“Ransomware is not just a technological challenge. It’s a geopolitical and policy challenge.” Hear from Microsoft’s President of Global Affairs Lisa Monaco on why preparation, trusted relationships, and stronger cross-border cooperation are essential to reducing harm from ransomware and protecting victims. Read the full conversation in Digital Front Lines: https://msft.it/6049vgzNd
Microsoft On the Issues
Technology, Information and Internet
Redmond, Washington 96,139 followers
News & perspectives on today's pressing tech issues, AI, sustainability, security and more for #Microsoft. 👇
About us
News and perspectives on the future of tech, public policy and philanthropic topics for #Microsoft. ➡️ https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/
- Website
-
https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/
External link for Microsoft On the Issues
- Industry
- Technology, Information and Internet
- Company size
- 10,001+ employees
- Headquarters
- Redmond, Washington
- Specialties
- technology, government affairs, AI and Data, privacy, cybersecurity, tech news, tech issues, accessibility, diversity and inclusion, sustainability, digital skilling, AI, Affordable Housing, Public Affairs, tech executives, responsible AI, and AI ethics
Updates
-
The next phase of AI isn’t just digital. It’s physical, hands-on, and human. 👷🏻♀️️ Last month, we shared our extended partnership with North America's Building Trades Unions. Today, we’re continuing that work to bring no‑cost AI training to workers across the trades. Building on earlier progress—1,500+ instructors trained across 50 states—this effort includes new courses and an industry‑recognized credential through LinkedIn Learning. It’s all about making it easier for people to use these tools in the work they do every day. Learn more: https://msft.it/6045v8udv
-
-
Where AI is adopted—and how it’s used—can look very different depending on where you are. In this month’s Spotlight on AI, we look at what new data and real-world examples show about how AI is being used: 📊 A closer look at how adoption varies across US communities 🧠 Research on how organizations are changing how work gets done with AI 🔐 New work advancing responsible and secure AI systems 🌍 Examples of AI in action, from agriculture to emergency response Plus, insights from experts working on these challenges every day. Read the full newsletter and subscribe to stay informed:
-
Last week, we released the US AI Diffusion Report, a first-of-its-kind, state-by-state and county-by-county view of AI usage in the United States. In this episode of Tools and Weapons, Brad Smith and Juan M. Lavista Ferres discuss how AI is spreading—and what that means for countries, businesses, and workers. The choices made today will shape who benefits, and who doesn’t. Watch the full episode for a discussion on access to AI, economic opportunity, and the role of policy and collaboration: https://msft.it/6040vbNti
-
Microsoft On the Issues reposted this
Twenty years ago, Microsoft broke ground on our first data center in Quincy, Washington. At a time when so many small towns have been shrinking, Quincy has grown, and the partnership behind that story is one worth telling. Watch how a farm town in Central Washington helped build the cloud, and built a thriving future of its own. https://lnkd.in/ePjWhyQu
-
Where you live can shape how people use AI. Our new US AI Diffusion Report reveals how adoption is unfolding across states and communities—from differences between urban and rural areas, where usage is 32.9% in metro areas compared with 16.2% in rural ones, to how it’s spreading unevenly across the country. It also highlights standout pockets like college towns, where AI use is higher, and shows how local patterns can vary even within the same state. The report includes an interactive data experience that lets you explore these differences. Read more in Brad Smith's blog: https://msft.it/6045vZXYh
-
What will it take to reimagine how the infrastructure of AI is shaped? In this month’s Sustainably Speaking, Melanie Nakagawa, Chief Sustainability Officer at Microsoft, and Dawn Lippert, CEO and Founder of Elemental Impact, look at how new technologies being tested and built at datacenters can help shape future innovations needed to build more resilient, affordable, and low-carbon systems. Here’s what you’ll find inside: ⚡ How datacenters can help bring new energy technologies into use 🔧 What more efficient, lower-impact design looks like in practice 💡 Real-world pilots—from hydrogen power to lower-carbon construction 🌍 Why working with local communities matters as infrastructure grows Watch Melanie’s quick overview of this month’s issue:
-
Across Africa, thousands of languages remain underrepresented in today’s AI systems. That gap can limit access to essential information, from education and healthcare to financial and civic services. LINGUA Africa is our effort to help change that. Through an open call, Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab—working alongside the Gates Foundation, the Masakhane African Languages Hub, and Google.org—is supporting African‑led projects that build open language datasets, tools, and practical applications. Our commitment focuses on early, long‑term investments: supporting open datasets and tools, community partnerships, and real‑world use cases so AI systems better reflect the languages people use every day. 🌍 Learn more about the open call and how to apply: https://msft.it/6040vkWho
-
-
Ransomware is a serious risk, but organizations are getting better at protecting themselves, with growing awareness and stronger defenses across teams. Even as cybercriminals become more organized, these teams are working more closely together and sharing what they learn, helping them respond faster and reduce disruption when attacks happen. Here are five things you need to know about ransomware: https://msft.it/6040vpxw0
-
We now have a complete map of the world’s fields, and it’s a gamechanger for the agriculture industry. Microsoft, Taylor Geospatial, and partners have made global agricultural field boundaries openly accessible. By combining AI, satellite imagery, and open science, we’re turning research into practical tools for food security, climate analysis, and decision-making. With this dataset, analysts can now track changes in farmland use from South Africa to Iowa—helping governments and organizations respond more effectively to food security and water challenges. Explore global field boundaries in our interactive viewer: https://msft.it/6043vpxb3