Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, 65, will not stand for re-election to the board when his current term expires in June, the company announced Thursday.
Why it matters: Under Hastings' tenure, Netflix grew to become one of the most powerful media companies in the world.
Ulta Beauty's fan-focused event in Orlando drew thousands of superfans — after millions tried to get tickets — as the retailer leans into turning beauty shopping into a live experience.
Why it matters: Retailers and brands are increasingly channeling the live event business — blending shopping with fandom and entertainment to drive engagement and sales.
OpenAI announced a new series of AI models built to help life sciences researchers work faster.
Why it matters:Biology research is increasingly computational, but scientists are drowning in data across fields like genomics, protein analysis and biochemistry.
The chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission vowed Thursday to investigate insider trading in prediction markets and bristled at the suggestion that he would impose regulations favoring the Trump family.
Why it matters: Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket are facing growing pressure to prevent insiders from profiting from their knowledge on issues like politics, sports and war.
Workers whose jobsare most vulnerable to automation — data-entry keyers, bookkeepers and more — are already using AI for three times as many of their relevant tasks as workers in less-exposed jobs, according to a new study by OpenAI.
Why it matters:The research, first seen by Axios, shows that those workers are using AI for only a fraction of what it could theoretically do.
The researchers posit a less doom-and-gloom outcome: Workers might not automatically be on the frontlines of a jobs bust, even as AI use expands.
Paradoxically, it could ultimately expand demand for certain types of work.
By the numbers: OpenAI sorts the 900+ occupations that cover nearly all of U.S. employment into four buckets.
18% face the highest near-term automation risk, relative to other groups (think data-entry, bookkeeping, customer service)
24% of roles could see employment shrink, even as those jobs are still human-led (HR specialists)
12% of jobs could see employment expand because of AI (software developers, for one)
46% face the least threat of immediate change (teachers, home-health aides)
The intrigue: Signs of disruption aren't evident in unemployment data yet.
Workers in the highest-automation-risk jobs have seen a smaller rise in unemployment than have workers in the "less immediate change" category, OpenAI finds.
The paper cautions: "These categories are not job loss forecasts. They are a map for understanding where near-term labor market pressure may emerge first."
Zoom in: Workers in the most vulnerable categories are using AI more than those in any other bucket for the tasks most central to their work. Yet they've barely closed the gap between current usage and what AI could hypothetically do in their jobs.
AI could theoretically handle 90% of tasks in the highest-risk occupations. But those workers are currently using it for less than a quarter of that, according to OpenAI usage data.
Yes, but: Whether AI ultimately destroys or creates jobs hinges on a critical tension — when AI makes a task easier to perform, people may simply consume more of it.
"When coding tools first came out, people assumed maybe we would always write a fixed amount of code," OpenAI chief economist Ronnie Chatterji tells Axios.
"Now I'm writing code, you're writing code — you produce more of something, and more people might demand it and pay for it."
"Now I am awake in the middle of the night and pissed, and thinking that I have underestimated the power of words and narratives," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote in a blog post over the weekend, following an arson attack on his home.
Why it matters: The narrative around artificial intelligence — and those who are viewed as controlling it — has reached a crescendo.
Early signs are emerging that the energy shock could aid the global spread of renewable power, batteries, electric cars and other climate-friendly tech.
Why it matters: The throttling of oil and gas transit — together with higher prices — has short- and long-term consequences for use and economics of different fuels.
Big banks are sending basically the same message on private credit risk this earnings season: It's totally fine, nothing to see here. Over $1 trillion in risk is peanuts, actually, in the grand scheme of things.
Why it matters: There's a lot of nervousness in this corner of the lending market. Retail investors are looking for the exits. The shares of investment firms with private credit funds are slumping and at least some regulators appear concerned.
BNY, America's oldest bank, has early access to OpenAI's and Anthropic's advanced cyber capability models, according to CEO Robin Vince, making the bank one of few vetted enterprises with early access.
Why it matters: Wall Street is working overtime to win the AI security race.
Walmart is making a play to own what it calls the "last mile" of the GLP-1 boom, telling Axios exclusively it's launching a platform that goes beyond prescriptions to combine virtual care and nutrition.
Why it matters: Weight-loss treatments like Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound are exploding, but the real friction is everything around them. The retail giant is betting it can simplify that fragmented system.
As part of a surge in patriotic programming to commemorate America's 250th birthday, Bank of America announced a $5 million gift to the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, which opens July 4 in the Badlands of North Dakota.
The inaugural exhibitions include a show by legendary photographer David Hume Kennerly, who has documented 13 consecutive presidents and was chief White House photographer during the Ford administration.
America, we have a problem: Young adults are scared and unprepared for the AI revolution upending their early career choices and prospects.
They tell pollsters they're frightened, even angry, about AI's fast arrival. They're rightly unnerved by a tough job market for college grads. And most aren't remotely equipped by schools to be AI-savvy.
Why it matters: This is a growing problem for just about everyone — kids, educators, employers and politicians.
New polling shows an uptick in religious fervor among young men, even as overall U.S. levels remain near historic lows.
Why it matters: Gen Z still has the highest share of religiously unaffiliated adults in modern history. But small hints of a religious rebound have spawned speculation about how that could reshape politics, culture wars and church strategy for years to come.
The Iran war is hurting countries far from the Middle East that have no direct involvement in the conflict — and while the U.S. has largely escaped the worst economic impacts, experts warn this could soon change.
Why it matters: As American and Iranian negotiators inch toward a peac deal, the conflict is hurting countries the U.S. relies on for key imports.
