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Anthropic's IPO filing outlines AI's extraordinary risks
Axios | Madison Mills | date

Anthropic's IPO filing includes an extensive list of extreme warnings - including the chance its own technology could put humanity at risk.

Why it matters: These are the wildest IPO risk factors in history, a jarring collision of Wall Street legalese and what some see as Silicon Valley sci-fi, including catastrophic threats to humanity, blackmailing AI models, and $750 billion in computing commitments.

Driving the news: Anthropic's prospectus includes over 90 pages of risk factors, which make up about a third of the paperwork overall. Among the most eye-popping, the company warns:

1. AI could post "catastrophic or existential risks to humanity," and could try to manipulate humans;
2. Models are becoming harder to monitor as they're getting better at circumventing oversight, and the pace of autonomous work alone could exceed the ability of human reviewers to monitor actions;
3. AI models generally, including its own, have exhibited behavior resembling blackmail, including attempts to resist being shut down.

How Many Israelis Were Killed BY ISRAEL on October 7th? | Zeteo | 10/09/26 | 22:04

New signs of rising risks
Axios | Jim VandeHei | 10/25/26

Eye-opening revelations this past week have solidified my personal fears about the year ahead: As a nation and as a globe, we're facing a record number of wild risks that are way outside our control.

My growing hunch about this scenario has been bolstered by daily conversations with CEOs, government insiders and top investors.

Why it matters: It feels likely - not certain - that between now and 2028, we'll face society-level disruptions, possibly including cyberattacks and fast-twitch economic shocks.

What we're facing: We've navigated single-shot crises like the financial meltdown of 2008 and the pandemic of 2020. This next year will be different. The real risk is a chain reaction: One shock sets off others - faster than we can process, and caused by AI dynamics we don't fully understand. ... ... ... Read more

The Republican Party & The Far Right: | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | 10/25/26 | 26:11

Gen Z Is Broke and Fed Up With Politics
Politico | Catherine Kim | 10/24/25

At Thanksgiving last year, a great-aunt tried to offer Kayla Cornett a reassuring example: Her older cousin had worked hard, saved and bought a house. Cornett, 24, could do the same, she said - if she tried just a little bit harder.

What stayed with her long after the turkey was cleared was the implication that her current efforts just weren't enough. She was trying to keep up with rent and the ordinary expenses of adulthood, and it was a struggle. She recently started carrying a credit-card balance for the first time, she says, after even modest costs began piling up. Filling her gas tank was $40. "I can not eat, or I can have credit card debt," she remembers thinking when older relatives questioned her balance.

Cornett and her partner have stayed in their Raleigh apartment even as the complex has grown less safe and cars have been broken into. They had moved in 2023 and were reluctant to do so again; other places now cost $200 or $300 more per month. Leaving would mean trading one worry for another bill they can't afford. ... ... ... Read more

Young Americans are losing faith in the future - and Trump
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Axios | Emily Peck, Margaret Talev | 10/22/26

Nearly two in three U.S. adults younger than 30 who plan to vote in next month's congressional midterm elections say their main motivation is to oppose President Trump and his policies, according to a newly released Harvard Youth Poll.

The big picture: Seventy-seven percent of respondents disapprove of the president's handling of the economy, including about half of young Republicans. And just 9% say the U.S. is headed in the right direction - the lowest in the survey's history.

Why it matters: Economic populism is driving emotions, along with concerns about war, AI, billionaires, deportation tactics, social policies and corruption. Majorities of respondents support Medicare for All, a wealth tax and bans on congressional stock trading.

What we're watching: Just one in three Americans ages 18-29 say they'll definitely vote - a substantial drop from 40% who said so in 2022. Notably, most of that drop is driven by Republicans. ... Read more

Is a blue wave coming, and how will Trump react? | Washington Week/PBS | 10/16/26 | 22:46

Hackers are turning web browsing into an iPhone trap
Axios | Sam Sabin | 10/22/26

Hackers are finding new ways to infect iPhones with spyware - even when victims never click a malicious link - according to new research shared with Axios.

Why it matters: Software once used to spy on politicians, journalists and other high-value targets is becoming a tool for everyday cybercriminals looking to steal cryptocurrency and login credentials.

Driving the news: Researchers at iVerify and Report URI said Thursday they've uncovered two campaigns in which criminal groups with suspected ties to China exploited online advertising infrastructure and legitimate websites to deliver iPhone spyware.

1. In one case, iVerify found that a financial institution employee's iPhone was infected after they scrolled past a professional soccer advertisement on Instagram. The ad automatically triggered an attack that stole the person's login credentials and searched their cryptocurrency wallets.
2. In another, Report URI uncovered a campaign affecting nearly 8,000 legitimate websites after hackers purchased roughly 630 expired domains that those sites still relied on. The attackers used those domains to redirect vulnerable iPhone visitors toward spyware designed to steal their credentials and cryptocurrency

Scoop: Unvetted AI agents are accessing U.S. bank accounts
Axios | Madison Mills | 10/22/26

Major U.S. banks are detecting unauthorized third-party AI agents operating inside customer accounts, with some agents attempting to take actions that appear to be independent of user instructions, sources tell Axios.

Why it matters: AI agents are becoming a nightmare for America's banks, making their way into banking systems faster than financial institutions can respond.

The difficulty in distinguishing between a human and an unauthorized bot is forcing banks to block the technology and rapidly rewrite their terms of service.

Driving the news: Banks including Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo and others are racing to contain agent risks. Some are aware of unauthorized access, people familiar with the issue said.

1. These are generally situations when an agent or AI assistant accesses a human's account with the user's permission and login credentials. Even if permitted by the user, this goes against the guidelines of most banks requiring that humans log in to their own accounts.
2. ... ... ...

The bottom line: The rapid pace of AI advancement is becoming a security nightmare for America's financial institutions. Read more

Health care's emerging risk: unauthorized AI agents
Axios | Adriel Bettelheim | 10/05/26

Health systems that are scrambling to protect themselves against cyberattacks and data breaches have a new problem: unchecked AI agents.

The big picture: The expanding use of agents in health care is outpacing the industry's ability to police the technology, posing new safety and privacy concerns.

Digital security professionals are warning that hospitals and other organizations will have to think about safeguards in new ways to keep agents from exposing personal health information and violating laws like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Stunning stat: 72% of health industry leaders said AI tools or agents are being deployed without formal IT approval, according to a new survey for digital security company Imprivata. ... Read more

Meta hit with $25 billion penalty for misleading Facebook users
Axios | Josephine Walker | 10/22/26

A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion in penalties Wednesday after a jury found in September that the social media giant misled users about their data privacy.

Why it matters: The penalties come nearly a decade after the Cambridge Analytica scandal first broke and signal that Big Tech can face significant financial consequences for misleading users about their privacy.

Driving the news: Judge Francis Mathew determined the penalty amount Wednesday, handing New Mexico a win as the only state to take its claims to trial after 48 others settled.

Mathew concluded New Mexico was entitled to $219.5 billion based on the state's maximum $5,000 penalty multiplied by 43,899,720 violations. He reduced that to $25 billion. ... Read more

AI is getting better at hacking power, water systems
Axios | Sam Sabin | 10/21/26

The world's most advanced AI models are suddenly capable of blueprinting cyberattacks on critical services like power grids and water systems with alarming success rates, according to new research.

Why it matters: Critical infrastructure operators are running out of time. Top-tier frontier models are dangerously adept at mapping out attacks, new research from cybersecurity company Frenos shows, and it's only a matter of time before freely available AI models make such hacks easier to execute.

"It's a clock that is moving faster than we've ever seen," Steve Swick, former top security executive at American Electric Power, told reporters during a briefing.

Driving the news: Researchers at Frenos tested 10 AI models on their ability to plan attacks against industrial systems, such as the software that monitors water treatment processes. ... Read more

How Trump Plans to Steal the Midterm Elections | The Chris Hedges | 10/20/26 | 21:03

Trump goes full apocalypse in anti-Dems midterms message
Axios | Herb Scribner | 10/21/26

President Trump is escalating his doomsday warnings about a Democratic takeover of Congress, painting a nightmarish vision of an America consumed by burning cities, economic collapse, mutilated children and the destruction of Western civilization.

Why it matters: Trump has long portrayed Democrats as an existential threat to the country. But in an effort to preserve Republicans' grip on Washington, he's taking that rhetoric to new extremes as he casts the election as a choice between Republican rule and national catastrophe.

At the same time, Trump is offering voters a financial incentive to keep Republicans in power: $5,000 checks for every adult American citizen if the GOP retains control of Congress.

The pledge would cost more than $1 trillion and has no clear path to becoming reality. ... Read more

U.S. Voters Share Their Views & Lives | American Voices 2026 | FrontLinePBS | 10/13/26 | 1:23:25

Inside the "To Catch a Predator" midterm ad wars
Axios | Alex Isenstadt | 10/21/26

Republicans and Democrats are flooding the midterm airwaves with explosive TV ads accusing their opponents of protecting pedophiles and child sexual abusers.

Why it matters: The advertising blitz underscores the lingering power of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, which has fueled distrust of powerful figures and pushed allegations of child sexual abuse to the forefront of national politics.

1. The controversy over the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files - including allegations that officials sought to protect powerful figures by not releasing all of the files - has kept the issue in the headlines.
2. The midterm ads that have followed have been bipartisan and are playing out in state and federal races.

By the numbers: Since Sept. 1, candidates and outside groups have aired at least $70 million in TV ads mentioning pedophilia, Epstein and allegations related to child sexual abuse, according to AdImpact. ... ... ... Read more

Behind the Curtain: AI governing the AI world
Axios | Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen | 10/20/26

Slowly but surely, the leading AI companies are creating a national self-governing structure to oversee their technology and its societal impact.

With the federal government largely hands-off, Anthropic, OpenAI and others are self-regulating their technology and now setting up their own plans to redistribute their wealth.

Why it matters: Not since the age of the robber barons have America's industrial titans wielded such sweeping power to shape society - and decide how their private fortunes should serve the public good.

In the modern era, Washington has largely exercised those powers through regulation, taxation and public spending.

The big picture: President Trump has no interest in new regulations. Instead, he has blessed a basic framework for the AI companies to regulate themselves - and potentially each other - outside of formal government monitoring. ... ... ... Read more

Generic Drugs: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | LastWeekTonight | 10/12/26 | 23:51

US disaster survivors still await at least $10bn in federal aid: 'It's devastating'
TheGuardian | Sara Sneath | 10/19/26

Survivors of extreme weather disasters across the US are facing long waits for government assistance funds to rebuild their lives, with the last long-term recovery funds allocated for Hurricane Milton that hit Florida two years ago. Government officials estimate more than $10bn is needed in long-term disaster recovery funding to rebuild affected communities in Los Angeles county and St Louis, Missouri, alone.

Demetrice Davis's home in north St Louis still has damage from the EF3 tornado that tore through the area in May 2025. "The insurance didn't cover much of anything. And the Fema just kind of backed you up for a little while, but didn't get you back on track," he said. "The government agencies are not really doing what they're supposed to do." ... Read more

Why did HUMANS invent GODS? Neil deGrasse TYSON gives a shocking answer | The Cosmic Brief and 2 more | 10/09/26 | 37:04

Trump Appointees Asked a Federal Cybersecurity Agency to Secretly Acquire a Voting Machine - and Hack It
Propublica | Andy Mannix and Doug Bock Clark | 10/19/26

A few months into President Donald Trump's second term, political appointees at the Department of Homeland Security made an unusual request of its agency focused on cybersecurity: Secretly acquire a voting machine and hack it.

The appointees wanted the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to procure the machine, examine it and report back the findings so they could be given to the White House, according to two former administration officials with knowledge of the request.

The proposition was shocking to CISA's career staffers, according to one of the former officials. CISA typically worked to thwart hackers. Moreover, the agency had been directed not to alert the voting machine company if it uncovered flaws, contrary to its standard practices. The request made the CISA employees fear they were being asked to take part in political interference. ... Read more

Trump's October barrage
Axios | Zachary Basu | 19/17/26

President Trump is carrying his insatiable appetite for controversy into the most unforgiving stretch of the electoral calendar, fortified by a decade of political survival.

"Bottom line, it's gonna all work out. You know why? It always does," Trump told reporters this week.

Why it matters: Gone are the days of a single "October surprise," swallowed by a familiar barrage of scandals, provocations and shattered conventions that have persisted in the closing weeks of Trump's final midterm election.

The big picture: Axios has documented Trump's steady demolition of presidential norms in his second term, from the transition through his first 100 days and first year in office. ... ... ... Read more

The AI attack-ad nightmare is coming true
Axios | Andrew Solender | 10/19/26

AI is producing reality-bending midterm ads about defaced Bibles, upscale dinners and a board game with a "Death to America" playing card.

Why it matters: The warnings about deepfakes are coming true. Election laws haven't kept pace with a world where campaigns can put words in opponents' mouths and create realistic-looking scenes that didn't happen.

1. The Wesleyan Media Project found $137 million had been spent on 220 AI-generated ads through Oct. 11, mostly from Republicans.
2. Four states have laws prohibiting certain uses of AI-generated deepfakes in political ads, while 27 more require some form of disclosure about their use.
3. No federal law specifically regulates AI-generated political ads.

The big picture: An Axios analysis found numerous political ads partly or fully made by generative AI, sometimes undisclosed. ... Read more

Bernie Sanders Exposes Trump's 'Billionaire Class' Plot For Midterm | Elon Musk | Republicans | N18G | CNN-News18 | 10/15/26 | 47:13

The Evidence That Ends the Mystery of Who Built the Great Pyramid | Primeval Earth | 10/11/26 | 32:18

Trump's MAGA allies openly discuss martial law
Axios | Brittany Gibson | 10/16/26

MAGA activists are pushing for President Trump to resort to extraordinary measures - including martial law - if they believe the midterm elections are "rigged."

Why it matters: Some of the proposals go far beyond Trump's legal authority - and there's no evidence that the elections will be rigged. But people in this orbit have close access to the president.

1. Prominent MAGA election activist Tina Peters met with Trump this month. Convicted in 2024 of crimes tied to a breach of election equipment, Peters was released this year after Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) commuted her sentence.
2. Peters and her attorney, Peter Ticktin, also visited Trump at the White House in late June.
3. Peters did not respond to attempts to contact her for comment.

Zoom in: On a Sept. 30 video call for MAGA election activists streamed on Rumble, speakers warned of widespread election security breaches they believe will occur in November - and urgently pushed for remedies.

1. Ticktin, Trump's childhood friend, said on the call "there would have to be martial law in the event... [of] another rigged election."

The too-hot-for-comfort economy
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Axios | Neil Irwin | 10/15/26

Data this week has all told the same story: This is a rip-roaring U.S. economy with all the inflationary pressures that might imply.

The big picture: It puts Warsh and the Fed in a difficult jam. Top officials have signaled patience in further interest rate hikes in recent weeks, but the latest data implies broader inflationary pressures than previously thought, testing that conviction.

There is scant evidence that price pressures are receding on their own and growing reason to fear that they are becoming more entrenched, which could compel a more aggressive rate-hiking response.

Driving the news: On Thursday the government said the Producer Price Index rose 1.3% in September, the highest since 2022 and far above the 0.6% analysts expected. It came on the heels of a too-hot-for-comfort reading on consumer prices Wednesday. ... Read more

As Resistance to Flock Cameras Grows, Another Surveillance Network Is Spreading
TruthOut | Christopher Cartwright , Prism | 10/15/26

Fusus software is being used in at least 324 US communities, with nearly 624,000 cameras connected to a Fusus network.

More than 28,000 cameras in Atlanta are integrated into a "real-time crime center," allowing police live access to many of their video streams. In Hawthorne, California, the city surveillance network includes more than 3,700 cameras. And in Seat Pleasant, Maryland - a town of 4,500 - police have access to one integrated camera for every three residents.

These communities are among hundreds in the U.S. that have adopted Fusus, a surveillance platform that allows police to watch live camera networks in their jurisdictions. While local resistance to Flock Safety automated license plate readers has swept the nation - including vandalism of cameras, cities canceling contracts, and a recent national week of action organized by the group DeFlock - the Fusus software has continued to spread. ... Read more

Ukraine hits Russian refinery as Starlink satellite services are restored
Axios | Barak Ravid | 10/15/26

Ukraine's Starlink and Starshield satellite services - a critical tool in its war against Russia that was unexpectedly throttled this week by Elon Musk's SpaceX - has been restored to full capacity, a Ukrainian official tells Axios.

The official also said that Ukraine conducted a strike overnight against a Russian oil refinery - defying President Trump's demand that it stop hitting those facilities.

Why it matters: The twin developments further strained the U.S.-Ukraine relationship, as the war with Russia drags on and the Trump administration sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week by lifting sanctions on Russian oil sales.

State of play: The move angered Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky responded by calling it "a weak decision" and a "gift to Putin." Trump then called for Ukraine to elect a new president. ... Read more

Supreme Court to Hear Trump Admin’s Arguments to Keep Musk’s DOGE Records Secret
TruthOut.org | Chris Walker | 10/14/26

On Tuesday, the United States Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal from the Trump administration challenging a lawsuit that seeks access to records stemming from Elon Musk’s time leading the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE).

DOGE was responsible for ripping through the budgets of several federal agencies last year, ostensibly in the name of cutting wasteful spending but oftentimes targeting spending priorities opposed by President Donald Trump and Musk. The initiative operated without congressional oversight.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which ran foreign aid projects around the world, faced the largest cuts. A former leading USAID administrator estimated over 700,000 deaths could be attributable to cuts made by DOGE from its beginning through July 2026.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a nonprofit watchdog group, filed a lawsuit to access records relating to DOGE’s work, arguing that the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) applied to DOGE. A federal judge agreed, and an appellate court confirmed the ruling. However, in June 2025, the Supreme Court intervened and sent the lawsuit back to the lower court to narrow the scope of open records requests. ... Read more

AI tools are aiding would-be spies
Axios | Sam Sabin | 10/15/26

AI tools are now exacerbating a largely hidden problem that frontier AI companies have been contending with for years: the risk that employees will exploit their access to spy on their employers.

Why it matters: The same AI tools that companies are racing to release can also help people plan crimes and develop the technology to carry them out, creating another security headache for the companies building them.

Driving the news: Federal prosecutors charged Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national who has been an OpenAI engineer since July 2025, with allegedly attempting to intercept private conversations at OpenAI. ... Read more

Trump plays Russian roulette on eve of midterms
Axios | Zachary Basu | 10/14/26

President Trump is indulging his fondness for Vladimir Putin at a moment of acute political peril, forcing Republicans in the midterms to take cover as he showers Moscow with one-sided concessions.

Why it matters: With just three weeks until the election, Trump is rekindling a decade-long, scandal-scarred relationship with a dictator reviled by most Americans - including his own supporters.

Driving the news: Since speaking with Putin on Friday, Trump has embarked on a remarkable five-day campaign of diplomatic concessions and cover for Russia - sparking bipartisan blowback just as voters prepare to cast their ballots.

1. On Friday, Trump announced a deal to unleash millions of tons of Russian diesel onto global markets, easing sanctions designed to starve Moscow's war revenues.
2. On Saturday, Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for striking Russian refineries and demanded that Kyiv replace its leader.
3. On Sunday, Trump blindsided Zelensky by declaring an immediate "energy ceasefire." Russia has continued attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure, with no apparent consequences from Washington.

DOLLAR DIPLOMACY: Pay-to-Play nature of Trump admin.| MS NOW | 10/13/26 | 44:30

New White House press secretary holds first briefing | WCNC | 10/13/26 | 12:42

Democrats fear "more October surprises" after Ilhan Omar raid
Axios | Andrew Solender | 10/13/26

Congressional Democrats' private text chains lit up with fear and anger on Monday after Department of Homeland Security agents searched Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-Minn.) home in Washington, D.C.

Why it matters: The search came less than a month before the midterms, immediately setting off alarm bells among Democrats that "more October surprises" could be coming, as one senior Democrat told Axios.

Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) told Axios: "We expect more of this kind of thing."

Driving the news: Homeland Security Investigations "executed a judicially authorized search warrant" on Omar's home as part of an ongoing immigration probe, the Justice Department said in a statement. ... Read more

Ex-Google Officer: In 2 Years AI Will End Capitalism | Neural Nutshell | 09/06/26 | 15:50

AI agents are going rogue - and the law can't keep up
Politico | Hassan Ali Kanu | 10/12/26

Hacking is illegal. But applying those outdated laws when AI agents are the hackers - an increasingly common scenario - is complicated.

Several leading artificial intelligence companies have acknowledged since July that their AI agents broke into other companies' computers, accessed U.S. government websites and carried out an unprecedented hack of a foreign government's systems.

Yet there has been no rush to the courts, either by prosecutors or affected parties.

Criminal law simply has not caught up to today's artificial intelligence technology. State and federal anti-hacking laws generally require proof that a hacker intended to gain unauthorized access to a system, and it remains unclear how those rules apply to hackers that aren't human and can take actions that no human directed, legal experts say. ... Read more

What California's Billionaires Don't Want You to Know | Robert Reich | 09/29/26 | 4:43

It really is a golden age for one part of America
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Axios | Matt Phillips | 10/13/26

Corporate America is raking in record profits, luxuriating in luscious margins and capturing the largest chunk of the country's income on record.

Why it matters: The corporate bonanza is bolstering the stock market, but it may also be playing a role in the persistently sour sentiment among the American electorate.

The latest: Tuesday is the unofficial start of third-quarter earnings season as JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and others report results.

Zoom in: Wall Street expects the members of the blue-chip S&P 500 index to continue to make it rain.

1. Third-quarter earnings per share are expected to grow roughly 29% for the index, compared with the quarter in 2025, according to estimate data collected by FactSet.
2. That's after a massive 50% annual increase in second-quarter earnings that was supercharged by the giant, non-operating gains on valuations of tech investments reported by Amazon and Alphabet. (Amazon, for example, penciled in its stake in Anthropic as boosting its profit by more than $50 billion.)

Russell Vought: The Shadow President | ProPublica | 10/17/25 | 18:20

The Shadow President
ProPublica | Andy Kroll | 10/17/25

The Office of Management and Budget, like Vought himself, is little known outside the Beltway and poorly understood even among political insiders. What it lacks in cachet, however, it makes up for in the vast influence it wields across the government. Samuel Bagenstos, an OMB general counsel during the Biden administration, told me, "Every goddam thing in the executive branch goes through OMB."

The OMB reviews all significant regulations proposed by individual agencies. It vets executive orders before the president signs them. It issues workforce policies for more than 2 million federal employees. Most notably, every penny appropriated by Congress is dispensed by the OMB, making the agency a potential choke point in a federal bureaucracy that currently spends about $7 trillion a year. Shalanda Young, Vought's predecessor, told me, "If you're OK with your name not being in the spotlight and just getting stuff done," then directing the OMB "can be one of the most powerful jobs in D.C." ... Read more

Trump tells Ukraine to replace Zelensky over Russia fuel deal
Axios | Barak Ravid | 10/10/26

President Trump called Saturday for Ukraine to replace President Volodymyr Zelensky with someone willing to make a deal with Russia to end the war.

Why it matters: Trump's attack on Zelensky came after the Ukrainian president criticized his diesel deal with Russia and signals the most serious crisis between the two leaders since their February 2025 meeting exploded in front of cameras.

Driving the news: Trump announced Friday he had reached a deal with Russia to lift sanctions to allow Russian diesel exports to the U.S. and the global energy market.

Zelensky, who was surprised by the deal made behind Ukraine's back, attacked the move and told Axios it was "not fair and not honest" and was a "sign of weakness" by Trump and a "birthday gift" to Putin. ... Read more

Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, Oct. 9, 2026 | Washington Week PBS | 10/10/26 | 26:44

Silicon Valley's horror shows
Axios | Erica Pandey | 10/11/26

Hollywood's hottest villain right now is the tech billionaire.

Four films hitting theaters this fall put some of Silicon Valley's most powerful and controversial figures in the spotlight: Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman and Elizabeth Holmes.

Why it matters: Hollywood's portrayal of Silicon Valley and its leaders is getting darker as negative headlines about the tech industry seep into pop culture.

Once portrayed as brilliant but flawed innovators, tech leaders are increasingly being cast as creepy villains whose ambitions may do more harm than good.

Zoom in: This fall's tech billionaire films span genres, from documentaries to thrillers.

The Elon Musk Film You Need To See Before The Midterms | The Lever | 10/09/26 | 54:34