Meta, the company that owns Instagram and Facebook, is facing a major court trial starting in Oakland, California, over claims its platforms harm children's mental health by encouraging addictive use. Several U.S. states are suing Meta and other social media companies like TikTok and Snapchat, alleging their platforms negatively impact children, possibly leading to new rules on how these sites operate.
Key Facts
Meta is going to trial in California with four states (California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey) accusing it of harming kids through addictive features on Instagram and Facebook.
Over 25 other states have also filed lawsuits against Meta, with more trials expected.
Social media companies including TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube are also defending themselves against similar claims nationwide.
Meta previously lost two big cases this year related to harm to kids and teens, contributing to a rare profit drop, with $2.4 billion spent on legal costs.
New Mexico won a case against Meta resulting in a $375 million fine and an additional $567 million ordered later, along with safety rules like monthly time limits for users under 18.
Tennessee is also investigating Instagram for harming children’s mental health as part of a larger multistate effort.
Meta denies the allegations and says it works with parents, experts, and law enforcement to protect young users.
The outcomes of these lawsuits could lead to new laws or changes in how social media platforms are designed and run to protect children.
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A recent report by the New York Times shows that the emojis people use can reveal their age and background. The report was discussed by writer Eve Washington on a show called "The Takeout."
Key Facts
The New York Times studied how emoji choices link to a person’s age.
Different age groups tend to use different emojis more often.
Using certain emojis may give clues about a person’s demographic.
Eve Washington wrote the report and talked about it on "The Takeout."
The study was highlighted by CBS News.
The report helps understand communication trends in digital messages.
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Three former SpaceX engineers started a company called 1872 to build a robotic factory that uses AI software and robots to make steel parts. Their goal is to create a prototype factory by 2027 that can automate most steel fabrication, especially for infrastructure like AI data centers and nuclear reactors.
Key Facts
1872 launched on July 22 in Cincinnati, Ohio, focusing on automating steel skid production.
Steel skids are rectangular frames used as movable foundations for modular buildings.
The company aims for about 80% automation, balancing efficiency and practicality.
There is a shortage of skilled welders in the U.S., with an estimated need for 320,500 new welders by 2029.
Tightened immigration policies reduce the available skilled labor pool for welding industries.
The founders have experience from SpaceX, where they used smart software to build rocket engines faster.
They chose steel skids first because these parts require less precision than aerospace components.
Their approach starts with human workers before moving to full robotic welding.
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Alpha School is a private school that uses artificial intelligence (AI) apps to teach students subjects like math and reading. Mackenzie Price, one of the founders, explained how the school uses AI instead of traditional teachers to create personalized learning experiences for each student.
Key Facts
Alpha School is a private educational institution.
It uses AI apps to teach core subjects such as math and reading.
The school replaces traditional teachers with AI-based personalized learning tools.
AI helps customize lessons to fit each student's individual pace and needs.
Mackenzie Price is a co-founder of Alpha School and spoke about this approach on CBS News.
Personalized learning means the lessons adjust to how each student learns best.
This use of AI in schooling is a new approach to education.
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Australia is spending billions of dollars annually on artificial intelligence (AI) products, but most of the money goes to foreign companies. Labor minister Andrew Charlton says Australia should not only use AI more but also develop its own AI technology to keep more economic benefits within the country.
Key Facts
About 20% of Australians and one-third of businesses pay for AI subscriptions.
The current AI spending in Australia is estimated between $5-8 billion per year, growing by up to 40% each quarter.
Most of the money spent on AI products leaves Australia, creating a new import bill.
Charlton estimates this AI import bill could reach $20-40 billion a year within ten years.
Simply building data centers in Australia will not capture the full value of AI technology.
Australia needs to develop AI models and technology itself, not just host data centers and machines.
Charlton says adopting AI widely can boost productivity but only if Australia also builds its own AI industry.
The goal is to capture more of the economic value of AI through innovation and local companies.
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Petlibro experienced a cloud server outage that stopped users from controlling their smart pet feeders through the app, which caused frustration among pet owners. The company fixed the problem after several attempts and explained the technical issues caused the outage, while also addressing complaints about communication and device functionality during the outage.
Key Facts
Petlibro’s smart pet feeders lost connection to the app due to cloud server problems starting August 11.
The outage caused the system memory to overload from too many data requests, leading to repeated failures.
Petlibro’s team worked to identify and fix a cache issue, fully restoring service by late Wednesday night.
The app could not connect to devices during the outage, so functions like on-demand feeding, notifications, and video were unavailable.
Petlibro sent emails, social media posts, and created a status page to update users during the outage, but some users said they didn’t get these messages.
Some users reported their feeders did not perform scheduled feedings offline as claimed by Petlibro.
Petlibro’s CEO said the company is increasing system capacity and preparing audits to prevent similar problems.
The company acknowledged the frustration caused and apologized to users.
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Flock Safety operates a network of cameras across the U.S. that capture license plate and vehicle details. The website HaveIBeenFlocked.com allows people to check if their license plate has been searched by Flock's system, based on public audit records of searches made by customers like police and local agencies.
Key Facts
Flock Safety's cameras record license plates and vehicle information such as make and color.
HaveIBeenFlocked.com is an independent project that lets people see if their license plate has been searched in Flock’s system.
The website provides search data but does not show license plates captured by cameras, only plates manually searched by users.
The database covers over 4.6 million license plates and about 242 million recorded searches.
The site removes any plate numbers entered after a search and does not save this data.
There can be delays of months or years between when a search happens and when it appears on the website.
Flock has faced criticism after reports that some police officers misused the system to stalk people.
Flock’s CEO says the company does not track cellphones or use facial recognition and is making changes to prevent misuse.
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A hidden tracking device in a rare book revealed that Amazon is destroying rare books to scan their pages and use the text to train artificial intelligence (AI) models. This happens at an Amazon facility in Las Vegas, where workers remove pages from books for scanning, raising concerns about the damage to valuable books.
Key Facts
Amazon buys large numbers of rare books and destroys them after scanning pages for AI training.
A hidden Apple Airtag tracked a rare book from a bookseller to an Amazon AI training site in Las Vegas.
The Amazon facility focuses on removing book pages before scanning, which permanently damages the books.
Amazon says it buys books through regular channels to improve its products but does not mention AI training directly.
Amazon is working on advanced AI models that need lots of unique training text, including rare books.
Workers at the facility reported times when the supply of books ran out, threatening the operation.
The scanning process involves reading barcodes or ISBNs to catalog books systematically.
Booksellers worry this practice harms valuable collections and raises ethical questions about destroying rare books for data.
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Anthropic will add watermarks to text generated by its Claude AI to follow new EU rules starting in December. These watermarks change how the AI chooses words randomly but should be hard for regular readers to notice, while helping to identify AI-written content.
Key Facts
Anthropic updated its Claude AI to include watermarks in AI-generated text due to an EU regulation.
The watermark works by slightly altering the random word choices the AI makes when writing.
This watermark will not be obvious to most readers but can be detected by those with a special key.
Some experts say the watermark will not noticeably affect the text’s quality or accuracy.
Critics worry watermarking might limit the AI’s ability to pick the best words, lowering writing quality.
AI wording often relies on chance between similar options, so changes in randomness matter.
The EU regulation aims to make AI-generated content more identifiable to prevent misuse, such as cheating or misinformation.
Watermarking may also help prevent AI models from confusing information by learning too much from AI-written texts.
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The Gasolini AR1 is a hand-built, low-cost sports car made from motorcycle parts that weighs less than 1,000 pounds and has 47 horsepower. It is designed to be fun to drive at normal speeds, inexpensive to maintain, and fuel-efficient, with a planned electric version in development.
Key Facts
The Gasolini AR1 uses the engine, gearbox, wiring, and dashboard from a 2017 Honda CBR500 motorcycle.
It has a lightweight design, weighing under 1,000 pounds (454 kg).
The car produces 47 horsepower and 32 lb-ft of torque, focusing on enjoyment rather than speed.
Wheels and tires come from a Ford Ka, featuring a unique design inspired by 1990s sci-fi.
The car uses a tube chassis and aerodynamic parts to reduce drag.
It can achieve about 41 miles per gallon (5.7 liters per 100 km) fuel efficiency.
Robert Ely, the creator, is developing the AR2, an electric version with double the horsepower.
Plans and instructions to build the AR1 are available for less than $7,000, and Ely shares a build series on YouTube.
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The Sinking City 2 is a horror action video game developed by Ukrainian studio Frogwares during the ongoing war in Ukraine. The game mixes Lovecraft-style cosmic horror with puzzles, exploration, and combat, reflecting the difficult realities faced by its creators. Despite some gameplay and story issues, it shows the developer’s determination to keep creating amid conflict.
Key Facts
The Sinking City 2 is developed by Frogwares, a game studio based in Ukraine.
The game was made while Ukraine experienced many air raid sirens and ongoing war conditions.
It features a mix of horror, action, puzzles, and exploration set in a flooded city inspired by Lovecraft’s stories.
Players control detective Calvin Rafferty as he investigates strange events and fights supernatural creatures.
The game draws some design influence from the Resident Evil 2 remake.
Combat is often unavoidable and frequent, creating a tense gameplay experience.
The story includes themes of survival and staying in one’s home despite danger.
Frogwares aims to balance grim war realities with creative storytelling and dark humor.
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The "Flock Sock" is a 3D-printed cover designed to fit over automated license plate reader cameras made by the company Flock Safety. It blocks the camera’s view temporarily without causing damage, offering a non-destructive protest method against these surveillance devices used by law enforcement across the U.S.
Ithaca is a new role-playing video game from French developer Pixel Hunt that focuses on environmental and ethical issues related to the climate crisis. Players follow Penelope, an environmental lawyer, as she uncovers the plans of a radical climate group while traveling on a road trip with an oil company CEO captive in her car.
Key Facts
Ithaca is an eco-thriller role-playing game with a storyline about climate change and political violence.
The main character, Penelope, is an environmental lawyer involved with a radical climate group called the Earth Protection Association.
The game features a procedurally generated road and allows players to make decisions that affect the story’s outcome.
Pixel Hunt, the developer, specializes in games inspired by real-life social issues.
The game’s writer, Florent Maurin, was motivated by concerns about the climate crisis and political responses to violence.
The setting and themes reference the myth of Ithaca from Greek legend to explore ideas of home and humanity’s future.
The game reflects current global climate effects, such as droughts and environmental changes in Burgundy, France.
It raises ethical questions about justice and activism, inspired by recent controversial events involving political violence.
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New satellites called FireSat, launched by SpaceX, and ground cameras using artificial intelligence (AI) are helping detect wildfires much earlier than before. These tools scan for heat and smoke frequently, allowing firefighters to respond faster and potentially stop fires before they grow large.
Key Facts
Three FireSat satellites were launched in July as the first part of a planned 50-satellite network focused on spotting small wildfires.
FireSat satellites use infrared sensors and AI to detect heat and compare images to identify new fires while reducing false alarms.
Once complete, the satellite network will scan every point on Earth about every 20 minutes.
Ground cameras equipped with AI have been installed on towers and mountaintops in 17 states to search for smoke and heat.
The AI processes images continuously and alerts human analysts who verify potential fires before notifying fire agencies.
California uses over 1,200 such cameras through the Alert California system, managed by Cal Fire.
Faster detection is crucial as wildfires have become more common due to climate changes like higher temperatures and drought.
Fire officials say early alerts can improve their response and potentially reduce wildfire damage.
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New Mexico’s attorney general, Raúl Torrez, is working on new laws to improve online child safety after winning a court case that fined Meta nearly $1 billion for harming children on its social media platforms. The new laws aim to protect consumers and regulate emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and chatbots.
Key Facts
A jury found Meta guilty of misleading users and allowing harm, including child sexual exploitation, on Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram.
Meta was fined nearly $1 billion across two court cases in New Mexico.
The court ordered $567 million to fund youth mental health services and related programs.
New court rules include age verification, limits on notifications at night, and mandatory screen time limits for users under 18.
Raúl Torrez plans to introduce two new bills focusing on child safety and consumer protections for new technologies like AI.
Torrez is pursuing additional lawsuits against Meta and an AI company with chatbots that affect children emotionally.
Meta says it has invested billions in technology and features to prevent child exploitation and supports teen accounts.
Meta plans to appeal the ruling, disagreeing with the court decision.
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The rocket launch industry has greatly increased the number of space launches in recent years, making space access faster and cheaper. However, there is now a shortage of launch availability, partly because SpaceX plans to reduce its Falcon 9 rocket launches and focus on its own satellite projects, causing concern among satellite companies who need launches.
Key Facts
The number of orbital rocket launches has tripled in the last decade, averaging 270 launches per year recently.
Satellite companies report difficulty booking launches due to limited availability.
SpaceX, the main launch provider, plans to phase out Falcon 9 rockets in favor of the bigger Starship rocket.
SpaceX is focusing more on launching its own Starlink satellites, which generate most of its revenue.
The Falcon 9 rocket flew 165 times last year but is expected to fly about 20 fewer missions this year.
SpaceX may stop commercial Falcon 9 launches after 2028 but will continue government launches for a short time.
Analysts predict thousands of satellite launches will be needed annually within a decade.
This launch shortage could worsen over the next 2 to 4 years, impacting satellite companies’ plans.
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AI companies are collecting and using more personal data from users to improve and personalize chatbot responses, but there are few clear rules on how this data is handled. Different companies have different policies about privacy and data use, with some keeping data mostly on devices while others use it to personalize ads and services.
Key Facts
AI chatbots can access user data, including personal details shared during conversations.
OpenAI offers an optional feature to track apps and websites a user visits.
Google uses uploaded photos and content in Search to train its AI by default, but users can opt out.
Chatbots often collect sensitive information about health, money, and relationships.
Meta uses chatbot data to personalize ads and content but excludes certain sensitive topics.
Apple processes most AI requests on users’ devices to enhance privacy and limits data stored in the cloud.
Some AI services offer private or temporary chats that do not use data for training or memory.
There are limited laws regulating how AI companies collect, use, and store user data.
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Microsoft is building large data centers that use many advanced computer chips made by Nvidia to support artificial intelligence (AI). However, internal documents show Microsoft has about 2.2 million AI chips installed, which is less than half the number some expected for their data center capacity, raising questions about how fully these centers are running.
Key Facts
Microsoft planned to have 1.8 million AI chips in its data centers by the end of 2024 but currently has about 2.2 million.
Despite a $280 billion investment in AI infrastructure since 2022, Microsoft’s chip numbers seem lower than expected.
Nvidia makes nearly all the specialized chips used for AI in Microsoft’s data centers.
Nvidia does not publicly share how many chips it sells or to whom, making it hard to know the exact AI capacity.
Microsoft says it added 5 gigawatts (GW) of data center power since 2022, enough for many AI operations.
Microsoft expects to double its data center footprint by mid-2027.
Estimates based on power usage suggest Microsoft should have around 6.4 million AI chips if all capacity is for AI, which is higher than current reports.
The exact number of operational AI data centers and chips is unclear because of limited information disclosure.
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The company Meta is facing a major lawsuit from 30 U.S. states, accusing it of breaking privacy laws that protect children. The states want Meta to make big changes to Instagram and Facebook, such as removing "like" counts and ending endless scrolling, to limit harm to young users.
Key Facts
The lawsuit was filed in 2023 by 30 U.S. states, including California and New York.
States claim Meta violated federal and state privacy laws designed to protect children.
They are demanding changes like ending "like" counts, stopping infinite scroll, and adding parental verification for teens.
Other requested changes include removing appearance-changing filters, stopping autoplay videos, and banning multiple accounts or disappearing posts for young users.
States accuse Meta of using features to keep young people hooked on the platforms and making it hard to spend less time on them.
Meta denies the claims and says it supports young users.
A New Mexico judge recently fined Meta $942 million and called the company a "public nuisance" because of harm to young people.
If the lawsuit succeeds, Meta may have to make these changes nationwide, affecting nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population.
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Flock Safety, a company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to read license plates, is facing criticism from communities and privacy groups. To address these concerns, Flock updated its privacy rules and how long it keeps data amid lawsuits and contract cancellations.
Key Facts
Flock Safety uses AI-powered cameras to scan and record license plates.
Many communities and civil rights groups are worried about privacy and surveillance.
There have been several lawsuits claiming Flock’s technology invades privacy.
Some customers have ended their contracts with Flock Safety.
In response, Flock changed its privacy policies and data retention practices.
The company wants to reduce fears about mass surveillance and data misuse.
These changes were announced publicly on a Thursday.
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