Industry
NASA and Microsoft finalize tool to track Earth’s water changes
The space agency will host the Microsoft and OpenAI-powered Earth Copilot to make analyzing hydraulic data easier.
Quantum cryptography implementation timelines must be shortened, industry CEO to tell Congress
A joint House hearing on Wednesday will examine how AI and quantum computing will impact current cybersecurity.
Industry calls for US leadership in AI as a democratic imperative
Top tech firms are hoping a planned AI Export Program out of the Commerce Department will foster international consensus when it comes to promoting “democratic” AI frameworks and preventing “overly prescriptive” regulations.
Trump admin launches US Tech Force to recruit temporary workers after shedding thousands this year
Some of the recruits to government service will be on leaves of absence from private sector companies while working for government — a setup that raises ethical questions about conflicts of interest.
More AI tools coming in days or weeks, Pentagon R&D chief says
Wide deployment of artificial intelligence now sits atop Emil Michael’s critical priorities.
House Homeland leaders seek briefings from Apple, Google on ICE-tracking apps
Republican lawmakers say crowdsourced tools that flag immigration enforcement activity may endanger federal personnel and disrupt operations.
Microsoft makes Copilot available to secure cloud customers
The General Services Administration previously reached an agreement with Microsoft to offer its services to agencies at discounted rates. The latest announcement makes Copilot available to government customers in GCC-High.
AWS announces new AI Factories to reduce infrastructure barriers for public, private sector
AWS and NVIDIA have teamed up to offer public and private sector partners access to bespoke artificial intelligence resources.
SAP offers major discount to government customers through OneGov agreement
Discounted software could generate as much as $165 million in savings for agencies over the next 18 months, GSA estimates.
AWS to invest $50B in AI and supercomputing infrastructure for government customers
Amazon Web Services is granting government expanded access to its tech products offerings while scaling the infrastructure required to support it.
SEC to drop high-profile SolarWinds hack lawsuit
The landmark lawsuit garnered pushback from dozens of cybersecurity leaders last year.
Senators expect 10-year extension of cyber data-sharing law in future budget package
The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 got a temporary reprieve after the government reopened this month, but it risks lapsing again at the end of January.
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One-stop shopping for counter-drone gear is aim of joint task force
The Army-led effort is also working on policy for buying and deploying C-UAS systems stateside.
11 companies move to second stage of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative
The selected companies will undergo evaluation to determine if their concepts for a viable quantum computer can be constructed and work as intended.
IRS returns to relying on tax prep companies for free filing options without Direct File
A new report from the tax agency that was requested by congressional Republicans said that dropping Direct File “is in the best interests of American taxpayers and the IRS.”
Experts see promise, risk in Pentagon’s draft acquisition reforms
A draft memo is circulating ahead of SecDef Hegseth’s Friday speech.
Lawmakers propose requiring agencies, major firms to report AI’s job impact
A new bill from Sens. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., would direct covered entities to provide quarterly reports to the Labor Department detailing layoffs and workforce displacements caused by uses of AI.
House Republican questions government stake in tech companies
Georgia Congressman Rich McCormick disputed the Trump administration’s approach to investing in the private sector while aligning with its broader low-regulatory regime.
D-Wave makes its quantum annealers available for national security work
Quantum computing company D-Wave has installed one of its quantum annealers alongside Davidson Technologies for federal customers to access.
Exclusive
Transportation awards Google major contract after ‘OneGov’ deal
The five-year contract for Google’s Workspace software suite has a ceiling of $89 million.
