Some people don't like to make small talk. Others — especially youngerAmericans— say they simply don't know how to do it.
Why it matters: A communication-skills app is betting that a baptism by fire in small talk can help rebuild social confidence — and it's hiring people to approach strangers to put that theory to the test.
A Russian satellite was tracked on Friday closely stalking a U.S.-owned commercial satellite — part of a space-based network that has supported Ukraine's military.
Why it matters: Aerospace analysts and space intelligence company LeoLabs told Axios it's a rare maneuver that raises the possibility of Russian interference with U.S. space equipment.
The distinction between AI-assisted and AI-made is becoming harder to define as using the technology becomes a routine part of making content.
Why it matters: Creators, platforms and consumers are drawing different lines around how much AI involvement is acceptable and when it should be disclosed.
AI "slop" sites, or domains with low-quality AI-generated content, rose more than fivefold in the second quarter of this year compared with the same period a year prior, according to new data from ad measurement firm DoubleVerify. Traffic to those types of sites quadrupled in that time.
Why it matters: SEO's incentive problems have been exacerbated in the AI answer engine era with brands and publishers competing to influence what chatbots recommend.
Brands have spent the past decade making it easier for consumers to buy subscriptions. Now, AI is forcing them to give customers a reason to stay.
Why it matters: AI assistants will remove cancellation friction and increase churn, forcing publishers, retailers and brands to consider new ways to drive value, including bundles and product improvements.
More than 40% of top U.S. publishers block AI training crawlers, compared with just 25% that bar AI search crawlers, according to an Axios analysis.
Why it matters: The data suggests publishers want their content to be discovered by generative AI search interfaces without giving it away to train the models powering them.
Major retailers and publishers are adding generative AI tools to their online experiences, enabling stronger discovery and engagement.
Why it matters: Conversational search better reveals customer intent than traditional menu navigation and keyword search, providing companies with richer insights to improve their products.
Elon Musk tells biographer Walter Isaacson in a new podcast interview that the fizzled DOGE experiment, which the SpaceX and Tesla CEO once headed, proved there's "no way we were gonna solve the deficit from within the government."
"The only way we're going to solve the national debt is with AI and robots," Musk tells the author for a new podcast series, "The Builders with Walter Isaacson," premiering Tuesday. "We're not gonna solve it by trying to save our way there."
Why it matters: Musk's comments to Isaacson — author of the definitive 2023 biography, "Elon Musk" — admit that DOGE was a flop, but point to the chance that some future administration will take a new stab at the problem using ever-more-capable AI.
