AI Week in Review - 6/21/25

The Details

Federal

DOD signs deal with OpenAI
The Pentagon awarded OpenAI a $200M contract to prototype “frontier AI” solutions for defense and enterprise operations, with more partnerships on the horizon under its advanced AI acceleration effort.

David Sachs warns US can’t get complacent in AI competition with China
White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks urges the U.S. to stay ‘paranoid’ about China’s AI progress, balancing export controls with global tech dominance to maintain its lead.

USPTO advances GenAI adoption
USPTO CIO says mastering data and security underpins the agency’s push to embed GenAI—such as its Scout assistant—and has issued an RFI to expand AI-aided patent examination.

NIST releases draft report on internal chatbot
NIST’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence released a draft report detailing the build of a secure, RAG-powered AI chatbot for internal cybersecurity guidance and seeks public comments by Aug. 4, 2025.

State / Local

Loudoun Co. schools plan to use AI to boost campus security
Loudoun County schools will expand use of AI to monitor security footage for weapons and fights, aiming to enhance campus safety with real-time alerts and faster staff response.

CA releases new report on frontier AI
A California policy report outlines principles for governing frontier AI, urging a “trust but verify” approach to balance innovation benefits with safety, transparency, and adaptive risk mitigation.

Stanford helps San Fran cut red tape
Stanford’s STARA AI system helps governments like San Francisco’s identify and eliminate outdated legal requirements, boosting efficiency by automating complex statutory research and uncovering policy “sludge.”

Former TX Judge named Chair of National AI Task Force
Former Texas Chief Justice Nathan Hecht will lead a new task force developing standards for AI use across the U.S. criminal justice system, supported by RAND and Stanford Law.

Mississippi to advance AI education, innovation, and workforce development
Mississippi to expand AI education, workforce training, and economic development, positioning the state as a hub for AI-driven innovation in agriculture, healthcare, energy and defense.

California releases report n frontier AI policy
California’s Frontier AI Policy report urges evidence-based, flexible regulation balancing innovation and safety, defining AI risk tiers and transparency measures as a proposed federal bill could pre-empt state authority.

International

Everything Else

Introducing OpenAI for Government
OpenAI launched OpenAI for Government, unifying its public-sector AI tools—including ChatGPT Gov—and kicked off a pilot defense program with the U.S. Department of Defense.

Amazon CEO delivers GenAI thoughts
Andy Jassy, Amazon CEO, highlights expansive GenAI integration across products and operations, announcing a strategic pivot toward AI agents and forecasting workforce shifts driven by automation.

Bosses want you to know AI is coming for your job
Top U.S. CEOs warn employees that AI will cut corporate headcount and reshape jobs, but economists see scant evidence of mass layoffs amid surging workplace adoption of the technology.

OpenAI fortifies bio-safety as models get better
OpenAI predicts its next models will reach “high” biological capability and is rolling out multilayer safeguards, expert partnerships, and a July biodefense summit to spur benefits while blocking biothreat misuse.