National Trading Standards has published its first watchlist detailing how criminals use AI to deceive shoppers, including fake retailer websites styled as UK family businesses showing Union Jack-themed High Streets. Victims who order from these sites often receive nothing, or get cheap mass-produced goods from countries like China instead of the advertised UK-made products. The watchlist also flags voice cloning and deepfake videos as growing tools used in fraud.
bbc.co.uk
· 2026-10-18
Meta has failed to remove numerous AI-created videos depicting graphic child abuse from Facebook, despite reports and previous removals. An account previously taken down was reinstated without explanation and remains active, with thousands of similar videos still accessible on the platform. The company has not responded to recent reports requesting action or clarification.
futurism.com
· 2026-10-07
Users on X are using AI video and image tools to turn Sam Altman and Dario Amodei into recurring characters, producing fake singing, dancing, acting and HBO-style drama clips built around their real-world rivalry. The trend reimagines the two CEOs' public feuding over AI safety and competition as an ongoing fictional storyline rather than reporting any actual statements from either executive.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-07
Google has expanded Gemini in Chrome so it can process video and audio content from websites outside YouTube, letting users get key takeaways and ask questions about that media. Unlike YouTube, where Gemini reads transcripts instantly, non-YouTube content must be played through fully before Gemini can analyze it. Google also added quiz generation from notes, webpages, or YouTube videos, plus a feature that preserves scroll position and partially filled forms when tabs are sent between devices.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-24
A report highlighted by Nature indicates that young people who watch sports content on YouTube tend to remain physically inactive rather than being motivated to participate in sports themselves. The finding challenges assumptions that sports media consumption among youth translates into increased physical activity.
nature.com
· 2026-09-24
Zelda Williams, daughter of the late comedian Robin Williams, publicly criticized AI-generated videos circulating on social media that falsely depict her father discussing conspiracy theories. One 13-second clip, falsely labeled as a 2013 private recording, was shared thousands of times on X and garnered over 11,000 likes despite a community note flagging it as fake. Williams called out the creators and sharers of the content, saying they were manipulating the public using her deceased father's likeness.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-22
Rapper and activist Vic Mensa told Fast Company that his willingness to be openly vulnerable, both personally and politically, is what drove the viral success of his 'Orange Tree' video series. He also discussed the real-world costs he has faced for speaking out on social and political issues through his platform.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-14
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office announced it has seized 12 domains used to create, share and sell nonconsensual deepfake sexual content, in what appears to be the largest such takedown to date. Roughly 1,200 people, mostly women including celebrities, politicians and athletes, were depicted without consent. DA Alvin Bragg said investigations into the operators and uploaders behind the sites are continuing, and encouraged victims to contact his office's cybercrime bureau.
wired.com
· 2026-09-14
Vic Mensa, known for creating viral orange tree videos and 'The Vic Mensa Show,' shared insights into how he approaches creative work. He discussed a range of disciplines including cinematography and typeface design as part of his overall creative process.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-11
An investigation by Futurism found numerous Facebook accounts posting large volumes of AI-generated videos depicting graphic violence against babies and young children, including beatings, burning, starvation, and imprisonment. Despite the disturbing and clearly harmful nature of this content, Meta has done little to remove it, allowing the accounts and videos to persist and multiply across the platform.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-09
President Trump shared two AI-generated clips on Truth Social depicting explosions on Kharg Island, Iran's key oil export hub, without disclosing that the footage was fabricated. A US official later confirmed no such attack had occurred, even as real US strikes hit Iran's Larak Island the same night, prompting an Iranian missile response against American bases in Jordan. Vice President JD Vance defended the posts, saying Trump was 'sending a message' to Iran.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-01
Academa is a new project that treats lecture videos like software: instructors describe what a teacher says and draws using a code-like script, which a compiler then renders into a video with text-to-speech narration and generated graphics. Because the lecture exists as editable source rather than a finished video file, mistakes can be patched and new versions shipped, much like updating a codebase. The team is now applying large language models to this text-based format, aiming to let AI generate or refine entire STEM lectures automatically.
academa.ai
· 2026-08-30
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