June 19, 2025

It’s pretty easy to get DeepSeek to talk dirty

AI companions like Replika are designed to engage in intimate exchanges, but people use general-purpose chatbots for sex talk too, despite their stricter content moderation policies. Now new research shows that not all chatbots are equally willing to talk dirty: DeepSeek is the easiest to convince. But other AI chatbots can be enticed too, if…

March 2024

Apple to allow web distribution for iOS apps in latest DMA tweaks

March 12, 2024

Apple will allow iOS developers located in the European Union to distribute apps from the web, rather via its App Store. The option, which it says will be made available to qualifying developers “later this Spring”, is being offered in response to the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) which puts obligations on how Apple can […]

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Empathy closes $47M for AI to help with the practical and emotional bereavement process

March 12, 2024

Death, as the famous saying goes, is one of the inevitable certainties of life. But that doesn’t make coping with it any easier — not least because while loved ones are grieving, they must also handle a dizzying number of practical tasks, from organizing funerals through to settling finances for the deceased. A startup called […]

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The Download: hacking VR headsets, and contrails to cool the planet

March 12, 2024
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 VR headsets can be hacked with an Inception-style attack In the Christoper Nolan movie Inception, Leonardo DiCaprio’s character uses technology to enter his targets’ dreams to steal information and insert false details into…

Code suggests that TikTok could be building an app for photos

March 12, 2024

After rivaling music streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple music with TikTok Music, ByteDance might be looking at creating an Instagram competitor named TikTok Photos, code found in the TikTok app suggests. As spotted by The SpAndroid blog, TikTok’s APK file — an installable file format for Android — contains references and icons to a […]

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Axion Ray’s AI attempts to detect product flaws to prevent recalls

March 12, 2024

Recalls are costly for — and damaging to — any company, no matter the size or market. For instance, McKinsey estimates that, for businesses manufacturing medical devices, recalls have been as high as $600 million in recent decades. The reputational impact tends to be lasting; customers aren’t quick to forgive. A Harris Interactive poll found […]

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DoorDash’s new AI-powered ‘SafeChat+’ tool automatically detects verbal abuse

March 12, 2024

DoorDash hopes to reduce verbally abusive and inappropriate interactions between consumers and delivery people with its new AI-powered feature that automatically detects offensive language. Dubbed “SafeChat+,” DoorDash is leveraging AI technology to review in-app conversations and determine if a customer or Dasher is being harassed. Depending on the scenario, there will be an option to […]

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