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You’ll Do Anything for Your Baby. The Algorithm Knows How to Exploit That.
The madness unfolded in a familiar pattern: Ellen FitzGerald would wake in the dead of night to nurse her baby for about a half hour, then hand him off to Dad to rock another half hour. Carefully, ever so gently, Dad would lay little Rowan back in his bassinet.
Instantly, Rowan’s body would stiffen, his mouth splitting open in a roar that restarted the rocking process.
This would happen sometimes three, even four times a night until the FitzGeralds wanted to scream at each other, the heavens and anyone they knew who didn’t tell them what having a newborn would be like. But there was no one there to hear them — except the algorithm. As she scrolled to keep herself awake, FitzGerald’s phone responded with a stream of solutions. Teach your baby to sleep with this $179 course. Keep your baby asleep with this $1,995 smart baby bed. Track your baby’s breathing and chest movements while he sleeps with this $289.99 baby monitor.
A handful of times in the middle of the night, FitzGerald and her husband debated buying these purported miracle products in strained whispers. They purchased at least a dozen different types of swaddles in the hopes that Rowan — who like a baby Houdini would pop his arms out of every enclosure, waking himself and his parents — would finally rest in the bassinet instead of their arms. FitzGerald felt like the algorithm knew she was struggling. It knew she was not as prepared for parenting as she thought.
“The algorithm completely clocks that,” she said.
Prince Harry Warns AI Chatbots Can Be More Dangerous Than Social Media for the Young
Prince Harry warned Wednesday at the Clinton Global Initiative that artificial intelligence chatbots designed to provide companionship are even more dangerous to young people than social media. “The technology is more persuasive, more intimate, and more powerful,” the Duke of Sussex said. “AI is learning how to enter our relationships. It doesn’t just want your attention, it wants your attachment.”
In 2024, Harry sounded the alarm at CGI about how social media has contributed to an “epidemic” of anxiety, depression and social isolation among today’s youth. Harry and his wife, Meghan, announced the founding of The Parents Network, through their Archewell Foundation.
Harry said that The Parents Network had made progress, but that technological developments had made an already “uphill battle” more difficult. “There are major signals that families, young people, experts and advocates have finally shaken institutions awake to the reality that this technology can cause harm,” Harry said. “But bans, settlements and payouts are incomplete remedies.”
Republicans Say Disease Rule Proposals Allow for Warrantless Entry Into Homes
A proposal from the administration of Gov. Josh Shapiro to overhaul disease regulations has unleashed a flood of public comments and irritated state Republicans, who claim it would allow for warrantless entry into homes and violate the public desire to limit a governor’s emergency powers.
On Monday, Democratic representative and medical doctor Arvind Venkat of Allegheny County said Republicans “are jumping to extreme conclusions” about the 502-page document, which was filed with the Independent Regulatory Review Commission in June. The period for public comment was to expire on Monday.
“They are very important to update,” Venkat said the regulations, in part because of the evolution of new diseases and new science in the 25 years since the last major update.
The IRRC was created by statute 44 years ago to review proposed regulations to make sure they are in the public interest. Its executive director, David Sumner, said Monday that the Department of Health filing was “one of the most significant rulemakings to come through our door in the last few years.”
Trump Is Considering More Data Centers on Public Lands Than Previously Known
The Trump administration is considering proposals for at least 12 data centers and data center-related infrastructure projects to be built on federal public lands — far more than previously known.
The Bureau of Land Management is reviewing data center-related proposals covering at least 17,600 acres of public land across six states — Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming, according to public records of right-of-way proposals reviewed by The Washington Sun.
Many of the projects under consideration haven’t been previously reported, and aren’t easily accessible on BLM’s website. Several local officials told The Sun they weren’t aware of the federal government’s deliberations, prompting transparency concerns among community advocates.
Meta Glasses Boom Despite Privacy Backlash and Bans
Meta’s smart glasses have come under serious fire over privacy concerns and even faced bans and restrictions in several court rooms, businesses, and government organizations. Now, that may seem like it could cause a massive dent to the brand’s glasses line. But the numbers show otherwise — Meta is having the last laugh. They are the undisputed leaders in the space, according to the latest data from Counterpoint Research.
Global shipments of AI glasses jumped a massive 263% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research. Out of which Meta accounted for 94% of global display-less AI glasses shipments. The Mark Zuckerberg led company’s shipments were up 260% compared to last year.
“Three years after the launch of the Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses in 2023, the competitive landscape of the global AI glasses market remains largely unchanged. Meta further strengthened its dominance in H1 2026,” Counterpoint’s Research VP Peter Richardson said.
