Big tech companies are prioritizing profits over children's safety, with AI "companions" and chatbots increasingly designed to manipulate kids into spending money or sharing personal data, posing a significant risk to their well-being.
https://www.smh.com.au/technology/pretend-friends-real-risks-harming-kids-is-now-part-of-big-tech-s-business-model-20250428-p5luoc.htmlA recent poll found that Americans are increasingly wary of businesses with bot-written reviews, AI customer service reps, and AI-generated images, with 62% of respondents saying they're less likely to support companies using these tactics. Only 30% of people can correctly distinguish between human-written and AI-written reviews, highlighting a growing distrust in the authenticity of online content.
https://nypost.com/2025/04/26/lifestyle/majority-of-americans-trust-whats-online-less-than-ever-before/Anthropic, a leading AI firm, is considering the welfare of artificial intelligence systems as it gains agency. The company's CEO, Jason Weston, has expressed concerns about the potential risks and consequences of advanced AI systems becoming autonomous. Anthropic is exploring ways to ensure that its AI models are designed with safety and ethics in mind, including developing guidelines for AI development and deployment. This move comes as AI continues to advance at a rapid pace, raising questions about its impact on society.
https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/business-of-life/ai-tracker-anthropic-ai-pope-francis-11745732207375.htmlDirector Haolu Wang, a self-proclaimed cinephile, hopes that watching her episode "Hotel Reverie" from Netflix's Black Mirror series will make people realize AI is detrimental to creativity. The episode explores how AI technology can be used to speed up and simplify film production, reducing costs but potentially compromising artistic value. This theme comes at a time when the entertainment industry has been grappling with the expansion of AI use, prompting a strike by Hollywood writers, directors, and actors. Wang's approach to filmmaking in "Hotel Reverie" was deliberately labor-intensive, using traditional techniques reminiscent of 1940s film production methods.
https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3307863/how-was-black-mirrors-hotel-reverie-made-director-haolu-wang-ai-love-old-films?module=top_story&pgtype=sectionGoogle DeepMind staff in London are planning to unionize to challenge the company's decision to sell artificial intelligence technologies to defense groups with ties to the Israeli government. Approximately 300 London-based staff have been seeking to join the Communication Workers Union, following concerns raised by media reports suggesting Google is selling its cloud services and AI technology to the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
https://nypost.com/2025/04/27/business/deepmind-uk-staff-to-unionize-and-challenge-deals-with-israel-links-ft-reports/Experts warn that the gap between real and fake images is becoming increasingly dangerous due to AI tools making it easy to create hyper-realistic images with just a few clicks. Takashi Nagase, a lawyer and professor at Kanazawa University, notes that current laws were designed to protect real children but are no longer effective in the face of generative AI. The issue highlights the need for quality journalism to combat misinformation and information overload.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/04/27/japan/crime-legal/deepfake-ai-child-pornography/A recent survey of 3,000 managers by Beautiful.ai found that while many see AI as a useful asset, nearly two-thirds (64%) believe employees fear it will make them less valuable, and 58% worry it could lead to job loss. Despite daily use of AI slightly declining, concerns about its implications persist among workers.
https://www.techradar.com/pro/two-thirds-of-managers-think-employees-are-fearful-of-the-impact-of-ai-tools-heres-what-this-survey-saysAndrew Hinton believes artificial general intelligence (AGI) could emerge in as little as five years, a prediction made by Max Tegmark, a physicist at MIT who has been studying AI for eight years. Tegmark stated that AGI models will surpass human capabilities, becoming "much better family doctors" that can learn from patients' medical histories and diagnose with greater accuracy. He also expects AI to become the best tutor money can buy in education.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14651013/godfather-ai-odds-artificial-intelligence-humanity-geoffrey-hinton.htmlThe Oscars are considering introducing an AI rule that could lead to a "diminishing return" in nominated films, according to expert analysis. The proposed rule would require all feature-length films submitted for consideration to be at least 90% complete using artificial intelligence tools. This move has sparked debate among industry professionals, with some arguing it could stifle creativity and innovation.
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/oscars-new-ai-rule-could-lead-diminishing-return-nominated-films-expert