This Month's Latest Tech News in Laredo, TX - Sunday August 31st 2025 Edition

Weekly commentary: AI's double-edged week - innovation, risk, and local stakes in Laredo - This week's InvestigateTV deep dive shows why Laredo readers should care: dazzling creator demos (yes, a potato once posed as a purse) teach people how easy it is to fake scenes, even as the Department of Homeland Security and reports on deepfake losses warn of real harms - more than $200 million in reported financial thefts this year alone.

Local newsrooms and creators are racing to turn those flashy tricks into public lessons; watch InvestigateTV's “AI or Real?” investigation to see side‑by‑side manipulations and practical spotting tips (InvestigateTV investigation: "AI or Real? - How to spot AI-manipulated content").

For Laredo professionals worried about being misled - or becoming a target - practical training like Nucamp's Nucamp AI Essentials for Work bootcamp (15 weeks) teaches promptcraft and tool use so communities can respond with skills, not just alarm.

“I'm trying to create AI awareness...It's not coming, it's here.” - Travis Bible

AI or Real? How to spot manipulated images and video - InvestigateTV's hands‑on investigation walks readers through vivid, shareable demos (yes, a potato once posed as a purse) that show how easy it is to swap, erase, or relight scenes using tools like Adobe Firefly and Photoshop; creators such as Madeline Salazar and filmmaker Travis Bible turn viral stunts into lessons so communities can learn to spot the tricks and not just be dazzled by them - watch the full InvestigateTV report for side‑by‑side comparisons and an interactive “spot the fake” game (InvestigateTV report: “AI or Real?” - how to spot manipulated images and video).

At the same time, verification experts warn that automated detectors aren't a silver bullet - detection tools can mislead or be evaded, so pair tool results with common‑sense checks, metadata and forensic methods (Columbia Journalism Review Tow Center guide: Deepfake detection technology for journalists (2025)) - because the stakes are real: scams, targeted harassment, and even large financial losses have already followed convincing fakes, so learn the signs and practice with real examples before you share.

“I'm trying to create AI awareness...It's not coming, it's here.” - Travis Bible

Posthumous voices: AI recreates overdose victims for anti-drug campaigns - A striking new approach called “Unfinished Legacies” uses AI and deepfake techniques to let three overdose victims - Jaden Anderson, Victor Avalos Marmolejo, and Jordan Coburn - speak directly to peers, aiming to cut through the scroll-stunned indifference of 18–35-year-olds by rolling short videos on Spotify and social media alongside static out‑of‑home ads; InvestigateTV's feature and industry writeups explain how creators and agencies worked with families, conducted in‑depth interviews, and manually scripted messages so these digital recreations feel personal rather than preachy (InvestigateTV feature on Unfinished Legacies AI deepfake campaign, MMM Online campaign profile of AI deepfake overdose campaign); proponents say the tactic humanizes grim statistics, while public‑health research and ethics guides urge careful, trust‑building use of AI and data - for example, machine‑learning work that can predict overdose risk offers a complementary, data‑driven path for targeted outreach but demands safeguards around stigma and false positives (University of Alberta machine learning study predicting future opioid overdose cases).

“What goes wrong in other campaigns is they act like the D.A.R.E. officer telling kids to stop doing drugs as opposed to somebody who they might sit next to in a lunchroom and who says, ‘This could actually happen to you.'” - Katy Hornaday

Run on Less – Messy Middle revs into Fort Wayne on September 8 as NACFE's three‑week showcase follows 13 fleets - including Laredo's own Albert Transport - to put diesel, biodiesel, natural gas, battery‑electric and hydrogen tractors through real‑world long‑haul and return‑to‑base duty cycles; the goal is practical clarity, not ideology, with Geotab telematics streaming comparable metrics so fleets can see what actually works where and why.

For Laredo operators and logistics watchers, that means watching a 2022 Freightliner Cascadia with a Detroit DD15 (Albert Transport) run the same routes that a battery Tesla Semi, Volvo VNR BEV, or Hyundai XCIENT fuel‑cell truck will, and learning from on‑the‑road data and NACFE's Bootcamp sessions.

Follow NACFE's event page for schedules and fleet profiles and catch the early fleet videos to see how a mix of powertrains performs under long‑haul conditions (NACFE announcement: 13 fleets, Run on Less – Messy Middle hub).

“PITT OHIO as well as other fleets I've spoken with are thrilled to have such a wide range of fleets and solutions in this Run,” - Taki Darakos

Top Tech Cities 2025: where Laredo stands and why internet quality matters - Cloudwards' 2025 ranking places Laredo near the bottom on two slices that shape local opportunity: 98th for internet coverage & quality and 99th for innovation and startups, a blunt signal that a city's digital plumbing affects whether remote jobs, creators and small tech firms can grow (Cloudwards Top Tech Cities 2025 ranking).

That local shortfall matters even as national metrics show strong fixed broadband performance (the U.S. ranks highly on fixed speeds), so a good country-level ranking doesn't always translate to consistent service on Main Street - a gap Telecom analysts say can be narrowed by faster 5G rollouts, cloud-native network upgrades and expanding LEO satellite options (Speedtest Global Index for U.S. Internet Speeds, Wipro 2025 Telecom Innovation Priorities).

For Laredo readers, that means infrastructure and policy - not just talent - will determine whether the city moves up the tech map.

DHS & industry quantify deepfake financial and security risks - Federal labs and security agencies are blunt: generative tools are getting “much, much better,” and that evolution is shrinking the gap between trickery and real‑world harm.

DHS Science & Technology's latest feature warns of multimodal fakes - voice, text and video - that can be produced on modest PC hardware, bypassing old liveness cues and creating new attack surfaces for license‑plate readers, fixed towers and biometric systems (DHS Science & Technology feature on multimodal deepfake risks); the NSA and partner agencies likewise advise organizations to adopt real‑time verification, passive detection, and rehearsed response plans to blunt impersonation, brand‑spoofing and fraud that target leaders and finance teams (NSA and federal agencies guidance on deepfake threats).

Independent assessments from allied governments add that generative AI will amplify digital, political and physical risks unless detection, identity verification and cross‑sector policy keep pace.

For Laredo businesses and institutions, the practical takeaway is simple: invest in layered verification, train staff on social‑engineering scenarios, and treat synthetic media as an immediate operational risk, not just a distant research problem.

“There are just tons and tons more tools and they're getting much, much better.” - Dr. Amy Henninger

Creators teaching AI literacy: viral demos and PSAs - As federal momentum pushes AI into classrooms and workforce programs, creators and local newsrooms are turning viral stunts and plainspoken PSAs into practical public lessons that meet that moment: short, shareable demos (yes, the “potato-as-a-purse” reveal from recent investigations proved remarkably memorable) show how easy manipulation can be, while coordinated efforts aim to move audiences from wonder to competence.

The White House executive order on AI education and the Department of Education's July guidance give this work a policy backbone - encouraging teacher training, apprenticeships, and grant‑funded instructional tools - so creators' explainers can plug into classroom and community programs (White House advancing AI education for American youth executive order, U.S. Department of Education guidance on artificial intelligence use in schools).

Nonprofits and funders are scaling resources too - newsrooms can even apply for Trusting News cohorts and innovation grants to build audience-facing AI explainers that teach spotting, context and verification (Trusting News paid initiatives for AI public education and newsroom grants).

The clearest takeaway for Laredo readers: these demos aren't just clickbait - when paired with educator training and funded programs they become an on‑ramp to real skills and resilience against scams and misinformation.

“This grant will support the launch of a new project intended to increase public understanding of AI capabilities and limitations,” - Miriam Vogel, EqualAI

Human factors: why visuals convince despite technical flaws - Even when AI images show telltale glitches, people often rely on fast visual heuristics and emotional cues, which helps explain why convincing fakes spread; a 2025 Cognitive Research study shows the antidote is not panic but targeted training - short, specific tips like “spot abnormal details,” “check for incoherent text,” or the memorable red flag of a crisp foreground with a blurry background improve viewers' ability to tell AI‑generated images from real ones and slow people down to evaluate content (read the study here: Cognitive Research 2025 study on media literacy for detecting AI-generated images).

Those specific tips reduced belief in AI visuals more than no tips, increased deliberation time by about two seconds, and showed that remembering the tips correlated with better discernment - a practical complement to the World Economic Forum's call for integrated media and information literacy across schools, workplaces and platforms (World Economic Forum 2025 report on media and information literacy in the disinformation age).

Emerging criminal tactics: targeted harassment, blackmail, and threats to schools - Disturbing patterns show AI tools are already being weaponized against students: deepfake “nudify” apps enabled boys in one reported case to fabricate sexually explicit photos of a classmate, and educators say 40–50% of students are aware deepfakes circulate at school, leaving victims (mostly girls) with long‑term emotional harm (NEA report on deepfakes and school cyberbullying).

At the same time, school districts leaning on 24/7 AI monitoring face tradeoffs - platforms like Gaggle now reach roughly 1,500 districts and millions of students, but leaked records and false positives have exposed private student data and even outed LGBTQ+ youth (Fortune investigation of AI surveillance software in schools).

Worse, watchdogs warn AI‑generated child sexual imagery and videos are surging and are being used for extortion and harassment, amplifying the risk that a single photo or clip can haunt a student for years (LA Times coverage of IWF warning on AI-generated child abuse imagery).

The practical takeaway for schools and parents: update policies to define AI abuses, fund counseling and forensic takedown support, and teach students concrete reporting steps before one viral fake becomes a ruined life.

“When [deep fakes] happen, schools don't have a policy in place, they're taken by surprise.” - Riana Pfefferkorn

Run on Less transparency: Geotab telematics and public data for fleets - As fleets chase real-world answers, Geotab is pushing transparency by folding factory-installed OEM feeds into a single platform so mixed-powertrain fleets can be compared on the same metrics; the new Mercedes‑Benz cloud‑to‑cloud integration sends vehicle-generated data straight into MyGeotab (no aftermarket hardware or downtime), unlocking near‑real‑time GPS, trip logs, vehicle‑health diagnostics and EV charging status for operators and researchers alike (Geotab Mercedes‑Benz OEM integration press release).

That unified view matters on road tests like Run on Less: with data harmonized across makes and model years, teams can move beyond anecdotes and see whether a battery truck or a diesel sleeper actually saves time, fuel, or maintenance dollars.

Geotab's platform also scales - processing huge volumes of telemetry - and its Connect events and predictions highlight how AI and open ecosystems turn those signals into actionable fleet policy and electrification plans (Geotab Connect 2025 event details).

“This year, we found that the average fleet includes vehicles from 13 different manufacturers. This can make fleet data management extremely complex. Geotab solves this issue for fleets by providing integrated solutions that enable comprehensive visibility across all vehicle types and manufacturers.” - Rob Minton

Bridging the digital divide: policy and infrastructure steps for Laredo - Local leaders should treat broadband like 21st‑century rails: a one‑time federal buildout (think the “rush to build the railroads 150 years ago”) is funding fiber and middle‑mile links so towns aren't left offline, but getting a slice of that pie takes planning, partnerships and polished grant applications.

Start by aligning city and county plans with state BEAD rollout and the NTIA guidance so Laredo can compete for BEAD subgrants and middle‑mile awards; use federal toolkits and mapping data to document unserved blocks and justify projects (Nokia U.S. broadband infrastructure funding explained, NTIA BEAD program details and guidance).

Pair infrastructure bids with USDA and state grant opportunities that fund adoption, devices and workforce training so new lines actually translate into telehealth visits, remote learning and small‑business e‑commerce (see USDA ReConnect and digital equity programs).

A practical win for Laredo: assemble a cross‑sector grant team now, map demand from schools and clinics, and prioritize last‑mile projects that bundle low‑cost service plans and digital literacy so federal dollars build both pipes and practical access.

Conclusion: practical next steps for Laredo readers - stay informed, get trained, and prepare - Laredo's leaders just approved the largest city budget on record (roughly $1.1 billion, with the vote wrapped up in under four hours), so now is the time for residents and small businesses to turn that momentum into practical action: track capital projects and public‑safety investments via the city's budget page and local coverage (KGNS report on Laredo's record city budget approval), map local broadband gaps (current fiber penetration is still only about 10–20%) and prepare grant-ready proposals to tap Texas' BEAD funds (more than $3.8B available) and other state programs (County Association update on broadband funding and BEAD opportunities); report neglected fiber sites and safety hazards to 311 so projects don't stall, and build workforce resilience by learning practical AI and verification skills - Nucamp's AI Essentials for Work is a 15‑week course that teaches promptcraft and on‑the‑job AI use to help schools, nonprofits and businesses respond with skills instead of alarm (Nucamp AI Essentials for Work - 15‑week practical AI course for the workplace).

Start by joining or forming a cross‑sector grant team, documenting unserved blocks, and enrolling staff or volunteers in short, job‑focused training so city investments actually translate into faster internet, safer workflows, and real local opportunity.

Key details summary: City budget - ~ $1.1 billion approved (vote completed in under 4 hours).

Fiber coverage - Estimated 10–20% in Laredo (resident concerns over neglected sites). BEAD funds (Texas) - Over $3.8 billion available for broadband projects.