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19 May 2026

Anthropic and Pentagon Face Off in Court as Judges Appear Divided Over AI Blacklisting

A federal appeals court heard arguments in Anthropic's lawsuit challenging the Pentagon's blacklisting of the AI company over safety concerns. Three judges displayed sharply divided views, with one calling it a "spectacular overreach" while others questioned Anthropic's position. The legal dispute centers on autonomous weapons and mass domestic surveillance restrictions.

6 Sources

Global crackdown on sexual deepfakes intensifies as US, Europe, and New Zealand enact strict laws

Countries worldwide are racing to regulate AI-generated abuse as the US begins enforcing the Take It Down Act, requiring tech platforms to remove non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours. The European Union is banning nudifier apps entirely, while New Zealand introduces criminal penalties for creating and sharing sexualized deepfakes without consent.

5 Sources

18 May 2026

University of Washington shelves plan to record preschoolers for AI training after parent revolt

University of Washington researchers planned to have preschool teachers wear cameras to record children for AI training purposes, using an opt-out model that sparked immediate parent outrage. The research aimed to develop AI models for assessing classroom quality, but vague language about data usage and lack of details about which AI companies would access the footage raised serious privacy concerns and informed consent issues, forcing the university to terminate the study.

3 Sources

Trump's AI executive order creates voluntary framework as MAGA base pushes for tighter oversight

President Trump is expected to sign an AI executive order establishing a voluntary 90-day pre-release disclosure framework for frontier AI models. The order represents a compromise between tech industry allies resisting mandatory requirements and MAGA activists like Steve Bannon demanding government security tests. Over 60 Trump supporters signed a letter calling for stricter oversight of potentially dangerous AI systems.

13 Sources

17 May 2026

States challenge utility profits as AI boom drives electric bills higher across six states

The AI boom is fueling a clash between state officials and utilities over soaring electric bills. Governors and attorneys general in six states are blocking rate increases as utility profits surged from $39 billion in 2021 to over $52 billion in 2024. Critics blame AI data centers' voracious energy demands for driving up costs while utilities defend investment returns as essential for grid reliability.

2 Sources

15 May 2026

arXiv Bans Researchers for One Year Over Unchecked AI-Generated Content and Hallucinated References

The preprint server arXiv is issuing one-year bans to researchers who submit manuscripts containing hallucinated references and other clear signs of unchecked generative AI use. After the ban, authors must have their work accepted at peer-reviewed venues before posting to arXiv again. The move addresses a flood of AI slop overwhelming the platform, particularly in computer science.

10 Sources

Pope Leo XIV warns AI warfare drives world toward 'spiral of annihilation' at historic university visit

Pope Leo XIV delivered a stark warning about artificial intelligence in warfare during his first papal visit to La Sapienza University since 2008. Speaking to Europe's largest university, he condemned investments in AI and high-tech weaponry as driving humanity toward a 'spiral of annihilation,' citing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran as evidence of technology's inhuman evolution in war.

3 Sources

X commits to 24-hour illegal content reviews as Ofcom keeps Grok investigation open

Elon Musk's X has agreed to review illegal hate speech and terrorist content within 24 hours on average, restrict UK access to proscribed groups, and report quarterly to Ofcom. The deal follows months of regulatory pressure, but a separate investigation into Grok AI's deepfake capabilities remains active.

2 Sources

Anthropic warns US has until 2028 to secure AI dominance over China or risk authoritarian control

AI developer Anthropic issued a stark warning that the US must tighten chip export controls and model access restrictions before 2028 to maintain its lead in the US-China AI race. The company paints two scenarios: one where democracies set AI norms, another where authoritarian regimes shape global AI governance through surveillance and censorship technologies.

5 Sources

OpenAI lawsuit alleges ChatGPT shared user data with Google and Meta without proper consent

A class-action lawsuit filed in California accuses OpenAI of sharing ChatGPT user prompts, emails, and personal identifiers with Meta Pixel and Google Analytics without proper consent. The case claims violations of California privacy law and federal wiretap rules, raising concerns about how AI chatbots handle intimate conversations users share about health, finances, and personal matters.

3 Sources

US China AI talks begin as superpowers agree to establish guardrails for powerful models

The United States and China have agreed to launch formal discussions on AI governance following the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed the two AI superpowers will establish protocols to prevent non-state actors from accessing powerful AI models, marking the first official AI dialogue of Trump's second term despite ongoing competition for AI supremacy.

5 Sources

14 May 2026

UK Competition and Markets Authority launches Microsoft antitrust inquiry over software dominance

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has opened its fourth Strategic Market Status investigation into Microsoft's business software ecosystem. The probe examines whether the tech giant's bundling of Windows, Office, Teams, and Copilot limits customer choice and prevents effective integration with competitors' products, potentially affecting over 15 million UK commercial users.

4 Sources

Pope Leo XIV launches AI encyclical with Anthropic co-founder amid Trump administration clash

Pope Leo XIV will unveil his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, on May 25 alongside Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah. The document addresses human dignity in the age of AI and marks a potential flashpoint with the Trump administration, which has penalized Anthropic for refusing unrestricted military AI access. The Vatican is positioning itself as a moral authority in the AI race.

10 Sources

13 May 2026

Apple backs Google against EU plan to open Android to AI rivals, citing privacy risks

Apple has joined Google in opposing EU proposals that would force Android to open up to competing AI services under the Digital Markets Act. Both tech giants warn the measures pose serious risks to user privacy and security, while the European Commission argues they're necessary to keep the AI market competitive and promote innovation.

6 Sources

China threatens countermeasures as US chip equipment bill targets AI semiconductor production

China is pushing back hard against the proposed MATCH Act, legislation that would restrict Chinese chipmakers from producing AI semiconductors by limiting access to critical chipmaking equipment. Beijing has summoned U.S. diplomats, unveiled countermeasures, and is expected to raise the issue during high-level talks this week between Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping.

2 Sources

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