A group of former Apple and Databricks engineers is launching an open-source standard on Wednesday to keep company data private when using AI tools, according to a release shared exclusively with Axios.
Why it matters: There's currently no standard way to secure the data flowing through the new servers companies are setting up to run AI copilots and autonomous agents.
Google is adding its Gemini chatbot to Maps, letting users get chatty with their navigation app across Android, iOS and their cars.
Why it matters: Nearly three years since ChatGPT's explosive launch, the tech giants are now banking on the idea that everyone wants a chatbot everywhere.
Google security researchers have identified what they say is the first known case of hackers using AI-powered malware in a real-world cyberattack, according to findings published Wednesday.
Why it matters: The discovery suggests adversarial hackers are moving closer to operationalizing generative AI to supercharge their attacks.
Short selling rarely thrives in a bull market, especially one this undeterred. Still, some executives lash out at investors who bet against them, like Palantir CEO Alex Karp, who called investor Michael Burry "bats**t crazy" on CNBC for shorting his stock.
Why it matters: Wall Street can't stop talking about the risks of an AI bubble, yet investment bets that the bubble will deflate or burst haven't gained much traction. That could be changing.
American defense-tech company Allen Control Systems is on an international tear, selling Bullfrog autonomous turrets to South Korea and the United Arab Emirates and striking a local coproduction agreement with Romania.
Why it matters: The deals underscore two things:
Just how seriously militaries are taking the drone threat, as seen in Eastern Europe and the Middle East
The growth of ACS, especially on the heels of a recent Special Operations Command contract
Poseidon Aerospace secured $11 millionin seed funding and is using the cash to develop two cargo-hauling unmanned aircraft, Egret and Heron.
Why it matters: "A lot of people are thinking about kinetics and forward effects and what those look like," David Zagaynov, the company's chief executive, told Axios.
"But wars are fought and won with logistics and supply chains. That is the backbone of any actual offensive."
Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) are introducing a bill on Wednesday that would require major companies and the federal government to report AI-related job data to the Labor Department.
Why it matters: The bipartisan push shows there is concern on both sides of the aisle about AI's impact on jobs, even as the Trump administration champions the technology as key to U.S. competitiveness.
The word iconic is often overused — but a partnership between tech giant Atlassian and Atlassian Williams Racing can only be defined as such. The scrappy pair have not always had the easiest journeys, but they've teamed up to return the F1 team back to where it belongs: At the top.
The story: At the F1 United States Grand Prix, Williams rolled out a 2002 throwback car design to celebrate Williams' title and technology partnership with Atlassian and commemorate how both the two companies have survived and thrived in the face of relentless change.
President Trump claimed on Tuesday that the U.S. would be "virtually defenseless" against other nations if the Supreme Court strikes down a slew of tariffs.
Why it matters: Trump's comments come just one day before the highest court will hear oral arguments challenging the legality of a key part of his economic agenda.
Vox Media's board has discussed possibly spinning out its podcast network and separating it from the publishing business, three sources familiar with those conversations told Axios.
Why it matters: Separating the businesses could reap greater shareholder value than trying to invest in the entire company as a whole.
Alltogether, a new collective founded by longtime news ad sales executive AJ Frucci, is helping independent creators tap into the corporate ad market, Frucci tells Axios.
Why it matters: Independent journalists have built loyal followings but often lose access to lucrative brand advertising once they leave legacy newsrooms.
President Trump said food benefits will only get paid once the shutdown ends, in a post on Truth Social Tuesday morning.
Why it matters: The post appears to defy two federal courts that ruled last week the White House must pay at least partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits even in a shutdown.
Election officials across the U.S. are heading into their first votes in years without the level of federal support they've come to rely on.
The big picture: Federal agencies monitored both cyber and physical threats to elections over the past decade and built trust with local election officials.
Wall Street likes to obsess over how much cash Big Tech has on hand, but Berkshire Hathaway dwarfs them all. The company has more cash on its balance sheet than the top three technology firms combined.
Why it matters: Incoming CEO Greg Abel will have serious Monopoly money to deploy when he takes the reins from Warren Buffett in 2026.
Stocks are under pressure as the CEOs of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley warn of a potential drop in the market.
Why it matters: Equities have rallied in the face of a shutdown, tariffs, macro uncertainty and geopolitical headwinds. The only thing they can't withstand appears to be a warning from Wall Street.
Layoffs may be rising, but people are also getting rehired more often as part of a "layoff boomerang" trend, an analysis by workplace platform Visier finds.
Why it matters: AI may not be the headcount reducer that it's cracked up to be, at least not yet.
Bill Gates on Monday night defended criticism from all sides about his controversial memo calling for a shift to prioritizing human welfare in climate debates.
Why it matters: Gates' response to the widespread and polarizing reactions to his own shifting positions shows the high stakes of this debate and his influence as a major funder of both climate and public health initiatives.
About half of new U.S. businesses make it to their fifth year, per the latest federal data.
Why it matters: Keeping a new business alive is no small feat — and getting even harder amid the government shutdown for companies that rely on federal contracts or aid, Axios' Madison Mills reports.
A nonprofit focused on growing the Midwest's economy is launching an AI caucus on Tuesday to try to drive innovation and create job opportunities.
Why it matters: The Midwest is becoming an epicenter of data center construction and proponents of AI think the tech could boost the region's manufacturing and agricultural sectors.
Netflix released Monday the trailer for "Sesame Street's" first season on the platform after being dropped last year by Warner Bros. Discovery.
The big picture: Favorite muppets including Elmo and Cookie Monster will return to "Sesame Street," joined by guests singer Miley Cyrus and NASCAR champion Bubba Wallace, after Netflix gave it a new streaming home, per a statement from the show's nonprofit parent Sesame Workshop.
