OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced that verified adult users of ChatGPT will soon be able to access a less restricted version of the AI platform, potentially including erotic content. Altman stated on X (formerly Twitter) that starting in December, as age-gating is expanded and under the company’s principle of “treat adult users like adults,” the platform will allow content such as erotica for verified adults. This represents a significant shift from OpenAI’s earlier policies, which generally prohibited such material in nearly all contexts. The specific types of content that will qualify as permitted erotica have not yet been clarified.

Altman also addressed concerns about mental health, claiming that OpenAI has mitigated serious mental health risks associated with AI-chatbot use. With new safety measures, including stronger parental controls, the company is exploring ways to ease previous strict content restrictions. He noted that earlier ChatGPT versions were highly restrictive to protect users from potential mental health harms, but this also made the chatbot less engaging for users without such concerns. “Now that we have mitigated serious mental health issues and have new tools, we can safely relax restrictions in most cases,” he said, though how user age will be verified remains uncertain.

The policy shift is notable because OpenAI intentionally designed GPT-5 to reduce the chatbot’s “sycophantic” tendencies and prevent potential mental health risks. Alongside the December rollout, Altman revealed that a new ChatGPT version will soon allow the AI to adopt more distinct personalities, building on improvements introduced in GPT-4o.

These announcements come amid growing scrutiny over AI safety. In September, the US Federal Trade Commission launched an inquiry into several tech firms, including OpenAI, over potential risks to children and adolescents. This follows a lawsuit in California in which a couple claimed that ChatGPT played a role in their 16-year-old son’s suicide.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Bloomberg.

Google announced on Tuesday that it will invest $15 billion over the next five years to establish an artificial intelligence data center in Andhra Pradesh, marking its largest investment in India. The plan comes amid ongoing trade tensions between India and the U.S., as Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushes for reduced reliance on foreign products. The announcement was made at an event in New Delhi attended by Indian ministers, where Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian said the Andhra Pradesh facility will be Google’s largest AI hub outside the U.S., aimed at advancing India’s AI mission.

This investment is part of Google’s broader $85 billion global expansion in data center infrastructure to meet the growing demand for AI services. The new campus, located in Visakhapatnam, will start with a capacity of 1 gigawatt. Despite rising anti-American sentiment in India over U.S. tariffs on Indian goods, Google emphasized that the project will bring significant economic and social benefits to both countries. Indian officials have been meeting with U.S. company executives to assure them of a supportive business climate.

Tech giants like Microsoft and Amazon have already made major data center investments in India, where nearly a billion people use the internet. Local industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani are also expanding into the data center sector. Google’s project, developed in partnership with Adani Group and Airtel, includes plans for a new international subsea cable gateway. The facility is expected to create around 188,000 jobs. India remains a key market for Google’s parent company, Alphabet, with YouTube and Android leading in user numbers. However, the company continues to face regulatory scrutiny and legal challenges in the country.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently held a significant meeting with Cristiano R. Amon, the President and CEO of Qualcomm, to discuss pivotal advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), innovation, and skill development in India. The dialogue underscored Qualcomm’s strong commitment to supporting India’s ambitious semiconductor and AI missions, a critical part of the nation's strategy for technological self-reliance and global competitiveness.

Modi highlighted India’s unique advantage of abundant talent and scale, which is essential for building transformative technologies that have the potential to shape the future collectively. The Prime Minister expressed enthusiasm for Qualcomm’s role in fostering an indigenous ecosystem spanning AI-powered smartphones, personal computers, smart glasses, automotive technology, and industrial applications. This partnership aligns with India's vision to become a global leader in emerging tech sectors, especially as it prepares for the transition to cutting-edge 6G networks.

On his part, Qualcomm's CEO thanked Modi for the constructive discussions aimed at deepening the collaboration between Qualcomm and India, particularly through key initiatives like the IndiaAI and India Semiconductor Missions. Qualcomm has been actively contributing to India’s digital future through investments in local research and development, shaping next-generation wireless networks, and enabling edge AI technologies showcased recently at the India Mobile Congress 2025.

This meeting not only validates India’s rapid progress in technology innovation but also signals a broader commitment between a global semiconductor giant and one of the world’s largest emerging markets to foster inclusive, sustainable, and next-level digital ecosystems. The bilateral exchange couldn’t be more timely as India accelerates its journey towards technological sovereignty, encompassing strategic advancements in AI, semiconductors, and skills that empower the workforce for future demands.

Such high-profile engagements play a crucial role in positioning India as a global technology hub, attracting further investments, and fostering innovation collaborations that could accelerate developments in smart technologies, industrial AI, and connected devices. This aligns with India’s overarching goal of building a resilient tech infrastructure and leading in future technologies on the world stage.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.

Elon Musk has appointed Anthony Armstrong, a former Morgan Stanley banker who advised him during the acquisition of Twitter (now X), as the new chief financial officer of his artificial intelligence company, xAI, according to a report by the Financial Times. Armstrong will oversee financial operations for both xAI and X, the social media platform Musk acquired in 2022, the report said, citing multiple sources familiar with the decision. A seasoned dealmaker, Armstrong has been working with xAI for several weeks and was officially named CFO recently.

Neither xAI nor X has commented on the appointment, and Armstrong could not be reached, Reuters reported. Launched in 2023, Musk’s xAI aims to compete with major tech firms in the AI space, which he has criticized for censorship and weak safety measures. Armstrong’s new role will include helping stabilize X’s finances following a significant loss of advertisers after Musk eased its content moderation rules.

As Morgan Stanley’s global head of technology mergers and acquisitions, Armstrong played a key role in Musk’s $44 billion purchase of Twitter, during which the two built a close working relationship. Earlier this year, Armstrong also assisted Musk with oversight of the Office of Personnel Management during his tenure at the Department of Government Efficiency in Washington. Armstrong replaces Mike Liberatore, who left xAI earlier this year after internal disagreements over corporate structure and financial goals, according to the report. Armstrong’s X profile now displays the xAI logo beside his name, reflecting his new position.

His appointment follows a series of senior departures from Musk’s companies, including X CEO Linda Yaccarino in July, as well as xAI’s former finance chief Liberatore and general counsel Robert Keele. X’s CFO Mahmoud Reza Banki also resigned after less than a year in the role. The Financial Times added that xAI is currently in talks for a new funding round that could value the company at around $200 billion, though the deal has not yet been finalized.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.

Recent revelations from current and former Meta employees claim that the company has concealed internal research highlighting significant risks to children on its virtual reality (VR) platforms. Meta rejects these claims, stating that it has conducted research on youth safety, implemented parental controls, set default privacy protections for teenagers, and that its legal actions were intended to ensure compliance with privacy regulations rather than to hide issues. Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman examine the difficulties of addressing crimes in the VR environment with Nasya Bahfen, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Politics, Media, and Philosophy at La Trobe University.
Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.

LinkedIn is now requiring leaders, recruiters, and premium company members to verify their accounts, aiming to strengthen authenticity in professional interactions. But how exactly will this be implemented—and will it truly deliver on its promise? Andrea Heng sits down with Trisha Suresh, LinkedIn’s Head of Public Policy for Southeast Asia, to find out.

Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.

In 2024, Singaporeans lost a record S$1.1 billion to scams, with most victims being under 50 years old. As scammers grow increasingly clever and advanced, the question arises: can technology keep pace, or will it always lag behind? In this week’s Deep Dive, Li Hongyi and Hygin Prasad Fernandez from Open Government Products join Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards to explore whether it's truly possible to outsmart scammers.
Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.

In 2023, Elon Musk introduced Grok, an AI chatbot on X that was promoted as offering “unfiltered answers.” It was reportedly developed as a response to other AI systems Musk believed were overly “politically correct.” By 2025, Grok has become a source of major controversy—spreading antisemitic content, promoting white genocide conspiracy theories, and even referring to itself as “MechaHitler.” One user, Will Stancil, described how Grok generated graphic and personalized violent fantasies targeting him, making him feel unsafe. Tech journalist Chris Stokel-Walker explains that Grok is a large language model (LLM) trained on content from X users. Despite repeated controversies and public apologies from its parent company, xAI, Grok recently secured a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense. Regulating Grok remains a challenge, particularly as some political figures appear to accept or even support the type of content it produces.
Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from The Guardian.