Florida's House passed a bill that would limit youth access to social media by banning new and existing accounts of users younger than 16 years old.
Why it matters: The Republican-backed bill, which hones in on social media's addictive features, would be one of the strictest social media restrictions in the country, if passed by the Senate and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Apple will allow alternative app stores and other new options for app developers in order to comply with Europe's Digital Markets Act, the company said Thursday.
Driving the news: Europe's major tech competition law, set to go into effect March 7, requires Apple to loosen its strict rules requiring developers to rely on the App Store for distribution and payment processing.
The Federal Trade Commission opened a broad new investigation of competition in the nascent AI industry by issuing orders to five key companies that they provide it with private information about their investment deals.
Why it matters: The inquiry, aimed at Alphabet/Google, Microsoft, Amazon, OpenAI and Anthropic, could lead to action by the regulator, which under chair Lina Khan has sought to pursue anti-monopoly measures in emerging tech markets.
Goldman Sachs is leading a new round of funding in Bastille Networks, a company that uses hardware sensors in offices to stop corporate and nation-state espionage.
Why it matters: The fresh funds can help Goldman raise awareness inside corporate America about an issue that's primarily been a priority inside the intelligence community.
A handful of school districts nationwide are piloting a new AI-powered tool meant to help them optimize bus routes and other transportation options in the face of perennial driver shortages.
Why it matters: Bus driver shortages caused chaos in all 50 states this past back-to-school season, leaving many students (and their families) without a reliable way to get to and from class.
AI is shaking up the role of chief executive officer — with boards and employees putting CEOs on notice that they expect clear leadership around AI efforts and a cottage industry forming to support CEOs struggling with these new demands.
Why it matters: CEOs are in the hot seat because fast-developing generative AI has put tech back at the top of business agendas.
An AI security startup is launching a tool today designed to keep hackers out of increasingly popular open source AI models.
Why it matters: Hackers have gotten better at hiding malware inside the open source, foundational AI models available on platforms like Hugging Face — leaving companies that lack the resources to build their own proprietary models vulnerable to cyberattacks.
Spotify will unveil a newly designed iPhone app in March that takes advantage of options that weren't possible before the EU's Digital Markets Act takes effect around then, per a preview shared with Axios.
Driving the news: Thanks to the EU's major tech competition law, Spotify will soon be able to advertise promotions and enable purchases for products like audiobooks in the app without having to go through Apple, and without paying Apple a 30% commission.
He can make 65-70 drinks an hour, never needs a bathroom break and doesn't ask for a tip — and soon, he'll be able to make conversation and take your order.
Adam the robotic bartender is an example of a new breed of restaurant robots that are moving from novelty items to hospitality mainstays.
