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AI Insights for July 10, 2025

This message was originally shared to subscribers July 10, 2025.

Did you miss this week’s ITS Summer Series session on generative AI? The recording is now available for anyone interested in how tools like Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT and Google Gemini are changing the way we work and create. The session covered the basics of generative AI, demonstrated how Copilot can help with tasks like writing emails and scheduling meetings and shared tips for using these tools securely with your syr.edu account. If you’re looking to get started with AI or want to see these tools in action, check out the recording and register for upcoming sessions here.

News and Views

Access to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post is available to all students, faculty and staff with a valid Syracuse University NetID. Learn more.

Academia and Education

  • How Schools Are Using Artificial Intelligence (The New York Times)
  • ‘Positive Review Only’: Researchers Hide AI Prompts in Papers (Nikkei Asia)

Ethical, Legal and Societal Implications

  • Content Independence Day: No AI Crawl Without Compensation! (Cloudflare)
  • A.I. Is Starting to Wear Down Democracy (The New York Times)
  • China’s DeepSeek AI Poses ‘Profound Threat’ To National Security, House Report Claims (Forbes)

Developments and Techniques

  • The New Skill in AI is Not Prompting, It’s Context Engineering (Philipp Schmid

Futures and Perspectives

Human AI Interaction

  • How People Use Claude for Support, Advice, and Companionship (Anthropic)
  • Build and Share AI-Powered Apps with Claude (Anthropic)

Workforce and Workplace

  • AI Agents Raise Red Flags for Employees (CIO Dive)
  • As Job Losses Loom, Anthropic Launches Program to Track AI’s Economic Fallout (TechCrunch)

This Issue’s Tip: Watch ITS Tech Tips Videos

New technology continues to transform how Syracuse University works, teaches, learns and creates. The ITS Tech Tips video series is here to help you stay ahead of the curve with short, instructional videos designed to make technology work for you. Our latest video covers Microsoft Copilot. Learn how to use Copilot for scheduling meetings, drafting documents, summarizing files and managing your inbox more efficiently.

Join our Tech Tips mailing list to receive email notifications about new Tech Tips videos and upcoming ITS workshops.

This Issue’s Prompt: Plan a Fall Semester Kick-Off Event

A prompt is how you ask generative AI tools to do something for you (e.g., creating, summarizing, editing or transforming). Treat it like a conversation, using clear language and enough context to get the result you have in mind.

To get more practice, use the generative AI tool of your choice (for example, Microsoft Copilot, OpenAI ChatGPT or Anthropic Claude) to execute the following prompt:

“Help me plan a Fall semester kick-off event for students and staff. Include suggested themes, promotional ideas, a sample email invitation, and a basic timeline. The event should be engaging, inclusive, and highlight campus resources.”

Helpful Resources

Thank you for reading. Go Orange!

Orange Online: July 2025 Student Newsletter

This message was originally shared to all students via email on July 10, 2025.

Orange Online at a Glance

Each month, Information Technology Services provides tech tips for the Orange community. Pressed for time? Here are this edition’s topics:

Notes from the CISO’s Desk

Cybersecurity at Syracuse is a shared responsibility. Whether you’re faculty, staff or a student, your actions—like using strong passwords, spotting phishing attempts and reporting suspicious activity—help protect our digital campus. It’s not just about tech; it’s about people. Stay vigilant, ask questions and be part of the solution. More.

Information Security Tip: Don’t Take the Bait

Cybercriminals target universities with convincing scam emails posing as trusted contacts. Learn how to spot red flags like urgent language, unfamiliar senders and mismatched links. A recent University phishing test showed 36% clicked a fake link—don’t be one of them! Review tips and report suspicious emails today. Learn More.

Phishing: The Digital Confidence Scam

Phishing emails mimic urgency and authority to make you click before you think—posing as banks, IT, even coworkers. But taking a moment to pause, verify and report makes all the difference. You’re not just avoiding a scam—you’re strengthening our campus cybersecurity. Learn More.

“Hacking Humans” Podcast Highlight

The “Hacking Humans” podcast covers the latest social engineering scams and phishing tricks. Hear stories of scammers using fake E-ZPass alerts, AI-generated get-rich-quick schemes and a $800K gold bar fraud. Tune in for real-world examples to help you stay sharp and secure. Podcast.

Digital Accessibility Tip: Enable Auto-Captions

Many mobile devices can generate automated real-time captions across all apps. To enable captions, on both iOS and Android, go to Settings > Accessibility > Hearing > Live Captions and activate the toggle for “Live Captions.” More Tips.

Interactive Campus Map

Explore our comprehensive campus map at maps.syracuse.edu, where you can sort locations by type (buidings, parking, etc.). Click “Wayfinding” and select “Show Only Wheelchair Accessible Routes” to find wheelchair-friendly paths. Maps. 

Helpful Resources

ITS and the campuswide information technology community are available year-round to help with your tech questions. Resources include:

Thank you for reading. Go Orange!

Tech Tips: July 2025 Faculty/Staff Newsletter

This message was originally shared to all faculty and staff via email on July 10, 2025.

At a Glance

Each month, Information Technology Services provides tech tips for the Orange community. Pressed for time? Here are this edition’s topics:

Continue Reading

Phishing: The Digital Confidence Scam That Plays on Your Emotions

Imagine this: You receive an email that looks super official. It’s from your bank (or so it says), and it’s warning you about “suspicious activity.” Your heart jumps. Your palms are sweaty. You click the link.  

Boom.  

That is phishing in action.  

Phishing is the 21st-century cousin of the old-school confidence scam. You know, like the smooth-talking trickster who sweet-talked people out of their cash with charm and lies? Same strategy, just digitized.  

It’s Not Just Tech, It’s Psychology Phishers don’t need to hack your computer when they can hack you. These digital con artists exploit your trust, fear, curiosity, urgency, and even greed. It’s not about code; it’s about emotions.  

  • Trust: “This looks like it’s from IT, I better take it seriously.”  
  • Fear: “If I don’t respond, I might lose access!”  
  • Urgency: “They said my account will be locked in 10 minutes?!”  
  • Curiosity: “What’s this invoice for? I better open it.”  
  • Greed: “Hey! I won a free gift card!”  

Phishing works because it feels personal. It’s designed to make you react before you think. That split second of emotional hijack is all the bad guys need.  

You’re Not Dumb, You’re Human Falling for a phish doesn’t mean you’re gullible. It means you’re human. And guess what? Phishers count on that. The more you care about doing the right thing, staying secure, or responding quickly, the more likely you are to be targeted.  

So, What Can You Do? Start thinking like a skeptic. Treat every unexpected message like a stranger at your front door trying to sell you a deal that’s too good to be real.  

Pause. Breathe. Don’t react emotionally. 

Check the sender. Hover over links.  

Ask: Does this seem just a little too urgent, scary, or good to be true? 

  

Be the Plot Twist Phishers are counting on you to play your role in their scam. Flip the script. Be the person who doesn’t fall for the trap. Be the plot twist that ruins their day.  

Because when you sniff out a phishing email and report it, you’re not just protecting yourself. You’re protecting everyone around you. That makes you a cybersecurity A-lister that’s building a strong cybersecurity culture on campus.  

Phishing: The Digital Confidence Scam That Plays on Your Emotions 

Imagine this: You receive an email that looks super official. It's from your bank (or so it says), and it's warning you about "suspicious activity." Your heart jumps. Your palms are sweaty. You click the link.

Boom.

That is phishing in action.

Phishing is the 21st-century cousin of the old-school confidence scam. You know, like the smooth-talking trickster who sweet-talked people out of their cash with charm and lies? Same strategy, just digitized.

It's Not Just Tech, It's Psychology

Phishers don’t need to hack your computer when they can hack you. These digital con artists exploit your trust, fear, curiosity, urgency, and even greed. It’s not about code; it’s about emotions.

Trust: "This looks like it’s from IT, I better take it seriously."
Fear: "If I don’t respond, I might lose access!"
Urgency: "They said my account will be locked in 10 minutes?!"
Curiosity: "What’s this invoice for? I better open it."
Greed: "Hey! I won a free gift card!"

Phishing works because it feels personal. It's designed to make you react before you think. That split second of emotional hijack is all the bad guys need.

You're Not Dumb, You're Human

Falling for a phish doesn't mean you're gullible. It means you're human. And guess what? Phishers count on that. The more you care about doing the right thing, staying secure, or responding quickly, the more likely you are to be targeted.

So, What Can You Do?

Start thinking like a skeptic. Treat every unexpected message like a stranger at your front door trying to sell you a deal that’s too good to be real.

Pause. Breathe. Don't react emotionally.

Check the sender. Hover over links.

Ask: Does this seem just a little too urgent, scary, or good to be true?

Be the Plot Twist

Phishers are counting on you to play your role in their scam. Flip the script. Be the person who doesn’t fall for the trap. Be the plot twist that ruins their day.

Because when you sniff out a phishing email and report it, you're not just protecting yourself. You're protecting everyone around you. That makes you a cybersecurity A-lister that’s building a strong cybersecurity culture on campus.