internet-

Hey chatbot, is this true? AI 'factchecks' sow misinformation

As misinformation exploded during India's four-day conflict with Pakistan, social media users turned to an AI chatbot for verification—only to encounter more falsehoods, underscoring its unreliability as a fact-checking tool.

02/06/2025 11:00

Google says to appeal online search antitrust ruling

Google said Saturday it will appeal a ruling against it for anti-competitive practices in online search, a day after urging a US judge to reject the suggestion it spin off its Chrome browser.

01/06/2025 14:00

Facebook's content moderation 'happens too late,' says research

Whether from the White House or a neighbor in your Facebook community group, a request to remove a Facebook post can prompt accusations of censorship or misinformation, or even become a meme.

30/05/2025 18:54

Microsoft wants to radically change the way you surf the web

Microsoft sees artificial intelligence transforming the internet as fundamentally as mobile phones have over the past two decades. But the technology's limitations could curb Microsoft's grand vision.

30/05/2025 14:20

What is AI slop? Why you are seeing more fake photos and videos in your social media feeds

In May 2025, a post asking "[Am I the asshole] for telling my husband's affair partner's fiancé about their relationship?" quickly received 6,200 upvotes and more than 900 comments on Reddit. This popularity earned the post a spot on Reddit's front page of trending posts. The problem? It was (very likely) written by artificial intelligence (AI).

28/05/2025 20:21

German court says Meta can use user data to train AI

A German court on Friday dismissed an injunction request brought by consumer protection groups to prevent US tech giant Meta from using user data from Facebook and Instagram to train artificial intelligence systems.

23/05/2025 23:20

Large language model accurately predicts online chat derailments

Online chat rooms and social networking platforms frequently experience harmful behavior as discussions drift from their intended topics toward personal conflict. Traditional predictive models typically depend on platform-specific data, limiting their applicability and increasing implementation costs.

23/05/2025 17:32

Researchers warn of rise in AI-created, nonconsensual, explicit images

A team of researchers, including Kevin Butler, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering at the University of Florida, is sounding the alarm on a disturbing trend in artificial intelligence: the rapid rise of AI-generated sexually explicit images created without the subject's consent.

22/05/2025 20:30

Ads pressured to evolve as AI changes Google search

As Google races to lead in artificial intelligence, it faces the challenge of making sure the technology doesn't slow its profit-pumping advertising engine.

22/05/2025 11:37

Fictional fiction: A newspaper's summer book list recommends nonexistent books. Blame AI

The recommended reading list contained some works of fiction. It also contained some works that were, in fact, actually fictional.

22/05/2025 11:26

What's the obscure Australian online safety standard Elon Musk's X is trying to dodge in court?

In its most recent battle with authorities in Australia, X (formerly Twitter) has launched legal action in the Federal Court, seeking an exemption from a new safety standard aimed at preventing the spread of harmful material online.

21/05/2025 17:58

Chess great Carlsen held to draw by 143,000 players

Chess legend Magnus Carlsen, considered one of the best players in history, has been held to a draw by a team of 143,000 opponents in an online match.

20/05/2025 21:05

Google's unleashes 'AI Mode' in the next phase of its journey to change search

Google on Tuesday unleashed another wave of artificial intelligence technology to accelerate a year-long makeover of its search engine that is changing the way people get information and curtailing the flow of internet traffic to websites.

20/05/2025 21:01

Meta's Community Notes program is promising, but needs to prioritize transparency

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has more than 3.35 billion combined monthly active users. Recently, Meta has changed its approach to fact-checking in response to criticisms of its role in circulating fake news and disinformation. The company frames its Community Notes program as a way to uphold free expression.

20/05/2025 20:41

What does it mean to 'accept' or 'reject' all cookies, and which should I choose?

It's nearly impossible to use the internet without being asked about cookies. A typical pop-up will offer to either "accept all" or "reject all." Sometimes, there may be a third option, or a link to further tweak your preferences.

19/05/2025 17:42

Musk's xAI blames 'unauthorized' tweak for 'white genocide' posts

Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup has blamed an "unauthorized modification" for causing its chatbot Grok to generate misleading and unsolicited posts referencing "white genocide" in South Africa.

17/05/2025 14:11

Coinbase expects data breach to cost it up to $400 mn

Coinbase on Thursday said criminals bribed and duped their way to stealing cryptocurrency from its users, then tried to blackmail the exchange to keep the crime quiet.

16/05/2025 11:34

EU accuses TikTok of violating digital rules over ads

The EU accused TikTok on Thursday of breaking digital rules after concluding that the Chinese-owned social media platform was not transparent enough about advertisements.

15/05/2025 18:40

Study finds inappropriate ads common on websites aimed at children

Many websites for children, such as learning platforms, are free of charge; they are financed by advertising. Researchers from Radboud University in the Netherlands, the Belgian University KU Leuven and the German Ruhr University Bochum investigated the content of ads that are displayed on such websites.

15/05/2025 18:20

EU seeks to better protect children from online dangers

Pushing to better protect children online, the EU on Tuesday invited the public including parents and minors to help prepare recommendations for digital platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

13/05/2025 22:16

AI can scan vast numbers of social media posts during disasters to guide first responders

When disasters happen—such as hurricanes, wildfires and earthquakes—every second counts. Emergency teams need to find people fast, send help and stay organized. In today's world, one of the fastest ways to get information is through social media.

13/05/2025 19:06

British govt suffers setback in AI copyright battle

The British government suffered a setback to its plans to make it easier for AI companies to access data as the House of Lords backed more protection for content creators on Monday.

13/05/2025 11:40

'Tool for grifters': AI deepfakes push bogus sexual cures

Holding an oversized carrot, a brawny, shirtless man promotes a supplement he claims can enlarge male genitalia—one of countless AI-generated videos on TikTok peddling unproven sexual treatments.

12/05/2025 12:11

India tells X to block over 8,000 accounts

India has ordered X to block more than 8,000 accounts, the platform said Thursday, adding that it was reluctantly complying with what it described as government-imposed "censorship."

09/05/2025 11:40

Women's sports are fighting an uphill battle against social media algorithms

Women's sport is more and more getting the attention it deserves.

08/05/2025 17:03

Personalized social media features could help users manage time and well-being

Redesigning social media to suit different needs of users could make their time online more focused, according to new research by University of Bristol academics.

08/05/2025 02:00

Web archivists scrambling to save US public data from deletion

As President Donald Trump's administration purges public records since storming back to power, experts and volunteers are preserving thousands of web pages and government sites devoted to climate change, health or LGBTQ rights and other issues.

07/05/2025 22:30

Google shares plunge after Apple executive's court testimony

Shares in Google parent Alphabet plunged more than eight percent on Wednesday after Apple executive Eddy Cue testified in federal court that Google's search traffic on Apple devices declined last month for the first time in over two decades.

07/05/2025 22:25

Japan dating app uses govt data to verify unmarried status

A popular Japanese dating app has introduced a feature allowing it to verify users' marital status through government records, in a bid to prevent married cheaters pretending to be single.

02/05/2025 10:32

Purpose Mode browser extension helps social media users stay focused

Doom-scrolling, instinctively clicking on ad-based notifications or getting sucked into targeted content—all of these distractions can disrupt focus, increase screen time and ultimately make someone forget why they intended to log on to a social media app in the first place.

30/04/2025 19:21