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.
Digital Government
168 employees fired at National Science Foundation
“Panch has been conveniently absent throughout this whole time,” said an internal email an NSF worker sent to fellow colleagues, referring to Sethuraman Panchanathan, NSF’s director.
Modernization
Employees helming the U.S. nuclear stockpile among those terminated
Probational employees at Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration were fired on Thursday as concerns over DOGE access to sensitive information mounts.
Emerging Tech
National Labs have seen mixed impacts from Trump spending freeze
During a House hearing, four directors of different U.S. national laboratories offered insight into how federal funding interruptions have shaped their work.
Artificial Intelligence
Vance calls for more open AI policy at Paris summit
Vice President JD Vance laid out the Trump administration’s priorities on artificial intelligence policy with an emphasis on unleashing American innovation via lighter-touch regulations.
People
DOGE deputies land at State Department tech bureau with USAID emails
One of the people, 19-year-old Edward Coristine, reportedly had extensive interactions with cybercrime groups.
Emerging Tech
DARPA taps Microsoft, PsiQuantum for scalable quantum computer research
As part of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, the two companies are now in negotiations under the validation and co-design phase of the quantum computing program.
Artificial Intelligence
DHS must do more to appropriately govern AI, watchdog finds
An oversight report from DHS's OIG noted the agency's many big steps in AI governance, but added specific areas that need to be updated to advance safe federal uses of the tools.
Artificial Intelligence
OpenAI brings its large language models to Energy’s national labs
As OpenAI expands access to its large language models to all national labs, scientists at nationals labs anticipate workloads that usually take decades to be reduced to “two or three” years.
People
Trump’s FBI pick opposes warrant requirement for contested spying power
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kash Patel said a warrant for Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act “is just not comported with the requirement to protect American citizenry.”
Emerging Tech
Trump’s Commerce pick backs light-touch regulation in emerging tech policy
Howard Lutnick voiced robust support for U.S. leadership in AI and quantum information sciences alongside a light touch regulatory approach.
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.
Artificial Intelligence
Trump signs AI executive order
The order calls for the development of an AI action plan and sets up a process for revoking actions taken under President Biden’s previous AI executive order signed in October 2023.
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.
People
Trump taps IBM’s Darío Gil for Energy’s undersecretary for science and innovation
Gil previously served on Trump’s President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology under his first administration.
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
USPTO debuts 2025 AI strategy
The agency aims to introduce automation to support patent and trademark application processing.
Emerging Tech
Commerce announces new export control on US AI products
The new export controls will alter licensing requirements for AI chips and closed-source models to allow allied nations to access U.S. AI innovation while preventing adversarial nations from doing so.
Emerging Tech