Friday, April 24, 2026
Welcome to another Friday edition of the Tech:NYC Digest, featuring our favorite five highlights in New York and tech this week.
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Tech:NYC President and CEO Julie Samuels looks at AI in NYC schools (Spectrum News)
As city officials, parents, and educators debate how artificial intelligence should be used in schools, Tech:NYC President and CEO Julie Samuels stopped by Spectrum News this week to discuss how schools can thoughtfully integrate the technology. 🤖
“Almost every teacher I know did not become a teacher because of the administrative tasks, they became a teacher to work with the students,” she said. “So if we can safely use AI to give them more time interacting with the students, I will take that as a win any day.”
Shoutout Literacy in Community, a Decoded Futures Cohort 4 alum, which developed AI-powered solutions to translate literacy data into accessible insights and tools for families and educators.
Did a teenage Stanley Kubrick secretly photograph your grandmother on the New York City subway? (The Hollywood Reporter)
A newly discovered set of photos shows a young Stanley Kubrick capturing candid moments on the NYC subway decades before he became a legendary filmmaker. 📸
Shot in 1946 when he was a teenager working for Look Magazine, the images offer a rare glimpse into postwar New York and the early instincts of a future director.
The photos are now on display for the first time in nearly 80 years as part of the The Photography Show at the Park Avenue Armory on the UES till April 26 – when all 18, which have already been purchased, will vanish from public view.
A day in the life of New York City’s young chess stars (New York Times)
A growing network of school programs and private coaching is turning New York into a powerhouse for youth chess. ♟️
Students from public schools across the city are consistently winning national championships, with many starting young and training year-round.
Private training can cost upwards of $20,000/year, with parents picking up the check, mate.
How the MTA built its new app in-house (Vital City)
The agency’s new subway and bus app is faster, simpler, and more reliable than past versions, and it was built by a small internal team. 📱
The team used AI coding tools to speed up development, but emphasized that every update is still reviewed by humans — part of a broader push to bring more tech talent in-house and modernize how the MTA builds products.
Officials say bringing development in-house made it easier to update quickly, cut costs, and tailor the product to how people actually use transit.
Enterprising Bronx teachers launch free libraries in bodegas to boost NYC literacy rates (NY Post)
Can I get a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on a roll with a side of… Lord of the Flies? 📚
Books x Bodegas is bringing books to the people, in the form of free-to-take novels inside, well, bodegas.
“The library is a destination, but the bodega is a part of New Yorkers’ daily routines,” said Suzanne Likeness, an organizer and high school English teacher.
NYC’s fintech ecosystem is looking a lot like core economic infrastructure. ICYMI: We caught up with four builders shaping the future of finance to find out where the sector goes next.
Have a great weekend, New York! 💰
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