Talk of a possible sale of TikTok's U.S. assets to Elon Musk reflects his increasingly powerful stance as a power broker at the nexus of U.S.-China relations.
Why it matters: Beijing-based TikTok owner ByteDance faces a Jan. 19 deadline to sell the video platform's U.S. business or stop updating the app, which would eventually make it obsolete.
Intel Capital, one of the oldest and most active corporate venture funds in Silicon Valley, will spin off into an independent firm in the second half of 2025.
It was founded in 1991, and has invested more than $20 billion into over 1,800 companies.
The three biggest pharmacy benefit managers made more than $7.3 billion over five years marking up the prices of specialty generic drugs for cancer, HIV and other conditions, the Federal Trade Commission charged on Tuesday.
Why it matters: It's the second time the FTC has singled out CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and OptumRx for driving up drug costs. The report could provide fodder if President-elect Trump opts to make good on vows to crack down on pharmacy middlemen.
OpenAI is rolling out a beta feature called Tasks to ChatGPT that lets users schedule future actions and reminders.
Why it matters: Tasks is a step toward making ChatGPT a more helpful AI companion, reducing reliance on other apps such as Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa for reminders.
This comes amid reported plans to release an autonomous computer-controlling agent called "Operator."
🚨 The Biden administration is weighing new sanctions on a Chinese cybersecurity firm that it claims hacked U.S. telcos at the direction of Beijing. (Washington Post)
🏥 Hospitals and health care providers say the Biden administration's overhaul of a touchstone health privacy law is unworkable and too expensive to follow. (Axios)
📲 Here's what will likely happen to TikTok in the U.S. on Sunday, unless the Supreme Court pauses a forthcoming ban. (Axios)
@ Industry
💰 Chainalysis has acquired AI-agent security startup Alterya,reportedly for $150 million. (Business Insider)
👀 Tech industry players are hopeful that the incoming Trump administration will make changes to new export controls unveiled yesterday targeting advanced AI chips and models. (Axios Pro)
🐈⬛ Currently obsessedwith this local news story about a New Hampshire cat who was missing for eight months and was then found 700 miles away in ... Michigan!
The feds and top U.S. technology companies are unveiling a new plan today for reporting and trading details about ongoing security threats targeting AI models, according to materials shared exclusively with Axios.
Why it matters: Security flaws found in AI systems affect more than just model makers.
Orchid Security is emerging from stealth today with $36 million in seed funding led by Team8 and Intel Capital, the startup first shared with Axios.
Why it matters: The U.S.-Israeli startup is shepherding a new way of tackling age-old user identity and password security problems, which continue to cause headaches for major companies.
Meta and Google are expected to be the biggest beneficiaries of a U.S. TikTok ban financially, according to a new analysis from eMarketer.
Why it matters: The growth of TikTok and retail giant Amazon has put real competitive pressure on Google and Meta, which for years have owned more than half of the U.S. advertising business.
Donald Trump is about to become the oldest person ever sworn in as president — but he hopes to have the youngest group of top Cabinet officials and advisers of any president in more than three decades.
Why it matters: Even as he's sought to regain his grip on power, the once and future president has tried to build the next generation of his MAGA movement, as seen in his choice of JD Vance, 40, as his vice president.
Samsung topped the list of most U.S. patent grants for the third straight year, while Huawei and other Chinese companies saw a significant increase in patent awards in 2024, according to new data from IFI Claims.
Why it matters: Patents aren't a direct proxy for innovation, but they are an indicator of which companies are both investing in research and looking to protect their intellectual property.
