Ad Council Taps Microsoft, DEPT, and RSM for Conversational AI on Firearm Injury Prevention

Ad Council has partnered with Microsoft, DEPT®, and RSM to build a conversational AI experience focused on youth firearm injury prevention. The partnership was disclosed August 18, 2026, in a LinkedIn post from Laurie Keith.

Four organizations are named in the collaboration. Ad Council is the nonprofit behind decades of national PSA campaigns. Microsoft is supplying the underlying technology. DEPT® is the independent digital agency handling build and execution. RSM is also named as a partner on the initiative.

The post does not specify a campaign name, budget, or launch timeline. It also does not detail which Microsoft AI products power the conversational experience, or what DEPT's specific role is in the build versus RSM's.

Ad Council has a long history of working across holding company and independent shops on public service campaigns, from seatbelt safety to opioid awareness. This marks a disclosed instance of the organization pairing a big tech platform partner with an independent agency for a youth safety initiative centered on firearm injury.

DEPT operates as an independent digital agency with a global footprint, working across creative, media, and technology engagements for both commercial and nonprofit clients. Its inclusion here places it alongside Microsoft on a project with public health stakes rather than a standard commercial brief.

No details have been released on distribution channels, target audience segments, or measurement criteria for the conversational AI tool. Ad Council campaigns typically roll out across broadcast, digital, and social placements donated by media partners. This has not been confirmed for this specific initiative.

Free Agency Media will continue tracking this signal as additional details, including campaign name and launch date, become available.