RSS: Microsoft on the issues

World and business leaders are facing pressing climate issues as they gather in Egypt for COP27 – and are focused on ways to come together on action and implementation. At Microsoft, we see these days ahead as an opportunity to engage in important discussions and take steps toward solutions.   Today we are sharing details about... The post Closing the Climate Data Divide in the Global South appeared first on Microsoft On the Issues.

On February 23, 2022, the cybersecurity world entered a new age, the age of the hybrid war, as Russia launched both physical and digital attacks against Ukraine. This year’s Microsoft Digital Defense Report provides new detail on these attacks and on increasing cyber aggression coming from authoritarian leaders around the world. During the past year,... The post Nation-state cyberattacks become more brazen as authoritarian leaders ramp up aggression appeared first on Microsoft On the Issues.

Today, we are announcing that Microsoft will extend technology support free of charge for Ukraine throughout calendar year 2023. This commits our company to providing additional technology aid valued at roughly $100 million, which will ensure that government agencies, critical infrastructure and other sectors in Ukraine can continue to run their digital infrastructure and serve... The post Extending our vital technology support for Ukraine appeared first on Microsoft On the Issues.

A note from Brad Smith, Vice Chair & President, Microsoft:   Today Microsoft is publishing a new report, Closing the Sustainability Skills Gap: Helping Businesses Move from Pledges to Progress. Thousands of companies around the world have issued climate pledges – but globally, we don’t currently have the workforce with the necessary skills to move from pledges... The post Closing the Sustainability Skills Gap: Helping businesses move from pledges to progress appeared first on Microsoft On the Issues.

A volunteer talks to visitors on the USS Midway, a floating museum in San Diego, Calif. Photograph: The Midway Museum On an idyllic, bluebird day in downtown San Diego, visitors to the USS Midway Museum come aboard the historic aircraft carrier to learn about its 47 years of service history in the United States Navy.... The post Microsoft expands nonprofit discounts and grants to public libraries and public museums appeared first on Microsoft On the Issues.

Yesterday, the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling in the case Texas v. United States, challenging the lawfulness of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith issued this statement in response:  “Dreamers, brought to this country by parents in search of a better... The post Statement from Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith on the Fifth Circuit DACA decision appeared first on Microsoft On the Issues.

This week, we announced the Speech Accessibility Project, led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), to further address the data desert in speech technologies. Working with tech leaders across the industry, UIUC will gather a set of high-quality, diverse speech samples that will help accelerate speech technologies. This one-of-a-kind cross-industry collaboration is rooted in... The post The moment is now: shaping the future of accessible technologies appeared first on Microsoft On the Issues.

We believe that Microsoft and the broader private sector have an important role to play in advocating for effective and innovative sustainability policy. When we announced our commitment in 2020 to become carbon negative by 2030, we pledged to use our voice on public policy issues to help to advance global decarbonization efforts. Today, we... The post Using our voice to advance carbon and electricity policy appeared first on Microsoft On the Issues.

Microsoft is proud to support the Copenhagen Pledge on Tech for Democracy, an initiative led by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aligning efforts of governments and organizations around the world in their commitment to defending human rights and democracy in cyberspace. Digital technology has the incredible potential to improve lives across the globe, economically... The post Joining the Copenhagen Pledge: a call to action for technology to empower democracy  appeared first on Microsoft On the Issues.

Today, Microsoft is expanding our commitments and contributions to the Christchurch Call, a critical multistakeholder initiative to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. These new commitments are part of our wider work to advance the responsible use of AI and are focused on empowering researchers, increasing transparency and explainability around recommender systems, and promoting... The post Expanding our commitments to countering violent extremism online  appeared first on Microsoft On the Issues.