This Month's Latest Tech News in Little Rock, AR - Wednesday April 30th 2025 Edition

April 2025 marks a transformative era for Little Rock's tech landscape as the city accelerates its AI revolution. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock hosted its inaugural AI Tech Talk, where 12 diverse research projects - from AI-driven cyberthreat intelligence to AI-powered chatbots for couples counseling - demonstrated AI's role across multiple disciplines.

As Marla Johnson, tech-entrepreneur-in-residence, shared,

“We created the AI Tech Talk to shine a light on the incredible and diverse work happening across campus… AI is shaping every discipline, and this event gives us a chance to learn from one another, spark new ideas, and build a stronger, more connected research community.”

In civic innovation, “Roxie,” the city's new AI chatbot, now assists residents in navigating over 20,000 pages of city information, streamlining tasks like paying parking tickets or making appointments with the mayor - an effort led collaboratively with Google, IT, and communications teams to improve city services.

Beyond city hall, the launch of the 101+ longevity app, a collaboration between BOND.AI and Arkansas Heart Hospital, positions Little Rock at the forefront of AI-powered healthcare innovation by delivering personalized insights based on hundreds of biomarkers to help users address aging.

This surge in activity cements Little Rock's emergence as a southern tech hub, blending public sector leadership, academic advancement, and entrepreneurial spirit - read more about the campus's cross-disciplinary AI showcase here.

BOND.AI, a Little Rock-based artificial intelligence innovator, has partnered with Arkansas Heart Hospital to launch the 101+ app, heralded as the world's first hyper-personalized longevity health application.

This groundbreaking platform leverages BOND.AI's Empathy Engine AI technology to analyze over 150 clinical biomarkers and 500 data points from users' bloodwork, offering insights into cellular health, metabolic performance, inflammation, stress, and genetic predispositions such as kidney disease, dementia, and cancer.

The process involves users subscribing to one of two plans, scheduling a blood test at Arkansas Heart Hospital, and receiving a secure, AI-driven analysis that compares biological and chronological aging while delivering custom recommendations on supplements, therapies, and interventions to promote healthy aging.

Notably, the 101+ app dramatically reduces barriers to personalized longevity testing: traditional assessments can cost up to $250,000, while 101+ begins at $999 with expanding U.S. and global availability planned.

As Dr. Bruce Murphy, CEO of Arkansas Heart Hospital, explains,

“The biggest disease impacting Americans today is not heart or kidney diseases, but rather the disease of aging. With access to data from the 101+ app that will detail individual body function aspects affecting longevity, users will be able to combat aging through a holistic approach and learn more about their health than they ever thought possible.”

For more on this innovative health solution, see coverage from Arkansas Business's detailed feature on the 101+ launch, Talk Business & Politics' in-depth look at how the app works, and Arkansas Black Vitality's summary of launch details and leadership commentary.

Little Rock has taken a significant leap forward in digital government with the public launch of Roxie, the city's new AI chatbot aimed at improving access to municipal services and information.

Introduced by Mayor Frank Scott Jr. during his 2025 State of the City address and now fully operational, Roxie helps residents navigate the city's vast website - home to over 20,000 pages of content - and quickly locate services such as scheduling meetings with the mayor, paying parking tickets, or filing police reports.

As Marquis Willis, Chief Data Officer for the City of Little Rock, explained,

“Our website is big, and when you include PDFs, you're looking at over 20,000 pages worth of information. So, a way that we can condense that was to use artificial intelligence.”

The development, which took about five months and involved collaboration between multiple city departments and partners like Google, is designed to deliver efficiency and enhance community engagement by reducing information search times for residents.

For more insights on Roxie's rollout and its role in modernizing Little Rock's city services, see the detailed THV11 coverage on the AI chatbot launch and user benefits in Little Rock.

Background on the mayor's broader focus on tech-driven service improvements can be found in the Arkansas Times recap of the State of the City address, and additional community context is provided by KASU News' segment on Little Rock's AI initiatives and recent city developments.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is set to launch its first-ever AI & Mental Health Hackathon Summer Camp from June 9–13, inviting 30 high schoolers and 12 college students for a week of hands-on innovation at the intersection of technology and well-being.

Sponsored by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, this free program forms interdisciplinary teams to solve pressing mental health issues using AI tools, with guidance from mental health professionals and AI mentors.

Students participate in daily workshops, collaborative sessions, and a pitch competition for a cash prize, earning either an AI foundations certificate from UA Little Rock or an advanced certificate from NVIDIA. As tech-entrepreneur-in-residence Marla Johnson explains,

“We want to show students that AI isn't just about coding. It's also about learning how to use this growing technology to solve real problems.”

This initiative distinguishes itself among national efforts - such as San Francisco's AI for Good Hackathon in San Francisco fostering innovative solutions and Georgetown's Georgetown University Healthcare Hackathon with AI - by focusing on youth-driven, community-embedded mental health solutions.

More details and the application process for this unique summer camp are available through the university's announcement at UA Little Rock's official AI & Mental Health Hackathon Summer Camp event page.

The program is open to students from all backgrounds, with no prior AI experience required.

Cross-disciplinary collaboration is propelling artificial intelligence research to new heights at universities nationwide, and UA Little Rock faculty are bringing this energy to Arkansas by showcasing innovative AI projects that span fields from health to humanities.

National events, such as the Future of AI Ethics: A Cross-Disciplinary Discussion at NYU and UCSF's Research AI Day, underscore the value of integrating technical, scientific, and humanistic perspectives to address complex ethical, clinical, and societal challenges.

These forums draw together ethicists, engineers, medical practitioners, and data scientists - mirroring the broad approach adopted at institutions like UA Little Rock.

As highlighted at NC State's 2025 University Research Symposium, faculty are leveraging AI in diverse applications including agricultural analytics, healthcare modeling, creative arts, and decision-making research.

In the words of Dr. Yulin Hswen of UCSF,

“Collaboration is the cornerstone of innovation in AI.”

UA Little Rock's efforts reflect a national trend: by fostering connections across departments and disciplines, universities empower faculty and students to solve critical real-world problems.

Recent symposiums have demonstrated growing partnerships, innovative projects, and a shared push for responsible, ethical AI. The table below summarizes just a few key examples showcased across leading institutions:

UA Little Rock's cross-disciplinary AI tech talks are putting Arkansas at the forefront of this momentum, connecting local expertise with national innovation trends.

Learn more from the full report on NC State's 2025 University Research Symposium.

The Little Rock City Board recently voted to reinstate its $188,000 annual contract with ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection technology from SoundThinking, reversing an earlier decision from February that had allowed the contract to lapse amid intense community debate and public protest.

Implemented since 2018, ShotSpotter has drawn criticism from local residents and civil rights groups who cite doubts about its effectiveness, concerns about over-policing, and the disproportionate impact on communities of color.

According to a community survey, 86% of respondents opposed the technology, preferring investment in community-driven safety solutions over surveillance tools.

At the city board meeting, voices of opposition included local attorney Amy Pritchard, who argued,

“You're building a layered surveillance infrastructure without transparency, without policy guardrails and without public consent.”

Still, supporters like Jay Chesshir, CEO of the Little Rock Regional Chamber, insisted there is “no price too high for security,” while Ward 5 Director Lance Hines emphasized,

“The value of one life, the value of one family getting justice, is worth every penny we've spent on the system.”

Notably, ShotSpotter's own contract disclaims any guarantee of crime prevention:

“...we do not warrant or represent, expressly or implicitly, that the service or its use will: result in the prevention of crime... or prevent any loss, death, injury, or damage due to firearm use...”

This reinstatement underscores an ongoing local and national conversation about the costs, benefits, and social implications of high-tech policing.

For a detailed look at the board's decision and public reaction, see the full KATV coverage of Little Rock Board's Renewal of ShotSpotter Contract.

Additional reporting and meeting details are available at the Arkansas Times Coverage of ShotSpotter Contract Reinstatement.

For community survey data and public feedback, visit Citizen Portal AI's Report on Little Rock Residents' Opposition to ShotSpotter.

UA Little Rock faculty are joining a national movement in deploying AI chatbots for couples counseling, inspired by recent clinical breakthroughs in AI-augmented mental health care.

Groundbreaking studies at Dartmouth College on the Therabot AI have shown that carefully trained generative AI can deliver therapy for depression, anxiety, and eating disorders with efficacy comparable to human clinicians, and sometimes even greater, addressing accessibility issues in a country where only one-third of Americans have enough mental health providers.

A recent randomized-controlled trial revealed that participants using Therabot saw significant improvements over traditional controls - with those experiencing generalized anxiety disorder or at risk for eating disorders improving their symptom scores by about 65%, while those with major depressive disorder improved by 47%.

Key metrics like trust and the strength of therapeutic relationships reached levels similar to live human counseling, as detailed in NPR's analysis of AI therapist trials.

While AI chatbots offer the advantage of 24/7 availability and anonymity - drivers behind 90% of users favoring the technology for its accessibility - experts caution that AI is not a replacement for in-person care, but can bridge critical gaps in provider shortages, as explored in-depth by Behavioral Health Business' coverage of AI therapy chatbot effectiveness.

Awareness remains essential: research highlights that chatbots like ChatGPT may reflect biases and “anxiety-like” behavior when exposed to trauma, emphasizing the need for regulation and careful oversight in therapeutic use, a finding underlined by Yale's research and discussed by PYMNTS' investigation into AI chatbot reliability and challenges.

This new focus in Little Rock reflects a broader trend where faculty-designed AI counseling tools are helping address mental health needs with both promise and prudence.

AI and cybersecurity dominated center stage at the 2025 Heartland Conference, underscoring their rising importance in healthcare and beyond. Responding to escalating cyberattacks - such as last year's Change Healthcare breach affecting nearly 190 million people - Heartland introduced a comprehensive technology and security track, covering cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, compliance, disaster recovery, and practical tools for providers.

Jeremy Kauten, CIO of VGM Group, explained,

“There's always been a class or two on technology or security, but the reason we added the track was demand.”

Attendees gained hands-on exposure to AI billing platforms, ethical hacking, and best practices shared by peers and specialists, reflecting a sector-wide push for digital preparedness and informed adoption strategies.

Similar priorities were evident at HIMSS 2025 in Las Vegas, where over 30,000 professionals discussed AI integration, cybersecurity, digital health equity, and operational resilience in healthcare, with keynote speakers highlighting the risks and rewards at play.

Conference takeaways emphasized that while AI can drive major efficiency gains, blind investment poses real risks, and robust cybersecurity is now non-negotiable.

As summarized by industry leaders, “A major breach can shrink a business overnight, while intelligent use of AI can drive real efficiency.” Below is a table of key focus areas brought to light by these major events:

The 2025 conference circuit signals that Little Rock and its peers are poised to lead the nation in smart, secure, and human-centered health tech innovation.

Little Rock's BOND.AI is leading the charge in human-centered artificial intelligence with its signature Empathy Engine®, a technology powering groundbreaking solutions across finance and health sectors.

The recent launch of the 101+ app, developed with Arkansas Heart Hospital, leverages AI to deliver actionable longevity and wellness insights by analyzing over 150 clinical biomarkers and 500 data points per user, providing personalized recommendations to improve health spans and combat the root causes of aging and chronic disease.

According to BOND.AI CEO Uday Akkaraju,

“One of the biggest concerns for families today is quality of life, and this app appeases that exact concern. By redefining longevity holistically, we're turning back the clock on aging with life-changing potential.”

The Empathy Engine's capabilities - dynamic behavior mapping, high-speed data analysis, and advanced needs prediction - are also transforming how financial institutions approach client well-being, personalizing banking experiences to boost financial health and decision-making.

Following BOND.AI's strategic acquisition of Elastech, Inc., the firm is expanding Empathy Engine® technology to new industries with a dedicated data team and enhanced cloud capabilities.

For a closer look at how the 101+ longevity app is redefining health, explore this in-depth feature on Little Rock's AI health innovation.

More details on the Empathy Engine's financial sector applications and acquisition strategy can be found in their corporate announcement, and insights into the powerful intersection of data and empathy-driven AI are available at BOND.AI's official website.

Despite national hiring headwinds, Central Arkansas is witnessing renewed momentum in tech employment, particularly in AI and data-driven roles. According to real-time labor data, while the U.S. experienced a 7.08% decline in job postings year-over-year and a national contraction across multiple regions, industries like internet services and retail remain resilient, with internet services posting a 3.61% increase in April 2025.

Locally, job boards reflect a robust variety of open roles, from AI trainers and data technicians to engineering management tracks, underlining continued demand for tech talent in Saline County and the broader Little Rock area (Central Arkansas job listings highlight AI and tech opportunities).

Arkansas' government is proactively collaborating with industry on responsible AI adoption, with the state's AI and Analytics Center of Excellence recommending policies to strengthen data protection and prepare the workforce for rapidly evolving tech landscapes - a move commended for balancing innovation and security:

“Arkansas is proactively harnessing the opportunities of artificial intelligence while ensuring its responsible use. This report outlines a vision and action plan to protect Arkansans and their data while leveraging AI to improve government efficiency, drive economic growth, and prepare our workforce for the jobs of the future.”

(Arkansas AI and Analytics Center's 2025 vision report).

The broader labor market is also influenced by historic investments in AI legislation: at least 45 states have introduced over 550 AI-related bills focusing on workforce training, responsible use, and sector-specific protections, paving the way for sustainable job growth and upskilling initiatives in Arkansas and nationwide.

For a breakdown of recent legislative activity and its impact on labor, see this summary of 2025 AI legislation and workforce regulations.

UA Little Rock is ushering in a new era of education by empowering students to leverage generative AI across disciplines. In April, the university hosted its inaugural AI Tech Talk event at UA Little Rock, where faculty and graduate students showcased innovations including AI-powered chatbots for counseling, AI-assisted online course creation, and student-led uses of generative AI in high school classrooms.

Tech-entrepreneur-in-residence Marla Johnson emphasized,

“We created the AI Tech Talk to shine a light on the incredible and diverse work happening across campus... AI is shaping every discipline, and this event gives us a chance to learn from one another, spark new ideas, and build a stronger, more connected research community.”

In addition, the university's upcoming AI and Mental Health Summer Camp at UA Little Rock will connect high school and college students in interdisciplinary teams to tackle real-world mental health issues with AI guidance and professional mentorship, culminating in a pitch competition and industry-recognized certification from UA Little Rock or NVIDIA. This commitment to innovation is amplified statewide through collaborative efforts like the DART initiative, which, supported by a $20 million NSF grant, equips Arkansas' next generation of researchers to handle big data challenges with tools such as ChatGPT and machine learning.

As detailed in a feature on Arkansas' research ecosystem and data scientist employment growth, employment for data scientists in the region is poised to grow by 35% from 2022 to 2032, spotlighting the critical role these educational initiatives play in future workforce development.

Little Rock's surge in artificial intelligence and tech innovation is setting new benchmarks for regional hubs across the U.S. Recent data highlight the city and state's collaborative energy, with The Venture Center's $62.3 million economic impact fostering local startups, and the $10 million Venture Center Arkansas Fund supporting key companies in legal tech, fintech, and digital health.

These efforts align with rising venture capital activity and growing entrepreneur relocation, which position Arkansas to compete with established tech locales, as explored in-depth by Arkansas Business' analysis of the state's evolving tech ecosystem.

Although national trends show a 7.1% drop in job postings and tech sector slowdowns (see Aura Intelligence's April 2025 jobs report), Arkansas' “flywheel effect” of founder support, local funding, and vibrant accelerators is building long-term resilience.

As Brent Birch, Executive Director of Little Rock Technology Park, said,

“I expect to see an uptick in startup activity... The Arkansas ecosystem needs fresh ideas, capable startup leadership, and investments to feed that fire.”

Bolstered by collaborative organizations, inclusive entrepreneurship support, and a momentum that prioritizes capital, curriculum, and connections, Little Rock is not just catching up - it's accelerating ahead, making its mark as a Midwest tech powerhouse.

For those looking to break in, affordable, flexible training options like Nucamp's bootcamps are available to support local talent and futureproof Arkansas' workforce.