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Microsoft On the Issues

Microsoft On the Issues

Technology, Information and Internet

Redmond, Washington 90,308 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/
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

  • Microsoft On the Issues reposted this

    View profile for Brad Smith
    Brad Smith Brad Smith is an Influencer

    Communities throughout Washington state are experiencing severe flooding, which is having a profound effect on families, homes, and vital infrastructure. Many of our colleagues, friends, and neighbors are experiencing these challenges firsthand. We’re deeply grateful to our first responders and those on the front lines working tirelessly to keep our community safe and strong.    In response to this crisis, Microsoft and our employees are donating to the American Red Cross and to local organizations across the region on the front lines of relief. Even in the hardest moments, this community proves its resilience—and we’ll continue to stand with it.   Washington has always been a place where innovation meets purpose. As the floodwaters recede and the process of recovery unfolds, we will continue to show up and support our home community. I encourage everyone who can to continue assisting with response and recovery efforts, as every contribution makes a meaningful difference.

  • Across Microsoft’s pro bono initiatives, volunteers and partners work together to help veterans secure benefits, protect children seeking safety, and support local journalism. By combining legal expertise with technology like Copilot, advocates can focus on people—making complex casework faster and expanding support where it matters most. Learn how human action and digital transformation come together in this year's report: https://msft.it/6040tWU36

  • Recycling rates have stagnated and are now declining—it's time for next-generation solutions. Through the Climate Innovation Fund, Microsoft is working with AMP to reimagine how recycling is done—leveraging AI to streamline the identification and sorting of materials in real time. AMP’s AI has recognized more than 200B items and can deliver 90%+ recovery without manual sorting; driving efficiency, safety, and circularity across the waste stream. Our shared vision is to create a world where resources are kept in use longer, waste is minimized, and communities benefit from smarter, more efficient recycling systems. By investing in companies like AMP, Microsoft is helping to accelerate the transition to a circular economy where technology and purpose go hand in hand. ♻️ Discover how we’re driving climate innovation: https://msft.it/6041tmIfZ

  • One line of code. Up to 15% of game play power saved.     Sustainable gaming is leveling up from ambition to action. This month’s Sustainably Speaking shares updates from our CSO Melanie NakagawaXbox COO Dave McCarthy, and Microsoft’s gaming division on how sustainability is being woven into every aspect of gaming.    What’s inside:  🌱 New Xbox Sustainability Toolkit for game developers  🏆 Award-winning green tech in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6  🎮 Creative climate missions in Minecraft Ocean Heroes  🔄 Circular design and lifecycle management Read and subscribe for monthly updates. 📩 

  • AI is reshaping the cybersecurity landscape, making attacks faster and more sophisticated. Today, anyone—regardless of technical skill—can leverage AI to automate vulnerability discovery, generate malware, and create convincing scams that threaten organizations and individuals alike. Chloé Messdaghi, AI Governance & Cybersecurity advisor, highlights how AI enables skill uplift, lowers the barrier for attackers, and increases the risk of initial access through realistic phishing sites. Defenders are responding by using AI for automation, identity verification, and blocking risky access to combat ransomware and protect data. Explore how Microsoft and industry leaders are harnessing AI to strengthen digital defenses and stay ahead of evolving threats: https://msft.it/6045tiX0d

  • Microsoft On the Issues reposted this

    View profile for Brad Smith
    Brad Smith Brad Smith is an Influencer

    It’s great to see Microsoft’s Chief Questions Officer, Trevor Noah, sparking curiosity in the classroom with kids exploring an Hour of AI. This article reflects the power of imagination when teachers and students embark on this learning journey together. https://lnkd.in/eB7vmg3D Jacqueline Russell, Hadi Partovi, Code.org, Microsoft 

  • AI is a powerful tool for local economic development, opening new doors for students, entrepreneurs, and workers. Through Microsoft TechSpark, we’re partnering with local leaders and nonprofits to expand digital skills, create jobs, and spark innovation, from workforce skilling in Eastern Kentucky to advanced manufacturing in Wisconsin. Since launch, TechSpark has helped secure over $700M+ in community funding and supported 65,000 people in building new career opportunities. These results show what’s possible when we listen deeply and invest in people who know their communities best. The 2025 TechSpark Impact report shows how AI can be a bridge to local prosperity, not a barrier. Learn more about this progress in the 2025 report: https://msft.it/6041tey0R

    •  “Being part of the TechSpark program and learning alongside other fellows has been both insightful and inspiring. I've gained knowledge from leaders across the country, and their support has uplifted a community of youth that otherwise would never have had the opportunity to achieve so much.” – Taylor Hampton, Integral Youth Services and TechSpark Fellow, OR
  • Technology should accelerate progress for people and the planet, and we're starting to see concrete examples of how AI is making it happen: 🌎 Forecasting for resilience: AI models are helping communities anticipate extreme weather and adapt to climate change. 💡 Transforming innovation into solutions: AI is advancing material science, lowering renewable energy costs, and reducing the carbon footprint of building materials. 🌱 Empowering the sustainability workforce: AI is helping experts and learners build the skills needed to accelerate climate action. Learn how we’re putting AI to work for a more sustainable, resilient planet. https://msft.it/6044teKEA

    • Title: 3 ways AI is helping protect our planet 

Visual: landscape video with circular stills
    • Headline: 
Making the complex... less complex 
AI models forecast extreme weather and climate patterns, helping communities prepare and adapt. 

Body:  
Powered by Azure AI, the technology has helped 75F’s customers save 42% in HVAC energy use in thousands of buildings worldwide.  

Visual: Solar panels video
    • Headline: 
Turning big ideas into real solutions 
AI advances in material science are lowering renewable energy costs and reducing the carbon footprint of building materials. 

Body:  
To advance low-carbon and carbon-absorbing materials, the nonprofit climate technology investor Elemental Impact hosted a pitch challenge for solutions that drew AI experts from around the world. Winners received funded pilots, equity investment, and other prizes. 

Visual: landscape image
    • Headline: 
Empowering a sustainability workforce 
Employers and educators are using AI to help build a sustainability workforce needed for faster progress on climate goals. 

Body: 
Microsoft is helping sustainability experts learn foundational AI skills through its educational platform LinkedIn Learning, which also offers a Green Digital Skills certificate program with job training organization INCO Academy that has attracted 30,000 people in 140 countries.
  • Deepfakes, voice cloning, and synthetic identities are making fraud attempts more convincing and harder to detect, creating new risks for organizations and individuals. That’s why Microsoft, together with partners, is applying AI to detect and disrupt these tactics before they cause harm. This approach strengthens identity protection and builds resilience across the digital ecosystem, helping organizations adapt to a threat landscape where human vulnerability is increasingly exploited. Learn how AI-driven attacks are evolving and what strategies can help defenders stay ahead in the Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2025: https://msft.it/6048tdzzg

    • Title: The Rise of AI-Driven Social Engineering 
Subtitle: Deepfakes, voice cloning, and synthetic identities are fueling identity fraud at scale. 


$4B worth of AI-aided fraud attempts thwarted by Microsoft in one year (Apr 2024–Apr 2025). 

49,000 bogus enrollment attempts blocked in Microsoft partner programs. 

1.6M fake account creation attempts blocked per hour on Microsoft services. 

195% global increase in the use of AI-generated IDs—now often more convincing than real forgeries.
  • “When disability representation is misaligned or missing, it can inadvertently reinforce stigma, escalating harms by erasing lived experiences or disrespecting disabled identities. These failures don’t just affect systems; they affect people, deepening exclusion, and undermining trust in technology.”  — Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer and Vice President, Microsoft   Authentic disability representation in AI imagery isn’t cosmetic—it’s foundational to equitable experiences, safer systems, and public trust.     Microsoft is strengthening M365 Copilot’s text‑to‑image models with community‑sourced datasets and partner feedback to reflect disability accurately and respectfully. Learn more: 👇 

    Over the last year, we have been collaborating to better understand how disability is portrayed in AI, specifically - images. When disability representation is misaligned or missing, it can inadvertently reinforce stigma, escalating harms by erasing lived experiences or disrespecting disabled identities. These failures don’t just affect systems; they affect people, deepening exclusion, and undermining trust in technology. We’ve been working to improve how disability reflects in Microsoft AI systems and proud to share some updates on our journey. Read 👇 #AI #DisabilityRepresentation #Accessibility #Disability

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