How Tech Strengthened America in 2023
Technology plays an essential role in strengthening America. This year, tech improved our lives, our workforce, and our economy, kept our data and critical infrastructure secure, supported small businesses, entrepreneurs, and underrepresented communities, made our planet more sustainable, and increased our global competitiveness. Here are just a few of the many examples.
How Tech is Strengthening the American Workforce and our Talent Pipeline
TechNet President and CEO Linda Moore joined the Alcorn Immigration Law podcast to discuss the need to update our nation’s immigration laws to better attract and retain the world’s best talent.
Amazon is providing free AI skills training to two million people by 2025.
FWD.us shared why welcoming more immigrants with STEM skills will protect the skilled talent pipeline needed to maintain U.S. leadership in emerging industries and close national security gaps.
HPE is accelerating AI training with a new supercomputing solution designed for large enterprises, research institutions, and government organizations.
Indeed launched Skill Connect, a product to help job seekers without college degrees better promote their skills and completed training programs to potential employers.
How Tech is Keeping Our Data Safe and Preventing Cyberattacks
Accenture’s State of Cybersecurity Resilience 2023 report found organizations that closely align their cybersecurity programs to business objectives are 26% more likely to lower the cost of cybersecurity breaches on average.
From how to spot phishing emails to ransomware protection, Dell provided tips to help businesses improve their cybersecurity capabilities.
Mastercard teamed up with the U.S. Secret Service and other organizations to share intelligence and crack down on scams targeting global financial and payment systems.
Meta announced new features to help teens and families manage the time they spend on its apps.
Nasdaq is using artificial intelligence to detect irregular and potentially malicious trading activity in the U.S. stock market.
NetApp’s 2023 Data Complexity Report highlighted the need for businesses to protect against cyber attacks.
Proof unveiled an intelligent digital identity platform that establishes trust and a new standard for safe online transactions.
Pinterest introduced new tools to enhance safety on the platform for teens.
Zoom introduced security and privacy solutions to equip customers with the tools needed to protect data privacy in any work environment.
How Tech is Helping Students and Educators Succeed
Ancestry’s 2023 History Makers Scholarship, an initiative with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, empowered students with the tools and resources to be successful.
Chegg shared how professors are introducing artificial intelligence into their classrooms to facilitate new and creative ways to help students learn.
Coursera is helping individuals transform their lives through learning.
Tech is Developing and Deploying AI Responsibly
Google released Gemini, its next-generation multimodel AI model and the company’s most capable and general model to date. Earlier this year, Google introduced Bard, a conversational AI service that uses information from the web to provide fresh, high-quality responses. Both Gemini and Bard are guided by Google’s AI Principles and commitment to developing and advancing AI responsibly.
Pindrop discussed how it is using AI to detect and guard against deepfakes at a Senate AI Insight Forum.
John Doerr, TechNet co-founder and Executive Council member and Chairman of Kleiner Perkins, and Steve Case, TechNet Executive Council member and Chairman and CEO of Revolution, participated in a Senate AI Insight Forum on the importance of strategic investments in AI across the country.
Accenture, Google, Indeed, Meta, and Mastercard were among the TechNet member companies that participated in Senate AI Insight Forums this fall.
The White House received voluntary commitments from Amazon, Google, Meta, and Salesforce to develop and deploy AI responsibly.
How AI is Making America More Productive
Box unveiled Box AI, a powerful suite of capabilities that make it easier to uncover and share insights, find timely answers to critical questions, and effortlessly create content based on an organization’s data in Box.
Cisco is using AI to help organizations drive productivity and simplicity for their workforce.
Deloitte shared how businesses are using AI to support employees, be more efficient, drive growth, lower costs, and accelerate innovation.
HP’s AI-powered laptops are increasing productivity, accuracy, personalization, and protection.
LexisNexis launched Lexis+ AI to expand legal assistance and help those in the field save time researching, summarizing, and drafting legal documents.
The Mercari AI Assistant is helping sellers list their items more efficiently and attract more buyers.
Salesforce’s AI-powered tools are streamlining research and manual tasks, like summarizing meetings and creating emails, and enabling teams and organizations to be faster and more efficient while boosting productivity and revenue.
SAP is using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and analytics to improve its search algorithms, gain insights into customer behavior, and automate certain tasks to provide faster and more efficient support.
Snap introduced a new text-to-image diffusion model for generative AI that can generate an image in under two seconds.
Yahoo! launched an AI-powered tool for advertisers to make ad campaigns more productive and efficient.
Zillow’s AI and machine learning tools are powering the Zestimate model to give homeowners and potential buyers the best representation of a home’s value.
How Tech is Building a More Sustainable Future
Apple announced major progress toward its climate goals and partnerships for innovative climate solutions.
Getaround promoted the benefits of the carsharing business model and how the company is helping reduce the number of cars on the road and lessen the emissions of greenhouse gases into the environment.
Zoox shared how its all-electric, ride-hailing vehicles are making our planet more sustainable.
Samsung was named an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for its continued commitment to energy-efficient products and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Turo became the first global carbon-neutral certified car-sharing marketplace.
How Tech is Advancing the Future of Mobility
Aurora opened the industry’s first lane for driverless trucks supported by commercial-ready terminals.
Motional is offering autonomous taxi rides in Las Vegas.
Nuro’s third-generation autonomous delivery vehicle is designed to carry more goods and will help scale the company’s safe and eco-friendly services to millions of people across the country.
Stack launched an autonomous trucking business that leverages its self-driving technology to improve efficiency and enhance safety in the trucking industry while tackling supply chain challenges for its partners and their consumers.
Uber and Waymo partnered to bring fully autonomous rides to passengers in Phoenix through the Uber app.
How Tech is Empowering Startups
Carta launched “Cap Table 101,” a comprehensive course designed to teach founders and entrepreneurs the fundamentals of cap tables.
Madrona shared five takeaways for startups from its 2023 Intelligent Applications Summit.
Revolution’s Rise of the Rest 2023 Annual Report highlighted the evolving geography of early-stage startup funding and how innovation is actively happening beyond Silicon Valley.
Sequoia highlighted how two startup co-founders turned their idea into a $20 billion success story.
Visa announced a $100 million initiative to invest in companies that are developing AI technologies that advance the future of commerce and payments.
How Tech is Helping Underrepresented Communities
CDW’s employees shared how they embrace equity and equality.
Comcast opened more than 1,250 Lift Zones to provide free WiFi in neighborhood centers, supported 13,000 underrepresented small businesses impacted by the pandemic, and fully allocated its multi-year $100 million pledge to social justice and equity.
HireVue shared how AI can make America’s workforce more diverse.
Intuit partnered with 21 underserved school districts to help 2.5 million students prepare for future careers and maintained more than 18,000 jobs in underserved communities, exceeding $195 million in economic impact this year.
How Tech is Making Healthcare More Accessible and Improving Patient Outcomes
CLEAR is eliminating duplicative paperwork for healthcare professionals and saving time for both patients and providers.
A study from Hims & Hers showed Americans continue to use telehealth and enjoy its flexibility and ease of access.
Instacart introduced new technologies, partnerships, and research to ensure more families have access to nutritious food needed to live healthier lives, including a tool that allows medical providers to launch food-as-medicine programs at scale and prescribe food just as easily as they prescribe medicine.
Ro’s Body Program offers people convenient and effective care and the support needed to achieve their weight and metabolic health goals.
Teladoc is using AI to help ease the burden on the healthcare workforce while improving the quality of shared medical information and the care it supports.
Same-day prescription delivery is now available on the Uber platform, which allows doctors and care providers to track medication deliveries.
Wing’s drone delivery service can enhance patient care, improve efficiency, and reduce medical costs.
eBay’s Small Online Business Inclusive Global Trade Report found that the small business sellers on its platform can expand their reach beyond their local market and export to far more countries than traditional businesses.
Etsy’s “Etsy Up” event empowered more than 150,000 sellers with the tools and resources needed to grow and market their businesses.
Grubhub announced a new $300,000 partnership to help entrepreneurs in Chicago build and grow successful businesses.
PayPal’s Venmo selected 20 entrepreneurs to receive $10,000 each to help turn their forward-thinking visions into tangible successes.
How Tech is Helping Local Communities
Airbnb hosts collectively earned approximately $22 billion, with the average host earning more than $14,000 and serving as community ambassadors who support local economies and small businesses.
DoorDash awarded 20 $10,000 grants to restaurants in New York City and New Jersey as part of its Accelerator for Local Restaurants program.
General Motors announced charitable investments totaling $3 million to 157 nonprofit organizations in communities surrounding its U.S. manufacturing facilities.
John Chambers, TechNet co-founder and CEO of JC2 Ventures, discussed how emerging technologies, like AI, can tackle our toughest challenges.
Lyft’s Economic Impact Report showed riders saved 172 million hours compared with other modes of transportation, with estimated time and travel cost savings of $6.5 billion.
Shipt awarded more than $250,000 to 18 organizations to help entrepreneurs and small businesses address the root cause of food insecurity, advance economic mobility, and support those in need in their local communities.
Sunrun partnered with relief organizations to create mobile power units to support basic electrical and communication needs in Maui following the devastating wildfires.
Verizon is connecting underserved residents to the Internet and equalizing access to broadband services through its Affordable Connectivity Program.
What We’re Saying
TechNet Applauds Senate Passage of the NDAA
TechNet Releases its 2024 State Policy Principles
TechNet Names Patrick Fleming Director of Federal Policy and External Affairs
Before You Start the Weekend
ICYMI: TechNet’s “AI for America” initiative, which launched this month, showcases how AI is being used to improve lives, grow our economy, and keep us safe. If we work together to develop AI responsibly, we can help solve some of the greatest challenges of our time. Watch AI for America’s new video here.
You can follow AI for America on Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and find more information at AI4America.com.