Axios

AI researchers and cybersecurity leaders fear the U.S. government is setting a precedent that may discourage American AI companies from building tools that help defenders identify and fix vulnerabilities.

Why it matters: In trying to avert an AI hacking crisis, the Trump administration may end up making U.S. cyber defenses weaker, dozens of prominent security leaders warned.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's team is urging congressional Democrats to frame the Justice Department's investigation into him as part of a campaign of political retribution, according to talking points obtained by Axios.

Why it matters: The messaging memo, first reported by Semafor, echos Newsom's assertion that the probe was directly ordered by President Trump to kneecap the California governor's political aspirations.

Campaign ads featuring AI-generated clips and images once sounded like a laughable concept. Now they're everywhere, with attack ads that place candidates in a wide variety of compromising — and fictitious — situations.

Why it matters: This largely unregulated practice is warping the unspoken norms of political campaigns and blurring the line between truth and fiction.