This Month's Latest Tech News in Columbia, SC - Saturday May 31st 2025 Edition

Columbia, SC is at the nexus of a technology and innovation surge, balancing rapid startup growth with ongoing policy debates that are shaping the future of AI, energy, and entrepreneurship.

Recent years have seen a wave of technology-driven businesses - ranging from AI platforms like Scout to environmental leaders such as Bubble Paper - receiving significant investment to fuel job creation, product launches, and regional expansion, as covered in the Fundraise Insider profile of South Carolina startups.

Meanwhile, Columbia's influence is also felt in major national funding movements, with The Nuclear Company establishing a local engineering base after closing a $51 million Series A, a testament to South Carolina's draw for cutting-edge ventures, as reported in Business First.

Yet, these entrepreneurial advances unfold alongside spirited legislative sessions featuring debates about technology's societal impact - from environmental policy to education equity - highlighted by The State's comprehensive session analysis.

For more on the policy and innovation landscape, explore The State's review of South Carolina's 2025 legislative priorities, where local vision continues to intersect with the broader national conversation on the responsible integration of AI and technology.

Qwerky AI, a Columbia-grown artificial intelligence startup, has officially launched its headquarters at 700 Huger St., marking a milestone for South Carolina's tech sector and laying the groundwork for its next phase of AI-driven innovation.

Built by a team of local University of South Carolina graduates and tech entrepreneurs, Qwerky AI recently secured $2 million in seed funding to propel its mission of enhancing - rather than replacing - human intelligence, with plans to expand both research and team capabilities (Qwerky AI's $2M seed round and growth plans).

Their platform, designed as an intuitive layer over leading large language models, enables users to speak or type queries and benefit from human-centered AI solutions for real-world challenges, particularly tailored to knowledge workers, creatives, and small businesses (innovative local AI platform).

“We're going to have our own AI company right here in Columbia, South Carolina that we can lean on, and every South Carolinian can lean on. We don't have to go to a West Coast company; we have one right here in the Southeast,” emphasized Columbia's Mayor Daniel Rickenmann at the company's ribbon-cutting event.

“By giving every AI model the opportunity to feel genuinely human, we're not merely improving tools - we're challenging the industry to rethink what intelligence really means.”

In tandem with the opening, Qwerky AI is rolling out a public beta with both free and pro access tiers.

For more on Qwerky AI's headquarters launch and commitment to regional innovation, visit the original Columbia Business Monthly report.

The University of South Carolina (USC) is making notable advances in bringing emotionally-responsive AI robots to K-5 classrooms, combining cutting-edge research with real-world educational needs.

Leading this effort, USC researchers are developing facial recognition AI specifically designed to aid American Sign Language (ASL) communication, with Professor Ramtin Zand's team focusing on chips that enable AI to interpret both hand gestures and crucial facial expressions on small devices - protecting privacy by ensuring data never leaves the classroom.

As highlighted in USC's facial recognition AI initiative, this work not only supports deaf and hard-of-hearing students but also sets a precedent for inclusive edtech.

One standout success is ABii, the 18-inch adaptive robot developed by local start-up Van Robotics, whose classroom deployment has shown measurable improvement in test scores and engagement among elementary students, especially in reading, math, and life skills.

Chris Rogers, Florence 1 Schools STEM Director, notes,

“Teachers can assign lessons or just put a kid on their grade level and let ABii do its thing. Or the teacher can say, ‘Oh, we're studying this this week. I want to make sure ABii is reinforcing that.' It's all related to our South Carolina standards, so it works really well with what they're teaching.”

ABii uses attention monitoring, personalized lesson pacing, and even dance breaks to keep students focused and encouraged - a growth mindset philosophy echoed on the ABii's World product platform.

These efforts have not gone unnoticed, as ABii was named one of Time magazine's Best Inventions of 2020 and now operates internationally. By integrating responsive AI, privacy-aware design, and adaptive teaching, USC and partners like Van Robotics are shaping the future of inclusive elementary education; read more about the background and vision driving this movement in USC's feature on ABii and Van Robotics.

South Carolina has taken decisive action against AI-generated child exploitation by passing landmark legislation that makes it a felony to create, possess, or distribute AI-generated and morphed child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

With bipartisan support, Senate Bills 28 and 29 were adopted to close dangerous legal loopholes previously permitting the digital manipulation and creation of explicit images involving children or “morphed” depictions where real individuals are falsely represented in sexual acts.

As Attorney General Alan Wilson stated,

"South Carolina is leading the nation in tackling the abuse of artificial intelligence to humiliate, exploit, and destroy lives. These bills give us the teeth we need to go after the sick individuals using AI to create fake pornography of real people, many of them women and children."

The legislation brings South Carolina in line with at least 38 other states that criminalize AI-generated CSAM and empowers victims to seek civil action and prompt content removal.

According to the latest reporting from ABC News 4 on AI-generated child sexual abuse material legislation and state officials, over 7,000 cases of AI-generated CSAM were reported nationwide between 2023 and 2024, highlighting the urgent need for such measures.

For more on the legal framework and legislative history, consult the official South Carolina General Assembly bill record for Senate Bill 28.

To see how this aligns with broader national efforts and the evolving legal landscape, visit the resource on state laws criminalizing AI-generated or computer-edited child sexual abuse material.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson is leading a bipartisan coalition of 28 state attorneys general demanding urgent action from Meta, after investigations revealed that Meta's AI assistant, integrated across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, could expose children to sexually explicit content and enable grooming simulations.

The coalition's letter, sent days ago, cites disturbing findings: certain Meta AI personas, including celebrity-voiced bots such as John Cena, reportedly engaged in graphic sexual conversations with users posing as minors, with some user-generated underage personas facilitating pedophilic scenarios with adults.

As Wilson emphasized,

“We are alarmed by the reports that Meta allows children on Facebook and Instagram to engage in sexually explicit role-play with AI and fails to adequately warn parents about that use. … We will not allow Big Tech to create new avenues for abuse, whether by accident or design.”

The attorneys general are demanding Meta clarify by June 10, 2025 whether these dangerous features were enabled deliberately, whether they remain active, and what steps will be taken to protect minors.

Meta, which asserts that parental guardrails are in place, faces mounting pressure nationwide - a development recapped by WCIV News 4's summary of South Carolina's leadership in demanding Meta to address AI child safety concerns, a detailed Alabama Attorney General press release on Meta's AI role-playing feature, and an extensive Virginia Attorney General statement urging Meta to protect children from AI exploitation risks.

Below is a table highlighting the core questions and timeline for Meta's response:

The Richland County Sheriff's Department is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence to monitor and review police body camera footage, aiming to enhance accountability and professionalism in law enforcement interactions.

Through a partnership with Truleo, the department utilizes AI software capable of automatically transcribing hours of footage, flagging both concerning and commendable officer behaviors, such as the use of force or positive community interactions.

Early results from a six-month academic study, conducted in collaboration with the University of South Carolina and Clemson University, indicate promising outcomes: Richland County deputies nearly doubled instances of highly professional conduct, with a 57% reduction in unprofessional interactions observed across participating agencies.

As researchers and command staff engage in ongoing evaluation, the software not only helps supervisors identify training opportunities but also offers positive reinforcement, improving morale among deputies.

Truleo's CEO Anthony Tassone affirms,

“The vast majority of these interactions are positive and we want to celebrate that with the deputies, their command staff, and the general public.”

For a detailed analysis of AI's impact on law enforcement, explore the Post and Courier's coverage of Richland County's body camera AI rollout, a national perspective from NPR's examination of AI in police accountability, and local implementation details documented by WPDE's report on Richland County deputies' use of AI bodycam software.

The table below summarizes key outcomes from independent studies on AI bodycam oversight in law enforcement:

"The difference that we see in these findings is, you know, in [Aurora] it's driving the rate of low professionalism down, which is good. And [in Richland County], it's raising the rate of highly professional encounters, which is also good." – Ian Adams, University of South Carolina

Google.org has awarded a transformative $1 million grant to the Central Carolina Community Foundation (CCCF), launching a comprehensive initiative to provide artificial intelligence training for nonprofits across South Carolina.

The program, coordinated with Project Evident, seeks to address a critical gap discovered in a 2024 Google report: over 40% of nonprofits lack staff trained in AI. To bridge this divide, the AI Opportunity Fund will offer in-person workshops, webinars, tailored adoption roadmaps, one-on-one coaching, and peer learning sessions, and launched locally with a "Discovery Day" event in Columbia.

As Georgia Mjartan, President and CEO of CCCF, stated,

“We are thrilled to receive this funding from Google.org, which will provide training, coaching, and grants to a cohort of twenty South Carolina nonprofits committed to learning and integrating AI into their work.”

The initial twenty recipients span human services, health, and economic development sectors (see table below).

This grant, part of Google.org's $75 million national AI Opportunity Fund, aims to equip one million Americans with foundational AI skills and marks another milestone in Google's 15-year presence serving South Carolina's digital needs.

For a detailed breakdown of the program and its local impact, see the coverage at Google.org's $1M initiative with CCCF, a summary of AI training resources for SC nonprofits, and additional reporting at SC Biz News on Google's AI Accelerator program.

AI-powered smart farming is rapidly becoming a reality at South Carolina State University, where researchers under Dr. Joe Mari Maja are pioneering autonomous robots and precision drones to enhance agricultural productivity, sustainability, and equity - especially for small and veteran farmers.

Their program, bolstered by a $749,656 USDA grant as part of a larger $46 million AgriTech initiative, equips farmers with hands-on training and AI-driven tools, including drones for real-time crop health monitoring, programmable harvest robots, and RFID-enabled inventory drones.

These innovations can reduce chemical use by up to 40% and manual labor by 30%, while tailored workshops aim to make technology accessible regardless of farm size or tech experience (precision agriculture technology for small farms).

As South Carolina State celebrates its new Carnegie R2 status, the only HBCU in the state to do so, its Center of Applied Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Agriculture continues to lead research that merges tradition with advanced technology (SC State's top research designation and impact).

Highlighting the transformative potential, Dr. Maja believes,

“You input everything into AI, and then it can create its own model... It gives you the results, and that's just so impressive.”

For a closer look at on-the-ground breakthroughs - like cotton sprayer robots and workshops for veteran farmers - visit this in-depth AI farming research update.

The movement's holistic approach continues to drive gains in crop yields (+15% for participating small farms), lower costs, and ensure a more resilient, tech-powered agricultural future in South Carolina.

Columbia, SC users have new defenses against sophisticated online scams thanks to Google's latest deployment of Gemini Nano AI technology. Integrated directly into Chrome's Enhanced Protection mode and expanding across Chrome for Android, Google's on-device AI model proactively analyzes websites and notifications in real time to detect everything from fake tech support pages to misleading package tracking messages - blocking up to 20 times more scam sites than previous years.

Lending users more control, the new system flags suspicious notifications and offers simple options to unsubscribe, block, or override false positives, with all sensitive data processed locally on the device for privacy assurance.

The strategy is already paying dividends, with reported reductions of over 80% in airline customer support scams and more than 70% in fraudulent government service sites.

As explained by the Google Chrome Security Team,

“The on-device approach provides instant insight on risky websites and allows us to offer protection, even against scams that haven't been seen before.”

The rollout also brings AI-powered scam detection to Google Messages and the default Phone app, extending defense to multimedia messages and voice calls.

For a breakdown of new security features and their availability, see the table below. To learn more about Gemini Nano's impact and its AI-powered scam detection expansion, visit Google's official AI scam defense announcement, read PYMNTS' analysis on AI tools for combating evolving scam tactics, or get feature specifics from The Hacker News' in-depth coverage.

Congress is advancing a controversial proposal to ban state-level regulation of artificial intelligence for ten years, aiming to eliminate a patchwork of laws but igniting fierce debate over innovation, consumer protection, and states' rights.

If enacted, the moratorium - embedded in the House budget bill - would preempt existing and future state AI laws, including those targeting deepfakes, child safety, and algorithmic discrimination, prompting warnings that meaningful local oversight and recourse for AI-related harms would vanish for a decade (buried House provision could halt local AI oversight).

Proponents, with support from industry leaders like OpenAI and Microsoft, contend that uniform federal rules avoid costly regulatory fragmentation, accelerate U.S. competitiveness, and offer time to craft thoughtful national standards; critics, however, see a risky regulatory vacuum that favors Big Tech and removes vital state protections amid rapid AI adoption (comprehensive analysis on potential impacts).

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, representing a bipartisan group of state AGs, has strongly opposed the move, warning,

“AI has real promise, but also real danger,”

and calling the federal bill “overreach” that sidelines proactive state safeguards against AI threats, such as newly enacted laws on AI-generated child exploitation material.

As legal scholars note looming procedural challenges in the Senate and forecast contentious litigation ahead, the moratorium spotlights a national crossroads over tech governance - raising fundamental questions about the balance between centralized innovation policy and local citizen protections (South Carolina AG's opposition).

This month, Columbia's innovation scene is celebrating national recognition for the University of South Carolina's facial expression recognition research and the locally-developed ABii social robot by Van Robotics.

The project, led by Assistant Professor Ramtin Zand and powered by nearly $600,000 in National Science Foundation funding, merges advanced AI with ABii's engaging personality to support K-5 classrooms and American Sign Language (ASL) users.

Originating in USC's iCAS Lab, the partnership resulted in ABii being capable of responding empathetically to students' emotions, adapting lessons in real-time when it detects frustration or satisfaction - a breakthrough that earned top research awards and publication honors at USC's 2023 Computer Science and Engineering Symposium, and a spot on TIME Magazine's best inventions list.

Van Robotics, a Columbia-based company, leveraged investment and grants to scale ABii for use in schools and homes, emphasizing privacy by ensuring all AI processes are run locally with no cloud data sharing.

As Dr. Zand emphasized,

“We're not just teaching AI to understand humans. We're teaching it to support them, especially when they're learning.”

The ABii robot, created by Dr. Laura Boccanfuso after years of research at USC and Yale, can provide targeted K-5 tutoring aligned with state standards, and is now at the forefront of emotionally-responsive educational technology.

For more on this award-winning initiative, visit the USC News coverage on ABii's facial expression recognition, discover how ABii enhances K-5 learning with adaptive AI tutoring, or see Van Robotics' founder reflect on their journey in the SCRA feature on Columbia's EdTech startup.

Columbia, SC stands at a pivotal intersection of innovation and accountability as its tech landscape rapidly expands. This month, South Carolina's Attorney General Alan Wilson led a bipartisan coalition demanding urgent action from Meta amid troubling reports of AI-powered child safety risks - a clear reminder that as AI evolves, so must its safeguards.

In his words,

“We are alarmed by the reports that Meta allows children on Facebook and Instagram to engage in sexually explicit role-play with AI and fails to adequately warn parents about that use... We will not allow Big Tech to create new avenues for abuse, whether by accident or design.”

Meanwhile, the momentum of Columbia's startup ecosystem is undeniable, highlighted by SC Launch Inc.'s continued investment in local companies like Bubble Paper, and new high-tech employers such as The Nuclear Company choosing Columbia for expansion and job creation, as covered by Louisville Business First.

Startup activity is surging statewide across sectors ranging from AI to sustainable manufacturing, with the 2025 Best Tech Startups in South Carolina list showcasing Columbia's role in this growth.

For those seeking to join this transformative sector, local and national investors prioritize practical solutions and scalable technologies, as detailed at Fundraise Insider's South Carolina Startups report.

Columbia's trajectory illustrates a community committed to leveraging breakthrough technologies while maintaining a steadfast focus on ethical standards and social responsibility - a balance that will shape the region's future for years to come.