Dear Executive Briefing Subscribers—
The U.S. Departments of Labor, Commerce, and Education released a joint report outlining the administration’s approach to workforce development. “America’s Talent Strategy: Equipping American Workers for the Golden Age” emphasizes several key factors in strengthening America’s workforce, including improving AI readiness. The report notes that, “AI represents a new frontier for workers,” and that the federal government will support regional AI learning networks. Community College Daily summarizes the report at this link.
Thank you for reading! You’ll find more tech policy news and a featured podcast below.
This Week in Washington
- CBS News: Semiconductor giants Nvidia and AMD have agreed to a landmark deal with the U.S. government to pay 15% of revenue generated by chip sales to China in exchange for export licenses. President Trump hailed the agreement as critical to maintaining American competitive advantages in the race for AI dominance.
- Axios: The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that they had taken down Russian ransomware gang BlackSuit’s website and seized $1M in stolen funds. BlackSuit has been responsible for over 100 ransomware attacks over the past year.
- HR Dive: The Department of Labor (DOL) is launching a $30 million grant program to upskill workers on artificial intelligence. The Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund, announced this week by Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, will include $8 million to help state workforce agencies develop training programs.
- POLITICO: The growing demand for energy to power data centers is leading to evolving policy discussions at the state and federal levels. Lawmakers are actively debating how to optimize the billions of dollars data centers are expected to contribute to the economy and how to provide the energy needed to power those centers without increasing residential electricity costs.
Article Summary
- SF Gate: California Governor Gavin Newsom joined Microsoft, IBM, Google, and Adobe in announcing a new AI education program. The joint venture will create AI training courses at community colleges and high schools throughout the state.
- StateScoop: California lawmakers are considering proposed AI legislation, the Automated Decisions Safety Act (AB 1018), which would regulate certain uses of AI. The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is raising concerns that the proposal is too vague and could result in unintended consequences.
- Washington Post: Universities across the country are developing and launching master’s programs in AI. The growth in AI education comes as established AI programs, such as the one at The University of Michigan at Dearborn, experience exponential growth in interest and enrollees.
- Bleeping Computer: A cyberattack took down the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s website, phone lines, and email for multiple days. No group has taken responsibility for the attack, and investigations are ongoing.
- Cybersecurity Dive: Experts at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) expressed an openness to reforming the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures program (CVE) at multiple cybersecurity conferences. The CVE, the world’s central repository of software vulnerabilities, nearly shut down in April after an issue with its government contract.
Featured Podcast
- Booming
Data center investments are transforming the Pacific Northwest. KUOW’s economic reporters dive into the impacts these new investments have had on rural Washington, including an expanded tax base, tangible infrastructure investments, and a growing commitment to sustainable development. (Is Our AI Obsession Good for Small Town America? – August 12, 2025) – 26 minute and 3 second listen
Note: Voices for Innovation regularly shares a range of opinion articles and press releases from organizations in and publications covering tech policy. These pieces are meant to educate our audience, not to endorse specific platforms or bills.