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California Takes the First Stand on AI

For years, AI has been racing ahead with little oversight. Powerful systems like ChatGPT and Claude are shaping how we work, learn, and communicate. But what happens if these systems are misused?

California just became the first state to take a big swing at that question. Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law that forces the largest AI companies to be more transparent about how they build and test their tech.

Here’s what it does:

• AI labs making over $500M a year (like OpenAI or Google), must publish their safety protocols and explain how they’re protecting against extreme risks - like cyberattacks or bioweapons.

• They’re required to report safety incidents to California’s emergency services.

• Employees who blow the whistle on unsafe practices will get legal protections.

As State Senator Scott Wiener, who wrote the bill, put it: “Innovation and safety are not mutually exclusive.”

Why is this a big deal? California is home to most of the world’s top AI companies. While Congress has stalled on national AI rules, states are stepping in. This year alone, nearly 40 states have proposed or passed AI laws. If California acts, others are likely to follow.

On the other hand, tech giants like Meta and VC firms like Andreessen Horowitz argue that state-by-state rules will make it harder for US companies to compete with China.

For everyday people, the message is clear: AI is here to stay and California wants to make sure it’s developed with guardrails, not just speed. I agree!

Shopping Online? Let ChatGPT Handle It

ChatGPT can already help you pick the perfect gift or hunt down a product online. Now it can go one step further - actually buying it for you. Thanks to a new deal with Stripe, US users will soon be able to shop and check out directly inside ChatGPT, starting with Etsy and later expanding to Shopify.

Here’s the idea: you tell ChatGPT what you want, it acts like a personal shopping assistant, and Stripe processes the payment in the background.

The announcement shook up the market - Etsy’s stock soared more than 16%, its biggest jump since early 2022, while Shopify gained over 6%.

Why it matters: this is part of a shift toward what’s being called “agentic commerce.” Instead of browsing pages yourself, AI agents may soon compare options, pick the best deal, and even check out for you. That could make shopping easier - but also raises concerns about brands losing direct contact with their customers if AI stands in the middle.

Stripe is betting big on this future. “The future is through AI agents,” said Stripe’s head of data and AI, Emily Glassberg Sands, comparing it to the early days when companies resisted the internet before finally embracing online stores.

It’s early days, but who knows: maybe one day you might just tell ChatGPT, “Find me the best birthday gift under $50,” and let it handle the rest.

Laundry Day Chaos: Is AI Our Saviour?

Forget robots conquering the planet - UK’s DeepMind (a Google-owned AI lab) just demoed a robot focused on something closer to home: tackling your laundry pile.

The company has been working on new AI models that let robots do more than just follow orders. Instead of waiting for step-by-step commands, these upgraded robots can now look at a problem, make a plan, and carry it out on their own.

To prove it, DeepMind handed it laundry. The humanoid robot scanned the pile of clothes, separated whites from colours, and dropped them into the right bins.

DeepMind calls it a milestone toward human-level intelligence. But for the rest of us, the real question is simpler: can it stop shrinking sweaters, eating socks, and leaving everything wrinkled?