News across Champaign County
UI, TechRise to host startup pitch competition with $25,000 prize
In partnership with the University, P33 Chicago’s TechRise will host its annual startup pitch competition Thursday, where five companies will compete for $25,000 in funding. The competition will be at 5:00 p.m. at EnterpriseWorks, the startup incubator at Research Park. Five…
Campus Scout | Your ‘business professor’ is actually AI slop
Zǎoshang hǎo, it’s your friendly Campus Scout here! Sorry about the Mandarin, folks. Scout’s artificial intelligence assistant, his new, improved and too-dangerous-to-be-publicly-released Brain-Blaster 2.0 must’ve had some Mandarin in its training data. Scout is not sure how it…
Letter to the Editor | UI students: SIUE’s student paper needs your help
College is perhaps the best place on Earth to develop critical thinking skills and real-world experience. At Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, those opportunities are under threat. I’m Dylan Hembrough, editor-in-chief of SIUE’s student newspaper, The Alestle. I’ve been…
Bielema speaks on Hauck’s departure, declines to name new play caller
“I just don’t know (that) our identity was really there,” said head coach Bret Bielema. Former defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck spoke with Bielema Sunday to discuss his role. They came to a mutual agreement that Hauck would step down as the defensive coordinator for Illinois.…
Column | What positions outperformed in Illinois’ loss to Ohio State
In football, like any sport, there are winners and losers. While the Illini (2-2, 0-1) ultimately lost to the then-No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes (3-1, 1-0), certain players and positions stood out for its individual performances. While some players for Illinois did all they could to…
Third annual bat festival celebrates bats, bugs, science
The third annual Central Illinois Bat Festival kicked off Saturday afternoon at Anita Purves Nature Center to raise awareness and enthusiasm for bats. This year’s theme was “Backyard Bugs and Bats.” The free, two-part celebration brought together talks from bat experts, guided…
UPDATED: Coroner identifies body found near Alma Mater
UPDATE — Monday, 7:32 p.m. UIPD confirmed Monday afternoon that the body found near Alma Mater Monday morning was 29-year-old Alex Rodriguez. According to the press release, officers found Rodriguez on a concrete bench at approximately 6:42 a.m. The Champaign County Coroner’s…
UI computer science professors discuss growing AI safety concerns
Artificial intelligence industry experts are expressing increasing concern in recent weeks about the growth of AI, calling on governments to slow down development and increase safety measures. Gov. JB Pritzker announced Tuesday the creation of an Illinois AI Cabinet to assess…
How is UI trying to lower textbook and course material costs?
As more textbooks shift from physical to digital and professors use more free resources, costs for students have dropped dramatically — by half nationally since 2007. The University has taken steps to keep up with the trend, such as expanding its Day1Access program. In most…
Column | Notebook from Illinois’ conference-opening defeat
Score vs. stats While Illinois (2-2, 0-1) lost handily to No. 5 Ohio State (3-1, 1-0) 42-19, the stats told a different story. The Illini racked up 462 yards of offense and averaged 6.5 yards per play, not far behind the Buckeyes 518 yards and 7.6 yards per play. Eight of…
Body found near Alma Mater
A man was found dead Monday morning near Alma Mater, according to UIPD. UIPD is currently investigating. The body was found at approximately 6:42 a.m. A UIPD spokesperson wrote in an email to The Daily Illini that the preliminary investigation suggests there is no ongoing threat…
