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

This spring, Columbia, SC is making national headlines as a hub for rapid technology and AI innovation. Notably, the University of South Carolina's iCAS Lab and Van Robotics earned acclaim for their AI-powered social robot, ABii, which employs on-device facial expression recognition to deliver privacy-focused, empathetic tutoring to K-5 students - demonstrating how cutting-edge classroom research reaches real-world impact in award-winning AI projects.

Hyper-growth is also evident in the local startup scene: QWERKY AI, a Columbia-based company, secured $2 million in seed funding to accelerate development of a human-centric AI platform, with founders aiming to “challenge the industry to rethink what intelligence really means” driving investment and jobs.

Meanwhile, the SCRA Summit and Boyd Innovation Center are championing tech entrepreneurship with pre-accelerator programs and networking events that support diverse founders and high-impact startups fostering an inclusive innovation ecosystem in the Midlands.

As new partnerships, high-profile events, and education initiatives converge, Columbia's technology sector is set for a transformative year.

The University of South Carolina (USC) is on the forefront of educational innovation with its award-winning initiative to integrate social robots and artificial intelligence (AI) into K–12 classrooms, equipping future teachers to navigate and leverage emerging technologies.

At the heart of this effort, USC Rossier faculty require all Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) students to complete courses such as "Blended Learning Experiences for Students in Urban Schools," where cutting-edge tools like ChatGPT, Teachology, and Elicit are demonstrated.

While approximately 15–20% of teacher candidates report using AI for assignments, educators emphasize the importance of critical thinking and skillful engagement with technology - an issue compounded by the absence of universal guidelines for AI in schools, as only California, Oregon, and West Virginia provide formal direction.

As Professor Corinne Hyde states in a recent feature,

"AI can be used for good, evil or anything in between, and so it's really on us as educators to figure out when, how, and how much we want AI to take a role in education."

To further foster responsible AI use, prompt engineering and fact-checking are core skills taught, especially for teaching English to speakers of other languages.

While concerns persist over student overreliance on automation, the project's philosophy is summed up by Professor Hyde's reminder that technology's impact "depends on how educators decide to use it." For a deeper look at USC's holistic approach and faculty insights, visit the USC Rossier feature on preparing future teachers for the AI era.

Learn how similar initiatives are inspiring higher education nationwide by reviewing the INSPIRE 2024 Convening recap, and celebrate impactful faculty efforts highlighted at the Latine Excellence and Achievement Awards Dinner.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has called for decisive legislative reform to combat the rise of AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM), highlighting how current laws fail to address the alarming proliferation of such content.

Drawing comparisons to the internet's early legal ambiguities, Wilson emphasized,

“The bad guys are finding ways to utilize the gaps and the loopholes in the laws as they are currently written,”

as the state Senate advanced bills that specifically target morphed and synthetic images created by artificial intelligence.

While South Carolina outlaws traditional CSAM, it remains one of only twelve states lacking explicit legislation criminalizing AI-generated content, despite the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) receiving over 7,000 reports of generative AI CSAM nationwide between 2023 and 2024.

Efforts are now underway to expand the Attorney General's authority to issue subpoenas, expediting investigations and closing prosecution loopholes often exploited by offenders.

The debate in the House, however, centers on balancing law enforcement speed with privacy protections, leading to amendments requiring judicial approval for some subpoenas as detailed at CountOn2.

Nationally, 38 states now prohibit AI-generated CSAM, underscoring regional legislative gaps.

As Wilson noted,

“This is a situation where our laws have not kept up with technology... Artificial intelligence can create child sexual abuse material of children who don't exist or manipulate real photos.”

For a comprehensive look at the proposed bills and their progress, see this WACH Fox News report.

The following table illustrates the national legislative landscape:

States Criminalizing AI-Generated CSAM	States Without Such Laws + D.C.
38 states, incl. CA, TX, FL, GA, PA	AK, AR, AZ, CO, LA, ME, MA, NY, ND, OH, SC, VT, D.C.

Google.org has made a significant investment in South Carolina's nonprofit sector by awarding $1 million to the Central Carolina Community Foundation (CCCF) for AI training initiatives throughout the Midlands.

In partnership with Project Evident, this funding will enable over twenty nonprofits - including organizations such as Harvest Hope, Turn90, and The Therapy Place - to access in-person workshops, one-on-one coaching, and peer learning platforms designed to bridge the digital skills gap in the sector.

According to a recent Google report, over 40% of surveyed nonprofits lacked staff trained in AI, making this support especially impactful. At a recent Discovery Day launch event in Columbia, South Carolina Representative Seth Rose emphasized,

“This support will allow nonprofits to harness the power of AI to improve their efficiency, focus on their missions, and impact even more people in our community.”

Georgia Mjartan, President and CEO of CCCF, added,

“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.”

The AI Opportunity Fund, backed by Google.org's $75 million commitment, aims to equip one million Americans with essential AI skills.

For a breakdown of the initiative and beneficiaries, see the resources at ABC News 4's detailed coverage of Google.org's $1 million AI nonprofit grant in South Carolina, an overview by SCBizNews on Google's philanthropic AI program in South Carolina, and Landmarks for Families' summary of South Carolina nonprofit AI grant recipients.

Key Metric	Detail
Total Fund	$75 million (AI Opportunity Fund)
SC Grant Amount	$1 million
Target Americans Trained	1 million
Nonprofits Receiving AI Accelerator Grants	20+

“Nonprofits are addressing some of society's most pressing challenges, and Google.org is committed to empowering them with AI skills to help them accelerate their impact.” – Maggie Johnson, Vice President and Global Head of Google.org

South Carolina State University researchers are driving a new era in sustainable agriculture with pioneering AI-powered robotics projects tailored for local and veteran farmers.

Supported by a $749,656 USDA grant, Dr. Joe Mari Maja's team is developing innovations such as autonomous sprayers that cut chemical use by up to 40% without sacrificing crop quality, programmable harvest robots that learn and repeat efficient field routes, and drones equipped with RFID readers for seamless inventory tracking - critical advantages for small-scale and underserved growers.

As Dr. Maja envisions,

“Farming in the future might be farming without farmers. Farmers will probably be staying in their house, facing the computer and telling the robot, ‘Hey, do this thing now.'”

Hands-on workshops launching in summer 2025 aim to demystify technology adoption and empower participants for a climate-smart future, while collaborative, open-source approaches are connecting South Carolina to global agricultural innovation networks.

These AI advances are already producing tangible results: manual labor is reduced by up to 30%, and small farms embracing AI solutions have boosted yields by 15%.

The comparison below illustrates the transformation underway in South Carolina's fields:

Farming Aspect	Traditional Method	AI-Powered Method
Weed Control	Manual labor or broad-spectrum herbicides	Precision spraying with AI-guided autonomous robots
Crop Monitoring	Visual inspection by farmers	Drone and satellite imagery with AI analysis
Irrigation Management	Scheduled watering or manual assessment	AI-driven precision irrigation based on real-time soil data
Pest Detection	Regular field scouting	Early detection using AI-analyzed drone imagery
Harvest Planning	Experience-based and calendar scheduling	AI-driven predictions and market analysis

For more insights, explore how SC State's AI robots are transforming farming at the field level, read about the outreach to underserved farmers and veterans in Clarendon County here, and see how these advancements are part of a larger agritech revolution increasing efficiency and sustainability across the state in this detailed briefing.

This summer, Columbia, SC is making strides toward AI literacy with a suite of free, hands-on training initiatives led by the University of South Carolina's Palmetto College and College of Information and Communications.

Open to all community members, these interactive courses demystify generative AI tools, offer practical exercises in prompt crafting, and empower participants - ranging from job seekers to small business owners - to automate daily tasks and enhance their professional skill sets.

Notably, the program's accessibility extends across the USC Palmetto College iCarolina Lab Network, which serves rural communities with workforce and digital skills programming.

According to USC Palmetto College, “These courses will provide valuable insights and practical skills that can drive economic growth and innovation in our region.” Parallel to these workshops, classroom educators, like USC's Marcia Purday, are integrating AI skill-building into formal curricula, preparing students for certifications and guiding local businesses to leverage AI for more efficient operations.

As Purday emphasizes:

“We need to make AI literacy part of general education and not just a ‘nice-to-have' skill for tech-savvy students… Everyone … is going to need to know how to collaborate with AI. We can't avoid it, so we need to learn how to use it ethically.”

The broader movement is echoed by the Palmetto AI Pathways robotics program, which will introduce hands-on robotics and AI-driven technology education to ten Title One middle and high schools across South Carolina, inspiring interest in tech careers and real-world problem-solving.

Learn more about these impactful training efforts at Palmetto AI Pathways pilot program and discover how innovative instructors are building confidence and community around AI at USC's College of Information and Communications AI initiatives.

South Carolina educators are increasingly recognizing artificial intelligence (AI) as a valuable classroom asset, with recent legislative meetings highlighting growing support for AI-powered tutoring as a solution to address student learning gaps and to ease burdens on teachers.

Statewide teacher and student climate surveys, administered between February and April 2025, anonymously capture educators' perspectives and underscore a trend: teachers see AI-driven individualized instruction as pivotal amidst persistent classroom discipline challenges and high turnover rates.

The Lexington-Richland district, for example, is considering a $90,000 investment in AI teaching platforms to help educators effectively tailor instruction to students who span up to seven different grade levels - a reflection of broader ambitions to personalize learning and boost retention.

Nationally, interest is rising as approximately half of school districts now provide AI training for teachers, aiming to enhance integration and responsible technology use.

For detailed insights on legislative discussions about AI tutoring and teacher retention, see the Education Committee's review of discipline and AI tutoring solutions; further data on the administration of statewide climate surveys is available from the South Carolina Department of Education's 2025 survey guidance; and emerging trends in training can be explored via this national survey of district AI support initiatives.

As South Carolina lawmakers race to define legal guardrails for AI-generated "deepfake" content, debate is intensifying over core definitions and child protection measures within proposed legislation.

The state currently lacks explicit laws targeting deepfakes in political communication or sensitive imagery, despite more than half of U.S. states having enacted such protections - 29 addressing pornographic materials and 17 covering political deepfakes since 2019, according to Ballotpedia's AI deepfake legislative tracker.

The urgency is further underscored by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, who highlights that AI-driven morphed and wholly synthetic child sexual abuse materials are proliferating:

“AI now is like the Internet was 30 years ago – it's a society disrupter. Technology can be a useful tool, but it can also be incredibly devastating when used the wrong way,”

Wilson told WRDW/WAGT.

At the federal level, the bipartisan "Take It Down Act" - awaiting the President's signature - will criminalize the publication of nonconsensual intimate imagery, including AI deepfakes, and require online platforms to remove such content within 48 hours of notification, a measure supported by advocacy groups and technology firms alike.

A concise comparison of recent state activity is shown below:

Area	States with Enacted Laws (as of April 2025)
Pornographic Deepfakes	34
Political Deepfakes	25

As South Carolina's legislative session nears adjournment, stakeholders are closely watching for local bills modeled after broader national trends and the swift advancements captured in the federal Take It Down Act, aiming to finally close critical gaps in child and election protection as deepfake technology evolves.

The University of South Carolina (USC) and Columbia-based Van Robotics are at the forefront of a nationally recognized EdTech revolution, deploying thousands of AI-powered ABii robots to classrooms across 38 states and 8 countries.

ABii's interactive 18-inch design - reminiscent of a pint-sized Michelin Man - adapts to students' performance and attentiveness, providing tailored lessons in math, reading, and life skills.

This initiative not only addresses diverse learning needs but also supports teachers amid staffing shortages. The impact is clear: a Department of Education study in South Carolina reported notable test score improvements among ABii users compared to traditional software.

As the program expands, middle school students are now building ABii robots for younger peers through USC's Classroom to Career curriculum, fostering STEM skills and local talent.

As Van Robotics' founder Laura Boccanfuso notes,

“Even though we didn't get an offer [on Shark Tank], it put us on the forefront of conversations about how these things can help kids and teachers, especially amid teacher shortages and diverse student needs.”

Recognized as one of Time Magazine's Best Inventions of 2020, the ABii program demonstrates measurable gains for elementary schools.

The company's evolution and business metrics are summarized below:

Metric	Value
Robots Deployed (2024)	3,000+
Countries/States Served	36+ countries, 38 states
Annual Revenue (2024)	$2–3 million
Lifetime Revenue	$16 million+

For a deep dive into Van Robotics' journey and educational mission, visit the USC News & Events feature on ABii robots in the classroom, explore expanded business and impact details in this Shark Tank Company Update on Van Robotics, and discover ABii's student-friendly feature set on ABii's official product site.

Open-source AI initiatives are transforming South Carolina agriculture by providing small and veteran farmers with advanced, yet accessible technologies that improve efficiency and sustainability.

At the forefront is Dr. Joe Mari Maja's team at South Carolina State University, whose AI-powered autonomous robots, drones, and smart sprayers have reduced manual labor by up to 30% and chemical usage by 40%, leading to an impressive 15% increase in crop yields for participating small farms.

Collaboration with Cotton Incorporated ensures ongoing development of autonomous cotton harvesters and open-source image datasets for AI training in precision agriculture, making technology adoption feasible for smaller operations.

The $749,656 USDA grant-funded outreach program supports practical, hands-on workshops and aims to overcome learning curve apprehensions, especially among South Carolina's underserved and veteran farmers.

According to Dr. Maja,

“Farmers can control everything from their computer, where to plow, where to spray, and let the machines handle the rest.”

As highlighted in Farmonaut's recent report, these innovations, backed by a $46 million AgriTech investment, are helping South Carolina confront challenges such as declining farm numbers and rising operational costs.

The table below compares traditional and AI-powered farming practices:

Farming Aspect	Traditional Method	AI-Powered Method
Weed Control	Manual labor or broad-spectrum herbicides	Precision spraying with AI-guided robots
Crop Monitoring	Visual inspection	Drone/satellite imagery with AI analysis
Irrigation Management	Scheduled/manual assessment	AI-driven, real-time precision
Pest Detection	Scouting fields	AI-analyzed drone imagery
Harvest Planning	Experience/calendar-based	AI predictions and analytics

With increased profitability, reduced environmental impact, and expanded educational opportunities, these open-source AI partnerships are positioning South Carolina as a national leader in sustainable, high-tech agriculture.

Columbia has rapidly become a national model for legislative action against AI-generated child exploitation, as South Carolina lawmakers advance bills to close critical gaps in child protection.

Attorney General Alan Wilson, a vocal advocate for modernizing laws, is backing a suite of measures criminalizing both AI-generated and morphed child sexual abuse material, and enhancing subpoena powers for faster investigations.

Wilson notes,

“Someone can use artificial intelligence to create child sexual abuse material of a child that doesn't really exist or take innocent photos of a real child from social media and use AI to generate explicit content. These bills ensure South Carolina has strong protections in place to hold offenders accountable.”

While South Carolina is poised to join 38 states that already criminalize AI-edited CSAM, the state's legislation also addresses prosecutorial loopholes exposed by federal court rulings and privacy debates within the statehouse.

With over 7,000 reports of AI-generated child exploitation materials to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in the past two years, the urgency is clear.

The push includes efforts for a bipartisan national commission on AI child abuse, setting legislative and law enforcement practices that other states are beginning to emulate.

For a detailed analysis of South Carolina's legislative approach, see the Attorney General's statement on pending bills.

Learn how South Carolina's initiatives fit into broader state and federal legislative trends at NCSL's 2025 AI legislation summary, and compare state-level protections using the Enough Abuse national CSAM law tracker.

Columbia's AI innovation surge is fueling transformation across South Carolina, with the University of South Carolina's facial expression recognition project exemplifying how academic research can rapidly transition into real-world impact.

As described by Dr. Ramtin Zand,

This wasn't just about the technology. It became a full pipeline of training. We took students who had never heard of machine learning and now they're publishing, winning awards, and even going to grad school.

Through strategic partnerships - such as the integration of USC's privacy-respecting AI model into Van Robotics' ABii social robot for K-5 classrooms - AI now supports emotional and personalized learning experiences while keeping student data secure.

Read USC's full story on AI in classrooms. In parallel, a $1 million Google.org grant, part of the national $75 million AI Opportunity Fund, is empowering Midlands nonprofits through AI training, with more than 40% of organizations initially lacking staff with any AI background.

Discover the Google.org grant recipients and impact.

Critically, these advances unfold alongside nationwide legislative attention to AI, as over 45 states introduced 550+ new AI-related bills in 2025 alone, addressing transparency, education, privacy, and workforce readiness.

Track 2025 AI legislative efforts across states. Across education and the nonprofit sector, Columbia's momentum is shaping a broader shift - demonstrating how coordinated funding, cross-sector collaboration, and commitment to ethical AI can accelerate statewide transformation and digital inclusion.