Navigating the Accessibility Frontier: From Fundamentals to Future-Ready Tools using Microsoft’s Digital Platform

AI is here, and cybersecurity needs to be part of the plan. It's a budget, workforce, and public trust conversation, and 2027 is set to raise the stakes further.

Join CAI and other county leaders for a forward-looking briefing on the threats and technologies set to define the year ahead: AI-powered social engineering and deepfakes that are getting cheaper and more convincing, and the emergence of "agentic AI" as both a new attack surface and a defensive tool. The ease of entry for threat actors due to AI is pushing more counties toward automation, cloud adoption, and managed services.

This session translates high-level industry forecasts into a plain-language outlook built specifically for county leaders, so your organization can budget, staff, and plan with confidence heading into 2027.

On Sept. 3, Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) introduced the 988 Implementation Act (H.R. 10280)[EH2.1] This bipartisan legislation strengthens the nationwide 988 system by providing long-term federal funding to counties, which often serve as frontline administrators of local mental health crisis services.

Counties are partners in broadband deployment efforts – not barriers – and pursuing one-size-fits-all regulations will further burden progress towards closing the digital divide