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

Philadelphia has emerged as a national leader in AI and tech innovation heading into 2025, with citywide and statewide initiatives showcasing real-world impact.

Pennsylvania's groundbreaking pilot with ChatGPT Enterprise saved public employees an average of 95 minutes daily on administrative work, streamlining processes from hiring to policy research, while Governor Shapiro emphasized,

“AI will never replace our workers. Instead, we're equipping them with the best tools to do what they do best: get stuff done for Pennsylvanians.”

The city's commitment is further reflected in SEPTA's new AI-powered enforcement program, which deploys smart cameras on over 150 buses and nearly 40 trolleys to fine drivers who block bus lanes - yielding over 36,000 violations recorded in just a 70-day pilot and promising faster, safer commutes for all residents (read more about Philadelphia's AI traffic enforcement rollout).

In education, the University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia School District are set to launch the PASS program in March, providing tiered AI professional development to prepare educators and students for a tech-driven future (learn about the PASS AI initiative).

As Pennsylvania upgrades its digital government and public services, it continues to set a blueprint for responsible AI integration nationwide (full report on Pennsylvania's generative AI pilot program).

Philadelphia has launched the Automated Bus Camera Enforcement Initiative, a partnership between SEPTA, the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA), and Hayden AI, to address chronic congestion and accessibility issues caused by illegal parking in bus lanes and stops.

The initiative equips 152 SEPTA buses and 38 trolleys with forward-facing AI-powered cameras that detect violations such as blocking bus lanes, bus stops, and trolley zones, with flagged incidents then manually reviewed by PPA officers before citations are issued.

Following an initial warning period, fines of $76 in Center City and $51 elsewhere will be mailed to offenders starting May 7, 2025, in a bid to improve safety and reliability while ensuring disabled riders can access curbs and deploy wheelchair ramps safely.

During a 70-day pilot of the system using just 7 buses, over 36,000 violations were recorded, reflecting the scale of Philadelphia's bus lane obstruction problem.

The technology, already proven in cities like New York and Los Angeles, has demonstrated meaningful outcomes: New York saw bus speeds rise by 5%, collisions drop by up to 34%, and bus stop obstructions fall by 40%.

As PPA Executive Director Rich Lazer stated,

“There is no better example of intergovernmental cooperation and collaboration than our three agencies working together to use smart camera vision technology to improve public safety and enhance urban mobility and local quality of life by reducing congestion and increasing traffic flow on some of our most congested city arteries.”

For more details, visit the official overview of the Automated Bus Camera Enforcement Initiative, review pilot program insights and community impact from NBC Philadelphia's coverage, and read firsthand statements and accessibility perspectives reported by CBS Philadelphia.

City	Bus Speed Increase	Collision Decrease	Obstruction Violation Drop
New York City	5%	Up to 34%	40%

The University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education and the School District of Philadelphia will launch the "Pioneering AI in School Systems" (PASS) program in March 2025, positioning the city as a national leader in AI-powered professional development for educators.

This cost-free, three-tiered initiative - funded in part by the Marrazzo Family Foundation - will offer district administrators, school leaders, and classroom teachers specialized training to responsibly integrate artificial intelligence into K-12 classrooms.

PASS aims to boost student engagement, personalize instruction through AI-driven data, and equip educators to tackle challenges such as bias, equity, and data privacy.

As Penn GSE Dean Katharine Strunk stated,

"Our goal is to leverage AI to foster creativity and critical thinking among students and develop policies to ensure this technology is used effectively and responsibly – while preparing both educators and students for a future where AI and technology will play increasingly central roles."

National surveys reflect that while 60% of school districts intended to train teachers on AI by the end of 2023-24, urban areas like Philadelphia had lagged behind.

PASS fills this gap through a structured approach, with research-backed ethics guidelines and ongoing evaluation. The following table summarizes the program's structure:

Tier	Target Group	Focus	Primary Goals
1	District Administrators	Strategic planning, governance, policy	Frameworks, standards-aligned AI integration
2	School Leaders	AI tool implementation, staff support	Align AI with school instruction, support systems
3	Educators	Practical AI tools training	Personalize learning, enhance instruction, monitor progress

For a detailed look at how PASS is helping teachers and students adapt to the future of learning, see the Chalkbeat coverage on PASS's launch, explore the WHYY feature on the program's arts and tech vision, and read Forbes' national perspective on AI readiness in Philadelphia schools.

Saint Joseph's University, in collaboration with the nonprofit Bancroft, is pioneering the use of AI-powered social robots to support aging adults with autism through a pilot program at the Judith B. Flicker Residences.

The centerpiece, Pepper - a four-foot-tall, humanoid robot equipped with tactile sensors, cameras, and speech recognition - engages residents through interactive games, music, and activities designed to stimulate cognitive and social interaction.

As Karen Lindgren, Bancroft's chief clinical officer, observes,

“What does healthy aging look like for this group? Cognitively they're very different. Social connection might look very different. So, how do we support that and do that here?”

The project aims not only to provide companionship and joy but also to address gaps in early detection of cognitive decline for autistic seniors, a field that remains largely unexplored.

Pepper's advanced AI can monitor behavioral patterns over time, offering valuable insights for caregivers and clinicians. Plans are underway to enhance Pepper's face and speech recognition capabilities, further personalizing activities for residents in their 60s, 70s, and 80s.

For more on the program's goals and Pepper's unique impact, explore detailed reporting from WHYY News on AI robots aiding aging adults with autism.

For insights into programming Pepper and fostering student-led innovation, visit Saint Joseph's announcement of its humanoid robot project.

Additional coverage on the pilot's rollout and resident engagement can be found at Montco.Today's feature on the Haub Innovation Center partnership.

Philadelphia-based Lithero is paving the way in pharmaceutical marketing compliance with its innovative AI-powered platform, LARA (Lithero Artificial Review Assistant).

Developed to address the lengthy, costly process of regulatory review for life sciences marketing materials, LARA acts as an "artificial lawyer," screening content for compliance issues before human review and catching up to 95% of potential errors based on a brand's claims, safety, and editorial standards.

This technology uniquely augments - rather than replaces - human experts, reducing review cycles and creating a significant return on investment, with some clients reporting an average 14X ROI and annual savings exceeding $763,000 across the content lifecycle (LARA AI platform for life sciences marketers).

The startup's founders, deeply connected to Drexel University and Philadelphia's tech scene, collaborated with local partners such as Ben Franklin Technology Partners to expand their solutions using non-generative, data-driven AI that avoids misinformation and accelerates content approval - key in a sector where commercialization costs can be double R&D expenses, and global compliance reviews reach $20 billion annually (University City Science Center Startup Spotlight on Lithero).

Recent integrations with platforms like Adobe GenStudio further enhance marketing performance for life sciences agencies, strengthening Lithero's presence in Philadelphia's robust health tech ecosystem and exemplifying the city's leadership in applied AI for regulated industries (How Lithero uses AI to speed up pharma marketing compliance).

Pennsylvania lawmakers are making headlines with House Bill 140, introduced by Rep. Rick Krajewski, which would ban the use of algorithmic rent-setting technologies across the state.

This legislative move follows mounting concerns that such AI-powered rent pricing tools boosting housing costs do so by enabling coordinated rent increases among landlords - a practice already banned in Philadelphia and the subject of a federal antitrust lawsuit.

As Rep. Krajewski stated,

“While millions of working people struggle to pay the rent, I'm not willing to sit back and hand the keys over to Big Tech oligarchs in DC. We're going to fight back.”

Pennsylvania does not currently cap rental price hikes, leaving tenants to market forces, but the emergence and questionable impact of these algorithms has prompted new scrutiny and local legislative action, including a recent $45,000 settlement by a rental company over AI-related delays and unsafe housing conditions (legal settlement regarding AI-related rental delays).

City and state measures are evolving: a recent Philadelphia bill narrowed its ban to AI tools using non-public competitor information, after industry pushback (Philadelphia price-fixing legislation update).

Meanwhile, advocates and legislators argue that these reforms are essential to protect tenants from artificial price inflation as advanced by dominant tech platforms that currently control up to 80% of the rent-setting market, signaling Pennsylvania's serious reconsideration of AI's role in the rental sector.

Key Issue	Status/Details
No rent control in PA	Landlords can increase rent with proper notice; no price caps
AI rent-setting platforms	One service controls 80% of market; sued by DOJ; city ban in effect
HB 140	Introduced May 2025; referred to Housing & Community Development

Pennsylvania is emerging as a national leader in government AI training following the results of its pioneering generative AI pilot program, which involved 175 employees across 14 state agencies and marked the first official state partnership with OpenAI. Over 85% of participants reported a positive experience using ChatGPT Enterprise, with average daily time savings of 95 minutes on tasks such as writing, research, and summarization, enabling government workers to focus on more complex responsibilities and improve citizen services.

The program's structured feedback also highlighted the critical importance of human oversight - especially in prompt engineering, the skill set needed to deliver specific, high-quality AI outputs.

To sustain this momentum, the state will expand access to AI tools and offer ongoing training, including for union-covered employees, reflecting Governor Shapiro's vision of AI as a “job enhancer, not a job replacer.” Program results further revealed significant productivity gains, such as reducing onboarding time from 90 to 60 days and simplifying job descriptions.

As CIO Amaya Capellán shared, comprehensive training and forums supported employees through the learning curve, and efforts will continue to scale these digital skills statewide.

View the full breakdown below:

Pilot Metric	Result
Participants	175 across 14 agencies
% Positive Experience	85%
Average Daily Time Saved	95 minutes
First-Time ChatGPT Users	48%
Most Common Uses	Writing, research, summarization, coding

“Generative AI has become a powerful tool in my daily workflow, and it saves me time and helps me focus on those more complex tasks ... AI is just a tool to enhance our creativity and efficiency, but it can't replace human expertise or personal instincts.”

To learn more about the pilot and statewide expansion, read the in-depth coverage on Pennsylvania's results and Governor Shapiro's vision for AI in government, explore highlights from the Office of Administration's approach to training and transformation, and see broader context on prompt engineering from the NASCIO Midyear Conference in Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania is rapidly emerging as a pivotal hub for artificial intelligence (AI) innovation, with collaborations across government, industry, and academia driving a robust transformation in the state's economy.

Recent public hearings in Pittsburgh have spotlighted the region's unique assets - including globally ranked research universities like Carnegie Mellon and a thriving startup ecosystem - while addressing the urgent need for strategic energy policies to support expanding AI infrastructure.

Notably, local leaders and experts emphasize that AI is already transforming critical sectors: in healthcare, the University of Pittsburgh's Computational Pathology & AI Center of Excellence is implementing AI-powered diagnostics; in finance, companies like BNY's Pittsburgh AI hub leverage AI for complex pattern recognition and faster decision-making; while in advanced manufacturing and robotics, Pittsburgh's legacy institutions anchor national excellence.

As Joanna Doven, Executive Director of the AI Strike Team, observed,

“What is the new AI economy? It's not just a new industry. It's a new era defined by massive innovation cycles that demand re-industrialization, resilient chains and very deep resource collaboration.”

Forward-looking infrastructure investments - backed by over $3.1 billion raised in Pittsburgh's tech economy last year - are projected to generate 17,000 new robotics and AI jobs in the decade ahead.

Key challenges remain, including scaling workforce talent, attracting venture capital, and ensuring a reliable energy supply for data centers. The table below summarizes essential data points about Pennsylvania's AI sector:

Metric	Detail
#1 AI Program in US	Carnegie Mellon University
AI/Robotics Jobs Projected	17,000 new jobs in next 10 years
Venture Capital Raised (2023)	$3.12 Billion (Pittsburgh tech economy)

For an in-depth look at this AI-driven reindustrialization and policy perspectives, explore coverage on Pennsylvania lawmakers exploring AI opportunities at Astrobotic hearing, a detailed account of how lawmakers are examining how to make Pennsylvania an AI powerhouse, and the state's legacy and economic outlook at Pennsylvania's Department of Community & Economic Development's robotics and AI page.

Philadelphia's tech landscape is rapidly aligning with global shifts as major companies such as Shopify, Duolingo, and Fiverr treat AI literacy as a fundamental requirement for employment and career growth.

Leaders across these firms now require employees to not only adopt AI in their workflows, but to demonstrate meaningful integration - Shopify mandates teams justify new hires by proving AI cannot do the job, while Duolingo and Fiverr are replacing roles that AI can automate, with Fiverr's CEO Micha Kaufman warning,

“There's less of a risk of technology displacing people. But I think there's more risk of people who are very versed in technology displacing people who are not.”

Data from Fiverr's May Business Trends Index highlights a staggering 18,347% surge in demand for “AI agent” services and 1,739% growth in “AI video creator” searches in the last six months, signaling the explosion of new roles and required skills.

According to expert analysis of AI adoption in the workplace, mere mandates aren't enough - organizations must invest in infrastructure, coaching, and ongoing assessments to help staff transition.

This transition is echoed globally, as summarized by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's warning on AI and employment: “AI won't steal your job, but someone using AI better might.” As businesses adopt AI-first hiring philosophies, local tech professionals should prioritize continuous upskilling, adaptability, and prompt engineering to remain competitive; Fiverr's stance on AI as a hiring deal breaker is setting the new norm.

Philadelphia is at the forefront of deploying AI companions for senior care, with Saint Joseph's University researchers piloting Pepper, a four-foot-tall humanoid robot, to support aging adults, including those with autism, at Bancroft's Judith B. Flicker Residences.

Pepper engages residents in activities such as music, interactive games like “Name That Song,” and daily living scenario practice, with researchers aiming to offer both cognitive stimulation and social connection.

The project, launched in collaboration with Bancroft, explores how AI robots can monitor behavior over time, potentially identifying early signs of cognitive decline where conventional methods fall short for nonverbal seniors.

As Bancroft prepares to introduce additional robots for regular use, staff emphasize Pepper's value as a supplement - not a replacement - for human caregivers, echoing Aldebaran's commitment to certified, GDPR-compliant, and safe assistive technologies for healthcare.

“Companionship provided by Pepper is an unexpected but lovely benefit,”

noted Karen Lindgren, Bancroft's chief clinical officer. The expanding role of robots like Pepper in healthcare is also evident nationally, as highlighted at CES 2025, where companion robots are becoming vital aides in elder care routines.

For more, see WHYY's reporting on AI robots supporting aging autistic adults in Philadelphia, Aldebaran's overview of Pepper as a certified healthcare companion, and coverage of broader trends in health robotics from CES 2025's showcase of robots for care environments.

This May, Philadelphia played host to the 2025 National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) Midyear Conference, spotlighting the city's critical role in shaping national artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity policy for government.

AI, driven by advancements in generative AI, secured the #2 spot among CIO priorities, with sessions emphasizing its transformative potential for service delivery and the need for robust governance, data management, and security best practices.

According to a comprehensive NASCIO conference rundown highlighting AI-related bills introduced in 2025, nearly 550 AI-related bills have been introduced nationwide in 2025, addressing concerns from consumer protection to deepfake regulation.

State officials - such as Massachusetts' Donald Chamberlain - highlighted how AI is accelerating both cyber threats and defense strategies, prompting six core initiatives like application modernization and AI-enhanced identity verification.

The following table summarizes these initiatives:

Cybersecurity Initiative	Description
Application Modernization	Updating legacy systems to current standards
Regular Patching	Continuous vulnerability management
Multifactor Authentication	Strengthening access security
Centralized AI-Enhanced Identity Management	Unified authentication with AI verification
Eliminating Legacy Processes	Encouraging innovation in workflows
Employee Cybersecurity Training	Mandatory and ongoing for all staff

As covered by Government Technology in their AI report from NASCIO conference, learning from failure and investing in well-structured, labeled data are essential for states seeking scalable AI solutions.

In the words of the AI x Talent report:

“Many AI pilots will fail at first - learning from failure, and iteratively training AI models, is part of the experimentation process.”

For deeper insights into emerging trends and actionable policy, explore the top themes from the 2025 NASCIO Midyear event.

Philadelphia stands firmly at the forefront of applied AI, fueled by a thriving startup scene, leading research universities, and a wave of substantial investment.

The city now boasts 150 AI startups with a remarkable 60 having secured funding, and notable companies like Proscia - recently closing a $50 million round to expand its FDA-cleared digital pathology platform - are driving national impact and clinical adoption as highlighted by Philadelphia Today.

Legislative efforts continue to safeguard local progress, with Pennsylvania officials vocally opposing federal attempts to halt state-level AI oversight, emphasizing that

“Americans deserve federal protections and state leadership in AI safety and accountability”

according to WITF's reporting.

In parallel, Philadelphia startups such as ZeroEyes (AI security), Burro (agrotech robotics), and IntegriChain (healthcare) contribute to a diverse ecosystem that exemplifies AI's role in public safety, healthcare, and commerce.

The city's position is further solidified by robust national and sector-wide trends - in 2025 alone, AI startups raised $68.5 billion globally, with U.S. companies capturing the lion's share as detailed in Tracxn's industry analysis.

“We are living through an extraordinary moment in medicine. Demand for advanced diagnostics is surging, digital pathology is gaining global traction, and AI is moving faster than the boldest predictions made just a few years ago.” - David West, Proscia CEO

As Pennsylvania navigates regulatory uncertainty and federal debates, Philadelphia remains committed to innovation, responsible governance, and inclusive growth - cementing its role as a leader in America's AI-powered future.