FRI: UNM is first known public target of rogue OpenAI hacking attempt, + More

UNM is first known public target of rogue OpenAI hacking attempt - Natalie Robbins, Albuquerque Journal

An artificial intelligence system at OpenAI, the company operating the chatbot ChatGPT, went rogue in at least four instances this year and attempted to hack into government and university websites across the world, including a digital library at the University of New Mexico.

In all four incidents, which took place from May through July, users directed the AI simply to collect data. When it failed to do so through normal means, the technology attempted to hack into the websites, according to research lab Transluce , which identified the cyberattacks.

UNM’s website was the first public data provider identified to have suffered an attempted hacking by OpenAI’s technology on May 25 and 26. The AI system tried repeatedly through multiple means to retrieve a photograph from UNM’s Valmora collection, which contains records from a tuberculosis sanatorium in Mora County, according to Transluce.

The technology probed the website for vulnerabilities, tried to disguise traffic through proxy services, and sent a flood of 80 requests to the server, hoping to bypass security controls, though the attempts all appear to have been unsuccessful.

For more information on this story, visit the Albuquerque Journal website .

Former state lawmaker federally charged in housing fund embezzlement scheme - Nakayla McClelland, Albuquerque Journal

A former New Mexico lawmaker and her sister face federal charges after being accused of running a scheme to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars from a tribal housing entity.

Sandra Jeff, 58, and Sharilene Jeff, 51, are charged with conspiracy and aiding and abetting theft from a program that receives federal funds. Sharilene Jeff faces four additional counts of theft.

The two were indicted by a federal grand jury in late August. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in federal prison.

Sharilene Jeff is detained as she awaits trial and Sanda Jeff is on release but remains under federal supervision. Their attorney was not available for .

As a Democrat, Sandra Jeff represented District 5 — which includes San Juan and McKinley counties — in the New Mexico House of Representatives from 2009 through 2014.

For more information on this story, visit the Albuquerque Journal website .

Oracle invokes ‘force majeure’ on Project Jupiter, but says data center still on track - Justin Horwath, Albuquerque Journal

Oracle Corp., the technology company set to be the largest tenant of the Project Jupiter data center in Doña Ana County, has sent the center’s developer a “force majeure” notice.

Force majeure means “superior force” in French. In English legal terms, it’s a contractual provision a party may invoke to avoid contractual obligations because of unforeseen or unusual circumstances.

The Albuquerque Journal reports Oracle sent a force majeure notice to Stack Infrastructure, the developer of Project Jupiter.

Oracle executives have pointed to a challenging regulatory environment in New Mexico as Project Jupiter has become one of the top news stories — and a national flashpoint for pushback against data centers.

You can find more information at the Albuquerque Journal .

New Mexico education officials propose new $5.9B budget with 2.9% increase - Matthew Mondschein, Source New Mexico

The New Mexico Public Education Department on Thursday laid out spending plans for a proposed $5.9 billion budget for the Fiscal Year 2028 budget, a 2.9% increase over FY27.

In a joint presentation to the interim Legislative Finance and Education Study committees, PED officials detailed budget priorities, which include building on improvements with literacy rates and chronic absenteeism, and continuing to work to address lower-performing schools.

Specifically, the proposed budget includes $15.5 million for literacy and reading support; $16.6 million for literacy coaches; and $29 million for reading and mathematics intervention, among other items.

In a statement issued Thursday, PED Secretary Mariana Padilla said the proposed budget “will help schools build” on the gains that have been made, while also addressing critical needs in mathematics, student engagement and educator recruitment. “These investments focus resources where they can make the greatest difference for students and give educators the support they need to succeed,” she said.

Another priority for PED in the proposed budget was student attendance and engagement — $35 million for career technical education; $10 million for summer internships; $60 million over three years for afterschool programs.

Padilla said that the department received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education that it plans to use for “career connected” education in middle schools throughout the state. She also highlighted summer programs served with the funding.

“Students build their job skills, their life skills, and are able to really develop some strong mentorship opportunities,” Padilla said.

PED requested, in the wake of the landmark Yazzie/Martinez case , $30 million for Indian education, $1.7 million for bilingual multicultural education, $1.5 million for Hispanic Education and $500,000 for Black Education.

Rep. Derrick Lente (D-Sandia Pueblo) acknowledged the funding priority, reminding the Legislature that before 2019, the Indian Education budget was $2 million. Student groups identified in the case saw the largest literacy and mathematics proficiency gains in grades three to eight from 2022 to 2026, according to PED statistics .

“We are not fighting over crumbs anymore,” Lente said. “We are seeing the capacity being built at a number of our pueblos, nations, and tribes — and seeing real results at this point.”

State officials, child welfare plaintiffs strike deal reaching into governor's term - Santa Fe New Mexican

In a few short months, New Mexico will have a new governor — and with it, a new team leading its child welfare system.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that in preparation for a new administration, the state and plaintiffs of the Kevin S. lawsuit on Wednesday agreed to a new plan that will span 2027 and reach into 2028.

Wednesday’s agreement marks the fourth remedial order in the arbitration of the Kevin S. lawsuit, which was originally filed in 2018 by more than a dozen foster children and ultimately yielded a settlement agreement requiring reform of the state’s foster care system.

The deal establishes new targets for recruiting foster families and easing the heavy workloads of front-line caseworkers and works to improve the experiences and services provided to children in the state’s care.

Plaintiffs in the case, who have long pushed the state to make good on its commitments in the Kevin S. settlement agreement, acknowledged the state has made progress but said it still had a long way to go. They said the new deal would help ensure continuity when a new governor takes over.