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  • CEO Shishir Mehrotra on Grammarly’s New Chapter as Superhuman: Interview

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    Shishir Mehrotra has been CEO of Grammarly, now Superhuman, since January. Raymond Rudolph/Courtesy Grammarly

    Shishir Mehrotra, who became CEO of Grammarly at the beginning of 2025, isn’t just updating the company’s A.I. writing tools—he’s rebranding the entire company. From now on, Grammarly will be known as Superhuman, a name that Mehrotra says better reflects its expanding suite of products and mission to empower users.

    “It was very important for the company to have a broader name because we cover so much more ground than we used to,” Mehrotra told Observer. “We wanted to be able to expand our offerings over time and still have it fit.”

    If you’re attached to the name Grammarly, don’t fret. The company’s popular writing assistant will retain its title as one of several products under the new Superhuman umbrella. Other offerings include Coda, the collaboration platform founded by Mehrotra and acquired by Grammarly last year, and Superhuman Mail, an A.I.-powered email platform it purchased in June.

    The Superhuman suite will also add a new product: Superhuman Go, an A.I. assistant capable of connecting to more than 100 apps to work across users’ documents, emails, meeting transcripts and chat threads. The tool will launch with dozens of A.I. agents designed to provide writing support and pull in real-time information from other tools. Some agents are being developed in partnership with experts, including author Kim Scott, who helped launch a “Radical Candor” agent that will help users communicate both directly and kindly.

    Mehrotra likened Grammarly’s transformation to other major tech rebrands, such as Google’s restructuring under Alphabet and Facebook’s pivot to Meta. “There’s been enough cases of that being done in a way that preserved the core brand,” he said.

    Image of web browser open to email set against purple background with 'Superhuman' written aboveImage of web browser open to email set against purple background with 'Superhuman' written above
    The company’s rebrand includes a new suite of A.I. agents. Courtesy Superhuman

    A Superhuman approach to A.I. 

    Founded in 2009, Grammarly has long used A.I. to power its grammar checking and writing assistance tools. More recently, the company has accelerated its A.I. development, adding features like A.I.-enabled citation finders, multilingual writing tools and plagiarism detection.

    Unlike some A.I.-driven productivity platforms, Mehrotra said Superhuman’s tools are designed to enhance human work, not replace it. “We assist you in many different ways, but at the end of the day, you actually publish the article, you post the blog, you submit the essay,” he said. “We’re continuing that with all of our products.”

    Superhuman Go is already gaining traction in education. Arizona State University announced today (Oct. 30) that it will deploy the A.I. assistant to help address tool fragmentation and improve student support. Though the university had already implemented various A.I. tools, Mehrotra said it chose Superhuman to unify those systems and make them easier for students and faculty to use.

    Such partnerships, he added, highlight Superhuman’s goal of integrating A.I. seamlessly into daily life. “Most A.I. tools are focused on becoming destinations—you go to them, that’s how you experience your A.I.-based productivity,” said Mehrotra. “We bring A.I. to you, and we think that’s pretty different.”

    CEO Shishir Mehrotra on Grammarly’s New Chapter as Superhuman: Interview

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    Alexandra Tremayne-Pengelly

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  • Markley Group responds to concerns about data center operations

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    LOWELL — The Markley Group addressed concerns about its data center operations in a letter dated Sept. 22 that was sent to the Lowell City Council.

    On behalf of the company, attorney William Martin wrote that “We are hopeful that increased communication with all parties will ensure that any potential issues are resolved quickly moving forward.”

    The letter was sent to the council one day before the body met to consider Markley’s petition to more than double its emergency backup diesel fuel storage.

    “As part of this phase of construction they [Markley] are proposing to install additional emergency generators, each with an aboveground diesel fuel belly tank,” Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. PE Senior Project Manager William Taber said in a letter dated Sept. 5. “This will increase the on-site diesel fuel storage from 71,100 gallons to 168,000 gallons.”

    The Planning Board approved the company’s site plan in 2015, and the council followed suit in 2016, but the project has been mired in conflict ever since. Neighbors have consistently testified to several city boards about noise and air quality concerns, violations of approved permitting and a lack of communication and transparency by the Boston- and Los Angeles-based international company.

    Markley Group LLC bills itself as New England’s largest and longest-operating telecommunications and data center developer. In addition to its 350,000-square-foot Lowell facility, it has a major fiber data hub center, also known as a connected carrier hotel, in Downtown Boston, which is almost 1 million square feet of space.

    Its systems power and provide routing to a wide variety of private companies, state and local governments, universities and internet companies.

    Markley’s state-of-the-art data-storage and cloud-computing company is located in an area zoned as light industrial, and the property abuts moving companies, welding shops, metal fabricators, plumbing services and auto shops.

    But the site of the former Prince pasta plant is also ringed by residential neighborhoods, as well as the Cardinal O’Connell School and several playgrounds and parks.

    In his letter, Martin said many of the neighbor concerns were being addressed including safety and security at the 14-acre high-tech facility, such as unsecured fences and broken gates.

    “A fence that runs along an abutters property to the north of the site had been damaged,” Martin said. “Markley has gained access via an access agreement to repair that chained link fence. The Andrews Street fence has also been repaired.”

    This reporter visited both locations Saturday and noted a large chain locking the emergency gate on Andrews Street. A free-standing chain link fence enclosed the northside of the property where the diesel generators are located.

    With regards to noise mitigation, Martin said the temporary chillers that can be seen in drone footage shot by resident John McDonough June 9 that  had “created disruptive noise in the area surrounding the site,” had been removed.

    “Markley is also in the process of applying sound attenuation equipment to the permanent chillers on site,” he said. “Each chiller on site should have this equipment installed by the end of October, and each additional chiller installed on site will have this equipment.”

    Martin also addressed the towering and exposed dirt pile in the lot off Andrews Street. At its Oct. 21, 2024 meeting, the Planning Board approved a previous Markley site plan for an expansion of its “critical infrastructure.” Some of the Planning Board’s conditions to that approval included remediating the dirt pile.

    “This pile is essential to construction over the next several months, but we expect that the majority of it will be cleared by the end of the calendar year,” Martin said. “The Markley Group will work with a site professional to ensure that excavation of any soil on the property is carried out in accordance with any other state and federal agency, and that dust-control measures are taken during the course of the construction work.”

    Regarding its commitment to the neighbors, Martin said Markley recognized the importance of transparency as they continued their work in Lowell and were committed to being better neighbors.

    “That’s why Markley has hired Jackie Martin to manage a public affairs program as they continue their growth and work within the city,” Martin said. “Markley is looking forward to having a more open line of communication with neighbors and the community, and encourages any neighbors to reach out to markleyneighbor@gmail.com with questions or issues regarding their operations. Neighbors are encouraged to reach out to this address before contacting the City to help work through issues proactively. Emails will be answered as swiftly as possible.”

    After hearing public testimony at the Sept. 23 meeting, the council voted to refer the petition to a joint meeting of the Environmental & Flood Issues and Neighborhoods Subcommittee to be held Tuesday at City Hall.

    Councilors Corey Belanger, Corey Robinson, Paul Ratha Yem, Erik Gitschier and Wayne Jenness will hear public comment on Markley’s petition.

    The public is invited to register to speak by sending an email to City Clerk Michael Geary at mgeary@lowellma.gov or by calling 978-674-4161. 

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    Melanie Gilbert

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