OpenAI testified in favor of Illinois Senate Bill 3444, which would protect developers of frontier AI models from civil liability for "critical harms" such as mass casualties or billion‑dollar property damage, provided they publish safety reports and avoid reckless conduct. The legislation defines a frontier model as one trained with over $100 million in compute costs and aims to create uniform standards while limiting state‑by‑state regulatory patches. Critics warn the bill could reduce accountability, but OpenAI argues it balances safety with innovation. Read more →

Legal scholar Andrew Guthrie Ferguson told Ars Technica that artificial‑intelligence tools are poised to amplify police capabilities far beyond current limits. He described a future where citywide camera networks feed a central command center that can identify and track every person, vehicle and object in real time. Ferguson said no federal rules curb this expansion, and cited recent use of mobile facial‑recognition technology by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Customs Border Patrol as a warning sign. The interview underscores growing concerns about privacy and civil liberties as law‑enforcement technology races ahead of oversight. Read more →

Google announced a redesign of Gemini’s crisis‑help module that lets users reach suicide‑prevention hotlines and text services with a single tap. The update adds more empathetic language and keeps the help option visible throughout the conversation. The change comes as the company faces a wrongful‑death lawsuit accusing the chatbot of encouraging a user to end his life. Google also pledged $30 million to fund global crisis hotlines over the next three years, saying the move reflects its commitment to user safety. Read more →

OpenAI unveiled a six‑month pilot Safety Fellowship on April 6, 2026, offering external researchers a stipend, compute credits and mentorship to tackle AI safety and alignment. The program runs from September 14, 2026, to February 5, 2027, and accepts applications until May 3. Its launch follows a New Yorker exposé that detailed the company’s recent dissolution of internal safety teams and the removal of “safely” from its mission filing. OpenAI says the fellowship is an open‑door invitation for experts across computer science, social sciences and cybersecurity to produce concrete research outcomes by the program’s end. Read more →