This week, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will participate in the AI+ Expo, May 7–9, to highlight its role in advancing next-generation artificial intelligence.
Researchers from NSF initiatives, including the National AI Research Institutes, America's Seed Fund, Regional Innovation Engines, and Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure, will attend.
NSF will also showcase its support for AI workforce development and STEM education through programs such as Advanced Technological Education, Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers, NSF STEM K-12, and Discovery Research PreK-12.
Career Communications Group, organizer of the BEYA STEM Conference, is offering free certification for teachers and community leaders.
As NSF demonstrates its commitment to innovation and talent development in AI, recent policy changes are also influencing the environment for these advancements.
A recent Joint Center report raises a critical question: who is the AI economy being built for, and who is being excluded?
The report, How State Policymakers and Community Leaders Can Help Close the Federal AI Policy Gap for Black Entrepreneurs, emphasizes the urgent need for Black Americans, especially entrepreneurs, to engage with artificial intelligence as it transforms industries, labor markets, and economic opportunities. It frames AI not as a distant or purely technical issue, but as a defining force that will shape who participates in and benefits from the next wave of innovation. The report places this moment within a broader history of technological exclusion, noting that Black communities have often adapted to new systems without equitable access or support. While Black Americans have used technology for advocacy and cultural impact, they have frequently done so from a position of disadvantage.
AI marks a shift, as it is not only a tool but a system capable of replicating decision-making at scale, increasing the risk that inequality will be embedded and perpetuated.
The report urges a proactive approach focused on ownership, participation, and economic inclusion in the AI ecosystem. Without intentional engagement, existing disparities may worsen as AI becomes more integrated into daily life. For Black communities, the challenge is not only to use AI but to help shape it, ensuring that future technology advances both innovation and equity. The New York Amsterdam News covered this report.
In December 2025, the administration issued an executive order, "Ensuring a National Framework for Artificial Intelligence." This order centralizes national AI policy to sustain U.S. global dominance, limiting states from enacting their own regulations—even on environmental impacts and algorithmic biases affecting people of color in employment and housing.
On July 23, 2025, the administration issued the "Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government" order, barring federal agencies from using AI models that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, critical race theory, or intersectionality, describing these as "pervasive and destructive." The order requires the Office of Management and Budget to publish compliance guidance within 120 days, followed by federal agencies establishing compliance procedures within 90 days. All new federal LLM contracts must be "truth-seeking" and "ideologically neutral," enforce vendor accountability, require transparency, and protect proprietary information.
Also in July 2025, the "Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure" executive order expedites support for large AI infrastructure projects by streamlining permitting, reducing environmental review, and offering financial incentives for Qualifying Projects. This order replaces a previous AI Infrastructure order, prioritizing limited oversight, faster reviews, and the reuse of Brownfield and Superfund sites.
In tandem, workforce training and development opportunities continue with Career Communications Group's “Service to Nation” event on May 19–20, which connects talent with employers in AI, cybersecurity, quantum computing, and more through STEM City USA.