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

Knoxville is emerging as a pivotal hub in the South's technological evolution, catalyzed by bold investments, federal support, and a surge of AI-powered innovation.

Major plans for an AI data center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) position the region to benefit from unique assets like the Tennessee Valley Authority's energy grid and advanced research infrastructure; AI infrastructure alone could account for 12% of national electricity usage by 2028, with initiatives described as "Manhattan Project 2" in scope.

Read more about the private AI development at ORNL.

State momentum continues with venture capital funding in Tennessee climbing to $276 million in Q1 2025 - a 52% year-over-year increase - spurring homegrown startups like Knoxville's Authentrics.ai and supporting health tech, fintech, and AI-centric enterprises, as detailed in the 2025 Tennessee Deal Report.

Meanwhile, federal executive actions are nurturing AI education from K-12 to the workforce through new cross-agency partnerships and registered apprenticeships, further enhancing regional talent prospects.

Learn more about the AI education executive order.

This combined momentum underscores Knoxville's role as a strategic launchpad for equitable growth, workforce transformation, and continued leadership in tech-driven economic progress.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) stands at the forefront of a nationwide initiative to expand AI infrastructure, as the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) considers it one of 16 uniquely positioned sites for rapid AI data center development.

The 562-acre federal plot near ORNL offers advantages such as proximity to TVA's robust electric grid and ongoing nuclear energy projects, positioning it as a prime location to support both public and private AI advances.

Current projections indicate that by 2028, AI data centers could consume up to 12% of the nation's electricity, with the DOE accelerating permitting and partnerships to facilitate clean energy-powered data centers by the end of 2027.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright declared,

“The global race for AI dominance is the next Manhattan project, and with President Trump's leadership and the innovation of our National Labs, the United States can and will win.”

ORNL is already renowned for its AI research and commitment to trustworthy, energy-efficient application.

As Director of AI Programs Prasanna Balaprakash explained,

“It's a sort of the marriage between the availability of the data and the availability of the cheap compute that allowed us to learn directly from this data and to build intelligence systems.”

The table below summarizes critical data center energy projections and site characteristics:

Metric	Value (2025-2028)
Potential ORNL Data Center Acreage	562 acres
U.S. Data Center Electricity Share (projected by 2028)	Up to 12%
Target Year for Operational AI Centers	End of 2027

Explore more about plans to build on DOE labs' strengths in the Knox News feature on Oak Ridge's AI data center potential, review the official DOE release identifying all 16 federal data center sites, and see ORNL's ongoing AI research initiatives in the ORNL AI Initiative overview.

Knoxville's own SafeSpace Global Corporation has emerged as a leader in artificial intelligence safety, following its April 2025 rebranding from Healthcare Integrated Technologies.

The company's transformation marks a strategic shift beyond its initial focus on senior care, now offering patented ambient AI technology that enhances situational awareness and risk mitigation across healthcare, education, transportation, manufacturing, and commercial sectors.

Boasting a global presence with operations spanning the USA, Europe, Singapore, and India, SafeSpace Global's flagship SafeSpace® Fall Monitoring system uses advanced AI for improved resident safety, while new offerings like SafeSchool and SafeFace Access Control expand the reach of its solutions.

As President Dustin Hillis affirms,

"Our new name reflects our expanded mission to make the world a safer place through advanced AI technologies."

Financially, the company's stock (SSGC) has demonstrated remarkable growth, as showcased below:

Period	SSGC Return	S&P 500 Return
YTD	+109.22%	-4.72%
1-Year	+189.22%	+11.67%
3-Year	+150.00%	+35.63%

With continuous product innovation, a growing global workforce, and investments in leadership, SafeSpace Global is setting itself apart as a model for responsible AI deployment.

Dive deeper into their rebranding journey and global impact at the official SafeSpace Global rebranding announcement, review their SafeSpace Global company profile and leadership structure, and analyze their recent SafeSpace Global stock performance.

SafeSpace Global, formerly Healthcare Integrated Technologies, has named Anand Ijju as Chief Technology Officer, effective May 1, 2025 - a key move for the Knoxville-based leader in AI-driven safety solutions.

With more than two decades of executive leadership, Ijju previously played a pivotal role in scaling ProKarma (Concentrix) to $525 million in revenue and a $1.5 billion valuation.

At SafeSpace Global, Ijju will oversee the expansion of the technology team and lead the development of its ambient AI platform to deliver advanced safety monitoring solutions across healthcare, schools, and critical environments.

The company's latest market data highlights strong momentum, with a one-year return of +174.5%, outpacing the broader US healthcare sector and S&P 500. Core products, including SafeSpace® Fall Monitoring and SafeSchool, target real-time safety needs from senior living to education.

As Ijju stated,

“I have already helped build one $1.5 billion company, and I truly believe HITC is my next billion-dollar journey. The vision, team, and technology here are exceptional, and I look forward to helping scale SafeSpace Global's AI innovations worldwide.”

This leadership appointment comes amid a period of board expansion, funding growth, and rebranding.

For further details, see the official press release on Anand Ijju's appointment as Chief Technology Officer, an overview of SafeSpace Global's stock performance and financial analysis, and a summary of SafeSpace Global's recent company milestones and executive moves.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is at the center of an electrical transformation as the rise of AI supercomputing and data center construction drives unprecedented regional power demand.

In response, TVA is developing a dedicated electricity rate class for power-hungry data centers - a move triggered by projects like Elon Musk's xAI supercomputer in Memphis, which alone is set to consume 150 megawatts, equivalent to powering nearly 90,000 homes, and is seeking to double this allocation in the coming years.

The need for a separate rate stems from the fact that data centers use vast amounts of electricity but create relatively few jobs compared to other industrial customers, prompting TVA to end incentive grants for such projects and consult stakeholders on equitable rate solutions, with a formal proposal set for board review in May (TVA develops separate electric rate class for data centers).

This regional shift mirrors national debates, as lawmakers and consumer advocates warn that spiraling AI-driven energy needs could push utility bills significantly higher for ordinary residents, especially if utilities must build costly new power plants and transmission lines (Lawmakers fear AI data centers will drive up residents' power bills).

Forward-looking utilities elsewhere are experimenting with innovative tariffs and contracts to ensure that new generation assets - such as solar, battery storage, and even nuclear - support both grid reliability and decarbonization goals, while shielding current customers from data center costs (Innovative Utility Tariffs Pave the Way for Flexible, Carbon-Free Data Centers).

As Knoxville and the Tennessee Valley region continue to attract large AI and data infrastructure investments, TVA's evolving strategies will be key to balancing growth, affordability, and an equitable energy future for all.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is advancing the frontier of AI safety and security with its robust research infrastructure and newly launched Center for Artificial Intelligence Security Research (CAISER), focusing on emerging AI threats in fields like cybersecurity, biometrics, and geospatial intelligence.

CAISER's mission is to rigorously analyze vulnerabilities and develop practical mitigation strategies as AI adoption accelerates in both scientific and national security applications - underscored by concerns such as the proliferation of deepfakes and risks arising from poorly regulated AI systems.

As Edmon Begoli, CAISER's founding director, asserts,

“We are at a crossroads. AI tools and AI-based technologies are inherently vulnerable and exploitable, which can lead to unforeseen consequences. We're defining a new field of AI security research and committing to intensive research and development of mitigating strategies and solutions against emerging AI risks.”

Complementing these efforts, ORNL's AI Initiative and hands-on events like the upcoming AI Expo demonstrate the lab's unique capacity to accelerate scientific breakthroughs while ensuring trustworthiness and energy efficiency in AI, with subject matter experts leveraging frontier models such as OpenAI's o1 and Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet to tackle complex research challenges.

The U.S. Department of Energy has also positioned ORNL as a prime site for next-generation AI data centers, aiming to harness its expertise and existing infrastructure to address massive AI-driven energy demands and uphold national research preeminence - a development highlighted in recent coverage on federal plans for large-scale AI data centers at ORNL.

For an in-depth look at CAISER's pivotal role in shaping AI security, see the Potomac Officers Club's feature on ORNL's AI-related cybersecurity initiatives.

Initiative	Established	Key Focus Areas
AI Initiative	–	Trustworthy, secure, and energy-efficient AI for science and security
CAISER	2023	Cybersecurity, biometrics, geospatial analysis, nonproliferation
DOE AI Data Center Site	Planned by 2027	AI research, energy efficiency, public-private partnerships

Motive's Vision 25 conference in Austin spotlighted a wave of AI-powered advancements redefining fleet safety and operational efficiency. Key tools revealed included new safety AI models that detect and prevent leading causes of collisions - such as driver fatigue, lane swerving, and unsafe parking - by analyzing over 10 fatigue indicators and delivering real-time alerts to both drivers and managers.

The integrated Motive AI Coach provides scalable, avatar-based coaching with personalized feedback, while the AI Assistant issues timely notifications for risks like severe weather or engine faults.

Fraud prevention received a robust upgrade, with AI-driven controls on Motive fuel cards and a $250,000 fraud protection guarantee, saving fleets millions by instantly blocking suspicious transactions.

Motive Analytics, introduced at the summit, empowers teams with natural language queries and live dashboards that turn the company's 30 billion daily data points into actionable insights - dramatically reducing time spent on report analysis.

The efficacy of these tools is already evident; fleets using Motive's AI Dashcams reported an 80% reduction in collisions within a year and achieved $2 million in insurance savings.

“Our mission is to empower the people who run physical operations with AI-powered tools that make their work safer, more productive and more profitable,” said CEO Shoaib Makani.

For a deeper dive into these innovations, explore the official Motive Vision 25 product announcement, review comprehensive coverage from FreightWaves on Motive's new AI suite, or see how Work Truck Online breaks down fleet safety and AI coaching tools.

Churches in Knoxville and beyond are navigating a surge in artificial intelligence adoption, using it primarily for operational efficiency and community engagement while setting careful boundaries around spiritual content.

According to the latest Pushpay 2025 State of Church Tech Report, 45% of church leaders now utilize AI - a jump of 80% from last year - with strategic importance expected to rise further.

AI's main uses include improving communications, creating social media and imagery, and streamlining administration, while less than a quarter of churches rely on AI for sermons or devotionals, reflecting ongoing theological caution.

As summarized by Crosswalk's 2025 survey analysis, most churches “are riding the wave of enthusiasm” for AI, yet maintain that “AI's role in spiritual leadership is still being approached with trepidation.” Digital tools have proven valuable for enhancing community connection - with four times as many churches reporting technology helps reduce loneliness - and live streaming now reaches 87% adoption.

Highlights from these findings are summarized below:

Technology Use	Percentage of Churches
AI (any use)	45%
AI for images/graphics	47%
AI for sermons	18%
Live streaming services	87%
Increased tech budgets	52%

“Technology plays a critical role in ministry and is seen as a way to enhance, not replace, human relationships central to the Church.” - Kenny Wyatt, Pushpay CEO

For more insights on the evolving relationship between faith and digital innovation, examine the detailed findings reported at Religion Unplugged.

Bill Gates is making headlines with his bold vision that artificial intelligence could soon erase chronic shortages in skilled professions such as medicine and teaching, a shift with major implications for East Tennessee and beyond.

Gates forecasts that AI-driven tools will offer expert medical advice and tutoring at scale, eliminating the need for many human experts while making previously scarce services broadly accessible.

As Gates observed,

“AI will come in and provide medical IQ, and there won't be a shortage…My kids - and certainly my grandkids - a lot of their lives will be in that very changed world.”

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the U.S. may face a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, and 86% of K-12 public schools reported difficulties hiring teachers for the 2023-2024 year.

AI startups are already investing billions in technologies to automate administrative tasks, optimize diagnosis, and enable personalized learning, with McKinsey estimating generative AI could boost healthcare and pharma productivity by up to $370 billion.

While Gates acknowledges that the rapid rise of automation - particularly in medicine, education, and even skilled manual labor - signals a future where shorter workweeks and earlier retirements may become the norm, he also cautions that society will need to rethink the value of time and work in this new era.

For more details on Gates' predictions and their potential impact, see the original reporting from Business Insider's analysis of AI in healthcare and education, Benzinga's coverage of Gates' outlook for the next generation, and CNBC's exploration of his call for a societal rethink around labor.

The table below summarizes current workforce shortages and projected AI impact:

Sector	Current Shortage	AI Projected Benefit
Medicine	Up to 86,000 doctors by 2036 (US)	Task automation, diagnostic support, expanded access
Education	86% of K-12 schools face hiring issues	Personalized learning, virtual tutoring, workflow efficiency

Dr. Robbie K. Melton of Tennessee State University (TSU) has earned national distinction as one of the 2025 Leading Women in AI, celebrated by The AI SHOW @ ASU+GSV. As interim provost and vice president for technology and innovation, Dr. Melton is recognized for her visionary leadership in advancing AI and mobile technology in education, founding the SMART AI for All Research Center, and establishing TSU as the first global HBCU coding hub through pivotal partnerships.

Her impact extends beyond TSU, with roles such as UNICEF Teacher Education Technology Trainer in Malawi and advocate for underrepresented communities in tech.

Dr. Melton's distinction as a leader was honored at the Arizona State University and Global Silicon Valley Summit in San Diego. Reflecting on the award, she stated,

“I am deeply honored and incredibly excited to be recognized as the 2025 Leading Woman in AI. As a Black woman in technology, this award signifies not only personal achievement but also a powerful symbol of representation and possibility. This recognition serves as a beacon for young women, especially young Black women, to see what is possible.”

Her achievements include induction into the USDLA Hall of Fame and selection as a Top 50 Woman Leader in Education.

For a comprehensive overview of her career and keynote work, explore the 2025 MS-CC Annual Meeting details and keynote address.

Dr. Melton's initiatives demonstrate a commitment to inclusive innovation and workforce transformation in AI, underscored by TSU's ongoing leadership in research, outreach, and equity.

Visit the TSU SMART AI Center official website for more on their programs and impact.

Knoxville-based TrackerRMS is accelerating its AI innovation and global leadership with the unveiling of EVA, a fully integrated, conversational AI agent engineered to transform recruitment workflows.

EVA leverages natural language processing to automate candidate screening, administrative tasks, and outreach - empowering recruiters, sales, HR teams, and executives to streamline processes up to three times faster than manual typing.

As Andy Jones, CEO of Tracker, asserts,

“EVA puts Tracker squarely at the forefront of the AI evolution in recruitment. We are going farther than ever to reduce recruiter workload, improve candidate engagement, and ensure smarter hiring decisions – all seamlessly within the platform and at no additional cost.”

The company's strategic move is bolstered by the appointment of George Herat as Chief Operating Officer, further enhancing global operational efficiency and customer experience.

Alongside AI advancements, TrackerRMS recently launched Onboarding+, an all-in-one solution to automate compliance and accelerate placements for recruiters. The company's reach now spans over 40 countries, with teams in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, cementing its status as a world-class provider of recruitment technology.

For more on EVA's launch and unique departmental benefits, see the official Tracker announcement; for details on Tracker's global expansion and leadership updates, visit George Herat's COO appointment coverage; and to learn how Onboarding+ is reimagining recruiting operations, read the Onboarding+ product release.

Knoxville's latest wave of tech innovation underscores its emergence as a bellwether for AI progress and digital transformation across healthcare, education, and industry.

The region is home to AI-driven breakthroughs such as Cumberland Medical Center's HYDROS™ Robotic System, the first AI-powered robotic surgery for treating enlarged prostates in East Tennessee.

This technology enables “patients [to] suffer from less pain with the operation. Compared to traditional techniques, they have a faster recovery with fewer side effects,”

“Hospital stays are typically shorter – just one night – and you can resume normal activity within two weeks,” said Dr. William Young of Cumberland Specialty Group.

On the education front, partnerships between UT Knoxville and local CTE organizations are strengthening Career and Technical Education pipelines, ensuring the workforce adapts as AI reshapes manufacturing, logistics, and construction jobs (Explore Knoxville's AI-ready Career and Technical Education initiatives).

Meanwhile, advanced AI solutions for contactless health monitoring developed at UT reflect the city's role in solving real-world problems via remote sensing and analytics (UT research on AI-powered health radar technology).

As these innovations multiply, Knoxville's approach is further bolstered by investment in tech education - including accessible, industry-aligned programs like Nucamp's coding bootcamps and scholarship opportunities - to rebuild talent pipelines and prepare individuals for a future where cutting-edge AI and robotics are foundational (Opinion: unlocking regional talent through apprenticeships).

The result is a community poised at the forefront of technological change, fueling progress regionally and beyond.