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

Omaha's tech ecosystem is accelerating with landmark partnerships, major investments, and innovative educational initiatives this month. A standout development is the collaboration between Israeli MedTech startup RespirAI Medical and Omaha-based Right at Home, fueled by a grant from the BIRD Foundation to advance an AI-powered wearable for COPD patients - technology that originated at UNO's Biomechanics Department.

This partnership not only brings international talent back to Omaha but also signals continued local hiring and research expansion, as highlighted in Silicon Prairie News' detailed report on RespirAI's journey.

In healthcare operations, Nebraska Medicine's multi-year contract with Palantir has already led to a +2000% increase in Discharge Lounge use and rapid digital workflow deployments, making Omaha a leader in AI-enabled hospital innovation - Medical Design & Development explains how these AI solutions optimize both patient flow and insurance appeals.

At the university level, new systemwide AI initiatives and undergraduate programs underscore the region's commitment to training future innovators, as detailed in the Nebraska Examiner's coverage of regent-approved investments.

Omaha's AI and tech landscape is thriving, blending global collaboration, groundbreaking research, and local opportunity.

Koelis, an international leader in prostate cancer care, has joined forces with Omaha-based Bot Image™ to advance AI-powered prostate cancer diagnostics, highlighted at the AUA 2025 conference in Las Vegas.

This strategic alliance integrates Koelis' compact Trinity® MRI-fusion guidance system with Bot Image's ProstatID™ - the first and only FDA-cleared software in North America for automated prostate cancer screening, lesion detection, and 3D contouring.

As a result, urologists and radiologists benefit from streamlined workflows, real-time MRI analysis, and improved biopsy accuracy. ProstatID™ delivers a remarkable 93.6% AUROC (sensitivity-specificity), outpacing competing solutions by providing continuous lesion risk scores and facilitating confident diagnosis and treatment planning.

As Dr. Randall Jones, Bot Image CEO, explains:

“The 93.6% sensitivity-specificity of ProstatID™ (AUROC) is unmatched by any other software product. Other AI products offer some aid in identifying suspect lesions, but ProstatID™ does the heavy lifting by providing physicians with a PI-RADS or Level-of-Suspicion (LOS) score and a risk assessment score for each lesion on a continuous scale from 1-99.”

The collaboration not only promises more targeted and cost-effective care but also showcases Omaha's emergence as a hub for AI-led medical innovation.

For further details on the partnership, visit Koelis' official announcement on the AUA 2025 partnership, learn more about ProstatID's FDA-cleared features and workflow integration on Bot Image's website, and read industry impact coverage at FinanzNachrichten's technology report on prostate cancer AI advancements.

Feature	ProstatID™ Details
FDA Clearance	July 2022 (North America's first and only for prostate cancer AI diagnosis)
Sensitivity-Specificity (AUROC)	93.6%
Key Functions	Automated lesion detection, 3D segmentation, real-time reporting, PI-RADS/LOS scoring (1-99 scale)

Infotec 2025 is set to return to Omaha on May 5th at the Kiewit Luminarium, gathering leading voices in AI, automation, and cybersecurity to shape the region's tech future.

Organized by the AIM Institute and billed as the Midwest's premier business and technology conference, this year's event promises immersive keynotes, hands-on workshops, and high-impact networking for tech professionals, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.

The conference's theme, “Harnessing Technology for Business Growth and Innovation,” is spotlighted by keynote speaker Sam Sapp, founder and CEO of cybersecurity firm Lockbaud, who will explore how AI can amplify human creativity rather than replace it.

Additional sessions feature experts such as Mike Douglas of Lunavi on the real state of generative AI, Samar Elatta of Agility Insights AI on data-driven decision-making, and Mike Poole of Werner on building cybersecurity culture.

As summarized in this event preview from Silicon Prairie News, the agenda blends technical insight with practical strategies for building collaborative intelligence and leveraging emerging technologies.

Attendees can expect robust programming across AI, risk management, and workforce development - recent years have seen over 5,000 attendees and more than 600 startups represented, according to Infotec's official website.

College students benefit from free entry, supporting talent pipeline growth for Nebraska's tech ecosystem; see registration details and session breakdowns on Strictly Business Magazine's registration coverage.

Speaker	Role	Session Topic
Sam Sapp	CEO, Lockbaud	AI as a Tool for Human Creativity
Mike Douglas	SVP Digital Transformation, Lunavi	The Real State of Generative AI
Samar Elatta	VP Enterprise Strategy, Agility Insights AI	Data-Driven Decision Making
Mike Poole	Director of Cybersecurity, Werner	Building a Robust Cybersecurity Culture

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is accelerating its AI integration across campus, empowering students with tools that enrich learning, streamline support, and prepare them for a tech-driven future.

Recent initiatives highlight the breadth of this transformation: the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) program has launched a navigational chatbot for confidential, accessible mental health support, while doctoral students in the School of Public Administration are receiving hands-on training to design and deliver AI-enhanced courses with an emphasis on ethics and effective pedagogy.

Language students benefit from custom GPTs, enabling Spanish conversation practice with real-time feedback and transcripts for deeper skill development. Beyond the classroom, UNO is part of a system-wide unification of Microsoft 365 - granting students and staff seamless access to advanced AI tools like Copilot and enabling more efficient collaboration and secure data management.

As part of the university's broader vision, supported by a recent $250,000 gift from Google to foster AI research and education, these efforts place UNO at the forefront of responsible and innovative AI adoption in higher education.

AI Project	Lead	Purpose
CAPS Chatbot	Emilio Herrera	Mental health navigation and support
Teaching Prep Workshop	Jooho Lee	AI-integrated teaching and ethics training
Spanish GPT Conversation	Tara Toscano & Claudia Garcia	Real-life AI language practice

As UNO Vice President and CIO Bret Blackman explains,

“By unifying Microsoft 365, we're eliminating barriers to collaboration, improving productivity and better preparing our campuses to leverage cutting-edge technologies, including AI tools like Microsoft Copilot.”

Learn more about UNO's AI learning initiatives on their official news page on elevating student learning with AI, the university's Future Ready Cloud Collaboration Project FAQs, and how Google's investment supports AI advancement across Nebraska campuses.

Meta has intensified the global AI competition with the launch of its first stand-alone Meta AI app, powered by the advanced Llama 4 multimodal large language model.

This consumer-facing assistant learns user preferences, adapts its responses, and seamlessly synchronizes across devices, including integration with Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, offering personalized voice or text interactions, image generation, and a vibrant Discover feed for sharing AI prompts and creative outputs according to VentureBeat's coverage of Meta's LlamaCon event.

The Llama 4 models are natively multimodal, feature mixture-of-experts architecture for efficiency, and outperform rivals like Gemini 2.0 and GPT-4o on major benchmarks - delivering market-leading context windows, multilingual support, and industry-best cost-to-performance ratios, as summarized in the table below:

Model	Inference Cost (per 1M tokens)	Reasoning & Coding	Image Understanding	Max Context Window
Llama 4 Maverick	$0.19–$0.49	80.5	90	10M tokens
GPT-4o	$4.38	53.6	85.7	128K tokens
Gemini 2.0 Flash	$0.17	77.6	88.3	45.5K tokens

With 700 million monthly active users and full integration with Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Messenger, Meta is poised to rival OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, and other global leaders.

“2025 is going to be the year when a highly intelligent and personalized AI assistant reaches more than 1 billion people, and I expect Meta AI to be that leading AI assistant”

as reported by CNBC.

The move is set not only to shift consumer AI expectations but also to set a new baseline for digital interaction standards worldwide, with unique features like the Discover feed and deep personalization leveraging years of user data as highlighted by TechCrunch.

Military logistics are entering a new era as the U.S. Air Force integrates advanced artificial intelligence tools into the 618th Air Operations Center (AOC), streamlining global transport operations for its fleet of nearly 1,000 aircraft.

Developed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory through the Conversational AI Technology for Transition (CAITT) project, these AI-driven solutions harness natural language processing to map chat trends, pinpoint critical decision moments, and deliver near real-time insights for mission planning.

As Colonel Joseph Monaco notes,

"It takes a lot of work to get a missile defense system across the world, for example, and this coordination used to be done through phone and email. Now, we are using chat, which creates opportunities for artificial intelligence to enhance our workflows."

CAITT's suite includes topic summarization, semantic (intent-based) chat search, and tools in development such as expertise-based chat assignment and cargo ground time prediction.

These advances address the complexity and speed of military missions, exemplified by features that rapidly highlight issues like missing crew visas or evolving regulatory demands.

The following table summarizes the CAITT core features:

Feature	Description
Topic Summarization	Highlights critical conversations from thousands of daily chats
Semantic Search	Delivers relevant info using intent-aware, natural language queries
Expert Chat Assignment	(In development) Auto-adds users based on expertise
Cargo Prediction	(In development) Forecasts ground time needed for unloading

This transformation is part of the Air Force's Next Generation Information Technology for Mobility Readiness Enhancement (NITMRE) initiative and reflects a broader shift toward human-AI teaming and robust, responsible AI deployment.

Learn more about how AI is enhancing air mobility planning, discover the broader innovation ecosystem supporting these efforts, and explore the rise of AI in modern military operations.

This month, a groundbreaking anti-drug campaign is harnessing artificial intelligence to bring the stories of fentanyl overdose victims directly to the public, giving a voice to individuals lost to the epidemic.

The “Unfinished Legacies” initiative, developed in partnership with families and creative agencies, utilizes AI to recreate voices and images of those lost - like Jordan Coburn, a 23-year-old whose likeness delivers a cautionary message to others.

According to KCTV5 News report on AI-driven anti-drug campaign, Kansas City alone saw a 1,000% increase in fentanyl-related deaths over five years, prompting collaboration with organizations like United Way to raise awareness.

The project leverages deepfake technology identified as AI-generated, as explained by Dr. Joshua Mugg, who notes,

“This isn't outright lying, but we have to be cautious about how we use these new tools.”

Data from the CDC highlights the escalating risk for youth, with counterfeit pill participation in overdose deaths rising from 2% in 2019 to 4.7% in 2021, as reported by Valley News Live coverage on fentanyl dangers among youth.

In tandem with National Fentanyl Awareness Day on April 29, 2025, the DEA's “Faces of Fentanyl” memorial exhibit both in-person and online further commemorates lives lost and invites families to participate in remembrance and prevention efforts at the DEA Faces of Fentanyl Exhibit official website.

The integration of AI into advocacy marks a potent and deeply personal method for educating communities and combating the ongoing crisis.

At this year's AUA 2025 in Las Vegas, Omaha-based Bot Image™ took center stage by showcasing its groundbreaking AI software, ProstatID™, in collaboration with Koelis.

ProstatID™ is the first FDA-cleared software leveraging fully automated AI for prostate lesion detection, classification, and 3D contouring, now integrated with Koelis' Trinity® MRI-fusion guidance system to elevate prostate cancer screening and biopsy accuracy.

According to recent clinical studies, ProstatID™ demonstrated an Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) of 0.936 for cancer detection - outperforming radiologist averages (AUC=0.742) - and provides physicians with risk and PI-RADS scores for each lesion, streamlining workflow and personalized treatment planning.

Feature	ProstatID™ Benefit
FDA Clearance	For AI-aided detection, diagnosis, and screening on MRI
Sensitivity-Specificity (AUROC)	93.6%
Deployment	SaaS; Secure, HIPAA-compliant
Clinical Use	Lesion detection, segmentation, PI-RADS scoring

During live demos at AUA booth #1259, leading urologists highlighted the positive impact on biopsy planning.

As Dr. Randall Jones, CEO and Founder of Bot Image, emphasized,

The 93.6% sensitivity-specificity of ProstatID™ (AUROC) is unmatched by any other software product. Other AI products provide some level of physician aid in identifying suspect lesions, but ProstatID™ does the heavy lifting of segmentation and classification...

These innovations mark a crucial leap in AI-powered prostate care, with further details available from the Koelis and Bot Image partnership announcement, recent clinical performance studies of ProstatID™, and insight on FDA clearance and AI adoption in prostate MRI diagnostics.

Fremantle, the renowned global production powerhouse behind hits like Got Talent and Poor Things, has announced the launch of Imaginae Studios, a standalone label dedicated to pioneering AI-driven storytelling and creative content.

Led by Fremantle COO and Europe CEO Andrea Scrosati, Imaginae Studios is designed to act as a bridge between human ingenuity and artificial intelligence, providing a "creative sanctuary where innovation meets experimentation" and aiming to push the boundaries of what's possible in media and entertainment.

The studio will assemble a specialist team focused on leveraging advanced AI tools and solutions while maintaining strict adherence to intellectual property and compliance standards.

As Scrosati stated,

“Our mission is, and will always be, to give creatives the best tools and the best support to deliver incredible content for audiences globally. AI offers incredible new opportunities to transform ideas into images, video, sound and art.”

This initiative aligns with Fremantle's strategic commitment to next-generation talent and technological advancement in international content creation.

For more details on this forward-thinking venture, read the official announcement on Fremantle's official website, explore the in-depth industry context via Deadline's detailed coverage of the AI label launch, or examine how Imaginae Studios pledges to enhance creative potential in the sector with The Hollywood Reporter's expert analysis.

Omaha is leading the way in FinTech and AI education for young innovators, as seen with the recent completion of the 11-week Fiserv Future Techies program for middle schoolers, now in its second year in partnership with Omaha Public Schools.

The program gave 48 students hands-on experience with artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics, and coding, culminating in project pitches like “Shark Security” - a biometric ID scanner for ATMs designed to thwart hackers.

“They have the opportunity to be hands on with things like artificial intelligence, robotics, learn about cybersecurity concepts. It's really focused on the evolution of commerce to get them ready to be the future of commerce,”

explained Fiserv's chief risk officer, Joanne Sebby.

Meanwhile, initiatives such as the 4-H Artificial Intelligence Community Challenge engaging Nebraska youth statewide are engaging Nebraska youth statewide, and new federal efforts, including an executive order, are prioritizing K-12 AI literacy, educator training, and workforce readiness, as detailed in the White House's AI education initiative supporting K-12 AI literacy and workforce readiness.

The Fiserv program's impact is echoed in students' aspirations - Bluestem's Georgia Eastman looks forward to future engineering roles, and Norris's Swift Moriarty highlighted the program's “fun” and “learning.” For more on local student projects and experiences, see the Omaha World-Herald's feature on the Fiserv Future Techies program.

These layered efforts position Omaha at the forefront of future-focused FinTech and AI education.

Celebrating its 15th anniversary this April, Don't Panic Labs (DPL) continues to anchor the Silicon Prairie's innovation ecosystem, supporting more than 200 companies and creating over 200 products across 20 states since its founding amidst the 2007-2008 recession.

DPL's journey from a Nebraska Global venture to a standalone leader is marked by a steadfast dedication to practical, scalable software solutions, from EliteForm's athletic performance tracking to Ocuvera's fall-prevention technology.

Highlighting its impact are initiatives like the Pathways Program with Doane University, which enables workforce transitions into tech; since 2010, DPL has hosted over 100 student internships and graduated 55 Pathways participants, some now on staff.

The company's recent open house in the Lincoln Telegraph District showcased its expanded space and commitment to community, while founder Doug Durham emphasized the importance of vetting ideas before heavy software investment:

“We work with seasoned entrepreneurs, as well as new entrepreneurs... everybody could benefit from having somebody ask them questions that might lead to them realizing that their idea is not a good idea or that maybe there's a different take on it that actually they should be pursuing.”

In addition to product development, DPL's expertise empowers startups, enterprise clients, and career changers alike, and their ongoing collaboration with initiatives such as the Nebraska Tech Collaborative and 1 Million Cups demonstrates an enduring commitment to economic development and workforce growth.

For more on DPL's evolution and local impact, see Don't Panic Labs – The First 15 Years detailed history, read event coverage at Silicon Prairie News coverage of DPL's 15th anniversary celebration, and explore their collaborations highlighted on the Don't Panic Labs official home page.

Omaha's tech landscape is transforming through a powerful synergy among university innovation, industry partnership, and expanding STEM access. Recent investments, such as Google's $250,000 gift to the University of Nebraska Foundation, support AI education, research, and a new generative AI undergraduate program, while a further $930 million investment anchors Nebraska's role in national tech infrastructure.

Hands-on collaboration thrives: middle school students are building real-world solutions in cybersecurity and AI, as showcased by the Fiserv Future Techies program, while the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's Raikes School empowers students - especially women in tech - via award-winning AI-driven projects for companies like Buckle, linking education with entrepreneurial outcomes.

Yet, continued success depends on addressing pressing rural and workforce challenges. A 2024 National Academies report underscores the value of tailored, place-based STEM partnerships and streamlined funding for rural districts, emphasizing that,

“STEM learning in rural areas can leverage strong connections to surroundings and students' culture, and rural spaces provide fantastic outlets to build passion and skills in STEM.”

For Omahans aiming to join this momentum, resources like Nucamp's tech scholarships and flexible bootcamps offer affordable, practical pathways into the region's thriving tech and AI ecosystem.

As public, private, and educational organizations work together, Omaha is poised to lead in collaborative innovation, talent development, and next-generation opportunities.