Technology makes our lives better and our economy stronger. Innovations, initiatives, and investments create new opportunities for all Americans, help those in need, and transform local communities for the better. Learn more in this week’s Tech At Work.
How Tech is Transforming Local Communities
As part of Apple’s $2.5 billion commitment to address housing affordability across California, the company helped launch the Bay Area Housing Innovation Fund, which will make targeted, favorable loans to advance affordable housing development.
Amazon is investing an additional $1.4 billion to create and preserve 14,000 homes in the Seattle, Nashville, and Washington, D.C./Arlington, VA areas. The investment is part of the company’s Housing Equity Fund, which has given over $3.6 billion to fund more than 35,000 affordable homes across these communities.
Teladoc Health provided free 24/7 telehealth visits for Texas residents and first responders impacted by Hurricane Beryl.
Verizon waived call, text, and data usage costs for customers and small business owners impacted by Hurricane Beryl.
Airbnb donated to support local solutions to help drive housing affordability in the U.S. Airbnb has invested over $100 million since 2019 to expand access to homeownership.
Dell collaborated with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Austin on a new learning center to narrow the digital divide and provide communities with the technology and digital skills needed to thrive in today’s economy.
Cisco is creating opportunities for Los Angeles residents through new and existing social impact programs, including the Cisco Networking Academy, which provides networking and network security training and educational courses to more than 20 million students worldwide.
Grubhub celebrated its 20th anniversary by announcing a new grant program to help top delivery partners support nonprofits that contribute positively to their communities and an employee giving campaign to nonprofits that help close the hunger gap, create opportunities for people in the hospitality industry, and support independent restaurants.
Block’s Square hosted a hackathon that offered a platform for participants to build apps that connect businesses with local communities.
New in Tech
Meta Launched Llama 3.1, its Most Capable AI Model to Date
Meta launched Llama 3.1, the company’s largest and most capable openly available foundational AI model. Llama 3.1 allows developers to unlock new workflows, such as synthetic data generation and model distillation, and create custom agents and behaviors. Llama 3.1 is built responsibly with new security and safety tools.
Before You Start the Weekend
HP partnered with the YMCA to help all people, no matter their background, gain access to vital digital skills and knowledge to build a more inclusive society and economy.