Canadian AI model company Cohere is combining with Germany's Aleph Alpha, in a deal that Axios has learned will value it around $20 billion after a concurrent Series E closes.
Why it's the BFD: Cohere is leaning into Europe's digital sovereignty movement as it seeks to fend off Anthropic and OpenAI.
Economists and analysts say that AI in the long term will make the economy more productive — we'll get more done in less time, and that might even keep inflation in check.
Why it matters: It's a long complicated road to get to that fairy-tale ending. In the short term, AI is actually increasing inflation modestly at a time of more urgent inflationary pressures like war.
Meta on Friday announced a deal to use Amazon-designed chips to help deliver its next generation of AI models.
Why it matters: The move comes as the leading cloud providers, including Amazon, aim to increase adoption of their homegrown chips amid an industrywide shortage of Nvidia graphics chips.
The Vatican is racing to build digital defenses for the artificial intelligence era — and quietly positioning itself as a global referee of what's real.
Why it matters: The Holy See is moving faster than most other legacy institutions to shape rules and guardrails in verifying reality, with urgency that's unfolding amid unusual geopolitical and digital clashes.
The digital detox movement is gaining popularity, driven by grassroots efforts to limit screen time and a broader push among Gen Zers to switch off their phones.
The big picture: Phone-free bars, restaurants and entertainment experiences are on the rise while cellphone pouches are becoming an essential item at schools, weddings, proms and retreats, and search interest in apps that keep you off your phone skyrocketed.
Key deadlines set out in President Trump's executive order targeting state AI laws have passed, with agencies failing to deliver on major steps that were due more than a month ago.
Why it matters: The missed deadlines are raising doubts about how forcefully the administration can follow through on its push to rein in states on AI regulation.
A U.S. special forces soldier was arrested and charged with using classified information about the raid to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to profit from prediction market bets, the Department of Justice announced Thursday.
Why it matters: The case lands as regulators and lawmakers intensify scrutiny of prediction markets — offering a real-world test of how aggressively authorities pursue insider trading tied to sensitive government information.
This is the first time the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has filed charges of insider trading in connection with event contracts, per a CFTC statement.
