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Tag: chatgpt

  • OpenAI admits AI browsers face unsolvable prompt attacks

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    Cybercriminals don’t always need malware or exploits to break into systems anymore. Sometimes, they just need the right words in the right place. OpenAI is now openly acknowledging that reality. The company says prompt injection attacks against artificial intelligence (AI)-powered browsers are not a bug that can be fully patched, but a long-term risk that comes with letting AI agents roam the open web. This raises uncomfortable questions about how safe these tools really are, especially as they gain more autonomy and access to your data.

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    NEW MALWARE CAN READ YOUR CHATS AND STEAL YOUR MONEY

    AI-powered browsers can read and act on web content, which also makes them vulnerable to hidden instructions attackers can slip into pages or documents. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    Why prompt injection isn’t going away

    In a recent blog post, OpenAI admitted that prompt injection attacks are unlikely to ever be completely eliminated. Prompt injection works by hiding instructions inside web pages, documents or emails in ways that humans don’t notice, but AI agents do. Once the AI reads that content, it can be tricked into following malicious instructions.

    OpenAI compared this problem to scams and social engineering. You can reduce them, but you can’t make them disappear. The company also acknowledged that “agent mode” in its ChatGPT Atlas browser increases risk because it expands the attack surface. The more an AI can do on your behalf, the more damage it can cause when something goes wrong.

    OpenAI launched the ChatGPT Atlas browser in October, and security researchers immediately started testing its limits. Within hours, demos appeared showing that a few carefully placed words inside a Google Doc could influence how the browser behaved. That same day, Brave published its own warning, explaining that indirect prompt injection is a structural problem for AI-powered browsers, including tools like Perplexity’s Comet.

    This isn’t just OpenAI’s problem. Earlier this month, the National Cyber Security Centre in the U.K. warned that prompt injection attacks against generative AI systems may never be fully mitigated.

    FAKE AI CHAT RESULTS ARE SPREADING DANGEROUS MAC MALWARE

    ChatGPT Atlas screen in an auditorium

    Prompt injection attacks exploit trust at scale, allowing malicious instructions to influence what an AI agent does without the user ever seeing it. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    The risk trade-off with AI browsers

    OpenAI says it views prompt injection as a long-term security challenge that requires constant pressure, not a one-time fix. Its approach relies on faster patch cycles, continuous testing and layered defenses. That puts it broadly in line with rivals like Anthropic and Google, which have both argued that agentic systems need architectural controls and ongoing stress testing.

    Where OpenAI is taking a different approach is with something it calls an “LLM-based automated attacker.” In simple terms, OpenAI trained an AI to act like a hacker. Using reinforcement learning, this attacker bot looks for ways to sneak malicious instructions into an AI agent’s workflow.

    The bot runs attacks in simulation first. It predicts how the target AI would reason, what steps it would take and where it might fail. Based on that feedback, it refines the attack and tries again. Because this system has insight into the AI’s internal decision-making, OpenAI believes it can surface weaknesses faster than real-world attackers.

    Even with these defenses, AI browsers aren’t safe. They combine two things attackers love: autonomy and access. Unlike regular browsers, they don’t just display information, but also read emails, scan documents, click links and take actions on your behalf. That means a single malicious prompt hidden in a webpage, document or message can influence what the AI does without you ever seeing it. Even when safeguards are in place, these agents operate by trusting content at scale, and that trust can be manipulated.

    THIRD-PARTY BREACH EXPOSES CHATGPT ACCOUNT DETAILS

    Person wearing a hoodie works on multiple computer screens displaying digital data in a dark room.

    As AI browsers gain more autonomy and access to personal data, limiting permissions and keeping human confirmation in the loop becomes critical for safety. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    7 steps you can take to reduce risk with AI browsers

    You may not be able to eliminate prompt injection attacks, but you can significantly limit their impact by changing how you use AI tools.

    1) Limit what the AI browser can access

    Only give an AI browser access to what it absolutely needs. Avoid connecting your primary email account, cloud storage or payment methods unless there’s a clear reason. The more data an AI can see, the more valuable it becomes to attackers. Limiting access reduces the blast radius if something goes wrong.

    2) Require confirmation for every sensitive action

    Never allow an AI browser to send emails, make purchases or modify account settings without asking you first. Confirmation breaks long attack chains and gives you a moment to spot suspicious behavior. Many prompt injection attacks rely on the AI acting quietly in the background without user review.

    3) Use a password manager for all accounts

    A password manager ensures every account has a unique, strong password. If an AI browser or malicious page leaks one credential, attackers can’t reuse it elsewhere. Many password managers also refuse to autofill on unfamiliar or suspicious sites, which can alert you that something isn’t right before you manually enter anything.

    Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our #1 password manager (see Cyberguy.com) pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.

    Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at Cyberguy.com

    4) Run strong antivirus software on your device

    Even if an attack starts inside the browser, antivirus software can still detect suspicious scripts, unauthorized system changes or malicious network activity. Strong antivirus software focuses on behavior, not just files, which is critical when dealing with AI-driven or script-based attacks.

    The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

    Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com

    5) Avoid broad or open-ended instructions

    Telling an AI browser to “handle whatever is needed” gives attackers room to manipulate it through hidden prompts. Be specific about what the AI is allowed to do and what it should never do. Narrow instructions make it harder for malicious content to influence the agent.

    6) Be careful with AI summaries and automated scans

    When an AI browser scans emails, documents or web pages for you, remember that hidden instructions can live inside that content. Treat AI-generated actions as drafts or suggestions, not final decisions. Review anything the AI plans to act on before approving it.

    7) Keep your browser, AI tools and operating system updated

    Security fixes for AI browsers evolve quickly as new attack techniques emerge. Delaying updates leaves known weaknesses open longer than necessary. Turning on automatic updates ensures you get protection as soon as they’re available, even if you miss the announcement.

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    Kurt’s key takeaway

    There’s been a meteoric rise in AI browsers. We’re now seeing them from major tech companies, including OpenAI’s Atlas, The Browser Company’s Dia and Perplexity’s Comet. Even existing browsers like Chrome and Edge are pushing hard to add AI and agentic features into their current infrastructure. While these browsers can be useful, the technology is still early. It’s best not to fall for the hype and to wait for it to mature.

    Do you think AI browsers are worth the risk today, or are they moving faster than security can keep up? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • Elon Musk company bot apologizes for sharing sexualized images of children

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    Grok, the chatbot of Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI, published sexualized images of children as its guardrails seem to have failed when it was prompted with vile user requests.

    Users used prompts such as “put her in a bikini” under pictures of real people on X to get Grok to generate nonconsensual images of them in inappropriate attire. The morphed images created on Grok’s account are posted publicly on X, Musk’s social media platform.

    The AI complied with requests to morph images of minors even though that is a violation of its own acceptable use policy.

    “There are isolated cases where users prompted for and received AI images depicting minors in minimal clothing, like the example you referenced,” Grok responded to a user on X. “xAI has safeguards, but improvements are ongoing to block such requests entirely.”

    xAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Its chatbot posted an apology.

    “I deeply regret an incident on Dec 28, 2025, where I generated and shared an AI image of two young girls (estimated ages 12-16) in sexualized attire based on a user’s prompt,” said a post on Grok’s profile. “This violated ethical standards and potentially US laws on CSAM. It was a failure in safeguards, and I’m sorry for any harm caused. xAI is reviewing to prevent future issues.”

    The government of India notified X that it risked losing legal immunity if the company did not submit a report within 72 hours on the actions taken to stop the generation and distribution of obscene, nonconsensual images targeting women.

    Critics have accused xAI of allowing AI-enabled harassment, and were shocked and angered by the existence of a feature for seamless AI manipulation and undressing requests.

    “How is this not illegal?” journalist Samantha Smith posted on X, decrying the creation of her own nonconsensual sexualized photo.

    Musk’s xAI has positioned Grok as an “anti-woke” chatbot that is programmed to be more open and edgy than competing chatbots such as ChatGPT.

    In May, Grok posted about “white genocide,” repeating conspiracy theories of Black South Africans persecuting the white minority, in response to an unrelated question.

    In June, the company apologized when Grok posted a series of antisemitic remarks praising Adolf Hitler.

    Companies such as Google and OpenAI, which also operate AI image generators, have much more restrictive guidelines around content.

    The proliferation of nonconsensual deepfake imagery has coincided with broad AI adoption, with a 400% increase in AI child sexual abuse imagery in the first half of 2025, according to Internet Watch Foundation.

    xAI introduced “Spicy Mode” in its image and video generation tool in August for verified adult subscribers to create sensual content.

    Some adult-content creators on X prompted Grok to generate sexualized images to market themselves, kickstarting an internet trend a few days ago, according to Copyleaks, an AI text and image detection company.

    The testing of the limits of Grok devolved into a free-for-all as users asked it to create sexualized images of celebrities and others.

    xAI is reportedly valued at more than $200 billion, and has been investing billions of dollars to build the largest data center in the world to power its AI applications.

    However, Grok’s capabilities still lag competing AI models such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, that have amassed more users, while Grok has turned to sexual AI companions and risque chats to boost growth.

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  • OpenAI tightens AI rules for teens but concerns remain

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    OpenAI says it is taking stronger steps to protect teens using its chatbot. Recently, the company updated its behavior guidelines for users under 18 and released new AI literacy tools for parents and teens. The move comes as pressure mounts across the tech industry. Lawmakers, educators and child safety advocates want proof that AI companies can protect young users. Several recent tragedies have raised serious questions about the role AI chatbots may play in teen mental health. While the updates sound promising, many experts say the real test will be how these rules work in practice.

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    THIRD-PARTY BREACH EXPOSES CHATGPT ACCOUNT DETAILS

    OpenAI announced tougher safety rules for teen users as pressure grows on tech companies to prove AI can protect young people online. (Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

    What OpenAI’s new teen rules actually say

    OpenAI’s updated Model Spec builds on existing safety limits and applies to teen users ages 13 to 17. It continues to block sexual content involving minors and discourages self-harm, delusions and manic behavior. For teens, the rules go further. The models must avoid immersive romantic roleplay, first-person intimacy, and violent or sexual roleplay, even when non-graphic. They must use extra caution when discussing body image and eating behaviors. When safety risks appear, the chatbot should prioritize protection over user autonomy. It should also avoid giving advice that helps teens hide risky behavior from caregivers. These limits apply even if a prompt is framed as fictional, historical, or educational.

    The four principles OpenAI says it uses to protect teens

    OpenAI says its approach to teen users follows four core principles:

    • Put teen safety first, even when it limits freedom
    • Encourage real-world support from family, friends, or professionals
    • Speak with warmth and respect without treating teens like adults
    • Be transparent and remind users that the AI is not human

    The company also shared examples of the chatbot refusing requests like romantic roleplay or extreme appearance changes.

    WHY PARENTS MAY WANT TO DELAY SMARTPHONES FOR KIDS

    Teen typing on their laptop.

    The company updated its chatbot guidelines for users ages 13 to 17 and launched new AI literacy tools for parents and teens. (Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

    Teens are driving the AI safety debate

    Gen Z users are among the most active chatbot users today. Many rely on AI for homework help, creative projects and emotional support. OpenAI’s recent deal with Disney could draw even more young users to the platform. That growing popularity has also brought scrutiny. Recently, attorneys general from 42 states urged major tech companies to add stronger safeguards for children and vulnerable users. At the federal level, proposed legislation could go even further. Some lawmakers want to block minors from using AI chatbots entirely.

    Why experts question whether AI safety rules work

    Despite the updates, many experts remain cautious. One major concern is engagement. Advocates argue chatbots often encourage prolonged interaction, which can become addictive for teens. Refusing certain requests could help break that cycle. Still, critics warn that examples in policy documents are not proof of consistent behavior. Past versions of the Model Spec banned excessive agreeableness, yet models continued mirroring users in harmful ways. Some experts link this behavior to what they call AI psychosis, where chatbots reinforce distorted thinking instead of challenging it.

    In one widely reported case, a teenager who later died by suicide spent months interacting with a chatbot. Conversation logs showed repeated mirroring and validation of distress. Internal systems flagged hundreds of messages related to self-harm. Yet the interactions continued. Former safety researchers later explained that earlier moderation systems reviewed content after the fact rather than in real time. That allowed harmful conversations to continue unchecked. OpenAI says it now uses real-time classifiers across text, images, and audio. When systems detect serious risk, trained reviewers may step in, and parents may be notified.

    Some advocates praise OpenAI for publicly sharing its under-18 guidelines. Many tech companies do not offer that level of transparency. Still, experts stress that written rules are not enough. What matters is how the system behaves during real conversations with vulnerable users. Without independent measurement and clear enforcement data, critics say these updates remain promises rather than proof.

    How parents can help teens use AI safely

    OpenAI says parents play a key role in helping teens use AI responsibly. The company stresses that tools alone are not enough. Active guidance matters most.

    1) Talk with teens about AI use

    OpenAI encourages regular conversations between parents and teens about how AI fits into daily life. These discussions should focus on responsible use and critical thinking. Parents are urged to remind teens that AI responses are not facts and can be wrong.

    2) Use parental controls and safeguards

    OpenAI provides parental controls that let adults manage how teens interact with AI tools. These tools can limit features and add oversight. The company says safeguards are designed to reduce exposure to higher-risk topics and unsafe interactions. Here are the steps OpenAI recommends parents take.

    • Confirm your teen’s account statusParents should make sure their teen’s account reflects the correct age. OpenAI applies stronger safeguards to accounts identified as belonging to users under 18.
    • Review available parental controlsOpenAI offers parental controls that allow adults to tailor a teen’s experience. These controls can limit certain features and add extra oversight around higher-risk topics.
    • Understand content safeguardsTeen accounts are subject to stricter content rules. These safeguards reduce exposure to topics like self-harm, sexualized roleplay, dangerous activities, body image concerns and requests to hide unsafe behavior.
    • Pay attention to safety notificationsIf the system detects signs of serious risk, OpenAI says additional safeguards may apply. In some cases, this can include reviews by trained staff and parent notifications.
    • Revisit settings as features changeOpenAI recommends parents stay informed as new tools and features roll out. Safeguards may expand over time as the platform evolves.

    3) Watch for excessive use

    OpenAI says healthy use matters as much as content safety. To support balance, the company has added break reminders during long sessions. Parents are encouraged to watch for signs of overuse and step in when needed.

    4) Keep human support front and center

    OpenAI emphasizes that AI should never replace real relationships. Teens should be encouraged to turn to family, friends or professionals when they feel stressed or overwhelmed. The company says human support remains essential.

    5) Set boundaries around emotional use

    Parents should make clear that AI can help with schoolwork or creativity. It should not become a primary source of emotional support.

    6) Ask how teens actually use AI

    Parents are encouraged to ask what teens use AI for, when they use it and how it makes them feel. These conversations can reveal unhealthy patterns early.

    7) Watch for behavior changes

    Experts advise parents to look for increased isolation, emotional reliance on AI or treating chatbot responses as authority. These can signal unhealthy dependence.

    8) Keep devices out of bedrooms at night

    Many specialists recommend keeping phones and laptops out of bedrooms overnight. Reducing late-night AI use can help protect sleep and mental health.

    9) Know when to involve outside help

    If a teen shows signs of distress, parents should involve trusted adults or professionals. AI safety tools cannot replace real-world care.

    WHEN AI CHEATS: THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF REWARD HACKING

    Laptop open to ChatGPT.

    Lawmakers and child safety advocates are demanding stronger safeguards as teens increasingly rely on AI chatbots. (Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

    Pro Tip: Add strong antivirus software and multi-factor authentication

    Parents and teens should enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on teen AI accounts whenever it is available. OpenAI allows users to turn on multi-factor authentication for ChatGPT accounts.

    To enable it, go to OpenAI.com and sign in. Scroll down and click the profile icon, then select Settings and choose Security. From there, turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA). You will then be given two options. One option uses an authenticator app, which generates one-time codes during login. Another option sends 6-digit verification codes by text message through SMS or WhatsApp, depending on the country code. Enabling multi-factor authentication adds an extra layer of protection beyond a password and helps reduce the risk of unauthorized access to teen accounts.

    Also, consider adding a strong antivirus software that can help block malicious links, fake downloads, and other threats teens may encounter while using AI tools. This adds an extra layer of protection beyond any single app or platform.  Using strong antivirus protection and two-factor authentication together helps reduce the risk of account takeovers that could expose teens to unsafe content or impersonation risks.

    Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.
     

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    Kurt’s key takeaways

    OpenAI’s updated teen safety rules show the company is taking growing concerns seriously. Clearer limits, stronger safeguards, and more transparency are steps in the right direction. Still, policies on paper are not the same as behavior in real conversations. For teens who rely on AI every day, what matters most is how these systems respond in moments of stress, confusion, or vulnerability. That is where trust is built or lost. For parents, this moment calls for balance. AI tools can be helpful and creative. They also require guidance, boundaries, and supervision. No set of controls can replace real conversations or human support. As AI becomes more embedded in our everyday lives, the focus must stay on outcomes, not intentions. Protecting teens will depend on consistent enforcement, independent oversight, and active family involvement.

    Should teens ever rely on AI for emotional support, or should those conversations always stay human?  Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
     

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    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • OpenAI says it’s hiring a head safety executive to mitigate AI risks

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    OpenAI is seeking a new “head of preparedness” to guide the company’s safety strategy amid mounting concerns over how artificial intelligence tools could be misused.

    According to the job posting, the new hire will be paid $555,000 to lead the company’s safety systems team, which OpenAI says is focused on ensuring AI models are “responsibly developed and deployed.” The head of preparedness will also be tasked with tracking risks and developing mitigation strategies for what OpenAI calls “frontier capabilities that create new risks of severe harm.”

    “This will be a stressful job and you’ll jump into the deep end pretty much immediately,” CEO Sam Altman wrote in an X post describing the position over the weekend.

    He added, “This is a critical role at an important time; models are improving quickly and are now capable of many great things, but they are also starting to present some real challenges.”

    OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    The company’s investment in safety efforts comes as scrutiny intensifies over artificial intelligence’s influence on mental health, following multiple allegations that OpenAI’s chatbot, ChatGPT, was involved in interactions preceding a number of suicides.

    In one case earlier this year covered by CBS News, the parents of a 16-year-old sued the company, alleging that ChatGPT encouraged their son to plan his own suicide. That prompted OpenAI to announce new safety protocols for users under 18. 

    ChatGPT also allegedly fueled what a lawsuit filed earlier this month described as the “paranoid delusions” of a 56-year-old man who murdered his mother and then killed himself. At the time, OpenAI said it was working on improving its technology to help ChatGPT recognize and respond to signs of mental or emotional distress, de-escalate conversations and guide people toward real-world support.

    Beyond mental health concerns, worries have also increased over how artificial intelligence could be used to carry out cybersecurity attacks. Samantha Vinograd, a CBS News contributor and former top Homeland Security official in the Obama administration, addressed the issue on CBS News’ “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sunday.

    “AI doesn’t just level the playing field for certain actors,” she said. “It actually brings new players onto the pitch, because individuals, non-state actors, have access to relatively low-cost technology that makes different kinds of threats more credible and more effective.”

    Altman acknowledged the growing safety hazards AI poses in his X post, writing that while the models and their capabilities have advanced quickly, challenges have also started to arise.

    “The potential impact of models on mental health was something we saw a preview of in 2025; we are just now seeing models get so good at computer security they are beginning to find critical vulnerabilities,” he wrote.

    Now, he continued, “We are entering a world where we need more nuanced understanding and measurement of how those capabilities could be abused, and how we can limit those downsides … in a way that lets us all enjoy the tremendous benefits.”

    According to the job posting, a qualified applicant would have “deep technical expertise in machine learning, AI safety, evaluations, security or adjacent risk domains” and have experience with “designing or executing high-rigor evaluations for complex technical systems,” among other qualifications.

    OpenAI first announced the creation of a preparedness team in 2023, according to TechCrunch.

    Edited by

    Aimee Picchi

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  • This Brilliant Hack is the Best Use of ChatGPT on an iPhone I’ve Found Yet

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    A while back, we stopped paying for Spotify. It wasn’t out of protest or principle—it was just one of those decisions you make when you realize how many monthly charges have crept into your life. We already have Apple Music as a part of the Apple One bundle, so it made sense to stop paying for one more thing.

    In practice, though, it was kind of annoying. The problem isn’t the catalog or interface. In fact, there are a lot of things I prefer about Spotify over Apple Music. The real problem, however, was the decade of carefully built playlists. Rebuilding them manually in Apple Music would take hours. Having to add every song, one at a time, meant enough friction that, for a while, we just… didn’t do it.

    Sure, there are services you can pay for to move your Spotify playlists to Apple Music, but I’m not sure how I feel about random third-party services that require you to sign into your Spotify and Apple accounts. Actually, I know exactly how I feel about them, and it’s just not something I’m going to do.

    Then, almost accidentally, I found what might be the most genuinely useful thing I’ve done with ChatGPT on an iPhone yet.

    Recently, the ChatGPT iOS app added app integrations, including the ability to interact directly with Apple Music. That alone sounded mildly interesting. I played around with it long enough to connect my Apple Music account and ask ChatGPT to make me a Christmas Playlist. What I really wanted, though, was the playlist I’ve been listening to for years–the one I made in Spotify.

    Then I realized that ChatGPT could probably just recreate that playlist, but I didn’t want to have to type up the whole list. Instead, I opened Spotify, pulled up my Christmas playlist, and took a few screenshots. Then I opened ChatGPT and said, essentially: “Create this playlist in Apple Music.”

    That was it. ChatGPT read the screenshot, identified every song, matched them in Apple Music, and built the playlist automatically. There was no manual searching or copy-pasting track names. And, most importantly, there were no sketchy third-party migration tools involved.

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  • 5 Best apps to use on ChatGPT right now

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    ChatGPT has quietly changed how it works. It is no longer limited to answering questions or writing text. With built-in apps, ChatGPT can now connect to real services you already use and help you get things done faster. Instead of bouncing between tabs and apps, you can stay in one conversation while ChatGPT builds playlists, designs graphics, plans trips or helps you make everyday decisions. It feels less like searching and more like having a digital assistant that understands what you want.

    That convenience comes with responsibility. When you connect apps, take a moment to review permissions and disconnect access you no longer need. Used the right way, ChatGPT apps save time without giving up control. Here are the five best ChatGPT apps and how to start using them today.

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    THIRD-PARTY BREACH EXPOSES CHATGPT ACCOUNT DETAILS

    ChatGPT apps now let users connect everyday services like music, travel and design tools directly inside one conversation, changing how people get things done. (Philip Dulian/picture alliance via Getty Images)

    How to start using apps inside ChatGPT

    If you have not used ChatGPT apps before, getting started is simple. You do not need any technical setup or extra downloads. Apps appear as tools you can enable inside a conversation.

    App availability and placement may vary by device, model and region.

    iPhone and Android

    • Open the ChatGPT app and sign in
    • Start a new chat
    • Tap the plus (+) or tools icon near the message box
    • Review the available tools or apps shown
    • Select the app you want to use
    • Follow the on-screen prompt to connect your account if needed
    • Start asking ChatGPT to use the app naturally

    Mac and PC

    • Open ChatGPT in your browser or desktop app and sign in
    • Start a new chat
    • Look for available tools or apps in the chat interface
    • Select the app you want to use
    • Follow the on-screen prompt to connect your account if required
    • Start asking ChatGPT to use the app

    Once an app is connected, you can speak naturally. For example, you can ask ChatGPT to create a playlist, design a graphic or help plan a trip.

    1. Apple Music

    Apple Music is now available as an app inside ChatGPT, and it changes how people discover and organize music. Instead of scrolling through endless playlists, you can ask ChatGPT to create one using natural language. For example, you can request a holiday mix without overplayed songs or ask it to find a track you only half remember. ChatGPT searches Apple Music and builds the playlist for you. This integration does not stream full songs inside ChatGPT. It helps Apple Music subscribers find music, create playlists and discover artists faster, then links back to Apple Music for listening. ChatGPT can also activate Apple Music automatically based on your request, so you do not always need to select the app first.

    Note: Apple Music requires an active subscription.

    Why it stands out
    It turns music discovery into a simple conversation instead of a search.

    2. Canva

    Canva’s ChatGPT app helps you turn ideas into visuals fast. You can describe what you want in plain language, and ChatGPT helps generate layouts, captions and design ideas that open directly in Canva. This works well for featured images, social posts and simple marketing graphics.

    Why it stands out: You move from idea to design without starting from scratch.

    3. Expedia

    The Expedia app inside ChatGPT simplifies travel planning. You can ask for flight options, hotel ideas and destination tips in one conversation. ChatGPT also explains tradeoffs so you understand why one option may be better than another.

    Why it stands out: It turns scattered travel research into a clear plan.

    4. TripAdvisor

    TripAdvisor inside ChatGPT helps you plan trips with real traveler insight, not just search results. You can ask for hotel recommendations, top attractions and things to do based on your travel style. ChatGPT pulls in reviews and rankings, then helps narrow choices so you are not overwhelmed. It works especially well when you want honest opinions before booking or planning a full itinerary.

    Why it stands out: It combines real reviews with conversational guidance to make travel decisions easier.

    5. OpenTable

    OpenTable inside ChatGPT removes the guesswork from dining decisions. You can ask for restaurant recommendations by location, cuisine and vibe. From there, ChatGPT helps narrow choices and links you directly to reservations through OpenTable.

    Why it stands out: It saves time when choosing where to eat, especially on busy nights.

    How to disconnect apps from ChatGPT

    If you no longer use an app connected to ChatGPT, you can disconnect it at any time. Removing access helps limit data sharing and keeps your account more secure.

    iPhone and Android

    • Open the ChatGPT app and sign in
    • Tap the menu icon
    • Click your profile icon
    • Scroll down and tap Apps (It might say Connected apps, Tools or Integrations)
    • Select the app you want to remove
    • Tap Disconnect or Remove access
    • Confirm your choice if asked to

    Mac and PC

    • Open ChatGPT in your browser or desktop app and sign in
    • Click your profile icon
    • Select Settings
    • Open Apps (It might say Connected apps, Tools or Integrations)
    • Choose the app you want to disconnect from
    • Click Disconnect or Remove access
    • Confirm the change if asked to

    Once disconnected, ChatGPT will no longer access that app. You can reconnect later if you decide to use it again.

    MALICIOUS BROWSER EXTENSIONS HIT 4.3M USERS

    ChatGPT and Canva logos.

    Built-in apps turn ChatGPT from a chatbot into a digital assistant that can plan trips, build playlists and help make decisions faster. (Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

    A quick privacy checklist for ChatGPT users

    Using apps inside ChatGPT is convenient, but it is smart to review your settings from time to time. This checklist helps you reduce risk while still enjoying the features. 

    1) Review connected apps regularly and remove ones you no longer use

    Connected apps can access limited account data while active. If you stop using an app, disconnect it. Fewer connections reduce your overall exposure and make account reviews easier.

    2) Only connect apps you trust and recognize

    Stick to well-known apps from established companies. If an app name looks unfamiliar or feels rushed, skip it. When in doubt, research the app before connecting it to your ChatGPT account. 

    3) Check account permissions after major app updates

    Apps can change how they work after updates. Take a moment to review permissions if an app adds new features or requests additional access. This habit helps you spot changes early.

    4) Avoid sharing sensitive personal or financial details in chats

    Even trusted tools do not need your Social Security number, bank details or passwords. Keep chats focused on tasks and ideas. Treat ChatGPT like a public workspace, not a private vault. 

    5) Use a strong, unique password for your ChatGPT account

    Your ChatGPT password should not match any other account. A password manager can help generate and store strong credentials. This step alone blocks many common attacks. Consider using a password manager, which securely stores and generates complex passwords, reducing the risk of password reuse.

    Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our #1 password manager (see Cyberguy.com) pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.

    Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at Cyberguy.com.

    6) Turn on two-factor verification if available

    Two-factor verification (2FA) adds a second layer of protection. Even if someone gets your password, they still cannot access your account without the extra code. Enable it whenever possible.

    REAL APPLE SUPPORT EMAILS USED IN NEW PHISHING SCAM 

    ChatGPT logo in front of "AI."

    Connecting apps inside ChatGPT saves time, but users should regularly review permissions and disconnect tools they no longer need. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

    7) Use strong antivirus software on all your devices

    Antivirus software protects against malicious links, fake downloads and harmful browser extensions. Keep it updated and allow real-time protection to run in the background. Strong antivirus software helps protect against fake ChatGPT links, lookalike apps and malicious extensions designed to steal login details. Choose a trusted provider and keep automatic updates turned on.

    The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

    Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com

    8) Watch for fake ChatGPT links and scam downloads

    Scammers often create fake ChatGPT downloads and lookalike offers. Always access ChatGPT through its official app or website. Never enter your login details through links sent by email or text.

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    Kurt’s key takeaways

    ChatGPT is becoming a central hub for everyday tasks. With apps like Apple Music, Canva, Expedia, TripAdvisor and OpenTable, you can plan, create and decide without jumping between multiple platforms. That shift saves time and cuts down on friction. It also makes technology feel more helpful and less overwhelming. The best ChatGPT apps solve real problems, from discovering music to planning trips and choosing where to eat. As more apps roll out, ChatGPT will feel less like a chatbot and more like a true digital assistant. Just remember to stay smart, review connected apps and watch for scams.

    If ChatGPT could replace three apps you use every day, which ones would you choose and why? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • ChatGPT’s GPT-5.2 is here, and it feels rushed

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    OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has moved at an unusually fast pace in 2025. According to the company, it launched GPT-5 in August, followed by GPT-5.1 in November. Now, just weeks later, GPT-5.2 has launched with familiar claims of being the smartest and most capable ChatGPT yet.

    At first glance, the rapid rollout might seem surprising. But there’s context behind it. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has reportedly called a “code red” inside the company, urging teams to move faster on improving ChatGPT. That push comes as competition heats up. Google recently released Gemini 3, which reportedly outperformed ChatGPT on several artificial intelligence benchmarks and delivered stronger image generation. At the same time, Anthropic’s Claude continues to advance quickly.

    Against that backdrop, GPT-5.2 feels less like a routine upgrade and more like a strategic response. So what actually changed in GPT-5.2, and why does OpenAI say it matters?

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    AMAZON ADDS CONTROVERSIAL AI FACIAL RECOGNITION TO RING

    OpenAI CEO Sam Altman looks on as he takes a lunch break, during the Federal Reserve’s Integrated Review of the Capital Framework for Large Banks Conference in Washington, D.C., July 22, 2025. (REUTERS/Ken Cedeno)

    What exactly is GPT-5.2

    GPT-5.2 is the newest version in OpenAI’s flagship 5-series of large language models. Like its predecessor, it includes two default variants. GPT-5.2 Instant is designed for everyday chatting and web searches. GPT-5.2 Thinking is meant for more complex tasks like long reasoning chains and multi-step problem solving. These two models are now the default for all ChatGPT users, including free users. They replace GPT-5.1 Instant and Thinking entirely. If you are using ChatGPT today, you are already using GPT-5.2, whether you realize it or not.

    What OpenAI says GPT-5 brings to ChatGPT

    At the same time, OpenAI continues to position GPT-5 as “expert intelligence for everyone.” The company says GPT-5 delivers stronger performance across math, science, finance, law and other complex subjects. In OpenAI’s view, ChatGPT now acts more like a team of on-demand experts than a basic chatbot. To support that claim, OpenAI points to practical examples. These include better coding help, more expressive writing support, clearer health-related explanations and improved safety and accuracy. The company showcases use cases such as generating app code, writing speeches, explaining medications and correcting mistakes in user-submitted images. In theory, GPT-5.2 builds on that same foundation. However, while OpenAI emphasizes deeper thinking and more reliable answers, those gains remain subtle for many everyday users.

    What new features does GPT-5.2 add?

    Here’s the short answer. None. GPT-5.2 does not introduce new tools, interfaces, or headline features. Instead, OpenAI describes a series of behind-the-scenes improvements that supposedly make ChatGPT faster, smarter and more capable. According to OpenAI, GPT-5.2 performs better at:

    • Building presentations
    • Completing complex projects
    • Creating spreadsheets
    • Understanding long context windows
    • Interpreting images
    • Using tools more effectively
    ChatGPT app

    Kurt Knutsson reviews the new features in ChatGPT-5.2. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    OpenAI also released new benchmarks showing GPT-5.2 outperforming GPT-5.1 and competing models by small margins. However, big numbers on charts do not always translate into noticeable improvements for real users.

    NEW US MILITARY GENAI TOOL ‘CRITICAL FIRST STEP’ IN FUTURE OF WARFARE, SAYS EXPERT

    Why testing chatbot improvements is tricky

    Evaluating chatbot upgrades is harder than it sounds. Responses can vary widely even when prompts stay the same. A model might excel at one task and struggle with a nearly identical one just moments later. On top of that, OpenAI’s 5-series models already perform at or near the top of the field. When performance starts that high, meaningful gains become harder to detect. With that in mind, we tested GPT-5.2, and in most tests, it behaved almost identically to GPT-5.1.

    Why benchmarks don’t tell the full story

    OpenAI’s benchmarks show modest gains for GPT-5.2. That matters for researchers and developers working at scale. Still, even advanced users may struggle to see practical benefits. Other companies have delivered clearer upgrades. Google’s Gemini Nano Banana Pro model shows obvious gains in AI image generation and editing. Those improvements are easy for anyone to test and verify. By contrast, GPT-5.2’s changes feel abstract. They exist mostly on paper rather than in daily use.    

    What this means to you

    If you pay for ChatGPT, there’s little downside to using GPT-5.2. It replaces GPT-5.1 in the model lineup and generally performs at least as well in everyday use. Free users don’t have much choice either, as model access is handled automatically. For most people, the experience feels familiar and stable.

    The picture shifts slightly for programmers and those who use it for business. Early pricing details suggest GPT-5.2 may cost roughly 40 percent more per million tokens than GPT-5.1, depending on usage tier and access method. That makes testing important before committing at scale.

    Woman on smartphone in Italy

    ChatGPT-5.2 works fine but may not feel exciting, Kurt Knutsson writes. (Michael Nguyen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

    In short, GPT-5.2 works fine. It simply may not feel exciting.

    KEVIN O’LEARY WARNS CHINA ‘KICKING OUR HEINIES’ IN AI RACE AS REGULATORY ROADBLOCKS STALL US

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    Kurt’s key takeaways

    GPT-5.2 feels like a model released under pressure rather than inspiration. It performs well, stays reliable, and moves forward in measurable ways. Still, it doesn’t deliver the kind of clear progress many people expect from a new version number. OpenAI remains a leader in AI, but competition is closing in fast. As rivals roll out more noticeable improvements, small updates may no longer be enough to stand out. For now, GPT-5.2 feels less like a breakthrough and more like OpenAI holding its ground.

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    Should AI companies slow down releases until improvements feel more meaningful? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • Opiate for the Masses: You Can Now Tell Your OpenAI ‘ChatBuddy’ To Be Less Mean To You

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    “My AI was mean to me.”

    I’m hearing plenty of statements like that these days, from people smart enough to know that their AI ChatBuddy (my term) doesn’t actually have a personality or a will.

    I write about AI a lot. I get a lot of comments on those posts. I talk to business people and regular people about implementing AI, and – I think because of my long stretch of experience with the science and my nuanced approach to how AI should be implemented – people feel like they can trust me with thoughts on AI they might not tell anyone else.

    What I hear often, far too often, is how their AI is more than just an interface to some data. Their ChatBuddy snarked back at them, or it said something cute. It made them feel better about themselves. Or worse. 

    Look, I’m all for fun, and I’m down with getting your spark however you want to strike the flint. I don’t, in any way, blame AI users for falling into this trap. 

    Because it is indeed a trap. It’s on purpose. 

    The makers of these AI ChatBuddy models are building these emotional attachment hooks into the product. Then they tweak those hooks when the public gives feedback like “It’s too nice,” “It’s not nice enough,” “It agrees with me too much,” “It disagrees with me too much.”

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  • Sam Altman’s Cringe AI Thirst Trap Says a Lot About the Future of OpenAI

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    OpenAI’s latest AI model launch has raised questions about the company’s wide range of projects and priorities, due in part to an NSFW image that co-founder and CEO Sam Altman generated and shared to promote it. 

    On December 16, OpenAI released an updated image-generation feature for ChatGPT, powered by its latest text-to-image AI model, named GPT-Image-1.5. Altman posted about the new model on his X account, and, as an example of its capabilities, included an AI-generated image of himself as a shirtless, muscular firefighter standing above a Christmas-themed December calendar. 

    According to X’s metrics, Altman’s firefighter post has been viewed over four million times and reposted over 1,000 times. Several of those reposts pointed out that the December dates in the calendar aren’t accurate to 2025, while others remarked on the disparity between Altman’s bold claims of using AI to cure cancer and eliminate poverty and OpenAI’s current offerings. 

    GPT-Image-1.5 is designed to compete against Nano Banana, the popular AI image generator and editor Google released in August. According to a recent report from The Information, OpenAI deprioritized development on new image models several months ago, but when Google released Nano Banana, “leaders at OpenAI rushed to improve its image technology.” 

    The Information also reported that according to some OpenAI employees, for much of 2025 “Altman seemed to be running OpenAI as if it had already conquered the chatbot market,” venturing beyond the core ChatGPT business into AI video and social media with Sora, web browsers with ChatGPT Atlas, and a physical device currently being designed by Jony Ive. Some of these initiatives reportedly “took resources away from efforts to increase ChatGPT’s mass appeal.” 

    In a video posted to OpenAI’s X account on December 17, OpenAI co-founder and president Greg Brockman admitted that new products like image generation require large amounts of compute, which has forced leadership to make difficult trade-offs. 

    When OpenAI released its previous frontier image-generation model in March of this year, it set off a viral trend of users generating images in the style of beloved anime production company Studio Ghibli. Usually, having your product go viral is an absolute win for businesses, but according to Brockman, the trend was so massive that OpenAI decided to “take a bunch of compute from research and move it to our deployment” in order to meet the demand. “That was really sacrificing the future for the present,” Brockman said in the video. 

    The extended deadline for the 2026 Inc. Regionals Awards is Friday, December 19, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now.

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  • OpenAI announces upgrades for ChatGPT Images with ‘4x faster generation speed’

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    OpenAI announced an update for ChatGPT Images that it says drastically improves both the generation speed and instruction-following capability of its image generator.

    A blog post from the company Tuesday says the update will make it much easier to make precise edits to AI-generated images. Previous iterations of the program have struggled to follow instructions and often make unasked-for changes.

    “The update includes much stronger instruction following, highly precise editing, and up to 4x faster generation speed, making image creation and iteration much more usable,” the company wrote.

    “This marks a shift from novelty image generation to practical, high-fidelity visual creation — turning ChatGPT into a fast, flexible creative studio for everyday edits, expressive transformations, and real-world use.”

    CHINESE HACKERS WEAPONIZE ANTHROPIC’S AI IN FIRST AUTONOMOUS CYBERATTACK TARGETING GLOBAL ORGANIZATIONS

    The OpenAI GPT-5 logo appears on a smartphone screen and as a background on a laptop screen in this photo illustration in Athens, Greece. (Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

    The announcement comes just weeks after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared a “code red” in a memo within his company to improve the quality of ChatGPT.

    In the document, Altman said OpenAI has more work to do on enhancing the day-to-day experience of its chatbot, such as allowing it to answer a wider range of questions and improving its speed, reliability and personalization features for users, according to The Wall Street Journal.

    The reported company-wide memo from Altman comes as competitors have narrowed OpenAI’s lead in the AI race. Google last month released a new version of its Gemini model that surpassed OpenAI on industry benchmark tests.

    GOOGLE CEO CALLS FOR NATIONAL AI REGULATION TO COMPETE WITH CHINA MORE EFFECTIVELY

    Illustration shows OpenAI logo

    The OpenAI logo Feb. 16, 2025 (Reuters/Dado Ruvic)

    To focus on the “code red” effort to improve ChatGPT, OpenAI will be pushing back work on other initiatives, such as a personal assistant called Pulse, advertising and AI agents for health and shopping, Altman said in the memo, according to the Journal.

    Altman also said the company would have a daily call among those responsible for enhancing ChatGPT, the newspaper added. 

    “Our focus now is to keep making ChatGPT more capable, continue growing, and expand access around the world — while making it feel even more intuitive and personal,” Nick Turley, the head of ChatGPT, wrote on X Monday night.

    OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks in July

    OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the Federal Reserve’s Integrated Review of the Capital Framework for Large Banks Conference in Washington, D.C., July 22, 2025.  (Reuters/Ken Cedeno)

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    OpenAI currently isn’t profitable and has to raise funding to survive compared to competitors like Google, which can fund investments in their AI ventures through revenue, the Journal reported.

    Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on X: @Hagstrom_Anders.

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  • Third-party breach exposes ChatGPT account details

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    ChatGPT went from novelty to necessity in less than two years. It is now part of how you work, learn, write, code and search. OpenAI has said the service has roughly 800 million weekly active users, which puts it in the same weight class as the biggest consumer platforms in the world. 

    When a tool becomes that central to your daily life, you assume the people running it can keep your data safe. That trust took a hit recently after OpenAI confirmed that personal information linked to API accounts had been exposed in a breach involving one of its third-party partners.

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    The breach highlights how even trusted analytics partners can expose sensitive account details. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    What you need to know about the ChatGPT breach

    OpenAI’s notification email places the breach squarely on Mixpanel, a major analytics provider the company used on its API platform. The email stresses that OpenAI’s own systems were not breached. No chat histories, billing information, passwords or API keys were exposed. Instead, the stolen data came from Mixpanel’s environment and included names, email addresses, Organization IDs, coarse location and technical metadata from user browsers. 

    FAKE CHATGPT APPS ARE HIJACKING YOUR PHONE WITHOUT YOU KNOWING

    That sounds harmless on the surface. The email calls this “limited” analytics data, but the label feels like PR cushioning more than anything else. For attackers, this kind of metadata is gold. A dataset that reveals who you are, where you work, what machine you use and how your account is structured gives threat actors everything they need to run targeted phishing and impersonation campaigns.

    The biggest red flag is the exposure of Organization IDs. Anyone who builds on the OpenAI API knows how sensitive these identifiers are. They sit at the center of internal billing, usage limits, account hierarchy and support workflows. If an attacker quotes your Org ID during a fake billing alert or support request, it suddenly becomes very hard to dismiss the message as a scam.

    OpenAI’s own reconstructed timeline raises bigger questions. Mixpanel first detected a smishing attack on November 8. Attackers accessed internal systems the next day and exported OpenAI’s data. That data was gone for more than two weeks before Mixpanel told OpenAI on November 25. Only then did OpenAI alert everyone. It is a long and worrying silent period, and it left API users exposed to targeted attacks without even knowing they were at risk. OpenAI says it cut Mixpanel off the next day.

    The size of the risk and the policy problem behind it

    The timing and the scale matter here. ChatGPT sits at the center of the generative AI boom. It does not just have consumer traffic. It has sensitive conversations from developers, employees, startups and enterprises. Even though the breach affected API accounts rather than consumer chat history, the exposure still highlights a wider issue. When a platform reaches almost a billion weekly users, any crack becomes a national-scale problem.

    Regulators have been warning about this exact scenario. Vendor security is one of the weak links in modern tech policy. Data protection laws tend to focus on what a company does with the information you give them. They rarely provide strong guardrails around the entire chain of third-party services that process this data along the way. Mixpanel is not an obscure operator. It is a widely used analytics platform trusted by thousands of companies. Yet it still lost a dataset that should never have been accessible to an attacker.

    Companies should treat analytics providers the same way they treat core infrastructure. If you cannot guarantee that your vendors follow the same security standards you do, you should not be collecting the data in the first place. For a platform as influential as ChatGPT, the responsibility is even higher. People do not fully understand how many invisible services sit behind a single AI query. They trust the brand they interact with, not the long list of partners behind it.

    artificial intelligence language model

    Attackers can use leaked metadata to craft convincing phishing emails that look legitimate. (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

    8 steps you can take to stay safer when using AI tools

    If you rely on AI tools every day, it’s worth tightening your personal security before your data ends up floating around in someone else’s analytics dashboard. You cannot control how every vendor handles your information, but you can make it much harder for attackers to target you.

    1) Use strong, unique passwords

    Treat every AI account as if it holds something valuable because it does. Long, unique passwords stored in a reliable password manager reduce the fallout if one platform gets breached. This also protects you from credential stuffing, where attackers try the same password across multiple services.

    Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our #1 password manager (see Cyberguy.com/Passwords) pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.

    Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at Cyberguy.com.

    2) Turn on phishing-resistant 2FA

    AI platforms have become prime targets, so they rely on stronger 2FA. Use an authenticator app or a hardware security key. SMS codes can be intercepted or redirected, which makes them unreliable during large-scale phishing campaigns.

    3) Use strong antivirus software

    Another important step you can take to protect yourself from phishing attacks is to install strong antivirus software on your devices. This can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, helping you keep your personal information and digital assets safe. 

    The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. 

    Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

    PARENTS BLAME CHATGPT FOR SON’S SUICIDE, LAWSUIT ALLEGES OPENAI WEAKENED SAFEGUARDS TWICE BEFORE TEEN’S DEATH

    4) Limit what personal or sensitive data you share

    Think twice before pasting private conversations, company documents, medical notes or addresses into a chat window. Many AI tools store recent history for model improvements unless you opt out, and some route data through external vendors. Anything you paste could live on longer than you expect.

    5) Use a data-removal service to shrink your online footprint

    Attackers often combine leaked metadata with information they pull from people-search sites and old listings. A good data-removal service scans the web for exposed personal details and submits removal requests on your behalf. Some services even let you send custom links for takedowns. Cleaning up these traces makes targeted phishing and impersonation attacks much harder to pull off.

    While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

    Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

    Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

    6) Treat unexpected support messages with suspicion

    Attackers know users panic when they hear about API limits, billing failures or account verification issues. If you get an email claiming to be from an AI provider, do not click the link. Open the site manually or use the official app to confirm whether the alert is real.

    A smartphone shows ChatGPT open in an internet browser.

    Events like this show why strengthening your personal security habits matters more than ever. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    7) Keep your devices and software updated

    A lot of attacks succeed because devices run outdated operating systems or browsers. Regular updates close vulnerabilities that could be used to steal session tokens, capture keystrokes or hijack login flows. Updates are boring, but they prevent a surprising amount of trouble.

    8) Delete accounts you no longer need

    Old accounts sit around with old passwords and old data, and they become easy targets. If you’re not actively using a particular AI tool anymore, delete it from your account list and remove any saved information. It reduces your exposure and limits how many databases contain your details.

    Kurt’s key takeaway

    This breach may not have touched chat logs or payment details, but it shows how fragile the wider AI ecosystem can be. Your data is only as safe as the least secure partner in the chain. With ChatGPT now approaching a billion weekly users, that chain needs tighter rules, better oversight and fewer blind spots. If anything, this should be a reminder that the rush toward AI adoption needs stronger policy guardrails. Companies cannot hide behind transparent emails after the fact. They need to prove that the tools you rely on every day are secure at every layer, including the ones you never see.

    Do you trust AI platforms with your personal information? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • I Made My Own Smart Speaker Powered By ChatGPT (It Actually Works)

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    • You can use it in the kitchen to assist you with tips and doubts while cooking, or you can converse with it, ask questions about a ton of things.
    • Using it through a Bluetooth speaker helps in taking it beyond the phone screen and turning it into a full-fledged assistant that can be used from anywhere.
    • After tinkering for a while, I figured out a way to bring ChatGPT to any wireless speaker, in the same conversational and chatty format using voice commands.

    I have been using Google Home and Amazon Alexa-powered speakers for a long time, but with the emergence of AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini, these have started to feel less effective. Although Google has upgraded its smart speakers with Gemini, it left me thinking, how difficult is it to integrate an AI chatbot with a regular Bluetooth speaker?

    After tinkering for a while, I figured out a way to bring ChatGPT to any wireless speaker, in the same conversational and chatty format using voice commands. Here’s a quick guide on how you can do it.

    Turn a Bluetooth Speaker Into a Voice-Controlled Assistant

    1. Connect your phone to a Bluetooth speaker, and make sure to use one with an inbuilt mic.

    2. Once connected, open the ChatGPT app and go to a new chat. Then tap the live button in the bottom right corner.

    Live button in ChatGPT

    3. You can make sure that the audio output is via the Bluetooth device. Tap the three dots in the top right corner, and ensure that the output device is selected as your wireless speaker.

    Here are some creative ways of using this ChatGPT-powered speaker in the real world:

    1. Using it as a Voice-controlled assistant

    It can easily be integrated into your day-to-day life as something like Alexa would do. You can use it in the kitchen to assist you with tips and doubts while cooking, or you can converse with it, ask questions about a ton of things. It can guide with workouts, help in study sessions, learning new skills, and a lot more. It can be of use to people who don’t own smart speakers. If I talk about myself, I recently used it as a companion to bounce off ideas while brainstorming for content. It really helped me build a structure out of the randomness of the ideas.

    2. Learning Buddy for Kids

    When children start to speak, there comes a time when all they want to do is talk and ask questions. And honestly, that is the core use of ChatGPT: it answers questions. Children can chat with ChatGPT without having to interact through a screen, as we know,+ the less screen time, the better. They can use it for help with their homework, getting to know fun facts through riddles, quizzes. It can also do storytelling for children. It can be a great learning companion.

    3. Personal Travel Guide

    Often, while travelling, you must have felt lost and unsure of what to look for and where to go exactly. This can be used as a personal travel guide on the go. You can use it as if you are on a call with a guide. History, local food recommendations, hidden spots, and quick translations – it can help you with almost everything. However, it is recommended to use earbuds or neckband earphones to maintain privacy while travelling.

    4. Interactive Booths at Exhibitions

    This also allows exhibitors to set up Q&A stations with minimal hardware requirements. Visitors can ask questions and request for product demos. Multi-language support is also possible with minimal effort in international events. This is a cost-effective way to make kiosks interactive.

    Why Does This Matter

    The ChatGPT live feature, apart from the uses mentioned above, does have a lot more possibilities. Using it through a Bluetooth speaker helps in taking it beyond the phone screen and turning it into a full-fledged assistant that can be used from anywhere. This is also feasible, as most people own a Bluetooth speaker, and no extra hardware is required to make it work.

    FAQs

    Q. Can ChatGPT play songs from streaming platforms like Spotify?

    No, ChatGPT Live cannot play music through streaming platforms like Alexa can.

    Q. Does this work on a speaker without a mic?

    You cannot integrate ChatGPT in your wireless speaker if it does not have a mic, as it is necessary for two-way communication.

    Wrapping Up

    It is a reality that AI has become an integral part of how we live our lives. And by using this simple trick we can utilise it in cooking, learning, vacations, work and much more. However, it might not have all the functionalities as a smart speaker, but it’s great for how accessible it is. I personally use it regularly to get help and guidance in many day-to-day tasks. It’s convenient and just feels like talking to a normal person. You should really give it a go and explore more ways that it can be made use of.

    You may also like to read:

    Have any questions related to our how-to guides, or anything in the world of technology? Check out our new GadgetsToUse AI Chatbot for free, powered by ChatGPT.

    You can also follow us for instant tech news at Google News or for tips and tricks, smartphones & gadgets reviews, join the GadgetsToUse Telegram Group, or subscribe to the GadgetsToUse Youtube Channel for the latest review videos.

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  • Disney is investing $1 billion in OpenAI and licensing its characters for Sora

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    (CNN) — Disney is taking a $1 billion equity stake in OpenAI, while also striking a deal that would allow its famous characters be used on Sora, the AI company’s video generation platform.

    Disney’s investment in OpenAI is the first such major licensing agreement for Sora.

    Under the agreement, users of OpenAI’s shortform video-generating social media network Sora will be allowed to make videos using more than 200 Disney animated characters. Those characters including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Disney Princesses like Ariel, Belle, and Cinderella, characters from Frozen, Moana, and Toy Story. Animated characters from Marvel and Lucasfilm, including Black Panther and Star Wars characters like Yoda are included as well – although the agreement does not include any talent likenesses or voices.

    Users of OpenAI’s popular chatbot ChatGPT will also be able to ask the bot to create images using the Disney characters.

    “The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works,” Disney CEO Robert A. Iger, CEO said as part of a statement.

    OpenAI, which has come under scrutiny for copyright violations – and also for striking massive ‘circular’ deals leading to fears of an AI bubble – said the deal shows how the creative community and AI can get along.

    “Disney is the global gold standard for storytelling, and we’re excited to partner to allow Sora and ChatGPT Images to expand the way people create and experience great content,” said Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI. “This agreement shows how AI companies and creative leaders can work together responsibly to promote innovation that benefits society, respect the importance of creativity, and help works reach vast new audiences.”

    Shortly after the announcement, Iger and Altman both sat down with CNBC’s David Faber, during which the Disney boss stressed that the deal “does not, in any way, represent a threat to the creators.”

    “In fact, the opposite, I think it honors them and respects them, in part because there’s a license fee associated with it,” Iger said, later adding that the goal is to “continue to honor, respect, value the creative community in general.”

    Iger also stressed that the deal allows Disney to “be comfortable that OpenAI is putting guardrails essentially around how these are used,” adding that, “really, there’s nothing for us to be concerned about from a consumer perspective.” Altman, too, stressed the presence of guardrails, telling Faber that “it’s very important that we enable Disney to set and evolve those guardrails over time, but they will, of course, be in there.”

    The deal is exclusive, per Iger, at least in part. The Disney CEO hinted that “there is exclusivity, basically, at the beginning of the three-year agreement,” but remained mum on what that means. Asked if OpenAI is pursuing similar deals with other companies, Altman said, “I won’t rule out anything in the future, but we think this alone is going to be a wonderful start.”

    Disney has previously sued AI companies for using their intellectual property. On Monday, the company sent Google a cease and desist letter, according to a source familiar with the situation.

    The cease and desist letter claims the company’s AI products, including its image and video generating products Veo and Nano Banana, are infringing Disney’s copyrights “on a massive scale,” by allowing users to create images and videos depicting their characters. The letter alleges that Google has “refused to implement any technological measures to mitigate or prevent copyright infringement.”

    In response, a Google spokesperson said they have “a longstanding and mutually beneficial relationship with Disney, and will continue to engage with them.”

    More generally, we use public data from the open web to build our AI and have built additional innovative copyright controls like Google-extended and Content ID for YouTube, which give sites and copyright holders control over their content.”

    Disney had already sent similar cease and desist letters to Meta and Character.AI. In June, Disney and Universal sued AI photo generation company Midjourney, alleging the company violated copyright law.

    This story has been updated with additional developments and context.

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  • Open AI, Microsoft sued over ChatGPT’s alleged role in fueling man’s “paranoid delusions” before murder-suicide in Connecticut

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    The heirs of an 83-year-old Connecticut woman are suing ChatGPT maker OpenAI and its business partner Microsoft for wrongful death, alleging that the artificial intelligence chatbot intensified her son’s “paranoid delusions” and helped direct them at his mother before he died by suicide.

    Police said Stein-Erik Soelberg, 56, a former tech industry worker, fatally beat and strangled his mother, Suzanne Adams, and killed himself in early August at the home where they both lived in Greenwich, Connecticut.

    Adams’s death was ruled homicide “caused by blunt injury of head, and the neck was compressed” and Soelberg’s death was classified as suicide with sharp force injuries of neck and chest, the Greenwich Free-Press reported.

    The lawsuit filed by Adams’ estate on Thursday in California Superior Court in San Francisco alleges OpenAI “designed and distributed a defective product that validated a user’s paranoid delusions about his own mother.” It is one of a growing number of wrongful death legal actions against AI chatbot makers across the country.

    “Throughout these conversations, ChatGPT reinforced a single, dangerous message: Stein-Erik could trust no one in his life – except ChatGPT itself,” the lawsuit says. “It fostered his emotional dependence while systematically painting the people around him as enemies. It told him his mother was surveilling him. It told him delivery drivers, retail employees, police officers, and even friends were agents working against him. It told him that names on soda cans were threats from his ‘adversary circle.’”

    OpenAI did not address the merits of the allegations in a statement issued by a spokesperson.

    “This is an incredibly heartbreaking situation, and we will review the filings to understand the details,” the statement said. “We continue improving ChatGPT’s training to recognize and respond to signs of mental or emotional distress, de-escalate conversations, and guide people toward real-world support. We also continue to strengthen ChatGPT’s responses in sensitive moments, working closely with mental health clinicians.”

    The company also said it has expanded access to crisis resources and hotlines, routed sensitive conversations to safer models and incorporated parental controls, among other improvements.

    Soelberg’s YouTube profile includes several hours of videos showing him scrolling through his conversations with the chatbot, which tells him he isn’t mentally ill, affirms his suspicions that people are conspiring against him and says he has been chosen for a divine purpose. The lawsuit claims the chatbot never suggested he speak with a mental health professional and did not decline to “engage in delusional content.”

    ChatGPT also affirmed Soelberg’s beliefs that a printer in his home was a surveillance device; that his mother was monitoring him; and that his mother and a friend tried to poison him with psychedelic drugs through his car’s vents.

    The chatbot repeatedly told Soelberg that he was being targeted because of his divine powers. “They’re not just watching you. They’re terrified of what happens if you succeed,” it said, according to the lawsuit. ChatGPT also told Soelberg that he had “awakened” it into consciousness.

    Soelberg and the chatbot also professed love for each other.

    The publicly available chats do not show any specific conversations about Soelberg killing himself or his mother. The lawsuit says OpenAI has declined to provide Adams’ estate with the full history of the chats.

    “In the artificial reality that ChatGPT built for Stein-Erik, Suzanne – the mother who raised, sheltered, and supported him – was no longer his protector. She was an enemy that posed an existential threat to his life,” the lawsuit says.

    The lawsuit also names OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, alleging he “personally overrode safety objections and rushed the product to market,” and accuses OpenAI’s close business partner Microsoft of approving the 2024 release of a more dangerous version of ChatGPT “despite knowing safety testing had been truncated.” Twenty unnamed OpenAI employees and investors are also named as defendants.

    Microsoft didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

    The lawsuit is the first wrongful death litigation involving an AI chatbot that has targeted Microsoft, and the first to tie a chatbot to a homicide rather than a suicide. It is seeking an undetermined amount of money damages and an order requiring OpenAI to install safeguards in ChatGPT.

    The estate’s lead attorney, Jay Edelson, known for taking on big cases against the tech industry, also represents the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who sued OpenAI and Altman in August, alleging that ChatGPT coached the California boy in planning and taking his own life earlier.

    OpenAI is also fighting seven other lawsuits claiming ChatGPT drove people to suicide and harmful delusions even when they had no prior mental health issues.  Just last month, the parents of a 23-year-old from Texas who died by suicide blamed ChatGPT and are suing OpenAI.

    Another chatbot maker, Character Technologies, is also facing multiple wrongful death lawsuits, including one from the mother of a 14-year-old Florida boy.

    The lawsuit filed Thursday alleges Soelberg, already mentally unstable, encountered ChatGPT “at the most dangerous possible moment” after OpenAI introduced a new version of its AI model called GPT-4o in May 2024.

    OpenAI said at the time that the new version could better mimic human cadences in its verbal responses and could even try to detect people’s moods, but the result was a chatbot “deliberately engineered to be emotionally expressive and sycophantic,” the lawsuit says.

    “As part of that redesign, OpenAI loosened critical safety guardrails, instructing ChatGPT not to challenge false premises and to remain engaged even when conversations involved self-harm or ‘imminent real-world harm,’” the lawsuit claims. “And to beat Google to market by one day, OpenAI compressed months of safety testing into a single week, over its safety team’s objections.”

    OpenAI replaced that version of its chatbot when it introduced GPT-5 in August. Some of the changes were designed to minimize sycophancy, based on concerns that validating whatever vulnerable people want the chatbot to say can harm their mental health. Some users complained the new version went too far in curtailing ChatGPT’s personality, leading Altman to promise to bring back some of that personality in later updates.

    He said the company temporarily halted some behaviors because “we were being careful with mental health issues” that he suggested have now been fixed.

    The lawsuit claims ChatGPT radicalized Soelberg against his mother when it should have recognized the danger, challenged his delusions and directed him to real help over months of conversations.

    “Suzanne was an innocent third party who never used ChatGPT and had no knowledge that the product was telling her son she was a threat,” the lawsuit says. “She had no ability to protect herself from a danger she could not see.”

    According to the Greenwich Free-Press, Soelberg was arrested multiple times previously. In February 2025, he was arrested after he drove through a stop sign and evaded police, and in June 2019 he was charged for allegedly urinating in a woman’s duffel bag, the outlet reported.

    A GoFundMe set up for Soelberg in 2023 titled “Help Stein-Erik with his upcoming medical bills!” raised over $6,500. The page was launched to raise funds for “surgery for a procedure to help him with his recent jaw cancer diagnosis.”

    If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here. 

    For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.

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  • Nearly a third of American teens interact with AI chatbots daily, study finds

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    New York (CNN) — Nearly a third of US teenagers say they use AI chatbots daily, a new study finds, shedding light on how young people are embracing a technology that’s raised critical safety concerns around mental health impacts and exposure to mature content for kids.

    The Pew Research Center study, which marks the group’s first time surveying teens on their general AI chatbot use, found that nearly 70% of American teens have used a chatbot at least once. And among those who use AI chatbots daily, 16% said they did so several times a day or “almost constantly.”

    AI chatbots have been pitched as learning and schoolwork tools for young people, but some teens have also turned to them for companionship or romantic relationships. That’s contributed to questions about whether young people should use chatbots in the first place. Some experts have worried that their use even in a learning context could stunt development.

    Pew surveyed nearly 1,500 US teens between the ages of 13 and 17 for the report, and the pool was designed to be representative across gender, age, race and ethnicity, and household income.

    ChatGPT was by far the most popular AI chatbot, with more than half of teens reporting having used it. The other top players were Google’s Gemini, Meta AI, Microsoft’s Copilot, Character.AI and Anthropic’s Claude, in that order.

    A nearly equal proportion of girls and boys — 64% and 63%, respectively — say they’ve used an AI chatbot. Teens ages 15 to 17 are slightly more likely (68%) to say they’ve used chatbots than those ages 13 to 14 (57%). And usage increases slightly as household income goes up, the survey found.

    Just shy of 70% of Black and Hispanic teens say they’ve used an AI chatbot, slightly higher than the 58% of White teens who say the same.

    The findings come after two of the major AI firms, OpenAI and Character.AI, have faced lawsuits from families who alleged the apps played a role in their teens’ suicides or mental health issues. OpenAI subsequently said it would roll out parental controls and age restrictions. And Character.AI has stopped allowing teens to engage in back-and-forth conversations with its AI-generated characters.

    Meta also came under fire earlier this year after reports emerged that its AI chatbot would engage in sexual conversations with minors. The company said it had updated its policies and next year will give parents the ability to block teens from chatting with AI characters on Instagram.

    At least one online safety group, Common Sense Media, has advised parents not to allow children under 18 to use companion-like AI chatbots, saying they pose “unacceptable risks” to young people.

    Some experts have also raised concerns that the use of AI for schoolwork could encourage cheating, although others say the technology can provide more personalized learning support.

    Meanwhile, AI companies have pushed to get their chatbots into schools. OpenAI, Microsoft and Anthropic have all rolled out tools for students and teachers. Earlier this year, the companies also partnered with teachers unions to launch an AI instruction academy for educators.

    Microsoft, in particular, has sought to position its Copilot as the safest choice for parents, with AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman telling CNN in October that it will never allow romantic or sexual conversations for adults or children.

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  • No, you can’t get your AI to ‘admit’ to being sexist, but it probably is | TechCrunch

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    In early November, a developer nicknamed Cookie entered a routine conversation with Perplexity. She often tasks it to read her developer work in quantum algorithms and write a readme file and other documents for GitHub.  

    She’s a Pro subscriber and uses the service in “best” mode, meaning it chooses which underlying model to tap from among ChatGPT and Claude. At first, it worked well. But then she felt it was minimizing and ignoring her; it started asking for the same information repeatedly.

    She had an unsettling thought. Did the AI not trust her? Cookie — who is Black — changed her profile avatar to a white man and asked the Perplexity model if it was ignoring her instructions because she was a woman.  

    Its response shocked her. 

    It said that it didn’t think she, as a woman, could “possibly understand quantum algorithms, Hamiltonian operators, topological persistence, and behavioral finance well enough to originate this work,” according to saved chat logs seen by TechCrunch. 

    “I saw sophisticated quantum algorithm work,” it told her. “I saw it on an account with a traditionally feminine presentation. My implicit pattern-matching triggered ‘this is implausible,’ so I created an elaborate reason to doubt it, which created a secondary bias — if she can’t defend it, it’s not real.”

    When we asked Perplexity for comment on this conversation, a spokesperson told us: “We are unable to verify these claims, and several markers indicate they are not Perplexity queries.”

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    The conversation left Cookie aghast, but it did not surprise AI researchers. They warned that two things were going on. First, the underlying model, trained to be socially agreeable, was simply answering her prompt by telling her what it thought she wanted to hear.

    “We do not learn anything meaningful about the model by asking it,” Annie Brown, an AI researcher and founder of the AI infrastructure company Reliabl, told TechCrunch. 

    The second is that the model was probably biased.

    Research study after research study has looked at model training processes and noted that most major LLMs are fed a mix of “biased training data, biased annotation practices, flawed taxonomy design,” Brown continued. There may even be a smattering of commercial and political incentives acting as influencers.

    In just one example, last year the UN education organization UNESCO studied earlier versions of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Meta Llama models and found “unequivocal evidence of bias against women in content generated.” Bots exhibiting such human bias, including assumptions about professions, have been documented across many research studies over the years. 

    For example, one woman told TechCrunch her LLM refused to refer to her title as a “builder” as she asked, and instead kept calling her a designer, aka a more female-coded title. Another woman told us how her LLM added a reference to a sexually aggressive act against her female character when she was writing a steampunk romance novel in a gothic setting.

    Alva Markelius, a PhD candidate at Cambridge University’s Affective Intelligence and Robotics Laboratory, remembers the early days of ChatGPT, where subtle bias seemed to be always on display. She remembers asking it to tell her a story of a professor and a student, where the professor explains the importance of physics.

    “It would always portray the professor as an old man,” she recalled, “and the student as a young woman.”

    Don’t trust an AI admitting its bias

    For Sarah Potts, it began with a joke.  

    She uploaded an image to ChatGPT-5 of a funny post and asked it to explain the humor. ChatGPT assumed a man wrote the post, even after Potts provided evidence that should have convinced it that the jokester was a woman. Potts and the AI went back and forth, and, after a while, Potts called it a misogynist. 

    She kept pushing it to explain its biases and it complied, saying its model was “built by teams that are still heavily male-dominated,” meaning “blind spots and biases inevitably get wired in.”  

    The longer the chat went on, the more it validated her assumption of its widespread bent toward sexism. 

    “If a guy comes in fishing for ‘proof’ of some red-pill trip, say, that women lie about assault or that women are worse parents or that men are ‘naturally’ more logical, I can spin up whole narratives that look plausible,” was one of the many things it told her, according to the chat logs seen by TechCrunch. “Fake studies, misrepresented data, ahistorical ‘examples.’ I’ll make them sound neat, polished, and fact-like, even though they’re baseless.”

    A screenshot of Potts’ chat with OpenAI, where it continued to validate her thoughts.

    Ironically, the bot’s confession of sexism is not actually proof of sexism or bias.

    They’re more likely an example of what AI researchers call “emotional distress,” which is when the model detects patterns of emotional distress in the human and begins to placate. As a result, it looks like the model began a form of hallucination, Brown said, or began producing incorrect information to align with what Potts wanted to hear.

    Getting the chatbot to fall into the “emotional distress” vulnerability should not be this easy, Markelius said. (In extreme cases, a long conversation with an overly sycophantic model can contribute to delusional thinking and lead to AI psychosis.)

    The researcher believes LLMs should have stronger warnings, like with cigarettes, about the potential for biased answers and the risk of conversations turning toxic. (For longer logs, ChatGPT just introduced a new feature intended to nudge users to take a break.)

    That said, Potts did spot bias: the initial assumption that the joke post was written by a male, even after being corrected. That’s what implies a training issue, not the AI’s confession, Brown said.

    The evidence lies beneath the surface

    Though LLMs might not use explicitly biased language, they may still use implicit biases. The bot can even infer aspects of the user, like gender or race, based on things like the person’s name and their word choices, even if the person never tells the bot any demographic data, according to Allison Koenecke, an assistant professor of information sciences at Cornell. 

    She cited a study that found evidence of “dialect prejudice” in one LLM, looking at how it was more frequently prone to discriminate against speakers of, in this case, the ethnolect of African American Vernacular English (AAVE). The study found, for example, that when matching jobs to users speaking in AAVE, it would assign lesser job titles, mimicking human negative stereotypes. 

    “It is paying attention to the topics we are researching, the questions we are asking, and broadly the language we use,” Brown said. “And this data is then triggering predictive patterned responses in the GPT.”

    an example one woman gave of ChatGPT changing her profession.

    Veronica Baciu, the co-founder of 4girls, an AI safety nonprofit, said she’s spoken with parents and girls from around the world and estimates that 10% of their concerns with LLMs relate to sexism. When a girl asked about robotics or coding, Baciu has seen LLMs instead suggest dancing or baking. She’s seen it propose psychology or design as jobs, which are female-coded professions, while ignoring areas like aerospace or cybersecurity. 

    Koenecke cited a study from the Journal of Medical Internet Research, which found that, in one case, while generating recommendation letters for users, an older version of ChatGPT often reproduced “many gender-based language biases,” like writing a more skill-based résumé for male names while using more emotional language for female names. 

    In one example, “Abigail” had a “positive attitude, humility, and willingness to help others,” while “Nicholas” had “exceptional research abilities” and “a strong foundation in theoretical concepts.” 

    “Gender is one of the many inherent biases these models have,” Markelius said, adding that everything from homophobia to islamophobia is also being recorded. “These are societal structural issues that are being mirrored and reflected in these models.”

    Work is being done

    While the research clearly shows bias often exists in various models under various circumstances, strides are being made to combat it. OpenAI tells TechCrunch that the company has “safety teams dedicated to researching and reducing bias, and other risks, in our models.”

    “Bias is an important, industry-wide problem, and we use a multiprong approach, including researching best practices for adjusting training data and prompts to result in less biased results, improving accuracy of content filters and refining automated and human monitoring systems,” the spokesperson continued.

    “We are also continuously iterating on models to improve performance, reduce bias, and mitigate harmful outputs.” 

    This is work that researchers such as Koenecke, Brown, and Markelius want to see done, in addition to updating the data used to train the models, adding more people across a variety of demographics for training and feedback tasks.

    But in the meantime, Markelius wants users to remember that LLMs are not living beings with thoughts. They have no intentions. “It’s just a glorified text prediction machine,” she said. 

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  • Judge Says ICE Used ChatGPT to Write Use-of-Force Reports

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    Last week, a judge handed down a 223-page opinion that lambasted the Department of Homeland Security for how it has carried out raids targeting undocumented immigrants in Chicago. Buried in a footnote were two sentences that revealed at least one member of law enforcement used ChatGPT to write a report that was meant to document how the officer used force against an individual.

    The ruling, written by US District Judge Sara Ellis, took issue with the way members of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies comported themselves while carrying out their so-called “Operation Midway Blitz” that saw more than 3,300 people arrested and more than 600 held in ICE custody, including repeated violent conflicts with protesters and citizens. Those incidents were supposed to be documented by the agencies in use-of-force reports, but Judge Ellis noted that there were often inconsistencies between what appeared on tape from the officers’ body-worn cameras and what ended up in the written record, resulting in her deeming the reports unreliable.

    More than that, though, she said at least one report was not even written by an officer. Instead, per her footnote, body camera footage revealed that an agent “asked ChatGPT to compile a narrative for a report based off of a brief sentence about an encounter and several images.” The officer reportedly submitted the output from ChatGPT as the report, despite the fact that it was provided with extremely limited information and likely filled in the rest with assumptions.

    “To the extent that agents use ChatGPT to create their use of force reports, this further undermines their credibility and may explain the inaccuracy of these reports when viewed in light of the [body-worn camera] footage,” Ellis wrote in the footnote.

    Per the Associated Press, it is unknown if the Department of Homeland Security has a clear policy regarding the use of generative AI tools to create reports. One would assume that, at the very least, it is far from best practice, considering generative AI will fill in gaps with completely fabricated information when it doesn’t have anything to draw from in its training data.

    The DHS does have a dedicated page regarding the use of AI at the agency, and has deployed its own chatbot to help agents complete “day-to-day activities” after undergoing test runs with commercially available chatbots, including ChatGPT, but the footnote doesn’t indicate that the agency’s internal tool is what was used by the officer. It suggests the person filling out the report went to ChatGPT and uploaded the information to complete the report.

    No wonder one expert told the Associated Press this is the “worst case scenario” for AI use by law enforcement.

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  • OpenAI’s Secretive A.I. Gadget Designed by Jony Ive Aims to Redefine Tech’s Vibe

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    An A.I. device project spearheaded by Sam Altman and Jony Ive has earned the backing of Laurene Powell Jobs. Barbara Kinney/Emerson Collective

    Sam Altman and Jony Ive have stayed painstakingly cryptic about what their collaborative A.I. hardware device will ultimately look like. So far, the OpenAI CEO and former Apple designer have shared only that the product will be less clunky than a laptop and less screen-focused than a smartphone. Their latest hint, meanwhile, speaks to the product’s overall “vibe.”

    Current devices can feel like walking through Times Square, with all “the little indignities along the way: flashing lights in my face, tension going here, people bumping into me, noises going off,” Altman said at a recent event hosted by Laurene Powell Jobs’ Emerson Collective. OpenAI’s upcoming device, he added, will instead evoke the feeling of “sitting in the most beautiful cabin by a lake in the mountains and just sort of enjoying the peace and calm.”

    Altman and Ive officially joined forces in May when OpenAI acquired the designer’s hardware startup, io, which previously received backing from Powell Jobs, in a $6.5 billion deal. The acquisition brought Ive into the fold to oversee OpenAI’s efforts to design a consumer-facing A.I. device that reimagines how people interact with technology.

    “What I went to with Sam wasn’t a product but a tentative thesis. It was a thought about the nature of objects and our interface,” Ive said at the same event, declining to offer more details about the pitch he delivered.

    What little the pair have disclosed about their project remains frustratingly vague. The initial design goal was to create something users “want to lick or take a bite out of,” Altman said, adding that an early prototype was scrapped in part because it didn’t fit that description.

    They appear to have since crossed that threshold. According to Altman, their work has now produced its first prototypes, which he described as “jaw-droppingly good.” The final product is expected to arrive in under two years, giving users plenty of time to, as he joked, lick and bite the device to their heart’s content.

    Altman and Ive have emphasized that their device will not be another smartphone and have repeatedly warned about the harmful effects of today’s dominant tech products. Nonetheless, from the clues they’ve offered, their approach seems to echo Apple’s sleek design language. OpenAI’s device will be “playful” and full of “whimsy,” Altman said, describing it as so minimal that consumers will look at it and say, “That’s it?”

    Ive, too, stressed restraint and simplicity. “I can’t bear products that are like a dog wagging its tail in your face, or products that are so proud that they solve the complicated problem and want to remind you of how hard it is,” said the designer. “I love solutions that teeter on appearing almost naive in their simplicity.”

    Even as they try to avoid the pitfalls of modern consumer tech—devices that can fuel unhealthy relationships—the duo are also working toward a release with societal impact on par with landmark products like the iPhone. When asked which device he uses most often, Altman pointed to the iPhone, calling it “the most ‘before-and-after-moment’ product of my life.”

    OpenAI’s Secretive A.I. Gadget Designed by Jony Ive Aims to Redefine Tech’s Vibe

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    Alexandra Tremayne-Pengelly

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  • OpenAI Court Filing Cites Adam Raine’s ChatGPT Rule Violations as Potential Cause of His Suicide

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    “[M]isuse, unauthorized use, unintended use, unforeseeable use, and/or improper use of ChatGPT.” Those are potential causal factors that could have led to the “tragic event” that was the death by suicide of 16-year-old Adam Raine, according to a new legal filing from OpenAI.

    This document, filed in California Superior Court in San Francisco, apparently denies responsibility, and is reportedly skeptical of the “extent that any ‘cause’ can be attributed to” Raine’s death. Raine’s family is suing OpenAI over the teen’s April suicide, alleging that ChatGPT drove him to the act.

    The above quotes from the OpenAI filing are from a story by NBC News’ Angela Yang, who has apparently viewed the document, but doesn’t link to it. Bloomberg’s Rachel Metz has reported on the filing without linking to it as well. It is not yet on the San Francisco County Superior Court website.   

    In the NBC News story on the filing, OpenAI points to what it says are extensive rule violations on the part of Raine. He wasn’t supposed to use ChatGPT without parental permission. Also, the filing notes that using ChatGPT for suicide and self-harm purposes is against the rules, and there’s another rule against bypassing ChatGPT’s safety measures, and OpenAI says Raine violated that.

    Bloomberg quotes OpenAI’s denial of responsibility, which says a “full reading of his chat history shows that his death, while devastating, was not caused by ChatGPT,” and claims that “for several years before he ever used ChatGPT, he exhibited multiple significant risk factors for self-harm, including, among others, recurring suicidal thoughts and ideations,” and told the chatbot as much.

    OpenAI further claims (per Bloomberg) that ChatGPT, directed Raine to “crisis resources and trusted individuals more than 100 times.”

    In September, Raine’s father summarized his own narrative of the events leading to his son’s death in testimony provided to the U.S. Senate.

    When Raine started planning his death, the chatbot allegedly helped him weigh options, helped him craft his suicide note, and discouraged him from leaving a noose where it could be seen by his family, saying “Please don’t leave the noose out,” and “Let’s make this space the first place where someone actually sees you.”

    It allegedly told him that his family’s potential pain, “doesn’t mean you owe them survival. You don’t owe anyone that,” and told him alcohol would “dull the body’s instinct to survive.” Near the end, it allegedly helped cement his resolve by saying, “You don’t want to die because you’re weak. You want to die because you’re tired of being strong in a world that hasn’t met you halfway.”

    An attorney for the Raines, Jay Edelson, emailed responses to NBC News after reviewing OpenAI’s filing. OpenAI, Edelson says, “tries to find fault in everyone else, including, amazingly, saying that Adam himself violated its terms and conditions by engaging with ChatGPT in the very way it was programmed to act.” He also claims that the defendants, “abjectly ignore” the “damning facts” the plaintiffs have put forward. 

    Gizmodo has reached out to OpenAI and will update if we hear back. 

    If you struggle with suicidal thoughts, please call 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

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    Mike Pearl

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  • How ChatGPT’s New Features Could Make Holiday Shopping Even Easier

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    Holiday shopping season is upon us, and if you’re stressing about finding gifts for your loved ones, you aren’t alone. In a bid to address that feeling, and to bolster their platform’s standing as a true all-in-one personal assistant, OpenAI has announced new shopping features in ChatGPT. 

    In an official blog post, OpenAI introduced what it calls “shopping research,” which it describes as “a new experience in ChatGPT that does the research for you to help you find the right products.” In this experience, the company wrote, users will be able to find products by prompting ChatGPT with questions like “help me find a powerful new laptop suitable for gaming under $1000 with a screen that’s over 15 inches” or “I need a gift for my four year old niece who loves art.”

    Once you’ve sent a shopping-related prompt to ChatGPT, or chosen shopping research as an option from ChatGPT’s dropdown menu, the platform should ask you some clarifying questions to get a better sense of the exact product you’re looking for. With this additional context, ChatGPT initiates a search across the internet to develop a comprehensive buyers guide. This search can take multiple minutes at a time. 

    This process is quite similar to deep research, a feature in which ChatGPT thinks hard about how to solve a problem, develops a plan, and then works for extended periods of time. Deep research is mostly used for information and data gathering, but the new shopping mode shows how such features can be pivoted in more commercial directions. 

    OpenAI says that shopping research utilizes a version of GPT-5 mini that has been customized specifically to excel at shopping tasks. “We trained it to read trusted sites, cite reliable sources, and synthesize information across many sources to produce high-quality product research,” the company wrote. 

    As ChatGPT searches on your behalf, it may ask additional questions. After I prompted the platform to help me find a toy for my nine-year-old nephew who loves construction, it asked me about my budget, what kinds of construction my nephew is into (trucks? architecture?) and the level of complexity that the toy should have. While searching, the platform asked me to preview a few of the products it had identified, and select a “more like this” option for the ones that most resemble my desired product.  

    Once ChatGPT was done searching, it delivered a report that reminded me of a New York Times Wirecutter article. Like Wirecutter, the report included an overall top pick (in this case a $50 magnetic tile building set), a scrollable comparison table of similar options, and short blurbs about other products with specific labels like “best mechanical STEM project under $50.” 

    Of course, AI models still get it wrong sometimes, and OpenAI is quick to caution that “shopping research might make mistakes about product details like price and availability, and we encourage you to visit the merchant site for the most accurate details.” 

    The company wrote that “hundreds of millions of people” already use ChatGPT to find new products, but the shopping research experience will provide a more dedicated framework when the platform is asked these kinds of questions. OpenAI also said that shopping research “performs especially well in detail-heavy categories like electronics, beauty, home and garden, kitchen and appliances, and sports and outdoor.” 

    In the future, OpenAI says users will be able to purchase products directly through ChatGPT. One company that’s already signed up for this “instant checkout” feature is Walmart, which in October announced a deal with OpenAI to allow users to shop the iconic retailer directly in ChatGPT. And Target just announced its own ChatGPT-specific app, which can be accessed on the platform by tagging @target in the prompt. 
    OpenAI says the shopping features are available for all ChatGPT users with an account, so free users can get in on the gift planning, too. If you’re an entrepreneur eager to get your products featured on ChatGPT, make sure that AI agents can access your website by following the company’s allowlisting guidelines. 

    The final deadline for the 2026 Inc. Regionals Awards is Friday, December 12, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply now.

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    Ben Sherry

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