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Philly daily roundup: Student-made college cost app; Central High is robotics world champ; Internet subsidy expiration looms

Plus, will gen AI replace software developers — or create more jobs?

The Central High School Robolancers win the 2024 FIRST robotics world championship (Courtesy Robolancers)

Philly high schoolers develop college cost app

Finiverse aims to help high school students and their families calculate how much various colleges will actually cost them out of pocket and what their repayment plan options might be.

The free app, which is a project out of the Stevens Center at Wharton, was designed by students themselves. Sindi Banaj and Maryem Bouatlaoui both started working on it as high school seniors and are still part of it as sophomores as Penn. They hope it becomes part of the toolbox for Philly School District admissions advisors.

➡️ Read more about how Finiverse is helping teens understand the financial reality of college

Will generative AI replace software developers?

Unlike previous tech breakthroughs, which primarily replaced physical tasks, the latest large language models are good at non-material tasks. That means marketers, strategists and software developers will be far more affected by generative AI than those in factories, tractor trailers and supermarkets.

This may not lead to layoffs of software engineers — but it will likely lead to shifting job titles and duties.

➡️ Read more about how AI could impact software developers’ roles

News Incubator: What else to know today

• 1 in 5 Americans with low income said they won’t be able to afford internet service without the Affordable Connectivity Program, according to a survey from Atticus. Digital equity experts expect that April will be the last fully funded month for the federal internet subsidy program. [Atticus/Technical.ly]

• Education nonprofit Heights Philadelphia announced a partnership with the EPA to offer its students opportunities in environmental sciences and environmental justice. [PHL17/Technical.ly]

• Central High School’s Robolancers won the 2024 FIRST robotics world championship in Houston. Last year, the team won an Impact award at the global competition for its STEM outreach work with the other Philly schools. [FIRST Robotics/Technical.ly]

• Protesters have been targeting Philly-based Ghost Robotics because its products are used by the Israeli military. [Billy Penn]

• Do you have a unique professional journey others could learn from? Apply to be profiled in our How I Got Here series. These article focus on professionals in the tech community who have an interesting story, are doing exceptional work or are passionate about supporting the next generation. [Google Forms/Technical.ly]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• Philly CHI is hosting its “Designed to Connect” networking event for UX professionals on April 24 at 6:30 p.m. [Register Here]

• The city’s Department of Commerce is partnering with the University of Pennsylvania to host its next Tech Talks event on April 24 at 6 p.m. This time the theme is “Bridging Academia and Innovation in Philly’s Tech Hub.” [Register Here]

Sarah Huffman is a 2022-2024 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism.

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