News/AI Safety
Southern Baptists release AI ministry guide for churches
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) has released a comprehensive guide titled "The Work of Our Hands: Christian Ministry in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," addressing how churches should navigate AI's growing influence across work, life, and relationships. Written by RaShan Frost, the ERLC's director of research, this resource builds on Southern Baptists' pioneering work in AI ethics and provides both theological frameworks and practical ministry applications for congregations grappling with artificial intelligence. Why this matters: As AI becomes increasingly integrated into daily life—from reasoning and decision-making to communications and learning—religious communities need guidance on how these technologies align...
read Sep 25, 2025AI-powered fraud apps surge 300% on iOS, even worse on Android
A new study reveals a dramatic surge in fraudulent mobile apps powered by artificial intelligence, with iOS seeing a 300% increase and Android experiencing a 600% spike in fake applications during 2025. The research from DV Fraud Lab, a digital fraud detection company, highlights how AI tools are enabling cybercriminals to create more convincing fraudulent apps that can bypass traditional app store security measures, targeting both unsuspecting users and advertisers. What you should know: DV Fraud Lab's research shows fraudulent apps are using two primary attack vectors to exploit mobile ecosystems. Fake versions of popular apps like Facebook attempt to...
read Sep 25, 2025AI translations threaten Wikipedia’s vulnerable language editions
AI-generated machine translations have flooded Wikipedia's smaller language editions with error-riddled content, creating a dangerous feedback loop as AI models train on these flawed pages. The problem is particularly acute for vulnerable languages with few native speakers, where up to 60% of Wikipedia articles are now uncorrected machine translations that could accelerate language extinction rather than preserve these cultural treasures. The scale of the problem: Machine-translated content has overwhelmed Wikipedia editions in hundreds of lesser-known languages, with devastating accuracy issues. Volunteers working on four African languages estimate that between 40% and 60% of articles in their Wikipedia editions are uncorrected...
read Sep 25, 2025Legal experts slam Bluebook’s new AI citation rule as confusing
The 22nd edition of The Bluebook, released in May, introduces Rule 18.3 for citing AI-generated content, but legal experts are calling the new citation standard fundamentally flawed and confusing. The Bluebook acts a foundational guide for the legal profession, offering best practices. Critics argue the new rule treats AI as a citable authority rather than a research tool, creating more confusion than clarity for legal professionals navigating AI citations. What the rule requires: Authors must save screenshots of AI output as PDFs when citing generative AI content like ChatGPT conversations or Google search results. The rule has three sections covering...
read Sep 25, 2025California-based singer slams AI-generated Mississippi star’s $3M record deal
Oakland R&B singer Kehlani has publicly criticized the AI-generated artist Xania Monet, who recently secured a $3 million record deal with Hallwood Media after achieving top-five R&B chart success. The controversy highlights growing tensions between human musicians and artificial intelligence in the music industry, as artists grapple with AI's ability to create complete songs and compete for traditional recording contracts. What you should know: Xania Monet is an entirely AI-generated R&B artist created by Mississippi writer Talisha Jones, who feeds lyrics into AI systems to produce both the music and visual appearance. Monet has garnered more than 674,000 monthly listeners...
read Sep 25, 2025Shatner dismisses hospital rumors at 94, warns fans about AI misinformation
William Shatner took to Instagram on Thursday to dispel reports of a medical emergency, posting a photo with the caption "Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated!" The 94-year-old "Star Trek" icon's public reassurance comes after TMZ reported he was hospitalized Wednesday due to blood sugar issues, highlighting ongoing concerns about misinformation in entertainment reporting. What happened: Shatner was reportedly rushed to a Los Angeles hospital Wednesday afternoon after experiencing blood sugar problems at his home. His agent Harry Gold confirmed to TMZ that the actor was transported as a precautionary measure and discharged the same day after monitoring....
read Sep 25, 2025Americans left and right want child protection over AI innovation by 9-to-1 margin, reveals poll
A new YouGov poll reveals overwhelming bipartisan support among Americans for prioritizing child protection over tech industry growth in AI policy, with voters supporting protective measures by a 9-to-1 margin. The findings expose a stark disconnect between public sentiment and ongoing Republican divisions in Congress, where lawmakers remain split between promoting AI innovation and implementing stronger regulations. The big picture: Americans across all age groups, income levels, and political affiliations want Congress to focus on safeguarding children from AI-related harm before fostering tech industry growth. 89% of Trump voters and 95% of Harris voters agree that Congress should prioritize safeguards...
read Sep 25, 2025Spotify removes 75M spam tracks, introduces AI disclosure requirements
Spotify has announced new policies to combat "AI slop" in music streaming, introducing industry-standard AI disclosure requirements, stronger impersonation protections, and automated spam detection. The move comes as the platform removed over 75 million spammy tracks in the past year, with the company warning that harmful AI content "degrades the user experience for listeners and often attempts to divert royalties to bad actors." What you should know: Spotify is implementing three major changes to address AI misuse while maintaining support for legitimate AI-assisted music creation. The platform will use DDEX (Digital Data Exchange), an industry system for identifying and labeling...
read Sep 24, 2025$5.5K AI mural theft in Boston speaks to such art’s power to provoke
A 20-foot AI-generated mural advertising Cambridge's Dx Arcade was stolen in broad daylight from Central Square, sparking heated debate about artificial intelligence's role in street art culture. The theft has brought the contentious discussion over AI-created artwork from online forums directly to the streets, where traditional graffiti artists and AI proponents are clashing over authenticity and artistic legitimacy. What happened: Two suspects ripped the $5,500 banner off a Pearl Street wall on August 31, leaving only mounting studs and torn edges behind. Owner Sean Hope commissioned local artist Brian Life to create the 20-by-10-foot mural using AI over five months,...
read Sep 24, 202540% of workers receive AI-generated “workslop” that takes hours to fix
A new study reveals that workers are increasingly using AI to produce "workslop"—low-quality, AI-generated work that appears legitimate but lacks substance and requires others to fix or redo it. Research from BetterUp Labs, a coaching and development platform, and Stanford Social Media Lab found that 40% of 1,150 surveyed employees received workslop in the past month, with recipients spending nearly two hours cleaning up the mess. What you should know: Workslop represents a fundamental shift in workplace dynamics, where AI tools enable workers to offload cognitive work to their colleagues rather than genuinely improving productivity. The researchers define workslop as...
read Sep 24, 2025Faux pas! French voice actor sues game studio over AI voice cloning in Tomb Raider
French video game developer Aspyr used AI to clone voice actor Françoise Cadol's distinctive performance as Lara Croft without her permission in an August update to "Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered." The incident has ignited widespread concern among voice actors and gaming fans about unauthorized AI voice cloning, highlighting broader workplace automation threats as the technology becomes more accessible and difficult to regulate. What happened: Gamers immediately detected that something was wrong with Lara Croft's French voice in the August 14 update, describing it as robotic and lifeless compared to Cadol's original performance. Cadol, who has voiced the character since 1996,...
read Sep 24, 2025Commerce Department opens probe into medical equipment and robotics imports
The U.S. Commerce Department has opened national security investigations into imports of medical equipment, robotics, and industrial machinery under Section 232 authority. These previously undisclosed probes, initiated on September 2, could lead to significant tariff increases on a broad range of critical goods including personal protective equipment, medical devices, and advanced manufacturing systems. What you should know: The investigations target four key sectors that are considered essential to national security and economic competitiveness.• Personal protective equipment and medical items under scrutiny include face masks, syringes, and infusion pumps.• The robotics category encompasses programmable, computer-controlled mechanical systems used in manufacturing and...
read Sep 24, 2025Humanoid robot takes a stand against engineer behaving aggressively
A viral video showing a robotics engineer violently yanking a humanoid robot by a chain around its neck has sparked widespread social media discussion about robot resilience and potential future uprisings. The footage demonstrates remarkable advances in robotic balance and stability, as the Unitree G1 robot maintains its footing despite aggressive physical disturbances designed to test its adaptive capabilities. What you should know: The disturbing footage was originally shared by Tsinghua University PhD student Zhikai Zhang, who developed the humanoid motion tracker system called Any2Track in collaboration with Galbot, a Chinese robotics company. The video shows the robot stumbling but...
read Sep 24, 2025AI face-swapping turns gay couple straight in Chinese release of horror flick “Together”
A Chinese release of the horror film "Together" starring Dave Franco and Alison Brie used artificial intelligence to digitally alter a gay male character's face into a woman's face, converting a homosexual relationship into a heterosexual one for local audiences. This represents a new frontier in content censorship, where AI technology enables seamless digital manipulation of LGBTQ+ content rather than simply cutting scenes, raising concerns about viewers' ability to detect such alterations. What happened: The horror film "Together," directed by Michael Shanks, was digitally modified using AI face-swapping technology before its Chinese theatrical release. In one scene featuring a gay...
read Sep 24, 2025Companies hire – and rehire – humans to fix AI-generated content flooding the internet
A new irony has emerged in the AI age: while artificial intelligence eliminates millions of jobs, it simultaneously creates hundreds of thousands of new roles for humans whose sole purpose is cleaning up the low-quality content AI generates. This "AI slop"—ranging from glitchy videos to factually incorrect articles—is flooding the internet, forcing companies to hire human specialists to fix what AI creates poorly, often employing the same people who would have originally created the content before AI undercut their roles. What you should know: AI slop represents the industrialized production of low-quality, AI-generated content that mimics legitimate material but lacks...
read Sep 24, 2025When no does in fact mean yes: AI models fail to understand Persian ritual politeness
New research reveals that mainstream AI language models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta fail to understand taarof—a Persian cultural practice of ritual politeness where "no" often means "yes"—correctly navigating these social situations only 34-42% of the time compared to 82% for native Persian speakers. This cultural blindness in AI systems could lead to significant misunderstandings in global business, diplomatic, and social contexts as these models increasingly facilitate cross-cultural communication. What you should know: The study, conducted by Nikta Gohari Sadr of Brock University along with researchers from Emory University, tested major AI models including GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Haiku, Llama 3,...
read Sep 24, 2025Federal judge in Puerto Rico fines lawyers $24K for AI-generated fake citations
A federal judge in Puerto Rico has sanctioned two plaintiffs' lawyers for filing court documents containing at least 55 defective case citations in a FIFA lawsuit, ordering them to pay $24,400 in legal fees to opposing counsel. Chief U.S. District Judge Raúl Arias-Marxuach suggested the attorneys likely used AI to prepare their filings despite their denials, highlighting the growing judicial scrutiny of artificial intelligence misuse in legal practice. What you should know: The sanctioned attorneys, José Olmo-Rodríguez and Ibrahim Reyes, represent the Puerto Rico Soccer League in a lawsuit claiming FIFA, soccer's world governing body, conspired to restrict sanctioned tournaments...
read Sep 24, 2025YouTube’s AI age verification restricts millions of accounts flagged as <18
YouTube has significantly expanded its AI-powered age verification system this week, with numerous users reporting their accounts have been restricted after being flagged as potentially under 18. The widespread rollout marks a major escalation from the limited testing that began in August, as Google leverages artificial intelligence to enforce stricter content controls for younger viewers. What you should know: YouTube's AI system analyzes account activity and longevity to estimate user age, automatically imposing restrictions on accounts it believes belong to minors. The age estimation model uses "a variety of signals such as YouTube activity and longevity of the account," according...
read Sep 24, 2025200+ world leaders demand AI safety consensus by end of 2025
Over 200 world leaders, Nobel laureates, and industry experts have co-signed an open letter demanding international consensus on AI safety measures by the end of 2025. The petition, released during the UN General Assembly, calls for "clear and verifiable red lines" to prevent "universally unacceptable risks" from artificial intelligence development. What they're saying: The letter emphasizes the urgent need for binding international agreements on AI safety protocols.• "An international agreement on clear and verifiable red lines is necessary for preventing universally unacceptable risks," the letter states, adding that safeguards should build upon "existing global frameworks and voluntary corporate commitments." Who...
read Sep 24, 2025California requires AI companies to disclose training data in 2026
California has passed Assembly Bill 2013, requiring generative AI developers to publicly disclose their training data starting January 1, 2026. The Generative Artificial Intelligence Training Data Transparency Act represents one of the most comprehensive U.S. rules on AI disclosure, potentially strengthening copyright lawsuits while raising compliance burdens for companies operating in the state. What you should know: The law mandates detailed public disclosures about datasets used to train AI models, including sources, availability, size, and whether copyrighted or personal data are included. Developers must publish information on their websites about data sources, whether datasets are publicly available or proprietary, their...
read Sep 23, 2025Melania Trump launches children’s AI safety coalition at UN amid Ukraine crisis
Melania Trump announced a new coalition focused on children's well-being and AI safety during a reception for world leaders' spouses at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska attended the event hoping to secure Trump's support for raising awareness about thousands of Ukrainian children taken to Russia during the ongoing war. What you should know: Trump's four-minute appearance marked the launch of her "Fostering the Future Together" initiative, aimed at protecting children through technology safeguards.• The first lady, wearing an off-white Dolce & Gabbana cashmere pantsuit, called on leaders to help impose safeguards on new technology...
read Sep 23, 202530 US hospitals deploy “Robin the Robot” for pediatric care amid AI attachment concerns
Hospitals across the United States are deploying Robin the Robot, a therapeutic AI companion designed to behave like a seven-year-old girl to comfort pediatric patients. The cartoon-faced robot has been implemented in 30 healthcare facilities across California, New York, Massachusetts, and Indiana, offering emotional support to children during medical treatment while raising questions about AI's role in human care. What you should know: Robin combines AI technology with human remote operation to create personalized interactions with young patients. The robot is only 30% autonomous, with the remaining functionality handled by remote teleoperators from Expper Technologies, the company that built Robin...
read Sep 23, 2025Meta’s AI wrongly bans teen rock (climber) star, destroying sponsorship deals
Mitchell Boyer, a 16-year-old rock climber ranked second nationally and seventh globally in speed climbing, has been permanently locked out of his Instagram account after Meta's AI wrongly flagged it for "child exploitation and sexual content." The ban has disrupted his sponsorship deals and international athletic connections, highlighting broader issues with automated content moderation that has affected thousands of users worldwide. What you should know: Boyer used his Instagram account, built over seven years, primarily for athletic promotion and securing sponsorships that helped fund his international climbing career. His sponsors provided equipment like climbing shoes (costing upwards of $250 per...
read Sep 22, 2025Trump deploys AI to automate immigration enforcement with $30M platform
The Trump administration is deploying artificial intelligence at an unprecedented scale to accelerate immigration enforcement, using algorithms to identify deportation targets and streamline operations from raids to detention. The centerpiece is ImmigrationOS, a new Palantir-developed platform launching Thursday that consolidates enforcement tools into a single interface, allowing agents to approve raids, process arrests, and route individuals to deportation—what acting ICE Director Todd Lyons described as "like Prime, but with human beings." What you should know: ImmigrationOS represents a fundamental shift from AI as a support tool to AI as a decision-making guide for immigration enforcement. The $30 million Palantir-built system...
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