A group of the top tech companies unveiled a new coalition Thursday that will develop cybersecurity and safety standards for the artificial intelligence tools they're developing.
Why it matters: The promise of the group is that each company will follow the same rigorous security standards for their projects to keep malicious hackers at-bay.
The Daily Wire, a conservative commentary and entertainment company, has sent letters to major corporations asking them to "reject" a powerful third-party ad industry coalition that it believes has colluded with agencies, brands, and tech platforms "to demonetize conservative media outlets."
The big picture: The letter references a report published earlier this month by the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee that argues the coalition used "shadowy corporate coordination" to silence conservatives.
A judge has dismissed most of the Securities and Exchange Commission's fraud charges against software firm SolarWinds over comments the company made before and after a late 2020 Russian cyber espionage campaign.
Why it matters: The decision is a major blow for the SEC, which has been pursuing aggressive new policies to hold companies accountable for their cybersecurity practices.
Bigger dashboard displays have become a staple in today's gadget-packed cars — I just wish they all were designed as thoughtfully as the 48-inch panoramic screen in the new Lincoln Nautilus.
Why it matters: Digital-savvy car owners expect their vehicles to replicate their Apple or Android smartphones. But as cars morph into rolling computers, their colossal screens have turned into giant distractions.
Bigger dashboard displays have become a staple in today's gadget-packed cars — I just wish they all were designed as thoughtfully as the 48-inch panoramic screen in the new Lincoln Nautilus.
Why it matters: Digital-savvy car owners expect their vehicles to replicate their Apple or Android smartphones. But as cars morph into rolling computers, their colossal screens have turned into giant distractions.
Aiming to fight what they see as vague and overly burdensome regulation by the European Union, U.S. tech giants are playing one of the strongest cards they have: withholding their products.
Why it matters: Until now, the U.S. tech giants have dominated the global digital economy by serving (almost) everyone, accepting divergent regional laws as the cost of doing business.
Geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China are gripping the chip sector at a time when demand has never been higher.
Why it matters: Uncertainty around U.S. policy puts enormous pressure on an industry already strained by labor and capacity — but one that is critical to nearly all areas of the economy, as well as for national defense.
Meta will withhold its next multimodal AI model — and future ones — from customers in the European Union because of what it says is a lack of clarity from regulators there, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The move sets up a showdown between Meta and EU regulators and highlights a growing willingness among U.S. tech giants to withhold products from European customers.
Spotify on Wednesday launched a Spanish-language version of its AI DJ — a generative-AI feature that delivers personalized playlists along with narration based on the voice of a real person.
Why it matters: Dubbed "Livi," the move is further evidence of the music streaming platform's ambitions to drive growth and loyalty through AI tools.
A venture unit of Saudi Arabian oil company Aramco is making its first U.S. AI-related investment, backing a pre-Series A round for San Francisco-based AiXplain, according to details shared first with Axios.
Why it matters: AiXplain is one of a growing number of startups that aim to transform generative AI from chatbots into agents who can take action.
Business travel spending may reach or even top pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year, a new report finds.
Why it matters: Leisure travel bounced back almost immediately after the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. But business travel — a hugely important revenue source for airlines, hotels and so on — has taken longer to rebound as Zoom replaced some handshake meetings.
A significant chunk of Silicon Valley money and power is lining up behind Donald Trump just as he has chosen a former venture capitalist as his running mate.
Why it matters: The tech investor class was once solidly Democratic, with just a handful of Republican outliers — but now its red camp is growing, and throwing around its weight.
