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Pittsburgh weekly roundup: Pittsburgh RealLIST Connectors; How new really is AI; Motional layoffs

Plus, AlphaLab Health receives a $10 million grant.

IMAGE OF THE DAY: PA LABOR AND INDUSTRY SECRETARY NANCY WALKER VISITS MASONRY STUDENTS AT THE TRADE INSTITUTE OF PITTSBURGH. (DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & INDUSTRY)

20 Pittsburgh leaders driving innovation

Connectors play many roles, from helping newcomers find their first jobs to getting a startup founder in touch with local venture capital firms. We believe connectors help innovation happen in the markets that we cover, and our annual RealLIST Connectors feature celebrates that mission.

Meet the 2024 RealLIST Connectors in Pittsburgh, presented in alphabetical order.

➡️ Read my piece honoring some top Pittsburgh tech folks.

Is AI new, or just another tech platform?

If AI is merely the latest in a series of platform technologies, then the solution may involve simply helping workers transition to growing industries. But if AI is an unprecedented development, then a more radical response is required to support workers through this shift.

Many AI enthusiasts seem to want it both ways: They promote AI as unprecedented, but revert to the familiar argument that workers will adapt as they have with past technologies when pressed about economic risks.

➡️Chris Wink’s weekly column explores how AI is changing HR.

News Incubator: What else to know

• Self-driving car company Motional laid off several employees, including some based in Pittsburgh. It’s unclear the total number of people affected. [Pittsburgh Business Times/Technical.ly]

• Life sciences accelerator AlphaLab Health received a $10 million grant to create a revolving investment fund. The money will go toward creating revenue for local startups. [Innovation Works/Technical.ly]

• A DOJ inquiry has slowed Nippon Steel’s plans to acquire US Steel. The companies still plan to close the $14.1 billion deal later this year. [AP News/Technical.ly]

• Move over Taylor Swift, Gov. Shapiro is coming for your throne. No, not as a pop star, but as a Pennsylvanian who’s an avid user of private jets. He uses the state’s plane much more than predecessor Tom Wolf. [Spotlight PA]

• Bakery Square, which everyone kind of already knows as a tech hub because of the massive Google sign, is attracting more startups. LoveLace AI, Netail and Pearl Street Technologies all now have offices there. [Pittsburgh Business Times]

• The Pittsburgh Robotics Network hired two new people in leadership. Patrick Joyal joins as director of strategic engagement, jumping over from the Shapiro Administration, and Phoebe Gerst will be the director of partnerships, leaving her previous role at Gecko Robotics. [Pittsburgh Robotics Network]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• Startup founders can network, and get their exercise in, at Pitch and Run PGH’s next event on May 10. At 9 a.m., runners will start the race at the Terminal in the Strip District. [Sign up]

• Code and Coffee’s monthly get together will take place at Prototype PGH on May 11 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. It’s a relaxed, informal environment to work on your latest builds. [Learn more]

• The Aviation and Robotics Summit will bring together enthusiasts from both groups on May 14 to May 16. Learn about the future of air travel, and how you can be a part of it. [Register here]

• Learn how to make your ideas a reality at ProductTank’s May 14 event. 3-D printing aficionados will help you learn how additive manufacturing works. [Details here]

• PyCon 2024, the conference covering everything related to Python programming, begins May 16. Tickets range between $100 and $750. Informative speakers, educators and vendors will gather at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center to present on the coding language. [Buy tickets]

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