Disgruntled Gen-Z protesters, who have toppled governments and rattled rulers across the world this year, have claimed their first European victory. Bulgaria’s government collapsed Thursday following a wave of youth-driven street protests over entrenched corruption and self-dealing elites widely seen as disconnected from the struggles of ordinary citizens. (Kantchev, The Wall Street Journal)
Read More[The} future of the months-old Riverstone Academy is in jeopardy, following pushback from Colorado officials. The school’s commitment to a “Christian foundation” is being challenged by the state’s education department, which said it will demand to be reimbursed if it finds the elementary school’s religious teachings make it ineligible for public support. (Lumpkin, The Washington Post)
Read MoreIn the months leading up to last year’s presidential election, more than 2,000 Americans, roughly split across partisan lines, were recruited for an experiment: Could an AI model influence their political inclinations? The premise was straightforward—let people spend a few minutes talking with a chatbot designed to stump for Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, then see if their voting preferences changed at all. (Wong, The Atlantic)
Read MoreTilly Norwood, an “actress” built with artificial intelligence, comes from humble beginnings, popping into the mind of Eline Van der Velden while the producer was in the restroom at London’s private Groucho Club. By the time Van der Velden got home, her mind was made up: She was going to make the first AI movie star. (Gamerman, The Wall Street Journal)
Read MoreFor years, the Anglican church had sat on a tiny island in the middle of the Strand between two lanes of traffic. Cab drivers called it “St Mary in the way.” Designed by the renowned Scottish architect James Gibbs, the church had turned ashen from soot and diesel fumes and was dwarfed by the many cultural institutions that had grown up around it. (Shimron, Religion News Service)
Read MoreAI chatbots, like ChatGPT and Character.ai, are getting teens’ attention. Roughly two-thirds report using chatbots, including about three-in-ten who do so daily, according to a new Pew Research Center survey of 1,458 U.S. teens ages 13 to 17. (Faverio, Pew Research Center)
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