Robots are getting pretty good at the repetitive, precise tasks that make up a good deal of factory and warehouse work. But place one in a home it's never seen before, or on a busy sidewalk, and it's likely to struggle to get around or do anything useful.
Driving the news: These chaotic scenarios — called "edge cases," because no two are the same — are the singular focus of a new robotics startup that was announced today. The high-powered venture wants to teach robots to think more like people in order to navigate the world.
YouTube said Wednesday it was suspending ad revenue opportunities for Steven Crowder, a popular conservative creator who used a variety of racial and homophobic insults against Vox journalist Carlos Maza.
Why it matters: The Google-owned video site had been accused of failing to uphold its own standards after taking no action despite video clips showing Crowder directing various insults at Maza. Crowder is popular on YouTube, with more than 3.8 million people subscribed to his channel.
YouTube today is announcing three changes designed to limit the posting and spreading of hate speech, even as the Google-owned video site faces fresh complaints it is allowing such content to flourish.
Why it matters: YouTube has been promising to improve both its policies and recommendation algorithms, but big problems persist.
By the end of its developer conference keynotes, Apple often has users drooling for all the ways their existing iPhones will be better with the next version of the operating system. This year, though, the changes seemed more modest than in years past.
Why it matters: IPhone sales have already been struggling as users keep their devices longer and most people who can afford a high-end smartphone have one.
Regulators are increasingly policing Big Tech's privacy violations while also investigating the same companies for anticompetitive behavior. Now Apple has thrown them a curve ball: It's leveraging its platform's market power to help users protect their privacy.
Driving the news: The new "Sign In with Apple" service, announced Monday, aims to offer apps and websites a privacy-protecting alternative to using Google or Facebook as a means of authenticating user logins.
Americans view made-up news and information as a bigger problem than other critical issues, including terrorism, immigration, climate change and racism, according to a new survey from Pew Research Center.
Why it matters: The survey finds that Americans feel more worried today about fake news because it's undermining their trust in key institutions, like government and the media.
Editor's note: This was published in 2019, and Axios has since updated its privacy policy.
If you are a reader of Axios, either through our website or newsletters, we've collected some information about you.
Why it matters: We've written extensively about the data collection practices of big tech platforms. Media companiesmake money from free, ad-supported content and, in some cases, reader subscriptions — both of which require some level of data collection. Since we're turning this lens on so many other companies, we want to do our best to turn it on ourselves as well.
Many of the changes coming to Apple's operating system this fall are nice-to-have tweaks rather than big, bold changes. However, the announcement of Sign In with Apple stands out.
Why it matters: Apple's service is similar to ones already offered by Facebook and Google. But Sign In with Apple is making privacy an explicit feature and doing so in a way that will make it tough for its competitors.
Two years ago, I was one of a handful of reporters as Apple SVP Phil Schiller and leaders of the Mac team disclosed their plan to scrap the existing Mac Pro in favor of an all-new design that was still at least a year away from readiness.
Driving the news: On Monday, the same reporters and Apple leaders gathered at WWDC to talk about the new Mac Pro and get the rest of the story.
Huawei is set to sell its underseas cable business, a move that could help China continue a critical part of its global infrastructure push.
Why it matters: Two weeks ago, the U.S. Commerce Department added Huawei to its “entities list,” blocking it from U.S. suppliers. The sale of Huawei’s underseas cable business would effectively pass the baton to another Chinese national champion, Hengtong Group.
Airlines are expecting their worst year since 2014, the auto industry has laid off more people than it has in a decade and manufacturing is starting to contract across the globe.
Why it matters: Transportation can be a doubly important signal about the health of the economy. More planes, ships and trains transporting cargo mean companies are selling products and business is growing. More passengers on planes, trains and ships also means more people feel economically confident to travel.
Broad U.S. antitrust action against Big Tech moved firmly from the speculative realm to the investigative mode in the last 72 hours, as both Congress and regulatory agencies appeared to be moving forward with inquiries.
The big picture: While the pressure on the likes of Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple has been mounting for years, the one-two punch of a public Congressional investigation into their dominance and possible antitrust probes by regulators marks a major escalation in tensions.
The 2020 presidential campaigns appear to have done little to prepare for what experts predict could be a flood of fake videos depicting candidates doing or saying something incriminating or embarrassing.
Driving the news: The recent manipulated video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was just a taste of what could lie ahead. Fake video has the potential to sow huge political chaos, and countering it is wildly difficult. And right now, no one can agree who's responsible for countering it.
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