AI Week in Review - 6/7/25

The Details

Federal

Commerce transforms US AI Safety Institute into the Center for AI Standards and Innovation
The Commerce Department is transforming the U.S. AI Safety Institute into the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI), prioritizing voluntary standards, innovation, and security evaluations of domestic and foreign AI systems.

Sr Special Ops leader highlights AI's usefulness beyond battlefield
Lt. Gen. Frank Donovan emphasized at the AI+ Expo that AI is streamlining U.S. Special Operations Command’s budgeting and administration, proving its value beyond combat in enhancing efficiency and decision-making.

FDA launches GenAI tool to enhance productivity
The FDA launched Elsa, a secure GenAI tool that enhances staff productivity, accelerates clinical reviews, and modernizes operations—marking a key milestone in the agency’s AI transformation.

Lawmakers spotlight AI’s promise and Infra challenges
A House subcommittee hearing explored AI's growing role in media, telecom, and infrastructure, emphasizing U.S. leadership, rural broadband access, and AI's potential to enhance network resiliency and disaster response.

Senate proposes alternative to AI moratorium in Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’
Senate Republicans proposed a softer alternative to Trump’s AI regulation moratorium, tying limits on state laws to broadband funding access amid GOP concerns over states’ rights and constitutional hurdles.

Anthropic releases Claude Gov AI to power classified national security missions
Anthropic launched Claude Gov, a suite of AI models tailored for U.S. national security agencies, offering enhanced performance for classified operations, intelligence analysis, and mission-critical tasks.

Mace opens hearing examining the fed’s use of AI
Chairwoman Nancy Mace opened a House Oversight hearing urging bipartisan action to modernize federal systems and empower agencies to scale AI use for efficiency, security, and taxpayer savings.

NIH seeks public input to shape AI Strategy
NIH is seeking public input on its emerging AI strategy, aiming to guide the transition from current data analytics to autonomous biomedical AI through coordinated research, operational innovation, and ethical governance.

Nancy Mace reintroduces federal AI training bill
Rep. Nancy Mace reintroduced the AI Training Extension Act to broaden AI training access across federal roles, aiming to equip the workforce with practical, responsible AI skills aligned with national standards.

Allvin: AI adoption within the Air Force currently a ‘mixed bag’
Air Force Chief Gen. David Allvin says AI integration remains inconsistent due to institutional inertia, despite promising pilot projects and partnerships that highlight its potential for air dominance and operational efficiency.

AI unlocks hidden U.S. minerals
A DOE-backed AI tool rapidly identified the largest U.S. rare earth deposit from unconventional sources, accelerating domestic mineral discovery and reducing reliance on foreign supply chains.

State / Local

Amazon to invest $10B in North Carolina toward AI data centers
Amazon will invest $10 billion in AI data centers in rural North Carolina, creating 500+ high-skilled jobs and expanding its cloud infrastructure as part of a $100 billion capital push.

San Francisco wants to use AI to save itself from bureaucracy
San Francisco is partnering with Stanford AI researchers to streamline outdated municipal code, aiming to eliminate redundant reporting and free up staff time for essential city services.

VA county takes ‘intentional’ and ‘intergenerational’ approach to AI
Fairfax County, Virginia, is taking a deliberate, intergenerational approach to AI adoption by building staff capacity, piloting tools like NotebookLM, and preparing future workers for an AI-enabled public sector.

AI-generated legal brief submitted to Wright County Tax Court
In a first-of-its-kind case, Wright County Tax Court flagged an AI-generated legal brief for containing fabricated citations, highlighting rising concerns over AI misuse in legal proceedings.

International

Accelerating Australia’s AI agenda
The Business Council of Australia sets out a national AI strategy to boost productivity, drive innovation, and position Australia as a global AI leader through coordinated investment, regulation, and adoption.

UK government releases MS Copilot findings
A UK government trial involving 20,000 civil servants using Microsoft 365 Copilot reported average daily time savings of 26 minutes, enhancing productivity across various departments.

Europe's innovation pivot: Can the EU lead the next wave of AI?
The EU’s new AI Continent Action Plan pairs regulatory clarity with investments in infrastructure, capital, and talent, aiming to transform Europe into a global hub for AI innovation and governance.

OECD AI Capability Indicators
This framework links AI progress to human capabilities, helping policymakers anticipate AI’s impact on education, guide curriculum design, and prepare students for a rapidly changing future.

Gov AI copyright plan suffers fourth House of Lords defeat
The UK government’s plan to permit AI training on copyrighted material without consent faces growing resistance in the House of Lords, with creatives demanding transparency and stronger protections.

Everything Else

Pope Leo wants to stop AI playing God
Pope Leo XIV has made AI ethics a cornerstone of his papacy, urging global collaboration to align AI with human dignity, justice, and social care amid accelerating technological disruption.

OpenAI releases latest Threat Intelligence Report
OpenAI’s June 2025 report details how AI was used—and disrupted—in global scams, influence ops, and cyber threats, with adversaries misusing AI for fraud, propaganda, and malware development.

At secret math meeting, researchers struggle to outsmart AI
At a secretive Berkeley summit, top mathematicians were stunned as OpenAI’s o4-mini AI solved high-level problems with speed and creativity, challenging the future role of human researchers.

Can AI score higher than humans on EQ?
A new study shows large language models scored significantly higher than humans on emotional intelligence tests, raising profound implications for their role in socially interactive AI applications.

Musk’s xAI is trying to borrow $5 Billion while he fights with Trump
Elon’s public feud with Trump is rattling Wall Street as xAI seeks $5 billion in debt funding, raising concerns about political fallout, investor confidence, and the viability of its high-risk, cash-burning expansion.

Meta goes nuclear
Meta has secured a 20-year nuclear power deal to meet its AI energy demands, joining a growing trend among tech giants turning to carbon-free nuclear energy amid surging data center needs.