Existential AI Risk Moves From Fringe to Center Stage
A new Platformer article argues that existential AI risk has become a mainstream topic of conversation.
Society
Education, media, ethics, and culture.
AI Love Song at Murder Trial Becomes Unintentional Courtroom Spectacle
A murder trial took an awkward turn when prosecutors played an AI-generated love song the defendant wrote for his mistress.
Human Contractors Are Reading Your ChatGPT Prompts
A new podcast reveals that real people are reviewing user conversations with ChatGPT, raising privacy and trust concerns.
Nearly Half a Mouse's Brain Was Human Cells
A mouse with nearly half its brain volume made of human cells was tracked by cameras as it explored an arena, raising questions about brain chimeras.
AI's Next Bottleneck Is Physical Materials, Not Algorithms
The AI boom is increasingly constrained by the physical limits of semiconductors and data centers, making materials science as critical as software progress.
Developing Nations Split AI Bets Between U.S. and China
Countries from Latin America to Southeast Asia are hedging their AI investments between Washington and Beijing rather than picking a side.
AI Agent Platform iLands Spams Inboxes with Useless Tasks
A new platform uses AI agents to perform meaningless chores and then ask for money, creating a fresh wave of inbox spam.
China's Health Tech Rise Offers Global Benefits
A new book argues that China's advances in medical technology and biotech could improve health outcomes worldwide.
AI Dominates Climate Week, But Skepticism Grows
As the world misses climate targets, AI's energy demands and potential benefits become the central tension at New York Climate Week.
New website helps newsrooms tame disaster coverage chaos
A new online tool aims to give newsrooms a shared system for coordinating coverage when disasters hit.
Texas Activist Arrested for Cursing at County Meeting, Body Cam Shows
Body-cam footage shows Fort Worth police arresting EJ Carrion a week after he swore at a commissioner's court meeting, amid a federal lawsuit over the judge's handling of public comment.
WoW Forever Mod Mutes Asmongold Fans to Escape Harassment
A player-made mod blocks all chat from Asmongold's community after their spam and slurs disrupted the game's beta.
MIT Tech Review's Under-35 List Spotlights Climate Innovators
The annual list recognizes nine young researchers and inventors working on climate technology.
Missouri City Council Arrests Woman for Speaking on Flock Cameras
A Springfield, Missouri, city council meeting ended with two arrests after officials shut down public comment on the city's Flock surveillance contract.
Muse’s Moment: Are Consumer Agents Real or a Mirage?
Platformer reports that Meta’s Muse is drawing attention, but the bigger question is whether consumer agents will prove durable or vanish.
Congresswoman proposes scrapping border surveillance towers
New legislation would terminate a billion-dollar tower program that an investigation linked to nearly 1,100 deaths within range.
Library Newsroom Project aims to bring local journalism back to community spaces
A Nieman Lab prediction is becoming a concrete effort to reconnect journalism with the physical communities it serves through public libraries.
The Atlantic’s Google Referrals Drop, but Subscriber Conversions Rise
A shift in Google traffic quality means fewer casual visitors but more paying subscribers for The Atlantic.