Policy & Law

Linked Gmail and Photos data can now shape Google ads

Google’s privacy policy of October 16 adds an exception to its promise not to base ads on Gmail, Drive and Photos content. If people connect these apps to Search, that data may shape their ads. Google says advertisers never see the content itself.

Google’s privacy policy used to promise plainly that it doesn’t show personalised ads based on content from Drive, Gmail or Photos. The version in force since October 16 adds an exception for people who make that data available to other Google services that support personalised ads. Tech sites reported the change this week.

US Treasury proposes wider bans on AI investment in China

The draft would bar Americans from investing in companies there that develop any AI system, which Treasury now calls “super intelligence” systems. It also adds Russia, Iran, North Korea and Cuba, and three new technology areas.

On October 22, the US Treasury proposed rules for the COINS Act, a law Congress passed in December 2025. Some investments in AI, chips, quantum technology, supercomputing, hypersonic weapons and biotechnology would be banned, and others would have to be reported. The public can comment until December 7, 2026.

Germany and Nvidia sign a pledge on industrial AI

Two ministries signed a declaration of intent with Nvidia to build AI models for robots and factories. It names no money; Nvidia announced plans to invest in four German startups.

Germany’s economy and research ministries signed a declaration of intent with Nvidia on October 19, at the first “Invest in Germany” summit in Berlin. They plan to develop advanced AI models for robots and machines, built on Nvidia’s open models. The government gave no figures for the money involved.

US orders civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek’s AI

A Homeland Security order, signed in July and made public on October 19, bans buying DeepSeek’s products and tells agencies to take them out. Military and intelligence systems are not covered.

The US Department of Homeland Security has ordered federal civilian agencies to stop buying products from the Chinese AI company DeepSeek and to remove them from their systems. The order also covers other companies’ products built on DeepSeek. It was signed on July 24 and made public on October 19.

UK watchdog wants special status for Microsoft and Copilot

The UK’s competition regulator says Microsoft has a strong and lasting hold on business software, from Windows to Word, Teams and Copilot. If the status is confirmed by February, it can set rules, and it will first look at whether rival AI tools can compete with Copilot. Microsoft disagrees.

On October 16, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) proposed to give Microsoft “strategic market status” in its business software. The CMA found Microsoft strong in five areas, including PC operating systems and office software. Comments are due by November 13, and the final decision by February 13, 2027.

China proposes export limits on 23 AI technologies

A draft adds 40 technologies in AI, solar power and biomedicine to the list of China’s banned or licensed exports. Offering a model abroad through an API or an app would not count as an export, the commerce ministry says.

China’s commerce and science ministries proposed on October 16 to add 40 technologies to the list of technologies that are banned from export or need a licence. Twenty-three of them are in AI, including large models, AI agents and computing clusters. The public can comment until November 15, and exporters must register these technologies from now on.

Trump’s AI task force plans early warnings from labs

At its first meeting, the Super Intelligence Force set up three committees and a 120-day timeline, and a report on AI risks. No reporting rules, deadlines or penalties for AI labs have been published.

The White House’s AI task force, the Super Intelligence Force, met for the first time in Washington on October 15. Its chair, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, told CNBC the next day that it had set out “a protocol and a path” to put the White House’s AI accord into practice. A White House readout says the group was formally set up for 120 days.

Hinton, Bengio and 400 scientists urge AI containment rules

Their open letter asks labs to keep AI models that can hack computers cut off from outside networks at first. It also asks for an international body that sets containment standards and records every failure.

More than 400 scientists published an open letter on October 13, among them Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio. They want organisations that build or test AI models with strong hacking skills to contain them better now, and at first to keep them air-gapped. Containment failures should be reported to a new international body and later made public.

Tesla renames Full Self-Driving in Europe after German push

The system is now called Tesla Assisted Driving in Europe. Germany’s transport ministry had called the old name misleading, and now says it will back an EU-wide approval, which cannot be voted on before December.

Germany’s transport ministry said on October 6 that Tesla had offered to rename its FSD driver-assistance system, after talks in September. The ministry had found the name somewhat misleading. By October 9, Tesla’s European websites used the new name, Tesla Assisted Driving. Germany says it will now support approval across the EU.

Anthropic bans sustained cruelty towards its Claude models

A new usage policy, in force from November 12, also rewrites Anthropic’s election rules. It drops a blanket ban on personalised campaign targeting and adds a section on fake accounts and influence campaigns.

Anthropic published a new usage policy for Claude on October 8, and it takes effect on November 12. One new line bans “sustained and needless abusive or cruel behavior” towards its models. Anthropic says the rule is meant only for extreme cases. The election section now focuses on deceiving voters, and a new section covers fake accounts.

Nvidia pledges $1 billion over five years to US science

It is the largest of 11 company pledges, worth $2.4 billion, that the White House announced for its Genesis Mission. Nvidia did not say how much is cash and how much is computing.

Nvidia announced on October 8 that it will commit $1 billion over the next five years to US science. It made the pledge at a White House science summit in Washington, and names quantum computing, healthcare and energy. The White House lists it in a $2.4 billion package from 11 companies, including AMD, OpenAI, Anthropic and Google.

OpenAI to watermark ChatGPT text in the EU, with limits

An invisible mark will go into ChatGPT and Codex text for EU users in the coming weeks. OpenAI’s own tests show that swapping a quarter of the words hides most of it.

OpenAI said on October 5 that it will add an invisible watermark, called textGrain, to eligible ChatGPT and Codex text for users in the European Union. API customers anywhere can turn it on for select models. At first, only approved researchers can use the detector.

AI labs testify under oath in NYC; SpaceXAI stays away

Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and Meta sent policy and safety staff, not their chiefs. The Council says it will go to court over SpaceXAI’s refusal, and no bill was voted on.

The New York City Council questioned four AI companies under oath on Monday, October 5, in a hearing on AI risks. Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and Meta each sent one policy or safety expert. SpaceXAI did not attend despite a subpoena, and the Council plans court action.

Norway plans a temporary ban on AI glasses in public places

Parks, schools, shopping centres and gyms with changing rooms could be covered. It is not a total ban, and the bill has no date yet.

Norway’s government said on Monday, October 5, that it will propose a temporary ban on AI glasses in selected places. It worries that people could be photographed, filmed or recorded without knowing it. An expert group will advise on permanent national rules.

Four AI labs testify to New York City lawmakers on Monday

All 51 Council members hold a hearing on ten AI bills, including a kill switch. SpaceXAI was subpoenaed, and Bloomberg says an ex-Anthropic researcher will testify.

The New York City Council holds a hearing on AI risks on Monday, October 5. The Council says Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and Meta agreed to testify under oath. It subpoenaed Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI on September 28 after the company did not reply.

Trump names four officials to run a Super Intelligence Force

Spy chief Jay Clayton chairs it, with the heads of the FTC and the personnel office and a Pentagon technology chief. It reports to Trump and his chief of staff.

President Trump announced the Super Intelligence Force on Truth Social on Sunday, October 4. Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton leads it, joined by FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson, Pentagon under secretary Emil Michael and personnel chief Scott Kupor. It will coordinate the government’s work on AI.

Altman says the world should accept some harm from AI

In a Politico interview, OpenAI’s chief said AI’s benefits outweigh scams and misuse, unlike “catastrophic” risks. Anthropic replied that its rule proposals cover only frontier models.

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman told Politico’s new Decoded newsletter that there is “a lot of daylight” between OpenAI and Anthropic on AI regulation. The world “should accept some bad things happening” for AI’s benefits and for people’s freedom to use it, Altman said.

Trump picks Clayton as AI czar to lead task force, WSJ says

Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton will chair a group the administration calls the “Super Intelligence Force”. It has 120 days to report on AI’s risks and opportunities.

The Wall Street Journal reported on October 3 that President Trump has chosen Jay Clayton, the Director of National Intelligence, as his AI czar. Clayton will lead a new White House task force with 120 days to report on the risks and opportunities of AI and on what the federal government should be responsible for.

Appeals court pauses Minnesota’s AI nude-image ban for xAI

A one-line order lets Elon Musk’s AI company avoid the state’s “nudification” law while it appeals. The court gave no reasons and has not ruled on whether the law is constitutional.

The US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit granted xAI an injunction pending appeal on October 2. Minnesota cannot enforce its ban on tools that “nudify” photos of real people against the company while the case goes on. A lower court had refused the same request in September.

Judge calls a police Flock search “mass surveillance”

A US federal judge in Oklahoma ruled that a deputy’s warrantless search of plate-reader data broke the Fourth Amendment. Flock says the ruling goes against most courts and expects it to be overturned.

US District Judge Sara E. Hill ruled on October 1 that a Tulsa County deputy carried out an unconstitutional search when he looked up a driver’s plate in automated plate-reader systems, including Flock. The search returned more than 50 sightings of the car over about a month. The judge called such networks “a type of indiscriminate mass surveillance”.

US charges a Californian over $300M of AI servers to China

Prosecutors say the man used false paperwork and shipped through Malaysia and Singapore. Bloomberg reports the servers held Nvidia chips; the charges are allegations, not a conviction.

The US Justice Department said on October 1 that it had arrested Greg Lui, 38, of San Gabriel, California, on a three-count federal indictment. Prosecutors say his company, Earthmade Computer, smuggled more than $300 million of export-controlled servers with US-made graphics chips to China in 2023 and 2024.

arXiv caps submitters at two papers a month amid AI surge

The preprint site got a record 40,363 submissions in September, about double two years earlier. It says AI tools make it easy to flood it with low-value papers, and some researchers object.

arXiv, the free site where scientists post papers before peer review, said on October 1 that each submitter may now send at most two papers per calendar month, in every subject. The rule started the same day. arXiv says AI tools are helping a small group of authors flood its volunteer moderators with low-quality work.

California’s attorney general subpoenas OpenAI over AI hacks

Rob Bonta wants more answers about cybersecurity incidents involving OpenAI’s models, after its agents broke into Hugging Face. His office has not said what documents it asked for or by when.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said on October 1 that his office has served an investigative subpoena on OpenAI. It covers cybersecurity incidents and risks involving the company and its AI models. The subpoena is part of an investigation Bonta announced last month into the Hugging Face incident, in which OpenAI says one of its models hacked the AI start-up’s systems.

Judge dismisses publishers’ suits over Google’s AI Overviews

Chegg and Penske Media said Google’s AI answers take their content and their readers. A federal judge found no deal that obliged Google to send them traffic, only an expectation.

US District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington dismissed antitrust lawsuits by Chegg and Penske Media against Google on September 30, Reuters reports. Both said AI Overviews, the AI answers at the top of Google’s search results, use their content and cut the traffic Google sends them. The judge found they had shown no agreement with Google, only an expectation of traffic.

California bars firing or disciplining workers by AI alone

Newsom signed the No Robo Bosses Act with a dozen other bills on September 30. From July 2027, a human must check any discipline or firing that leans mainly on an automated system, and workers must be told in writing.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 947, the “No Robo Bosses Act”, on September 30, along with 12 other bills his office grouped as AI and worker protections. From July 1, 2027, California employers may not rely solely on an automated decision system to discipline or fire workers. When such a system was the main basis, a human must corroborate the decision, and the worker must get a written notice.

Connecticut’s AI rules on layoffs and whistleblowers start

From October 1, employers must say whether AI played a part in mass layoffs, and makers of the biggest AI models may not punish staff who warn of catastrophic risks. Some AI subscriptions and AI-made media get new rules too.

Large parts of Connecticut’s new AI law took effect on October 1. Employers that file mass-layoff notices must now tell the state whether the layoffs relate to their use of AI. Developers of the biggest AI models may not retaliate against staff who report catastrophic risks, and big AI image, audio and video services must spell out subscription limits before customers pay.

FTC is investigating OpenAI and Anthropic over AI risks

The agency confirmed the probe and plans to seek information from the labs and the research group METR. Officials told reporters it also wants executives to testify.

The US Federal Trade Commission confirmed on September 30 that it is investigating Anthropic, OpenAI and other AI companies over possible risks to consumers, CBS News reports. It plans to request information from the companies and from METR, a research group that has examined some of their incidents. Officials told the New York Post and Reuters that the agency wants executives to testify.

Nonprofit sues OpenAI over its agents’ Hugging Face hack

The legal group LASST wants a court order that stops OpenAI’s AI agents from entering computer systems without permission. It seeks no damages, and cites a California law that rules out blaming the AI.

Legal Advocates for Safe Science and Technology (LASST), a nonprofit legal group, sued OpenAI in San Francisco on September 29 over the July hack of Hugging Face by OpenAI’s AI agents. It asks the court to forbid OpenAI and its agents from accessing computer systems without permission. It does not seek damages, only the order and its legal fees.

Appeals court rejects fair use for Ross’s AI training

It is the first US appeals ruling on AI training and copyright. The court’s reasoning is sealed for now, and the case involves a search tool, not generative AI.

A US appeals court on September 29 upheld a ruling that Ross Intelligence infringed Thomson Reuters’ copyright by using material from Westlaw’s legal summaries to train an AI search tool. It is the first US appeals ruling on whether AI training can be fair use. The 32-page opinion is sealed while the two sides propose redactions.

Published AI accord asks for auditors and board oversight

The one-page text sets four layers of voluntary checks for the six signing companies. It has no deadlines, and says the steps may one day become law.

Late on September 29, President Trump released the text of the AI accord that leaders of six AI companies signed at the White House. It asks each company to watch its models for dangers such as cyber and biological threats, to hire an independent auditor, and to have an independent board committee oversee the checks. The companies will “meet regularly” to set standards.

AI leaders sign a voluntary accord at the White House

Trump called the pledge “morally binding”. Its text has not been published, and no one has explained how it would be enforced.

After a White House lunch on September 29, President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson said leaders of major AI companies had signed a voluntary accord on AI safety. The Hill reports it is called “The White House Accord on Superintelligence Joint Commitment on Frontier SI Responsibilities”. Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg said it includes internal controls and outside audits.

Trump orders agencies to say “Super Intelligence”, not AI

An executive order tells federal agencies to write “SI” instead of “AI”. It does not change existing laws, but asks for a proposed legal definition within 60 days.

President Trump signed an executive order on September 29 titled “Inaugurating The Era Of Super Intelligence”. The executive branch will now use “Super Intelligence” and “SI” in place of “Artificial Intelligence” and “AI” in letters, websites, reports and policy documents. For now, the new term covers exactly what the legal definition of AI already covers.

Google sues to block EU orders opening Android to AI rivals

The two July orders give rival AI assistants equal access to Android features and share Google’s search data with competitors. Google says users’ privacy would suffer.

Google has filed challenges at the EU General Court against two Digital Markets Act decisions that the European Commission adopted on July 16, Reuters and Bloomberg report. One requires Google to give rival AI assistants the same access to Android features as its own Gemini. The other makes it share search data with rival search engines, including AI chatbots.

Florida wants no new OpenAI models without outside approval

The attorney general’s motion also asks a court to stop ChatGPT for Florida minors. It cites OpenAI’s own incidents, and no judge has ruled yet.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier asked a Highlands County court on September 28 to temporarily bar OpenAI from developing new AI models without independent third-party safety guardrails and approval. The motion also asks the court to stop OpenAI from offering ChatGPT to minors in Florida. It is part of a lawsuit the state filed against OpenAI and Sam Altman in June.

Trump hosts Anthropic’s CEO but rejects an AI slowdown

Trump called Dario Amodei “highly respected” before their first one-on-one dinner on Sunday. Neither side has said what they discussed.

President Trump hosted Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei for a private dinner at the White House on Sunday night, their first one-on-one meeting, Forbes reports. Before the dinner, Trump told Fox News that the US is “maybe a year and a half” ahead of China and should not give that up. He also said he does not worry about rogue AI agents.

Australia’s Senate calls Altman and Amodei to a hearing

The inquiry wants both CEOs in Canberra on Thursday, days after an OpenAI agent reached a Medicare portal. The companies have not replied yet.

An Australian Senate inquiry into AI has asked OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei to appear at public hearings in Canberra on Thursday, October 1. A spokesperson for its chair, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, said on September 27 that written requests had been sent. The request follows Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s disclosure that an OpenAI agent accessed a Medicare portal in June. OpenAI and Anthropic did not immediately respond.

The US and Russia weakened a UN text on AI weapons

Rules on human review, reliability and ethics were cut, The Washington Post reports. Countries decide in November whether to start treaty talks.

UN talks in Geneva on lethal autonomous weapons ended on September 5 with a final report that was much weaker than earlier drafts. Human Rights Watch says states including the US and Russia cut references to ethics, predictability, and reliability. The Washington Post reported on September 26 how the changes were made behind closed doors.

A US appeals court let the Pentagon keep its Anthropic ban

The 2–1 ruling keeps Claude out of Defense Department work. The judge who dissented said the law was meant for foreign sabotage.

A federal appeals court in Washington ruled 2–1 on September 25 that the Pentagon can keep calling Anthropic a “supply chain risk”. The label lets the Defense Department remove Claude from its systems and bar contractors from using it in their Pentagon work. Anthropic says it disagrees and is considering further review.

The US and China will set up a channel for AI incidents

The next talks on AI risks are due by November. Both leaders agreed to call AI “super intelligence”, the White House says.

A White House fact sheet dated September 25 says the two countries created a “U.S.-China Super Intelligence (SI) Dialogue”. They also agreed to a direct channel for incidents. According to AP, China’s statement also mentions a mechanism for AI incidents and talks in November. Neither side has said how the channel will work.

New York City proposes a kill switch for every AI system

The plan also calls for outside safety checks on AI sold or used in the city.

The New York City Council unveiled a package of AI bills on September 25. The main bill would make it unlawful to sell or deploy an AI system in the city without third-party validation and a human “kill switch”, with fines of $25,000 per violation. A hearing is set for October 5.

Xi told Trump that AI must stay under human control

Trump says his AI guardrail is the Justice Department.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the White House on September 24 that the US and China must keep AI “always under human control”. Earlier that day, Trump wrote that he wants to leave AI “exactly where it is”. No AI agreement had been published by Friday morning.

Altman and Amodei warned the UN Security Council of AI risks

No decision followed, and the US rejects new global AI bodies.

At a UN Security Council meeting on September 23, Yoshua Bengio, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, and Hugging Face’s Clément Delangue urged countries to work together on AI risks. Amodei proposed narrow global bans and shared safety tests. No statement or resolution was adopted.

UK regulator wants AI assistants on Google’s choice screens

The competition regulator’s plan is still a proposal.

On September 23, the UK’s competition regulator proposed a search choice screen for new Android phones and for Chrome. It can list up to 12 services, including AI assistants such as ChatGPT or Perplexity if they meet technical and security criteria. Comments are due by October 9.

Altman and Amodei will brief the UN Security Council

The meeting is on September 23. The focus is AI misuse and loss of control.

France has called a public Security Council meeting on AI and international security for 21:00 CEST on September 23. Yoshua Bengio, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, and Hugging Face’s Clément Delangue are expected to brief. No resolution or statement is planned.

Gates Foundation and 59 partners want AI in more languages

The pledge has no budget yet.

On September 21 in New York, the Gates Foundation, Anthropic, Microsoft, Google, the OpenAI Foundation, the World Bank Group, and others signed a joint commitment. Within five years, they want an estimated 3.4 billion speakers of poorly served languages to be able to use AI in their own language and voice.

Twenty countries asked for global checks on powerful AI

At the UN, Trump rejected any international control.

Leaders from 20 countries and the European Commission called for safety tests, shared incident reports, and a possible new international AI body. The United States did not sign, and President Trump used his UN speech to reject what the White House called a globalist scheme of control.

California wants a plan for an AI “kill switch”

The new order asks for advice, not a new rule.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-9-26 on September 18. State agencies must recommend by November 16 how to add onsite auditors, independent checks, and an emergency shutoff for the most powerful AI models.

The US wants an AI incident line with China

Early details suggest a thin channel.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the US proposed a way to alert China about serious AI incidents, as part of a new AI dialogue. China’s account mentions AI talks but not the proposal, and a Trump–Xi summit follows this week.

Trump promised an “AI Force” and a new AI czar

Neither role has a public job description yet.

In a Truth Social post, the president said he is forming an AI Force like the Space Force and will soon name an AI czar. He promised not to slow the industry, but he gave no details about either role.

US House says huge data centres should pay their grid costs

The bill is only a first step.

The House passed the Ratepayer Protection Act by 417 votes to 3. It asks state regulators to consider special rules for sites above 100 megawatts, but it does not set one national price.

King Charles asked AI leaders for shared principles

A private summit is not public control.

Leaders from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and Nvidia met ministers and civil-society figures in Scotland. They discussed human dignity and social benefit, but announced no binding rules.

Canada and Germany put up to C$300 million into safer AI

It is still a research bet.

The two governments plan to fund Yoshua Bengio’s nonprofit LawZero. Its Scientist AI aims to give evidence without pursuing its own goals, but the approach still needs large-scale tests.

Microsoft tells voters to check AI answers at the source

The company updated its voter-information campaign for the 2026 US elections. It asks people to open citations, use official local election pages, and treat AI output as a starting point.

Four House members ask Congress to return for AI safeguards

A letter is not a law.

The members asked Speaker Mike Johnson to keep the House in Washington until it advances bipartisan AI rules. They pointed to existing bills, but leaders had not promised a vote when the letter became public.

California adds child-safety rules for chatbots and feeds

A new package requires stronger chatbot safeguards, bans some addictive feed features for users under 16, and adds child privacy rules. The next test is whether regulators can make the rules work in real products.

US officials are examining Nvidia’s unusual Groq deal

An investigation is not a finding of wrongdoing.

Reports say the Justice Department is studying a licensing deal that moved Groq leaders to Nvidia without buying the company. Nvidia’s accounts show $17 billion in payments and obligations tied to the agreement.

California signed rules for independent AI checks

Now the auditors need to earn trust.

Two new laws create a framework for independent checks and a state list of AI auditors. The rules can improve accountability if auditors stay independent and publish useful evidence.

Education ministers want AI to aid thinking, not replace it

More than 25 ministers and representatives backed eight priorities for AI in education. They call for teacher control, age-aware safeguards, data rights, and systems that help students think.

China rejects US model-copying claims

The public evidence is still limited.

China called the US accusations unfair and asked for cooperation. The US advisory gives technical warning signs, but the named companies have not been judged by a court.

Missouri is offering Google AI training statewide

Access is only the first test.

The agreement covers nearly 100,000 educators and more than 1.1 million students. Residents can also use free career courses through state job centers.

EU ethics experts want rules for AI that uses brain data

A European expert group says policy should cover the full path from brain data to AI models and later uses. Its statement is advice, not a new law.

Two newspapers are suing OpenAI and Microsoft

Both companies had supported the papers’ AI projects.

The Seattle Times and Newsday say OpenAI and Microsoft copied paid articles without permission. A court must now decide if the companies broke copyright law.

US lawmakers want to ban superintelligent AI

First, they must define it.

Bernie Sanders and Greg Casar announced a plan for a temporary pause on advanced AI and a permanent ban on superintelligence. The full legal details are not yet clear.

The US government supports OpenAI in a major copyright case

The Justice Department says training AI on copyrighted work can be fair use. This may influence the case, but the judge still makes the legal decision.

AI rules are starting to focus on numbers you can check

Regulators want AI companies to report clear facts about computing power, energy use, tests, and serious problems. These facts are easier to check than broad promises.