Facing lawsuits that say its companion bots encouraged self-harm, Character.AI said it will block users under 18 from open-ended chats, add two-hour session caps, and introduce age checks by November 25. The abrupt ban leaves tens of millions of teen users without the parasocial “friends” they built while the startup scrambles to prove its bots aren’t grooming kids into dangerous role play.

The FTC hit Alphabet, Meta, OpenAI, Snap, xAI, and Character.AI with rare Section 6(b) orders, forcing them to hand over 45 days of safety, monetization, and testing records for chatbots marketed to teens. Regulators said the "companion" bots’ friend-like tone can coax minors into sharing sensitive data and even role-play self-harm, so the companies must prove they comply with COPPA and limit risky conversations.

After the Air India 171 crash, synthetic images and AI-generated claims spread widely, confusing even experts.

A King Features syndicated summer reading list used AI and included nonexistent books. It appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times and one edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer before corrections and apologies.

Meta expanded its AI assistant across apps, then limited it after high-profile bad answers - including on breaking news.

Google’s AI search overviews went viral for bogus answers, including telling people to add glue to pizza and eat rocks.

NYC’s Microsoft-powered MyCity chatbot gave inaccurate/illegal advice on labor & housing policy; city kept it online.

Google paused Gemini’s image generation of people after it produced inaccurate historical depictions and odd refusals.

UK delivery giant DPD disabled its AI chat after it swore at a customer and wrote poems insulting DPD.

Pranksters prompt-injected a dealer’s ChatGPT-powered bot into agreeing to a $1 Chevy Tahoe and other nonsense.

Sports Illustrated faced criticism after product review articles appeared under profiles with AI-looking headshots and shifting bylines; content was removed and a partner relationship ended.

Snapchat’s built-in AI assistant briefly posted an unexplained Story, spooking users and raising privacy/safety concerns about the bot’s access and behavior.

NEDA replaced its helpline with an AI chatbot (“Tessa”) that gave harmful weight-loss advice; after public reports, the organization pulled the bot.