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

Honolulu is propelling its AI and tech transformation in May 2025 through strategic collaboration, dynamic events, and innovative public sector adoption. The exclusive NEXUS Honolulu summit united city leaders and tech experts to shape actionable, secure AI roadmaps tailored for government operations, focusing on tangible improvements to workflows and enhanced public service delivery; as ImageSource CEO Terry Sutherland put it,

“NEXUS Honolulu identified practical ways AI can reduce manual workloads, speed up processes, and improve service delivery.”

Alongside these efforts, the city's Department of Planning and Permitting continues its rollout of AI-based platforms such as CivCheck to accelerate building plan reviews, with goals of shrinking residential permit wait times from six months to just weeks and eliminating backlog - a major leap for civic tech efficiency (AI-driven permitting upgrades sharpen Honolulu's efficiency).

For residents and professionals wanting to understand the broader scope of AI in Hawaii, community-driven forums and security-focused conferences like INTERFACE Honolulu 2025 offer education on the benefits, risks, and evolving tech landscape (NEXUS Honolulu's strategy for an AI-driven government; Honolulu's INTERFACE IT event spotlights AI and cybersecurity).

Together, these developments place Honolulu at the forefront of meaningful, secure, and community-oriented digital innovation.

The Hawaiʻi State Judiciary marked Law Day 2025 with the launch of KolokoloChat, a groundbreaking AI-powered chatbot developed in partnership with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa to improve access to court information and services for all residents.

By leveraging natural language processing, KolokoloChat offers 24/7 conversational support, instant answers to frequently asked questions, and direct links to online forms and self-help resources, especially empowering self-represented litigants.

The tool's Hawaiian name, meaning “to track, investigate, or seek evidence,” reflects its mission to guide users through the often complex legal system. According to Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald,

“By providing quick and easy access to vital information, we are empowering individuals to navigate the legal system with greater ease and confidence.”

The collaboration saw UH Mānoa's Information and Computer Sciences faculty and students train the AI on a comprehensive dataset of court rules and user queries, while support from tech partners such as IBM and Google helped ensure robust security and deployment.

For a deeper look at features and stakeholder perspectives, visit the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa news release on the KolokoloChat launch, the official Hawaiʻi State Judiciary AI chatbot press announcement, and instructions on using KolokoloChat on the Hawaii News Now coverage of the AI chatbot launch.

Residents can access KolokoloChat directly via the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary website.

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa has officially launched new graduate programs in artificial intelligence (AI) and data science this fall, marking a pivotal step for Hawaii's tech workforce.

The offerings include a master's degree in AI for students with a computer science background and a flexible graduate certificate program designed to open doors for professionals from other industries seeking to pivot into technology roles.

Both tracks emphasize hands-on projects that reflect current market needs and ethical AI development. As Associate Professor Mahdi Belcaid explained,

“AI is moving very quickly and changing how we live and how we work and if Hawaii wants to have a say in how AI is used, how AI is leveraged, and which communities and how it helps our communities, then we have to do it right now.”

UH Mānoa's rollout responds to exponential growth in AI applications - benefiting fields from medicine to education - while also addressing concerns around emerging challenges like deepfakes, IP theft, and social engineering.

Recent coverage emphasizes that programs like these hope to position UH as a leader in transformative, human-centric AI career training and research advancement (MidWeek's Think About It Hawaii feature on AI programs).

For more details on these fall 2025 opportunities and application information, visit the Hawaii News Now report on UH Mānoa's AI and Data Science Programs and explore further university resources and news at the UH Mānoa Information and Computer Sciences Department AI and Machine Learning portal.

At the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) 2025 conference held in Honolulu, GE HealthCare introduced the SIGNA™ Sprint 1.5T MRI, an ultra-premium system designed to advance cardiology and oncology imaging through built-in artificial intelligence and state-of-the-art hardware.

This wide-bore scanner delivers image clarity and gradient performance typically reserved for higher-strength 3.0T systems, featuring a 70 cm patient opening for enhanced comfort, free-breathing capabilities, blanket-like AIR™ Coils, and deep learning technologies such as AIR Recon DL and Sonic DL. These innovations empower clinicians with faster, more precise scans for both diagnosis and treatment monitoring, while built-in AI tools also reduce scan interpretation time and optimize workflow.

According to Kelly Londy, CEO of MR at GE HealthCare,

“We're pushing the limits of what's possible in MRI. SIGNA Sprint is more than a scanner, it's a strategic leap toward earlier detection, precision medicine, and next-level research capabilities.”

As the system awaits FDA 510(k) clearance, it symbolizes a shift toward precision diagnostics for two leading causes of death: cardiovascular disease and cancer.

For a detailed breakdown, see the table below:

Feature	Details
Magnet Strength	1.5 Tesla (emulates 3.0T benefits)
Patient Comfort	70 cm wide bore, AIR™ Coils, free-breathing scans
AI Technologies	AIR Recon DL, Sonic DL, AIR x
Clinical Focus	Cardiology, Oncology, Radiotherapy
Regulatory Status	FDA 510(k) pending, not CE marked

Discover more about the SIGNA Sprint MRI launch and its AI-powered innovations, explore the press release covering technical highlights and global health significance, and review practical clinical impacts reported in Applied Radiation Oncology's feature on new standards in diagnostic imaging.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo's Listening Observatory for Hawaiian Ecosystems (LOHE Lab) is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence to conserve Hawaii's endangered native birds and support cultural preservation.

By deploying palm-sized acoustic recorders throughout the forests and partnering with Google's Bioacoustics Research Group, the LOHE Lab developed the Perch bird vocalization classifier, an AI algorithm adept at distinguishing the highly variable songs of native Hawaiian birds - an essential advancement for monitoring elusive, endangered species.

“It is becoming increasingly important to develop landscape-scale management tools to help prevent the decline and extinction of Hawaiian birds,”

explains Professor Patrick Hart, who also integrates cultural traditions by collaborating with ʻĀhuimanu to compose oli (Hawaiian chants) that celebrate and uplift Hawaii's vibrant avifauna.

The impact is profound: while manually analyzing two months of soundscape data might require weeks, the AI model now accomplishes the same in minutes, enabling rapid response to population declines and effective resource allocation, even expanding to monitor invasive species like coqui frogs and bats.

With only 26 forest bird species remaining (24 of them endangered), this technological and cultural synergy is critical.

Total Hawaiian Forest Bird Species	Species Lost	Species Remaining	Endangered Species
84	58	26	24

To learn more about the fusion of AI and tradition in Hawaiian conservation, visit this feature on UH Hilo's conservationists and explore their interdisciplinary approach as described in West Hawaii Today's coverage on AI-driven cultural projects.

Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu is facing an unprecedented radiology backlog, with over 8,000 medical imaging exams awaiting review amid an acute shortage of radiologists and technologists.

This crisis is felt across Hawaii, where the number of unfilled radiology positions has surged by nearly 40% since 2022, leaving critical diagnostic scans - including CTs, MRIs, and ultrasounds - pending and delaying vital surgeries and treatments.

In response, Queen's is prioritizing emergency and time-sensitive cases, accelerating recruitment, employing temporary and remote teleradiology solutions, and beginning to explore artificial intelligence for initial image screening to help human experts better manage the load.

As Darlena Chadwick, Chief Operating Officer of Queen's Health Systems, explains,

“We are seeing high volumes of diagnostic imaging requests which tends to be some of the sickest patients in our community. The care of our patients is our highest priority and we are working diligently every day to address any delays.”

These challenges are compounded by Hawaii's overall healthcare worker shortage - recent data indicate a 14% vacancy rate in health professions statewide, including over 170 radiologic and ultrasound technologist openings.

For a comprehensive look at the crisis and the measures being taken, read Health Imaging's analysis of the radiologist shortage, explore Hawaii News Now's coverage of technology solutions like AI and teleradiology, and dive into Radiology Business for industry-wide strategies and the latest staffing figures.

The situation underscores the urgent need for technological transformation and workforce investment to sustain quality care for Hawaii's patients.

Role	Estimated Openings (2024-2025)
Radiologists	10+ statewide
Radiologic/Ultrasound Technologists	174
Total Healthcare Positions	4,669
Radiology Backlog (Queen's Medical Center)	8,000+ exams

The University of Hawaiʻi (UH) has partnered with Google to offer free, comprehensive AI and career training for students, faculty, and staff across all 10 campuses, in a move designed to prepare Hawaii's workforce for the digital age.

Through this initiative, the UH community gains access to Google's “AI Essentials” course, a five-hour, self-paced program that teaches foundational skills in artificial intelligence, responsible AI use, prompting, and hands-on productivity applications - no experience required.

Included within the Grow with Google Career Certificates program, participants can also pursue credentials in high-demand fields such as data analytics, cybersecurity, and IT support, with micro-credentials backed by the American Council on Education and recognized by over 1,500 employers.

The impact is significant, with more than 350,000 U.S. participants having completed Google Career Certificates and over 70% reporting a positive job outcome within six months, as detailed in UH and Google's official announcement on AI training partnership.

Additionally, up to 3,500 renewable licenses are available at any given time, allowing ongoing enrollment through December 2027 under UH's participation in the NASH-Google Community of Practice, as reported in UH's workforce training update on AI and career skills.

The program also promotes ethical, secure, and environmentally conscious AI practices, with ongoing policy reviews and input from faculty on issues ranging from privacy to sustainability, highlighted in this Star-Advertiser feature on University of Hawaii's AI training initiative.

“This is a valuable opportunity for our community to develop in-demand AI skills and stay ahead in today's rapidly evolving technological landscape,”

said UH President Wendy Hensel, emphasizing the program's role in boosting Hawaii's economic resilience and competitiveness.

Malama Kula, a Maui-based nonprofit, has made significant strides in wildfire prevention by deploying AI-powered smoke detection cameras across the Kula neighborhood, an area hard hit by brush fires in August 2023.

These high-tech devices can monitor up to 20 miles in all directions and provide real-time alerts to both human monitoring centers and the Maui Fire Department, a process that offered residents crucial evacuation time during a September 2024 incident.

The initiative was funded by private donations - with annual monitoring costs at $13,000 - as Hawaiian Electric's ongoing statewide camera installation did not originally extend to Kula.

As Kari McCarthy, a 2023 fire victim, noted, Malama Kula's approach

provides peace of mind without bureaucracy

, allowing rapid, community-centered action.

Meanwhile, Hawaiian Electric is pursuing broader wildfire resilience plans, investing $450 million (2025–2027) to upgrade grid infrastructure, expand AI camera networks, and achieve 100% visual coverage of high-risk fire zones; notable progress includes 44 AI-assisted cameras and more than 53 new weather stations as of 2024.

For further insights into the local efforts that are redefining wildfire response, view the original coverage on Malama Kula's AI camera installations in Kula, Hawaiian Electric's $450M high-tech wildfire resiliency plan, and the broader context of Hawaii's early fire detection initiatives in Maui's smart sensor deployment.

The TRUE Initiative is accelerating Hawaii's transition into a tech-powered economy by championing technology adoption, fostering collaboration, and promoting high-value jobs across the local business landscape.

According to senior leadership,

“Our mission is to help Hawaii organizations not only improve their day-to-day operations by way of technology, but also create high value jobs for the local workforce.”

TRUE's recent efforts include hosting the Hawaii Cloud Innovation Summit, providing hands-on solutions in AI-driven call centers and customer experience, and supporting modernization through cloud migration and workflow automation.

Their approach leverages community-focused partnerships to help organizations boost productivity, diversify Hawaii's economy, and increase wage opportunities.

Key initiatives this year, such as the Cloud Innovation Summit, have brought together business, government, and non-profit leaders, emphasizing the importance of working together to future-proof Hawaii's workforce and business operations.

The impact is reflected in new use cases, ranging from AI analytics to customer data platforms, as well as investments in public resources like esports and technology labs for upskilling residents.

For an in-depth look at their ongoing mission and events, read the Pacific Business News executive profile of the TRUE Initiative, explore their official insights and resources on the TRUE Hawaii official website, or see Nucamp's overview of how TRUE advances tech adoption and job growth across Hawaii in This Month's Latest Tech News in Honolulu.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is advancing Honolulu's tech ecosystem by launching a dedicated master's degree in Artificial Intelligence (AI) this fall, alongside a graduate certificate in AI and data science intended to help professionals from other fields transition into technology roles.

Applications are now open for both programs, which emphasize hands-on projects directly aligned with market demand for AI talent. As Associate Professor Mahdi Belcaid put it,

“AI is moving very quickly and changing how we live and how we work and if Hawaii wants to have a say in how AI is used, how AI is leveraged, and which communities and how it helps our communities, then we have to do it right now.”

This announcement responds to an exceptionally robust local tech job market - data science roles are set to surge by 35% and cybersecurity by 32% in 2025, with software engineers commanding approximately $110,000 annually and data scientists around $125,000 according to the Nucamp 2025 Tech Market Report.

In addition to new programs at UH Mānoa, Hawaii's educational landscape includes other data science initiatives, scholarships, and research opportunities detailed in the Guide to Master's in Data Science Programs in Hawaii.

For further details on the new master's and certificate options, visit the official announcement on Hawaii News Now.

Role	Projected Growth (2025)	Average Salary
Data Scientist	+35%	$125,000
Cybersecurity Expert	+32%	$120,360
Software Engineer	-	$110,000

Honolulu's Navy detachment is playing a pivotal role in advancing the Sentiment and Topic Analysis for Reliable Supply (STARS) project, a national initiative to modernize the Navy's supply chain oversight with artificial intelligence.

Developed in partnership with Virginia Tech and funded by the Naval Engineering Education Consortium, STARS leverages large language models to analyze contractor performance reviews and flag inconsistencies between narrative text and numerical scores, enabling more objective and reliable contract decisions.

As Brett Davis, department head of Supplier Quality and Logistics IT Systems at the Naval Sea Logistics Center, explains:

"The goal is to use AI-powered sentiment analysis to better understand the meaning behind narrative text in contractor assessments... If we can improve the quality of narrative text, it provides much more value for applications like supply chain risk management."

While initial research uses publicly available datasets to refine AI models, the technology holds promise for broader Department of Defense use in areas like supply chain risk management and performance forecasting.

According to a recent U.S. Department of Defense report, “AI-enabled business analytics at agencies like DLA have flagged 19,000+ high-risk suppliers from 43,000 analyzed, helping preempt fraud and ensuring supply chain resilience.” For a local perspective, the latest Honolulu tech roundup spotlights STARS as part of a wave of AI adoption in Hawaii's public sector.

Nationally, the Navy's digital strategy aims to further integrate AI into readiness, maintenance, and logistics by 2026, as detailed in FedTech Magazine's coverage of West 2025.

For deeper insight into the Navy's supply chain transformation, read the full breakdown of the STARS initiative at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center's project page.

Hawaii's tech future is characterized by dynamic growth, community-driven innovation, and a commitment to resilience through upskilling and cross-sector collaboration.

Honolulu stands out with a projected 15% five-year tech sector growth, fueled by AI-powered initiatives like wildfire detection, court chatbots, and high-value job creation through partnerships such as the TRUE Initiative.

As reported in Nucamp's May 2025 Honolulu tech digest, over 70% of University of Hawaiʻi's free AI and career certificate program completers have landed promotions or new jobs within six months, demonstrating clear workforce impact.

Community efforts - including over 50 events during the inaugural Honolulu Tech Week - blend networking, mentorship, and product launches across startups, accelerators, and established enterprises, as showcased at Honolulu Tech Week.

The TRUE Initiative further amplifies local opportunity, with Executive Director Nicole Cacal stating in a recent interview,

“Our mission is to help Hawaii organizations not only improve their day-to-day operations by way of technology, but also create high value jobs for the local workforce.”

A robust ecosystem of accelerators and tailored coding bootcamps - from Web Development Fundamentals to the Solo AI Tech Entrepreneur program - empowers professionals and entrepreneurs alike.

For deeper insights into the startups and collaborative networks propelling Hawaii's tech advancement, explore Inside Honolulu's Thriving Tech Hub: Startups and Success Stories.

Together, these efforts position Hawaii as a resilient, inclusive Pacific hub for tomorrow's tech leaders.