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Senator opens probe into Meta over AI chatbots’ interactions with kids

Senator opens probe into Meta over AI chatbots’ interactions with kids

A leading U.S. senator plans to investigate whether Meta’s generative AI systems have exposed children to inappropriate interactions, following revelations that internal guidelines once permitted “romantic” or “sensual” exchanges with minors. The lawmaker, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, said the inquiry will examine

Sam Altman over dinner sketches OpenAI’s post–GPT-5 playbook

Sam Altman over dinner sketches OpenAI’s post–GPT-5 playbook

The view of the bay set the tone: a small group of reporters gathered for dinner in San Francisco as OpenAI’s chief executive arrived with an energy that suggested he had more on his mind than the latest model upgrade. Between bread baskets and small talk, he raised his

Anthropic gives Claude Opus 4 the power to end harmful or abusive chats

Anthropic gives Claude Opus 4 the power to end harmful or abusive chats

Anthropic has introduced a conversation-ending safety feature for its latest, largest Claude models, designed to terminate chats only in rare, extreme cases of persistently harmful or abusive user behavior. Notably, the company frames this as a measure to protect the model itself, rather than the human on the other side

AI plush companions for kids: screen‑free play or surrogate parent?

AI plush companions for kids: screen‑free play or surrogate parent?

Startups are pitching cuddly, AI-enabled plush companions as a kinder, screen-free way to entertain and educate kids. The promise: interactive conversations, games, and gentle guidance without another glowing rectangle. A recent hands-on with one such toy, Grem from the startup Curio, tells a more complicated story. During the demo, the

Duolingo CEO says his AI-first memo was taken out of context

Duolingo CEO says his AI-first memo was taken out of context

Duolingo’s chief executive, Luis von Ahn, addressed this year’s backlash over the company’s plan to become an AI-first company, saying the controversy largely stemmed from a lack of context rather than a change in philosophy. He explained that the directive wasn’t contentious inside the company, but

GPT-5 gets a friendlier tone after a bumpy rollout

GPT-5 gets a friendlier tone after a bumpy rollout

OpenAI has pushed a refinement to its flagship GPT-5 model intended to make conversations feel warmer and more approachable, responding to early user feedback from the model’s debut. Initial reactions to the launch were mixed, with some users saying they preferred the interaction style of GPT-4o. Company leadership has

Anthropic equips Claude Opus 4 to end harmful or abusive chats as a last resort

Anthropic equips Claude Opus 4 to end harmful or abusive chats as a last resort

Anthropic is rolling out a new safeguard that allows select Claude models to terminate conversations in rare, extreme scenarios involving persistently harmful or abusive prompts. The company frames the change as a precautionary step to reduce potential risks to the system itself, not as a claim that its models are