Anthropic said Monday that it has identified a small internal workspace Claude uses to hold and manipulate ideas without putting them into words—a structure the company says bears intriguing similarities to how humans consciously access thoughts.
Why it matters:Anthropic hasn't shown that Claude feels or experiences anything. But it has found a surprisingly human-like division between information used for deliberate reasoning and the far larger volume of automatic computation occurring beneath it—giving fresh ammunition to the debate over what would count as machine consciousness.
Toyota says it will move production of the Tacoma pickup truck to the United States from Mexico as part of a $3.6 billion investment in its San Antonio, Texas, manufacturing campus.
Why it matters: The move allows the Japanese carmaker to sidestep uncertainty regarding U.S. trade policy with Mexico and Canada, and will no doubt please the Trump administration, which has been pressuring automakers to build more vehicles in the United States.
Microsoft is cutting 3,200 Xbox gaming unit jobs, selling four game studios and reshaping the struggling business as part of a broader restructuring announced Monday.
Why it matters: The restructuring underscores the pressure on Microsoft to improve Xbox's profitability amid the broader company's massive shift to AI and related spending.
South Korean securities regulators are reviewing disciplinary measures against MBK Partners, the country's largest private equity firm, over its ownership of retailer Homeplus.
Why it matters: South Korea is at a crossroads when it comes to private equity investment, as first evidenced by the Coupang situation.
Lockheed Martin on Monday said it has agreed to acquire naval defense-tech firm Ultra Maritime for $3.45 billion from private equity firm Advent International.
Why it matters: The Strait of Hormuz situation has escalated demand for underseas autonomous weapons, both offensive and defensive.
Nvidia has named Anna Soellner, Reddit's former vice president of communications, as head of corporate communications, Axios has exclusively learned.
Why it matters: Few corporate communications jobs carry higher stakes. Just about every public statement by Nvidia and CEO Jensen Huang is scrutinized by governments, lawmakers, competitors, investors and customers, as the chipmaker is at the center of the AI boom.
The stock market's record-breaking run paused in June, but retail investors kept on the gas, new data from Charles Schwab shared exclusively with Axios shows.
Why it matters: The monthly report shows that retail investors continue to buy dips in the market and favor tech stocks even as worries about an AI bubble persist.
Memory chipmakers are raking in record profits with no end in sight. That may be a problem.
Why it matters: Shares of Micron Technology, Sandisk and the like have helped carry the market over the last year, as seemingly inexhaustible demand from the AI boom pushed profitability to unprecedented levels.
Remember the post-COVID spike in egg prices? It turns out, according to government allegations, to be partially the result of a conspiracy to fix prices.
Why it matters: The surge in egg prices was a key inflation talking point in the 2024 election season.
