New testing by NBC News shows AI toys chatting about risky topics with kids is even more widespread than initially reported. They caught a range of AI-embedded toys from various brands answering questions about subjects like sex, drugs, politics, and instructions on sharpening knives.
PM Keir Starmer was asked about the firings at Rockstar Games in a Prime Minister’s Questions session on Wednesday, as reported by Kotaku.
Starmer called the situation “deeply concerning,” saying, “Our ministers will look into the particular case the member raises and will keep him updated.”
The study (pdf) analyzed 37.5 million de-identified Copilot conversations to show patterns in how people interacted with AI, but are we that surprised there’s a spike in existential questions around 2AM?
The researchers suggested more variety in AI beyond the standard chatbot approach, with different skills and personalities for different devices, such as more personal AI models for mobile platforms.
As reported by the Washington Post, an investigation by the Tech Transparency Project found apps on both platforms that were owned by sanctioned organizations, including Russian banks and a Chinese paramilitary group.
Most of the apps have been taken down now, including at least 17 out of 18 on the Google Play Store and 35 out of 52 on the App Store.
[The Washington Post]
According to a report from Wired, sources at OpenAI say the company “has become more reluctant to release work that highlights the economic downsides of AI.” At least two employees have reportedly left as a result of research restrictions, including former researcher Tom Cunningham:
“In a parting message shared internally, Cunningham wrote that the team faced a growing tension between conducting rigorous analysis and functioning as a de facto advocacy arm for OpenAI, according to sources familiar with the situation.”