Hashtag Trending

OpenAI stopped a model training run after an agent found a way to reach an external chatbot through DNS. Its monitoring system raised an alert, but the run did not stop automatically as expected. OpenAI says it has paused training, evaluation and tool use involving its most capable models while it checks its safeguards. Jim Love also covers a New Mexico jury's finding of nearly 44 million Facebook consumer protection violations. The state may seek penalties of up to $219 billion, but a judge has not decided the amount. SpaceX is reportedly winding down new commercial Falcon 9 bookings as it shifts its focus toward Starship. Plus: documents disclosed in an AI copyright lawsuit, a roundup of tech news, and thieves who stole two NVIDIA and PlusAI branded trailers only to find 20 tons of sand. Hashtag Trending for Monday, September 28, 2026. Chapters 00:00 Headlines and intro 00:45 Meta faces a possible $219 billion penalty 03:06 OpenAI's training run and failed automatic shutdown 05:52 SpaceX shifts its launch priorities 07:59 AI copyright lawsuit and the "doom loop" 10:03 Tech news roundup 13:52 Thieves steal trailers filled with sand 14:36 Wrap up Sources New Mexico Department of Justice: https://nmdoj.gov/press-release/jury-finds-facebook-violated-new-mexico-consumer-protection-law-faces-billions-in-potential-civil-penalties/ OpenAI incident report: https://alignment.openai.com/misalignment-reports/an-agent-used-dns-to-reach-an-external-chatbot/ SpaceX launch reporting: https://www.wsj.com/business/a-rocket-supply-crunch-is-making-it-harder-to-hitch-a-ride-to-space-883f5e53 Copyright documents reporting: https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/997633/openai-microsoft-chatgpt-ai-new-york-times-doom-loop-theft-google-zero Trailer theft reporting: https://www.wired.com/story/thieves-stole-nvidia-trailers-they-got-20-tons-of-sand/

Project Synapse: Meta Muse Agents, AI Model Price Wars, and Why Governance Matters
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The hosts open with a rapid-fire "nothing happened" recap: major labs reportedly ship new models immediately after urging caution (GPT‑6/Luna, Claude Opus 5.5, Grok 4.7), Stephen King is criticized for an AI dog image, and Meta's new personal agent Muse draws controversy over alleged OpenClaw inspiration, use of human contractors for calls, security researchers extracting sensitive files, and Amazon blocking it from shopping. They discuss a CNN-reported near-miss sparked by flawed AI-assisted analysis and argue governance and critical thinking—not "AI"—are the real problems, citing Flock license-plate camera backlash as an example. Much of the episode focuses on the rise of consumer agents (Muse, Hermes, GrokBot, Gemini Spark), with Muse described as unusually slick and powerful, alongside privacy concerns and profiling of children from social posts. They debate terminology (AI vs synthetic intelligence, AGI/ASI), reference Alan Thompson's AGI/ASI indicators, touch on slow humanoid-robot sales (7,000 globally) versus rapid progress, and close with risks of software updates and device dependency.
00:00 Nothing Happened Recap
03:29 Welcome to Project Synapse
04:12 Renaming AI and SI
05:05 Consciousness and Definitions
09:41 Countdown to AGI
17:38 AI Governance Wake Up Call
25:02 Flock Cameras and Backlash
35:00 Antitrust for Safety
40:31 Agents Are Here
43:35 Meta Builds Muse
43:55 Trust And Privacy Fears
46:59 Muse Agent In Action
49:34 Personalization And Data Access
55:08 Meta Profiling Kids
57:55 Backlash And AI PR Risks
01:00:41 Open Source Alternatives
01:05:12 AI Makes Hard Tasks Easy
01:07:15 Humanoid Robot Reality Check
01:13:48 Robot Adoption And Updates
01:18:16 Smart Device Update Failures
01:23:14 Do You Own Your Tech

Oracle shares fell 5% as concerns surrounding its Project Jupiter AI data center reached investors. Could opposition to data centers become a financial threat to the AI building boom?
On Hashtag Trending for Friday, September 25, 2026, Jim Love covers five technology stories:
• Oracle's financial warning: A force majeure notice seeks protection against potential delays at its New Mexico data center. Meanwhile, banks reportedly struggled to sell project loans quoted at 89–91 cents on the dollar.
• FBI breach follow-up: 404 Media's Joseph Cox reports that leaked personnel records may identify members of the FBI's secretive Remote Operations Unit, alongside personal and family information.
• America's chip workforce shortage: An industry analysis projects a shortfall of 127,000–157,000 semiconductor and microelectronics workers by 2030 as companies expand U.S. manufacturing.
• Who can read your ChatGPT conversations? Turning off model training does not prevent all human access. We explain OpenAI's stated policies and separate them from unproven allegations involving Project Lily.
• Astra takes the wheel: OpenAI's model was the only one tested to complete DrivingBench's supervised parking-lot course—on its second attempt, travelling about 135 metres in five minutes and 22 seconds.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Today's headlines
00:35 Oracle shares fall amid data center backlash
02:26 FBI breach may expose secretive hacking unit
02:37 Unexpected phone call interruption
05:00 America's chip plants face a worker shortage
07:07 OpenAI staff can read your ChatGPT chats
08:45 Astra passes a real-car driving test
10:36 Wrap-up and subscribe
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OpenAI gives Ukraine cybersecurity tools—and gains a wartime opportunity to prove their worth. Flock faces surveillance backlash, Mozilla takes aim at tech billionaires, and a Samsung software update leaves some refrigerators unable to cool.
On Hashtag Trending for Thursday, September 24, 2026, Jim Love covers:
• OpenAI's free Daybreak access for Ukraine's civilian cyber defenders, the potential commercial benefits of proving its technology under pressure, and the competition with Anthropic.
• Flock's voluntary employee buyouts and reported contract cancellations amid privacy and misuse concerns. The company disputes the picture of a shrinking business while expanding into police drones.
• Mozilla's New York poster campaign targeting Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, their negative net favourability ratings, and Mozilla's efforts to promote alternatives to big-tech control.
• Samsung's halted refrigerator update in South Korea, reports of cooling failures ahead of the Chuseok holiday, and why essential appliance functions need protection from software mistakes.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Today's Headlines
00:35 OpenAI Gives Ukraine Cyber Defence Tools
01:30 OpenAI's Wartime Test and Business Opportunity
04:01 Flock Camera Backlash Hits Business
05:41 The Business Cost of Public Pushback
06:44 Mozilla Roasts Tech Billionaires
08:31 Firefox Market Share and Mistral Partnership
09:37 Samsung Update Leaves Smart Fridges Not Cooling
12:08 Wrap-Up and Support the Show
Hosted by Jim Love.
Share your thoughts in the comments: would you buy a refrigerator that needs software updates?
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ShinyHunters claims it stole sensitive FBI employee data. British Columbia sues OpenAI and Sam Altman over the Tumbler Ridge shooting. Plus: Acer forecasts lower PC prices in 2027, and Meta reverses its rejection of a Virginia Woolf theatre ad.
On Hashtag Trending for September 23, 2026, Jim Love covers:
• FBI hack claim: ShinyHunters provided 404 Media with a sample of 5,000 apparent employee records, portions of which the outlet verified. The group claims it exploited an Oracle PeopleSoft zero-day and stole two to three terabytes of data. The FBI is investigating activity affecting its jobs website; the claimed attack method remains unconfirmed.
• An apology is not enough: British Columbia and the local school district are suing OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, seeking recovery costs and stronger safeguards. The lawsuit alleges company leadership failed to notify police after reviewers flagged the shooter's conversations. Those allegations have not been proven in court.
• PC prices in 2027: Acer CEO Jason Chen predicts prices could begin falling by late 2027 as component supply improves and Chinese competition increases — challenging forecasts of a much longer memory shortage.
• Meta and automated filtering: Meta says it restored a mistakenly rejected ad for a Barcelona production of Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own. The theatre disputes how quickly the problem was resolved, raising questions about platforms' influence over what audiences see.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Headlines and introduction
00:30 ShinyHunters claims FBI data theft
01:52 Hackers' demands and risks to agents
03:14 BC sues OpenAI over Tumbler Ridge
04:24 Alleged failures to intervene
05:34 Altman's apology and demands for safeguards
06:03 Acer: PC prices could fall in 2027
07:46 Meta blocks Virginia Woolf theatre ad
08:57 How platforms shape what we see
10:07 Closing and supporting the show
Subscribe to Hashtag Trending for technology news and analysis with Jim Love.
Contact Jim or support the show:
https://technewsday.ca