Qatar Teams with Scale AI, US AI Safety Institute Faces Layoffs - AI Policy Brief #6

Hi there,

Welcome to this week's edition of the AI Policy Brief, where we bring you the latest updates on AI regulations, safety standards, and government policies from around the globe. This week, we're looking at significant developments such as the US AI Safety Institute facing layoffs due to budget cuts from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Pennsylvania's Treasurer banning a Chinese AI platform, highlighting ongoing concerns about foreign influence and security.

Internationally, India has received 67 proposals for AI models, indicating a growing interest in AI development, while Qatar has partnered with Scale AI to enhance government services. Meanwhile, the European Union continues to be a focal point of AI regulatory discussions, with companies like Google and Meta expressing concerns over new regulations. Stay tuned as we delve into these stories and more, providing you with a comprehensive overview of the evolving AI landscape.

The US AI Safety Institute faces layoffs due to NIST budget cuts, affecting up to 500 employees. Pennsylvania Treasurer bans the Chinese AI platform DeepSeek from Treasury devices over security concerns. Governor Hochul announces a $90M expansion for the Empire AI Consortium to enhance computing power and research. California introduces a Bill of Rights for AI, aiming to balance tech benefits with consumer protections. A US bill proposes recognizing AI as health practitioners for prescribing FDA-approved drugs. Federal Reserve Vice Chair discusses Generative AI's impact on productivity and financial stability. Colombia approves a COP 479 billion AI policy for sectoral integration by 2030. President Trump signs a memorandum to balance foreign investment with national security, focusing on Chinese investments.

Qatar has partnered with Scale AI to enhance government services through AI, while Bird relocates due to EU AI regulations. The Bavarian government invests €270 million in a data center, and Google and Meta criticize EU AI regulations. The EU approves €920M for Infineon's Dresden chip plant, and Saudi Arabia launches Atlai 2.0 for climate action.

Privacera updated its AI Governance platform to align with the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, while a citizens' jury in Ireland suggested creating an independent AI healthcare regulator. Over 1,000 musicians released a silent album to protest UK copyright law changes favoring AI companies.

Exabits has partnered with Phala Network to enhance AI security using TEE-enabled infrastructure. Pangea launched AI Guard and Prompt Guard along with a $10,000 competition to address AI security challenges. BigID introduced BigID Next for improved data security and compliance. Spain's Defence Ministry awarded an €18M contract to Skydio and Paukner Group for military drones.

TIER IV has completed pilot tests for a robotaxi service in Tokyo, marking a step towards commercializing autonomous taxis in Japan. DeepSeek is in discussions with the China Meteorological Administration to enhance weather forecasting using its AI model. Securiti and Databricks have partnered to integrate AI solutions for safer enterprise development. Saudi Minister Abdullah Alswaha engaged with tech leaders at FII Miami 2025 to discuss AI and space partnerships. Former OpenAI executives Mira Murati and John Schulman launched Thinking Machine Labs to focus on customizable AI systems. Quiq and Carahsoft are collaborating to provide AI solutions to public sector institutions. DeepSeek plans to open-source AGI research to promote transparency and collaboration.

Esper has launched the Esper Policy Lab to guide public sector leaders on AI regulatory trends. Elon Musk's xAI faced scrutiny as Grok 3 censored mentions of Trump and Musk. Q2i collaborates with King's College London on an AI platform for prisoner reintegration. Giskard introduced the Phare benchmark at the Paris AI Summit. Columbia University SIPA launched the ROOST initiative for AI safety tools.

OpenAI has banned Chinese accounts for misusing ChatGPT in a surveillance tool. Environmental groups are challenging Entergy's power plants for Meta's AI data center. Chegg is suing Google over AI search summaries affecting its business. Court documents show Meta staff discussed using copyrighted content for AI.