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

Minneapolis tech is experiencing accelerated transformation in May and June 2025, as artificial intelligence and data center policy dominate public debate and shape the local economy.

Over 1.6 million Minnesota jobs are considered highly exposed to AI - with 70% of workers in these roles earning more than $60,000 annually - underscoring that adoption brings both risk of disruption and opportunity for workforce advancement (AI's impact on Minnesota's economy).

Meanwhile, state legislative negotiations focus on balancing tech sector incentives and community protections; with thirty lobbyists from Amazon, Meta, and Google advocating for extended data center tax breaks, over 1,500 Minnesotans have petitioned against exemptions amid concerns for environmental standards and water use - “Data center developers and their army of lobbyists showed up at the Minnesota State Capitol...

But the 1500 signatures we delivered to Governor Walz show that this industry severely underestimated the power of Minnesotans...”

- Sarah Mooradian, Government Relations & Policy Director for CURE

(Minnesota's data center tax debate).

On a positive note, Minnesota IT Services has introduced a secure generative AI tool for over 2,800 state employees, making the state among the first nationwide to pilot such government-specific innovation (Minnesota's secure AI adoption).

Target Field has become one of the first Major League Baseball stadiums to debut the Go-Ahead Entry facial recognition system, inviting fans to opt in for a faster, ticket-free entry experience.

Fans register by taking a live selfie in the MLB Ballpark app, which is immediately converted into a unique numerical token - ensuring no image data is stored. With the system active at Gates 3, 6, 29, and 34, groups can enter together hands-free, cutting wait times by up to 2.5 times compared to traditional ticket scanning as shown in pilot data from previous MLB deployments.

This launch aligns with broader trends, as almost half of global venues plan to invest in biometric ticketing in 2025, and early user surveys reported a 94% satisfaction rate with the technology.

MLB and the Twins emphasize privacy, noting,

“the image itself is immediately discarded, so we do not store any images of fans to ensure safety and security,”

as explained by Karri Zaremba, MLB Senior VP of Ballpark Experience and Ticketing.

Participation is strictly optional - regular mobile and printed ticket entry options remain available for those who prefer traditional methods. As biometric ticketing gains rapid adoption across sports worldwide, Target Field's system exemplifies the balance between innovative convenience and data security; discover a deeper dive into Go-Ahead Entry's privacy practices on the official MLB Go-Ahead Entry page, learn about Target Field's implementation and fan reactions in Twin Cities Business Magazine's coverage, and explore the projected impact of biometric ticketing technology in the global sports industry on BiometricUpdate.com.

Minnesota is rolling out an ambitious AI-driven road safety analytics pilot in the St. Cloud region, aiming to proactively reduce fatal and serious crashes during the high-risk "100 Deadliest Days" between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Powered by the Road Safety Information Center (RSIC), this initiative aggregates historical crash data and real-time factors - including traffic flow, weather, and Google data - to predict crash hotspots and advise targeted law enforcement patrols.

Participating agencies include over a dozen local departments and the State Patrol, with the model forecasting up to 42 severe crashes in the region over the next 16 weeks.

As reported by Fox 9 News, the goal is to break a longstanding plateau in summer road fatalities, which reached 151 deaths from Memorial Day through Labor Day in 2024, including 44 speed-related incidents.

The platform, developed in partnership with Google Public Sector, CARTO, and other tech firms, adjusts its predictions as more data is ingested and was designed with input from county law enforcement, emergency services, and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

As summarized by Roads & Bridges Media, the pilot leverages existing databases without requiring costly new infrastructure and could expand statewide if proven effective.

Leaders like Office of Traffic Safety Director Mike Hanson are optimistic:

“This is going to help us understand ahead of time the factors that lead to a crash so we can implement countermeasures to prevent it.”

Agency participation and impact predictions are outlined in the table below.

For further details on the pilot's implementation, see the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety's announcement.

Allina Health is advancing cancer screening in Minneapolis with the adoption of pioneering AI technology across its network, notably launching the GI Genius at Cambridge Medical Center to catch colorectal polyps that often evade detection during standard colonoscopies.

This Medtronic-developed tool compares live video from colonoscopies against a database of 13 million images, instantly highlighting suspicious areas for physicians to review, which, as Dr. Stanely Dick explained, acts as “an assistant in real time that really does double check our work.” According to Dr. Dick, “this device increases our detection rate, and we know that detection of polyps is correlated with saving lives.” AI is also supporting Allina's radiology teams in reviewing lung scans, standardizing MRI imaging for prostate cancer, and prompting cancer screening reminders, complementing a health system where radiologist scan accuracy is approximately 99.7% - but where even a 0.3–0.4% error rate can be significant when screening tens of thousands of patients.

Addressing ongoing concerns over AI bias in healthcare, Allina Health collaborates with specialized firms such as Ferrum Health to tailor AI tools for Minnesota's patient populations - a best practice discussed in depth in the Star Tribune's report on AI double-checking cancer screenings.

Allina Health's experience underscores how technology both streamlines early detection and aligns with new population health goals, as elaborated in an interview with their Vice President of Oncology, Mike Koroscik (AJMC: Revolutionizing Early Cancer Detection).

For more on the GI Genius implementation and Allina's broader initiatives, see the detailed release from Allina Health Cambridge Medical Center.

“The advent of AI tools in broader society has been exciting, and we are just scratching the surface with respect to implications on health care.” - Dr. Egal Gorse, Allina Health Cancer Institute

AI is making significant strides in supporting Hmong language empowerment across the Twin Cities, where nearly 100,000 Hmong residents now form one of the largest communities in the U.S., celebrating 50 years of migration and cultural resilience.

Local tech leaders like DaoTech Solutions are pioneering efforts to bridge digital divides by teaching AI-driven skills to Hmong entrepreneurs and schools, as improved models like ChatGPT deliver more nuanced Hmong translations - though pronunciation and text-to-speech for elders remain a challenge.

As detailed in the Star Tribune's coverage of Twin Cities Hmong tech initiatives, AI tools are helping preserve dialectal variants and increase language access for business, education, and intergenerational learning.

However, leading research from Stanford highlights that data scarcity and digital inequity still inhibit non-English language inclusion in AI, urging more equitable, community-led data collection and specialized models to avoid cultural erasure and ensure economic opportunity for underrepresented groups (explore the Stanford analysis on non-English speakers in AI).

Meanwhile, third-party evaluations show that while models like GPT-4.5 and Claude 3.5 excel in major languages, even the best generative AI tools can falter in lower-resource contexts - emphasizing the vital balance between rapid AI progress and the need for continued human expertise, especially for nuanced cultural and legal communication (see the comparative study on ChatGPT and Google Translate accuracy).

As AI evolves, community innovation and multilingual inclusivity remain at the heart of Minnesota's technology movement.

The University of Minnesota Twin Cities has unveiled a breakthrough in AI hardware - a device leveraging Computational Random-Access Memory (CRAM) that can reduce AI energy consumption by at least 1,000 times, with some applications achieving savings of up to 2,700 times compared to traditional methods.

This innovation uses Magnetic Tunnel Junctions (MTJs), allowing for data processing directly within memory arrays and eliminating the energy-intensive data transfers that plague current AI systems.

As AI energy use is projected to double by 2026, mirroring Japan's entire electricity consumption, CRAM's approach is poised to significantly mitigate the environmental toll of rapidly expanding data centers - and could reduce not just electrical but also water consumption, a growing concern in AI infrastructure.

As Professor Jian-Ping Wang notes,

“We can reduce energy consumption by a thousand times. For some applications even more. You can go to 2,700 times.”

The research, published in npj Unconventional Computing, points to large-scale industrial collaborations to bring these energy-efficient AI chips to market within the next decade.

For a deeper dive into CRAM's development and potential, read the official University of Minnesota announcement, explore technical details in the ITPro analysis of this energy-saving platform, and review the technology's broader sustainability impact in KARE 11's coverage.

The potential for environmental reprieve in the age of AI acceleration is backed by robust local innovation - and the CRAM project is a milestone step on the journey to sustainable computing.

Deluxe Corporation, a Minneapolis-based payments and data leader, has unveiled DAX, a business-focused AI assistant designed to transform complex data into clear, actionable insights for faster decision-making.

Now fully integrated with the Deluxe Merchant Services Daily Dashboard and built on the Deluxe.ai enterprise platform, DAX leverages natural language processing and curated content to provide 24/7, human-like support for partners and customers, streamlining both self-service and agent-assisted interactions.

Its core functionalities include a real-time Merchant Partner Chatbot, an internal Agent Assist tool for improving response times, and an AI-powered website assistant for navigating solutions like Deluxe Payment Exchange+.

Importantly, Deluxe emphasizes that AI augments but does not replace its renowned live customer support, underpinning its commitment to privacy, regulatory compliance, and ethical AI, as evidenced by the platform's robust Trust Layer.

Reflecting on this strategic launch, Yogaraj “Yogs” Jayaprakasam, Deluxe's SVP and Chief Technology and Digital Officer, stated,

“DAX is more than a chatbot, it's a building block for how we scale AI to enhance service and simplify engagement.”

Deluxe.ai was recently recognized with the 2025 CIO 100 award for innovation.

For a detailed overview including recent financials and industry context, visit the Morningstar business summary of Deluxe Corporation's AI initiative or read CSIMarket's assessment of DAX's market impact on partner performance.

The table below summarizes key facts about Deluxe Corporation:

The Minnesota State Patrol and over a dozen partner agencies are piloting the Road Safety Information Center (RSIC), an advanced AI-driven analytics platform aimed at tackling the state's “100 Deadliest Days” between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when traffic fatalities historically surge.

RSIC aggregates historical crash data, real-time traffic volume, and environmental factors to forecast high-risk danger zones and inform targeted patrols - potentially preventing tragedies before they occur.

In 2024 alone, Minnesota saw 151 crash fatalities during this seasonal period, with speed contributing to 44 of those deaths. As part of the state's Toward Zero Deaths initiative, the RSIC pilot provides daily usability evaluations, visualization tools, and predictive risk scoring to public safety officials across urban and rural zones, including St.

Cloud and Sartell, with hopes for a wider rollout. According to Office of Traffic Safety Director Mike Hanson,

“The RSIC platform opens up a new world of possibilities for improving traffic safety. Smart choices such as buckling up and paying attention are still among the best ways to stay safe on the road, but with this technology at our fingertips we're hopeful even more lives can be saved.”

The goal is to empower law enforcement, county highway departments, and first responders with actionable insights to better deploy resources and launch educational campaigns.

View more on the RSIC pilot's local impact in St. Cloud, read about the broader statewide AI enforcement strategy as reported by Fox 9 News, and explore Minnesota's new data-enabled road safety vision from industry perspectives at Roads & Bridges Media.

The future of targeted traffic enforcement in Minnesota is data-driven - poised to save lives through smarter, anticipatory policing and public engagement.

The debate over Minnesota's data center tax incentives has reached a fever pitch at the State Capitol, as lawmakers, unions, and advocacy groups weigh the cost-benefit of subsidizing tech giants' infrastructure amid a multi-billion-dollar budget deficit.

The state currently offers a 20-year sales tax exemption on technology equipment for data centers, set to expire in 2042; however, a contentious proposal could double this window to 40 years, pushing exemptions for new projects as far as 2102.

Recent changes - like the planned revocation of the electricity sales tax exemption, projected to generate $140 million over four years - have already altered the landscape, leading Amazon to suspend a major data center project in Becker over “uncertainty” in incentives and regulatory delays read more about Amazon's project suspension.

The discussion is shaped by dueling interests: building trades unions urge lawmakers to preserve tax breaks to keep high-paying construction jobs from leaving the state, while public sector unions and environmental advocates argue that the massive subsidies - costing up to $219 million by 2029 - primarily benefit wealthy corporations at the expense of schools and essential services explore labor perspectives on Minnesota data center tax breaks.

Environmental concerns over skyrocketing energy and water use have also galvanized opposition, prompting grassroots calls for stricter oversight and less corporate subsidy:

“This is a sales tax exemption that is being asked for by the largest, most profitable corporations that have ever existed on the face of the earth... whether it's appropriate that this kind of money should be going from the public coffers into the hands of billionaires.” - Rep. Aisha Gomez (DFL-Minneapolis)

As the Legislature's tax working group moves toward a public special session, the future of Minnesota's data center economy hangs in the balance read the full legislative breakdown here.

Minneapolis-based startup eDiscovery AI is rapidly transforming the legal landscape with its AI-driven platform, enabling law firms to process and review legal documents at speeds previously unimaginable.

By harnessing advanced machine learning, eDiscovery AI reportedly reduces review times from months to days, streamlining critical workflows like relevance determination, privilege identification, and PII detection for its partners - including 20 legal services firms - while raising millions in funding to support further innovation.

Their platform distinguishes itself with rigorous security (client data is encrypted, never stored for training, and purged within 24 hours), cross-platform compatibility, and powerful support for multimedia files and foreign languages.

According to testimonials, “eDiscovery AI is an exceptional partner - always responsive, incredibly helpful, and delivering a truly impressive Generative AI solution for eDiscovery.

A simple interface with demonstrably excellent results, making reviews faster and more effective.”

“Leveraging eDiscovery AI has transformed the way I approach document review and analysis. Its ability to streamline workflows, enhance accuracy, and uncover insights faster has been a game-changer.”

This AI revolution places Minneapolis firms at the forefront of legal tech innovation, as the broader industry sees a surge in e-discovery investment and adoption worldwide.

For more on how eDiscovery AI is shaping Minnesota's legal sector, check out the Business Journal's coverage on eDiscovery AI's rise, explore the official eDiscovery AI platform for detailed features and client insights, and read about wider AI legal tech funding trends in LegalTechNews' roundup of industry innovation.

The expulsion of Haishan Yang, a health economics Ph.D. student at the University of Minnesota, over allegations of unauthorized AI use has ignited a statewide debate on academic integrity and AI policy.

Yang, the first known UMN student expelled for AI-related misconduct, denies using AI during his online exam and has since filed lawsuits alleging due process violations and defamation, while also submitting a human rights complaint citing discrimination against non-native English speakers.

The university relied on a combination of professor-conducted ChatGPT comparisons and the AI detector GPTZero - which research has shown is prone to false positives, especially with non-native English writing - to substantiate its claim, a controversial move given that UMN's own experts and student advocates highlight weaknesses in current detection technologies.

This case has fueled calls for consistent and transparent AI guidelines, with education leaders arguing that punitive measures jeopardize both students' futures and universities' reputations, urging institutions to adopt “AI-forward” approaches that teach responsible use rather than defaulting to expulsion (see policy discussion and best practices here).

Accusations of double standards have also surfaced, pointing to the university's contrasting responses to student versus faculty infractions, fueling policy debates statewide (analysis of faculty and student conduct cases).

As Haishan Yang put it,

“In my case, it's a death penalty… The next student could be prosecuted by the same reason. ‘Oh, your answer is so similar to ChatGPT.'”

The resulting discourse spotlights the urgency for Minnesota's higher education system to balance academic integrity with AI literacy, fair enforcement, and educational innovation.

As Minneapolis surges ahead with AI-powered innovation, public debates over regulation and trust highlight both promise and caution for the Twin Cities' tech future.

The region is grappling with the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” - a sweeping national law currently before the Senate that would impose a 10-year moratorium on state-level AI regulations, overriding more than 60 state laws that address algorithmic bias, surveillance, and ethical standards (Trump's Federal Bill and AI Regulation Showdown).

Proponents argue this unified approach will end “regulatory confusion” and accelerate innovation, while critics warn it risks consumer rights and hinders local oversight that reflects Minnesota's unique needs (State, Federal AI Policy Debate).

Recent research underscores strong public sentiment for oversight: 82% of U.S. voters support an independent agency to regulate AI, though 67% doubt timely government action.

Meanwhile, Minnesota lawmakers remain proactive: Bills in St. Paul target ethical AI in healthcare and finance, and experts like Ren Bin Lee Dixon call for “safer and more effective” systems through policy, transparency, and stakeholder engagement (AI and National Security Policy Session).

As the path forward unfolds in the months ahead, one thing is clear - navigating AI's risks and rewards will require resilient public trust, evolving policy, and informed civic engagement across the Twin Cities.