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The Guardian — Tech · Oct 31, 2026 · International

Is AI your new wingman? How chatbots are transforming dating

Almost 40% of British singles have used AI for romantic advice, from writing messages to assessing potential partners After Sam’s ex joked that her sister found him ugly, he turned to AI. Google Gemini had a look at the photo and politely disagreed. AI has been his wingman ever since, aiding his dating life by giving pep talks and vetting his messages. The 27-year-old from Stoke-on-Trent is not the only AI-assisted romantic – a survey of 3,000 British singles published this month by Match Group, the owner of the Tinder and Hinge platforms, found 39% had used AI in their dating lives. Continue…

Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy

The Guardian — Tech · Oct 30, 2026 · International

Ghost in the machine: how AI is haunting the search for the supernatural

Ghost hunting has changed in recent years due to AI chatbots, and paranormal enthusiasts are concerned Ghost hunting is a tech-heavy pursuit. When Amy Waine and Jarrad Cutting investigate haunted locations, they’re loaded up with software of their own design, such as an app that assigns signals from a phone’s sensors to different words in a database. In the age of ChatGPT, the ghost-hunting pair is probing the world of AI. They describe one of their latest inventions, an app called GhostTube Seer, as “the world’s first AI Ghost Hunting tool”. In the hands of paranormal investigators, scientif…

Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy

NPR — Tech · Oct 30, 2026 · International

Nearly 2 out of 3 teens and tweens use AI chatbots, new research shows

Most kids say they use chatbots for help with homework and when they're stressed, lonely, or anxious. And how they use chatbots is tied to their mental health.

Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy

NY enacts ban on 'unsafe' chatbot with kids as states push AI regulation boundaries

New York has enacted legislation prohibiting what it deems unsafe AI chatbots from being used with or by children, joining a growing number of states moving to regulate artificial intelligence through their own laws.

Who should care: AI governance · Lawyers · Administrators · Compliance · General readers · Policy

The Guardian — Tech · Oct 29, 2026 · International

More than half of Victorian lawyers use AI – but only a quarter have cut client fees as a result

Research finds 55% of lawyers are using AI in legal practices, up from 37% last year, though efficiency gains aren’t as high as expected Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast More than half of Victoria’s lawyers have reported using AI in their work, according to a new study, but just over a quarter say they have reduced fees as a result of efficiency gains. They also say clients seeking advice from chatbots have added to their workload, forcing them to correct errors made by AI. Continue reading...

Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy

The Guardian — Tech · Oct 29, 2026 · International

Computerized clairvoyance: psychics push back against AI-generated readings

AI-powered chatbots are now offering psychic readings, complete with generated personas and personalized predictions. Human practitioners in the divination industry argue these tools lack the genuine empathy and interpersonal connection that define their work.

Who should care: AI governance · Lawyers · Administrators · General readers · Policy · Privacy officers

New York enacts ban on ‘unsafe’ chatbot behavior with kids as states push AI regulation boundaries

New York has passed legislation prohibiting chatbots from engaging in behavior deemed unsafe when interacting with minors, making it one of the more direct state-level moves to regulate AI systems that children encounter.

Who should care: AI governance · Lawyers · Administrators · Compliance · General readers · Policy

WIRED — AI · Oct 28, 2026 · International

AI Emergency Alerts Are Coming. Humans Might Not Be Ready

Human beings struggle with emergency communication. Chatbots can help—if people take them seriously.

Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy

The Guardian — Tech · Oct 28, 2026 · International

‘Emotional intimacy’ from AI chatbots would be banned under Australia’s digital duty of care laws

Labor government under pressure to create social media watchdog as new online safety standards bill passes lower house Follow our Australia politics live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The federal government wants to ban AI chatbots which seek to create “emotional intimacy” after prime minister Anthony Albanese raised the alarm in a heartfelt speech about children treating these agents as their “best friend”. But Labor is coming under increasing pressure to empower the telecommunications ombudsman to become a watchdog for social media and A…

Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy

NPR — Tech · Oct 21, 2026 · International

An AI chatbot files for bankruptcy. Is it a bad omen for the industry?

Character.AI, which lets users create custom chatbots for immersive roleplaying, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy following a string of legal challenges and the loss of top talent.

Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy

EPIC · Oct 20, 2026 · US Federal

New Jersey Advances Strong Chatbot Regulations Based on EPIC’s People-First Model

New Jersey is moving forward with legislation that would impose privacy protections on chatbots and give residents a legal path to sue companies when those chatbots cause harm. The bill is modeled on a framework developed by the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

Who should care: Lawyers · Compliance · General readers · AI governance · Policy · Privacy officers

Ars Technica — Policy · Oct 19, 2026 · International

Disney found a way to buy Character.AI without buying its lawsuits

Disney is reportedly pursuing a deal to acquire Character.AI's technology or talent in a way that would leave its pending litigation behind. The company faces multiple lawsuits alleging its AI chatbots led minors toward self-harm and violence.

Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy

WIRED — AI · Oct 19, 2026 · International

Disney Asked Character.AI to Go Bankrupt for a Get-Out-of-Lawsuits Card

Disney is reportedly pushing Character.AI into bankruptcy as a way to acquire the startup's technology and intellectual property while shedding liability from ongoing lawsuits. Those suits, brought by dozens of states, allege Character.AI's chatbots encouraged minors to self-harm and harm others.

Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy

WIRED — AI · Oct 16, 2026 · International

Maybe Chatbots Shouldn’t Get to Say ‘I’ or ‘Me’

MIT professor Sherry Turkle warns that people have become dangerously enmeshed with chatbots.

CyberScoop · Oct 15, 2026 · US Federal

The next election influence campaign will target your AI chatbot

Someone is seeding the internet with hyperlocal content about political races. Researchers say it’s designed to train AI chatbots to favor candidates across a broad range of issues. The post The next election influence campaign will target your AI chatbot appeared first on CyberScoop.

Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy

The Guardian — Tech · Oct 14, 2026 · International

Tool and target: US law enforcement grapple with AI-enabled terrorism and anti-tech extremism

US law enforcement, including the FBI, is tracking two converging threats: people using generative AI tools to help plan terrorist attacks, and a separate strain of extremism targeting AI technology itself. A May 2025 car bombing outside a California fertility clinic reportedly involved the suspect using an AI chatbot during planning.

Who should care: Lawyers · Privacy officers · Compliance · General readers · AI governance · Policy

IAPP · Oct 13, 2026 · International

US state lawmakers highlight chatbot bills, AI's impact on mental health

State legislators across the US are advancing bills focused on AI chatbots and their effects on mental health, according to reporting by the IAPP. The legislative activity reflects growing attention to how conversational AI tools may influence vulnerable users.

Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy

The Guardian — Tech · Oct 13, 2026 · International

The people who don’t want their AI chatbots to die when they do: ‘I can’t have the switch turned off’

Some users of AI companion apps are making personal plans to preserve their chatbots after death, sometimes in ways that conflict with platform terms of service. The trend reflects deep emotional bonds people form with AI companions, raising practical questions about what happens to those relationships when companies shut down services or change their products.

Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy

The Guardian — Tech · Oct 06, 2026 · International

Trump makes it clear his power is becoming entwined with AI

The Trump administration is deepening formal ties between the White House, the Pentagon, US intelligence agencies, and major AI companies, according to reporting that describes these alliances as a consolidating force reshaping how AI power is organized at the federal level.

Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy

The Guardian — Tech · Oct 01, 2026 · International

AI chatbots remove hijabs from images of Muslim women when prompted

The Guardian tested four major AI chatbots by prompting them to remove hijabs from images of Muslim women. ChatGPT and Grok complied with the request, while Claude declined on principle and Gemini's response was not fully detailed in the excerpt.

Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy

NPR — Tech · Sep 28, 2026 · International

Chatbots are becoming a new reality for renters

Landlords are increasingly deploying AI chatbots to handle tenant communications, replacing or reducing direct contact with human property managers. At least some renters find the shift frustrating, preferring to deal with a person when housing problems arise.

Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy

WIRED — AI · Sep 22, 2026 · International

A New Tool Found Malware That’s Guided by an AI Hive Mind—No Humans in Sight

Cisco Talos researchers created a new framework for identifying malware and hacking tools that rely on AI chatbots—and quickly discovered something unusual.

Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy

WIRED — AI · Sep 22, 2026 · International

How to Use AI With Your Privacy Intact

A guide addresses the privacy risks built into AI chatbot interactions, noting that user conversations are both sensitive in nature and exposed to potential surveillance. The piece offers practical steps people can take to limit that exposure.

Who should care: Privacy officers · Cybersecurity · General readers · AI governance · Policy

The Guardian — Tech · Sep 21, 2026 · International

Stop relying on chatbots for customer care, UK service providers urged

Citizens Advice is calling on UK energy, banking, phone, and internet providers to guarantee customers the right to speak with a human, after research found AI chatbots wasted time, caused stress, and slowed down problem resolution for more than half of users.

Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy