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AidKit and GiveDirectly Launch AI-powered Initiative to Tackle Backlogs and Increase Efficiency in Public Benefits Enrollment

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Funded by a GitLab Foundation grant, the joint project supports deployment of AI innovations to help state and local agencies reduce caseload burden and improve access for eligible families

DENVER, May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — AidKit, a Public Benefit Corporation helping governments modernize benefit delivery, and GiveDirectly, a global leader in direct cash programs, have been awarded a grant from the GitLab Foundation’s AI for Economic Opportunity Fund, which supports frontline innovations that help people access opportunity and income with the help of cutting-edge technology. The funding will support the deployment of AI-powered tools to state and local government agencies to streamline enrollment, reduce backlogs, and ease administrative burdens, making it faster and easier for families to access the assistance they need.

Selected from over 400 applicants, AidKit and GiveDirectly are among 14 grantees sharing $3.5 million to develop innovations that boost economic mobility and unlock income opportunities for low-income communities. The 2025 grantee cohort aims to collectively unlock over $1 billion in new income for low-income communities. As part of this effort, AidKit is currently exploring opportunities to pilot AI-powered tools aimed at reducing backlogs with additional state and local public agencies.

“We believe AI should make government more human—not less,” said Brittany Christenson, CEO of AidKit. “When technology can take on the administrative drudgery of paperwork and red tape, caseworkers are free to focus on people, which is the key to increasing trust in public systems and delivering services with dignity and efficiency. By accelerating enrollment, we’re giving public servants the tools they need to meet rising demand without sacrificing quality or care.”

AidKit and GiveDirectly will work together to improve the application process for public benefits by integrating AI-driven conversational interfaces that simplify program discovery, identity verification, and completion of applications. These interfaces mimic human assistance in a scalable digital format, engaging applicants through text or voice-based interactions to help them navigate complex application processes more easily. By leveraging natural language AI, the system can handle complex queries, provide detailed explanations, and offer personalized guidance to ensure applicants understand requirements and submit accurate information.

AidKit’s broader solution combines these conversational tools with human-in-the-loop oversight, where humans remain actively involved in monitoring, guiding, or making final decisions supporting both applicants and administrators. While the digital assistant helps applicants complete forms and understand eligibility requirements, administrators benefit from automation that flags issues, reduces errors, and improves caseload processing—all while preserving transparency, compliance, and accountability.

“AidKit is helping to demonstrate how technology can be used thoughtfully to deliver aid and benefits in ways that recognize the dignity and complexity of the individuals being served,” said Cassandra Madison, member of AidKit’s Board of Directors and the chief operating officer at the Center for Public Sector AI. “At a time when public trust and the needs of communities are evolving, AidKit offers a model for building human-centered systems that better meet people where they are.”

The AI tools will be first deployed through GiveDirectly’s Rx Kids program, which delivers support funded by the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to new mothers and families. The initial implementation will serve 5,000 individuals and is designed to scale to millions more across government aid programs.

“GiveDirectly is grateful to work with our long-time partner AidKit to improve the enrollment process for thousands of applicants to our direct cash transfer programs,” said Laura Keen, Acting U.S. Country Director at GiveDirectly. “The GitLab Foundation funds will enhance accessibility while reducing human error and inefficient information collection efforts. With the help of an AI-powered tool, applicants will receive responses in real time. The more streamlined our verification and enrollment processes are, the more aid we can deliver directly to individuals living in poverty.”

Over the past three years, AidKit and GiveDirectly have partnered on 10 direct cash programs, reaching over 35,000 recipients and distributing $150 million. AidKit’s platform has powered more than 200 aid programs, processed 500,000+ applications, and facilitated $290 million in assistance.

For state and local agencies interested in partnering with AidKit to pilot AI-powered tools in aid administration, contact AidKit at partnerships@aidkit.cloud.

About AidKit
AidKit is a Public Benefit Corporation that helps government agencies and large nonprofits administer aid programs efficiently and transparently. AidKit’s secure technology platform is designed to address the complex challenges of large-scale aid distribution. It automates workflows, accelerates disbursements and reduces administrative burden, either as an all-in-one platform or through adaptable modular solutions to meet the unique needs of each initiative. With integrated fraud prevention and real-time caseload management tools, the platform ensures programs operate with precision, compliance and accountability while safeguarding sensitive data. Drawing on a proven track record of successful implementations, AidKit delivers comprehensive support that expands operational capacity and elevates service delivery for its partner agencies. Whether deploying disaster relief programs or accelerating benefits modernization, AidKit delivers results that maximize impact and build public trust. Founded in 2021, AidKit, a woman-led company, has supported over 200 agencies and nonprofits, processing 500,000+ applications and distributing $290 million in aid to more than 90,000 recipients. For more information, visit AidKit.com.

Media contact:
Michael Tebo
Gabriel Marketing Group (for AidKit)
Phone: (703) 829-6089
Email: michaelt@gabrielmarketing.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aidkit-and-givedirectly-launch-ai-powered-initiative-to-tackle-backlogs-and-increase-efficiency-in-public-benefits-enrollment-302452858.html

SOURCE AidKit

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Regulators and audit leaders discuss audit quality and confidence in Canada’s financial reporting

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OTTAWA, ON, May 4, 2026 /CNW/ – Last week, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), together with the Canadian Public Accountability Board (CPAB) and the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) co-hosted a roundtable that brought together senior representatives from audit firms, accounting professional bodies, standard setters, and regulators.

The event provided an opportunity for participants to share perspectives on risks affecting audit quality and the importance of high-quality financial statement audits to maintaining Canada’s trusted and credible capital markets. The dialogue focused on emerging trends, the evolving risk environment, and ways to strengthen public confidence in financial reporting.

Topics discussed this year included:

Current and emerging risks and their implications for audit quality.Rapid technological developments, including Artificial Intelligence (AI).Governance, culture, and ethics within audit firms and across the reporting ecosystem.Fraud risks linked to financial crimes, geopolitical tensions, technological change, and third-party reliance.Expectations and challenges in auditing and assessing financial statement disclosures in a volatile environment.

The roundtable underscored the importance of continued collaboration between regulators and the audit profession to support high-quality audits and maintain public trust in financial reporting across the Canadian capital markets.

Key takeaways

Canada’s financial system remains resilient, but a more complex and dynamic risk environment makes it essential to identify and prioritize the current and emerging risks that matter most.External auditors play an essential role in maintaining integrity, trust, and confidence in financial reporting, particularly amid heightened uncertainty and expanding volumes of information.Regulatory coordination and clear guidance in relation to current and emerging risks help reduce regulatory overlap, promote strong risk management, and lay the groundwork for sustainable growth.Technology is advancing quickly. Areas like AI are changing how decisions are made–creating both opportunities and new risks. Regulators continue to modernize their approaches to keep pace, and audit firms are rapidly adopting new technologies that can enhance audit quality while keeping a high level of skepticism.Gaps in governance, culture, and ethics can lead to breaches in trust in any organization. Given that auditors play a key gatekeeper role, strong oversight, clear accountability, and ethical judgment are essential.As fraud becomes more sophisticated, organizations need to strengthen prevention and detection strategies. With management leading prevention efforts, and regulators and auditors applying a risk-focused lens, technology provides an opportunity to strengthen defences.Financial statement disclosures, particularly those involving estimates, judgments and uncertainty, remain an area where improvements are needed. Auditors play an important role in challenging the clarity and robustness of these disclosures to support better decision-making and reinforce market confidence.

Quotes

“High quality audits are essential to financial system resilience. As risks evolve, from technology to geopolitics to market uncertainty, strong collaboration between regulators and audit professionals helps ensure Canadians can continue to rely on transparent and trustworthy financial reporting.”

– Peter Routledge, Superintendent of Financial Institutions

“Strong audit quality depends on continuous dialogue and a shared understanding across the regulatory and audit ecosystem. Forums like this roundtable help ensure CPAB’s work remains responsive to emerging risks while staying firmly anchored in our mandate to protect investors and support confidence in Canada’s capital markets.”

– Sonny Randhawa, CEO, Canadian Public Accountability Board

“Today’s roundtable serves as an important forum for collaboration, enabling the CSA and the accounting profession to exchange views on emerging risks and further strengthen confidence in Canada’s capital markets. The CSA appreciates the significant collaboration with audit firms, other regulatory agencies, standard setters and professional bodies to date, and we look forward to building on this strong foundation.”

– Stan Magidson, Chair of the Canadian Securities Administrators

SOURCE Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions

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All-in-One, AI-Powered Fleet Innovations Unveiled at Annual Lytx Protect Conference

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Next-Generation Fleet Management Solutions Unify AI with Best-In-Class Telematics, Video Safety, and Operational Insights

SAN DIEGO, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Lytx® Inc., the industry pioneer of video and safety-driven efficiency, has introduced a suite of integrated technologies designed to transform fleet operations. Announced at the Lytx Protect Conference®, Lytx’s annual customer conference, the new solutions set a new benchmark for all-in-one platforms that empower fleets to achieve clarity, control, and actionable results. Highlighted at the event, LytxOne™ joins Lytx+™ as two all-in-one solutions built to deliver industry-leading video safety and telematics with equal depth, intelligence, and integrity.

“LytxOne is a purpose-built platform designed from the ground up,” said Chris Cabrera, Chief Executive Officer at Lytx. “We created a unified architecture where video safety, telematics, maintenance, compliance, and asset tracking work seamlessly together. We’re deeply committed to providing our customers with multiple all-in-one pathways that deliver a new standard for fleet technology, transforming operational complexity into total clarity and scalable control for fleets of every size.”

All-in-One Platforms
Developed as an all-in-one solution, LytxOne merges video safety, telematics, maintenance, compliance, and asset tracking into a single platform. No more juggling fragmented systems – the new solution delivers simplicity, scalability, and direct access to essential tools for fleets of any size. LytxOne is currently available for purchase through direct and reseller partner channels, with Lytx’s Driver Safety Program to be integrated in Q3/Q4 2026.

Launched in 2025, Lytx+ provides fleets with another innovative, all-in-one fleet management solution powered by video. It combines award-winning video safety features with leading telematics technology, removing the need for multiple systems or vendors.

Also announced at Protect ’26, Lytx is further expanding its all-in-one footprint through a new collaboration with Platform Science. The integration brings Lytx’s video technology to Platform Science’s Virtual Vehicle, connecting drivers, solutions, data, and devices into a single system built for enterprise trucking.

Supporting each of the all-in-one platforms, the Lytx AI Assistant is designed to transform safety, maintenance, and compliance data into concise, actionable insights as needed. Users no longer need to search through reports or wait for data to be retrieved. Currently in beta with select customers, the AI Assistant synthesizes fleet information, enabling organizations to make timely and well-informed decisions.

AI-Powered Visibility
Bringing intelligence to every angle, Auxiliary Cameras and Lytx’s 360 Hub Kit integrate up to eight HD views across sides, rear, cargo, and blind zones. All footage is cloud-synced and enhanced with AI for instant detection and response to safety events, empowering operators to more closely monitor and protect their assets, vehicles, and worksites. The Lytx 360 Hub Kit will be available in Q3 2026.

With planned support for fixed-site cameras at yards, job sites, and facilities coming in Q1 2027, Lytx extends its all-in-one AI-powered platform beyond vehicles, providing operators with a unified view of moving and stationary assets. More details will be revealed closer to launch, highlighting Lytx’s commitment to enabling true operational unity.

Unified Asset Management
Lytx introduces a comprehensive, platform-native asset tracking portfolio that offers battery-powered and vehicle-powered trackers for a wide range of fleet assets, including forklifts, loaders, trailers, containers, and other high-value equipment. Designed to provide real-time visibility and insights, these trackers enable fleets to efficiently locate, utilize, and protect their assets, with all data seamlessly integrated into dashboards for unified operational management. Several options are available now, with more planned for release throughout 2026.

“At Lytx, we’re redefining fleet management by unifying advanced AI and all-in-one architecture to deliver unmatched clarity, control, and operational insight,” said Cabrera. “From the launch of LytxOne, to AI-powered safety innovations, to integrated asset tracking, our purpose-built solutions empower fleets of every size to simplify complexity, anticipate risk, and connect their people and assets like never before.”

About Lytx
Every day, companies send their most valuable assets into the world. Their people. Their equipment. Their reputations. For nearly three decades, Lytx has given fleets the tools to manage and protect all the assets they have in motion — helping them stay connected with their field operations so they can focus on delivering value and growing their businesses. Using proprietary machine vision and artificial intelligence technology to power our video safety and video telematics solutions, Lytx helps protect and connect more than 6.3 million drivers and thousands of fleets, including more than half of the 10 largest carriers in North America. Lytx’s powerful network of partners and resellers further extends the reach and impact of our technologies across more than 90 countries. For more information about Lytx or to connect with us, visit www.lytx.com, LinkedIn@lytx on X, Facebook or YouTube.

Contact:
Jason Andersen
press@lytx.com 

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/all-in-one-ai-powered-fleet-innovations-unveiled-at-annual-lytx-protect-conference-302761024.html

SOURCE Lytx, Inc.

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Fractal EMS Cuts Pricing and Streamlines Contracting to Help Developers Move Faster

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New “Customer-First Pricing” and “Rapid Contracting” make it easier than ever to deploy the industry’s leading EMS platform.

AUSTIN, Texas, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Fractal EMS, the market leader in front-of-the-meter solar, BESS, and data center EMS and SCADA, today announced two major customer-focused improvements: meaningfully reduced pricing across its product portfolio and a streamlined contracting process designed to shorten the path from award to notice-to-proceed. Together, the changes are intended to lower the total cost and complexity of deploying projects at a moment when developers, IPPs, and utilities are racing to bring gigawatts of new capacity online.

What’s Changing for Customers
1) Lower Pricing: Fractal EMS has reduced pricing by up to 25%, with additional volume-based discounts for portfolio customers. Through a strategic combination of supply chain optimization and breakthroughs in control architecture, Fractal EMS has unlocked efficiencies that position Fractal as the market’s price leader. These technical and operational advancements enable Fractal to deliver a premium, high-performance platform at the industry’s most competitive price point, maximizing profitability for our partners without compromising on quality or security.

2) Streamlined Contracting: The new contract is less than 50% in length. Working directly with customer legal and procurement teams, Fractal has consolidated its agreement, scope of work, and warranty terms into a single, plain-language package. The combined effect is straightforward: less time spent in red lines and procurement cycles, more time spent commissioning megawatts.

“Our customers told us two things very clearly: bring the price down and make it easier to do business with you. So, we did both. We rebuilt our pricing from the ground up, and we tore up the old contracts in favor of something a customer can read in an afternoon. The goal is simple – make Fractal the lowest-friction way to put a high-performance, U.S.-made EMS on a project.” – Daniel Crotzer, CEO, Fractal EMS

3) New “A La Carte” Flexible Scope: While remaining the only provider capable of delivering full, turnkey vertical controls, Fractal EMS is introducing a flexible, A La Carte approach. Partners can now select a core EMS offering or customize the scope by choosing from: networking, BMS, SCADA, PPC/MPC, cybersecurity, analytics, and monitoring. This modularity ensures that Fractal EMS can integrate seamlessly into any project configuration and be the best partner for OEMs and EPC providers.

4) Global Partnerships: Fractal EMS continues to expand its global footprint, having successfully deployed 15+ GW of advanced control solutions across Europe, South America, Australia, Canada, and the United States. We are actively seeking to forge lasting, high-impact partnerships with utilities, developers/IPPs, suppliers, and EPCs who require bankable performance and seamless integration. At the core of every collaboration is a deep commitment to customer success and long-term reliability, ensuring that our partners’ critical energy assets operate with maximum uptime and security, regardless of geography or grid complexity.

These changes also reinforce Fractal’s open, multi-OEM approach. Because Fractal’s controls work across battery and PCS suppliers, customers can adopt the new pricing, contracting, and scoping framework without changing the rest of their project stack — and without sacrificing cybersecurity, U.S.-made hardware, and investment-grade controls that have made Fractal the choice for utility-scale developers.

Availability
The new pricing and streamlined contracting framework are effective immediately for all new requests and are being offered to existing customers on a project-by-project basis. Customers and prospective customers can request the updated pricing sheet and master agreement template at fractalems.com or by contacting their Fractal account representative.

About Fractal EMS
Fractal EMS delivers a comprehensive, fully integrated energy management and SCADA platform that combines advanced software, hardware controllers, seamless system integration, robust cybersecurity, and powerful analytics for storage, solar, hybrid, and data center projects. Supported by a 24/7 remote operations center (NERC-CIP Medium), Fractal EMS offers hardware-agnostic, turnkey controls across BMS, EMS/PPC, MPC, and SCADA—all unified on a single, flexible, and scalable architecture. Fractal EMS confirms that its control hardware meets Non-Prohibited Foreign Entity (Non-PFE/FEOC) and domestic designations. This ensures that projects utilizing Fractal EMS are fully compliant with the latest federal requirements and domestic content incentives. For more information, visit www.fractalems.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fractal-ems-cuts-pricing-and-streamlines-contracting-to-help-developers-move-faster-302761449.html

SOURCE Fractal EMS Inc.

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