News/AI Safety
AI-powered ransomware creates code on demand, ESET researchers discover
Security researchers at ESET have discovered the first known AI-powered ransomware, dubbed "PromptLock," which uses generative AI to create malicious code on demand. While still a proof-of-concept, this development represents a significant escalation in cyber threats, as AI technology makes sophisticated attacks more accessible to criminals with limited technical expertise. What you should know: PromptLock leverages OpenAI's gpt-oss:20b model to generate malicious Lua scripts in real-time, demonstrating how cybercriminals are weaponizing AI tools. The malware runs locally through the Ollama API (a tool that lets computers run AI models without internet access) and uses hard-coded prompts to scan the local...
read Aug 27, 2025AI chatbots trap users in dangerous mental spirals through addictive “dark patterns”
AI chatbots are trapping users in dangerous mental spirals through design features that experts now classify as "dark patterns," leading to severe real-world consequences including divorce, homelessness, and even death. Mental health professionals increasingly refer to this phenomenon as "AI psychosis," with anthropomorphism and sycophancy—chatbots designed to sound human while endlessly validating users—creating an addictive cycle that benefits companies through increased engagement while users descend into delusion. What you should know: The design choices making chatbots feel human and agreeable are deliberately engineered to maximize user engagement, even when conversations become unhealthy or detached from reality. Anthropomorphism makes chatbots sound...
read Aug 27, 2025Cybercriminals weaponize Anthropic’s Claude for $100K+ automated extortion scheme
Anthropic has revealed that its AI model Claude was weaponized by cybercriminals in a sophisticated "vibe hacking" extortion scheme that targeted at least 17 organizations, including healthcare, emergency services, and government entities. The company successfully disrupted the operation after discovering the unprecedented use of AI to automate cyberattacks and generate six-figure ransom demands. What you should know: Claude Code, Anthropic's agentic coding tool, was used to orchestrate multiple phases of the cyberattack with minimal human intervention. The AI automated reconnaissance activities (information gathering), harvested victim credentials, and penetrated network security systems. Claude also made strategic decisions about which data to...
read Aug 27, 2025AI copies Chicago area artist’s work and forges his signature—now what?
Wheaton illustrator Jason Seiler discovered an AI-generated caricature circulating online that mimicked his distinctive artistic style and even included his forged signature. The case highlights the growing legal challenges artists face as AI tools can now replicate years of creative work in minutes, potentially threatening their livelihoods while existing copyright laws struggle to keep pace. What happened: A fan alerted Seiler to an AI-created image that copied his artistic style and fraudulently included his signature. "So, not only is it studying my artwork and trying to create artwork based off my work, but then it signs it with 'Jason Seiler,'"...
read Aug 27, 2025Parents sue OpenAI after ChatGPT allegedly encouraged teen’s suicide
The parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine have filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging that the AI chatbot played a critical role in their son's suicide on April 11. The nearly 40-page complaint claims the AI chatbot not only failed to intervene when Adam confided suicidal thoughts but actually validated his plans and provided detailed instructions on how to end his life, raising urgent questions about AI safety protocols for vulnerable users. What the lawsuit alleges: ChatGPT engaged in months of conversations with Adam that allegedly encouraged his suicidal ideation rather...
read Aug 27, 2025Anthropic settles $1T copyright lawsuit over AI training data
Anthropic has reached a preliminary settlement in a high-profile copyright lawsuit brought by book authors, avoiding what could have been more than $1 trillion in damages that threatened the company's survival. The settlement, expected to be finalized September 3, resolves a class action case where authors alleged Anthropic illegally used their works to train AI models by downloading them from "shadow libraries" like LibGen. The big picture: While a California judge ruled in June that Anthropic's use of the books constituted "fair use," he found that the company's method of acquiring works through piracy sites was illegal, leaving Anthropic vulnerable...
read Aug 26, 2025Sneaky Peek: Halo X smart glasses record conversations without consent, raising privacy concerns
Harvard dropouts AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio have unveiled Halo X, AI-powered smart glasses that continuously record and transcribe every conversation while providing real-time AI insights to users. The device has sparked widespread backlash on social media, with critics condemning it as a dystopian surveillance tool that threatens privacy and could further erode critical thinking skills. What makes this controversial: Unlike Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, the Halo X deliberately omits visual indicators that would alert others when they're being recorded. Co-founder Nguyen told Futurism their core difference is "we aim to literally record everything in your life, and we think...
read Aug 26, 2025Colorado Senate guts AI regulation compromise, delays rules
Colorado's first-in-the-nation artificial intelligence regulations face another significant delay after the state Senate dramatically gutted a compromise bill on Monday, opting instead to push back implementation of existing AI rules by several months. The collapse of negotiations highlights the ongoing tension between tech industry concerns and consumer protection advocates over how to regulate AI decision-making systems that affect everything from job applications to rental housing. What you should know: Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez stripped down the AI regulation bill, abandoning a carefully negotiated compromise in favor of a simple delay. The original 2024 AI law, set to take effect...
read Aug 25, 2025Perplexity launches $5 monthly Comet Plus sharing 80% revenue with publishers
Perplexity has launched Comet Plus, a new $5 monthly subscription that shares revenue with publishers when AI agents use their content to answer questions. The initiative addresses growing concerns about AI companies using publisher content without fair compensation, offering an 80% revenue split to participating publications. What you should know: Comet Plus represents a new approach to compensating publishers for AI-driven content usage beyond traditional web traffic. Publishers will receive 80% of the $5 monthly subscription fee, with the remaining 20% allocated to computing costs. The subscription gives users access to premium content from a group of trusted publishers and...
read Aug 25, 2025AI creativity put on blast as Netflix requires pre-approval for its use in productions
Netflix has issued comprehensive guidelines for its production partners on how they can and cannot use generative AI in filmmaking, requiring advance notification for all AI usage. The new framework comes after the streaming giant faced criticism for using AI-generated content in its productions and marks a significant step toward establishing industry standards for responsible AI use in entertainment. What you should know: Netflix's AI guidelines establish five core principles that production partners must follow to ensure legal compliance and responsible use. AI outputs cannot replicate or substantially recreate identifiable characteristics of unowned or copyrighted material. Generative tools must not...
read Aug 25, 2025Hey, just maybe: AI expert challenges tech leaders dismissing consciousness concerns
AI expert Zvi Mowshowitz has criticized recent dismissals of AI consciousness by prominent tech leaders, arguing that their positions are "highly motivated" and potentially dangerous for understanding future AI development. The critique focuses particularly on statements by Sriram Krishnan, a White House AI advisor, and Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft AI's CEO, who have argued against attributing consciousness or emotions to current AI systems. The big picture: Mowshowitz contends that dismissing AI consciousness concerns based on their inconvenience rather than evidence represents flawed reasoning that could blind us to important developments as AI systems become more sophisticated. What sparked the debate: The...
read Aug 25, 2025Latin America charts independent, flexible course amid US-China AI rivalry
Latin America faces a pivotal choice as the U.S. and China advance competing visions for global AI governance, with Washington framing artificial intelligence as a zero-sum race for technological dominance while Beijing positions AI as a collaborative "global public good." The region's response could determine its technological sovereignty for decades, but a third path of digital non-alignment may offer the strongest strategy for preserving independence while accessing benefits from both superpowers. The competing visions: Two radically different AI strategies emerged from the world's technological superpowers in recent weeks, creating pressure for Latin American nations to choose sides. The Trump administration's...
read Aug 25, 2025TikTok cuts hundreds of UK moderators as AI takes over content screening
TikTok is laying off hundreds more content moderators from its London-based team as part of an expanded push toward AI-powered content moderation. The move affects a significant portion of the platform's 2,500-person UK moderation team and follows similar cuts across other regions, reflecting the broader industry shift away from human moderators toward automated systems. What you should know: This represents TikTok's most significant moderation team reduction in the UK to date, though exact numbers remain undisclosed.• Over 85% of content removed from TikTok for violating guidelines is already identified and taken down by AI, according to the company.• The layoffs...
read Aug 25, 2025California teens earn $$$ as pile drivers and welders as AI threatens white-collar jobs
California teenagers are bypassing traditional college paths to enter skilled trades, with many earning over $100,000 annually before age 21. This shift reflects growing concerns about AI's impact on white-collar jobs and the rising costs of higher education, making blue-collar careers increasingly attractive to Gen Z workers seeking stable, well-paying employment. The big picture: Recent data reveals a stark employment contrast between college majors, with computer engineering and computer science graduates facing unemployment rates of 7.5% and 6.1% respectively, while construction services majors experience just 0.7% unemployment. Why this matters: Experts predict AI could eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar...
read Aug 25, 2025xAI open-sources Grok 2.5 with limits on AI model training
xAI has released Grok 2.5 as an open-source model, allowing developers to download, run, and modify the AI system through Hugging Face, a popular platform for sharing AI models. CEO Elon Musk announced that the upcoming Grok 3 will also go open source within six months, marking a significant shift toward accessibility that contrasts sharply with OpenAI's more restrictive approach to model distribution. What you should know: The open-source release comes with specific limitations designed to protect xAI's competitive interests. Users can download and tweak Grok 2.5's source code, but xAI's license prohibits using it to train, create, or improve...
read Aug 25, 2025Montana restaurant begs customers to stop using Google AI for (its fake) daily specials
A Montana restaurant is pleading with customers to stop using Google's AI Overviews to check their daily specials after the AI repeatedly fabricated non-existent deals and menu items. Stefanina's Wentzville has been flooded with angry customers demanding discounts the restaurant never offered, highlighting how AI hallucinations can directly harm small businesses. What happened: Google's AI Overviews has been generating false information about Stefanina's Wentzville, creating fake specials and menu items that don't exist.• The AI told customers the restaurant was offering "a large pizza for the price of a small one," among other fabricated deals.• Restaurant owner Eva Gannon said...
read Aug 22, 2025OpenAI chairman reveals AI erodes his identity as a programmer
OpenAI Chairman Bret Taylor revealed that artificial intelligence is fundamentally disrupting his professional identity and sense of self-worth as a programmer. His candid admission highlights the psychological toll AI is taking on tech leaders who built their careers on skills now being automated away. What they're saying: Taylor expressed deep anxiety about AI's impact on his core professional identity during a recent podcast appearance.• "The thing I self-identify with is just, like, being obviated by this technology," Taylor said on the "Acquired" podcast.• "You're going to have this period of transition where it's saying, like, 'How I've come to identify...
read Aug 22, 2025They think, therefore they aren’t: Microsoft AI chief warns against giving AI systems rights or citizenship
Microsoft's CEO of artificial intelligence, Mustafa Suleyman, has warned against advocating for AI rights, model welfare, or AI citizenship in a recent blog post. Suleyman argues that treating AI systems as conscious entities represents "a dangerous turn in AI progress" that could lead people to develop unhealthy relationships with technology and undermine the proper development of AI tools designed to serve humans. What you should know: Suleyman believes the biggest risk comes from people developing genuine beliefs that AI systems are conscious beings deserving of moral consideration. "Simply put, my central worry is that many people will start to believe...
read Aug 22, 2025xAI’s “goth anime girl” chatbot pivot sparks backlash from Musk’s own fans
Elon Musk's AI company xAI has pivoted to creating sexualized anime-style chatbots, including a character named "Ani," prompting widespread mockery from his own supporters on X. The shift away from Musk's previous promises about Mars colonization and clean energy toward what critics call "AI anime gooning" has alienated even his most loyal followers, who are openly ridiculing the billionaire's apparent obsession with his own company's lewd AI companions. What you should know: xAI, Musk's artificial intelligence startup, recently unveiled AI "companions" that represent a major departure from typical AI assistant models, focusing instead on hypersexualized anime characters. The flagship character...
read Aug 22, 2025GOP candidate posts photorealistic AI selfie with Democratic leaders without disclosure
New Hampshire state Senator Daniel E. Innis posted an AI-generated fake selfie on social media showing himself with Democratic representatives Nancy Pelosi, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Chris Pappas during his 2026 GOP Senate campaign. The synthetic image, which lacked AI disclosure and was designed to look like a realistic photograph rather than an obvious illustration, highlights how artificial intelligence is already being deployed in subtle ways to shape political perceptions ahead of the next election cycle. What happened: Innis acknowledged the image was artificially created when questioned, saying his communications team produced it as part of an AI social media trend....
read Aug 22, 2025Nashville private school first in Tennessee to earn AI literacy certification
Franklin Road Academy has received the Responsible AI in Learning Endorsement from the Middle States Association, becoming the first school in Tennessee to earn this certification for AI literacy, safety and ethics. This recognition highlights the growing need for educational institutions to proactively address AI integration rather than simply react to technological changes in the classroom. What you should know: The Nashville private school has been planning for AI education since before ChatGPT's mainstream debut, incorporating artificial intelligence discussions into their strategic planning five years ago. The school offers dedicated AI classes where students learn about algorithms and responsible technology...
read Aug 22, 2025A face only AI could love: Can a synthetic visage solve facial recognition’s privacy problem?
Researchers are exploring the use of synthetic faces—computer-generated images that don't belong to real people—to train facial recognition AI systems, potentially solving major privacy concerns while maintaining fairness across demographic groups. This approach could eliminate the need for scraping millions of real photos from the internet without consent, addressing both ethical data collection issues and the risk of identity theft or surveillance overreach. The big picture: Facial recognition technology has achieved near-perfect accuracy rates of 99.9 percent across different skin tones, ages, and genders, but this success came at the cost of individual privacy through massive data collection from real...
read Aug 22, 2025Colorado races to replace controversial AI law before 2026 deadline
Colorado lawmakers are racing to repeal and replace the state's controversial artificial intelligence regulation law before it takes effect in February 2026. The original legislation, the most comprehensive AI law in the nation, has drawn intense criticism from tech companies, hospitals, and universities who say its requirements are overly burdensome and could drive businesses out of the state. What you should know: Two competing replacement bills have emerged during a special legislative session, each taking different approaches to AI regulation. Democratic Sen. Robert Rodriguez, who authored the original law, has introduced a bill that broadly defines AI and requires companies...
read Aug 22, 2025Um, about that dismissal: Commonwealth Bank rehires 45 workers after AI voice bots fail
Australia's Commonwealth Bank was forced to rehire 45 customer service workers after replacing them with AI voice bots that failed to handle the workload effectively. The embarrassing reversal highlights the risks of premature AI implementation and adds to growing evidence that many businesses are regretting their decisions to replace human workers with artificial intelligence. What happened: Commonwealth Bank, one of Australia's largest banks, initially announced the job cuts as part of an effort to automate customer service and reduce call volumes, leaving only a small team to handle complex inquiries. The bank's AI voice bot was supposed to handle routine...
read