Axios

The leading hardware wallet maker, Ledger, announced a new feature on Tuesday that has crypto diehards in an uproar.

Driving the news: Ledger Recover is an opt-in system enabled on the Ledger Nano that will allow a user to recover a private key in a relatively safe way — in theory.

The Department of Justice announced Tuesday five criminal cases involving people accused of stealing or illegally transferring U.S. technology to businesses and governments in China, Russia and Iran.

Why it matters: The cases, and four arrests associated with them, were the first enforcement actions taken by a new DOJ team meant to prevent nation-state adversaries from stealing critical U.S. technologies.

Lawmakers aired fears Tuesday about the potential misuse of generative AI, peppering OpenAI CEO Sam Altman with questions as he repeatedly said he'd welcome legislation in the space.

Driving the news: OpenAI's generative AI product ChatGPT sparked the latest AI craze. The likelihood that lawmakers will unite and act on AI regulation, before the technology rapidly develops, remains slim.

Despite the economic headwinds, at least one major cybersecurity startup is still preparing to go public.

Driving the news: Huntress, a popular endpoint security provider among small to medium-sized businesses, has raised a $60 million funding round led by Sapphire Ventures, the company announced Tuesday.

The Philadelphia Inquirer is actively responding to a cyberattack that affected print production, the media outlet confirmed to Axios.

What's happening: On Thursday, the daily newspaper discovered "anomalous activity on select computer systems," Inquirer publisher and CEO Lisa Hughes said in a statement Monday.

A recent resurgence in ransomware attacks targeting local governments is spurring local IT leaders into action to lock down their systems.

Driving the news: Leaders in Dallas are preparing to spend months recovering from a recent attack that hindered the city's 911 emergency services, court systems and more.

More than a third of the hottest enterprise tech startups focus on generative AI, and even more than that are incorporating the technology as a service or feature, according to the latest Enterprise Tech 30 list, compiled by venture capital firm Wing and shared first with Axios.

Why it matters: Consumer interest in generative AI tools like ChatGPT is matched by investors who are betting that similar technologies will fundamentally change how businesses operate.

A top U.S. regulator is amending its previous complaint against LBRY, cutting the fine imposed against the crypto firm by more than 99% — but don't call it a "win" for the sector.

Details: The Securities and Exchange Commission cited "ability to pay" and LBRY's inevitable shuttering in lowering the fine, though the company argued in court that the original $22 million was comparatively larger than others' also caught in the regulators' crosshairs over similar offenses.

In the past month, developers of three major video games have announced special modes designed to help people with certain phobias play their games.

Why it matters: It’s an expansion of an industrywide push to make games more accessible, offering the audience options that wouldn’t be as feasible in other forms of entertainment.

A federal appeals court affirmed Monday that Elon Musk can't scrap a 2018 settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission that required some of his tweets to be preapproved.

Driving the news: "We see no evidence to support Musk’s contention that the SEC has used the consent decree to conduct bad-faith, harassing investigations of his protected speech," the summary order by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan states.

The European Union's competition commission has approved Microsoft's attempt to buy Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard, the commission announced today.

Why it matters: The EU commission is one of three in the world considered by experts as essential to close the long-scrutinized deal.

AI technology should not be considered an "inventor" by U.S. patent law, Google argues in a new filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office first shared with Axios.

Driving the news: USPTO is currently soliciting comments on AI technologies and inventorship — asking people, among other things, how AI is being used in creating inventions and whether its contributions would qualify it for treatment as a joint inventor.

New virtual reality technology is allowing users to experience the triumphs and discrimination of a Negro League-era baseball player — or how to deal with xenophobia as a Muslim on a plane.

Why it matters: The latest generation of put-yourself-in-their-shoes VR projects allow users to take part in scenes that mix game-playing with "what would you do?" scenarios — and that tackle issues such as racism and discrimination by encouraging empathy.

Loneliness in the U.S., which spiked during the isolation of COVID, remains a public health "crisis" — and now the advent of ubiquitous AI-driven chatbots could make actual human contact even scarcer.

Why it matters: In the long haul, experts worry that AI might further cocoon people from the relationships and conversations they need. But in the short term, AI-powered companions, pets and mental health support services are already being drafted to fight the loneliness epidemic.