Welcome to Daily Zaps, your regularly-scheduled dose of AI news ⚡️ 

Here’s what we got for ya today:

• 🤝 Jony Ive and OpenAI collaboration confirmed

• ☢️ Microsoft + Three Mile Island for AI data center power

• 🤑 Google’s $120M global AI education fund

• 🇺🇸 Study on AI adoption by USA government sector

Let’s get right into it!

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STARTUPS

Jony Ive and OpenAI collaboration on hardware confirmed

Apple's former chief design officer, Jony Ive, is collaborating with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on developing AI hardware. The project, which aims to create an AI "computing experience" less socially disruptive than the iPhone, was confirmed by Ive in an interview with The New York Times.

While details and a release timeline are sparse, rumors began in 2023 about efforts to raise $1 billion for the device. Ive’s design firm, LoveFrom, will lead the project, which involves a small team of former Apple employees.

BIG TECH

Microsoft to use nuclear power plant for AI data centers

Microsoft has signed a deal with Constellation to revive the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, securing exclusive rights to 100% of its energy output for its AI data centers. If approved by regulators, the plant is expected to come back online in 2028, generating 837 megawatts of power, enough for over 800,000 homes.

This 20-year agreement is part of Microsoft's efforts to decarbonize its data centers and meet its clean energy goals by 2025. The plant, renamed Crane Clean Energy Center, will help power Microsoft’s data center expansions while contributing to its AI ambitions. Constellation plans to invest $1.6 billion to revive the plant, pending regulatory approval and permits.

BIG TECH

Google’s $120M global AI education fund

At the UN Summit of the Future, Google CEO Sundar Pichai called AI “the most transformative technology yet” and announced a $120 million Global AI Opportunity Fund to support AI education and training worldwide. He highlighted AI’s potential to improve access to information, accelerate scientific discovery, track climate disasters, and drive economic progress.

Pichai also acknowledged AI risks, such as deepfakes, and stressed the need to avoid a global "AI divide." He advocated for smart regulation that mitigates risks without restricting AI’s benefits through national protectionism.

GOVERNMENT

Study on AI adoption by USA government sector

A report by Ernst & Young reveals that state and local government agencies lag behind federal agencies in AI adoption, training, and policy implementation. Key barriers include unclear governance and ethical frameworks, insufficient technology infrastructure, and limited funding.

While 59% of respondents reported access to AI tools, only 48% of state and local agencies use them daily compared to 64% of federal agencies. Concerns over data privacy and biased AI outcomes contribute to this hesitation. Federal agencies benefit from national resources, enabling faster AI adoption, whereas state and local agencies struggle with defining bias and establishing clear policies.