Culture
Super Bowl spots spark fight over whether we're ready for ads from our chatbots
The chatbot wars entered the Super Bowl this year. At Super Bowl LX, a ChatGPT competitor paid millions of dollars for commercials mocking…
Tag
Chatbots
Business
The Download: chatbots for health, and US fights over AI regulation
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.…
Business
Is the AI ‘manipulation engine’ here? How chatbots are gearing up to sell ads
Eighteen months ago, it was plausible that artificial intelligence might take a different path than social media. Back then, AI’s…
Business
Google and Character.AI to settle lawsuits alleging chatbots harmed teens
Google and Character.AI, a California startup, have agreed to settle several lawsuits that allege artificial intelligence-powered chatbots…
News
The era of AI persuasion in elections is about to begin
All this means that actors, whether well-resourced organizations or grassroots collectives, have a clear path to deploying politically…
News
AI chatbots can sway voters better than political advertisements
“One conversation with an LLM has a pretty meaningful effect on salient election choices,” says Gordon Pennycook, a psychologist at…
News
Will chatbots ever be funny? Why these comedians aren’t worried about an AI takeover, yet
A baby and his family dog sit across from each other in a podcast studio. “Welcome to the talking baby podcast,” says the infant, wearing…
News
How patients are turning to AI chatbots to fight back against the broken $5 trillion healthcare system
On July 29, 2025, at 9:45 a.m., Christine Ressy was supposed to be undergoing surgery to remove kidney stones. Instead, Ressy, a…
News
Gov. Newsom signs AI safety bill aimed at protecting children from chatbots
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a bill into law that aims to make artificial intelligence-powered chatbots safer despite some pushback…
News
I asked chatbots to find me cheap flights over the holidays. The results were mixed
It’s hard to believe, but we’re only a few weeks away from Halloween, and after that comes November—and the unofficial start of the…
Business
Teens love AI chatbots. The FTC says that’s a problem.
Bespoke AI-powered chatbots crafted to be your best friend, confidante or sexy roleplay partner are everywhere, and kids love them. That’s…
Business
FTC launches inquiry into AI chatbots of Alphabet, Meta and others
THE US Federal Trade Commission on Thursday said it is seeking information from several companies including Alphabet, Meta Platforms and…
Business
OpenAI and Meta are fixing how AI chatbots respond to teens in distress
Artificial intelligence chatbot makers OpenAI and Meta say they are adjusting how their chatbots respond to teenagers asking questions…
News
AI chatbots are inconsistent with suicide-related questions, study says
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline…
Business
Forget chatbots. Physical and embodied AI are now coming for your job
Amazon recently announced that it had deployed its one-millionth robot across its workforce since rolling out its first bot in 2012. The…
News
AI therapy chatbots are unsafe and stigmatizing, a new Stanford study finds
AI chatbot therapists have made plenty of headlines in recent months—some positive, some not so much. A new paper from researchers at…
News
Misinformation is already a problem during natural disasters. AI chatbots aren’t helping
When deadly flash floods hit central Texas last week, people on social media site X turned to artificial intelligence chatbot Grok for…
News
‘I’ve been clean for a week!’: Reddit is now home to support groups for people addicted to AI chatbots
In recent years, people have welcomed AI into their lives with open arms: as personal assistants, friends, therapists, even lovers. But…
News
California Senate passes bill that aims to make AI chatbots safer
California lawmakers on Tuesday moved one step closer to placing more guardrails around artificial intelligence-powered chatbots. The…
News
California lawmakers tackle potential dangers of AI chatbots after parents raise safety concerns
When her 14-year-old son took his own life after interacting with artificial intelligence chatbots, Megan Garcia turned her grief into…
Fashion
Teens are spilling dark thoughts to AI chatbots. Who's to blame when something goes wrong?
When her teen with autism suddenly became angry, depressed and violent, the mother searched his phone for answers. She found her son had…
Business
What Is DeepSeek? How Different Is It from Other Chatbots? Here's How the Chinese Startup Can Change the Entire AI Ballgame
Chinese AI startup DeepSeek , which is barely a year old, has sparked both awe and concern in Silicon Valley by unveiling advanced…