AI is everywhere whether you like it or not, and some online have turned to a choice word to express their frustration.
Why it matters: Referring to an AI bot as a "clanker" (or a "wireback," or a "cogsucker") has emerged as a niche, irreverent internet phenomenon that illuminates a broader disdain for the way AI is overtaking technology, labor, and culture.
The nation's violent and property crime rates dropped to a two-decade low in 2024, following the COVID-era surge in homicides, according to new FBI data released this week.
Why it matters: The numbers show crime was heading toward a 20-year record low in the last year of the Biden administration, despite President Trump's false campaign claims that President Biden was overseeing a nationwide crime spike.
Google said that a cybercriminal hacking group broke into one of its own Salesforce database systems that stored information about small and medium-sized businesses.
Why it matters: Even Google isn't completely resilient against the wave of social engineering attacks targeting major businesses this year.
If you follow markets and the economy, the only thing you've heard over the last few days is that AI spending is propping everything up, from GDP to the S&P, and that can't last forever.
Why it matters: When bubbles burst, they don't do it gently.
Colorado on Wednesday will become the second state to require pre-merger notifications, regardless of industry.
Washington became the first earlier this year, and at least five other states — including California — and the District of Columbia are considering similar rules.
Why it matters: States often lack visibility into pending mergers. These new laws aim to change that dynamic, which could increase antitrust enforcement actions.
Wednesday marks the 80th anniversary of the Atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan — an event that helped end World War II but also brought the world into the nuclear age and the Cold War.
Japan uses the anniversary to commemorate the lives of the Hibakusha, survivors of the bombing, and asks the world to heed the dangers of nuclear war.
The big picture: Here are some images from this crucial moment in world history.
You could easily live without AI. But AI wouldn't exist without you.
So does AI owe you for your small part in creating it?
Why it matters: This question sits at the very heart of legal, economic, moral and societal debates unfolding before us today — and deep into the future. The answer will unlock everything from court verdicts to the fortunes of financial winners and losers years from now.
Generation Alpha influences just under half of their households' spending according to a report shared exclusively with Axios from public relations firm DKC.
Why it matters: The young cohort's $101 billion in direct spending power gives restaurants and retailers a glimmer of hope at a time when the kids' parents are fretting about the state of the economy.
OpenAI's release of two open models Tuesday propels the U.S. forward in its AI race with China, industry leaders told Axios.
The big picture: The arrival of China's DeepSeek model earlier this year — combined with Meta's refocusing of its open source efforts — had intensified concerns that China's open models could end up dominating the global market.
The demand for U.S. Army overhead defenses will not "be letting up anytime soon," a top Army leader said Tuesday night at an Axios Future of Defense event in Huntsville, Alabama.
Why it matters: Missile defense is hot right now, from the defense of Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar — during which the single largest Patriot salvo was launched — to the service's quadrupling of its PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement acquisition goal.
The stakes are further amplified by fighting in Eastern Europe and the greater Middle East, where explosive drones batter troops and civilians every day.
