Illinois Bans AI Teacher Evaluations as Sphere 3D Expands Its TVA Power Play

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed 31 new laws on July 13, 2026, including SB 2909, which prohibits school administrators and teachers from using artificial intelligence to evaluate teacher performance, according to the Daily Herald. Rep. Mary Beth Canty, backing the measure, said "this technology is not capable of effectively carrying out judgement-based tasks this complex," making Illinois an early mover in walling off a specific professional evaluation from algorithmic judgment.

The AI infrastructure land rush continued in the Southeast, where Sphere 3D Corp. announced the engagement of three specialized firms to lead investor relations, government affairs, and regulatory work as it advances its AI infrastructure strategy across the Tennessee Valley Authority region, per FinancialContent. The company, which has proposed renaming itself DarkHorse Technologies as it evolves beyond cryptocurrency mining, is evaluating the deployment of approximately 53 megawatts of power-ready infrastructure for AI and high-performance computing workloads, and earlier entered a 30 MW co-mining agreement with Bitdeer Technologies Group. The announcement underscores how access to energized power capacity, spanning Tennessee and portions of six neighboring states in the TVA's case, has become one of the most valuable strategic assets in the AI buildout.

Sources:

• Daily Herald
• Financialcontent