DAVOS, Switzerland — In an age of populism and growing insularity, the World Economic Forum defied the odds this year by reclaiming its lost currency: relevance.
Why it matters: Thanks to a transformative technology and a hurricane of American power, Davos truly was the locus of global events.
Once the dealmaking dust settles, the father and son duo of Larry and David Ellison will face an even bigger obstacle: proving they can run a sprawling media empire.
Why it matters: The Ellisons' portfolio spans CBS News, Paramount Pictures, and a piece of TikTok U.S. — and if they ultimately win the battle for Warner Bros. Discovery, could add CNN and HBO.
Police departments are using artificial intelligence to sift massive evidence troves, and it's jump-starting cold cases, missing-person investigations and trial preparation.
Why it matters: The biggest constraint in modern policing isn't a lack of evidence, but too much of it. AI promises to break that logjam, allowing stretched-thin departments to find critical leads buried in years of data.
OpenAI again confirmed at Davos this week that it's building a new AI device — while keeping most details under wraps.
Why it matters: AI hardware has repeatedly failed to break through, making OpenAI's partnership with former Apple design chief Jony Ive to build AI hardware one of the industry's most closely watched bets.
AI didn't just increase its footprint in Washington in 2025. It ate tech lobbying whole.
Why it matters: AI's ubiquity, quick growth and key role in helping America compete globally have shifted how the biggest and richest tech companies get what they want from D.C.
A federal AI framework and well-funded AI research are key to U.S. leadership, TechNet argues in its 2026 federal policy principles shared exclusively with Axios.
Why it matters: TechNet represents tech CEOs and senior executives from a wide range of tech and AI companies, and its top priority remains avoiding a jumble of state laws on AI or federal legislation that could handicap smaller companies.
Axios CEO Jim VandeHei wrote this note to his wife, Autumn, and their three kids. She suggested sharing it more broadly since so many families are wrestling with how to think and talk about AI. So here it is ...
Dear Family:
I want to put to words what I'm hearing, seeing, thinking and writing about AI.
Simply put, I'm now certain it will upend your work and life in ways more profound than the internet or possibly electricity. This will hit in months, not years.
The changes will be fast, wide, radical, disorienting and scary. No one will avoid its reach.
