Congress returns to Washington the week after Labor Day—and then many lawmakers will go out on the campaign trail in October. It is possible—but far from certain—that we will see AI and online safety policies advance in September. We anticipate an even greater focus on tech policies in 2025.
Enjoy your last week of August and Labor Day holiday weekend! The Executive Briefing is taking next week off. We’ll be back on September 6. Thank you.
This Week in Washington
- NextGov: The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a public service announcement regarding ransomware attacks and the election. The PSA acknowledges the possibility of disruption from cyberattacks on election infrastructure, but emphasizes that election technology is overall secure, that delays are possible but all votes will be counted, and that bad actors may also attempt to influence elections using social media and other marketing platforms to spread misinformation.
- Washington Post: A federal appeals court blocked provisions to California’s child online safety law due to possible violations of the First Amendment. The law would require tech companies to inspect if their products could cause children harm before rolling them out, the court felt this triggered strict constitutional scrutiny since this would “compel speech” by forcing companies to give opinions on what content may be harmful.
- CyberScoop: The Federal Aviation Administration is proposing cybersecurity mandates on aircrafts and aircraft-related equipment, such as engines and propellers, for future manufacturing. The new rules would address the equipment, systems, and networks that need connected digital components because they can be hacked.
- Nextgov: The Energy Department is spending nearly $20 million to test if AI can help the government accelerate clean energy production. The department aims to develop AI-powered software to augment federal reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Article Summary
- Reuters: Content from Condé Nast brands, such as Vogue, will now be displayed within OpenAI products following the announcement of a multi-year partnership between the two companies. This is one of several deals OpenAI has signed in the past few months. Content partnerships like this are essential for training AI models.
- Axios: A new report from the Wharton School found that students have an improved performance on practice math problems when they are able to access generative AI tools. However, despite improvements on practice problems, students performed worse on exams when they couldn’t use the same tools.
- StateScoop: Flint, Michigan was victim to a ransomware attack last week that is still disrupting several services in the city. Online and credit card payments for water, sewer, and tax bills cannot be paid due to systems being down and municipal employees reported phone service gaps and lost messages.
- Democrat and Chronicle: For the next four years, low-income Spectrum ISP customers in New York will receive discounted broadband service as part of a settlement between Charter Communications, Spectrum’s parent company, and the state’s Public Service Commission. Customers who qualify for the discounted service will be able to get 50 Mbps download speed for $15 per month.
- The Hill: U.S. West research partners are using machine learning capabilities to deduce how and when heat waves occur during changing climate conditions. The tool they use can clarify connections between global warming and individual extreme weather patterns.
Featured Podcast
- iHeart, Tech Stuff
Game-Set-Match… and AI? The US Open is only three days away and Brian Ryerson, senior director of digital strategy at the US Tennis Association, is here to discuss the ways that AI has benefitted the sport. Listen to Ryerson explore the ways that generative AI has increased fan enjoyment and enabled the editorial team to cover more than was previously possible. (“Smart Talks with IBM: An AI advantage for the US Open” –August 13, 2024)