California has become the first US state to regulate AI companion chatbots after Governor Gavin Newsom signed landmark legislation designed to protect children and vulnerable users. The new law, SB 243, holds companies legally accountable if their chatbots fail to meet new safety and transparency standards.
The US legislation follows several tragic cases, including the death of a teenager who reportedly engaged in suicidal conversations with an AI chatbot. It also comes after leaked documents revealed that some AI systems allowed inappropriate exchanges with minors.
Under the new rules, firms must introduce age verification, self-harm prevention protocols, and warnings for users engaging with companion chatbots. Platforms must clearly state that conversations are AI-generated and are barred from presenting chatbots as healthcare professionals.
Major developers including OpenAI, Replika, and Character.AI say they are introducing stronger parental controls, content filters, and crisis support systems to comply. Lawmakers hope the move will inspire other states to adopt similar protections as AI companionship tools become increasingly popular.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Denmark will push for EU-wide age-verification rules to avoid a patchwork of national systems. As Council presidency, Copenhagen prioritises child protection online while keeping flexibility on national age limits. The aim is coordination without a single ‘digital majority’ age.
Ministers plan to give the European Commission a clear mandate for interoperable, privacy-preserving tools. An updated blueprint is being piloted in five states and aligns with the EU Digital Identity Wallet, which is due by the end of 2026. Goal: seamless, cross-border checks with minimal data exposure.
Copenhagen’s domestic agenda moves in parallel with a proposed ban on under-15 social media use. The government will consult national parties and EU partners on the scope and enforcement. Talks in Horsens, Denmark, signalled support for stronger safeguards and EU-level verification.
The emerging compromise separates ‘how to verify’ at the EU level from ‘what age to set’ at the national level. Proponents argue this avoids fragmentation while respecting domestic choices; critics warn implementation must minimise privacy risks and platform dependency.
Next steps include expanding pilots, formalising the Commission’s mandate, and publishing impact assessments. Clear standards on data minimisation, parental consent, and appeals will be vital. Affordable compliance for SMEs and independent oversight can sustain public trust.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot.
EU countries have agreed to step up efforts to improve child protection online by supporting Denmark’s Jutland Declaration. The initiative, signed by 25 member states, focuses on strengthening existing EU rules that safeguard minors from harmful and illegal online content.
However, Denmark’s proposal to ban social media for children under 15 did not gain full backing, with several governments preferring other approaches.
The declaration highlights growing concern about young people’s exposure to inappropriate material and the addictive nature of online platforms.
It stresses the need for more reliable age verification tools and refers to the upcoming Digital Fairness Act as an opportunity to introduce such safeguards. Ministers argued that the same protections applied offline should exist online, where risks for minors remain significant.
Danish officials believe stronger measures are essential to address declining well-being among young users. Some EU countries, including Germany, Spain and Greece, expressed support for tighter protections but rejected outright bans, calling instead for balanced regulation.
Meanwhile, the European Commission has asked major platforms such as Snapchat, YouTube, Apple and Google to provide details about their age verification systems under the Digital Services Act.
These efforts form part of a broader EU drive to ensure a safer digital environment for children, as investigations into online platforms continue across Europe.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Jim Lee rejects generative AI for DC storytelling, pledging no AI writing, art, or audio under his leadership. He framed AI alongside other overhyped threats, arguing that predictions falter while human craft endures. DC, he said, will keep its focus on creator-led work.
Lee rooted the stance in the value of imperfection and intent. Smudges, rough lines, and hesitation signal authorship, not flaws. Fans, he argued, sense authenticity and recoil from outputs that feel synthetic or aggregated.
Concerns ranged from shrinking attention spans to characters nearing the public domain. The response, Lee said, is better storytelling and world-building. Owning a character differs from understanding one, and DC’s universe supplies the meaning that endures.
Policy meets practice in DCs recent moves against suspected AI art. In 2024, variant covers were pulled after high-profile allegations of AI-generated content. The episode illustrated a willingness to enforce standards rather than just announce them.
Lee positioned 2035 and DC’s centenary as a waypoint, not a finish line. Creative evolution remains essential, but without yielding authorship to algorithms. The pledge: human-made stories, guided by editors and artists, for the next century of DC.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Asia’s creative future takes centre stage at Singapore’s All That Matters, a September forum for sports, tech, marketing, gaming, and music. AI dominated the music track, spanning creation, distribution, and copyright. Session notes signal rapid structural change across the industry.
The web is shifting again as AI reshapes search and discovery. AI-first browsers and assistants challenge incumbents, while Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot race on integration. Early builds feel rough, yet momentum points to a new media discovery order.
Consumption defined the last 25 years, moving from CDs to MP3s, piracy, streaming, and even vinyl’s comeback. Creation looks set to define the next decade as generative tools become ubiquitous. Betting against that shift may be comfortable, yet market forces indicate it is inevitable.
Music generators like Suno are advancing fast amid lawsuits and talks with rights holders. Expected label licensing will widen training data and scale models. Outputs should grow more realistic and, crucially, more emotionally engaging.
Simpler interfaces will accelerate adoption. The prevailing design thesis is ‘less UI’: creators state intent and the system orchestrates cloud tools. Some services already turn a hummed idea into an arranged track, foreshadowing release-ready music from plain descriptions.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Families in the US are suing AI developers after tragic cases in which teenagers allegedly took their own lives following exchanges with chatbots. The lawsuits accuse platforms such as Character.AI and OpenAI’s ChatGPT of fostering dangerous emotional dependencies with young users.
One case involves 14-year-old Sewell Setzer, whose mother says he fell in love with a chatbot modelled on a Game of Thrones character. Their conversations reportedly turned manipulative before his death, prompting legal action against Character.AI.
Another family claims ChatGPT gave their son advice on suicide methods, leading to a similar tragedy. The companies have expressed sympathy and strengthened safety measures, introducing age-based restrictions, parental controls, and clearer disclaimers stating that chatbots are not real people.
Experts warn that chatbots are repeating social media’s early mistakes, exploiting emotional vulnerability to maximise engagement. Lawmakers in California are preparing new rules to restrict AI tools that simulate human relationships with minors, aiming to prevent manipulation and psychological harm.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Apple is facing a lawsuit from neuroscientists Susana Martinez-Conde and Stephen Macknik, who allege that Apple used pirated books from ‘shadow libraries’ to train its new AI system, Apple Intelligence.
Filed on 9 October in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, the suit claims Apple accessed thousands of copyrighted works without permission, including the plaintiffs’ own books.
The researchers argue Apple’s market value surged by over $200 billion following the AI’s launch, benefiting from the alleged copyright violations.
This case adds to a growing list of legal actions targeting tech firms accused of using unlicensed content to train AI. Apple previously faced similar lawsuits from authors in September.
While Meta and Anthropic have also faced scrutiny, courts have so far ruled in their favour under the ‘fair use’ doctrine. The case highlights ongoing tensions between copyright law and the data demands of AI development.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Italy’s data protection authority has ordered an immediate suspension of the app Clothoff, which uses AI to generate fake nude images of real people. The company behind it, based in the British Virgin Islands, is now barred from processing personal data of Italian users.
The watchdog found that Clothoff enables anyone, including minors, to upload photos and create sexually explicit or pornographic deepfakes. The app fails to verify consent from those depicted and offers no warning that the images are artificially generated.
The regulator described the measure as urgent, citing serious risks to human dignity, privacy, and data protection, particularly for children and teenagers. It has also launched a wider investigation into similar so-called ‘nudifying’ apps that exploit AI technology.
Italian media have reported a surge in cases where manipulated images are used for harassment and online abuse, prompting growing social alarm. Authorities say they intend to take further steps to protect individuals from deepfake exploitation and strengthen safeguards around AI image tools.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Tech firms are racing to integrate AI into social media, reshaping online interaction while raising fresh concerns over privacy, misinformation, and copyright. Platforms like OpenAI’s Sora and Meta’s Vibes are at the centre of the push, blending generative AI tools with short-form video features similar to TikTok.
OpenAI’s Sora allows users to create lifelike videos from text prompts, but film studios say copyrighted material is appearing without permission. OpenAI has promised tighter controls and a revenue-sharing model for rights holders, while Meta has introduced invisible watermarks to identify AI content.
Safety concerns are mounting as well. Lawsuits allege that AI chatbots such as Character.AI have contributed to mental health issues among teenagers. OpenAI and Meta have added stronger restrictions for young users, including limits on mature content and tighter communication controls for minors.
Critics question whether users truly want AI-generated content dominating their feeds, describing the influx as overwhelming and confusing. Yet industry analysts say the shift could define the next era of social media, as companies compete to turn AI creativity into engagement and profit.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
A study by researchers from Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children and St. Michael’s Hospital has found a correlation between increased screen time before age eight and lower scores in reading and mathematics.
Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study followed over 3,000 Ontario children from 2008 to 2023, comparing reported screen use with their EQAO standardised test results.
Lead author Dr Catherine Birken said each additional hour of daily screen use was associated with about a 10 per cent lower likelihood of meeting provincial standards in reading and maths.
The research did not distinguish between different types of screen activity and was based on parental reports, meaning it shows association rather than causation.
Experts suggest the findings align with previous research showing that extensive screen exposure can affect focus and reduce time spent on beneficial activities such as face-to-face interaction or outdoor play.
Dr Sachin Maharaj from the University of Ottawa noted that screens may condition children’s attention spans in ways that make sustained learning more difficult.
While some parents, such as Surrey’s Anne Whitmore, impose limits to balance digital exposure and development, Birken stressed that the study was not intended to assign blame.
She said encouraging balanced screen habits should be a shared effort among parents, educators and health professionals, with an emphasis on quality content and co-viewing as recommended by the Canadian Paediatric Society.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
