Anthropic is launching plugins for Cowork, its enterprise product built around Claude, according to materials shared with Axios.
Why it matters: Tools like these —which let companies customize AI agents for specific roles and workflows — will enable AI to be treated more like a full-time coworker, rather than a one-off tech fix.
Why it matters: The circular AI economy has nothing on the circular Elon economy, where trillion dollar companies are rumored to be mixed and matched like IKEA furniture.
Pro-AI super PAC Leading the Future has raised more than $125 million to try to shape the 2026 midterms and the future of federal AI regulation.
Why it matters: States are racing ahead with regulating AI, while companies are looking to Washington to set a single, industry-friendly federal standard.
A new organization is launching to improve federal support for commercial deployment of a range of energy tech, with initial focus on the Energy Department's loan office.
Why it matters: The Energy Infrastructure Alliance Forum (EIAF) aims to fill what organizers call a need for a broad-based push that complements others' ongoing work on specific tech and finance streams.
Microsoft had one of its worst selloffs in history after it increased its AI spending plans. Meta did the same, but it was rewarded by investors.
Why it matters: The wildly different market reactions to Meta and Microsoft earnings reveal the new calculus investors are using to evaluate AI winners and losers.
Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has become one of the most vocal Republican skeptics of AI, betting that kids' safety, job fears and rising costs can turn his party against Big Tech.
Axios CEO Jim VandeHei and Axios chief technology officer Dan Cox were chatting about how to share the basics of AI, and this prompting primer was born:
The No. 1 pushback we get from AI skeptics or newbies is: "It's overhyped. I asked it something and it spit out an unimpressive answer!"
Gen Z is optimistic about their careers despite a gap in expectations among employees and employers in the greater workforce, according to Indeed survey data published Thursday.
Why it matters: Gen Z's positivity is unexpected against the backdrop of an entry-level job crisis.
Amazon.com is in talks to invest as much as $50 billion into OpenAI, per reports late Thursday, in a sign that the funding frenzy for AI shows no signs of stopping.
Why it matters: The potential deal comes as Wall Street has been shunning the stocks of companies that have already partnered with OpenAI (see Microsoft's decline on Thursday) as investors worry whether the AI upstart behind ChatGPT will ultimately be able to pay off all its backers.
The newly sworn in chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission signaled Thursday that the agency will write new rules governing prediction markets.
Why it matters: Prediction markets are booming, but legal questions are mounting — the move could bring clarity to how event contracts are used to bet on sports, politics, entertainment and news.
Waymo says one of its robotaxis struck a child near a school in Santa Monica, and federal safety officials are investigating.
Why it matters: As more robotaxis are deployed across America, public trust remains an issue. The latest incident comes amid an ongoing investigation into Waymo robotaxis failing to stop for school buses.
Bots are driving about one-third of social media discourse about the ICE operations in Minneapolis, according to data from PeakMetrics, a nonpartisan data intelligence company.
Why it matters: Bots can warp public perception of fast-moving events, as bad-faith actors seeking to inflame tensions spread misleading narratives that audiences accept as fact.
An annual gathering of top government officials and tech executives is scheduled for March 24 in Washington, D.C., according to a news release shared first with Axios.
Why it matters: The Hill & Valley Forum serves as a meeting for policymakers and private sector leaders to chart out tech and national security priorities.
Former Rolling Stone CEO Gus Wenner has invested in Public Opinion, the company behind popular music game show Track Star, he and CEO Jack Coyne exclusively tell Axios.
Why it matters: The deal pairs one of legacy media's most recognizable names with a New York-based media startup aiming to be a modern MTV.
Jeff Bezos' climate philanthropy is staking efforts to pave the way for building at least 10 new U.S. nuclear reactors.
Why it matters: The $3.5 million grant to the nonprofit Nuclear Scaling Initiative envisions an "orderbook" that "brings together multiple buyers to commit to building the same reactor design."
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said 2026 will be the year "AI starts to dramatically change the way that we work," as his company flattens teams and provides AI tools to boost individual productivity.
Why it matters: Meta is under pressure to justify its aggressive AI spending as it predicts its capital expenditures could nearly double this year to a whopping $135 billion.
The National Archives' newest permanent exhibit uses machine learning to make America's historical records more accessible to the public.
Why it matters: AI's biggest superpower is tagging, organizing and presenting massive amounts of data, a growing challenge for institutions like the National Archives.
My son doesn't say many words yet, but he often yells "Ba!" while pointing up to birds, ceiling fans, light bulbs and the sky.
I think the loose translation is: "Look up, Mom!"
Why it matters: When the news feels heavy and screensdemand our attention, he's a reminder that curiosity — and gazing upward — can offer some steadiness and connection.
