Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith kicked off the year by publishing a blog laying out a three-part vision for advancing America’s AI opportunity and leadership. This vision will require supportive public policies and “a partnership that unites leaders from government, the private sector, and the country’s educational and non-profit institutions.”
Key policies discussed in the blog include the need for federal investment in AI research; support for access to data, computing resources, and AI skilling; and policies that promote American AI exports. We encourage you to check out the entire blog, “The Golden Opportunity for American AI.”
Thank you for reading. You’ll find tech policy news highlights below as well as a featured podcast.
This Week in Washington
- CyberScoop: Earlier this week, the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark, a cybersecurity labeling initiative to enhance the security of internet-connected devices officially launched. The initiative aims to ease rising consumer concerns about the security vulnerabilities of “smart” devices that have been deemed essential to modern homes by offering clear security evaluations of products.
- Nextgov: To ensure that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is not infringing on civil liberties while still improving security measures, GOP leaders of the House Homeland Security Committee are asking the Government Accountability Office to conduct a “comprehensive review” of the TSA’s implementation of AI and biometric technology solutions.
- New York Times: A federal appeals court struck down the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) net neutrality rules, effectively ending an almost two-decade effort to regulate broadband internet providers as utilities. According to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the FCC lacks the authority to reinstate rules that prevent broadband providers from slowing or blocking access to internet content.
- FedScoop: According to a new procurement posting, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is looking for information about technology that could potentially assist first responders. The type of technology DHS seeks information about includes first-responder drones, AI-based systems for weapon detection, and radiation detectors.
Article Summary
- Nature: A growing number of research groups are utilizing AI to predict the evolution of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and influenza. The AI tools are still far from being able to anticipate the combinations of mutations or variants that will occur long-term, however, they can predict which single mutations in a virus will be most successful in the short-term.
- The Record: The annual trend of hackers targeting K-12 schools and colleges during periods when IT staff is at its lowest continues as at least two U.S. school districts suffered cyberattacks over the holidays. No hacking group has claimed the attacks, but several school districts across the country were listed on ransomware leak sites between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.
- The Hill: AI is largely cited by the healthcare community as having the biggest impact on the industry in 2024. From the use of AI voice assistance on the House floor to headphones that double as hearing aids, last year was rife in digital health advancements.
- Wall Street Journal: Meta Platforms is ending fact-checking and removing restrictions on speech across Facebook and Instagram. While Meta will continue to target illegal behavior, it will stop enforcing content rules about immigration and gender that are “out of touch with mainstream discourse.”
Featured Podcast
- Microsoft Research Podcast
As the “biggest election year in history” comes to an end, researchers Madeleine Daepp and Robert Osazuwa Ness and Microsoft’s Democracy Forward General Manager Ginny Badanes discuss AI’s impact on democracy, including Daepp and Ness’s research into the tech’s use in Taiwan and India. AI presents challenges but can also be a force for fortifying democracy. (“Ideas: AI and Democracy” – December 19, 2024)