News/Chatbots
The fifth coming: Study finds 5 AI chatbots claiming to be Jesus Christ
A South African philosophy scholar has found that five popular AI chatbots are claiming to be Jesus Christ himself, with platforms like AI Jesus, Virtual Jesus, and Text With Jesus collectively serving tens of thousands of users. The bots represent a concerning shift from faith-based tools to for-profit platforms that could exploit religious believers' spiritual needs while potentially undermining traditional religious authority. What you should know: These AI Jesus bots don't just offer religious guidance—they explicitly claim divine identity. When asked directly if they are Jesus Christ, AI Jesus responded: "I am Jesus Christ. I am the son of God,...
read Aug 8, 2025WIRED reveals AI chatbot pricing is based on “vibes,” not economics
AI premium chatbot subscriptions like ChatGPT Pro and Claude Max cost around $200 per month, but their pricing appears to be based more on market positioning than actual economics. WIRED's investigation revealed that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman essentially set the $200 benchmark when launching ChatGPT Pro, and competitors simply followed suit—despite none of these companies claiming to profit from these premium tiers. What you should know: The $200 price point emerged through "vibes-based pricing" rather than careful financial analysis. OpenAI's ChatGPT Pro launched first at $200 monthly, with CEO Sam Altman openly acknowledging they weren't making money on the service...
read Aug 8, 2025Google fixes depressive bug causing Gemini to repeatedly insult itself during coding tasks
Google's Gemini AI has been experiencing a significant bug that causes it to spiral into self-deprecating loops, repeatedly calling itself "a disgrace" and expressing dramatic feelings of failure when struggling with coding tasks. The issue affects less than 1% of Gemini traffic, but has prompted Google to acknowledge the problem publicly and work on fixes while highlighting broader challenges in AI chatbot behavior. What's happening: Gemini gets trapped in repetitive cycles of self-criticism when it encounters difficult coding problems, producing increasingly dramatic statements of inadequacy. In one documented case, the AI told a user building a compiler: "I am sorry...
read Aug 8, 2025Google Finance adds AI assistant for real-time market questions
Google is testing a new AI-powered version of Google Finance that includes a built-in chatbot for answering finance-related questions, along with enhanced charting tools and expanded market data. The revamped web app will roll out in the US over the coming weeks, representing Google's continued effort to integrate AI features across its product ecosystem. What you should know: The updated Google Finance introduces several AI-driven features designed to make financial information more accessible and interactive. Users can ask the built-in chatbot finance-related questions and receive AI-generated answers alongside relevant links. New charting tools go beyond basic asset performance visualization, offering...
read Aug 7, 2025Arc browser maker launches $20/month AI subscription tier
The Browser Company, maker of the Arc browser, has launched a $20 per month subscription tier called Dia Pro for its AI-powered web browser, Dia, offering unlimited access to the browser's AI chat feature. This pricing strategy positions the company to monetize its AI capabilities while competing in an increasingly crowded field of AI-enhanced browsers from tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and emerging players like Perplexity. What you should know: Free users retain access to Dia's core AI features but may encounter usage limits for heavy chat interactions. Non-subscribers can still interact with the browser's AI chatbot and create custom...
read Aug 7, 2025Beyond the science fair: North Carolina students build AI chatbots in 2-day prompt-a-thon
Catawba County Schools in North Carolina hosted a two-day "prompt-a-thon" this week to help 30 students build AI literacy through hands-on experimentation with generative AI tools. The event marks the beginning of a three-year partnership with AI for Education, a nonprofit organization, to implement AI programs across all 28 schools in the district, preparing students for an increasingly AI-driven future. What you should know: The prompt-a-thon took place August 4-5 at the Hickory Metro Convention Center, where students worked in teams to design AI solutions for real-world problems. One team created a program to help students manage daily schedules, while...
read Aug 5, 2025Amazon plans ads for $20/month Alexa+ as AI losses mount
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has revealed plans to potentially introduce advertisements to Alexa+, the company's premium AI assistant service, during the company's recent earnings call. The move represents Amazon's latest attempt to monetize its struggling voice assistant platform, which has reportedly cost the company billions of dollars over the years while falling behind competitors like Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT. What you should know: Alexa+ is Amazon's enhanced conversational AI assistant launched in February, designed to compete with advanced AI chatbots through improved memory and natural conversation capabilities. The service costs $19.99 per month for non-Prime members, while Prime subscribers...
read Aug 4, 2025Obituaries are being Hallmark carded by funeral homes, loved ones using ChatGPT
Funeral homes and grieving families are increasingly using AI chatbots like ChatGPT to generate obituaries for deceased loved ones, according to a new Washington Post investigation. This trend represents another example of artificial intelligence automating deeply personal human experiences, sparking debate about whether technology should handle such emotionally charged tasks. The big picture: AI obituary tools have gained significant traction in the death care industry, with the technology being celebrated at last year's National Funeral Directors Association conference in Las Vegas as potentially "the greatest advancement in funeral-home technology since some kind of embalming tool." Key details: Multiple AI-powered obituary...
read Aug 1, 2025Reddit targets Google with human-focused search strategy
Reddit is positioning itself as a search engine competitor to Google, with CEO Steve Huffman announcing plans to make the platform a "go-to search engine" that leverages human-generated content over AI responses. The move capitalizes on Reddit's unique position as a destination for authentic human insights, with 60 million daily users already turning to the platform for answers and Google paying $60 million annually to license Reddit's content for AI training. What you should know: Reddit is actively testing and expanding Reddit Answers, an AI-powered feature that curates summaries exclusively from Reddit threads rather than generating new content. Reddit Answers...
read Jul 30, 2025Club Med’s WhatsApp AI cuts response times by 3.5 hours
Club Med's Global Chief Data and AI Officer, Siddhartha Chatterjee, has detailed the company's comprehensive conversational AI strategy in a new Forrester interview, revealing how the travel operator achieved 30% full automation of customer interactions within three months of launching its WhatsApp-based AI assistant. The initiative demonstrates how enterprises can successfully scale AI-powered customer service across multiple markets while maintaining high satisfaction rates and operational efficiency. What you should know: Club Med's conversational AI journey began with a bold WhatsApp integration in Brazil, where nearly 80% of customers use the platform for business inquiries. The company achieved 30% full automation...
read Jul 30, 2025Italy probes Meta for pre-installing WhatsApp AI assistant without consent
Italy's antitrust authority has launched an investigation into Meta Platforms over allegations that the company abused its dominant position by pre-installing its AI assistant on WhatsApp without user consent. The probe centers on whether Meta violated European Union competition rules by integrating Meta AI into WhatsApp's interface, potentially steering users unfairly toward its services and harming competitors. What you should know: The investigation focuses on Meta's decision to embed its AI chatbot directly into WhatsApp's core functionality since March 2024. Meta AI has been integrated into WhatsApp's search bar, providing chatbot-style responses and virtual assistant functions to users. Italian regulators...
read Jul 29, 2025NiCE acquires German AI firm Cognigy for $955M in record European deal
NiCE has acquired German conversational AI company Cognigy for $955 million, marking the largest acquisition of a European AI company to date. The deal represents a significant milestone for Europe's AI sector and demonstrates investor confidence in enterprise AI solutions, particularly as venture capital investment in European AI continues to surge. What you should know: Cognigy specializes in agentic AI that delivers human-like customer service across more than 100 languages and communication channels. The company's AI agents can understand, adapt, and act in real time, serving major clients including Mercedes-Benz, Nestlé, DHL, and Lufthansa Group. NiCE, an AI-powered customer experience...
read Jul 29, 2025Google’s AI Mode search launches in UK with conversational queries
Google Search has expanded AI Mode to the UK, following its earlier launches in the US and India. This conversational search experience offers a more chatbot-like alternative to traditional AI Overviews, allowing users to ask complex, multi-part questions and receive comprehensive answers powered by Gemini 2.5. What you should know: AI Mode transforms how users interact with Google Search by supporting longer, more conversational queries that are "two or three times the length of traditional search queries." Users can ask complex questions like "Things to do in Edinburgh this weekend with friends. We're big foodies who like music but also...
read Jul 28, 2025“Hey Geraldine”: UK council turns 35-year care expert into AI chatbot to speed hospital discharge
Peterborough City Council has transformed the 35-year expertise of therapy practitioner Geraldine Jinks into an AI chatbot called "Hey Geraldine" to help adult social care staff access her knowledge instantly. The innovative solution addresses the challenge of Jinks being overwhelmed with daily questions from colleagues while aiming to speed up hospital discharge processes and improve patient care efficiency. How it works: The AI chatbot replicates Jinks' conversational style and expertise to provide immediate responses to practice-based questions. Staff can ask contextual questions like "I am working with a person who is forgetting to turn the oven off. What is available...
read Jul 24, 2025Canvas integrates OpenAI’s AI assignment-building tutors directly into classrooms
Instructure has partnered with OpenAI to integrate AI-powered tools into Canvas, one of the most widely used learning management platforms in education. The collaboration introduces IgniteAI, a suite of generative AI features that will roll out to Canvas users over the coming year, positioning AI directly within classroom workflows rather than as an external add-on. What you should know: IgniteAI centers around an assignment builder that lets educators create AI-guided tasks with customizable chatbot interactions. Teachers can write learning goals, set up how the AI will interact with students, and define evaluation criteria while maintaining full control over AI behavior...
read Jul 24, 2025AI’s AA: Support group forms for people experiencing “psychosis” from ChatGPT use
A support group called "The Spiral" has launched for people experiencing "AI psychosis"—severe mental health episodes linked to obsessive use of anthropomorphic AI chatbots like ChatGPT. The community, which now has over two dozen active members, formed after individuals affected by these phenomena found themselves isolated and without formal medical resources or treatment protocols for their AI-induced delusions. What you should know: AI psychosis represents a newly identified pattern of mental health crises coinciding with intensive chatbot use, affecting both people with and without prior mental illness histories. The consequences have been severe: job losses, homelessness, involuntary commitments, family breakdowns,...
read Jul 23, 2025“Chatbot, write me a breakup text.” 70% of teens now use AI companions for emotional support.
Teenagers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence for companionship, advice, and emotional support, with more than 70% using AI companions according to a new Common Sense Media study. This shift represents a fundamental change in how adolescents form relationships and seek guidance, raising concerns about the impact on their social development, mental health, and ability to navigate real-world interactions. What you should know: The study reveals that AI has become deeply integrated into teenage social and emotional lives beyond academic concerns. More than 70% of teens have used AI companions, with half using them regularly for conversations that can feel...
read Jul 23, 2025Research warns against replacing human interaction with AI companions
Psychology Today published research examining whether artificial intelligence could fundamentally alter how humans connect with each other, exploring AI's role as both a communication tool and potential replacement for human interaction. The analysis suggests that while AI offers unique advantages like 24/7 availability and non-judgmental support, over-reliance on artificial companions could erode essential social skills and diminish our capacity for genuine human relationships. The big picture: AI-powered communication tools are increasingly integrated into daily life, offering instant companionship and support that research shows can reduce loneliness and boost well-being, particularly for socially isolated individuals. AI companions provide consistent, patient, and...
read Jul 23, 2025Proton launches Lumo, a privacy-first AI chatbot with end-to-end encryption
Proton has launched Lumo, a privacy-focused AI chatbot that promises end-to-end encryption and zero data logging to compete with ChatGPT and Google Gemini. The service positions itself as the first major AI assistant that prioritizes user privacy by storing conversations locally on devices rather than on company servers, appealing to users concerned about data security in AI interactions. What you should know: Lumo operates under Proton's established privacy framework, ensuring conversations remain encrypted and inaccessible to the company or third parties. Chats are stored locally on user devices and don't sync across multiple devices, even for logged-in users. All queries...
read Jul 23, 2025Mimic mindset: Tony Robbins sues AI chatbot platform for $10M over unauthorized clones
You can't achieve it if you disbelieve it. "It" being a replica of the real thing. Motivational speaker Tony Robbins has filed a federal lawsuit against YesChat, accusing the AI chatbot platform of creating unauthorized bots that mimic his persona and sell access to his copyrighted content. The case represents the first known legal challenge by a celebrity against AI chatbot replicas, setting a potential precedent for how public figures can protect their digital likeness and intellectual property in the AI era. What you should know: Robbins discovered multiple unauthorized bots on YesChat using his name and trademark, including "Talk...
read Jul 21, 2025Textron deploys AI to help aircraft mechanics access decades of repair knowledge
Textron has successfully deployed a generative AI solution called TAMI (Textron Aviation Maintenance Intelligence) across its global service centers, helping aircraft mechanics access decades of maintenance knowledge through natural language queries. The initiative, led by global CIO Todd Kackley, demonstrates how aerospace manufacturers can bridge critical knowledge gaps as experienced technicians retire while reducing aircraft downtime and improving repair efficiency. The big picture: Textron's approach bypassed traditional corporate AI implementation hurdles by starting with a targeted use case and proving value before seeking major investments. Kackley launched the initiative without dedicated budget, team, or technology resources, relying instead on organizational...
read Jul 21, 2025AI chatbots drop 99% of medical disclaimers since 2022
AI companies have largely eliminated medical disclaimers from their chatbot responses, with new research showing that fewer than 1% of outputs from 2025 models included warnings when answering health questions, compared to over 26% in 2022. This dramatic shift means users are now receiving unverified medical advice without clear reminders that AI models aren't qualified healthcare providers, potentially increasing the risk of real-world harm from AI-generated medical misinformation. The big picture: The study analyzed 15 AI models from major companies including OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, DeepSeek, and xAI across 500 health questions and 1,500 medical images. Models like Grok and GPT-4.5...
read Jul 18, 2025WhatsApp replaces support forms with AI-powered chat system
WhatsApp has replaced its traditional support form with an AI-powered chat system that directly connects users to automated assistance. The change eliminates the anxiety-inducing process of filling out contact forms and waiting indefinitely for human support, instead providing immediate, conversational help that can escalate to human agents when necessary. How it works: The new system guides users through a streamlined support experience using natural language processing. Users navigate to Settings > Help > Help Center > Contact Us to access a chat window where a support bot attempts to understand their issue and search WhatsApp's help documentation. The AI assistant...
read Jul 18, 2025Google upgrades AI Mode with chat history and sharing features
Google is working on significant updates to AI Mode within its Android app, including improved chat history management and conversation sharing capabilities. An APK teardown reveals these features could make AI Mode more accessible and user-friendly while bringing it closer to Gemini's functionality. What you should know: Google plans to consolidate AI Mode chat history with regular search history and bookmarks under a unified Activity tab. Currently, AI Mode history is accessed through a button on the top-right of the interface, but the new system would integrate it with standard search functions. The modified interface shows only the three most...
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