What Elon Musk’s bid for OpenAI means for Microsoft | Trump’s NIH freeze sparks uncertainty for research institutions

“What we do impacts all of human health.” Dr. Marion Pepper, chair of the University of Washington’s Department of Immunology, is among the researchers reacting to the Trump administration’s attempts to limit National Institutes of Health grant funding. Organizations including the UW, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Washington State University, PATH, Seattle Children’s, biotech companies and many others face deep financial consequences and ongoing uncertainty. Read more.

Secure, private, offline AI on iOS: That’s the promise of a new app released Tuesday for iPhone and iPad by the Seattle-based Allen Institute for AI. Coming two weeks after DeepSeek upended the industry, it’s part of a broader effort by Ai2 to make its research more accessible to a wider audience, showing the value of open-source AI technologies. Read more.

It’s been an IPO drought for the Seattle tech scene as of late, but a medical device maker could buck that trend. Read more. 

Mast Reforestation, a Seattle startup using technology to help restore forests scorched by wildfire, raised $25 million. 

Official AI raised $2 million from Pioneer Square Ventures and others for its platform that helps brands and talent create and collaborate on AI-generated image and audio content. Read more.

Healthcare giant Cotiviti plans to acquire Edifecs, a Seattle-area health data interoperability company founded in 1996. Read more.

Hot Links:

• Drone maker Anduril will take over management and eventual manufacturing of U.S. Army infantry goggles from Microsoft. (Bloomberg)

• What are tariffs and how do they work? Steve Ballmer’s USAFacts breaks down the ins and outs of the taxes on goods traded between nations. (USAFacts)

• The use of generative AI at work could lead to the deterioration of critical thinking skills according to a new study by Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University researchers. (TechCrunch)