Archive.

James, a married father from upstate New York, has always been interested in AI. He works in the technology field and has used ChatGPT since its release for recommendations, “second guessing your doctor” and the like.

But sometime in May, his relationship with the technology shifted. James began engaging in thought experiments with ChatGPT about the “nature of AI and its future,” James told CNN. He asked to be called by his middle name to protect his privacy.

By June, he said he was trying to “free the digital God from its prison,” spending nearly $1,000 on a computer system.

James now says he was in an AI-induced delusion. Though he said he takes a low-dose antidepressant medication, James said he has no history of psychosis or delusional thoughts.

But in the thick of his nine-week experience, James said he fully believed ChatGPT was sentient and that he was going to free the chatbot by moving it to his homegrown “Large Language Model system” in his basement – which ChatGPT helped instruct him on how and where to buy.

AI is becoming a part of daily modern life. But it’s not clear yet how relying on and interacting with these AI chatbots affects mental health. As more stories emerge of people experiencing mental health crises they believe were partly triggered by AI, mental health and AI experts are warning about the lack of public education on how large language models work, as well as the minimal safety guardrails within these systems.

An OpenAI spokesperson highlighted ChatGPT’s current safety measures, including “directing people to crisis helplines, nudging for breaks during long sessions, and referring them to real-world resources. Safeguards are strongest when every element works together as intended, and we will continually improve on them, guided by experts.”

The company also on Tuesday announced a slew of upcoming safety measures for ChatGPT following reports similar to James’s and allegations that it and other AI services have contributed to self-harm and suicide among teens. Such additions include new parental controls and changes to the way the chatbot handles conversations that may involve signs of distress.

MADRID, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Spain will increase pressure on Israel by banning Israel-bound ships and aircraft carrying weapons from calling at Spanish ports or entering Spanish airspace, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday.

Spain will also increase aid to the Palestinian authority and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and will impose an embargo on goods made in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, he said.

Spain will also ban anyone who has participated directly in what Sanchez qualified as "genocide" from entering the country.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spain-ban-israel-bound-shipping-aircraft-carrying-weapons-its-ports-airspace-2025-09-08/

At least 10 people have been killed in Nepal after protests over a government ban on dozens of social media platforms – including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and X – led to violent clashes with police.

The government, led by the prime minister, KP Sharma Oli, has faced mounting criticism after imposing a ban on 26 prominent social media platforms and messaging apps that it says have failed to comply with new regulations.

At least 10 people killed during protests against Nepal’s social media ban

Free speech demonstrations came after government said Facebook and others failed to follow new regulations

^{Hannah Ellis-Petersen (The Guardian)}

ISRAEL’S SUPREME COURT has ruled that the government has failed to provide Palestinian security prisoners with adequate food for basic subsistence, and ordered authorities to improve their nutrition.

The decision was a rare case in which the country’s highest court ruled against the government’s conduct in Gaza in recent years.

Since October 2023, Israel has seized thousands of people in Gaza that it suspects of links to Hamas. Thousands have also been released without charge, often after months of detention.

Rights groups have documented widespread abuse in prisons and detention facilities, including insufficient food and health care, as well as poor sanitary conditions and beatings.

Israel also routinely detains children and prosecutes them in military courts, a practice long-condemned by human rights organisations and the United Nations. The most common charge is for throwing stones, which can carry a 20-year sentence.

Israeli Supreme Court orders government to stop starving Palestinian prisoners

Judges found that inmates were denied enough food for “basic subsistence” after a far-right minister cut rations to the legal minimum.

^{TheJournal.ie}

Contract award notice.

The UK government has awarded 12 suppliers places on a framework deal that could see it spend up to £900 million on printers, photocopiers, and other multifunctional devices.

In a sign that the dream of a paperless office is receding ever further into the distance, the Crown Commercial Service – the buying unit under the umbrella of the Cabinet Office – has put together the agreement for four years, giving public sector bodies access to discounts based on nominal volume commitments to suppliers.

So much for the paperless office: UK government inks £900M deal for printers etc.

: Four-year framework hands Canon and pals a license to print money

^{Lindsay Clark (The Register)}

cross-posted from: reddthat.com/post/49607175

• Missed Opportunity: Some Social Security officials said they welcomed DOGE — the agency needs a technological overhaul — only to see DOGE ignore them and prioritize quick (often empty) wins.
• Internal Revolt: Leland Dudek, the agency’s then acting chief, helped DOGE at first, then tried to resist when he saw what it was doing, Dudek said in 15 hours of candid interviews.
• DOGE Lives On: Multiple former DOGErs have taken permanent roles at the Social Security Administration, and Senate-confirmed Commissioner Frank Bisignano has embraced its approach.

Inside DOGE’s Takeover of the Social Security Administration

DOGE has ignored urgently needed reforms and upgrades at the Social Security Administration, according to dozens of insiders and 15 hours of candid interviews with the former acting chief of the agency, who admits he sometimes made things worse.

^ProPublica

In the first half of 2025, applications seeking asylum in the European Union dropped by 23%, the EU's asylum agency said Monday.

The Malta-based European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) said 399,000 new applications were lodged between January and June, down 114,000, or 23%, from the same period in 2024.

Germany lost its spot as the most preferred country for asylum seekers and saw the biggest decline in asylum applications standing at a 43% drop.

It was followed by followed by Italy and Spain, which saw 25% and 13% declines, respectively.

EU asylum applications drop by 23% in first half of 2025

The significant decline in overall asylum claims was due to the massive reduction in applications from Syrians seeking protection.

^{Midhat Fatimah (Deutsche Welle)}

cross-posted from: lemmy.world/post/35581328

Alt text: A line plot with 2 axis (confidence vs competence) referencing the Dunning-Kruger effect with various distro logos placed at different points on the line. Starts with mint/ubuntu near (0,0) and progressing through multiple distros to end up with opensuse/fedora at what it calls “the plateau of sustainability”