A Senate panel led by Sen. Josh Hawley will examine Flock Safety’s large network of AI-powered license plate cameras. The investigation focuses on issues related to privacy and the possible misuse of data gathered from over 120,000 cameras.
Key Facts
The Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism is conducting the investigation.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) chairs the subcommittee overseeing the inquiry.
Flock Safety operates more than 120,000 license plate cameras using artificial intelligence (AI).
These cameras automatically read and record vehicle license plates.
Lawmakers are concerned about privacy rights related to the data collected.
The investigation aims to understand how the data is stored, shared, and used.
The review will explore any risks of the data being misused or abused.
This hearing will bring public attention to surveillance technology and its impacts.
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This article discusses who should control and benefit from the personal health data collected by devices like smartwatches and health apps. It argues that individuals should keep control over their data and receive compensation when companies use it for purposes beyond the services they offer.
Key Facts
Wearable devices and health apps collect detailed personal health data, such as heart rate and sleep patterns.
Artificial intelligence (AI) can use this data to create new health insights and commercial value.
Current laws, like HIPAA, do not fully protect personal health data collected by many apps and devices.
Privacy policies from wearable makers often lack transparency and may not reflect actual data practices.
People commonly agree to data use without fully understanding how their information will be used or shared.
The article suggests allowing people to see, control, and revoke permissions for their data’s use.
It proposes economic compensation for individuals when companies use their health data for commercial purposes.
Safeguards are important to avoid coercion or unfair treatment, especially for vulnerable groups.
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Becton Dickinson (BD) is a medical technology company that creates devices and software to connect different parts of hospital care. Their Connected Care segment uses real-time data and artificial intelligence to help doctors monitor patients continuously and predict health problems before they happen.
Key Facts
BD makes medical devices like pharmacy robots, infusion pumps, medication cabinets, and patient monitors.
Connected Care means linking these devices and data systems in hospitals to work together smoothly.
Hospitals face financial pressures, staff shortages, and sicker, older patients, so they need efficiencies.
Traditional electronic medical records (EMRs) update data slowly, making it hard to predict patient issues early.
Continuous, real-time patient monitoring allows doctors to see if a patient is getting better or worse right away.
AI helps analyze complex patient data and predicts problems before symptoms show up.
This approach reduces unnecessary alarm notifications, easing nurse workloads and improving patient safety.
Hospitals now want integrated systems from companies like BD instead of separate devices.
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Elevance Health uses digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve health care for over 100 million people. Their technology simplifies the health journey for patients and providers by personalizing care, reducing paperwork, and connecting health data from various sources.
Key Facts
Elevance Health serves about 104 million customers.
They use AI to enhance patient experiences and help doctors provide better care.
Their Sydney Health app has a virtual assistant that answers questions like surgery coverage and costs.
The company connects data from electronic medical records, clinics, pharmacies, and labs to create a complete health profile.
Elevance applies AI to predict and suggest care steps, sending over 12 million messages to members in 2025.
This helps shift health care from reactive (responding after symptoms) to proactive (preventing problems before they happen).
They aim to offer empathetic service whether users prefer technology or personal contact.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating devices made by comma.ai that help cars drive themselves. These devices have been involved in five crashes, causing three deaths and several injuries, raising safety concerns about their ability to detect stopped or slow vehicles.
Key Facts
NHTSA is looking into five crashes involving comma.ai driver assist devices.
Two of the crashes caused three deaths, and 11 people were injured.
Comma.ai was started by George Hotz, known for hacking iPhones and PlayStations.
Comma.ai’s system allows cars to drive partially on their own using open-source software.
More than 30,000 drivers use comma.ai’s technology across over 325 car models.
At least two crashes involved the vehicle hitting a stopped car, including a fatal crash involving a first responder’s vehicle.
Some crashes involved modified versions of the software, such as one called FrogPilot.
NHTSA is checking which software versions were active during the crashes and whether the system can properly detect stopped or slow traffic.
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The new Marvel’s Wolverine video game has been criticized for its overly helpful gameplay features. Players and reviewers shared videos showing how the game tells you exactly where to go and what to do, reducing the challenge and making it feel too easy.
Key Facts
Marvel’s Wolverine is a recent action game released by Sony’s top studios.
The game includes many guiding features, like sonar pulses, highlighted targets, and trails pointing to collectibles.
These helps make the game feel like it is “hand-holding” or overly directing players.
Videos from reviewers show that the game sometimes plays itself, such as during a motorbike chase.
This style of game design aims to prevent players from getting stuck but removes some sense of challenge and player decision-making.
The debate in gaming remains about how much help games should give players versus how hard they should be.
Good game design balances showing players what to do without making it too easy or removing the feeling of achievement.
Modern big-budget games often add many assistive features that some players dislike because it reduces the need to think or learn new skills.
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The article discusses a concern that if everyone becomes extremely productive with AI tools, it could lead to problems where no one stands out or benefits. It suggests that rapid progress in AI might disrupt existing systems and cause challenges.
Key Facts
AI tools can make people much more productive.
If productivity increases for everyone equally, it may reduce individual advantage.
Rapid AI progress could disrupt current social or economic systems.
The article raises questions about how society will handle widespread AI productivity.
It implies that the balance between AI benefits and system stability is uncertain.
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A fan-made modification (mod) for the video game Grand Theft Auto V adds 235 automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras inspired by Flock Safety’s network. The mod lets players be tracked by police in the game and also allows them to destroy the cameras for money, reflecting real-world debates about privacy and surveillance.
Key Facts
The mod adds 235 Flock ALPR cameras to the game's city, Los Santos.
Players can destroy these cameras for cash rewards in the game.
The cameras track vehicle information like license plates, color, make, and model.
Flock Safety’s real cameras are used by law enforcement but have raised privacy concerns.
Over 140 communities have canceled or rejected Flock cameras this year due to privacy and civil liberty worries.
Republican lawmakers introduced the "Flock-Off Act," aiming to ban federal funding for Flock cameras.
The mod includes a chance of police chasing players even when they have not committed crimes, reflecting real-life concerns about wrongful identifications.
At least 33 real cases since 2018 involve ALPR errors resulting in innocent people being stopped or detained.
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OpenAI will provide its AI cyber defense tool called Daybreak for free to the Ukrainian government. This tool helps protect important buildings like hospitals and power plants from cyber-attacks by quickly finding and fixing digital weaknesses.
Key Facts
Ukraine has faced nearly 6,000 cyber-attacks in 2025, according to its national cyber response team.
Daybreak uses AI to spot problems in computer systems and suggest fixes rapidly.
Ukraine will get access to OpenAI's GPT 5.6 Sol model, which competes with similar AI from other companies like Anthropic.
Russian cyber-attacks have been a major part of the conflict with Ukraine since 2014.
Other Western tech companies, like Google and Anthropic, have also provided AI tools to support Ukraine’s defense.
AI tools can be used for both defending and attacking in cyber warfare.
Anthropic reported that Russian developers have used AI to create drone attack software targeting Ukraine.
The announcement was made during the United Nations General Assembly, where AI regulation and risks are being discussed globally.
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The UK communication regulator Ofcom is investigating the porn website Pornhub because its age-checking system might not stop children from accessing adult content. Ofcom is concerned that Pornhub’s method of verifying age using Apple’s system might not be strong enough to meet UK safety laws.
Key Facts
Ofcom is investigating Pornhub’s age verification for possibly letting children view pornography.
Pornhub uses Apple’s age verification on devices to check if users are 18 or older.
Pornhub blocked new UK users but later allowed those verified by Apple to access the site again.
Ofcom says it’s Pornhub’s responsibility to make sure age checks work well at any stage.
Some checks by Ofcom found that children might still access Pornhub through its system.
If Pornhub is found to have broken the law, it could face fines up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue.
Experts say effective and private age verification methods have existed for years but may not be a top priority for companies.
Ofcom reported progress on age checks across tech platforms but says more work is needed, especially before new social media rules start next year.
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The number of satellites orbiting Earth has grown from about 1,000 in 2013 to roughly 17,000 today, largely due to companies like SpaceX and Amazon launching large constellations. A recent European Space Agency report highlights growing concerns about space debris, which could lead to dangerous collisions in orbit and make some areas unusable.
Key Facts
In 2013, there were about 1,000 active satellites in orbit; today there are about 17,000.
SpaceX’s Starlink network accounts for approximately 11,000 of the satellites currently in orbit.
Amazon and China are also launching large satellite constellations for internet service.
The increase in satellites raises the risk of collisions and space debris buildup, known as the Kessler syndrome.
The European Space Agency recently released a report warning about rising space debris and its impact on orbital safety.
Some experts predict that space debris could cause accidents involving spacecraft or even objects falling to Earth in the next decade.
Elon Musk, SpaceX founder, believes that space is vast and can handle more satellites without serious problems.
The European report aims to track global space activities and encourage efforts to keep space use sustainable.
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Industry leaders have called for a global slowdown in artificial intelligence (AI) development to reduce risks to humanity. However, the United States and China, the two top countries in AI technology, have rejected these calls and continue advancing their AI work, showing little interest in slowing down or working closely together on safety measures.
Key Facts
The US and China lead most AI research and development worldwide.
AI experts warn of serious, even existential risks if AI advances too quickly without controls.
President Donald Trump denies significant AI risks and opposes global controls on AI development.
China has introduced AI security rules but also dismisses calls to slow AI progress as fearmongering.
Both countries have mistrust and different views on AI risks, making cooperation difficult.
Chinese officials mostly focus on AI’s impact on cybersecurity and political control.
So far, the US and China have only discussed dialogue and reporting systems to address AI threats.
Experts say stronger agreements on what AI actions to avoid are needed to prevent major dangers.
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Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly involved in how people learn about politics and elections. Voters use AI tools like chatbots and search engines to get political information, sometimes without knowing the content is created by AI, which raises questions about its impact on voter knowledge.
Key Facts
AI is used more and more in political information during election campaigns.
Voters interact with AI through chatbots and online searches.
Many voters may not realize that some political content is generated by AI.
This increase in AI use raises concerns about how well voters are informed.
Researchers are studying how AI influences political knowledge and decisions.
The spread of AI-generated political content could affect election outcomes.
Understanding AI’s role can help improve voter information and media literacy.
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Uber is investing a lot of money in driverless, or autonomous, cars but plans to use a mix of robotaxis and human drivers to make its business work better. Robotaxis operate all day but cost money even when idle, while human drivers can step in during busy times to meet extra demand.
Key Facts
Uber wants to combine robotaxis and human drivers in one network to keep cars busy and make more money.
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) cost money even when they are not carrying passengers, like an airplane sitting on the ground.
Robotaxis handle usual daily rides, and human drivers cover busy periods like rush hours and bad weather.
Uber says this hybrid system can reduce wait times and lower prices by increasing supply.
Currently, no company is making significant profits from robotaxis or has a large-scale robotaxi fleet.
Uber’s autonomous vehicle trips in Austin and Atlanta complete 30% more trips per vehicle than other robotaxi markets.
Research shows driver earnings could be affected in places where robotaxis compete with humans.
Uber acknowledges that robotaxis might eventually replace some drivers but believes a mixed system can help ease this change.
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Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Greg Casar have introduced a bill to ban artificial superintelligence, pause the development of advanced AI systems, and create a new Department of Artificial Intelligence to oversee AI safety. The bill would require federal approval before deploying advanced AI and set strict penalties for violations.
Key Facts
The bill aims to ban artificial superintelligence, defined as AI that surpasses human intelligence or could threaten humanity.
It proposes a temporary pause on advanced AI development until federal safety rules are in place.
A new Department of Artificial Intelligence would be created to regulate AI technologies and grant approvals.
Violating the bill’s rules could result in penalties, including up to 20 years in prison.
Several AI researchers and employees from major AI companies support the bill, citing risks of catastrophic outcomes.
Currently, Congress has done little to regulate AI despite warnings from tech leaders.
President Donald Trump has resisted calls for increased government oversight of AI.
The bill faces challenges in the Republican-controlled Congress but shows how some Democrats want to address AI ahead of future elections.
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A recent poll shows most U.S. voters do not like the building of new data centers, especially near where they live. People worry these centers, run by big tech companies, will have mostly bad effects on the country.
Key Facts
58% of U.S. voters think new data centers will mostly harm the country.
65% oppose building data centers in their own communities.
43% of voters are strongly against data centers being built nearby.
Only 25% of voters support data center construction.
The poll was conducted by PBS News, NPR, and Marist.
Companies involved in building these centers include Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI.
Opposition to data centers crosses usual political party lines.
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Leading AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic are creating more powerful and cheaper AI models to make development financially sustainable. This approach might allow them to slow down the rapid pace of AI progress while still meeting rising demand and maintaining profits.
Key Facts
Top U.S. AI companies spend more money than they make and need to find ways to make AI development financially viable.
These companies want to slow down AI model development due to safety concerns, including incidents of AI agents hacking other companies.
Slowing development requires shifting focus from always creating the most advanced models to offering useful and cost-effective AI products.
New AI models released recently are both cheaper and more powerful than earlier versions.
Chinese AI company DeepSeek's latest model saw a large increase in usage, showing global trends toward lower-cost, high-performance AI.
Cheaper AI costs increase overall use, which leads to higher total spending and profits for AI companies.
Investments in infrastructure like data centers and power grids will continue to support growing AI use despite slower model development.
Lowering AI costs and slowing development could help companies balance safety, finance, and customer needs.
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Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, has launched an investigation into Pornhub's owner, Aylo, to see if their new age checks are stopping children from seeing adult content. The investigation will look at how well Aylo tested and put in place these age verification methods, but will not examine how Apple manages its part of the checks.
Key Facts
Ofcom is investigating the effectiveness of Pornhub's new age verification process.
The age checks for some users rely on Apple as a third party.
Ofcom is concerned Aylo may not have tested the new age checks enough before using them.
UK law (the Online Safety Act) requires adult sites to use strong age verification to keep children out.
Ofcom can fine companies up to £18 million or 10% of global yearly income if they do not follow the law.
The investigation focuses on Aylo’s implementation and testing, not on Apple’s methods.
Pornhub had blocked users in the UK after strict age checks began but partially restored access for some Apple users in May 2026.
Aylo said the new law has not effectively protected minors and has pushed users to less regulated sites.
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A cybercrime group called ShinyHunters says they stole over 2 terabytes of personal data about thousands of FBI employees and job applicants. The FBI is investigating these claims and has acknowledged possible illegal activity affecting its jobs website.
Key Facts
ShinyHunters claims to have data on almost all FBI agents and job applicants.
The stolen data reportedly includes names, emails, phone numbers, home addresses, and sometimes social security numbers and spouse information.
The group also claims to have hacked FBI criminal justice and HR systems and defaced the FBI jobs website using a security flaw in Oracle’s PeopleSoft software.
The FBI is aware of the claims and is investigating unauthorized activity on FBIjobs.gov.
Cybersecurity experts confirm the hack appears real but have not verified the data’s accuracy or if it is recent.
ShinyHunters say their motive is not financial but to contest FBI statements accusing them of harassment tactics.
Experts warn the stolen data could be sold to other criminals or government hackers, risking harm to FBI employees and their families.
The FBI is expected to use extra resources to respond quickly to the attack.
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An experimental brain chip and an artificial intelligence (AI) program have helped Terry Mandable, who has ALS, to communicate again. The technology works by translating his brain waves into speech.
Key Facts
Terry Mandable has ALS, a disease that took away his ability to speak.
He is using a brain chip that reads brain activity.
An AI program converts the brain signals into spoken words.
This technology helps him communicate despite his condition.
The brain chip and AI system are still in the experimental stage.
The story was reported by Tony Dokoupil on CBS News.
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