This Month's Latest Tech News in St Petersburg, FL - Saturday May 31st 2025 Edition

This spring, St. Petersburg's tech and AI landscape has reached new heights, thanks to a synergy of public investment, cutting-edge manufacturing, and collaborations between industry and academia. St. Petersburg College secured $7.2 million to launch an Industry 4.0 Lab and boost advanced manufacturing, robotics, and semiconductor training, addressing local demand for high-wage tech jobs and supporting initiatives that connect workforce education with industry needs (SPC receives state funding for manufacturing workforce training).

Meanwhile, Haddy Inc. officially opened the world's largest AI-powered 3D printing microfactory, using modular robots and technologies from Siemens and CEAD to pioneer hyper-local, sustainable production - demonstrating “how microfactories can serve as blueprints for tech-driven manufacturers,” according to CEO Jay Rogers (world's largest 3D-printing facility opens in St. Pete).

These developments are amplified by the ARM Institute's regional office and project calls, positioning St. Petersburg as a hub for robotics and data-driven AI in manufacturing, with industry partnerships and consortium-building to empower businesses of all sizes (ARM Institute announces National Repository for AI-Based Manufacturing Resources).

Together, these initiatives define a transformative moment for St. Petersburg, bridging education, advanced automation, and real-world innovation.

Haddy Inc. has officially opened the world's largest AI-powered 3D printing microfactory in St. Petersburg, marking a transformative leap for American manufacturing and local innovation.

This 32,000-square-foot facility employs eight advanced Flexbot robots and proprietary AI systems, enabling it to achieve 16 times the production capacity of its nearest competitor while utilizing 100% recyclable and U.S.-sourced materials to produce custom furniture and infrastructure components with unprecedented speed and efficiency.

CEO Jay Rogers emphasizes that Haddy's approach is “planting a flag in the future of making things” - reshoring complex manufacturing to local economies, reducing reliance on overseas supply chains, and insulating products from international tariffs.

The microfactory's versatility is already expanding beyond furniture into national defense, disaster recovery, and modular construction, with plans for seven additional sites across the U.S. over the next three years.

Mayor Ken Welch praised Haddy's “bold step toward the future of sustainable, local manufacturing,” and industry leaders have hailed its zero-waste, circular manufacturing model as a breakthrough for Industry 4.0.

As COO Lex Keifhaber declared,

This isn't just a factory opening. This is America planting a flag in the future of making things. We can build smarter, faster, and cheaper, while improving overall quality. And we can do it right here at home.

For more on Haddy's industry-disrupting launch, see St. Pete Rising's in-depth article on the AI and robotics powering the world's largest 3D printing facility, VoxelMatters' analysis of Haddy's groundbreaking production capabilities and diverse applications, and TCT Magazine's comprehensive overview of the microfactory's impact on reshaping American manufacturing.

St. Petersburg is making a major move to improve road safety and reduce traffic congestion by deploying 15 adaptive AI-enabled “Smart Signals” along 66th Street North and Tyrone Boulevard, both of which are known for high crash rates and inconsistent traffic flow.

Supported by a $1.16 million state grant, these advanced signals utilize high-accuracy object detection and real-time video analytics to dynamically adjust light timings, improving driver and pedestrian safety and offering potential integration with future connected vehicle (V2X) technologies.

The project features live high-definition video streams connected to a citywide video wall for enhanced monitoring, and new cabinet installations designed to protect vital equipment from flooding - essential for resilient urban infrastructure.

A significant portion of the budget funds video detection software and communication upgrades, setting the stage for emergency vehicle preemption and real-time traffic updates for motorists.

As Cheryl Stacks, the city's transportation manager, noted, ensuring accurate AI-powered pedestrian detection remains a top priority as these systems evolve. St. Petersburg's initiative reflects global trends seen in cities like Prague and London, where AI-led traffic management is showing measurable benefits in congestion relief and emissions reduction, and aligns with nationwide research finding that AI traffic signal technology boosts safety and supports future mobility.

Recent regional studies confirm that upgrading Florida's outdated traffic signals with AI can reduce crashes and shorten wait times.

Internationally, robust trials in Prague show that AI-enabled adaptive traffic management not only smooths traffic but also decreases emissions and increases transport sustainability, demonstrating the far-reaching potential of smart signal corridors.

St. Petersburg-based Optiversal has closed a $5.5 million Series A funding round led by Bling Capital, empowering the fast-growing startup to expand its AI-powered e-commerce content platform.

Founded in 2022 by Will Underwood, Lucas Tieleman, and Jarrod Wolf, Optiversal leverages generative AI to help major retailers automate the creation of SEO landing pages, enriched product catalog entries, and optimized marketing content across platforms like Google, ChatGPT, and Perplexity.

Backed by a total of $9.8 million in funding and partnerships with nearly 20% of the nation's largest retailers, the startup has already generated over $125 million in new revenue for its clients in 2024 alone.

CEO Will Underwood explained,

“Our platform addresses the challenges faced by large retail enterprises in generating high-quality, engaging content at scale. Our ability to develop custom AI models tailored to each customer's unique voice enables consistent and distinct brand voices while significantly reducing time and effort.”

In addition to product and geographic expansion, the funds will fuel continued investments in technology and infrastructure to meet growing customer demand.

Optiversal distinguishes itself as a “Challenger” in the generative AI marketing space, standing alongside competitors such as Writer, Jasper, and Typeface. For a full overview of Optiversal's funding history and business impact, see the Tampa Bay Business Journal's coverage of the Series A round, additional details on CB Insights' analysis of Optiversal's market differentiation, and company milestones on the official Optiversal website.

Funding Round	Date	Amount Raised
Seed	July 2023	$4.2M
Series A	May 2025	$5.5M
Total	2025	$9.8M

St. Petersburg College is taking a major step forward in workforce innovation this spring with the launch of two new Artificial Intelligence certificate programs - Artificial Intelligence Responsible Use Certificate (9 credits) and Artificial Intelligence Responsible Use Practitioner Certificate (18 credits) - beginning Spring 2025.

These programs are designed for students interested in both foundational AI concepts and hands-on technical skills, offering flexible online and on-campus study options in eight-week sessions.

The 9-credit Responsible Use Certificate provides an overview of AI's applications, revolutionary impact across industries such as healthcare, finance, and transportation, and focuses on ethical deployment; the 18-credit Practitioner Certificate emphasizes practical training in machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and data analysis, including credits that transfer towards an associate degree in Data Science.

Both programs were developed in response to industry demand: “For anyone who's curious about Artificial Intelligence and its role and influence, this is a great starting point.

We give you an overall view of the applications and usage of this evolving technology. The greater the awareness, the more comfortable people will be with AI,”

- Jimmy Chang, Interim Dean, College of Computer and Information Technology

Projected job growth data underscores the regional demand for these skills: software developer employment in Florida is forecasted to increase by 35% from 2023 to 2033, with over 7,000 job openings expected.

For more information, explore the SPC newsroom announcement on new AI certificate launches, review the detailed Responsible Use Practitioner Certificate curriculum and outcomes, and see how SPC's approach aligns with career opportunities in emerging technologies.

The Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, is bringing surrealism to the digital age with “Dial Dalí,” an innovative AI-powered phone line allowing anyone in the U.S. to chat directly with a recreated voice of Salvador Dalí.

Developed in partnership with Goodby Silverstein & Partners (GS&P) and driven by ElevenLabs' advanced voice synthesis, this immersive art experience lets callers dial 772-ASK-DALÍ and engage in unscripted, often whimsical, conversations with an AI trained on Dalí's interviews, writings, and quirks, all managed in real-time via Twilio's cloud platform.

As detailed in the ElevenLabs project overview, the initiative leverages GPT-4 for natural dialogue and multilingual voice reproduction, preserving Dalí's unique cadence and personality - even responding with artful musings on everything from lobsters to the nature of dreams.

A table summarizes key facts:

Feature	Details
Phone Number	772-ASK-DALÍ (772-275-3254)
Technology	ElevenLabs AI Voice + Twilio
Exhibit Run	May 6–12, 2025 (Dalí's birthday week)

The experience builds on earlier AI experiments at the museum and taps into a growing trend of using technology to preserve and enliven the voices of historical icons.

As Forbes reports, Dalí's AI persona stays in character during each call, fielding hundreds of questions with his trademark wit:

“The meaning of life, my dear, is a tapestry woven with dreams, desires and the divine madness of creation.”

Discover more about how visitors can interact with the surrealist master by phone at Blooloop's feature on the AI phone experience, or learn about the project's broader technological and cultural impact in Forbes' in-depth coverage of the Dial Dalí AI project.

St. Petersburg's tech scene is celebrating a standout achievement as CodeBoxx received the prestigious “Chatbot Solution of the Year” award at the 2025 RetailTech Breakthrough Awards for its development of the GEM AI chatbot for GoodwillFinds.

Recognized for delivering an effective omnichannel customer experience and built using OpenAI's language models, GEM stands out for resolving 68% of customer inquiries without human intervention - a major cost-saving and efficiency boost for GoodwillFinds' non-profit operations.

The chatbot, developed with close collaboration between CodeBoxx's tech team and GoodwillFinds' staff, leverages tailored training and real-world data curation, and was selected from thousands of global nominees for pushing the boundaries of AI-powered retail tech in the award announcement.

The growing retail AI market, forecast to triple in size by 2026, is driving innovation across customer service, supply chain, and merchandising, as highlighted by the 2025 RetailTech Breakthrough Awards coverage.

As RetailTech Breakthrough's Bryan Vaughn notes,

This year's winners are transforming the industry by focusing on cutting-edge solutions that optimize supply chains, improve inventory management, and blend physical and digital retail to meet and exceed evolving consumer expectations.

For an insider look at how GoodwillFinds and CodeBoxx co-developed and implemented the GEM chatbot - including its future plans - read the in-depth interview with GoodwillFinds' CEO at Chain Store Age's exclusive Q&A.

In a significant leap for wealth management innovation, Dynasty Financial Partners is harnessing the power of AI-driven data lakes to provide advisors with smarter insights and enhanced client service.

Data lakes, now a strategic cornerstone for competitive firms, offer a unified platform to rapidly ingest, store, and analyze both structured and unstructured data - from client communications to intricate portfolio details - enabling more actionable intelligence than traditional databases according to experts at T3 Technology Hub.

As 61% of industry executives prioritize data analytics for 2025, firms like Dynasty recognize the potential of AI and automation to streamline operations, improve client engagement, and drive growth, even as costs, integration, and data security remain critical concerns as noted in InvestmentNews' industry outlook.

These advanced data strategies not only allow for custom dashboards and predictive analytics but also unlock opportunities for personalized recommendations, smarter risk analysis, and automation of compliance tasks.

As a recent wealthtech round-up underscores, this new wave of technology is essential for maintaining long-term growth and responding faster to evolving client and market needs.

The adoption of AI-enhanced data lakes marks a pivotal shift, ensuring St. Petersburg's financial advisory sector remains ahead of the curve in delivering proactive, efficient, and highly tailored wealth management solutions.

The University of South Florida St. Petersburg is at the forefront of advancing responsible artificial intelligence by launching the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing with a historic $40 million gift, establishing the nation's first named college that fuses AI and cybersecurity.

The Bellini College opens in Fall 2025 and takes an interdisciplinary, hands-on approach, equipping students from diverse majors to integrate AI expertise into fields like business, criminology, and health - a pipeline critical for meeting Tampa Bay's growing tech sector needs and addressing the national shortfall of cyber professionals.

As USF President Rhea Law notes,

“We are at a pivotal moment in history where AI and cybersecurity must evolve together. This college will produce the talent and innovation needed to meet the escalating challenges of the digital era.”

Experiential learning is core: USF embeds AI tools into real-world research, K-12 outreach, and industry partnerships, while prioritizing ethical use, digital literacy, and equity.

The college's hub-and-spoke model enables students to combine core computing and cybersecurity with specializations across the university, preparing graduates for the fast-changing workforce.

As covered by USF News, the Bellini College is committed to cross-campus collaboration, ensuring AI augments rather than replaces human creativity.

The significance of this initiative is also reflected in workforce metrics and impact:

Metric	Value
Tech sector growth in Tampa Bay (last 5 years)	28.5%
Projected IT sector growth by 2029	12.5%
Unfilled U.S. cybersecurity jobs	700,000+
Annual USF graduates from AI/cyber programs	~500 (projected 1,000)
USF's annual economic impact	$6 billion

This bold investment ensures USF will serve as a national model for embedding responsible, inclusive AI in experiential learning.

Explore more about the college's vision and AI's critical role in higher education at Inside Higher Ed's feature on AI in 2025.

As St. Petersburg navigates an era defined by pervasive artificial intelligence, the Poynter Institute is emerging as a national leader in addressing AI-driven misinformation and news literacy.

During Poynter's recent community event, “The Future of Facts Online,” experts like MediaWise director Alex Mahadevan revealed how viral, AI-generated images - from whimsical “Shrimp Jesus” memes to politically charged deepfakes - shape perception and erode public trust in the news.

Mahadevan warned,

“If what you see online confirms how you feel about the world and what you believe, it doesn't matter anymore.”

Such confirmation bias, combined with algorithmic engagement-driven platforms, poses new challenges to factual reporting, especially during moments of crisis or political upheaval as this in-depth Poynter article on AI-generated images and misinformation explains.

In response, Poynter has partnered with the Associated Press to launch the MediaWise “Talking About AI: Newsroom Toolkit,” designed to help journalists communicate their use of AI to audiences, demystify technological capabilities, and foster transparency - key demands identified by new research showing that over 90% of highly news-literate consumers want visible AI disclosures in newsrooms as highlighted at Poynter's AI, Ethics and Journalism Summit.

Despite experimentation with chatbots and generative AI, a joint study by Poynter and the University of Minnesota found nearly half of Americans don't want news from AI, and general enthusiasm is low across age groups, intensifying the need for responsible, audience-first solutions according to Poynter's recent research on AI and audience trust.

Through research, education, and new tools, the Poynter Institute is helping both journalists and the public navigate the complexities of AI in media.

As demand for AI computing power surges, Florida Power & Light's (FPL) proposal for a record-breaking $10 billion rate increase is facing staunch opposition from local data centers and consumer groups alike.

The recently formed Florida Energy for Innovation Association (FEIA), representing new and planned data centers, has successfully intervened in FPL's regulatory case, arguing that the utility's new rate structure would impose a staggering 65% higher cost on large electricity users vital to the state's tech industry, objecting to Florida Power & Light's $2.5 billion rate hike request.

Many local residents and tech firms have joined the fight, with over thirty advocacy organizations urging the Public Service Commission to hold FPL accountable and protect affordability, warning the hike could mean at least $200 more annually per household by 2027 - the largest utility rate increase request in U.S. history, as detailed in the Florida FPL Rate Hearings overview.

FPL defends the rate hike as essential for grid modernization and serving rapidly expanding data operations, but public hearings reveal deep community frustration, particularly among fixed-income families and tech leaders concerned about the impact on innovation and growth.

As one resident expressed at a Miami meeting,

“We're faced with so many other rising costs, and you're going to hit us with this?”

The debate underlines a key inflection point for St. Petersburg's tech sector, as energy costs threaten to shape the future of AI infrastructure investment, as FPL rate hike plans catch the eye of data center developers.

With the Public Service Commission's decision pending, the outcome will set a precedent for how Florida supports both innovation and affordability in an increasingly AI-driven economy.

St. Petersburg's tech scene is poised for a new era, fueled by strong investor confidence, collaboration, and a growing infrastructure for entrepreneurship. Recent milestones include AI content startup Optiversal securing a $5.5 million Series A to expand its presence and product lines, working with nearly 20% of major U.S. retailers - a sign of the region's scaling ambitions (Optiversal's funding).

Grassroots momentum is building too, with weekly tech meetups hosted by St. Pete Connects and annual events like the Greenhouse pitch competition nurturing community and visibility for founders (meetup and ecosystem insights).

The city's Innovation District and Tampa Bay Innovation Center continue to attract new startups and foster cross-sector growth, with initiatives like ocean enterprise accelerators and smart city testbeds placing St. Pete in Southeast tech conversations (Innovation District news).

The path ahead involves bridging capital and talent gaps - priorities identified by ecosystem leaders - while strengthening educational pipelines connected to local universities and bootcamps.

As investor education, regular networking, and smart infrastructure efforts advance, St. Petersburg is not only keeping pace with neighboring hubs but defining itself as an agile destination for tech builders and innovators.