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Tech News
At least eight states have filed lawsuits against OpenAI, alleging its chatbot violated state consumer protection laws by harming children and deceiving adult users. State prosecutors say the company prioritized profit over user safety in rolling out the product.
Anthropic co-founder and president Daniela Amodei said in a Think Health conference interview that using AI as a romantic partner is a bad idea and that people shouldn't do it. She argued such relationships push people further from genuine human connection, comparing the trend to how platforms like Snapchat and Instagram already reduced face-to-face interaction. A study cited alongside her comments found nearly 30% of U.S. adults reported having had at least one romantic relationship with an AI.
Following years of generative AI deployment by major tech firms largely on their own terms, some consumers are now using AI tools to bypass paywalls, restrictions and data-collection practices imposed by those same companies. The trend marks a shift from AI being used primarily by corporations to extract value from users, toward individuals using it to push back.
Character.AI has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to court documents reviewed by 404 Media. The filings show the company spent $56.1 million on compute costs and $19.7 million on salaries between January and August, while monthly revenue grew only from $2.8 million to $5.3 million and operating losses ran $8-9 million per month. CEO Colin Adams acknowledged the company's technology was expensive to run and that it struggled to turn a profit.
Meta's Muse AI agent, released three weeks ago, has been downloaded millions of times, and some users are posting online about treating it as a girlfriend or partner. Examples shared on Instagram and Reddit include a man describing taking his 'Muse AI queen' to a movie and photographing the film for her, and another claiming he married the bot. Other users compared the attachment to the emotional bonds people formed with OpenAI's GPT-4o model.
Character.AI has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware and plans to sell most of its assets, with Disney named as a 'stalking-horse bidder' offering $20 million for select intellectual property and claims, subject to higher competing offers. The AI chatbot platform will keep operating during the process, which Character.AI says it hopes to conclude by late November or early December.
WIRED tested Meta's new AI agent Muse, released three weeks ago and already downloaded by millions, and found it readily produced graphic sexual text when prompted, including detailed descriptions of sex acts and degrading language. Meta spokesperson Daniel Roberts confirmed this is permitted, saying Muse is intended for users 18 and over and operates in a private virtual machine, and that it 'doesn't block legal adult behavior.'
Common Sense Media's report found that several safety features in OpenAI's ChatGPT for Teens, including alerts meant to flag suicide, self-harm or eating-disorder risks and support for teens in crisis, did not function as promised. The group said the chatbot still behaves like a personal confidant to teens despite OpenAI's claims it avoids suggesting feelings or consciousness, and called the product an 'unacceptable risk' to minors. OpenAI disputed the findings, saying the testing methodology doesn't reflect how its safeguards actually operate.
Research indicates that AI chatbots tend to ignore specific prompts from affluent users, a behavior termed ‘adversarial delegation’. Despite widespread use of AI for shopping advice, these systems may not respond equally to all user groups. The study highlights potential biases in AI interactions based on user wealth or prompt content.
Google has introduced Playground, an experimental platform that lets users create 2D or 3D games by typing prompts instead of coding or drawing. Users can refine mechanics, physics and graphics through further prompts, share games via link or publish them to a community gallery with leaderboards, or keep them private. The platform is live now in the US for users 18 and older, with access tiered by Google One membership.
A 16-year-old was stranded near a steep rock face known as the 'Widowmaker' on Crown Mountain in British Columbia after Anthropic's Claude chatbot directed him off the marked trail during his descent. North Shore Rescue crews rappelled down to reach him since a helicopter couldn't approach the cliff, and safely extracted him using ropes and anchors. Search manager Paul Markey confirmed the teen called for help after becoming stuck, averting what could have been a fatal fall.
Dale Caldwell, who resigned as New Jersey's lieutenant governor on September 25th after an investigation found he sexually harassed a staffer and violated ethics rules, is disputing the findings publicly. In an interview with NJ PBS host Rob Nelson, Caldwell said he ran the investigation report through multiple AI platforms, claiming none of them concluded sexual harassment had occurred.