Artificial Intelligence
OpenAI anticipates rapid data center scaling thanks to Trump
OpenAI Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil said the company’s AI offerings will benefit from the Trump administration’s tech policy and industry infrastructure projects.
Cybersecurity
IBM contract for overseas cyber assistance canned amid USAID shutdown
The foreign aid agency — a prime target of President Donald Trump’s agenda to eliminate perceived government waste — declared cybersecurity an economic development issue in 2021.
Breaking News
Acquisition
Trump administration asks agencies to cull consultants
A memo dated Wednesday asks agencies to review their contracts with 10 of the “highest paid” companies.
Cybersecurity
US spy chief directs legal review of UK’s Apple backdoor demand
Tulsi Gabbard called the order, which demands Apple permit the United Kingdom backdoor access into global users’ iCloud backups, a “clear and egregious” violation of Americans’ privacy.
Emerging Tech
AWS unveils its quantum chip prototype, Ocelot
The company joins the ranks of IBM, Google and Microsoft in launching an early stage chip designed to further quantum computing needs.
Cybersecurity
Salt Typhoon hackers exploited stolen credentials and a 7-year-old software flaw in Cisco systems
The Chinese hacking collective has widely leveraged vulnerabilities in communications infrastructure to breach dozens of telecom providers in the U.S. and overseas.
Emerging Tech
Microsoft debuts new superconductor chip designed for quantum computing
The newly termed “topoconductor,” Majorana 1, is designed to support large qubit data processing for a future quantum computer.
Artificial Intelligence
GOP lawmakers seek industry input on crafting US-first AI regulatory regime
Republican lawmakers used a House hearing to seek input from industry representatives for how lawmakers can craft policies that enable manufacturers to successfully leverage AI.
Defense
What Google’s return to defense AI means
More competition in a hot market—and the plain fact that only the Pentagon will set boundaries.
Artificial Intelligence
OpenAI debuts ChatGPT Gov for federal agency use
The new chatbot brings the same capabilities from the public model to government-approved and secure cloud environments for federal workloads.
Emerging Tech
Industry group calls on Trump to appoint a quantum czar
A letter sent to President Donald Trump also called for a reauthorization of 2018’s National Quantum Initiative Act.
Artificial Intelligence
Industry launches $100B AI-infrastructure effort to keep ahead of China
Oracle, OpenAI focus on data centers as AI race begins to turn on computing power instead of math.
People
Tracking Trump’s national-security conflicts of interest
Experts say the businessman-turned-president has even more entanglements this time around.
Emerging Tech
Trump, Musk set sights on Mars
NASA is still developing technologies necessary to send humans to Mars.
People
Industry tech executive Casey Coleman heads to ServiceNow
She previously worked at Salesforce, in addition to other industry and government positions.
Artificial Intelligence
US ‘has to win’ the AI innovation race, OpenAI exec says
Senior Vice President of Global Affairs Chris Lehane commended a recent executive order opening federal land to AI data center development and posited ways to encourage states to back AI development.
Artificial Intelligence
Biden orders federal land to be leased for AI data center development
The executive action will leverage federally protected lands to develop data centers capable of supporting AI software, with a priority on incorporating clean energy sources.
Artificial Intelligence
HHS AI plan looks to the private sector for collaboration
Public engagement and collaborative partnerships with the private sector “throughout the innovation pipeline” can help ensure that AI tools are being equitably used and deployed, HHS said in its AI strategic plan.
Exclusive
Artificial Intelligence
AI startup Anthropic to build out public sector team
Thiyagu Ramasamy, formerly of Amazon Web Services, will lead the effort.
Digital Government