy, equity, and transparent data rules will determine whether these tools build public trust or provoke backlash (Automated enforcement trends and policy debates).

The real choice for cities is design: lean on predictive analytics and humane defaults, or risk replacing engineering fixes with automated fines that leave communities skeptical.

Speed Over Limit	Fine
11–15 mph	$50
16–25 mph	$100
26+ mph	$200
100+ mph	$500

“No matter how you get around our city, you should be able to do it without fearing for your life. That is why I am proud that San Francisco is now the first city in California to implement automated speed cameras.” - Mayor Daniel Lurie

3) Illinois becomes the first state to ban AI therapy - Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act (HB1806), a sweeping move that bars AI from making or delivering therapeutic decisions while permitting AI only for administrative or tightly supervised supplementary tasks for licensed clinicians; the law takes aim at unregulated chatbots and telehealth features that critics say can give dangerously poor guidance (one reported example involved a bot suggesting a fictional former addict take “a small hit of meth”).

Read the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation press release on the AI therapy prohibition for details on scope and enforcement (IDFPR press release on Illinois AI therapy ban) and the clinical analysis labeling Illinois the first state to outlaw AI-driven therapy services while allowing administrative uses under consent rules (Psychiatrist.com analysis of Illinois outlawing AI in therapy sessions).

Providers and vendors should note civil penalties and new consent/confidentiality rules that, as legal analyses warn, may force tech teams to geofence features or tighten human oversight to continue offering any AI-enabled functionality to Illinois residents (BakerDonelson legal summary of Illinois AI behavioral health law).

Provision	Key Point
Therapy delivery	AI prohibited from providing psychotherapy or making clinical decisions
Permitted AI use	Administrative and supplementary support only, with informed consent for session recordings/transcripts
Enforcement	Civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation; overseen by IDFPR

“The people of Illinois deserve quality healthcare from real, qualified professionals and not computer programs that pull information from all corners of the internet to generate responses that harm patients.” - Mario Treto Jr., IDFPR

4) ServiceNow acquires Chicago startup Logik.ai - a local exit with national reach - ServiceNow closed on the acquisition in Q2 2025, folding Logik.ai's AI‑powered, composable Configure‑Price‑Quote (CPQ) tech into its fast‑growing CRM and Sales & Order Management playbook to speed quoting, reduce errors, and unify selling-to-fulfillment workflows; financial terms were not disclosed but the move is positioned to help ServiceNow contend in the $80+ billion CRM market by bringing consumer‑grade selling experiences and a rules‑driven AI engine to complex industries.

Logik.ai - founded in 2021 and already integrated with nearly 50 partners and customers like Keysight and CORT - promises scale and speed for sellers, and ServiceNow frames the deal as a way to “sell, fulfill, and service on a single platform” (read the company announcement and analysis at ServiceNow's press release and ERP Today's coverage).

The acquisition reads like a textbook local exit that immediately upgrades national CRM capability, trading a stack of spreadsheets for automated, AI‑driven quotes that can shave days off sales cycles.

Item	Detail
Close	Q2 2025
Founded	2021
Financial terms	Not disclosed
Integrations/partners	Nearly 50 partners
Notable customers	Keysight, Oldcastle Infrastructure, Lamons, CORT

“ServiceNow is advancing our commitment to offer robust, deeply connected CRM tools. The CPQ space is evolving, and Logik.ai is leading the way to a simpler, AI-powered selling experience across channels.” - John Ball, EVP and GM of CRM & Industry Workflows at ServiceNow

5) Filevine opens Chicago office to grow legal-tech footprint - Filevine marked a major Midwest expansion with a new Chicago location at 1 South Wacker Drive (28th‑floor Hemisphere Lounge) and a private grand‑opening celebration that the company says establishes a “second headquarters” to be closer to the city's large legal market; the move is pitched as a way to deepen partnerships with firms and accelerate adoption of Filevine's legal work platform and AI-enabled tools across the region.

Read Filevine's announcement for full event details and leadership remarks and RSVP info on the company's Filevine Chicago office press release, or view the local event listing on Filevine's Filevine Chicago grand opening event page; Filevine says over 125,000 legal professionals already use its platform daily, so this office could become a convenient regional hub for product support, customer collaboration, and recruiting Chicago‑area legal‑tech talent.

Item	Detail
Office Location	1 South Wacker Drive, 28th Floor (Hemisphere Lounge), Chicago, IL
Grand Opening	Private celebration on April 10, 2025
Users	Over 125,000 legal professionals (daily)
Headquarters	Salt Lake City; Chicago named a second HQ

“The future of legal work isn't about replacing professionals with technology, it's about using innovation to elevate what legal professionals can accomplish.” - Ryan Anderson, CEO, Filevine

6) Tempus launches Notetaker: AI clinical assistant for psychiatry - Tempus rolled out Notetaker in Tempus Hub, an AI-driven assistant that ambiently records sessions, generates transcripts and drafts precise progress notes tailored for psychiatric care, and can push completed notes into EHRs for streamlined workflows; clinicians can refine drafts with “Magic Edit” commands and get real-time pharmacogenomic flags when medications come up during a visit.

Built for the specialty's vocabulary and workflows, Notetaker supports 30+ languages, adjustable settings for telehealth or in‑person visits, and HIPAA‑compliant storage, though providers are reminded to obtain patient consent before recording.

Pricing is transparent (a 10‑note free trial is available, plus pay‑per‑note and unlimited plans), and Tempus frames the tool as a time‑saver that reduces documentation burden so clinicians can focus on care - read Tempus' product overview or the company announcement for details and rollout information.

Plan	Details
Free Trial	10 free notes
Pay per Note	$1 per note
Unlimited	$99 / month

“We are excited to enhance our mental health platform with Notetaker, a tool built by clinicians, for clinicians, and thoughtfully designed to meet the unique demands of psychiatric care. Notetaker eases the burden of clinical documentation, helping providers reclaim their time and streamline their workflow so they can focus on what matters most: their patients.” - Dr. Muneer Ali, Sr. Director of Medical Affairs, Neurology & Psychiatry, Tempus

7) Anthropic rolls out Claude for Education - what it means for Chicago campuses: Anthropic's campus-focused Claude brings learning-mode Socratic prompting, Canvas LTI support, and integrations with Panopto and Wiley so students and faculty can reference lecture transcripts and peer‑reviewed content without context-switching, a change that could reshape study workflows and office-hour prep across Chicago's universities; read Anthropic's full education brief for a first look at the Canvas, Panopto and Wiley integrations and privacy commitments (Anthropic Advancing Claude for Education (education brief)) and the launch overview that explains Learning mode and campus programs (Anthropic Introducing Claude for Education (launch overview)).

Key safeguards - conversations private by default and excluded from model training unless formally approved - plus expanded ambassador and builder programs and a free AI fluency course, make Claude for Education a practical, privacy-aware toolkit for instructors, student developers, and admin staff grappling with assessment, feedback, and AI literacy on campus.

Feature	Detail
Learning Mode	Socratic guidance to promote critical thinking
Integrations	Canvas LTI, Panopto (lecture transcripts), Wiley (peer‑reviewed content)
Privacy	Conversations private by default; excluded from training by default
Student Programs	Campus Ambassadors, Builder Clubs, free AI Fluency course

“The future of research depends on keeping high-quality, peer-reviewed content central to AI-powered discovery. This partnership sets the standard for integrating trusted scientific content with AI platforms.” - Josh Jarrett, Senior Vice President of AI Growth at Wiley

8) Brookings ranks Chicago among top US cities for AI readiness - the Brookings Institution places Chicago in its elite “Star Hub” tier, calling out the city's strong mix of talent, research and adoption potential as reasons it's poised to translate AI into real-world impact; local reporting highlights that designation and what it means for workforce and startup growth (BizJournals: Chicago named among top AI-ready cities - local reporting on Brookings designation), while Brookings' interactive analysis and charts map how readiness hinges on three pillars - talent, innovation and adoption - and why traditional hubs still dominate even as new centers rise (MIT Technology Review: interactive charts on AI readiness and regional trends).

The takeaway for Chicago: a genuine edge in university-driven talent and R&D that, if paired with deliberate investment in skills and infrastructure, could turn research labs into local startups and jobs - making the city a practical proving ground rather than just a hopeful headline.

“University presence is a tremendous influence on success here.” - Mark Muro, Brookings Institution

9) Certidox demos tamper-proof, open-source document verification in Chicago - confronting a surge in AI-generated forgeries, Certidox showcased a patented, end-to-end encrypted system at the ULCC Networking Extravaganza that lets organizations stamp any paper or digital file with a verifiable seal and real‑time alerts, so journalists, banks and schools can instantly confirm authenticity rather than chase rumors; the company stresses zero plain‑text storage and an auditable, open‑source codebase that integrates via QR verification and can, for example, validate a diploma or a payment instruction “in less than a second.” Read the company announcement and event summary for the Chicago demo (Certidox press release on AI‑assisted document fraud and Chicago demo) and a deeper case study on how the tool protects press releases and payments (Certidox case study: No More Fake News - securing press releases and reputations), a practical building block for Chicago institutions racing to safeguard reputation and transactions against increasingly convincing AI fakes.

Application	Example
Banking	Payment instructions, account attestations
Legal	Powers of attorney, contracts
Education	Diplomas, transcripts
Communications	Regulated press releases

“In a world where everything can be copied, altered, or forged in seconds by artificial intelligence, we offer a sovereign, transparent, and tamper-proof solution. Certidox restores value to documentary proof.” - Rémy Eisenstein, Founder

10) NielsenIQ CTO Mohit Kapoor named Executive of the Year for AI transformation - Mohit Kapoor picked up Executive of the Year at the Global Tech & AI Awards for leading NielsenIQ's AI-first overhaul that migrated the global client base onto the Discover platform, turning “trillions of data points” into real-time retail and consumer intelligence for more than 20,000 clients in 90 countries; the work - backed by a reported US$1 billion investment and partnerships with Microsoft, Google Cloud, Snowflake and Intel - now powers an ecosystem that handles roughly three trillion transactions a week and manages data for some 220 million consumer products, a striking scale that shortens decision cycles from months to hours and helps brands tune pricing, innovation and disruption response.

Read the Technology Magazine feature and NielsenIQ's press release for details on the award and the Discover platform's impact.

Metric	Detail
Clients	20,000+ (global)
Countries	90
Weekly transactions	~3 trillion
Products managed	220 million
Investment	US$1 billion (cloud & AI)
Technology workforce	5,700 data & tech professionals

“Thank you for this incredible honour. I am truly humbled to be named Executive of the Year. This recognition is a testament to the vision and dedication of the entire NIQ team.” - Mohit Kapoor

Conclusion: Navigating growth, governance and trust in Chicago's AI future - Illinois's recent move to sharply restrict AI in therapy makes the stakes clear: innovation and protection must move in lockstep.

Lawmakers have drawn a bright line that allows AI for administrative or supervised, supplementary tasks but forbids independent therapeutic decision‑making, direct therapeutic communication, and emotion‑detection, and regulators can levy civil penalties - up to $10,000 per violation - if providers cross it; read the state release for the full scope (IDFPR press release on the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act).

The rules underline a broader truth for Chicago institutions and campuses: technology adoption needs clear governance, workforce fluency, and public trust. For professionals and campus leaders turning interest into capability, practical training like the 15‑week AI Essentials for Work bootcamp can help teams learn promptcraft, tool selection, and human‑in‑the‑loop safeguards so AI boosts productivity without sacrificing safety (AI Essentials for Work - register).

“The people of Illinois deserve quality healthcare from real, qualified professionals and not computer programs that pull information from all corners of the internet to generate responses that harm patients.” - Mario Treto Jr., IDFPR