Apple joins effort to quell fears about AI

David McCabe

Ng Han Guan / AP

Apple is planning to join an industry group that develops best practices and educates the public about artificial intelligence technologies, Bloomberg reports.

Why it matters: Apple will add firepower to a group that hopes, in part, to calm fears about artificial intelligence and its impact on society. And as Bloomberg's Alex Webb notes, it's part of a turn towards openness on the part of a company that has traditionally kept its AI efforts secret. Other members of the group include Alphabet, Facebook and Amazon.

The bigger picture: AI development is a top priority for a slate of major tech companies. At the same time, policymakers are grappling with questions about the appropriate role of regulation when it comes to these new technologies.

Dec 15, 2017 - Technology

What's next

Fadel Allassan

Pelosi slams McConnell trial rules as "deliberately designed to hide the truth"

Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) claimed in a statement Tuesday that the rules Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has proposed for President Trump's impeachment trial diverge from the Clinton precedent and show he has "chosen a cover-up" over a fair trial.

Context: McConnell made public an organizing resolution Monday laying out the terms for the trial, which include 24 hours over two days for each side to present their cases. It would block evidence discovered in the House impeachment investigation from being presented without a separate vote, and would delay a vote on whether to subpoena witnesses and documents until later in the trial.

Go deeperArrow22 mins ago - Politics
Kendall Baker

Setting the scene for Super Bowl LIV

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

After a grueling four months of football, Patrick Mahomes has led the Chiefs out of the darkness and into the Miami sun, where the 49ers football machine awaits them in the Super Bowl.

"The Gunslinger"

Mahomes is 24 years old, arguably the best player in football and he just toppled Tom Brady as the top seller of NFL merchandise. A star has already been born — now he has the biggest stage in sports to showcase his brilliance.

Go deeperArrow2 hours ago - Sports
Sara Fischer

Exclusive: The Athletic raises $50 million

Adam Hansmann (left) and Alex Mather (right), co-founders of The Athletic. Photo: Steph Gray, courtesy of The Athletic

The Athletic, a subscription-based digital sports media company, has raised $50 million in a Series D funding round, executives tell Axios.

  • With this investment, the company has raised a total of $139.5 million since its launch in 2016 and is valued at roughly $500 million after the new raise, according to sources familiar with the deal.
Go deeperArrow3 hours ago - Media