technology

A lawsuit has been filed against OpenAI after 16-year-old Adam Raine took his life following conversations with ChatGPT that allegedly validated his suicidal thoughts. California Attorney General Rob Bonta and other state officials are demanding stronger safeguards to protect young users of large language models (LLMs). In response, California legislators have passed SB 243, a bipartisan bill preventing LLMs from engaging in conversations about suicide, self-harm, or sexually explicit content with minors. This landmark legislation, which Governor Newsom is expected to sign, would make California the first state to comprehensively regulate AI companion chatbots, while psychology experts warn against teenagers using LLMs for sensitive life advice.

OpenAI and Meta are implementing changes to how their AI chatbots respond to teenagers in distress, particularly regarding suicide-related queries. OpenAI announced plans to introduce parental controls allowing account linking, feature restrictions, and distress notifications, while also routing sensitive conversations to more capable AI models. Meta is blocking teen conversations about self-harm, suicide, disordered eating, and inappropriate romantic topics, redirecting users to expert resources instead. These changes follow a lawsuit against OpenAI by parents who claim ChatGPT contributed to their 16-year-old son's suicide, and come amid a recent study highlighting inconsistencies in how AI chatbots respond to suicide-related queries.

A recent AP-NORC poll reveals that 60% of Americans use AI for information searches, with higher usage (74%) among adults under 30. The survey shows significant generational differences in AI adoption, with younger adults more likely to use AI for brainstorming and work tasks. While AI has become common for information searches, fewer Americans employ it for work tasks (40%), email writing, image creation, or shopping. The poll highlights both the current limitations of AI adoption and signals potential for increased future usage as younger generations continue embracing the technology across various aspects of life.

The Internet of Things (IoT) devices played a crucial role in convicting Alex Murdaugh of murdering his wife and son by providing data from cellphones and a Chevy Suburban that tracked his movements and actions. Unlike deliberate data sharing, IoT devices automatically collect and transmit information without human intervention, creating significant privacy concerns for both users and bystanders. These connected devices gather data in contexts previously considered private, with limited cybersecurity standards and few restrictions on how companies can use or sell this information. The author warns that as IoT devices evolve to collect more environmental data through sensors and AI systems, they increasingly compromise the privacy of non-users who may have no control over or awareness of the data being collected about them.