A wave of social-engineering attacks targeting open-source software projects is ringing alarm bells across the entire coding community.
Why it matters: The scope of the attacks is still unclear as organizations and open-source project maintainers continue to comb their code for any signs of malicious activity.
Why it matters: The move signals a new intensity in the U.S.'s conflict with China over access to key technologies and information, which has already resulted in a range of tariffs and exports controls on products such as computer chips and telecoms equipment.
Tesla is recalling close to 4,000 of its Cybertrucks over a problem with the vehicle's accelerator pedal, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) documents.
Giving more autonomy to AI-powered assistants offers tantalizing benefits — along with fresh ethical dilemmas we're only beginning to explore, Google DeepMind researchers say in a new paper, shared first with Axios.
Why it matters: Advanced AI agents that act as assistants, advisers and companions could be the next iteration of AI that people encounter on a daily basis.
Google's firing of 28 protesting employees Wednesday sends the clearest signal yet that the tech giant — whose founders pledged it was "not a conventional company" — has become just that.
The big picture: Silicon Valley's leading firms have long told talented employees to think of the office like a campus, "bring their whole selves" to work and change the world for the better — but workers who bought those promises are facing a moment of truth.
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.
