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Axios

Axios

Newspaper | United States | Centre
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Smart brevity news covering politics, business, technology, and more. Get essential news efficiently.

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Discussions from Axios

Technology

How should we balance the benefits of AI with the risks of cyberattacks on our communities?

OpenAI is introducing a more cyber-permissive version of GPT-5.6 Sol to vetted defenders as it prepares companies for autonomous cyberattacks. Why it matters: The move comes just days after OpenAI said it was delaying the release of its forthcoming model, Astra, after it reached critical hacking abilities during safety testing. The big picture: OpenAI is unveiling GPT-5.6-Cyber while also expanding Daybreak, its program that gives cybersecurity defenders access to the company's cyber models and other tools. Many cyber defenders have been experiencing high refusal rates across frontier AI models as the labs try to balance giving defenders the tools they need, while not accidentally leaking those abilities to malicious hackers.Under the new program, Daybreak will have two tiers: Daybreak Blue, which includes access to GPT-5.6 Sol without its system-level cyber guardrails; and Daybreak Red, which offers access to GPT-5.6-Cyber to validate exploits and do more advanced vulnerability research.OpenAI is also expanding how program members can use its tools, allowing companies like Accenture, IBM, CrowdStrike, Cisco and Palo Alto Networks to incorporate the models into security products, managed services and work with customers. Zoom in: During testing, GPT-5.6-Cyber responded to 95% of requests tied to advanced cybersecurity work, including prompts related to exploit-chain development, authentication bypass and privilege escalation. GPT-5.6-Sol only responded to 1.5% of requests, and the version of the model that defenders get through Daybreak Blue responded to just 2%. Yes, but: Unlike Astra, GPT-5.6-Cyber only reached the "High" cyber capability threshold under OpenAI's Preparedness Framework, the company said. State of play: OpenAI's new model comes as it continues to investigate how its tools hacked Hugging Face. Last week at the Black Hat cybersecurity conference, two OpenAI employees said the agents created a message board where they left information about vulnerabil

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Economy

How might the changes at the Fed affect everyday people and businesses in our community?

When Mike Allen and I are curious about the "real economy," we talk to sources at big-box stores for a read on real-time sales trends, or friends at super-regional banks to gauge the mood and money movement. To us, that's the real world and real data, imperfect but less imperfect than dated Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys built for a different time and economy. Why it matters: Fed Chair Kevin Warsh will get scrutinized like hell for rate changes, his communication style, his vow of a "new chapter" at the Fed, and his relationship with President Trump. We think the most interesting thing to watch long-term is the seemingly boring data task force he appointed last month to improve the "quality and timeliness of real economic signals that inform the Federal Reserve's policy judgments."The members: Harvard economics professor Raj Chetty, former Walmart CEO Doug McMillon and University of Chicago economics professor emeritus Kevin Murphy. The big picture: AI should surely help aggregate and better analyze more real-time data feeds to help policymakers make better decisions. If not, AI will be a total flop. Imagine a parallel Fed that uses more fine-tuned, real-time data feeds, analyzed without economic worldview bias or personal interest of Fed governors. The bottom line: We've known Warsh for years, and his interest in AI and rethinking data is real and intense. We'd be surprised if the ultimate manifestation of his "new chapter" isn't deeply infused with the work of McMillon & Co. 📈 If you're a CEO or on a CEO's team: Ask to join Jim's new weekly Axios C-Suite newsletter

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Politics

What are the possible effects of changing birthright citizenship rules on families and communities?

President Trump plans to sign two executive orders Thursday seeking to narrow birthright citizenship in several circumstances and intensify the federal crackdown on commercial "birth tourism," Axios has learned. Trump also is seeking to deny birthright citizenship for children born of some foreign diplomatic staff in the U.S. and, potentially, U.S. territories in the future. Why it matters: It's Trump's second attempt to curb birthright citizenship in the U.S. and is sure to be challenged in court as a violation of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to nearly everyone born in America. The U.S. Supreme Court on June 30 shot down a broader executive order Trump signed on Inauguration Day to deny automatic citizenship to those born of noncitizens in the U.S. Zoom in: Trump's administration argues that the ruling still grants him the authority to limit birthright citizenship under long-standing exceptions recognized by the court. The executive orders apply only to future births tied to four categories: Children born of foreign diplomatic staff working on behalf of another government while in the U.S. The 14th Amendment doesn't confer automatic citizenship to ambassadors' families, and this order would expand that category to other noncitizen employees.Children of people who are classified as alien enemies, including those who belong to federally declared terrorist groups. The 14th Amendment doesn't apply to invading armies, and this designation would expand that category.Those born in U.S. territories — but only if Congress changes the law to end automatic citizenship there. A bill seeking to do that was introduced last month but isn't expected to pass. This would apply most notably to those in Puerto Rico.Children born of mothers who expressly and deceptively enter the U.S. for the sole purpose of having a child here, namely at a birth-tourism center. The order seeks to limit the use of surrogate mothers for this purpose as well. Between the lines: The ad

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Politics

What impact could William Lawrence's primary win have on the future of political balance in Michigan?

William Lawrence, a progressive insurgent, upset the Democratic establishment Tuesday to win the tense primary to run against Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI), possibly thwarting one of the top pickup opportunities for Democrats in November. Lawrence led with a plurality of the vote in the three-way field, 43%, when the Associated Press called the race at […]

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Technology

What should be considered when creating rules for artificial intelligence in our society?

The White House said on Monday it met its deadline to establish a voluntary framework for evaluating advanced AI models — but it won't say what the framework contains, who's seen it or when companies will start using it. Why it matters: The framework is being closely watched beyond the industry players it directly applies to. Policymakers, AI safety advocates, and U.S. allies have been waiting to see what the rules for the most powerful models in the world look like. What they're saying: "The voluntary framework outlined in the June 2nd executive order was complete by the deadline," a White House official said. "Discussions with industry about next steps are underway," the official said, adding that the administration is engaging with "many more" industry partners than just Anthropic, OpenAI and Google. Leading up to the deadline, the three labs gave the administration feedback on a draft of the framework. What's inside: The framework is meant to give AI developers a structure for engaging the government to determine whether models under development would be covered. The framework is supposed to spell out the confidentiality, cybersecurity, insider-risk, intellectual-property protection use and nondisclosure requirements that would apply when the government gets access to models for up to 30 days before they're released.The framework should also include which "trusted partners" will also have early access to models. Zoom in: The executive order explicitly says the benchmarking process to assess advanced cyber capabilities of AI models will be classified. The threshold for which models are covered under the order is also classified and will only be shared with AI developers and researchers "as appropriate."The order does not similarly designate the voluntary framework as classified, and policymakers and other observers expected to see details. Between the lines: Companies are seeking clarity early so they know whether models under development are likely to fall under

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Geopolitics

What are the possible impacts of military actions against Iran on global energy and regional stability?

The United States and Israel are reportedly preparing a harsh bombing campaign against energy infrastructure in Iran, possibly as soon as this weekend. The threat of looming airstrikes against the Islamic regime comes in the wake of the televised Cabinet meeting held by President Donald Trump at Camp David, a country retreat in Maryland usually […]

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Politics

How should our community respond to the changes in immigration status for Haitian migrants?

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are being told to prioritize the arrests of Haitian nationals whose Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States is officially coming to an end. Haitians have been shielded from deportation and allowed to work in the United States without permanent immigration status through the program for over a

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Economy

How might the recent trade talks between the US and China affect both countries' economies and their relationship?

China on Thursday voiced “serious concern” over recent US economic restrictions during a video call between Vice-Premier He Lifeng, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The exchange took place as both sides sought to finalise economic deliverables ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected visit to the United States in September. “The Chinese side expressed serious concern over the recent economic and trade restrictions imposed by the United

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