Axios

Growing up as a scrawny Star Trek nerd in the '90s, I learned pretty quickly to hide that part of myself to avoid being bullied just because I knew a little Klingon (Qapla'!).

• Now, approaching my 40s, I've learned to let my geek flag fly — and I'm glad for it.

The big picture: Part of what makes this easier is that the world has changed, and yes, I'm older. But geek culture is mainstream culture now.

Source material powering Anthropic's Claude Code leaked for the second time in just over a year, publicly exposing the AI coding tool's full architecture, unreleased features and internal model performance data.

Why it matters: The leak hands competitors a detailed unreleased feature roadmap and deepens questions about operational security at a company that sells itself as the safety-first AI lab.

OpenAI is beginning to let individual investors access its stock, months before the ChatGPT maker is expected to launch its IPO.

Driving the news: OpenAI said Tuesday that its shares will soon be included in several exchange-traded funds (ETFs) offered by ARK Invest, the Cathie Wood-led firm that previously invested via its venture capital arm.

Mike's Hard Lemonade is jumping on the viral dirty soda craze with a boozy "Dirty Lemonade."

Why it matters: "Dirty soda" — a mashup of soda, syrups and add-ins — is moving from DIY novelty to a new flavor playbook for brands chasing Gen Z.

Meta's average revenue per employee has jumped 85% over the past three years, thanks to sweeping employee cuts combined with AI-driven ad and content improvements that boosted the top line.

Why it matters: Once seen as a sign of strain, layoffs have become a key Wall Street indicator that tech giants are invested in efficiency as they pour billions into AI infrastructure to support long-term growth.

The AI race won't be won by who builds the best model, but by who can afford to keep the lights on.

The big picture: DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis knew that when he sold his AI lab to Google, according to a new biography by Sebastian Mallaby, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Microsoft said Monday it has revamped one of its AI research tools to use models from both OpenAI and Anthropic, the clearest sign yet that the future of AI may be multi-model.

Why it matters: AI companies are increasingly pairing models together — having them cross-check, evaluate or specialize — in a bid to boost accuracy and reduce errors that any one model might miss.

HOUSTON — As nuclear energy industry deals pile up, executives are turning their focus to what many describe as a huge challenge: How to build multiple plants quickly.

Why it matters: Nuclear energy is seen as critical to supplying enough power for AI data centers' massive electricity needs.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans now use AI regularly and want stronger oversight, but are conflicted on how far regulation should go, according to a new national survey from AI governance nonprofit Fathom shared exclusively with Axios.

Why it matters: Americans are growing more comfortable with AI as Washington struggles to regulate it, but people still want guarantees on safety and job security.

Heavy social media users are less likely to think democracy is the best form of government and more likely to stray from democratic norms, according to a newly released study from the Charles F. Kettering Foundation and Gallup.

The big picture: New research suggests social media is reshaping how people engage with democracy, expanding access to ideas while also contributing to a more fractured media environment.