Microsoft announced two new AI initiatives aimed at supporting responsible AI and equipping people with the skills, knowledge, and tools needed to benefit from AI. Microsoft Elevate will donate more than $4 billion worldwide in cash and technology to help bring AI tools and training to K-12 schools, community and technical colleges, and nonprofits. In addition, over the next two years, the Microsoft Elevate Academy will help 20 million people earn AI skilling credentials.
Microsoft also announced the creation of the AI Economy Institute, an initiative that will bring together researchers from many fields to explore AI’s impact on work, education, and other aspects of society. Insights emerging from the Institute will help advance AI as a tool for good. For more information on these developments, check out this blog from Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith.
Thank you for reading! Below, we’ve highlighted additional tech policy news and shared a featured podcast.
This Week in Washington
- Here’s a roundup of relevant coverage of the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act from the New York Times, CyberScoop, and Axios:
- The newly passed legislation has wide implications for energy policy, including clean energy subsidy rollbacks and new credits for hydrogen fuel power plants.
- At a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Wednesday, witnesses and lawmakers discussed the bill’s implications on hospital cybersecurity. Some witnesses worried that funding cuts would lead to increased vulnerability, especially at rural hospitals.
- After Senators killed the AI moratorium during negotiations on the bill, advocates expect a standalone version of the moratorium to be introduced. Polling from Technet continues to show Americans prefer a national standard rather than a patchwork of state laws.
- The newly passed legislation has wide implications for energy policy, including clean energy subsidy rollbacks and new credits for hydrogen fuel power plants.
- Broadband Breakfast: The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) released a new report on Monday showing increased competition across the broadband industry as a result of widespread technical innovation. The Foundation called for updated policy frameworks to reflect the new market realities.
Article Summary
- Chalkbeat: The National Federation of Teachers, in partnership with tech companies including Microsoft, announced a new National Academy for AI Instruction. The $23 million partnership will provide workshops to teachers across the country on AI tools that can save teachers upwards of 5.9 hours per week.
- MIT Technology Review: Construction companies are deploying AI tools to identify health risks and OSHA violations pre-emptively, making construction sites safer and reducing accidents in a dangerous industry.
- StateScoop: North Carolina has rolled out an AI-driven system to manage more than 2,500 intersections across the state. The system uses GPS data to optimize lights for traffic flow.
- Broadband Breakfast: Maine Broadband Chief Andrew Butcher is taking an innovative approach to rural connectivity. In a road trip across the state, he emphasized the importance of collaboration with libraries, telehealth access sites, and connectivity hubs, given the widespread connectivity challenges in the state.
Featured Podcast
- The AI Daily Brief
Host Nathaniel Whittemore provides an overview of the rapidly evolving AI industry midway through 2025. He focuses on accelerated IPOs, shifting public market leaders, and changing consumer behaviors. (The State of AI – Mid-2025 – July 6, 2025) – 16 minute and 8 second listen