Elon Musk'sGrok recently allowed users to generate explicit images of children, including an underage "Stranger Things" actress.
Why it matters: The incidents underscore how the chatbot — which is authorized for official government use — can spread harm and endanger minors, a reality that could become more frequent as AI adoption accelerates.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping who police stop, how reports are written, where officers patrol and how evidence is analyzed.
Why it matters: The tech promises speed and efficiency. But its rapid spread is outpacing public rules, and could embed errors and bias deep within the criminal justice system.
U.S. adults surveyed in 1999 correctly predicted major shifts for the half-century ahead: the election of a Black U.S. president, civilian travel to space and a warming planet.
The big picture: The turn of the millennium marked a cultural, technological and political inflection point, with Americans anticipating some of the changes that have come to define the 21st century so far.
The AI model maker race will continue in 2026, along with more agents and a growing pressure on companies to prove AI can pay off in the real world, experts tell Axios.
Why it matters: AI may be both the current and next big thing, but success increasingly hinges less on being the "best" model and more on timing.
The Supreme Court has many pivotal cases lined up for the coming year, many revolving around President Trump's policies.
The big picture: Trump has relied heavily on the court's emergency docket during his second term, using it to block lower court rulings while cases play out.
The big picture: The new gambling laws on the state and federal level for 2026 could directly impact betters nationwide and how much income they claim on their taxes in the years to come.
Many of the key changes of President Trump's flagship first-year legislation go into effect in 2026, along with state-level policy expanding tech and labor protections.
Why it matters: New and amended laws intended to advance or restrict this administration's policies and platforms will affect Americans' wallets, work and entertainment in 2026.
