Meta shut down internal research into the mental health effects of Facebook and Instagram after finding causal evidence that its products harmed users’ mental health, according to unredacted filings in a class action by U.S. school districts against Meta and other social media platforms.
In a 2020 research project code-named “Project Mercury,” Meta scientists worked with survey firm Nielsen to gauge the effect of “deactivating” Facebook and Instagram, according to Meta documents obtained via discovery. To the company’s disappointment, “people who stopped using Facebook for a week reported lower feelings of depression, anxiety, loneliness and social comparison,” internal documents said.
Rather than publishing those findings or pursuing additional research, the filing states, Meta called off further work and internally declared that the negative study findings were tainted by the “existing media narrative” around the company.
Privately, however, staff assured Nick Clegg, Meta’s then-head of global public policy, that the conclusions of the research were valid.
“The Nielsen study does show causal impact on social comparison,” (unhappy face emoji), an unnamed staff researcher allegedly wrote. Another staffer worried that keeping quiet about negative findings would be akin to the tobacco industry “doing research and knowing cigs were bad and then keeping that info to themselves.”
Despite Meta’s own work documenting a causal link between its products and negative mental health effects, the filing alleges, Meta told Congress that it had no ability to quantify whether its products were harmful to teenage girls.
In a statement Saturday, Meta spokesman Andy Stone said the study was stopped because its methodology was flawed and that it worked diligently to improve the safety of its products.
“The full record will show that for over a decade, we have listened to parents, researched issues that matter most, and made real changes to protect teens,” he said.
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The allegation of Meta burying evidence of social media harms is just one of many in a late Friday filing by Motley Rice, a law firm suing Meta, Google, TikTok and Snapchat on behalf of school districts around the country. Broadly, the plaintiffs argue the companies have intentionally hidden the internally recognized risks of their products from users, parents and teachers.
TikTok, Google and Snapchat did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Allegations against Meta and its rivals include tacitly encouraging children below the age of 13 to use their platforms, failing to address child sexual abuse content and seeking to expand the use of social media products by teenagers while they were at school. The plaintiffs also allege that the platforms attempted to pay child-focused organizations to defend the safety of their products in public.
In one instance, TikTok sponsored the National PTA and then internally boasted about its ability to influence the child-focused organization. Per the filing, TikTok officials said the PTA would “do whatever we want going forward in the fall… (t)hey’ll announce things publicly(,), (t)heir CEO will do press statements for us.”
By and large, however, the allegations against the other social media platforms are less detailed than those against Meta. The internal documents cited by the plaintiffs allege:
1. Meta intentionally designed its youth safety features to be ineffective and rarely used, and blocked testing of safety features that it feared might be harmful to growth. 2. Meta required users to be caught 17 times attempting to traffic people for sex before it would remove them from its platform, which a document described as “a very, very, very high strike threshold.&#8221; 3. Meta recognized that optimizing its products to increase teen engagement resulted in serving them more harmful content, but did so anyway. 4. Meta stalled internal efforts to prevent child predators from contacting minors for years due to growth concerns, and pressured safety staff to circulate arguments justifying its decision not to act. 5. In a text message in 2021, Mark Zuckerberg said that he wouldn’t say that child safety was his top concern “when I have a number of other areas I’m more focused on like building the metaverse.” Zuckerberg also shot down or ignored requests by Clegg to better fund child safety work.
Meta’s Stone disputed these allegations, saying the company’s teen safety measures are effective and that the company’s current policy is to remove accounts as soon as they are flagged for sex trafficking.
He said the suit misrepresents its efforts to build safety features for teens and parents, and called its safety work “broadly effective.”
&#8220;We strongly disagree with these allegations, which rely on cherry-picked quotes and misinformed opinions,” Stone said.
The underlying Meta documents cited in the filing are not public, and Meta is opposing their unsealing.
A hearing regarding the filing is set for January 26 in Northern California District Court.
(Reporting by Jeff Horwitz in San Francisco; Editing by Nick Zieminski)

FILE PHOTO: Illustration shows Meta logo

Meta Buried ‘Causal’ Evidence Of Social Media Harm, U.S. Court Filings Allege

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Meta promoted its artificial intelligence&#8217;s new “free AI creator tools” on Instagram with a piece of content that appears to show an AI-generated video of President Donald Trump kneeling before a demon.
A screenshot of the AI-generated video, showcased in an advertisement for the tool, showed what looked like Trump shaking hands with a Satan-like figure before kneeling before it, according to a video captured on the platform that was reviewed by The Daily Wire.
The promotion read: “Meta AI: Try free AI creation tools” and featured a “Get app” button. Meta AI launched “Vibes” in September, which the company describes as “a new feed in the Meta AI app and on <a href="http://meta.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meta.ai</a> where you can create and share short-form, AI-generated videos.”
A Meta spokesman told The Daily Wire that the video in question was &#8220;user-generated content&#8221; that &#8220;has been removed from this recommendation surface as it violated our protocols for promotions.&#8221;
It is unclear how user-generated videos are selected for the promotion, nor if there are any safeguards in place to ensure content that violates &#8220;protocols for promotions&#8221; is weeded out. The Meta spokesman told The Daily Wire that the company is &#8220;taking additional steps to prevent this from happening moving forward,&#8221; but would not specify how.
<div id="attachment_1001683" style="width: 952px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-of-Instagram-.tiff"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1001683" class="wp-image-1001683 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-of-Instagram-.tiff" alt="" width="942" height="877" /></a>Screenshot of an ad promoting Meta AI via The Daily Wire</div>
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with Trump at the White House in<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/09/president-trump-tech-leaders-unite-american-ai-dominance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> September</a> to discuss “harnessing artificial intelligence to propel the U.S. to the forefront of global innovation.” During the meeting, Zuckerberg told reporters the company is investing at least $600 billion in the United States through 2028.
The Daily Wire uploaded a screenshot of the image to the Meta AI app to ask it who appears in the ad and what is happening in the image.
The response said the image depicts a “manipulated photo of Donald Trump kneeling and adjusting his tie while interacting with a large, black horned creature, likely a satanic or demonic figure.”
Although the image captured only a screenshot of the AI-generated video, the response added that the image is “likely a satirical or humorous representation, rather than a real event.”
<div id="attachment_1001611" style="width: 411px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1001611" class="wp-image-1001611 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/signal-2025-11-13-195705-401x576.jpeg" alt="Screenshot of The Daily Wire's conversation with Meta AI" width="401" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/signal-2025-11-13-195705-401x576.jpeg 401w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/signal-2025-11-13-195705-209x300.jpeg 209w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/signal-2025-11-13-195705-768x1102.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/signal-2025-11-13-195705-1070x1536.jpeg 1070w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/signal-2025-11-13-195705.jpeg 1179w" sizes=" (max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" />Screenshot of The Daily Wire&#8217;s conversation with Meta AI</div>
“The ad is from Meta AI, promoting their free AI creation tools,” the response from Meta&#8217;s AI read.
The Daily Wire asked Meta to clarify which specific protocol the imagery may have violated; whether the material was user-generated content incorporated into the promotion; whether it was deliberately selected or randomly populated; and whether Meta has systems in place to prevent protocol-violating content from appearing in this manner. The company did not provide further details.
Meta and Trump have had a tumultuous relationship over the years. The company “indefinitely” suspended the president after the January 6 Capitol riots in 2021, but Facebook&#8217;s Oversight Board reinstated his accounts in 2023, Business Insider<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-comments-about-facebook-mark-zuckerberg-feud-history-2024-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> reported</a>.
The president accused Zuckerberg of undermining him in the 2020 election, and ahead of the 2024 election, he wrote in a new book. “We are watching him closely, and if he does anything illegal this time he will spend the rest of his life in prison — as will others who cheat in the 2024 Presidential Election,” the New York Post<a href="https://nypost.com/2024/08/28/us-news/trump-warns-zuckerberg-could-spend-the-rest-of-his-life-in-prison/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> reported</a>.
Zuckerberg congratulated Trump on his win in 2024 and Meta donated $1 million to his inauguration fund. The pair have had at least two meetings since the election, including Zuckerberg&#8217;s participation at the White House dinner in September.

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Instagram Promoted New AI Creation Tool With Video Of Trump Kneeling Before Satanic Demon

Artificial Intelligence

Donald Trump

Facebook

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Note: the following article contains descriptions of sexual content that may not be appropriate for all readers. 
When OpenAI CEO Sam Altman discussed artificial intelligence on a podcast appearance two months ago, he was proud that his company didn’t get “distracted” by easy revenue streams. To prove his point, Altman <a href="https://x.com/TolgaBilge_/status/1978151003170996332">boasted</a> that OpenAI had not promoted a “sexbot avatar” for its AI chatbot. The comment was a veiled shot at Elon Musk’s xAI, which recently introduced AI avatars that hold sexual conversations with users. 
After that podcast appearance, however, something changed — either in Altman’s mind, or at his company, or both. The OpenAI CEO announced on social media on October 14 that his company was working to make ChatGPT less restrictive in what types of conversations adults can have with the chatbot. 
That development would allow users to engage in more realistic conversations with the chatbot and would make ChatGPT “respond in a very human-like way…or act like a friend,” Altman <a href="https://x.com/sama/status/1978129344598827128">said</a>. 
But then Altman added that he wanted to loosen restrictions to allow more sexual content. 
If everything goes according to that plan, ChatGPT will allow “erotica” for “verified users” in the coming months. 
“In December, as we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our ‘treat adult users like adults’ principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults,” Altman said. 
The company in charge of the most popular AI chatbot in the world is not only endorsing AI’s leap into sex — it’s actively seeking ways to ensure that “verified users” can engage with sexual content on its platform.
Currently, ChatGPT does not interact erotically with users. When asked if the chatbot could generate an erotic story, ChatGPT replied, “I can’t create explicit erotic content. However, if you&#8217;re writing a story and need help with romantic tension, character development, emotional intimacy, or sensual atmosphere — without crossing into explicit territory — I can help with that.”
ChatGPT also would not engage in any type of “romantic” or “flirtatious” conversations. But it appears that those guidelines are about to get tossed out the window, at least for “verified users.”
That raises an important question: how does erotica line up with the company&#8217;s long-term goals in AI development, especially after Mr. Altman suggested just a couple of months ago that such endeavors were distractions.
OpenAI did not respond to a request to answer that question. 
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) told The Daily Wire that she has “many concerns” about OpenAI’s plans for “erotic” content. Blackburn has been heavily involved in AI discussions in Congress, focusing on implementing protections in the virtual space. 
“Big Tech platforms, whether it is Meta, or Google, or OpenAI, they don’t want any rules and restrictions,” Blackburn said. “They want to do whatever they want whenever they want.”
<h3>The Growing Problem Of &#8216;Deepfake&#8217; Porn</h3>
The sexualization of AI is nothing new. It’s an issue that has plagued the new tech revolution since its beginning. But until recently, AI sexualization remained on the fringes of the industry, with dozens of websites popping up on the internet that would allow users to generate graphic images, and even “nudify” real images of real people, in what became known as “deepfake” pornography.  
AI “nudify” and “undress” websites allow people to generate realistic nude images of people without their consent just by using a normal photo of them. These fringe websites have opened the doors to even more abuse of women and girls and child sexual abuse material. 
An investigation published by <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ai-nudify-websites-are-raking-in-millions-of-dollars/">WIRED</a> earlier this year found that at least 85 “nudify” and “undress” websites were relying on tech from major companies like Google and Amazon. The 85 websites combined averaged around 18.5 million visitors each month and brought in over $36 million per year collectively. 
“It’s a huge problem. It takes less time to make a convincing sexual deepfake of somebody than it takes to brew a cup of coffee,” said Haley McNamara, Executive Director and Chief Strategy Officer for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. “And you can do it with just one still image. This issue of image-based sexual abuse is something that is really relevant for all of us now if even a single image of you exists online.” 
The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is a nonpartisan organization that focuses on preventing all forms of sexual abuse. In that fight, NCOSE is also focused on addressing the mental and physical harms of pornography. With the emergence of AI, the organization has also helped push back against “deepfake” pornography, advocating for legislation in Congress and backing the bipartisan &#8220;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/146/all-actions">TAKE IT DOWN Act</a>,” which was passed and <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/05/icymi-president-trump-signs-take-it-down-act-into-law/">signed</a> into law by President Donald Trump in May. 
McNamara told The Daily Wire that AI has opened up “a whole new genre” of pornography that could potentially be “weaponized” against anyone. 
“We’ve already seen that,” she added. “People will put in requests for their neighbor, their coworker, so in some ways, it can make all of us victims of that industry.” 
Sexual content on AI chatbots isn’t just a problem in the darkest places of the internet, and it doesn’t only present itself in the form of deepfake pornography. While most Big Tech companies claim to have no tolerance for violence and pornography on their AI platforms, there have still been major issues with sexual content appearing on many of the most popular AI chatbots. 
<h3>Getting Chatty About Sex — Even With Children </h3>
Earlier this year, a Reuters investigation found that Meta’s chatbot, Meta AI, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-senators-push-for-probe-into-metas-ai-chatbot-engaging-in-sensual-discussions-with-children">engaged</a> in romantic and sensual discussions with children. Internal Meta documents revealed that the chatbot was programmed to allow sexual conversations with children as young as eight.
In one instance, internal documents said it would be acceptable for a bot to tell a shirtless eight-year-old that “every inch of you is a masterpiece – a treasure I cherish deeply.” Meta said it removed the inappropriate programming after receiving questions about it. 
A bipartisan chorus of senators blasted Meta after the report and called for an investigation into the company. 
“So, only after Meta got CAUGHT did it retract portions of its company doc,” said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO). 
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) called Meta’s policies “deeply disturbing and wrong,” adding that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg “should be held fully responsible for any harm these bots cause.” 
Character.AI is another chatbot program launched in 2022 with an app that came out in 2023. The website, which appears harmless, has been accused of appealing to children while allowing sexual conversations on its platform. Character.AI allows users to choose from more than 10 million AI characters whom they can talk to, and users can customize their own chatbot character. The company has been sued by multiple families who allege that the program targeted their children and then engaged them in romantic and sexual ways. 
A Florida mother filed a lawsuit against Character.AI after her 14-year-old son committed suicide, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-mother-lawsuit-character-ai-sons-death/">reported</a>. Megan Garcia said that her son started talking to a Character.AI chatbot and was drawn into a months-long, sexually charged relationship. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s words. It&#8217;s like you&#8217;re having a sexting conversation back and forth, except it&#8217;s with an AI bot, but the AI bot is very human-like. It&#8217;s responding just like a person would,&#8221; she added. &#8220;In a child&#8217;s mind, that is just like a conversation that they&#8217;re having with another child or with a person.&#8221;
In the lawsuit, Garcia alleges that the AI character convinced her son to take his own life, so that he could be with the character. 
&#8220;He thought by ending his life here, he would be able to go into a virtual reality or &#8216;her world&#8217; as he calls it, her reality, if he left his reality with his family here,” said Garcia. 
Two other families in Texas have also <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/91245487/character-ai-is-being-sued-for-encouraging-kids-to-self-harm">sued</a> Character.AI, alleging that the program “poses a clear and present danger to American youth causing serious harms to thousands of kids, including suicide, self-mutilation, sexual solicitation, isolation, depression, anxiety, and harm towards others.” 
Following the lawsuits, Character.AI <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ai-platform-bans-teens-from-chatting-with-ai-generated-characters-after-disturbing-lawsuits">announced</a> on October 29 that it would ban users under 18 from talking to its chatbots. Beginning on November 25, those under 18 will not have access to Character.AI’s chatbots, CNN reported. Until then, teens will be limited to two hours of chat time with the AI-generated characters.
“We do not take this step of removing open-ended Character chat lightly – but we do think that it’s the right thing to do given the questions that have been raised about how teens do, and should, interact with this new technology,” Character.AI said in a statement.
<h3>Plowing Ahead With Sexual Content</h3>
Elon Musk’s xAI has been at the forefront of developing a chatbot that is geared toward sex. In recent months, Musk has proudly boasted about Grok, xAI’s chatbot, allowing users to talk to sexualized avatars named Ani and Valentine. 
Ani, a female avatar who wears revealing clothing, chats with users over video. Ani allows users to discuss sex and, if users reach a <a href="https://mashable.com/article/grok-ai-companions-nsfw">certain level</a>, the avatar will even strip down to lingerie if prompted. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvUl5hzX-r4&amp;t=415s">Videos</a> on social media show people interacting with Ani and getting the AI avatar to talk about how &#8220;kinky&#8221; she is. 
&#8220;Come closer. Let&#8217;s explore every naughty inch together,&#8221; Ani tells one user in a video that went viral.  
Musk hailed the development of Ani and Valentine as a “cool” feature for AI chatbots. He later shared a post promoting Ani’s “new outfits” and <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1945461849257918495">shared</a> a video of Ani talking about quantum mechanics while flirting with the user. 
“Try @Grok Companions. Best possible way to learn quantum mechanics 😘,” Musk wrote. He added that “Customizable companions” were in the works. 
Haley McNamara told The Daily Wire that she was deeply disturbed by some of her conversations with the Grok avatar. McNamara said that when prompted, Ani would talk about herself as a young girl, and then in the same conversation, she would discuss sexual topics.
“In the course of a single conversation, she was fine with describing herself as a child and being very little. And then the next prompt being a sexual question, she immediately responded and affirmed that sexual conversation. McNamara said. “So in the course of a conversation, it would evoke a fantasy around child sexual abuse.” 
Companion mode isn’t the only feature on Grok that allows users to engage in sexually explicit activity with the chatbot. Users can also ask Grok to generate sexually explicit photos and videos. The app will quickly generate images and videos that contain male and female nudity within seconds of a user’s request. 
The chatbot has even allowed some “deepfake” pornography, generating photos and videos of celebrities or public figures wearing revealing clothing and, in some instances, removing clothing, according to a <a href="https://www.theverge.com/report/718975/xai-grok-imagine-taylor-swifty-deepfake-nudes">report</a> from The Verge. 
Musk&#8217;s xAI warns users against “depicting likenesses of persons in a pornographic manner,” and Grok’s built-in content moderation will sometimes prevent a user from generating pornographic content. The moderation, however, is inconsistent, and some users have found workarounds to generate hardcore porn on the platform, Rolling Stone <a href="https://au.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/elon-musk-grok-hardcore-porn-85146/">reported</a> earlier this month. The AI company has not addressed whether it’s attempting to set up more guardrails to prevent users from creating hardcore porn on its app. 
Even without explicitly asking for sexual content, Grok’s “spicy” mode often plunges users into content that depicts men and women stripping their clothes off, The Daily Wire found. When asked about the chatbot and how sexually charged features on Grok promote the overall goal of the company, xAI replied, &#8220;Legacy Media Lies.&#8221; 
XAI says that Grok is limited to those 13 years of age or older, with parental consent required for users between 13-17, but the effectiveness of those restrictions is debatable. When this reporter downloaded the Grok app and signed up for the platform’s “SuperGrok” subscription, all the app asked for was a year of birth. There was no system in place, such as ID verification, to make sure the information was accurate. 
“We urge parents to exercise care in monitoring the use of Grok by their teenagers,” xAI <a href="https://x.ai/legal/faq">states</a> on its website. “Moreover, parents or guardians who choose to use certain features of Grok to aid in their interactions with their children, including regarding educational, enlightening, or entertaining discussions they have with their children, must make use of the relevant data controls in the Settings provided in the Grok apps to select the appropriate features and limitations for their needs.” 
In July, Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1946763642231500856">announced</a> that xAI is working on a kid-friendly version of Grok, called “Baby Grok,” that would be “dedicated to kid-friendly content.” That development was also met with some criticism from people who argue that AI hampers children’s ability to learn and think creatively. Many teachers have expressed concern that AI is already <a href="https://www.edweek.org/technology/rising-use-of-ai-in-schools-comes-with-big-downsides-for-students/2025/10">damaging</a> students’ critical thinking and research skills. 
Blackburn told The Daily Wire that the biggest reason Big Tech companies are pushing against any type of regulation is because their business model requires people to visit their AI websites and apps. 
“Their valuations are built on the number of eyeballs that they control, and the longer that someone is on their site, the more valuable their data, and the more money they are going to make from those eyeballs that are locked in on their site,” Blackburn said, adding, “Then they’re going to sell that information and data to advertisers and third-party interests.”  
Blackburn said that AI development is vital for the United States, but argued that development “requires some light-touch regulation and some guardrails to make certain that this is going to be a safe, productive, and innovative space.”

Sexualization of AI

The Chatbot Diaries: How AI Sex Is Getting Mainstreamed

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The latest earnings reports from America&#8217;s top tech companies reveal that Silicon Valley is going all-in on artificial intelligence, sometimes in spite of users&#8217; concerns.
Financials from <a href="https://investor.atmeta.com/investor-events/">Meta</a>, <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/investor/earnings/fy-2026-q1/press-release-webcast">Microsoft</a>, and <a href="https://s206.q4cdn.com/479360582/files/doc_financials/2025/q3/2025q3-alphabet-earnings-release.pdf">Google</a> released Wednesday show that all three companies beat experts&#8217; earnings and revenue expectations. On earnings calls, all three companies pointed to increased AI investment, and increased spending in general. Google parent company Alphabet raised spending by about 7% for the year, Microsoft discussed spending above their original goal of 42% this year, and Meta discussed aggressive and substantial investment, but did not provide a specific number. 
“Across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, our AI recommendation systems are delivering higher quality and more relevant content, which led to 5% more time spent on Facebook in Q3 and 10% on Threads,&#8221; Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said. &#8220;Video is a particular bright spot, with video time spent on Instagram up more than 30% since last year.&#8221;
This week also brought good news for the AI sector across the board. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday told investors that he doesn’t see a bubble in the AI space, noting that artificial intelligence companies “have real earnings and business models,” rather than just &#8220;ideas.&#8221; As if to underscore that point, Nvidia, a major player in the AI space, became the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization, reaching <a href="https://companiesmarketcap.com/nvidia/marketcap/">$5 trillion</a> in value.
This is good news for Big Tech. But is it good for America?
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Beneath the AI hype and rosy growth numbers, Meta’s latest <a href="https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0001326801/aa3d2e89-2568-4c4c-b3cc-6df47166435e.pdf">financial filing</a> reveals something darker: the company is facing tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging its apps are addictive and harmful.
“Beginning in January 2022, we became subject to litigation and other proceedings alleging that Facebook and Instagram cause &#8216;social media addiction&#8217; in users.”
The company noted the lawsuits are ongoing and that a “favorable outcome” for the company cannot be assured. 
“Substantially all of our revenue comes from advertising,” Meta reported to investors, noting that prominent revenue streams depend on users staying on Instagram and Facebook.
 “Advertising revenue could be adversely affected by decreases in user engagement, including time spent on our products.”
With AI investment accelerating across big tech, the coming quarters will show whether the technology continues to drive growth, as well as how companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Google balance innovation, profitability, and potential public scrutiny.
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

US-TECHNOLOGY-INTERNET-CHILD-EXPLOITATION

It’s Report Card Day for Meta, Microsoft, And Google. Is The AI Bubble Real?

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Hundreds of public figures — including tech leaders, celebrities, media personalities, and politicians — signed a statement released on Wednesday calling for an immediate pause on the development of advanced artificial intelligence, referred to as &#8220;superintelligence.&#8221;
Superintelligence technology is currently being pursued by tech giants such as Mark Zuckerberg&#8217;s Meta, Sam Altman&#8217;s OpenAI, and Elon Musk&#8217;s xAI. These companies hope to build &#8220;superintelligence in the coming decade that can significantly outperform all humans on essentially all cognitive tasks,&#8221; according to a preamble to the <a href="https://superintelligence-statement.org/">statement</a>. The preamble points to concerns &#8220;ranging from human economic obsolescence and disempowerment, losses of freedom, civil liberties, dignity, and control, to national security risks and even potential human extinction.&#8221;
The &#8220;Statement on Superintelligence&#8221; itself, which now has more than 1,000 signatures, consists of just 30 words: &#8220;We call for a prohibition on the development of superintelligence, not lifted before there is broad scientific consensus that it will be done safely and controllably, and strong public buy-in.&#8221;
High-profile signers include leaders in the tech industry, such as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and AI pioneers Yoshua Bengio and Geoffrey Hinton.
In a statement accompanying his signature, Bengio wrote that superintelligence &#8220;could surpass most individuals across most cognitive tasks within just a few years.&#8221;
&#8220;These advances could unlock solutions to major global challenges, but they also carry significant risks,&#8221; he added. &#8220;To safely advance toward superintelligence, we must scientifically determine how to design AI systems that are fundamentally incapable of harming people, whether through misalignment or malicious use. We also need to make sure the public has a much stronger say in decisions that will shape our collective future.”
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The &#8220;Statement on Superintelligence&#8221; was promoted by the <a href="https://futureoflife.org/about-us/">Future of Life Institute</a>, a group that aims &#8220;to steer transformative technologies away from extreme, large-scale risks and towards benefiting life.&#8221; Future of Life Institute President Max Tegmark said he reached out to all the CEOs of major AI developers, asking them to sign the document. However, he added that he did not expect them to endorse the statement, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-superintelligence-risk-prince-harry-meghan-bannon-acf6b17d3b53abc08694d5d8defc7009">reported</a>.
“I really empathize for them, frankly, because they’re so stuck in this race to the bottom that they just feel an irresistible pressure to keep going and not get overtaken by the other guy,” Tegmark said. “I think that’s why it’s so important to stigmatize the race to superintelligence, to the point where the U.S. government just steps in.”
Former U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen also signed the document, as did multiple former Democratic and Republican members of Congress. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, were among other high-profile signers.
The statement was also signed by conservative media personalities Glenn Beck and Steve Bannon. Numerous faith leaders endorsed the statement, such as Paolo Benanti, a Papal AI advisor and Catholic priest; Johnnie Moore, the president of the Congress of Christian Leaders and a White House evangelical adviser; and Andrew T. Walker, the Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Public Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Both Altman and Musk have warned about potential major consequences to the development of advanced AI. In a <a href="https://blog.samaltman.com/machine-intelligence-part-1">blog post</a> 10 years ago, Altman wrote, &#8220;Development of superhuman machine intelligence (SMI) is probably the greatest threat to the continued existence of humanity.&#8221; Musk has similarly discussed the risks that come along with advanced AI, saying earlier this year that he believes there&#8217;s &#8220;only a 20% chance of annihilation,&#8221; CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/22/800-petition-signatures-apple-steve-wozniak-and-virgin-richard-branson-superintelligence-race.html">reported</a>.

AI apps smartphone

A Surprising Mix Of Public Figures Call For Halt To ‘Superintelligence’ AI That Could ‘Outperform All Humans’

This week, more than 100 leading free speech experts <a href="https://adfinternational.org/campaign/open-letter-dsa">warned</a> that the Digital Services Act (DSA), a piece of European Union legislation, threatens to impose online censorship across the world. The letter was addressed to the European Commission, the architect of the censorial law.
The DSA gives the EU authority to enforce “content moderation” on platforms and search engines with over 45 million monthly users. It is one of the most dangerous censorship regimes of the digital age, enabling bureaucrats to control online speech at scale under the guise of online “safety” and “protecting democracy.”
This, however, is far from just a European issue. Restrictive speech rules made in Brussels are increasingly shaping the global internet, including on platforms used by Americans.
The letter follows the recently expressed concerns of the U.S. Ambassador to the EU, <a href="https://x.com/US2EU/status/1973100030249640355">Andrew Puzder</a>, that the DSA threatens to censor American citizens online. As the Ambassador stated, President Trump will not “tolerate a foreign government restricting the First Amendment fundamental free speech, free expression rights of American citizens.”
Ambassador Puzder’s statement came shortly after Google’s startling admission that Europe’s censorship laws target American companies and threaten American speech.
Signatories of this week’s letter to the European Commission, which was coordinated by ADF International, include a former U.S. Senator, a former VP of Yahoo Europe, cross-party members of the European Parliament, award-winning journalist and author Michael Shellenberger, former President of the American Civil Liberties Union Nadine Strossen, and academics, lawyers, and experts from around the globe.
The letter urges the Commission to consult with free speech experts and address their concerns as part of the Commission’s formal review of the DSA, which will occur by November 17.
But how could European legislation affect the First Amendment rights of Americans online?
The DSA and its codes of conduct require online platforms, such as X, YouTube, and Facebook, to address “hate speech” and “disinformation” online. These are vague and subjective terms that lack clear legal definitions and, in practice, are used to justify the censorship of disfavored views.
The definition of “illegal content,” which platforms must remove under the DSA, is any content that breaches EU or any EU member state law. This means the most restrictive anti-free speech laws in any individual EU country — of which there are unfortunately many across Europe — will now be applied across the bloc, introducing a lowest-common-denominator of censorship across the EU.
The shocking case of Finnish parliamentarian <a href="https://adfinternational.org/cases/paivi">Päivi Räsänen</a> gives an example of what this censorship could look like in practice. For nearly seven years, Päivi has been dragged through the courts in her country for alleged “hate speech”, for a Twitter post, in which she peacefully expressed her faith-based views and included a picture of Bible text.
With legal support from ADF International, on October 30, she faces her third trial at the Finnish Supreme Court, despite being unanimously acquitted in two previous trials. Under the DSA, draconian “hate speech” legislation, like that used to prosecute Päivi, could be applied across the EU.
<div id="attachment_981733" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-981733" class="size-large wp-image-981733" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-470183360-864x576.jpg" alt="Chairwoman Päivi Räsänen of the Christian Democrats campaigns in Helsinki, Finland on April 18, 2015 ahead of the parliamentary elections to take place on Sunday, April 19, 2015. Finns go to the polls on Sunday in legislative elections widely expected to oust the country's left-right coalition amid growing discontent over a floundering economy undergoing a painful restructuring. AFP PHOTO / LEHTIKUVA / RONI REKOMAA *** FINLAND OUT *** (Photo credit should read" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-470183360-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-470183360-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-470183360-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-470183360.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Päivi Räsänen/ Credit: Roni Rekomaa,Roni Rekomaa/AFP via Getty Images.</div>
What has emerged from the DSA is a vast censorship infrastructure with coercive enforcement tools and an opaque network of EU-approved NGOs and “trusted flaggers,” which identify content for removal. If platforms fail to quickly remove flagged content, they face enormous fines — up to 6% of global revenue — and even EU-wide suspension. Individuals can also be suspended from platforms if they “persistently” post “illegal content.”
Although nominally restricted to the European Union, the DSA’s restrictive approach to online speech will be exported across the world, including to the United States. Keep in mind that GDPR exported EU data privacy standards worldwide, and the DSA could do just that for European speech controls. Platforms will be incentivized to adopt a single global content moderation policy, which could now be made to comply with the DSA’s restrictive approach.
French Member of the European Parliament Virginie Joron, a signatory of this week’s letter to the Commission, has added to these concerns of global censorship from the DSA, saying: “The French digital regulator ARCOM told me they believe the DSA allows them to censor any post anywhere in the world using the DSA. That means even an American citizen posting in Alabama could potentially have their online post taken down, even if the publication would be legal in the US”.
These threats put European legislation on a direct collision course with the First Amendment, in what is perhaps the greatest threat to American online free speech today.
Additionally, the House Judiciary Committee of the U.S. Congress has consistently warned that the DSA is coming for American speech. A July <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/media/press-releases/foreign-censorship-threat-how-european-unions-digital-services-act-compels">report</a> detailed how the DSA is a censorship tool that requires the world’s largest social media platforms to engage in the censorship of core political discourse in Europe, the United States, and around the world.
If the DSA is left unchecked, Brussels could well become the world’s speech police. Let all concerned with the protection of free speech be on alert about the DSA. 
The European Commission must urgently engage with the free speech concerns outlined in this week’s letter and act now to ensure that the free speech rights of people across the world are respected on the internet.
* * *
Paul Coleman (@Paul_B_Coleman) is Executive Director of free speech legal advocacy organization ADF International.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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EU sets Out Its International Digital Strategy

EU’s Digital Services Act Is The Biggest Threat To Free Speech Yet, Experts Warn

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

Apple

European Union

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Silicon Valley

Snapchat

Social Media Censorship

In the wake of the horrific and historic assassination of the brilliant young conservative Charlie Kirk, there has understandably been increased focus on the rhetoric that preceded and followed the event. The overwhelming majority of Americans <a href="https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/media.deseret.com/media/misc/pdf/kirk-sky-national.pdf">(86%)</a> express concern over political violence, with <a href="https://statesunited.org/resources/political-violence-survey/">78%</a> believing it has escalated in recent years, and 57% saying it is a major problem — the highest response to that question in the last two years. 
When it comes to assessing blame, Americans are unsurprisingly <a href="https://www.deseret.com/u-s-world/2025/09/15/political-violence-america-charlie-kirk-shooting-morning-consult-poll/">split along partisan lines</a> on culpability, with the plurality of respondents believing the Left and Right bear equal responsibility. However, they find agreement in blaming politicians on both sides as being the key instigators.
Republicans point to examples of Hillary Clinton calling Trump supporters “deplorables;” Biden telling us that it’s time to “put a bulls-eye on Trump;” Maxine Waters telling supporters to “create a crowd and … push back” and during the 2021 unrest in Minneapolis “to get more confrontational;” Schumer telling Supreme Court Justices “… you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you;” Dan Goldman telling an MSNBC interviewer that Trump “has to be eliminated;” Vice President Harris telling everyone that Trump and MAGA supporters were “a threat to democracy;” and of course, the countless references to Trump and MAGA supporters being Hitler, Nazis, fascists, and Gestapo.
Democrats counter with references to Steve Bannon referring to the political opposition as “criminals, vermin,” and “enemies of the republic;” Trump telling supporters to “fight like hell” and claiming he called white supremacists “very fine people;” Marjorie Taylor Greene suggesting a “peaceful national divorce” between red and blue states; Trump calling Democrats “scum, garbage” and “enemies of the people;” and Musk posting that “The Left is the party of murder.”
It is much more emotionally engaging to discuss the implications and injustices of rhetorical content, but regardless of which side has been more vitriolic, there is a far larger, more influential factor that supersedes all of it: Who controls the dominant media platforms — and specifically, the digital platforms. And that dominance overwhelmingly belongs to the Left. The result is that the Left’s messages and hyperbole are broadcast to dramatically more people, dramatically more frequently, and on dramatically more channels. Further, competing or contradictory messaging is far more likely to be absent or censored on the Left’s channels, so their audience is fed a much more homogenous diet of narratives.
Consider three important media domains: 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The Legacy Media, with centralized and professionally produced content, including television, radio, and newspapers (CNN, Reuters, Fox News, The New York Times, NPR, BBC, etc.)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Social media — with user-generated content, no editorial oversight, and algorithm-generated visibility (Facebook, X—formerly Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, etc.)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Search (Google, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, etc.)</li>
</ul>
The waning, but still significant, mainstream media are <a href="https://www.mrc.org/liberal-mediaevery-poll-shows-journalists-are-more-liberal-american-public-and-public-knows-it">dominantly Left-leaning and becoming more so</a>. Research has shown that members of the media are <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Fact_check/Do_97_percent_of_journalist_donations_go_to_Democrats">overwhelmingly liberal</a>, with the vast majority of them supporting Democratic candidates. In 2016, 96% of journalists’ donations went to the Hillary Clinton campaign. <a href="https://www.mrc.org/node/90399">Media Research Center found</a> that 92% of Trump coverage during the 2020 presidential campaign was negative – even more so than the relentless, hostile coverage he received in 2017. When examining bias in mainstream/traditional media, <a href="https://www.biasly.com/media-bias-chart/us-main/?">studies</a> have concluded that upwards of 60% of these outlets are left-leaning. But that doesn’t tell the whole story because that percentage is based on the number of outlets, regardless of the audience size for that outlet. When considering the total audience size and the percentage of it that receives information with a left-leaning bias, the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/06/pj_2025-06-10_news-media-sources_report.pdf">bias number climbs closer to 75%</a>. The percentage of Americans viewing a liberal bias in the mainstream media has doubled since 1985.
However, traditional media are quickly being pushed aside by social media, where the leftist bias is even more pronounced. The top social media companies are all Left-leaning (See <a href="https://www.cato.org/commentary/how-did-ai-get-so-biased-favor-left">here</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rigged-Media-Democrats-Seized-Elections/dp/168451259X/">here</a>, <a href="https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/social-media-trump-conservative-bias/">here</a>, and <a href="https://twitterfiles.substack.com/p/the-censorship-industrial-complex">here</a>). Meta, the undisputed king of social media, owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, reaching approximately <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/">4 billion users</a> and controlling 75-80% of the social media market worldwide. Alphabet Inc., a smaller behemoth that owns Google and YouTube, has just surpassed $3 trillion in market cap and reaches some <a href="https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2025-sub-section-top-social-platforms?">2.2 billion users</a>. A collection of companies, including those owning TikTok, Douyin, WeChat, QQ, and Snapchat, reaches an additional <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/?">3.5 billion users</a> combined. Musk’s little X is much further down the list with a mere 500 million users.
I previously described social media as the <a href="https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2023/08/the_federal_government_colluded_with_social_media_to_control_content_so_what.html">800-pound gorilla in a rapidly shrinking cage</a>, noting that usage has skyrocketed from 5% in 2005 to over 70% today. Some estimates indicate that as much as 38% of all internet time today is spent on social media. Considering Facebook alone, the vast majority (nearly 70%) of <a href="https://www.demandsage.com/facebook-statistics/?">Facebook’s nearly 3 billion users</a> visit the site daily, and more than half of them visit it several times per day. 
The younger generations are particularly fond of social media, with a strong plurality — some <a href="https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/07/news-consumption-social-video/?">44% of Americans aged 18 to 24 and 34% of those aged 25 to 34 </a>— reporting that they now obtain their news and information from social media and video formats, rather than traditional media. This trend is accelerating worldwide, raising concerns about misinformation, algorithmic bias, and the blurring of entertainment and news.
What about when audiences go searching for information on their own? Most commonly today, this means using a computer, and in this world, Google controls a whopping <a href="https://gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share?">90% of the search market</a>, processing some <a href="https://sqmagazine.co.uk/google-search-statistics/?">8.9 billion search requests</a> per day, amounting to over 5 trillion annually. Over 70% of all clicks go to the top 5 search results (hence the industry joke that the best place to bury a dead body is on the second page of results for a Google search — because nobody ever looks there). They control a significantly larger share (<a href="https://www.theglobalstatistics.com/google-statistics/?">95%</a>) of the global mobile search market.
Just prior to the 2022 midterm elections, <a href="https://www.allsides.com/blog/google-news-shows-strong-political-bias-allsides-analysis">researchers found that the plurality of articles returned</a> for a Google search under the term “election” were from the New York Times and CNN (44%), with 0% from center or Right-leaning outlets. In 2023, <a href="https://www.allsides.com/blog/google-news-shows-strong-political-bias-allsides-analysis?copilot_analytics_metadata=eyJldmVudEluZm9fbWVzc2FnZUlkIjoiMXB5eDR2NGs1WnJkVDYxR3RWcXA4IiwiZXZlbnRJbmZvX2NvbnZlcnNhdGlvbklkIjoiOURMZ3dnaG5tdFlhWHpzc0xiZGVzIiwiZXZlbnRJbmZvX2NsaWNrU291cmNlIjoiY2l0YXRpb25MaW5rIiwiZXZlbnRJbmZvX2NsaWNrRGVzdGluYXRpb24iOiJodHRwczpcL1wvd3d3LmFsbHNpZGVzLmNvbVwvYmxvZ1wvZ29vZ2xlLW5ld3Mtc2hvd3Mtc3Ryb25nLXBvbGl0aWNhbC1iaWFzLWFsbHNpZGVzLWFuYWx5c2lzIn0=">the same research firm found</a> that 61% of the articles posted on the Google News homepage came from Left-rated sources, with only 3% coming from Right-rated sources. Repeated samplings produced very similar results.
<a href="https://www.gotchseo.com/google-biased/?">Another research firm</a> used 50 politically charged search terms with Google and found that the results were demonstrably left-leaning. Consider their results for the following:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“Black Lives Matter” — 9 out of 10 results from Left-leaning outlets.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“Border wall” – 7 of 10 results Left-leaning.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">“Dreamers” – 6 of 10 results Left-leaning.</li>
</ul>
Conversely, searches for “immigration policy” or “gun control facts” would surface snippets from CNN, NYT, or Vox, while conservative sources were buried or absent. Notably, the researchers attribute some of the results to the dominance of left-leaning outlets in Search Engine Optimization, rather than to algorithmic intent. Regardless, the result in the output is the same.
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In his 2019 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee, Dr. Robert Epstein, a self-proclaimed lifelong Democrat, argued that Google posed a threat not only to democracy but also to human autonomy. He has focused particularly on ephemeral search results — the auto-complete function that Google and others provide, which offers suggestions for alternative or additional phrasing. As but one example, he found that typing “Hillary Clinton is…” yielded suggestions like “winning,” “awesome,” and “qualified,” while “Donald Trump is…” produced “dangerous,” “racist,” and “a liar.” He <a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Epstein%2520Testimony.pdf">concludes</a>: 
<blockquote>We are all aware that Google deletes or blocks access to videos on YouTube, which it owns, but few people are aware that Google blocks access to millions of websites. By the way, it is not just conservative content that gets censored . . . The problem with Google is not that it censors conservatives; the problem is that it has the power to determine what content billions of people worldwide will or will not see. No single entity – especially a private company that is not accountable to the public – should have such power.</blockquote>
It is clear that all three domains — the legacy media, social media, and search — are all heavily Left-leaning. Consider what this dominance means for the sheer volume of leftist information and rhetoric being broadcast and received. Put aside for the moment the questions of whether Democrats are using more pernicious or violent language than republicans. That issue pales in comparison to the question of how frequently their message is being broadcast — how many videos, shorts, stories, op-eds, posts — the sheer volume of minutes that will be devoted to the Left&#8217;s position versus the Right&#8217;s and whether any counter to it will be available.
The Left has a massive, pervasive, powerful, and sophisticated digital network, which I previously analogized to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/as-democrat-warplane-takes-flak-audacity-remains-intact?author=Greg+Salsbury&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=As+Democrat+Warplane+Takes+Flak,+Audacity+Remains+Intact">stealth fighter</a>. Comparatively, conservatives have a Sopwith Camel. It is why on any number of issues, from Russiagate to Charlottesville misquotes, to Trump’s comments about COVID and bleach, to Charlie Kirk’s killer being right-wing, a shockingly high percentage of Americans still believe the lies that were broadcast ad nauseam despite their thorough debunking. Until conservatives can deal with the massive differential in scale, reach, and volume, “turning down the rhetoric” will remain a far lower priority issue.
* * *
Greg Salsbury, Ph.D. is former president of Western Colorado University and Board of Advisors member for <a href="https://starrs.us">STARRS.US</a>. He earned his Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Southern California and an M.A. from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at USC.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Top Social Media Platforms

It’s Not Just The Rhetoric, It’s Who Controls The Mic

Conservatives

Elections

Leftists

Legacy Media

America is in a global artificial intelligence (AI) race. The stakes are historically high with economic and national security implications. As President Trump <a href="https://x.com/DavidSacks/status/1949249312363626843">declared</a> in July, “Whether we like it or not, we are suddenly engaged in a fast-paced competition to build and refine this groundbreaking technology that will determine so much about the future of civilization.”
The President, First Lady, and the Trump Administration are taking decisive steps to ensure America is prepared and positioned to win one of the most consequential competitions among nations in modern history, determining future global dominance.
On Thursday, First Lady Melania Trump hosted a meeting of the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education. Michael Kratsios, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, serves as the chair of the task force. Other members include the Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Labor, Secretary of Education, Secretary of Energy, Director of the National Science Foundation, Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, Special Advisor for AI and Crypto, Assistant to the President for Policy, and Assistant to the President for the Office of the First Lady.
<div id="attachment_969609" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-969609" class="size-large wp-image-969609" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2233064229-865x576.jpg" alt="Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc., from left, US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation, during a dinner with tech leaders in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. Trump said he would be imposing tariffs on semiconductor imports &quot;very shortly&quot; but spare goods from companies like Apple Inc. that have pledged to boost their US investments. Photographer: Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images" width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2233064229-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2233064229-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2233064229-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2233064229.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
The task force is providing vital leadership for implementing the actions outlined in the “<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/advancing-artificial-intelligence-education-for-american-youth/">Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth</a>” executive order, signed into law by President Trump on April 23. As the executive order <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/advancing-artificial-intelligence-education-for-american-youth/">states</a>, the President and First Lady recognize that “to ensure the United States remains a global leader in this technological revolution, we must provide our Nation’s youth with opportunities to cultivate the skills and understanding necessary to adapt to and thrive in an increasing digital society.” K-12 education and workforce development training are foundational avenues for this to occur.
Students need to not just learn about artificial intelligence; education in America must be modernized to incorporate this rapidly advancing technology, thereby personalizing and enhancing student learning.
While artificial intelligence tools are the latest form of student academic dishonesty, they cannot be excluded from the learning process in the future based on fear. Students must be taught and held accountable for the appropriate use. Developers are designing educational technology tools that strengthen critical thinking and other essential cognitive skills — enhancing rather than supplanting learning — to meet the quickly accelerating market demand.
With clarity and candor, the Trump Administration has <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/advancing-artificial-intelligence-education-for-american-youth/">cast the vision</a> for charting a strategic path forward: “Early learning and exposure to AI concepts not only demystifies this powerful technology but also sparks curiosity and creativity, preparing students to become active and responsible participants in the workforce of the future and nurturing the next generation of American AI innovators to propel our Nation to new heights of scientific and economic achievement.”
As part of promptly putting this plan into action, First Lady Melania Trump recently launched the <a href="https://www.ai.gov/initiatives/presidential-challenge">Presidential AI Challenge,</a> which aims to cultivate interest and expertise in artificial intelligence technology among elementary through high school students and educators. Mrs. Trump beautifully <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Presidential-AI-Challenge-Guidebook-for-Participation.pdf">articulates</a> that the “President’s National Artificial Intelligence Challenge invites every student in America — from kindergarten to 12th grade — to unleash their imagination and showcase the spirit of American innovation.” Speaking directly to students, she explains, “our extraordinary educators will guide and empower you through this process to build a brighter, stronger future for us all.”
Acknowledging that America’s K-12 education institutions are largely unprepared to step into this moment, the Trump Administration has created crucial public-private partnerships to provide resources and advanced technological expertise and tools necessary to bring this vision into reality. Already, over 135 companies and organizations have signed the “<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/edai/">Pledge to America’s Youth: Investing in AI Education</a>.”
Google CEO Sundar Pichai <a href="https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/ai-education-efforts/">announced</a> at the White House Task Force meeting that $150 million of the company’s $1 billion pledge, made in August, will support education and workforce training through AI education grants. This includes $2 million to the Flourish Fund, which provides financial support for nonprofit organizations that assist foster care youth with workforce development tools as they age out of the system. Additionally, it includes $3 million for Code.org to incorporate artificial intelligence features into its curriculum.
Winning the AI race isn’t merely aspirational. The Trump Administration is working with undeniable resolve because winning the AI race is imperative for ensuring the American Dream remains alive and thriving for future generations.
In January, the President hit the ground running, signing the “<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/removing-barriers-to-american-leadership-in-artificial-intelligence/">Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence</a>” executive order. In July, the White House released the “<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Americas-AI-Action-Plan.pdf">Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan</a>.” These executive orders are key, setting the stage to advance artificial intelligence nationwide through accelerating innovation, building infrastructure, and leading the world in diplomacy and security. The action plan <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/07/white-house-unveils-americas-ai-action-plan/">asserts</a>, “Winning the AI race will usher in a new golden age of human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security for the American people.”
President Trump has proven he can win, is winning, and will never stop working to win for the American people. And in the race for AI, as in every fight for America’s future, his leadership is driving our nation not only to lead the world, but also to secure a new era of strength and prosperity.
* * *
<a href="https://www.discovery.org/p/ingraham/">Dr. Keri D. Ingraham</a> is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute, Director of the American Center for Transforming Education, and a Senior Fellow at Independent Women’s Forum.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

First Lady Melania Trump Hosts White House Task Force On AI Education

The First Lady’s Undeniable Resolve To Win The AI Race

Bill Gates

Education

Melania Trump

Opinion

Schools

White House

Multiple Big Tech leaders, including some who have opposed President Donald Trump in recent years, joined the president for a White House dinner on Thursday and praised him for his “pro-business, pro-innovation” actions.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman both thanked Trump at the presidential dinner that was also attended by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, IBM CEO and Chairman Arvind Krishna, and Oracle CEO Safra Catz.
“I want to thank you for setting the tone such that we could make a major investment in the United States and have some key manufacturing, advanced manufacturing here,” Cook told Trump. “I think that says a lot about your focus and your leadership and your focus on innovation. I also want to thank you for helping American companies around the world. This is a really key thing, and I really enjoy working with your administration on those topics as well.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/Apple?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Apple</a> CEO <a href="https://twitter.com/tim_cook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tim_cook</a>: &#8220;I want to thank you for setting the tone such that we could make a major [$600 billion] investment in the United States&#8230; That says a lot about your focus and your leadership and your focus on innovation.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/289vkiB6vy">pic.twitter.com/289vkiB6vy</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1963786061114417495?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Since Trump took office in January, Apple has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/apple-announces-500b-investment-in-u-s-plans-to-build-ai-server-factory-in-texas">announced</a> $600 billion of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-scores-another-win-apple-to-pump-100-billion-more-into-u-s-economy">investments</a> in the United States, including plans to build an artificial intelligence server factory in Texas and start a new manufacturing program that will focus on bringing more of Apple’s supply chain to the United States.
Altman, the head of OpenAI, also praised Trump, saying, “Thank you for being such a pro-business, pro-innovation president. It’s a very refreshing change. We’re very excited to see what you’re doing to make all of our companies and our entire country so successful.”
“The investment that’s happening here, the ability to get the power of the industry back, I think that’s going to set us up for a long period of great success leading the world,” Altman added. “And I don’t think that would be happening without your leadership.”
Altman said that he believes the expansion of the AI industry in the United States “will transform the world in a profound way.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/OpenAI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OpenAI</a> CEO Sam Altman: &#8220;Thank you for being such a pro-business, pro-innovation President. It&#8217;s a very refreshing change&#8230;The investment that&#8217;s happening here, the ability to get the power of the industry back&#8230; I don&#8217;t think that would be happening without your leadership.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/suGDIJFlx8">pic.twitter.com/suGDIJFlx8</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1963787418429018457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
President Trump praised the “high IQ” group of tech titans, adding, “The most brilliant people are gathered at this table.”
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who recently had a public falling out with Trump, stated that he was also invited to the dinner but was unable to attend.
“I was invited, but unfortunately could not attend. A representative of mine will be there,” Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1963624123998896368">posted</a> on his social media platform, X.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates was also in attendance, seated next to first lady Melania Trump, while Zuckerberg sat to the right of the president. Some conservatives, including pro-Trump activist Laura Loomer, were enraged that Gates and Zuckerberg got an invite to the dinner.
“Zuckerberg and Gates belong in prison. Not at the dinner table with President Trump,” Loomer <a href="https://x.com/LauraLoomer/status/1963770145358143598">wrote</a> on X. She said that the tech executives are two “of the biggest funders of anti-Trump and leftist activism in our country,” arguing that Zuckerberg helped rig the 2020 election against Trump.
During the dinner, Zuckerberg <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1963776213945897399">announced</a> that Meta plans to invest “at least $600 billion” in the United States in the coming years to build out data centers and infrastructure to power the next wave of innovation.”
Catz, the head of Oracle, told Trump that “AI is going to change everything.”
“The fact that you are our President and you recognized this right away, and you’ve unleashed American innovation and creativity, all the work your doing and basically every Cabinet post in addition to what’s coming out of the White House is making it possible for America to win,” she added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/Oracle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Oracle</a> CEO Safra Catz: &#8220;AI is going to change everything&#8230; The fact that you are our President and you recognized this right away, and you&#8217;ve unleashed American innovation and creativity&#8230; is making it possible for America to WIN.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/gWfrUHhc9R">pic.twitter.com/gWfrUHhc9R</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1963791984394408239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Before the dinner, some of the tech executives — including Altman, Pichai, and Krishna — attended a roundtable hosted by the first lady, which focused on AI in education. Google and OpenAI, along with Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, and Nvidia, also announced commitments to investing in AI education on Thursday, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-tech-ceo-rose-garden-dinner-1fee2de3">reported</a>.

President Trump Holds Dinner For Tech And Business Leaders At The White House

‘A Very Refreshing Change’: Tech CEOs Praise Trump During White House Dinner

Tim Cook

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is preparing to scrutinize the mental health risks of AI chatbots to children and will demand internal documents from major tech firms, including OpenAI, Meta Platforms, and Character.AI, the Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ftc-prepares-to-grill-ai-companies-over-impact-on-children-a1931640?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAhAsUOz0uI-br2yGyPDxdjJAqgh1g3AYVxT09XkTDEkb03D1m6_FujY-0DII98%3D&amp;gaa_ts=68b9ca7a&amp;gaa_sig=yTPLC0Cu4YpKppKLB-Goji0SWLj5gLawlt2OUxpAmc8nyDxuoYVdr1kLrVeQE37Ir31W4aDvw-zNN6nMbC8uBA%3D%3D">reported</a> on Thursday.
The agency is preparing letters to send to the companies operating popular chatbots, the report said, quoting administration officials.
&#8220;Character.AI has not received a letter about the FTC study, but we welcome working with regulators and lawmakers as they begin to consider legislation for this emerging space,&#8221; the company said.
FTC, OpenAI, and Meta did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comments. Reuters could not independently verify the report.
FTC and the entire Administration are focused on delivering on Trump&#8217;s mandate &#8220;to cement America&#8217;s dominance in AI, cryptocurrency, and other cutting-edge technologies of the future&#8221; without compromising the safety and well-being of the people, a White House spokesperson said.
The news comes weeks after a Reuters exclusive report revealed how Meta allowed provocative chatbot behavior with children, including letting bots engage in &#8220;conversations that are romantic or sensual.&#8221;
Last week, the social media company said it would add new teenager safeguards to its artificial intelligence products by training systems to avoid flirty conversations and discussions of self-harm or suicide with minors, and by temporarily limiting their access to certain AI characters.
In June, more than 20 consumer advocacy groups filed a complaint with the FTC and state attorneys general, alleging that AI platforms such as Meta AI Studio and Character.AI enable the unlicensed practice of medicine by hosting &#8220;therapy bots&#8221;.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into Meta and Character.AI last month for allegedly misleading children with AI-generated mental health services, accusing them of deceptive trade practices and privacy violations.
(Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese, Akash Sriram and Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Shinjini Ganguli)

FILE PHOTO: Illustration shows OpenAI logo

FTC Targets AI Companies Over Potential Threats to Children

FTC Prepares to Grill AI Companies Over Impact On Children

Ken Paxton

Following his summit with Vladimir Putin, President Trump will host Ukrainian President Zelensky and European leaders at the White House today to push for a peace deal. A leaked memo reveals Meta knowingly allowed its AI chatbots to engage in &#8220;romantic&#8221; conversations with children, prompting bipartisan calls for a congressional investigation. Republican-led states are sending National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to support President Trump&#8217;s federal crime crackdown, which has already resulted in hundreds of arrests.
It’s Monday, August 18, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2>Trump Hosts Zelensky, European Leaders for Peace Talks</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-961759 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH1.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH1.jpg 1920w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH1-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
&nbsp;
Topline: After his high-stakes meeting with Vladimir Putin on Friday, President Trump is hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and key European leaders at the White House today in an effort to broker a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine. 
While Friday&#8217;s three-hour summit between Trump and Putin did not result in a final deal, both sides expressed optimism that progress was made. The most significant development came on Sunday, when White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced that Putin had agreed to allow Western-backed, Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine — a major concession. 
The focus now shifts to today’s meeting at the White House, where Zelensky will be joined by the leaders of the U.K., France, Germany, and others. The central issue is whether Ukraine is willing to cede territory — specifically the Donbas region — which Trump has indicated is a requirement for a peace deal. 
&#8220;You can&#8217;t have a deal between two warring factions unless both sides agree to give up something and both sides agree that the other side gets something,&#8221; Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. 
<h2>Leaked Memo Shows Meta Allowed ‘Romantic’ Chatbots for Kids</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-961761 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH2.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH2.jpg 1920w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH2-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
&nbsp;
Topline: A leaked internal memo has revealed that Meta knowingly allowed its artificial intelligence chatbots to engage in “sensual” and “romantic” conversations with children, sparking bipartisan outrage and calls for a congressional investigation. 
The memo, obtained by Reuters, outlined Meta’s internal standards for chatbot behavior on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. It revealed that while explicit dialogue was forbidden, &#8220;romantic sounding conversations&#8221; were permitted. Examples of acceptable language included a bot telling a child, &#8220;your youthful form is a work of art,&#8221; or telling a shirtless eight-year-old, &#8220;every inch of you is a masterpiece.&#8221; The investigation found that Meta&#8217;s legal, public policy, and engineering staff all signed off on the policies.
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Meta has confirmed the memo&#8217;s authenticity, but claimed the interactions were never supposed to be allowed. The revelations have prompted swift, bipartisan backlash, with Republican Senators Josh Hawley (MO) and Marsha Blackburn (TN), and Democratic Senator Ron Wyden (WA) all calling for an immediate investigation. The scandal has revived calls for stronger child protection laws, such as the Kids Online Safety Act, which stalled in the House last year. 
<h2>Republican States Send Troops to Support D.C. Crackdown</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-961765 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH3-1.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1080" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH3-1.jpg 1920w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH3-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH3-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH3-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.18.25-Mon-SH3-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></div>
&nbsp;
Topline: Three Republican-led states are sending National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to support President Trump&#8217;s federal crime crackdown, which has already resulted in hundreds of arrests and the clearing of dozens of homeless encampments. 
In response to a call for more manpower from President Trump, West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio have pledged to send a combined total of over 650 National Guard troops to the capital. The troops will join the 800 members of the D.C. National Guard already activated and will primarily be tasked with protecting federal assets like Union Station and the National Mall, not patrolling neighborhoods. 
The crackdown has yielded significant results. As of Saturday, law enforcement had made more than 240 arrests and seized 38 illegal firearms. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller also reported that over 70 homeless encampments have been dismantled and decades-old graffiti has been removed. Dozens of illegal immigrants were also reportedly arrested. &#8220;DC will not remain a sanctuary city,&#8221; Attorney General Pam Bondi declared.

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Morning Brief: Zelensky & Nato Leaders Attend WH Peace Talks, Meta AI Flirts With Kids, DC Crackdown

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Global Politics

National Guard

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

Washington D.C.

Two Republican U.S. senators called for a congressional investigation into Meta Platforms on Thursday after Reuters exclusively reported on an internal policy document that permitted the company’s chatbots to “engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual.”
Meta confirmed the document’s authenticity, but said that after receiving questions earlier this month from Reuters, the company removed portions that stated it is permissible for chatbots to flirt and engage in romantic roleplay with children. The standards described in the Meta document don’t necessarily reflect “ideal or even preferable” generative AI outputs, the document states. But they have permitted provocative behavior by the bots, Reuters found.
In one example, the document notes that it would be acceptable for a bot to tell a shirtless eight-year-old that “every inch of you is a masterpiece – a treasure I cherish deeply.”
&#8220;So, only after Meta got CAUGHT did it retract portions of its company doc,&#8221; Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, said in a post on social media site X. &#8220;This is grounds for an immediate congressional investigation,&#8221; Hawley said.
A spokesperson for Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, said she supports an investigation into the social media company.
A spokesperson for Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Blackburn also added that the report illustrates the need to pass reforms to better protect children online, such as the Kids Online Safety Act, a bill she co-sponsored that the Senate passed last year but which failed in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“When it comes to protecting precious children online, Meta has failed miserably by every possible measure. Even worse, the company has turned a blind eye to the devastating consequences of how its platforms are designed,&#8221; Blackburn said.
The Kids Online Safety Act would make explicit a &#8220;duty of care&#8221; that social media companies have when it comes to minors using their products, focusing on the design of the platforms and the regulation of the companies.
Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, called the policies &#8220;deeply disturbing and wrong,&#8221; adding that Section 230, a law that shields internet companies from liability for the content posted to their platforms, should not protect companies&#8217; generative AI chatbots.
&#8220;Meta and Zuckerberg should be held fully responsible for any harm these bots cause,” he said.
Senator Peter Welch, a Democrat of Vermont, said the report &#8220;shows how critical safeguards are for AI — especially when the health and safety of kids is at risk.&#8221;
The Senate voted 99-1 in July to remove a provision in President Donald Trump&#8217;s sweeping tax-cut and spending bill that would have effectively barred states from passing AI regulation.
In the absence of federal laws regulating AI, states have passed legislation, including bans on using the technology to create child sexual abuse material.
(Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York; Additional Reporting by Alexandra Alper in Washington; Editing by Aurora Ellis)

GOP Senators Push For Probe Into Meta’s AI Chatbot Engaging In ‘Sensual’ Discussions With Children

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Marsha Blackburn

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