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TECH WORLD STUNNED. EARLY FORM OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE – FAMED 1970S ROBOT – EMERGES AFTER 50 YEARS – HEADS TO AUCTION

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NEW YORK, May 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Decades before AI, a Bronx school had a curious device that contained encyclopedic and curricular information, verbally addressed students by name, adjusted its teaching speed based on each child’s needs, knew their hobbies, and made kids smile ear to ear. The kids loved the robot; some admitted they preferred learning from it over a human!

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/leachim/9397951-en-leachim-1970s-classroom-robot-anticipated-modern-ai-public-auction 

This is not fantasy. It was called a normal Tuesday for fourth-grade students at a Bronx public school in 1972. There sat a fully computerized, six-foot-tall robot doing what it was programmed to do: teach children, sometimes several simultaneously. Today, many would call it AI.

Students loved its “ceaseless patience,” meaning no matter how many times they erred, the robot never made them feel inadequate or belittled—a capability many humans today find challenging.

One student, Matthew Gray, a former student taught by the robot who recently learned of its re-emergence, wrote: “As one of Leachim’s original fourth-grade students, I will never forget its positive influence over my entire life…”

Shortly after its debut in the 1970s, this robotic wunderkind became an instant media sensation, with articles published and invitations to appear on live television shows. Many were eager to test out its capabilities. Some thought there must be a little man hidden inside!

There wasn’t. Inside was complex computerized machinery created by famed inventor and scientist Michael J. Freeman, Ph.D., whose work went on to alter many industries. He named the robot Leachim (an anagram of his name). Leachim helped lay the groundwork for billions of dollars in future commercialized products within the educational toy field, including the 2-XL Robot (widely considered the first smart toy).

“Leachim was not simply a robot,” said Suzanne, curator and spokesperson for Leachim. “It is an important missing link in the technological history of artificial intelligence, educational technology, and American invention.”

Watch Leachim (and later descendants) in action in this draft video at Leachim-1.com

This iconic piece of technological history, along with its prototypes, patents, inventor notes, and commercialized descendants in original packaging, is scheduled for public auction in late 2026.  Collectors, museums, and institutions worldwide are expected to closely follow the sale. No auction date or auction house has yet been announced.

For specific information, additional materials, or interview requests with Dr. Freeman, contact Suzanne, the curator at inquiries@leachim-ai.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SOURCE Leachim AI

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Onspring Launches the Next Wave of AI Innovation with Agentic GRC

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Onspring moves AI from assistant to agent, helping teams automate rule-based work across the platform within administrator-defined controls

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., July 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Onspring, a leading provider of integrated GRC software, today announced the next phase of Onspring AI, introducing technology that automates workflows and rule-based decisions within the boundaries set by the system administrator (admin). With the ability to work across the entire platform, Onspring AI helps GRC professionals move beyond manual execution with a governed assistant that keeps users in control.

The upgrade marks a shift in how Onspring’s AI works, now allowing administrators to define rules that prompt agent action. The assistant lives on every screen, enabling connections across workflows to make contextualized decisions and providing answers from every record and application in the GRC program.

Onspring’s 2026 GRC Benchmarking Report found that GRC teams see the clearest near-term value for AI in reducing repetitive administrative work. At the same time, the report showed that broader adoption is being shaped by trust concerns, fragmented workflows and uneven proof of value. Onspring’s Agentic AI eliminates this fragmentation by extending AI across the platform while keeping governance at the forefront of every action.

“We understand that there is a valid concern in letting AI take action in GRC workflows,” said Ryan Lougheed, Vice President of Platform at Onspring. “This next phase of Onspring AI was built to answer that concern directly. Administrators define the rules, teams decide where automation belongs and every action stays visible and auditable inside the platform.”

Onspring AI supports GRC use cases across search, analysis and configuration. Powered by Anthropic’s Claude, these capabilities are designed to help teams turn platform-wide intelligence into governed action.

From Repetitive Admin to Autonomous Action: 70% of GRC practitioners say simplifying repeatable administrative work is AI’s biggest opportunity. Onspring AI reviews documentation the instant it’s attached, without prompting, surfacing control gaps or non-conforming policy documents.An AI Teammate: Documentation collection and review consume nearly a third of a practitioner’s week. Onspring AI acts as a tireless teammate, auto-generating third-party follow-ups and reviewing policy documents against organizational standards, reducing workflow from days to minutes.One Question, Every Record: With 44% of GRC programs still in the experimental AI phase, siloed data continues to limit progress. Onspring AI empowers teams to pull enterprise-wide risk-exposure analysis across audits, assessments and incident logs at once with a single conversation.Governed AI, Not Rogue AI: Losing AI control is top leadership fear. Teams can build vetted prompts and configurations once in Onspring, then deploy them across environments to keep AI consistent, controlled and scalable.

“From our research, we have found that GRC teams see the potential for AI in their space to reduce repetitive administrative tasks,” added Lougheed. “Onspring AI helps teams build a routine of governed action, with agents taking over the mundane tasks to allow human touch on judgment calls and strategic decision-making.”

To learn more about Onspring AI or request a demo, visit www.onspring.com/platform/artificial-intelligence-ai/.

About Onspring

Onspring is an adaptive, integrated GRC platform built to connect processes, data and teams across the enterprise. With real-time visibility into risk posture, security controls and accountability measures, Onspring gives organizations a complete view of their governance, risk and compliance landscape. The platform is fully configurable, allowing users to create automations, unify workflows and scale their programs. Organizations across industries, from retail and insurance to healthcare and manufacturing, rely on Onspring to modernize GRC, moving from reactive checklists to connected, holistic oversight. Learn more at www.onspring.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/onspring-launches-the-next-wave-of-ai-innovation-with-agentic-grc-302834817.html

SOURCE Onspring

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New Adam & Eve Survey Reveals How Americans Prefer To Masturbate

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National Orgasm Day poll finds hands remain the favorite, while many adults turn to sex toys, erotic media and fantasy for solo pleasure.

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C., July 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In honor of National Orgasm Day (July 31) and as part of its overall commitment to sexual health and wellness, Adam & Eve surveyed more than 2,000 American adults to learn how they prefer to masturbate. The results show that while manual stimulation remains the most common choice, many adults are embracing a variety of methods – including sex toys, erotic media and fantasy – as part of their solo sexual wellness routines.

More than half of respondents (54%) said they typically use their hands when masturbating, while 15.5% reported using sex toys, 10.5% said they rely on erotic media, and 5.3% said they use fantasy or imagination alone.

Among respondents who use sex toys, nearly 35% said they experience more intense orgasms during solo play than they do with a partner, highlighting the role that self-exploration can play in sexual satisfaction.

“There isn’t one ‘right’ way to masturbate,” says Dr. Jenni Skyler, PhD, LMFT, C-PST, and Adam & Eve’s resident sex therapist. “For some people, their hands provide everything they need. Others enjoy the additional stimulation of a vibrator or stimulator, or the use of erotic content. The important takeaway is that masturbation is a healthy form of self-care, and people shouldn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed about it.”

The web-based survey, conducted by an independent third-party survey company, of over 2,000 American adults ages 18 and up, was commissioned by Adam & Eve as part of its ongoing research into sexual wellness and behavior.

About Adam & Eve
Adam & Eve is the nation’s leading and most trusted retailer of sexual wellness products, serving customers online and through more than 100 independently owned and operated retail stores. For more than 50 years, Adam & Eve has been helping normalize pleasure as an essential part of overall well-being through trusted education, discreet shopping experiences, and a broad assortment of high-quality products. Adam & Eve empowers adults to explore sexual wellness and pleasure with confidence, curiosity, and without judgement. Find out more at Adam & Eve. 

About PHE, Inc.
PHE, Inc. is a modern health and wellness company and the parent company of Adam & Eve. Born from a graduate school project at UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, PHE has spent more than fifty years building one of the country’s largest networks of sexual wellness retail locations and digital platforms – serving millions of consumers annually and pioneering the idea that sexual health belongs in the mainstream wellness conversation. Learn more at phenic.com.

For more information about Adam & Eve, visit their website, https://www.adameve.com, or contact Adam & Eve Director of Public Relations Katy Zvolerin at 919.644.8100 x 3121 or 419468@email4pr.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-adam–eve-survey-reveals-how-americans-prefer-to-masturbate-302834239.html

SOURCE Adam & Eve

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AssureCare® and CURIS Partner to Ensure RHT Funding Builds Infrastructure That Outlasts the Program

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The largest federal investment in rural health in a generation deserves more than disconnected tools. AssureCare and CURIS are making sure FQHCs make it count.

CINCINNATI, July 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AssureCare®, a leading AI-powered population health management company, and CURIS, a national consulting firm specializing in clinical transformation for community health centers, today announced a partnership to help Federally Qualified Health Centers and rural clinics translate the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Rural Health Transformation (RHT) program funding into care infrastructure that lasts long after the grant cycle ends.

The RHT program represents a $50 billion federal commitment to rural health — the largest of its kind in a generation. Distributed across all 50 states over five federal fiscal years, the program funds five strategic goals: making rural America healthy again, expanding sustainable healthcare access, strengthening the rural health workforce, and driving innovation in both care delivery and technology. AssureCare and CURIS will unpack all five goals – and how the right technology delivers on them – in a live webinar on July 28th.

AssureCare brings the only integrated platform purpose-built for Federally Qualified Health Centers to the partnership, connecting care management, AI-powered analytics, and intelligent patient engagement and outreach capabilities, in a single seamless system. AssureCare’s NutraVance™ now extends that platform into nutrition management, giving FQHCs a clinical pathway for Food as Medicine that connects directly to the chronic disease management goals at the heart of the RHT program – not as a separate initiative, but as part of the same care plan and within the same integrated system.

“FQHCs are being asked to do more with RHT funding than most technology vendors are equipped to help them do,” said Yousuf Ahmad, President and CEO of AssureCare. “Care management, patient engagement, nutrition – these aren’t separate initiatives. They’re all part of the same patient journey, and they require one connected system. That’s what we built. And it’s why care teams using our platform spend less time working around technology and more time doing what they came into this field to do – improve patient outcomes.”

CURIS brings more than a decade of hands-on FQHC expertise, including leading population health strategies and assessments across more than 300 health centers nationwide. Together, AssureCare and CURIS offer FQHCs both the consulting expertise to navigate the RHT program’s requirements and the technology infrastructure to meet all five of its strategic goals on a single, connected platform.

“The organizations that get this right won’t just hit their goals on paper, they’ll achieve sustainable infrastructure that keeps working long after the funding stops,” said Shannon Nielson, Founder and Principal Consultant at CURIS. “The RHT program provides FQHCs real opportunity, but funds alone won’t fix fragmented care. Technology is what turns dollars into real access, better outcomes, and sustainability that lasts. That’s exactly what we’re empowering organizations to do.”

AssureCare and CURIS provide FQHCs with a 360-degree view of every patient, from the first data point to the last interaction. This kind of integrated infrastructure is exactly what the RHT program’s funding is meant to support: technology that improves efficiency, data sharing, and patient outcomes today, while building a foundation FQHCs can rely on tomorrow.

To learn more, AssureCare and CURIS invite FQHC leaders to join their live webinar, Rural Health Transformation in Action: Building Sustainable Care with the Right Technology, on July 28, 2026 at 11:00 AM EST – Register Here

About AssureCare®

AssureCare is a leading provider of AI-powered population health management solutions designed to manage large, complex populations. AssureCare enables healthcare organizations to digitize care processes, optimize clinical and financial performance, and personalize member engagement across the continuum. Serving health plans, government agencies, providers, pharmacies, and community organizations, AssureCare’s platform supports more than 60 million lives through intelligent care management, analytics, and engagement solutions. The company continues to lead the industry in applying responsible AI and advanced technology to improve healthcare outcomes and operational efficiency. AssureCare is a proud member of the Vora Ventures portfolio.

Learn more: www.assurecare.com

Media Contact
Emily Frizzi
efrizzi@assurecare.com

About CURIS

CURIS is a national healthcare consulting firm specializing in operational improvement, compliance, and clinical transformation for community health centers nationwide. CURIS has lead population health strategies and assessments for more than 300 health centers across the country.

Learn more: https://curis-consulting.com/

Media Contact
Brittany Markus
Brittany.Markus@curis-consulting.com

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SOURCE AssureCare

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