Week in Review (1/25/25)
Federal
The outgoing White House national security adviser, warns that the next few years will determine whether AI leads to catastrophe and whether China or America prevails in the AI arms race.
The FTC highlights competitive implications of major cloud service providers partnering with generative AI developers, focusing on exclusivity rights, resource sharing, and potential barriers to market competition.
President Trump rescinded Biden’s AI executive order, launched the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for tech modernization, and ordered federal employees back to in-person work with limited exemptions.
Trump announces $500 billion AI infra deal (codename Stargate)
Tech giants OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle launched "Stargate," a $100 billion (and up to $500 billion) AI infrastructure project in the U.S., aiming to bolster AI capabilities, create jobs, and secure national leadership in AI innovation.
The Trump administration's deregulatory agenda for GenAI accelerates development and adoption across sectors, urging businesses and government agencies to innovate while addressing ethical and skill-building challenges.
Elon Musk criticized the funding claims for Trump’s $500 billion Stargate AI initiative, sparking rebuttals from White House and OpenAI officials defending the project’s financial viability and national importance.
Generative AI is transforming federal operations through innovative pilots and workforce initiatives like DHSChat and AI Corps. Success requires clear goals, robust policies, and investments in infrastructure and training.
President Trump’s executive order seeks to solidify U.S. AI dominance, revoking Biden-era policies on AI safety and security while emphasizing bias-free systems and a new strategic plan within 180 days.
Michael Kratsios’s nomination as OSTP Director advances to the Senate. Former U.S. CTO and Scale AI executive, he emphasizes American technological leadership, innovation, and countering authoritarian AI misuse.
The Trump administration’s AI policies prioritize national security, innovation, and private sector growth, signaling reduced regulatory oversight and increased focus on defense and energy AI infrastructure investments like “Project Stargate.”
The Trump administration eliminated the FedRAMP Emerging Technology Prioritization Framework, requiring AI cloud providers to navigate standard FedRAMP processes, potentially slowing federal adoption of AI-focused cloud services.
State/Local
Tucson is leveraging AI to enhance public safety, infrastructure, and workforce initiatives. Collaborating with national leaders and organizations, the city is pioneering ethical, responsible AI integration in local government.
AI tools streamline state budgeting by analyzing infrastructure, optimizing fee structures, and supporting financial planning. Experts caution against overhyping GenAI while emphasizing data security and human oversight.
Santee Cooper is exploring buyers to revive mothballed nuclear reactors, aiming to attract tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft, which need clean energy for AI-powered data centers.
President Trump’s AI vision urges states to foster innovation, enforce existing laws, and adopt frameworks like Utah’s sandbox to drive responsible development and propel America’s technological leadership.
State AI legislation in 2025 will build on 2024’s momentum, balancing innovation, privacy, and free speech. Lawmakers face challenges in regulating AI-generated harms while adapting to rapidly evolving technology and legal precedents.
New Jersey awarded $1.5M to 12 schools for AI-focused programs, including tutoring, teacher training, and career pathways. Grants aim to promote AI literacy, ethics, and innovative curricula for students.
International
The Expanded ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics (2024) outlines policy considerations for generative AI, addressing risks, emphasizing safety, and offering regional, pro-innovation recommendations for responsible adoption.
Wales leverages UK AI Action Plan with major investments, including a £12 billion Vantage Data Centers project, creating 11,500 jobs and advancing tech hubs, ethical AI adoption, and public sector innovation.
The Greek police, backed by the EU and Google, is integrating AI to modernize operations, expedite investigations, and enhance efficiency in crime-solving, traffic management, and violence prevention.
OpenAI's Chris Lehane urges swift U.S. action to maintain its AI lead against China's rapid progress, emphasizing national security, infrastructure, and talent development in a new economic blueprint.
Ireland is adopting a softer AI and tech regulation stance to balance EU obligations with U.S. relations, aligning with Trump-backed tech leaders to attract investment and ease regulatory tensions.
EY India's report highlights GenAI's potential to transform India's economy, enhancing productivity by up to 2.82% and automating 24% of tasks. Talent shortages and early-stage adoption remain key challenges.
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The Bletchley Declaration and subsequent US-China collaboration highlight opportunities for shared progress on AI governance. This report identifies four key dialogue recommendations fostering cooperative safety and standards development.
The "AI in Action" report outlines how organizations can move beyond experimentation to scale AI adoption, fostering innovation, sustainability, and societal benefits in a rapidly evolving digital age.
The World Economic Forum paper highlights strategies for nations to advance safe, inclusive AI innovation, addressing challenges like investment gaps and digital divides to foster resilient AI ecosystems and widespread adoption.
Estyn has launched a review to assess the use of Generative AI in Welsh schools. Supported by expert guidance, it aims to explore benefits, challenges, and responsible integration to enhance education.
Azerbaijan leverages AI to enhance energy efficiency, integrate renewables, and decarbonize. Key pilot projects in urban and energy sectors showcase scalable solutions, positioning Azerbaijan as a leader in sustainable energy innovation.
China is advancing in AI despite U.S. sanctions, using domestic innovation, workarounds like clustering, and heavy state investment. Progress in chips, large language models, and industrial AI highlights its potential to rival global leaders.
China’s DeepSeek AI lab has surpassed leading U.S. models like GPT-4o and Llama 3.1 using cost-efficient methods and limited hardware, raising concerns about the shrinking U.S. AI advantage.
While Western AI development heavily emphasizes large language models (LLMs), China’s state-driven approach diversifies AI research, including brain-inspired paths to general AI (GAI). The report recommends U.S. investment in alternative AI strategies.
The UK government announces "Humphrey," a package of AI tools designed to modernize public services, cut inefficiencies, and save billions annually. Plans include improved data sharing, AI-driven policy-making, and enhanced civil service technology training.
The EU AI Act’s Code of Practice for General-Purpose AI enters a pivotal phase, balancing industry flexibility and civil society demands. Success could set global AI safety standards, while failure risks undermining the Act's credibility.
Other
Attributing human traits to AI leads to misjudgments in oversight, copyright, and business risks, with harmful consequences for governance, emotional reliance, and global legal compliance.
A man used AI to generate tailored CVs and cover letters, landing 50 interviews in a month but raising ethical and societal concerns about AI’s role in job applications.
GenAI is transforming middle-class jobs but risks widening inequalities due to digital and educational gaps. Targeted policies in infrastructure, education, and access could extend AI benefits to poorer populations.
OpenAI is set to announce Ph.D.-level AI "super-agents" capable of complex tasks, raising excitement and concerns about their potential to replace human workers and reshape industries.
Agentic AI is transforming industries, making adaptability, AI fluency, and lifelong learning essential for students. Families must rethink college planning to prioritize creative, strategic, and interdisciplinary skills.
Citi GPS explores agentic AI's role in reshaping finance, enabling autonomous decision-making and turbocharging the DIFM economy with use cases spanning compliance, fraud prevention, wealth management, and more.
Chip Huyen highlights six frequent mistakes in generative AI development, from overusing AI and starting too complex to underestimating UX challenges, neglecting human evaluation, and lacking strategic focus.
Autonomous systems integrate AI and robotics to transform industries like transportation, healthcare, and agriculture, addressing societal challenges while requiring robust governance, workforce reskilling, and collaborative development.
State of GenAI in the enterprise (Q4 Report)
This Report highlights AI's rapid advancements and transformational potential, urging businesses to embrace agility, curiosity, and innovation to unlock AI-driven value and opportunities.
CEO Marc Benioff predicts the end of all-human workforces as generative AI “agents” revolutionize productivity, citing his company’s Agentforce and the rising integration of AI in operations.
CEO Dario Amodei predicts AI will surpass human capabilities in most areas within 2-3 years, reshaping labor and societal values. Anthropic continues attracting significant investments from Google and Amazon.
Operator, a new AI browser agent, automates repetitive online tasks like form filling and shopping by interacting with webpages directly. Available to Pro users in the U.S., it evolves based on feedback.
Meta plans $60-$65 billion in AI investments for 2025, including a massive data center and 1.3M GPUs. CEO Mark Zuckerberg calls it a "defining year" for AI innovation and product scaling.
Deloitte’s pilot study on generative AI adoption highlights trust as a key factor for success. By addressing transparency, reliability, and user needs, trust-building efforts increased adoption and ROI expectations significantly.
Governments are leveraging AI to modernize services, boost efficiency, and improve governance. Panels at Davos 2025 emphasized collaboration, innovation-friendly policies, and aligning with trusted partners to enable secure and seamless digital transformations.
AI Consultant & Custom Chatbot Innovator | LIT AI Academy Speaker & Judge | Project & Product Management Expert | Driving AI Adoption & Workflow Automation | ePMO & IT Strategy | #1 Best-Selling Author
3moWow, Chris Kraft this is an amazing collection of shifts, pivots and changes happening rapidly across the globe. Great synopsis; I’ll be grabbing some coffee soon.