Where did U.S. humanities grants go? To projects from a baseball film to AI research

Here’s a plot twist worthy of a documentary—over 1,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grants, including a $491,000 project exploring AI and ethics at the University of Richmond, were abruptly terminated last week, citing a funding shift aligned with President Trump’s agenda. But here’s the kicker for the paper packaging industry: this defunding stalls critical research into how AI impacts labor and design ethics—areas vital to automation in sustainable packaging. Without these insights, the industry risks adopting AI that optimizes efficiency but misses the human and environmental context that drives true innovation.https://www.npr.org/2025/04/10/nx-s1-5352821/national-endowment-humanities-grants-funding-terminated

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