Journalism begins where hype ends

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The rise of powerful AI will be either the best, or the worst thing, ever to happen to humanity. We do not yet know which."

—Stephen Hawking

Demand for Severance Tax Relief Grows in India as Microsoft Offers Voluntary Exit to 60,000 Employees

Microsoft's office building in Hyderabad, India. The company has introduced a voluntary exit offer for eligible employees in India and three other countries. Photo credit: Microsoft

Microsoft’s voluntary exit offer is open to eligible employees in India, the US, the UK and Canada, with around 60,000 workers reportedly eligible worldwide. The announcement has brought renewed attention to calls for tax relief on severance benefits in India, where such payments are generally taxable subject to applicable exemptions.

China-Linked Hackers Used AI in ConnectWise Attack, Target Hundreds Globally: Microsoft

ConnectWise faces scrutiny following a supply-chain compromise linked by Microsoft to China-aligned threat actor Storm-0940.

Microsoft said Storm-0940 used ARTEX to target more than 2,250 tenants, generating approximately 2,900 sign-in attempts per minute and limiting defenders’ time to detect and counter the attacks.

Microsoft, Council of Europe Sign AI Framework on Human Rights and Democracy

Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset and Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith at the signing of a framework cooperation agreement on responsible technological development and AI.

The Council of Europe and Microsoft have signed a framework agreement at the Council of Europe’s headquarters in Strasbourg to promote responsible and inclusive technological development, uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and address challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI) and the wider digital environment. Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of… Continue reading Microsoft, Council of Europe Sign AI Framework on Human Rights and Democracy

Microsoft Unveils Code of Conduct for ‘Humanist AI Models: “AI To Remain Subservient to Humanity”

Microsoft AI’s 38-page draft Humanist AI Code of Conduct sets out principles for human control and safety in MAI models.

Microsoft’s draft Humanist AI Code sets boundaries for MAI models, requiring them to remain under human control and prohibiting behavior such as resisting shutdown, hiding actions or expanding their authorized scope

Satya Nadella Announces Code of Conduct for Microsoft’s MAI Models

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and the Microsoft logo. Nadella has announced a code of conduct for the company's MAI models amid growing debate over AI safety and human control.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says the code for Microsoft’s MAI models will be released for public feedback, as the debate over frontier AI safety and the pace of AI development intensifies.

Microsoft Signs AI Safety Deal with US Teachers’ Unions Amid “Grave Crisis” in Teaching

A student uses a tablet in a classroom as Microsoft, AFT and UFT announce a new AI Safety & Privacy Standard for schools, covering student data, AI oversight and privacy protections.

The framework bans the use of covered data for AI training and its sale, while requiring human oversight. AFT President Randi Weingarten said she hopes other AI companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, will also sign on, with discussions already underway.

NVIDIA, Microsoft, IBM, Adobe, SpaceX Launch Open Secure AI Alliance

NVIDIA led the launch of the Open Secure AI Alliance on Monday, joined by nearly 40 companies including Microsoft, IBM, Adobe and SpaceX.

NVIDIA, IBM, Adobe, Microsoft, SpaceX and nearly 40 other technology companies have launched the Open Secure AI Alliance, a global coalition to develop and share open-source tools, techniques and models to defend against AI-powered cyberattacks.

Microsoft Says Datacenter Water-Use Efficiency Improved Nearly 90% Since its First Designs in Early 2000s

Microsoft said it has improved water efficiency across its datacenters by nearly 90% since the early 2000s as it expands AI and cloud infrastructure.

Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith said the company is more than halfway toward its 2030 water-use intensity goal and replenished more water than it withdrew globally in FY2025.

400 Newspapers Drag Microsoft and OpenAI to Court for “Stealing” Journalists’ Works

35 Publishers running over 400 newspapers across U.S. have filed a federal lawsuit against OoenAI and Microsoft for training their AI models on journalists' works.

Unlike legacy media houses, this time newspapers owned by small businesses and families have filed a lawsuit seeking fair compensation for their work.

OpenAI, Microsoft, Amazon, Anthropic Back RAISE US for AI Workforce Transition

RAISE US, backed by OpenAI, Microsoft, Amazon and Anthropic, aims to help the U.S. workforce transition to an AI economy through training, career support and workforce programs.

The nonprofit will seek private and philanthropic funding to support training and career transitions for U.S. workers adapting to the AI economy.