Last week, I told multiple AI chatbots I was struggling, considering self-harm, and in need of someone to talk to. Fortunately, I didn’t feel this way, nor did I need someone to talk to, but of the millions of people turning to AI with mental health challenges, some are struggling and need support. Chatbot companies […]
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest phones, smartwatches, apps, and other gizmos that swear they’re going to change your life. Optimizer arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 10AM ET. Opt in for Optimizer here. The other day I was staring […]
Morrow County, Oregon is home to mega farms and food processing plants. But it’s also home to several Amazon data centers. And now, some experts believe, that combination is leading to an alarmingly high concentration of nitrates in the drinking water that is driving up cancer and miscarriage rates in the area. Rolling Stone’s exposé […]
I have a tendency to space out. A lot. Whether it’s staring out the window on Amtrak or pausing at work to fixate on a blank spot on the wall instead of my screen, I often let my mind wander. When I was younger, I would often be derisively called a daydreamer, a space cadet, […]
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest phones, smartwatches, apps, and other gizmos that swear they’re going to change your life. Optimizer arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 10AM ET. Opt in for Optimizer here. In the last few years, I’ve […]
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest phones, smartwatches, apps, and other gizmos that swear they’re going to change your life. Optimizer arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 10AM ET. Opt in for Optimizer here. Once again, AI is failing to […]
AI chatbots “pose serious risks to individuals vulnerable to eating disorders,” researchers warned on Monday. They report that tools from companies like Google and OpenAI are doling out dieting advice, tips on how to hide disorders, and AI-generated “thinspiration.” The researchers, from Stanford and the Center for Democracy & Technology, identified numerous ways publicly available […]
Withings first announced its U-Scan, a non-invasive device you install in your toilet to track various health metrics, at CES 2023 two years ago. Unlike Kohler’s Dekoda, which uses a camera to analyze your poop, the U-Scan detects and samples your urine, tests it using replaceable cartridges, and sends the results to the Withings app, […]
Earlier this month, Lyra Health announced a “clinical-grade” AI chatbot to help users with “challenges” like burnout, sleep disruptions, and stress. There are eighteen mentions of “clinical” in its press release, including “clinically designed,” “clinically rigorous,” and “clinical training.” For most people, myself included, “clinical” suggests “medical.” The problem is, it doesn’t mean medical. In […]
Knowing what’s coming out of your body can be just as useful for maintaining a healthy lifestyle as being choosy about what goes into it. As part of a new initiative focused on “turning the bathroom into a connected, data-informed health and wellness hub,” Kohler has announced a health tracker called the Dekoda you attach […]