Hampshire College closure, state use of AI, rural funding need

Hampshire College has announced it will close its doors in the fall of 2026. We discuss the whys, the hows, and what it means in the greater higher education landscape, especially for the future of the 5-college consortium.Then, we take a look at the impact of artificial intelligence on the inner workings of Massachusetts government departments and examine which state agency functions are currently using AI. Is your data at risk?Plus, with several proposition 2.5 overrides on local ballots, western Mass. leaders urge more state funding for rural areas.We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel, former State Sen. Eric Lesser, senior counsel at WilmerHale; Rich Parr, vice president of MassInc Polling Group; freelance journalist Jon Gerhardson, and NEPM Executive Editor for News Elizabeth Román.