California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed multiple bills targeting tech risks to children, including fines up to $1 million per child for negligent social media platforms, a ban on addictive feeds for users under 16, mandatory risk assessments for AI chatbot operators, and an opt-out option for school-issued laptops. Separately, Newsom signed AI oversight measures backed by Anthropic that establish rules for independent safety evaluations of AI models and create a registry of financially independent auditors.
yro.slashdot.org
· 2026-09-11
More than 20 members of Congress voiced support for tighter AI oversight this week following Jacob Coxon's departure from Anthropic, where he warned that companies like Anthropic and OpenAI believe their technology could kill everyone by decade's end. His resignation post drew over 150 million views on X and triggered bipartisan reactions from figures including Rep. Lori Trahan and Rep. Nathaniel Moran, who called for careful but decisive policymaking.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-11
An Instagram executive argued that most users don't actually want their feed shown in strict time order, despite frequent requests for the option. The comment comes as Australian regulators move toward rules that would require platforms to give users control over how their feeds are sorted.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-11
A growing number of members of Congress from both parties are introducing new legislative proposals aimed at regulating powerful AI systems, after years of relatively little action on the issue. The push reflects rising concern in Washington about the potential catastrophic risks posed by advanced AI development.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-11
Governor Gavin Newsom signed more than a dozen bills into law on Thursday aimed at protecting minors online. The measures target addictive design features on social media platforms and impose new restrictions on AI-driven chatbots that interact with children.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-10
An opinion column argues that artificial intelligence development is accelerating faster than society's ability to manage its risks, and calls for a deliberate pause to allow for more careful oversight. The author frames this as a matter of prudence rather than alarmism, suggesting current AI progress lacks sufficient safeguards.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-10
Advocacy group Democratism organized a demonstration outside Poland's digital affairs ministry using about 30 humanoid and quadrupedal robots that marched, held signs, and played pre-recorded chants calling for stricter rules on AI and automation. Organizer Grzegorz Kuliś said the goal was to spotlight how robotics and AI increasingly threaten human jobs, including cognitive work, and to push lawmakers to act before displacement worsens.
techspot.com
· 2026-09-10
Britain's medicines regulator, the MHRA, has published 44 recommendations for overseeing artificial intelligence tools used in healthcare, following input from over 12,000 patients and clinicians. The proposals include ongoing monitoring of AI systems, patient rights to know when AI is used in their care, penalties for developers whose products underperform, and a supervised 'L plate' trial phase for new AI tools.
bbc.co.uk
· 2026-09-10
DeepMind has published the AlphaGenome Atlas, a free online database containing precomputed predictions for every possible single-letter change across the human reference genome—about 9 billion variants. Built on its AlphaGenome model introduced earlier in 2025 and detailed in a January Nature paper, the Atlas lets scientists browse results through a web interface instead of writing code or running the model themselves.
spectrum.ieee.org
· 2026-09-09
Roughly 30 humanoid robots marched and held signs outside Poland's Digital Affairs Ministry in a demonstration organized by the group Democratism. Organizers said the display was meant to illustrate how far robotics and AI have already progressed and to push for faster regulation addressing job losses in cognitive work.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-09
Australia's government unveiled a proposed 'My Feed, My Way' law that would require social media platforms to let users over 16 choose between an algorithm-driven feed or one showing only content from people they follow. Platforms would need to notify users to select a default option, and non-compliance could bring fines up to AU$109.2 million (about $79 million). The bill, headed to Parliament this year, also targets addictive design features in AI chatbots and games aimed at minors.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-08
Thailand's government has asked operators of 49 data centers under construction to voluntarily halt work while officials draft comprehensive legislation covering the industry, according to NESDC secretary-general Danucha Pichayanan. The country currently lacks specific laws for data centers, resulting in loopholes such as facilities being zoned as warehouses next to hospitals, and officials plan to spend about a month drafting rules after gathering data from agencies through September 11.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-09-08
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