EFF
“Stealth Crawlers” Are Not a Threat to the Open Web. Bills Targeting Them Would Be.
There’s a new boogeyman in the battles over AI: so-called “stealth crawlers.” We’ll admit it—the term “stealth crawlers” sounds quite nefarious. In reality, they’re anything but.
“Stealth crawlers” are simply automated tools to access and collect public web data—without disclosing the user’s identity. Private crawlers like these facilitate all kinds of important work that benefits the public, including investigative reporting, academic research, cybersecurity protection, and more.
Anonymous crawling enables some of the most publicly beneficial uses of the open web.
Many publishers want to u...
Data Center Dynamics
City officials in Michigan deny request to lift data center moratorium
Wixom officials refuse request as developer eyes three-building campus
Data Center Dynamics
New Mexico regulators reject natural gas pipeline for Oracle's 2.5GW Project Jupiter data center
Pipeline was expected to feed fuel cells on the site
The Hill (Technology)
Divide grows between AI employees and executives over policy battles
Tech employees in Silicon Valley are increasingly finding themselves at odds with industry executives who are spending millions to push for light-touch AI regulation. The latest disagreement is playing out in a new political spending fight between OpenAI’s rank-and-file employees and the firm’s co-founder and president Greg Brockman. A group of current and former OpenAI...
Grist
New York governor orders first statewide data center moratorium
Data centers have drawn vocal opposition at local public meetings and in state capitols across the U.S.
The Hill (Technology)
Sacks argues US is 'tying itself in knots' over AI after release of new Chinese model
Former White House AI and cryptocurrency czar David Sacks argued Friday that the U.S. is "tying itself in knots" over AI and risking its competitive edge, following the release of a new Chinese model. Kimi K3, a new model from the Chinese startup Moonshot AI, sent shockwaves through the American AI industry Thursday after its...
EFF
Victory! Flock Ends Rollout of Audio “Distress Detection” of Human Voices
Reversing course, Flock Safety—the surveillance technology vendor most known for its extensive network of automated license plate readers—has announced that it will end a pilot for its acoustic gunshot detection devices to identify signs of “human distress.”
...public pressure can sometimes work to influence both companies and lawmakers that control a city’s purse strings to discontinue or divest from harmful products...
In October 2025, EFF warned the public that Flock was rolling out a new feature called “Distress Detection” that would be deployed through their acoustic gunshot detection ...
Pivot to AI
Meta glasses celebrity backlash: the fans hate them
Meta tried buying their AI-powered creep glasses a public image with celebrity sponsorships — but the celebrities’ fans hate them. So do the other celebrities. Engadget spoke to a pile of photographers who’d been trying out the glasses. They like the cameras and the convenience — but people might think they’re creeps. Danielle, a travel […]
Washington State Standard
New York governor orders first statewide data center moratorium
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, issued an executive order Tuesday that puts a moratorium on the construction of large-scale data centers. The pause, which will last up to a year, is the nation’s first statewide ban on data centers, which have drawn increasing concern from lawmakers and citizens based on their impact on […]
Grist
Nebraska wants data centers to come clean about water usage
The industry can be a black box of information. But as the state deals with persistent drought, residents and regulators want more answers.
Platformer
The man who tried 200 to-do apps has some advice about AI
The Verge's David Pierce kicks off our new series on staying productive in the AI era — starting with why you should stop trying to stay ahead
Pivot to AI
UK police will run evidence through the AI — it’s quicker
The UK Government will speed up justice — with AI! UK police will take evidence in criminal cases and … run it through the chatbot. [Gov.UK] Under current rules, police have to analyse each piece of evidence themselves before disclosing it to the defence. The Home Office will: allow the use of AI to turbocharge […]
Food & Water Watch
Gov. Hochul’s Data Center Moratorium is Huge Step Forward in Protecting New York Communities
"This must be only the first step Governor Hochul takes, though."
The post Gov. Hochul’s Data Center Moratorium is Huge Step Forward in Protecting New York Communities appeared first on Food & Water Watch.
Platformer
The loudest warning about AI and jobs yet
200 economists and AI leaders say something big is happening. What should we do about it? Plus: Apple sues OpenAI
Food & Water Watch
100+ Groups to Gov. Hochul: Sign Data Center Moratorium Into Law Now
"The explosive growth of data centers is one of the worst affordability and environmental threats confronting New York."
The post 100+ Groups to Gov. Hochul: Sign Data Center Moratorium Into Law Now appeared first on Food & Water Watch.
404 Media
AI Fiction Is Easy to Detect Because It's Stupid and Bad, Research Finds
ChatGPT uses too many dream sequences and Gemini won’t stop describing characters.
Columbia Riverkeeper
Taking on Big Tech’s Data Center Building Spree
With timely intervention, the Northwest could become a model for smart data center regulation that allows for a just transition from fossil fuels. Read more
The post Taking on Big Tech’s Data Center Building Spree first appeared on Columbia Riverkeeper.
404 Media
Patreon Blocks Crawlers From Stealing Creators' Work for AI Training
“Creators deserve credit, compensation, and consent. If that's not on the table, the crawlers can stay the fuck off Patreon," CEO Jack Conte wrote on Thursday.
AI Now Institute
Double Agents: Defensive AI Agents Magnify Cyber Risks
Introduction New research from AI Now demonstrates a critical attack vector in popular AI agents, built by Anthropic and OpenAI, when used for defensive purposes that actually turn the agent against its user. Read the full blog post explaining the proof-of-concept exploit and a policy brief with key takeaways below.
The post Double Agents: Defensive AI Agents Magnify Cyber Risks appeared first on AI Now Institute.
Washington State Standard
Data center critics flood Alaska land managers with opposition to North Slope project
Opposition is pouring in against a large data center and power plant proposed for Alaska’s North Slope, as Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration considers whether to approve a 50-year lease of state land to the project’s developer. More than 500 public comments were received before a preliminary deadline set by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, […]