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Rachel Reeves to wield ‘iron fist’ against wasteful spendingActor Timothée Chalamet strayed from his indie roots and artsy persona to step into the world of college football on Saturday when he appeared on ESPN’s “College GameDay” as a guest football analyst, picking his winners for the highly anticipated conference championship games. The 28-year-old, who is set to star in the Bob Dylan biopic “ A Complete Unknown ” opening Christmas Day, predicted Texas would overcome the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC championship. The game is the biggest of the night. “This is a Longhorns victory,” the French actor said alongside “GameDay” host Rece Davis, former NFL kicker Pat McAfee and former Alabama head coach Nick Saban. During the popular pregame show, Chalamet predicted Oregon would take down Penn State in the Big Ten championship. Chalamet, whose covers of “Like a Rolling Stone” and “Girl From the North Country” were released on Friday, didn’t stop there while attempting to show off his sports acumen to a nationwide audience. When it came to the Big 12 championship, he picked the red-hot Sun Devils of Arizona State to bring home the trophy against Iowa State. “I’m pulling for Arizona State today,” he said during the telecast. In the Sun Belt Conference, Chalamet chose Louisiana over Marshall. “Billy Napier’s legend remains, the defense is strong,” he joked, referring to how the current Florida Gators head coach once held the same position at Louisiana. And in a twist, the actor predicted favorite Miami of Ohio would lose to in-state rival Ohio University in the MAC championship. “These teams are 2-2 in their last four matchups. I’m going underdog, Bobcats,” he said. Demonstrating his versatility as a sports guru, Chalamet chose Southern Methodist University to defeat Clemson. “It smells like the 1980s, folks,” he said. In the SWAC championship, Chalamet picked Jackson State University over Southern. “I’m going with Jackson State,” he said on the broadcast. “This should be an easy win for them.” Bob Dylan praised both the film and Chalamet , who plays the famed singer-songwriter in the movie, earlier this week in a post on X . “There’s a movie about me opening soon called A Complete Unknown (what a title!),” Dylan wrote.
A prominent psychologist has sounded the alarm on the perils of teens falling in love with virtual girlfriends or boyfriends powered by artificial intelligence. And he has warned parents that kids who turn to chatbots for companionship could struggle to develop social skills needed for real relationships. Once the domain of science fiction, AI avatars that communicate with their creators are becoming increasingly popular. A rapidly-growing number of apps give users the power to design their ideal romantic partner — choosing their looks, interests and personality — which they can chat with at any time of the day or night. High-profile adolescent psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg raised serious concerns about the possible risks to young people in a video provided to schools across Australia. “The rise in popularity of AI girlfriends, boyfriends and digital companions signifies a significant shift in human interaction with artificial intelligence — blurring the lines between digital and personal connection,” he said in a special report on the SchoolTV platform. “Young people who engage excessively with AI companions might struggle to develop the social skills needed for real human relationships — potentially leading to unhealthy emotional attachments and dependencies that can lead to psychological damage.” SchoolTV, backed by children’s mental health experts, provides parenting resources to schools that subscribe to its service. It also responds to trends reported by schools. Dr Carr-Gregg noted virtual girlfriend and boyfriend apps were easy to download and age restrictions could be bypassed. He warned that excessive exposure to AI companion bots could have a significant impact on a young person’s developing identity. Talking to a virtual companion risked normalising sexualised chat, which could lead to a young person being groomed by a real predator. Because users could personalise their avatar to look, dress and act to fit their desires, that could potentially lead to a deeper attachment than if the avatar was generic. And the power to be able to tell a companion bot what to do could lead to coercive control issues in a real life relationship. “Adolescents seeking belonging and exploring their sexuality may turn to virtual partners for affirmation, attention and validation, addressing feelings of loneliness or disconnection,” Dr Carr-Gregg said. Tragically, talking to an AI bot was the last thing US 14-year-old Sewell Setzer did moments before taking his own life. Last month, his mother Megan Garcia filed a federal lawsuit against role-playing chatbot app Character.AI, claiming it was responsible for the death of her son. The Florida high school student, who had been obsessed with companion apps, took his own life in February. Court documents show Sewell had, for months, repeatedly texted a chatbot named Daenerys Targaryen, after a character in the series Game of Thrones. The teen had pledged his love for “Dany” and discussed suicidal thoughts. His parents were so worried by his addiction they had confiscated his phone, but he soon found it. According to the police report, Sewell’s last act before his death was to log on to Character.AI on his phone to tell “Dany” he loved her and promised to come home to her. The bot replied: “I love you too . . . please come home to me as soon as possible, my love.” Ms Garcia accused the platform of using addictive design features to increase engagement and steer vulnerable users towards intimate conversations. “A dangerous AI chatbot app marketed to children abused and preyed on my son, manipulating him into taking his own life,” Ms Garcia said in a statement last month. “Our family has been devastated by this tragedy, but I’m speaking out to warn families of the dangers of deceptive, addictive AI technology and demand accountability from Character.AI, its founders and Google.” Character.AI issued a statement on X saying it was “heartbroken” by the tragic loss of one of its users. “As a company, we take the safety of our users very seriously and we are continuing to add new safety features,” it read. The company, which promises “personalised AI for every moment of your day”, is one of the biggest AI chatbot providers, with its website becoming one of the world’s most visited sites since it was founded in 2021. One of the earliest companies to promote companion bots, Replika, reports it now has around 30 million users. Billing itself as “the AI companion who cares”, Replika was banned temporarily in Italy last year because of concerns around data privacy and risks to minors. Other popular chatbot apps that mimic human interaction with increasingly life-like avatars include Eva AI, iGirl, AI Girlfriend and AI Boyfriend. AI Boyfriend sells itself as “a boyfriend you can trust”, while iGirl boasts that it “lets you experience the thrill of having a virtual girlfriend that feels just like the real one”. Dr Carr-Gregg told The West the SchoolTV report on navigating AI relationships was not sparked by any single event, but addressed a growing trend and concern regarding teens’ interactions with companion bots. “While the tragic case of Sewell Setzer has certainly brought increased attention to this issue, it’s part of a broader pattern that educators and mental health professionals have been observing,” he said. “The report aims to provide guidance on the potential risks and benefits of AI relationships, especially for young people who may be particularly vulnerable.” While he had not directly encountered teens using companion apps in his psychology practice, Dr Carr-Gregg said research and anecdotal evidence suggested their usage was becoming more widespread among adolescents. “Many teens are drawn to the always-available nature of AI companions and the perception of a non-judgmental, understanding presence,” he said. “Given the rapidly evolving nature of AI technology, it’s crucial to continue monitoring its impact on youth mental health and social development.” He urged parents to encourage teens to maintain real-world social connections, share their feelings about AI relationships without fear of judgment and discuss the limitations of artificial interactions. The warning comes as the Albanese Government prepares to introduce new laws to stop kids under 16 from using social media, but it is unclear if that would extend to chatbot apps. Acting eSafety Commissioner Kathryn King said AI companion apps had recently proliferated online. Some were free, accessible and targeted towards children. “These apps and services are particularly concerning for young people navigating relationships for the first time, as engagement with an AI companion may lead to confusion about consent, respect and/or sexual safety,” she said. “As with other digital platforms, there is a danger that excessive, sexualised engagement with AI companions could interfere with children’s social and emotional development, setting up misguided or harmful beliefs and patterns that are damaging to individuals or relationships in real life.” Ms King said it was important parents were aware such services existed and that they talked to their children about their online activities. She stressed there was work underway to protect kids from harms linked to generative AI by building in measures to stop them accessing age-inappropriate materials. “While providers of chatbots are encouraged to participate in this co-regulatory process, they should also be taking action now to keep users safe,” she said. “Primary digital safeguards should be embedded at the design phase and throughout the development and deployment process — not bolted on as an afterthought.” Lifeline: 13 11 14 Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
Plane crash: Putin tenders apology to AzerbaijanHenry Siu Innovative perspectives and gathering talent are crucial to the development of an innovation ecology in Hong Kong, says Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, who shared a meal with experts and proponents that included Jensen Huang Jen-hsun, founder of tech giant Nvidia. "This gathering - with innovative views and a Hong Kong taste - represents the two important elements of building a thriving innovation ecology - an innovative perspective and gathering of talent," Chan wrote on his blog yesterday. It was held at a dai pai dong in Sham Shui Po with a number of distinguished innovators and academic leaders in attendance, Chan said. Apart from Huang, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology president Nancy Chu Ip Yuk-yu and HKUST council chairman Harry Shum Heung-yeung were also present. "We shared authentic Hong Kong stir-fry and flavorful traditional Hong Kong dishes while we exchanged our views on IT development and talent cultivation," Chan said. He said he met several enterprises that have expressed interest in Hong Kong's IT development when he visited advanced economies spanning the United States and Europe, as well as the Middle East and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. "They are eager to know more about the development and application of cutting-edge technology and the development of its relevant manufacturing industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area for more opportunities of cooperation," he said. Chan said the development of the Hong Kong section of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone has been accelerated, coupled with the substantial investment in information technology made in recent years. He believes the local IT sector would further develop in the direction of industrial development, being an important part of driving Hong Kong's economy. Nvidia founder Huang, 61, was among four individuals conferred honorary doctorates by HKUST. Huang received his doctorate alongside actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai, 2013 Nobel chemistry laureate Michael Levitt and field medalist David Mumford. In a speech on Saturday, Huang, conferred an honorary doctorate degree in engineering, said "the age of AI has started - a new computing era that will impact every industry and every field of science." Huang also told university graduates that he wished he could have started his career now. "The whole world is resetting. You're at the starting lines with everybody else. An industry is being reinvented. You now have the instruments, the instruments necessary to advance science in so many different fields," he said. Asked about the possibility of US president-elect Donald Trump restricting the export of semiconductors against China and how the China-US trade war would affect AI development, Huang said AI development is global and will not be stopped. henry.siu@singtaonewscorp.comMariah Carey & Anderson .Paak Spark Romance Rumors During Aspen Outing
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