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

Chicago's tech ecosystem is rapidly advancing AI integration across multiple sectors, solidifying the city's reputation as a national leader in innovation. Events such as the recent Chicago AI Week 2025 and the upcoming AI & Tech Networking Chicago foster collaboration between startups, investors, and established companies, driving acceleration in AI applications from healthcare and finance to construction and retail.

Legal and regulatory perspectives were a major focus at Loeb & Loeb's AI Summit on July 10, highlighting evolving compliance frameworks critical for sustainable AI adoption.

Meanwhile, Chicago's venture capital scene continues to prioritize AI, with firms like Emerging investing significantly in AI-powered startups transforming the food and beverage industry.

This dynamic environment is supported by a strong network of AI development companies offering cutting-edge consulting and custom solutions. For professionals aiming to join this wave, Nucamp Bootcamp's AI Essentials for Work program offers practical AI skills to boost workplace productivity, while their Solo AI Tech Entrepreneur bootcamp guides aspiring founders through launching AI startups globally.

These educational opportunities complement Chicago's comprehensive tech conference schedule, ensuring talent development keeps pace with technological advances and industry demand.

Illinois is advancing a proposed bill, sponsored by State Senator Sara Feigenholtz, to study the impact of AI-driven speed cameras on DuSable Lake Shore Drive, a high-crash corridor notorious for speeding and reckless driving.

The legislation, Senate Bill 1507, aims to commission the Urban Transportation Center at the University of Illinois Chicago to analyze multi-year crash data and evaluate whether AI-powered cameras can effectively reduce crashes and improve driver behavior by issuing tickets for speeds exceeding 6 mph over the limit and detecting offenses like tailgating and lane weaving.

Despite local concerns about privacy and enforcement, the focus is on deterrence rather than revenue, with warnings expected to prevent repeat offenses, as seen in European models where 80% of drivers comply post-warning.

The road, though under 0.5% of Chicago's network, accounts for nearly 7% of city traffic fatalities from 2019 to 2024, underscoring the need for innovative safety solutions beyond the ongoing Redefine the Drive infrastructure project.

Feigenholtz emphasizes the bill's preventative goals:

“DuSable Lake Shore Drive is one of Chicago's most vital roadways, and the high number of crashes due to dangerous and distracted driving patterns demands urgent action. We need research-driven solutions that improve safety outcomes without imposing overly punitive measures.”

The bill has passed the Senate Executive Committee and, if enacted, will guide potential implementation of AI speed cameras to enhance safety on this critical Chicago roadway.

For further reading, see the original coverage by Block Club Chicago's detailed report on AI speed cameras on DuSable Lake Shore Drive, CBS Chicago's coverage on Illinois AI speed camera legislation, and the legislative summary available at the official Senator Sara Feigenholtz website.

Mohit Kapoor, Chief Technology Officer of NielsenIQ (NIQ), was awarded Executive of the Year at the 2025 Global Tech & AI Awards for spearheading NIQ's remarkable $400 million AI-driven technology transformation.

Under Kapoor's leadership, NIQ launched the Discover platform, a cutting-edge cloud-based solution that integrates consumer panel and retail measurement data from over 3 trillion weekly transactions, delivering real-time insights to 23,000 CPG and retail clients across 90 countries.

This unified platform leverages advanced AI tools like the Gen AI-powered "Ask Arthur" to enhance consumer intelligence with scalable, flexible analytics, empowering businesses to make faster, smarter decisions.

Kapoor has also driven strategic partnerships with Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Snowflake to extend platform capabilities, while overseeing a global team of 1,200 data scientists and thousands of engineers and analysts.

Beyond innovation, NIQ achieved significant operational efficiencies by implementing Cast AI's automation, leading to 60–80% cost savings on non-production cloud deployments and 40–50% savings in production clusters, with a rapid ROI within two months.

Kapoor remarked,

“Together, we have redefined consumer and retail intelligence, leveraging AI to deliver unparalleled insights and drive meaningful change in the industry.”

This transformative approach positions NIQ at the forefront of AI-powered consumer data solutions, setting a pioneering example for Chicago's tech ecosystem.

For more on NIQ's AI innovation and Kapoor's leadership, visit the Global Tech & AI Awards announcement, explore the details of the NIQ Discover platform, and learn about their cost-saving cloud automation with Cast AI.

Chicago-based venture capital firm Emerging continues to prioritize artificial intelligence investments within the food and beverage sector, making a significant $750,000 commitment to an AI-driven restaurant technology startup in 2025.

This move aligns with broader trends where AI is increasingly shaping food tech innovation, despite some investors remaining cautious due to the limited number of AI applications currently available for the food industry.

Emerging's funding decision reflects Chicago's growing reputation as a hub for tech-enabled food innovation, complementing events like the Future Food-Tech Chicago summit which highlights sustainable protein development and AI's role in ingredient discovery.

As part of a vibrant Midwest venture capital ecosystem that allocates over $5 billion annually to startups, Chicago firms like Emerging are fostering advancements in food technology that address supply chain efficiency and consumer demands.

For more details, see the full coverage at the Chicago Business Journal and Chicago Inno, plus insights on food tech investment trends from Food Dive.

Filevine, a leading legal work platform trusted by over 125,000 legal professionals nationwide, officially expanded its footprint with the grand opening of its new Chicago office on April 3, 2025.

This second headquarters, located at 1 South Wacker Drive, enables Filevine to deepen engagement with the Midwest's thriving legal market, the third largest in the U.S., home to numerous major law firms and a growing legal tech community.

CEO Ryan Anderson emphasized that their innovations aim to elevate - not replace - legal professionals' work through advanced AI tools embedded in their platform, such as the recently launched FilevineAI assistant allowing lawyers to conversationally “chat with their case.” This AI-driven solution securely accesses comprehensive case data, streamlining tasks like medical record classification and document management, ultimately maximizing efficiency and client value.

Client testimonials from local firms like Kadzai Law Group and Lerner & Rowe highlight Filevine's impact on improving data accuracy, security, and operational efficiency, with savings passed back to clients.

The Chicago office will serve as a hub for innovation, collaboration, and customer support, reinforcing Filevine's commitment to delivering world-class legal technology solutions tailored to the complex demands of legal professionals.

For more on Filevine's AI-powered legal platform, visit their official website or explore details from their grand opening event and ongoing innovations on Filevine's newsroom, the press release via GlobeNewswire, and the announcement of their embedded AI Legal Assistant.

At the ASCO25 Annual Meeting held at McCormick Place in Chicago from May 30 to June 3, 2025, Massive Bio demonstrated groundbreaking AI-driven innovations in oncology, showcasing its advanced clinical trial matching platform and real-world data solutions at booth IH04 in the Innovation Hub.

Known for transforming patient access to cancer clinical trials, Massive Bio integrates AI technologies such as multi-agent systems and a knowledge graph focused on oncology to enhance precision and efficiency in trial matching, as highlighted in Dr. Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla's poster and oral presentations.

Their platform has already facilitated over 160,000 patient onboardings and matched patients to more than 19,000 trials worldwide, significantly reducing manual screening time by nearly 20,000 hours according to a large multi-sponsor study with the Precision Cancer Consortium.

The company's novel "hub and spoke" pre-screening hubs, supported by a $15 million investment recognized by the White House Cancer Moonshot initiative, utilize comprehensive genomic profiling and real-time AI analytics to increase trial participation and equity across diverse patient populations.

Selin Kurnaz, CEO, emphasized the mission to remove geographic and financial barriers to clinical research:

“Access to clinical trials should not depend on geography, income, or system navigation.”

Attendees at ASCO25 had the opportunity to engage with Massive Bio's teams and explore innovative solutions like their DUO healthcare analytics platform, positioning Chicago as a hub for AI-powered advances in cancer research and patient care.

Learn more about Massive Bio's transformative impact at Massive Bio's ASCO25 showcase, their White House Cancer Moonshot recognition, and detailed efficacy results from their AI trial matching system in collaboration with the Precision Cancer Consortium.

Visa has launched its Visa Intelligent Commerce initiative, pioneering AI-powered shopping agents capable of autonomously making purchases on behalf of consumers by integrating AI platforms directly with Visa's secure payment network.

The program, unveiled in April 2025, enables AI agents developed by partners including Anthropic, Microsoft, OpenAI, Perplexity, and Mistral to execute transactions using tokenized AI-ready cards protected by advanced authentication and spending controls, ensuring user-defined boundaries on purchases like groceries, travel bookings, or routine items.

Jack Forestell, Visa's Chief Product and Strategy Officer, described this as a “transformational” shift comparable to the advent of e-commerce, emphasizing a phased approach where AI initially requests purchase approval but may gain more autonomy over time.

With consumer consent, AI agents leverage transaction history to personalize recommendations while robust safeguards address fraud prevention and dispute resolution, reassuring consumers, banks, and merchants alike.

Visa's platform supports over 4.8 billion credentials globally, aiming to reshape digital commerce by closing the gap from AI's product discovery to seamless payment completion, ultimately positioning Visa at the forefront of AI-enabled commerce innovation.

For more details on the initiative and its broader industry implications, visit the full coverage on the PYMNTS Visa Intelligent Commerce program, the detailed pilot analysis by Fanatical Futurist on Visa's AI pilots, and the overview on US News about Visa's AI credit card initiative.

Microsoft has announced a strategic pause on several planned data center projects, including a significant facility near Chicago, Illinois, as part of a global reassessment of its AI cloud infrastructure expansion.

This move affects multiple locations across the US, UK, Indonesia, and Australia, reflecting concerns over potential oversupply amid evolving AI demand and infrastructure challenges such as power availability and construction delays.

Despite committing approximately 80 billion dollars in capital expenditures for data centers this fiscal year, Microsoft is shifting its focus toward outfitting existing facilities rather than building new centers.

Analysts from TD Cowen estimate the company has withdrawn projects totaling around 2 gigawatts of potential capacity across the US and Europe, with negotiations paused near Chicago and London.

Microsoft's spokesperson emphasized the company's long-term, flexible planning in response to growing AI demand. Industry experts highlight that the change correlates with Microsoft's evolving relationship with OpenAI and the rise of competing investments from OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank's Stargate joint venture, which plans up to 500 billion dollars in AI infrastructure investment.

Local pauses include the Wisconsin Mount Pleasant expansion, with over 262 million dollars invested but construction currently halted, and Jakarta's partial project delay, though its Indonesia Central cloud region remains on schedule for a Q2 2025 launch.

The following table summarizes key paused or delayed Microsoft data center projects:

For more detailed insights, see the comprehensive coverage at CloudComputing-News' article on Microsoft data center plans, Microsoft's latest developments reported by Insurance Journal Midwest, and industry analysis in Data Center Dynamics report on global Microsoft data center developments.

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is set to launch a pioneering Data + AI certificate program for undergraduate students across all disciplines, supported by a $1 million grant from Google.org.

Scheduled to pilot during the 2025-26 academic year, this innovative program combines a specialized curriculum co-developed with industry leaders with hands-on experiential learning, emphasizing ethical reasoning and professional mentorship.

Led by Amita Shetty, director of UIC's Break Through Tech Chicago, the program aims to equip students with technical fluency and real-world skills crucial for thriving in an AI-driven workforce.

UIC Chancellor Marie Lynn Miranda highlighted the initiative's significance:

“The data science revolution, including artificial intelligence, calls us to provide state-of-the-art learning opportunities for UIC students... to compete globally in today's rapidly evolving, technology-driven workforce.”

The program's inclusive approach prepares diverse talent to lead responsible AI innovation, reinforcing UIC's role in Chicago's expanding tech ecosystem.

For more details on this transformative AI education and UIC's broader commitment to workforce readiness, visit Google.org awards UIC grant to launch Data + AI Program and explore insights on UIC's Data + AI program launch.

Additionally, learn about the growing importance of AI skills in business careers through NBC Chicago's coverage on how UIC prepares students for AI-enhanced careers.

Tempus AI, Inc. has launched Notetaker, an AI-powered clinical assistant integrated within the Tempus Hub platform, designed to streamline psychiatric care documentation.

This innovative tool ambiently records patient sessions and automatically generates precise transcripts and clinical notes, which can be seamlessly stored in electronic health records (EHR), reducing the administrative burden on clinicians.

Key features include real-time transcription, support for over 30 languages (including English, Spanish, and Chinese), and the ability to recognize speaker language switching during sessions.

Notetaker also offers the Magic Edit function allowing clinicians to customize note formatting and content easily.

Additionally, it integrates pharmacogenomic insights in real-time to identify care gaps related to medications, enhancing personalized treatment. Dr. Muneer Ali, Senior Director of Medical Affairs at Tempus, emphasized that

"Notetaker was built by clinicians, for clinicians,"

aiming to enable healthcare providers to focus more on patient care by alleviating documentation demands.

The tool supports telehealth and in-person visits with HIPAA-compliant data security, making it a significant advancement in AI-assisted mental health technology.

For more information, visit the official Tempus Notetaker announcement.

Mohit Kapoor, Chief Technology Officer at NielsenIQ (NIQ), has been honored as Executive of the Year at the inaugural Global Tech & AI Awards 2025 for his visionary leadership in driving NIQ's AI-powered digital transformation.

Under Kapoor's guidance, NIQ invested $400 million to develop the Discover platform, a unified, cloud-based system integrating consumer panel and retail measurement data from 3 trillion weekly transactions.

This platform now serves over 23,000 consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail clients across 90 countries, delivering real-time analytics that accelerate decision-making in marketing, branding, and consumer strategy.

Kapoor leads a global team of 5,700 professionals, including 1,200 data scientists and 2,000 engineers, while fostering strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Snowflake to enhance platform capabilities.

With a 30-year career spanning top firms like Accenture and HSBC, Kapoor emphasizes innovation, collaboration, and responsible AI governance, reflecting NIQ's commitment to redefining consumer intelligence through advanced technology.

As Kapoor remarked,

“This recognition is a testament to the incredible work and dedication of the entire NielsenIQ team. Together, we have redefined consumer and retail intelligence, leveraging AI to deliver unparalleled insights and drive meaningful change in the industry.”

For more on Kapoor's transformative work and NIQ's global impact, visit the Technology Magazine feature on Mohit Kapoor's award and the official NielsenIQ press release on Kapoor's Executive of the Year honor.

Chicago continues to establish itself as a national nexus for AI innovation across diverse industries, underscored by its hosting of prominent events like the 2025 Chicago AI Week, which foster responsible AI development and cross-sector collaboration.

Local companies such as Parallel Works are advancing AI infrastructure with solutions like ACTIVATE AI, simplifying scalable AI deployment through Kubernetes integration and hybrid cloud support, enhancing applications from aerospace to climate modeling.

Moreover, the MACH Alliance's launch of the MACH AI Exchange in Chicago exemplifies the city's role in guiding enterprises through real-world AI implementations, promoting open and composable architectures crucial for AI success.

The city's vibrant AI conference ecosystem, featuring numerous specialized gatherings throughout 2025, further propels knowledge exchange and innovation. This robust environment aligns with educational initiatives such as Nucamp's AI and tech bootcamps, which equip participants with practical AI skills and entrepreneurial know-how to meet growing workforce demand.

For those interested in gaining real-world AI competency or launching AI startups, Nucamp offers tailored programs like the AI Essentials for Work and Solo AI Tech Entrepreneur bootcamps, accessible via flexible financing options.

Chicago's integrated approach - spanning advanced infrastructure, industry collaboration, education, and ethical practices - cements its leadership role in the evolving AI landscape.

Learn more about Parallel Works' ACTIVATE AI platform, the 2025 Chicago AI Week, and the MACH AI Exchange initiative to explore how Chicago drives pioneering AI innovation.