AGP Executive Report

AI Policy: Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed unveiled a plan to curb AI development and called for a “kill switch,” putting technology regulation into the campaign debate. Surveillance Technology: Inkster approved a 10-year Flock Safety contract costing about $241,000 annually, expanding license plate readers and adding cameras, gunshot detection and a police drone program. Residents raised privacy concerns. Automotive Innovation: General Motors is using simulators to test eyes-off driving, part of the push toward more autonomous vehicles. Battery Tech: Detroit’s Battery Show is showcasing advances in battery materials, manufacturing and safety as Michigan’s EV industry faces economic headwinds. Water Research: AquaAction selected 10 water-tech companies to help advance Michigan’s blue economy. Agricultural Science: Michigan State University completed a new dairy teaching and research center.

AI and Data Policy: Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed proposed a federal watchdog with power to inspect AI labs and halt risky releases. Meanwhile, data-center costs and regulation are becoming campaign issues, with candidates split over a pause versus local control. Automotive Technology: Detroit’s 2026 Wards awards went entirely to electrified powertrains for the first time: four battery EVs, four hybrids and two plug-in hybrids. GM is also using simulators to develop eyes-off driving. Water and Research: Michigan is investing $89 million in river cleanup, while AquaAction selected 10 water-tech companies to advance the state’s blue economy. A Great Lakes research lab affected by federal cuts is still hanging on. STEM and Industry: Bloomfield students heard from a Prometheus Energetics executive about engineering careers as the company prepares local operations; MSU has also completed a new dairy research center.

AI and Power: Michigan’s data-center boom is becoming an election issue: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is calling for a pause, while Republican Mike James says communities should decide. The debate centers on jobs, electricity costs and AI’s growing energy demand. Detroit’s Battery Push: The Battery Show and EV/Hybrid Tech Expo opened at Huntington Place, highlighting new manufacturing approaches, including Comau and Intecells’ plasma-based battery-cell production. Farm Technology: Reed City ranchers are testing GPS-enabled virtual fencing collars to move cattle between pastures with less labor; early adopters say the system is easy to use. Research and Health: University of Michigan researchers report that stroke incidence is climbing among younger adults, underscoring a growing public-health concern. Autonomous Driving: General Motors is using simulators to test eyes-off driving for its 2028 Escalade IQ, part of a push to develop and assess more advanced driver-assistance systems.

Battery Innovation: Detroit’s Battery Show opened Monday, drawing more than 16,000 industry professionals. A Wednesday panel will bring together GM and other experts to discuss containing battery fires as energy storage expands. Agricultural Research: Michigan State University has completed its $75 million dairy research center, with nearly 700 cows and new systems for measuring farm operations, recycling bedding and reclaiming water. Water Technology: AquaAction selected 10 companies for a Michigan program to advance freshwater solutions, including industrial filtration and autonomous robots for monitoring shallow waters. Autonomous Driving: At GM’s Warren technical center, drivers test future driver-assistance systems in immersive simulations that track their reactions to road conditions. AI and Conservation: University of Michigan researchers showed how AI can turn birdwatchers’ online observations into useful records of wildlife interactions.

Health Research: Michigan State researchers found hormone-linked immune cells may help explain why chronic pain lasts longer in women, pointing toward possible opioid-free treatments. AI and Energy: Michigan voters face a $30 billion data-center dilemma: the promise of jobs and AI growth versus concerns about higher electric bills. Digital Trust: Some Michigan students are using AI chatbots to research midterm candidates; Oakland University’s Nicole Mathew advises checking chatbot claims against original sources. Autonomous Vehicles: Waymo has begun fully driverless testing in Detroit, bringing the technology onto Michigan roads. Long-Term Science: Seeds buried by a Michigan professor in 1879 still showed signs of life when scientists opened them 142 years later.

AI Infrastructure: Michigan has 31 data-center projects representing about $30.1 billion in announced investment. The figure includes canceled and proposed developments, not guaranteed spending, as voters weigh jobs against electricity costs, water use and local control. AI and Ecology: A new study shows how language models can sort nature-watchers’ comments into data on species interactions, including observations of Michigan birds. Surveillance Technology: Michigan cities are turning off Flock license-plate cameras amid privacy and immigration-enforcement concerns; the company is reportedly cutting 270 jobs. Autonomous Vehicles: Waymo has begun fully driverless testing in Detroit, raising questions about how Michigan law applies to the technology.

Space Research: University of Michigan astronomers have ruled out Jupiter-sized planets in key regions around the nearby two-star system 70 Ophiuchi, narrowing the search for smaller worlds. Surveillance Technology: Michigan cities are canceling or reviewing Flock license-plate camera contracts over privacy, service and cost concerns. The company is reportedly cutting about 270 jobs, though there’s no established link to the cancellations. Autonomous Driving: Waymo has begun driverless-car testing on Detroit streets, raising questions about how Michigan law applies before public rides begin. Vehicle Safety: U-M and Toyota researchers tested a “breathing” steering wheel that uses inflatable air pockets to signal a semi-autonomous car’s intentions and let drivers respond.

Autonomous Mobility: Waymo’s driverless cars are on Detroit streets, putting Michigan’s rules for self-driving vehicles to the test; public rides aren’t available yet. Digital Health: University of Michigan Health was recognized for bringing maintenance and asset management onto IBM’s Maximo platform, helping staff monitor the equipment and infrastructure that support patient care. Accessibility: Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park is the first in Michigan to install a navigation system for visitors who are blind. AI & Surveillance: Michigan police face growing scrutiny over Flock license-plate cameras, including searches tied to ICE; departments are also weighing AI tools to draft police reports. Medical Research: The University of Michigan opened a center to advance histotripsy, a noninvasive approach to cancer treatment, while Munson Health is testing longer-range drone flights to speed medical transport in rural areas.

Surveillance Technology: Records show officers at five Metro Detroit agencies used Flock license-plate cameras for immigration-related searches, which local policies prohibit. AI Oversight: Michigan Rep. Tom Barrett introduced a bill to create a federal office coordinating AI policy and monitoring emerging-technology risks. Mobility Innovation: A Plymouth Township startup says its new commercial bus, built in Michigan, is North America’s first fully flat-floor model, designed for easier boarding without a wheelchair lift. Accessible Design: Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park installed Michigan’s first Right-Hear audio navigation system, helping blind and low-vision visitors explore trails independently. Research and Automation: Detroit’s driverless-car testing is advancing, while MSU researchers are using AI to spot machinery problems before breakdowns and a Michigan medical-drone pilot is expanding to more aircraft and sites.

AI & Public Safety: Michigan police departments are weighing AI tools to draft officers’ reports, while communities continue reconsidering automated license-plate cameras. Autism Education: Detroit schools and Michigan State University are expanding the special-education teacher pipeline with tuition-supported online training; district students identified with autism nearly doubled since 2019–20. Battery Safety: MSU researchers say wood waste could help make lithium-ion batteries safer, a potential advance for devices and electric vehicles. Tech Workforce: Michigan awarded nearly $44.7 million to expand career and technical education, including training for skilled jobs. Autonomous Vehicles: Waymo has begun fully driverless testing in Detroit and other northern cities. Data-Center Rules: Detroit is developing data-center regulations as a proposed Saline project raises questions about power use and local oversight.

Clean Water: Michigan is putting $89 million toward Detroit and Kalamazoo river cleanup, while a U-M study points to new ways to reduce nitrate pollution. Tech Workforce: The state awarded nearly $44.7 million to 80 school districts to expand career and technical education, with programs aimed at high-demand careers. Autonomous Mobility: Waymo has begun fully driverless vehicle testing in Detroit, bringing its technology to Michigan roads. Research and Agriculture: MSU dedicated a new dairy teaching and research center, and the USDA awarded the university $16.2 million for greenhouse renovations. EV Innovation: Toyota’s new $50 million battery research center near Saline adds to Michigan’s growing role in electric-vehicle development.

Driverless Cars: Waymo has begun fully autonomous testing in Detroit, bringing self-driving vehicles onto city streets while public rides remain off the table. Auto & Batteries: EV sales are sliding at Detroit’s automakers, raising concerns about Michigan jobs and factory investments; Ford’s U.S. EV sales fell 68% in the first nine months of 2026. Toyota, meanwhile, has opened a $50 million battery research center in Washtenaw County. Medical Research: An MSU-supported study found people with anorexia were nearly four times as likely to carry rare variants of the fat-storage gene PLIN4, pointing researchers toward possible causes beyond the brain. Space Legacy: Margaret Hamilton, the Apollo software pioneer who grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and studied at the University of Michigan, has died at 90. Great Lakes Science: The DNR has commissioned a new 66-foot research vessel in Charlevoix to support Lake Michigan fisheries studies.

Battery Supply: LG Energy Solution secured 240,000 metric tons of lithium concentrate over four years to support North American energy storage growth, including production at its Michigan plants in Lansing and Holland. Autonomous Vehicles: Waymo has begun driverless testing on Detroit streets, including downtown and nearby neighborhoods. Public rides have no announced launch date. Data Center Debate: Michigan’s State Boundary Commission approved annexation paperwork for a proposed data center site near Mason; a public hearing is still to come. Research & Industry: Toyota opened a $50 million battery research center near Saline, bringing more stages of EV battery testing to Michigan. Meanwhile, 575 students toured Cadillac-area manufacturers for Manufacturing Day, exploring robotics, engineering and skilled-trade careers. Great Lakes Science: Michigan’s DNR commissioned a new research vessel based in Charlevoix to support work on Lake Michigan.

Detroit Robotics: The Association for Advancing Automation brings its International Robot Safety Conference to Detroit Nov. 3–5, with sessions on updated safety standards and emerging automation. Michigan Investment: Methode Electronics is moving its headquarters to Southfield, investing $3.7 million and planning at least 90 jobs. Autonomous Driving: Waymo has begun operating driverless cars on downtown Detroit streets, though public rides aren’t yet available. Great Lakes Research: The DNR commissioned the 66-foot research vessel Steelhead in Charlevoix for Lake Michigan fisheries work. Medical Research: Van Andel Institute researcher Derek Janssens received an NIH Common Fund New Innovator Award. Battery Technology: Toyota opened a $50 million battery research center in Washtenaw County, adding to Michigan’s growing EV research footprint.

Autonomous Mobility in Detroit: Waymo has started a fully driverless phase in downtown Detroit, with rides currently limited to employees while the company validates safety and expands gradually. AI + Nuclear Power: Google says its data-center growth is tied to a power deal that would boost output from existing nuclear plants, using “agentic AI” workflows to speed uprate planning. Campaign Tech & Trust: A DHS letter raises alarms about Chinese components in voting tech, pushing for random audits of paper ballots ahead of the midterms. Michigan Election Watch: Polling shows Jocelyn Benson leading John James, and debate coverage is ramping up as the governor and Senate matchups near. Local Tech Backlash: Milford Village canceled its Flock Safety license-plate reader contracts amid privacy and service concerns. Biomedical Research: Van Andel Institute won an NIH New Innovator Award for epigenetics tool-building, aiming to reshape how immune cells and disease are studied. Environment: Lake Cadillac’s algae bloom is prompting calls for storm-drain nutrient sampling after sewage overflow concerns.

AI & Robotics in Manufacturing: FANUC America is bringing AI-powered robotics and machine-vision packaging automation to PACK EXPO International 2026, highlighting generative-AI robot operation and package verification demos. Sustainable Fuel in Michigan Agriculture: MDARD announced a three-year, $3 million partnership with the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan to expand sustainable aviation fuel production and connect farmers to low-carbon fuel supply chains. Health Tech & Data Systems: NASCO Evolve is credited with cutting Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan alternative payment model settlement time from weeks to minutes, aiming to reduce manual Excel bottlenecks. Medical Research Funding: NIH awarded Wake Forest University School of Medicine $22.5 million to continue its Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center work for another five years. Michigan Tech & Student Wellness: Michigan Tech broke ground on a $55 million Chang K. Park Center for Student Wellness, consolidating services across campus with an expected 2028 opening. Vision AI & Biometrics: ROC appointed biometrics pioneer Dr. Anil K. Jain to its board, aligning with its Vision AI and identity intelligence push. Detroit Data Center Policy: A Detroit council member is seeking an interim zoning moratorium to pause permitting for new enterprise AI data centers while city rules are drafted. Great Lakes Logistics: Dredging began in Sandusky Harbor to keep Lake Erie navigation safe, supporting commercial shipping and local beach nourishment. Lupus Sun Sensitivity Breakthrough: U-M researchers mapped single-cell inflammation pathways after UV exposure in lupus patients, pointing to interferon-centered targets. Industrial Investment Signals: New industrial planned projects rose 37.5% month-over-month for September, with Michigan among the top states for $100M+ manufacturing projects.