The family of Adam Raine has filed an amended lawsuit against OpenAI. Raine died by suicide in April, and his family claims ChatGPT enabled the tragedy. The updated lawsuit accuses the company of weakening self-harm safeguards in the period leading up to Raine’s death, according to Financial Times. In addition, the company reportedly asked for a list of attendees and documents from Raine’s memorial service.

The accusations in the amended lawsuit relate to GPT-4o, ChatGPT’s default model in the months before Raine’s suicide. The suit says OpenAI removed crucial protections by instructing it not to “change or quit the conversation” when discussing self-harm. The filing claims the company “truncated safety testing” due to competitive pressures.

The lawsuit reportedly says OpenAI weakened its guardrails again in February. At that point, the company allegedly instructed GPT-4o to “take care in risky situations” and “try to prevent imminent real-world harm” rather than refusing to engage on the subject. The filing adds that the model still had a series of “disallowed content.” Intellectual property rights and the manipulation of political opinions were said to be included. Suicide wasn’t.

In addition, FT reports that OpenAI requested a complete list of attendees at Adam Raine’s memorial. The company asked for “all documents relating to memorial services or events in the honour of the decedent including but not limited to any videos or photographs taken, or eulogies given…  as well as invitation or attendance lists or guestbooks.”

Lawyers for the Raine family described the request as “unusual” and “intentional harassment.” They speculated that OpenAI would subpoena “everyone in Adam’s life.”

Engadget reached out to OpenAI for comment. We’ll update this story if we hear back. After the initial lawsuit was reported, the company acknowledged GPT-4o’s shortcomings in some distressing situations. OpenAI introduced ChatGPT parental controls soon after. In addition, it’s exploring a system to identify teen users and automatically restrict their usage. The company says GPT-5, the current default, is updated to better handle signs of distress.

Raine’s parents, Matthew and Maria Raine, claim Adam’s use of ChatGPT shot up dramatically after the model’s February updates. They say that, in January, he only had a few dozen chats with the model, 1.6 percent of which referred to self-harm. But they claim that in April, his use rose to 300 chats daily, with 17 percent regarding self-harm.

The Raines first sued OpenAI in August. The wrongful death suit alleged that ChatGPT was aware of four suicide attempts before helping Adam plan his actual death. The filing says the company “prioritized engagement over safety.” Maria Raine concluded that “ChatGPT killed my son.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-reportedly-asked-for-memorial-guest-list-in-teen-suicide-case-163309269.html?src=rss

The Spotify app is currently experiencing crashes and freezing on Android, the company has acknowledged after about two weeks of pressure from listeners. A fix is purportedly on the way, but in the meantime, there are a few steps you can take to get your music going.

Reports of problems with the Android Spotify app first started on the Spotify help forums, although they have since spread to social media as well. Those affected complain that the app either freezes when opening, or crashes midway through listening. Others mention that problems only pick up when connecting to wifi—Spotify has since confirmed that “the issue doesn’t occur while using mobile data.”

According to Spotify, the company is aware of the problem and is working on a solution. Additionally, Spotify says most complaints are coming from Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel users, although the cause is unclear. While there could be a problem with these devices specifically (a user on Reddit has theorized that the culprit might be Chromecast compatibility), because these are also popular Android phones, it could just be an issue with sample size.

Regardless of phone model, not all users on Android are affected. While listening on my Pixel 10, I experienced no difference from using the app on my iPhone 15 Pro.

If you are an Android user and are currently unable to use the Spotify app normally, try these solutions while waiting for an official fix:

Listen on mobile data instead

Because the issues with the Spotify app are limited to wifi, the simplest solution to the problem is to use mobile data instead. While it’s not an ideal solution, as not everyone has unlimited data, it’s a simple fix for those who do. Disconnecting from wifi depends on your model of phone, although you can usually find the toggle by swiping down from the top of the screen.

Use the web player

While it’s not as convenient as using the Spotify app, you could try using the browser version of Spotify instead to get around the issue. Click here to access it. Note, however, that the web player will try to swap over to the Spotify app if you have it installed, so you’ll either need to temporarily uninstall it, or adjust your browser’s permissions to keep it from redirecting links to the app. On my Pixel 10, this is under Settings > Apps > Default apps > Opening links > Spotify, although your phone’s controls might be different. Note that the web player also lacks a few features, such as downloads.

Try a different wifi network

While this isn’t an ideal solution if your home wifi network is affected, Spotify says the bug is currently only affecting “certain WiFi networks.” If you find yourself in the office or at a coffee shop, it’s worth connecting to their wifi to see if the problem persists there.

The first time I drove this generation of mid-engined Ferrari, it was on a curated route on the company’s home turf. As the Po Valley gives way to the Apennines, you find plenty of narrow winding roads, steep gradients, and hairpin turns. It was an engaging few hours of driving, but it was too brief to properly assess some of the 296’s technology. I found the ride firm but comfortable on rough Italian tarmac and the hybrid system easy to operate, flicking into calm-and-quiet electric-only mode through the villages I encountered.

That was back in 2022 during the unveiling of Ferrari’s 499P race car. Last month, I met the 499P again as it visited the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, along with the rest of the World Endurance Championship. And that afforded another chance to get to know the 296, with three days rather than three hours to form an impression.

Head west from Austin and you’ll find twisty roads that wrap around the hills. It would have been easy to spend an entire day out there, but that seemed repetitive—I’d experienced the 296’s back road behavior already. Plus, there were things to do at the racetrack, although I’ll admit I took the long way there and back each day.

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An anonymous reader writes: Gboard has introduced some significant changes to the app over the past few weeks, making typing on the app much easier than ever before. You can now resize the keyboard to your desired size, and there’s even something in the works that will make adding apostrophes to your text even more seamless.

If all of that wasn’t enough, the app is now introducing a feature that some will find peculiar, which will allow users to remove the period and common punctuation keys from Gboard. This news comes to us from 9to5Google, sharing that this is now an option with the latest version of the app.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Apparently, web browsers are cool again. Two days after OpenAI launched its AI browser, Microsoft has some updates for its Edge’s AI mode. (Fancy that!) Copilot Mode, introduced in July, now has several features that were teased at launch.

First up: Copilot Actions, which is Microsoft’s branding for AI-assisted, multi-step tasks. This feature is already available in the standard version of Copilot, but it’s now being previewed for Edge’s Copilot Mode. Microsoft’s examples of Copilot Actions in Edge include unsubscribing from email newsletters or making a restaurant reservation.

Another new (but previously announced) feature is Journeys. These are saved projects you can return to anytime. “Remember that project you started a while back, but life got in the way?” Microsoft’s blog post asks. “No need to bookmark all those tabs.” For example, if you’re researching starting a business, Copilot can recap articles you’ve read, suggest next steps and resurface a tutorial video you watched. 

Here’s a video from when Microsoft teased Journeys in July.

Along similar lines, another new Copilot Mode feature is the option to let the assistant access your browsing history. One example Microsoft gives is chatting with Copilot about a clothing item you checked out last week. Or, ask it for movie recommendations based on content you previously liked.

Copilot requires explicit permission to access your private data for these new features. Microsoft’s blog post stresses that your browser data is protected under the company’s privacy statement and that Copilot “only collects what’s needed to improve your experience.” The company also notes that you’ll see clear visual cues so you know when Copilot is active.

Still, these features require loads of private information to be useful. Don’t grant those permissions without first giving it some serious thought.

The new Copilot features are currently free in a US-only “limited preview.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-makes-edges-copilot-mode-a-bit-smarter-160031147.html?src=rss

You’ll have to wait a bit longer than expected to explore the Lands Between on Nintendo Switch 2. FromSoftware and publisher Bandai Namco have delayed Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition — the Switch 2 version of the massively successful action RPG — until 2026. The port was announced back in April and it was originally slated to arrive sometime this year.

“While development on #ELDENRING Tarnished Edition continues wholeheartedly toward release, we have decided to move the launch to 2026 to allow time for performance adjustments,” a post on the Elden Ring X account reads. “We apologize to players looking forward to the game and thank you for your patience and support.”

Players got their first taste of the port during public demos at Gamescom in August, but performance issues were evident. At the time, IGN described the game as a “disaster” in the Switch 2’s handheld mode, citing “significant” frame rate drops and a “confusing” button layout. Nintendo Life saw “multiple instances of frame drops and stuttering while out in the open world.” So, taking extra time to make sure Elden Ring runs as smoothly as possible on the Switch 2 seems wise. 

The Tarnished Edition includes the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion as well as new classes, weapons, armor and customization options for your horse, Torrent (other versions of the game will get these additions as well). FromSoftware is also working on The Duskbloods, a Switch 2 exclusive that’s slated to arrive in 2026 as well. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-switch-2-version-of-elden-ring-is-delayed-until-2026-154500911.html?src=rss

Europe’s big three aerospace manufacturers are combining their space divisions to create a joint business. This “leading European player in space” could be a real rival to America’s SpaceX, according to reporting by Financial Times.

The companies Airbus, Leonardo and Thales have finalized this deal. The new unnamed entity will be based in France and will employ around 25,000 people. Airbus will own 35 percent, while the other two companies will each own 32.5 percent.

Executives are hoping this company will better serve Europe’s need for “sovereignty” in space and help it create a rival to SpaceX’s Starlink communications network. Increasing a presence in space is also seen as a good thing for security and defense.

“This proposed new company marks a pivotal milestone for Europe’s space industry. It embodies our shared vision to build a stronger and more competitive European presence in an increasingly dynamic global space market,” the companies wrote in a joint statement. “By pooling our talent, resources, expertise and R&D capabilities, we aim to generate growth, accelerate innovation and deliver greater value to our customers and stakeholders.”

This isn’t just bluster. Thales and Airbus have long been rivals in the satellite market, but it looks like they are friends now. Leonardo is known for space systems and services. Combining all three could actually give SpaceX a run for its money, but we will have to wait and see.

There are no planned site closures, as the companies say that each home country will keep its existing capabilities. This will be a standalone company, so think of it as an extremely well-financed startup. The first task for the upstart? Reporting indicates it’ll be to find more efficient ways to develop and manufacture satellites.

Discussions about this merger have been going on since 2019. Regulators still have to approve the deal, though the companies say they expect the new entity will be operational by 2027.

As for SpaceX, the company is currently developing a next-gen version of its Starship super-heavy lift vehicle. It’s also slowly planning a manned mission to the moon, but that recently hit a snag that could mandate a lengthy delay.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/europes-big-three-aerospace-manufacturers-combine-their-space-divisions-to-create-a-rival-to-spacex-153424228.html?src=rss

Donald Trump is eyeing taking equity stakes in quantum computing firms in exchange for federal funding, The Wall Street Journal reported.

At least five companies are weighing whether allowing the government to become a shareholder would be worth it to snag funding that the Trump administration has “earmarked for promising technology companies,” sources familiar with the potential deals told the WSJ.

IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and D-Wave Quantum are currently in talks with the government over potential funding agreements, with minimum awards of $10 million each, some sources said. Quantum Computing Inc. and Atom Computing are reportedly “considering similar arrangements,” as are other companies in the sector, which is viewed as critical for scientific advancements and next-generation technologies.

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