Even as he fights for his political life, House Speaker Mike Johnson is on the verge of forcing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's hand on TikTok.
Why it matters: Johnson's move means the possibility of a U.S. ban on TikTok is now more real than ever, potentially forcing the Senate to quit stalling on the measure.
CalMatters, a nonprofit news outlet focused on California politics, policy, and community issues, has acquired The Markup, a nonprofit news site focused on technology and data privacy investigations.
Why it matters: With a combined workforce of 100, the deal creates a local, nonprofit news powerhouse in California.
Meta today released a compact version of its latest open source AI model, Llama 3, as well as a new update for Meta AI, its assistant, which can now answer questions using real-time information from Google and Bing.
Why it matters: Meta is demonstrating that its open source AI models can continue competing with Google, Anthropic, Microsoft, and OpenAI's closed models.
Google fired 28 employees on Wednesday after sit-ins at the company's offices in protest of its cloud computing contract with the Israeli government.
Why it matters: The protests stemmed from long-brewing discontent among a group of Google and Amazon workers over claims that Israel is using the companies' services to harm Palestinians.
Austin's tech workforce grew faster than any other metro area between 2019 and 2023, while New York City won the biggest share of relocating tech workers and the San Francisco Bay Area continued to dominate AI talent, per new data from VC firm SignalFire.
Why it matters: The U.S. is able to support a growing number of second-tier tech hubs, which also include Seattle and Boston, without undercutting the Bay Area, whose tech workforce continued to grow despite the extra competition and heavy layoffs in 2022 and 2023.
Some of the biggest names in tech took to the TED stage this week to reiterate the boundless possibilities of AI, with only brief nods to its risks and few new ideas for addressing them.
Why it matters: The technology industry is racing to create AI systems that could surpass human intelligence — and also believes they will somehow remain within our control.
A politically motivated hacking group behind a recent series of cyberattacks on water systems in the United States, Poland and France is now believed to be connected to the Russian military, researchers at security firm Mandiant warned Wednesday.
Why it matters: Water systems remain one of the most digitally insecure critical infrastructures, and a successful attack could allow hackers to tamper with drinking water and wastewater management.
Shoppers visiting stores with Amazon's Just Walk Out technology aren't being surveilled by Amazon workers, the company's VP overseeing the product, Jon Jenkins, tells Axios.
Why it matters: Amazon is trying to correct misbeliefs and restore perception about its grab-and-go platform amid recent reports.
The Daily Beast, under new leadership announced this week, is seeking a full-time reporter to cover Lauren Sánchez, fiancée of Jeff Bezos (posting above).
Why it matters: The Beast plans to cover tech moguls and their ecosystem, as part of the site's return to its roots as a "smart tabloid."
Microsoft's new $1.5 billion partnership with G42, a government-backed tech-investing giant in the UAE, marks a stunning move in AI's increasingly frantic global chess game.
Why it matters: The deal enlarges America's AI tent and sidelines China from the UAE market while placing Microsoft's AI business at the heart of American geopolitical interests and policy.
Smartmatic reached a settlement with One America News Network Tuesday in its lawsuit that accused the conservative broadcaster of peddling disinformation about the voting machine company's technology in regards to the 2020 presidential election.
The big picture: The lawsuit was one of several Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems filed against conservative-leaning networks and pro-Trump figures, accusing them of broadcasting baseless conspiracy theories about their voting equipment and software.
