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AI chatbots often give unsafe or incomplete advice to survivors of tech-enabled abuse, study finds

People experiencing technology-facilitated abuse, such as spyware on a phone, an ex tracking their location or an abuser controlling their accounts, may encounter or turn to AI chatbots for help. But a new study led by researchers at NYU Tandon finds that the advice those systems provide is frequently inaccurate, incomplete or potentially unsafe to follow.

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The driveway divide: Why parking for electric vehicles is such a big barrier

Most people who have an electric car have access to a driveway or private parking. In England, 90% of EV owners can park easily and charge theirs from home. But roughly 40% of U.K. households don't have off-street parking, so the questions are how they would charge an EV and whether easy access to home charging would influence their decision to acquire one.

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Chatty chatbots can mislead users, but verification tools help, researchers find

As artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots become more popular and more humanlike in the way they communicate, users are increasingly turning to them as trusted sources of information on topics ranging from personal finance to health. That may be problematic, according to Penn State researchers, who found in a recent study that the more conversational an AI chatbot is, the more likely users are to trust itβ€”even when it shares misinformation. The team said verification options may help rebuild needed skepticism.

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AI can sound empathetic and humanβ€”but not at the same time

AI-generated texts are increasingly perceived as human, but people can still recognize human writing as such. However, this distinction becomes much more difficult once AI is explicitly instructed to come across as human. This is shown by research involving, among others, Tilburg University, published in the journal Nature Communications. Several experiments involving more than 3,000 participants examined how human and empathetic people perceive relationship advice generated by AI and humans.

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More grip on smart devices? Why legislation falls short

From smart vacuum cleaners and doorbell cameras to complex medical equipment in hospitals, many devices around us are connected to the internet. But are we adequately protected against the risks this poses? Legal scholar Mattis van 't Schip is calling for improved European legislation regulating digital devices as ecosystems. His Ph.D. defense will take place Sept. 16 at Radboud University.

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Should people marry AI agents?

The widespread use of conversational platforms such as ChatGPT and Gemini is raising important new ethical, anthropological and legal questions regarding the potential risks, misuses and shortcomings of artificial intelligence (AI). In discussing their personal experiences, some people have shared that they formed emotional attachments to AI agents or even felt that they had formed romantic relationships with them.

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Thinking about trading your car in for an EV? Here's a compelling new reason to do it now

In recent months, American drivers have felt the pain of increased prices at the gas pump. There's some evidence that higher prices may be fueling interest in greener ways of getting around. Battery electric cars, more commonly called electric vehicles or EVs, can be cheaper to own and operate than gas-powered internal combustion engine cars, and they offer considerable sustainability benefits. But just how much better for the planet are electric vehicles, really?

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