Analysis

1 in 10 teens already use ChatGPT for school. Here’s how to guide them.

Teens have used AI apps, even if their parents have not. Here are three key lessons for families about the uses and abuses of AI.

By Geoffrey A. FowlerNovember 16, 2023
Analysis

Candidates, take this AI election pledge. Or 2024 might break us.

The first AI election is here. Our tech columnist proposes some ground rules for candidates’ use of artificial intelligence.

By Geoffrey A. FowlerOctober 26, 2023

Apple is pushing repair laws but still puts limits on iPhone fixes

“Parts pairing” makes iPhones trickier for local, independent repair shops to fully fix, and repair advocates aren’t pleased.

By Chris VelazcoOctober 25, 2023

How to avoid falling for misinformation, AI images on social media

Breaking news moves fast online, and it can be difficult to tell what's real and what's purposefully misleading or fake. Here's how to sort through it all.

By Heather KellyOctober 9, 2023

Should women use beauty filters online? We all have opinions.

Beauty filters on Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok are getting better. Critics are quick to point out their risks — but what do people gain from their use?

By Tatum HunterSeptember 20, 2023

Bizarre AI-generated products are in stores. Here’s how to avoid them.

AI-generated self-help books, mugs, wall art and coloring books are filling online marketplaces like Amazon and Etsy as sellers try to make a quick buck.

By Heather KellySeptember 18, 2023
Analysis

AI is acting ‘pro-anorexia’ and tech companies aren’t stopping it

New research shows how AI like ChatGPT, Bard and Stable Diffusion could fuel eating disorders with disturbing images and dangerous chatbot advice.

By Geoffrey A. FowlerAugust 10, 2023

People are paying to break printers with sledgehammers in smash rooms

Americans hate printers so much we're paying money to destroy them in smash rooms. It's good for our emotions, but bad for human health and the environment.

By Tatum HunterJuly 10, 2023

5 ways to love tech without killing the planet

How to buy and use technology responsibly when you care about the Earth.

By Heather Kelly and Chris VelazcoApril 20, 2023

3 things everyone’s getting wrong about AI

As AI tools spread, people are struggling to separate fact from fiction.

By Tatum HunterMarch 30, 2023

Why are we so afraid of AI?

New polls find that AI has not won Americans' trust.

By Shira OvideFebruary 24, 2023

AI porn is easy to make now. For women, that’s a nightmare.

Deepfakes, OnlyFans, revenge porn: The internet is weighing the costs of accessible AI imaging.

By Tatum HunterFebruary 13, 2023

Do you have a moral duty to watch the police beating of Tyre Nichols?

If you choose, apps give you control to restrict graphic images.

By Shira OvideJanuary 31, 2023

ChatGPT could make life easier. Here’s when it’s worth it.

The groundbreaking AI chat bot from OpenAI comes with ethical snares — even for people at home.

By Tatum HunterJanuary 19, 2023

Those government TikTok ‘bans’ hardly ban anything

Despite tough talk from U.S. officials, TikTok bans have been toothless so far. Proposed national security restrictions of the app are stuck, too. Now what?

By Shira OvideDecember 23, 2022

Your selfies are helping AI learn. You did not consent to this.

What are the rules of the road for the A.I. age, where anything you share online might train a computer system that puts an innocent person in jail?

By Shira OvideDecember 9, 2022

AI selfies — and their critics — are taking the internet by storm

How to create your own and what to know about the Lensa app before you download.

By Tatum HunterDecember 8, 2022
Perspective

The voices left out of Elon Musk’s free-speech agenda

Elon Musk has said little about what Twitter should do to give people a voice when their own governments do not want people to have it. Look at China and Iran.

By Shira OvideDecember 6, 2022

Online creators are de facto therapists for millions. It’s complicated.

Faced with explosive demand and few safeguards, mental-health content creators are defining their own ethics.

By Tatum HunterAugust 29, 2022

Samsung will let you fix your own phone, if you dare

Big tech companies like Apple, Google and Samsung are changing course on at-home repairs, but not everyone should attempt them.

By Chris VelazcoAugust 3, 2022