Yes

Microsoft works with a range of external partners to provide training, resources, and AI-driven solutions for local newsrooms. Through collaborations with the CUNY Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, the Poynter Institute, UNESCO, and the Thomson Reuters Foundation, Microsoft has helped train journalists and newsroom leaders around the world on responsible AI adoption, including the development of AI policies and ethical AI practices. In 2026, CUNY's tuition-free AI Journalism Lab completed two cohorts spanning more than a dozen countries and produced 45 projects, ranging from newsroom AI adoption plans to product prototypes.

Beyond training, Microsoft partners with The Lenfest Institute to support U.S. metro newspapers in hiring engineers who develop AI solutions for local newsrooms. The program has grown into an 11-organization cohort, making it the largest AI engineering fellowship and collaborative in American journalism. The fellows' work focuses on strengthening the business sustainability of local news organizations, and all projects are released as open-source tools that can be adopted by newsrooms globally. Insights and best practices from the program have been shared through case studies, code repositories, podcasts, panels, and in-person convenings.

Building on Microsoft's AI literacy work with the Poynter Institute in 2025, Microsoft is now supporting UNESCO and Poynter in the co-design of a global initiative focused on strengthening connections between newsrooms and content creators. As part of this effort, UNESCO's handbook for creators' associations is expected to be presented in draft form during Global Media and Information Literacy Week in Nairobi in October 2026. Poynter will develop a toolkit for public consumption focused on best practices between newsrooms and creator pairings.

Microsoft has also partnered with the Thomson Reuters Foundation to advance AI solutions and AI policies with five newsrooms in Kenya. This is on the heels of a successful cohort of four newsrooms in South Africa where they developed tools to reduce editing time, increase content output and audience reach, and drive measurable business growth. 

In June 2026, Microsoft launched a newly revised AI Classroom Toolkit, a resource to help teachers navigate student safety and responsible AI use. The revised content was initially launched in Indonesia and Brazil, with plans to expand in the remainder of 2026. Looking ahead, Microsoft is developing two new modules and an interactive quiz to support the AI and information literacy learning objectives in the current toolkit 

Yes

In September 2026, on National Voter Registration Day in the United States, Microsoft will launch the next phase of our voter education initiative, Check. Recheck. Vote. This year, the campaign will equip voters with practical AI literacy skills for the 2026 US election season. The updated campaign gives voters three straightforward steps: Check the sources and citations behind an AI-generated answer. Recheck the important details by visiting the original sources and comparing what other credible sources say. Vote based on current information from your state or local election website, including official guidance on registration, voting options, deadlines, and polling locations. Following rollout in the US for the 2026 midterms, Microsoft plans to localize content ahead of other select elections in 2027.

Also in September 2026, Microsoft and Minecraft will release Village Square, a new Minecraft Education civic learning experience that helps students explore how communities make decisions and solve shared challenges. The game brings concepts such as dialogue, participation, and collective decision-making to life through immersive gameplay. Village Square gives educators and families an engaging, nonpartisan way to help young people practice listening to different perspectives, weighing trade-offs and working together to build stronger communities. This game represents the next installment in Microsoft and Minecraft’s initiative to create educational materials for users related to AI and AI literacy, following the release of Reed Smart in 2025.