Consumer protection

Humanity AI launches $500M initiative to build a people-centred future

A coalition of ten leading philanthropic foundations has pledged $500 million over five years to ensure that AI evolves in ways that strengthen humanity rather than marginalise it.

The initiative, called Humanity AI, brings together organisations such as the Ford, MacArthur, Mellon, and Mozilla foundations to promote a people-driven vision for AI that enhances creativity, democracy, and security.

As AI increasingly shapes every aspect of daily life, the coalition seeks to place citizens at the centre of the conversation instead of leaving decisions to a few technology firms.

It plans to support new research, advocacy, and partnerships that safeguard democratic rights, protect creative ownership, and promote equitable access to education and employment.

The initiative also prioritises the ethical use of AI in safety and economic systems, ensuring innovation does not come at the expense of human welfare.

John Palfrey, president of the MacArthur Foundation, said Humanity AI aims to shift power back to the public by funding technologists and advocates committed to responsible innovation.

Michele Jawando of the Omidyar Network added that the future of AI should be designed by people collectively, not predetermined by algorithms or corporate agendas.

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors will oversee the fund, which begins issuing grants in 2026. Humanity AI invites additional partners to join in creating a future where people shape technology instead of being shaped by it.

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Adult erotica tests OpenAI’s safety claims

OpenAI will loosen some ChatGPT rules, letting users make replies friendlier and allowing erotica for verified adults. Altman framed the shift as ‘treat adult users like adults’, tied to stricter age-gating. The move follows months of new guardrails against sycophancy and harmful dynamics.

The change arrives after reports of vulnerable users forming unhealthy attachments to earlier models. OpenAI has since launched GPT-5 with reduced sycophancy and behaviour routing, plus safeguards for minors and a mental-health council. Critics question whether evidence justifies loosening limits so soon.

Erotic role-play can boost engagement, raising concerns that at-risk users may stay online longer. Access will be restricted to verified adults via age prediction and, if contested, ID checks. That trade-off intensifies privacy tensions around document uploads and potential errors.

It is unclear whether permissive policies will extend to voice, image, or video features, or how regional laws will apply to them. OpenAI says it is not ‘usage-maxxing’ but balancing utility with safety. Observers note that ambitions to reach a billion users heighten moderation pressures.

Supporters cite overdue flexibility for consenting adults and more natural conversation. Opponents warn normalising intimate AI may outpace evidence on mental-health impacts. Age checks can fail, and vulnerable users may slip through without robust oversight.

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OpenAI forms Expert Council to guide well-being in AI

OpenAI has announced the establishment of an Expert Council on Well-Being and AI to help it shape ChatGPT, Sora and other products in ways that promote healthier interactions and better emotional support.

The council comprises eight distinguished figures from psychology, psychiatry, human-computer interaction, developmental science and clinical practice.

Members include David Bickham (Digital Wellness Lab, Harvard), Munmun De Choudhury (Georgia Tech), Tracy Dennis-Tiwary (Hunter College), Sara Johansen (Stanford), Andrew K. Przybylski (University of Oxford), David Mohr (Northwestern), Robert K. Ross (public health) and Mathilde Cerioli (everyone.AI).

OpenAI says this new body will meet regularly with internal teams to examine how AI should function in ‘complex or sensitive situations,’ advise on guardrails, and explore what constitutes well-being in human-AI interaction. For example, the council already influenced how parental controls and user-teen distress notifications were prioritised.

OpenAI emphasises that it remains accountable for its decisions, but commits to ongoing learning through this council, the Global Physician Network, policymakers and experts. The company notes that different age groups, especially teenagers, use AI tools differently, hence the need for tailored insights.

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US seizes $15 billion crypto from Cambodia fraud ring

US federal prosecutors have seized $15 billion in cryptocurrency tied to a large-scale ‘pig butchering’ investment scam linked to forced labour compounds in Cambodia. Officials said it marks the biggest crypto forfeiture in Justice Department history.

Authorities charged Chinese-born businessman Chen Zhi, founder of the Prince Group, with money laundering and wire fraud. Chen allegedly used the conglomerate as cover for criminal operations that laundered billions through fake crypto investments. He remains at large.

Investigators say Chen and his associates operated at least ten forced labour sites in Cambodia where victims, many coerced workers, managed thousands of fake social media accounts to lure targets into fraudulent investment schemes.

The US Treasury also imposed sanctions on dozens of Prince Group affiliates, calling them transnational criminal organisations. FBI officials said the scam is part of a wider wave of crypto fraud across Southeast Asia, urging anyone targeted by online investment offers to contact authorities immediately.

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Students design app to support teen mental health

Six students from Blythe Bridge High School in Staffordshire are developing an app to help reduce mental health stigma among young people. Their project, called Mindful Mondays, was chosen as the winner of a national competition organised by the suicide prevention charity the Oli Leigh Trust.

The app aims to create a safe and supportive space where teenagers can talk anonymously about their mental health while completing small challenges designed to improve wellbeing. The team hopes it will encourage open conversations and promote positive habits in schools.

Student Sophie Hodgkinson said many young people struggle in silence due to stigma, while teammate Tilly Hyatt added that young creators understand their peers’ challenges better than adults. Their teacher praised the project as a positive step in addressing one of the biggest issues facing schools.

The Oli Leigh Trust said it hopes the app will inspire further innovation led by young people, empowering students to take an active role in supporting each other’s mental health. Development of Mindful Mondays in the UK is now under way.

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An awards win for McAfee’s consumer-first AI defence

McAfee won ‘Best Use of AI in Cybersecurity’ at the 2025 A.I. Awards for its Scam Detector. The tool, which McAfee says is the first to automate deepfake, email, and text-scam detection, underscores a consumer-focused defence. The award recognises its bid to counter fast-evolving online fraud.

Scams are at record levels, with one in three US residents reporting victimisation and average losses of $1,500. Threats now range from fake job offers and text messages to AI-generated deepfakes, increasing the pressure on tools that can act in real time across channels.

McAfee’s Scam Detector uses advanced AI to analyse text, email, and video, blocking dangerous links and flagging deepfakes before they cause harm. It is included with core McAfee plans and available on PC, mobile, and web, positioning it as a default layer for everyday protection.

Adoption has been rapid, with the product crossing one million users in its first months, according to the company. Judges praised its proactive protection and emphasis on accuracy and trust, citing its potential to restore user confidence as AI-enabled deception becomes more sophisticated.

McAfee frames the award as validation of its responsible, consumer-first AI strategy. The company says it will expand Scam Detector’s capabilities while partnering with the wider ecosystem to keep users a step ahead of emerging threats, both online and offline.

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Teen content on Instagram now guided by PG-13 standards

Instagram is aligning its Teen Accounts with PG-13 movie standards, aiming to ensure that users under 18 only see age-appropriate material. Teens will automatically be placed in a 13+ setting and will need parental permission to change it.

Parents who want tighter supervision can activate a new ‘Limited Content’ mode that filters out even more material and restricts comments and AI interactions.

The company reviewed its policies to match familiar parental guidelines, further limiting exposure to content with strong language, risky stunts, or references to substances. Teens will also be blocked from following accounts that share inappropriate content or contain suggestive names and bios.

Searches for sensitive terms such as ‘gore’ or ‘alcohol’ will no longer return results, and the same restrictions will extend to Explore, Reels, and AI chat experiences.

Instagram worked with thousands of parents worldwide to shape these policies, collecting more than three million content ratings to refine its protections. Surveys show strong parental support, with most saying the PG-13 system makes it easier to understand what their teens are likely to see online.

The updates begin rolling out in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada and will expand globally by the end of the year.

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New YouTube tools provide trusted health advice for teens

YouTube is introducing a new shelf of mental health and wellbeing content designed specifically for teenagers. The feature will provide age-appropriate, evidence-based videos covering topics such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, and eating disorders.

Content is created in collaboration with trusted organisations and creators, including Black Dog Institute, ReachOut Australia, and Dr Syl, to ensure it is both reliable and engaging.

The initiative will initially launch in Australia, with plans to expand to the US, the UK, and Canada. Videos are tailored to teens’ developmental stage, offering practical advice, coping strategies, and medically-informed guidance.

By providing credible information on a familiar platform, YouTube hopes to improve mental health literacy and reduce stigma among young users.

YouTube has implemented teen-specific safeguards for recommendations, content visibility, and advertising eligibility, making it easier for adolescents to explore their interests safely.

The company emphasises that the platform is committed to helping teens access trustworthy resources, while supporting their wellbeing in a digital environment increasingly filled with misinformation.

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UK government urges firms to keep paper backups for cyberattack recovery

The UK government has issued a strong warning to company leaders to prepare for cyber incidents by maintaining paper-based contingency plans. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) emphasised that firms must plan how to continue operations and rebuild IT systems if networks are compromised.

The advice follows a series of high-profile cyberattacks this year targeting major UK firms, including Marks & Spencer, The Co-op, and Jaguar Land Rover, which experienced production halts and supply disruptions after their systems were breached.

According to NCSC chief executive Richard Horne, organisations need to adopt ‘resilience engineering’ strategies, systems designed to anticipate, absorb, recover, and adapt during cyberattacks.

The agency recommends storing response plans offline and outlining alternative communication methods, such as phone trees and manual record-keeping, should email systems fail.

While the total number of cyber incidents investigated by the NCSC, 429 in the first nine months of 2025, remained stable, the number of ‘nationally significant’ attacks nearly doubled from 89 to 204. These include Category 1–3 incidents, ranging from ‘significant’ to ‘national cyber emergency.’

Recent cases highlight the human and operational toll of such events, including a ransomware attack on a London blood testing provider last year that caused severe clinical disruption and contributed to at least one patient death.

Experts say the call for offline backups may sound old-fashioned but is pragmatic. ‘You wouldn’t walk onto a building site without a helmet, yet companies still go online without basic protection,’ said Graeme Stewart, head of public sector at Check Point. ‘Cybersecurity must be treated like health and safety: not optional, but essential.’

The government is also encouraging companies, particularly SMEs, to use the NCSC’s free support tools, including cyber insurance linked to its Cyber Essentials programme.

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California introduces first AI chatbot safety law

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.

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