This week, we want to highlight a pair of policy-oriented pieces by Microsoft leaders focused on two critical tech issues: AI and competition.
In “The Next Great GPT: Advancing Prosperity in the Age of AI,” Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith reflects on the role that government will play in shaping change driven by advances in AI. He underscores how nations have prospered in the past by adopting general-purpose technologies, such as electricity and computers. The same is likely to happen with AI, and government leaders can help drive the adoption of the technology through key policies that build trust and support AI skilling.
In “Google’s Shadow Campaigns,” Microsoft CVP and Deputy General Counsel Rima Alaily blasts Google for its underhanded effort to “discredit Microsoft with competition authorities and policymakers, and mislead the public.” She argues that Google is aiming to “tilt the regulatory landscape in favor of its cloud services rather than competing on the merits.” While this blog focuses on the European marketplace and regulatory environment, it also addresses unfair, “behind the scenes” attacks in the U.S.
We encourage you to check out both of these insightful blogs. In addition, you’ll find our weekly roundup of tech policy news and a featured podcast below. Thank you!
This Week in Washington
- FedScoop: The government recently published its anticipated national security memo on AI. The memo outlines new responsibilities for the Department of Commerce’s AI Safety Institute, details actions to streamline AI utilization for national security, and directs agencies to evaluate risk models and identify areas of possible disruption in the AI supply chain.
- StateScoop: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) launched a new election threats webpage to keep citizens and government officials up-to-date on the current threat environment and how foreign actors are attempting to interfere with the voting process. The page has real-time election threat updates, a series of public service announcements about the types of cyberattacks seen so far, and joint statements from security agencies regarding cybersecurity incidents.
- The Hill: The Treasury Department solidified a final rule to limit those in the U.S. from investing in certain technologies in China that could bolster the nation’s military and threaten U.S. national security. The technology covered by the rule includes AI, quantum information technologies, microelectronics, and semiconductors.
- New York Times: The government is investing $825 million in a new federally funded semiconductor research facility in Albany, New York. The facility will be a major hub for a larger organization, the National Semiconductor Technology Center, and will focus on computer chip research and development. The hub is a key part of the government’s efforts to revitalize American high-tech manufacturing and lessen dependence on foreign sources of tech.
Article Summary
- USA TODAY: In recent months, the U.S. has experienced a series of high-profile cyberattacks, although most have caused only minor distractions. Adversaries, such as China and Russia, have created a network of hackers and software that has infiltrated American infrastructure; however, this does not mean that American security agencies have been sitting idly by.
- Wall Street Journal: A WSJ experiment found that new X users, interested in nonpolitical subjects like cooking and sports, are being blanketed with political content. The Journal used a computer program to automatically categorize if posts were political. While X has said that politics is only a small percentage of what users see, the Journal found that political content is hard to escape.
- Bloomberg: According to Microsoft, Russian hackers are targeting U.S. government officials, defense workers, and others in a new email phishing campaign. The hackers have sent highly targeted spearphishing emails to thousands of people across more than 100 organizations.
Featured Podcast
- The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart
In the aftermath of 2020 and heading into the 2024 election, election integrity remains a pivotal issue in U.S. political discourse. This episode covers everything from what elicits legitimate concern for election access and integrity to the weaponization of the election process against certain groups. Tune in and hear how Stacy Abrams, voting rights activist and host of “Assembly Required,” and Matt Masterson, Senior Director of Microsoft’s Democracy Forward Program, breakdown election security myths versus facts. (“Election 2024: How Secure is Your Vote?” – October 10, 2024)