At a meeting of the White House’s AI Education Task Force, Microsoft announced a number of steps the company is taking to bring AI tools and training to American classrooms. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella discusses these steps in this video, and you can read about Microsoft’s commitments in this blog.
Related to the announcement, the National Education Association (NEA) announced that it had received a $325,000 grant from Microsoft Elevate to support AI in education. NEA President Becky Pringle said the NEA’s work with Microsoft is intended to give “educators the tools and voice they need to use AI in ways that deepen learning, foster trust, and keep students at the heart of everything we do.”
Thank you for reading. Below, you’ll find our roundup of this week’s tech policy news and a featured podcast.
This Week in Washington
- FedScoop: In support of the White House’s AI Action Plan, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) released a draft AI policy framework ahead of a Senate Commerce Committee hearing. Along with other proposals, the draft legislation would create a “sandbox” waiver system, coordinated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy, to get around regulations that limit innovation.
- The Record: The U.S. Cyber Command will remain under the National Security Agency, according to White House officials. The administration had previously expressed an interest in splitting the two forces but concluded that to do so would be too complex.
- Axios: In an attempt to influence U.S.-China trade policy, hackers linked to Beijing’s Ministry of State Security impersonated House China Select Committee Chair Rep. Jon Moolenaar (R-MI) in an attempted phishing campaign.
- CyberScoop: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency has pushed a major cyber incident reporting rule finalization to May 2026 over concerns that the proposed rule would impose too high a burden on industry. The delay comes shortly after House Homeland Security Chair Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) expressed concerns over “duplicative or overly broad requirements” in the rule.
Article Summary
- Reuters: Over $40 billion was spent on data center construction in June, according to a new report. That spend is a seasonally adjusted record and represents a 30% increase from 2024. The booming construction can be directly tied to investments in energy infrastructure from technology companies including Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon.
- Tech Crunch: Microsoft will partner with Anthropic AI to power new AI integrations in Office 365. The technology will pair with in-house AI models and innovations from other partners to maximize AI functionality within the Office suite.
- The Verge: OpenAI plans to spend $300 billion over the next five years in a new computing power deal with Oracle, the two companies announced. The deal, which builds off President Trump’s Stargate data center project, will begin in 2027.
- NBC Bay Area: A new class at Stanford University has a unique approach to AI innovation. The course, taught by genetics Professor Michael Snyder, is aimed at extending longevity through personalized plans, potentially helping humans live to 150 years old.
Featured Podcast
- Switched On
As artificial intelligence exponentially increases energy demand, data centers and the Trump Administration are looking towards natural gas as a solution. Bloomberg analyst Henry Eaton discusses what the skyrocketing interest in natural gas means for the energy industry as it tries to quickly ramp up production. (Data Centers Could Supercharge U.S. Gas Demand – September 10, 2025) – 31 minute and 9 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.