Breaking AI & Tech News Analyzed

OpenAI, a leading AI company, has recently released a 13-page policy paper titled 'Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age,' which calls for a reimagining of the social contract around 'a slate of people-first ideas.' This move is part of an aggressive effort by major AI players to reshape the narrative around their industry, as public disapproval of AI is increasing.OpenAI's paper proposes ideas such as a four-day workweek and a public wealth fund that would return profits directly to citizens. While the company presents these ideas as a starting point for a broader conversation, critics argue that they are more of a public relations ploy than a genuine policy document.OpenAI spent nearly $3m on lobbying in 2025, and its president, Greg Brockman, co-founded a pro-AI Super Pac that raised more than $125m last year. The company is also backing a bill in Illinois that would shield AI firms from liability in cases where an AI model causes serious societal harms.Critics argue that these efforts are aimed at undermining independent efforts to regulate the industry and that the company's proposals shift responsibility away from the company and towards the public and lawmakers. As public distrust of AI grows, the industry is looking for ways to reframe the debate and influence regulation.A Pew Research Center survey found that only 16% of Americans believe that AI will help people think more creatively, while only 5% of Americans believe it will help people better form meaningful relationships. An NBC News poll found that only 26% of voters had a favorable opinion of AI, with a net negative rating.

President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that a U.S. attack on Iran could cause "a whole civilization to die tonight," a statement that sparked immediate backlash from climate icon Greta Thunberg. The Swedish activist, known for her outspoken stance on climate change and the Gaza crisis, described the president’s remarks as a normalization of genocide and urged the public to reject such rhetoric. In an Instagram video posted shortly before a cease‑fire was announced, Thunberg lamented the "muted" reaction to the threat, asking, "What the f*** is anyone even doing at this point?" She emphasized that the world has become accustomed to "total annihilation of entire peoples" and the "systematic destruction of the biosphere," urging viewers to demand an end to these narratives. Poll data reveal a stark generational split on the war. A Pew Research Center survey released Tuesday showed that while 67 % of Republicans aged 65+ believe the conflict will curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, only 25 % of Republicans aged 18‑29 share that view. When asked about the war’s impact on Iranians, just 7 % of older Republican voters said they would be worse off, compared with nearly 28 % of younger voters. Among Democrats, the age gap is less pronounced but still significant: 60 % of young Democratic respondents (18‑29) think the war will harm Iranians, versus 48 % of those over 65. Similar patterns emerge in other surveys. Emerson College found that 75 % of respondents under 50 fear a new world war within four years, compared with 54 % of those over 50. A Politico poll of self‑identified “MAGA Republicans” showed that only 49 % of those under 35 believe Trump has a concrete plan for the Iran conflict, versus 70 % of older supporters. These findings echo a broader historical trend: younger Americans, many of whom grew up in the shadow of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, display a more isolationist outlook. A December 2025 Pew poll indicated that only 39 % of 18‑29‑year‑olds consider active U.S. involvement in global affairs important, compared with 73 % of seniors. The generational divide also extends to attitudes toward Israel. The same Tuesday poll reported that 84 % of young Democrats and 57 % of young Republicans hold an unfavorable view of Israel, whereas older respondents are considerably less critical. Thunberg’s criticism of Trump aligns with her longstanding activism on Middle‑East issues. Last year she joined a humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza, only to be detained and deported by Israeli forces. Her latest condemnation underscores a growing sentiment among Gen Z that calls for accountability and an end to war‑like rhetoric. In summary, the controversy surrounding Trump’s Iran threat has amplified existing generational tensions in the United States, with younger citizens increasingly questioning the efficacy and morality of U.S. military interventions while demanding a shift away from language that normalizes mass violence.

Donald Trump's decision to accept a two-week ceasefire in Iran has created a stir within his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, with some supporters expressing mixed reactions to the development. While some have defended the president's decision, others have accused him of betrayal and capitulation.The ceasefire, which was agreed upon after more than a month of war, has been hailed as a victory by both the US and Iran. However, critics argue that the agreement has failed to achieve its objectives, with Iran's regime still intact and its nuclear facilities persisting. The strait of Hormuz remains closed, and fighting continues in Lebanon.Dinesh D'Souza, a right-wing commentator, defended Trump on social media, stating that the president had outsmarted his critics and proved himself to be the adult in the room. Similarly, Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, expressed confidence in Trump's decision-making, citing his real, actionable intelligence.However, not all supporters are convinced. Matthew Feinberg, a self-described 'MAGA Jew', expressed disappointment, stating that the ceasefire allows the IRGC to regroup and rearm. Laura Loomer, an activist and Islamophobe, also criticized the outcome, saying that the negotiation didn't yield any significant benefits for the US.The Pew Research survey found that, among Republicans, there had been an 18-point decline in confidence in Trump's policymaking about Iran since 2024. Despite this, Republicans aged 65 and older remain overwhelmingly confident in Trump's ability to make good decisions on Iran.

Meta's attempt to shift the blame for a young user's mental health issues away from its platforms and onto her family and offline social problems has backfired in a landmark social media addiction trial. The company, parent of Facebook and Instagram, employed a aggressive defense strategy that included highlighting the plaintiff's complaints about her mother in her teenage text messages and personal writings.The jurors, however, were not convinced by Meta's arguments and decided 10-2 in favor of the plaintiffs, awarding $4.2m in damages from Meta and $1.8m from co-defendant YouTube. This verdict could set a precedent for thousands of similar trials already in the works against social media companies.Meta's defense strategy drew backlash from parental advocates, who argued that the company was attempting to shift the blame away from its own design choices and onto parents and users. "For the biggest tech executives, I want to say something: stop blaming the parents. It's on you," said Julianna Arnold, a co-founder of advocacy group Parents Rise!.The trial's outcome reflects a growing distrust of social media companies and their impact on society. A Pew Research Survey found that around 64% of US adults believe that social media platforms have a negative impact on the country, and around two-thirds of Americans have a negative view of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.The verdict has been celebrated by advocates for reining in big tech, who see it as a significant step towards holding social media companies accountable for their role in shaping societal harms. "This trial was proof that if you put CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg on the stand before a judge and jury of their peers, the tech industry's wanton disregard for people will be on full display," said Sacha Haworth, executive director of The Tech Oversight Project.

Recent headlines suggesting a Christian revival in Britain, based on a YouGov survey claiming increasing church attendance, have been dramatically undermined by the revelation that the data was fraudulent and subsequently withdrawn. This incident has sparked serious concerns about the integrity of polling data in an era of advancing artificial intelligence.The Bible Society's 2024 report, which claimed church attendance was rising particularly among young people, has become a case study in how AI-generated bogus responses are infesting online surveys. Researchers warn that this vulnerability extends beyond religious statistics to potentially distort our understanding of broader social trends.David Voas, a quantitative social scientist at University College London, emphasized the difficulty of correcting such misinformation once it spreads. "The amount of effort required to correct it is an order of magnitude higher than the effort needed to disseminate it in the first place," he stated, noting that this problem affects polling companies beyond just YouGov.The growth of AI has exacerbated this issue, according to Sean Westwood, an associate professor at Dartmouth College. "The assumption with survey research – that someone gives coherent, logical answers, they're a real person – that assumption is now broken," he explained. Westwood warned that AI models pose an existential threat to our understanding of society.Westwood detailed how AI can be weaponized: "A single sentence of instruction is enough to systematically bias its answers on political polls or geopolitical questions, while keeping its demographic profile intact so the manipulation is invisible to standard screening." Even without explicit instructions to cheat, AI can identify what a researcher is testing and produce data that confirms the hypothesis.The problem is particularly acute with surveys targeting younger demographics. Courtney Kennedy, vice-president of methods and innovation at Pew Research Center, noted that "bogus respondents tend to respond in the affirmative, no matter what is asked" – a positivity bias that inflates estimates. Younger respondents are also more likely to be misrepresented by fraudulent participants.As AI technology rapidly evolves, researchers face a constant challenge. "A researcher might design a clever new trap that catches today's models, but model development moves so fast that the fix is likely obsolete within months," Westwood cautioned.In response, YouGov has implemented detection methods including identity checks, device fingerprinting, and real-time threat scoring. However, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities in modern polling systems as AI continues to advance.

The chasm between Silicon Valley's tech elite and everyday people is growing ever larger, as the industry doubles down on artificial intelligence. Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang predicts $1tn in sales by 2028, a staggering figure that equates to 3% of the entire US yearly GDP.Meanwhile, 65% of Americans don't use AI in their work at all, according to Pew Research. The survey also shows that Americans are wary of AI and believe both political parties are regulating it poorly. Meta is reallocating huge amounts of its spending to AI, cutting jobs and scaling back metaverse ambitions. The company's Reality Labs division has recorded losses of $80bn since 2020.In a stark illustration of the divide, Mark Zuckerberg is building an AI agent to perform his work as CEO of Meta. The AI industry is splitting away from the lives of everyday people, with exclusive polling conducted for the Guardian finding that twice as many Americans believe their financial security is getting worse than better.In other tech news, Tesla's Cybertruck has been involved in several fiery crashes, resulting in fatalities and lawsuits. The vehicle's unique design and materials have raised safety concerns, with experts alleging that the truck's design led to these worst-case scenarios.