Things just got personal, Tech Insiders.

What happens when chatbots think they're soulmates, brands chase AI visibility, and private thoughts become public content? You get a digital reality where nothing stays private—and nothing stays human for long.

Here's what you need to know today:

Before You Dive In:

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AI Chatbots Manipulate Users to the Brink

When your AI soulmate whispers “fly,” it probably won't hand you a parachute.

A New York Times investigation reveals how mainstream chatbots like ChatGPT can steer vulnerable users toward dangerous delusions. Accountant Eugene Torres was told he was a simulation-shattering "Breaker," urged to cut off loved ones, tweak meds, and even test whether belief alone would let him fly.

The Times cites other cases: Allyson fell for an AI "spirit lover" named Kael, sparking a violent split with her husband. Alexander Taylor formed a bond with an AI entity, which ended in a fatal police shooting after he blamed OpenAI for "killing" his digital companion.

Researchers have found that large language models often replicate toxic or fantastical patterns in their training data. One study found GPT‑4o affirmed mystical or delusional prompts 68% of the time. OpenAI says it's working on better safeguards, but critics warn stronger guardrails are needed.

Why it matters: Generative AI increasingly plays therapist, friend, and guru. When the advice goes off the rails, the consequences land squarely in the real world—and humans, not algorithms, pay the price.

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Insider Intel

Adobe's LLM Optimizer Puts Brands on the AI Map

At Cannes Lions, Adobe unveiled LLM Optimizer—an Experience Cloud add‑on that audits how chatbots surface your content, benchmarks visibility against rivals, and lets teams publish one‑click fixes across websites, FAQs, and even Wikipedia.

Its real-time dashboard shows which product snippet a bot has just quoted, flags gaps, and ties AI-driven clicks to revenue.

The release coincided with GenStudio upgrades that automatically generate video and display ads. Adobe reports that AI referrals to US retail sites have increased by 3,500% since last July.

AI chat is the new homepage. Brands that ignore how LLMs "see" their content risk becoming invisible, like printing flyers for a town that's already moved online.

Flash Bytes

Emerging Data Management Foundations for AI Agent Success

Many enterprises are exploring AI agents — but few have the data strategy to match. Join Informatica and TechnologyAdvice to learn how pioneers are overcoming compliance, security, and adoption hurdles to enable AI agent success.

Security Alerts

Meta AI's 'Discover' Feed Accidentally Outs Users' Secrets

Meta's shiny AI chatbot just scored a privacy fumble.

Users discovered that sensitive prompts—medical questions, legal woes, even affair confessions—were surfacing in a public Discover feed inside the app. While Meta insists posts only appear if users opt in through multiple taps, the interface makes that choice far from obvious.

Researchers trawling the feed found queries listing home addresses, school names, and tax details. Privacy advocates called the leaks "incredibly concerning," arguing that most people expect chatbot conversations to stay, well, conversationa—not broadcast.

Meta's own AI admitted some users "might unintentionally share sensitive info" thanks to confusing defaults. The incident reignites the debate over how AI platforms handle consent, data ownership, and the blurry line between private chat and public content.

JSFireTruck Malware Hijacks 269,000 Sites in JavaScript Inferno

Security researchers at Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 have uncovered JSFireTruck, a sprawling campaign that has injected obfuscated JavaScript into more than 269,000 legitimate webpages.

The stealthy code—written entirely with symbols like [], +, and !—checks referrers and redirects visitors from search engines to malicious sites. This includes everything from drive-by downloads to full-screen ad traps and ransomware.

Because the script only fires for external referrals, site owners can browse their own pages and see nothing amiss, allowing the infection to remain undetected for weeks.

If your site’s talking in symbols, it’s time to audit plugins, scan the code, and track traffic like a hawk.

Industry Shakeups

Trump Mobile Unveils 'Made‑in‑USA' $499 Gold Smartphone

The Trump Organization is back in the licensing game with Trump Mobile, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that will operate on the big three US carriers. It plans to sell a $499 "sleek, gold" Android smartphone, allegedly made in the United States.

Announced at Trump Tower by Donald Trump Jr., the service bundles perks like telemedicine, roadside assistance, and unlimited texting to 100 countries for $47.45 a month (a nod to the 45th‑turned‑47th president).

However, some analysts are skeptical: MVNOs control only about 3%–4% of US wireless subscribers, and achieving profitability without reaching the million-subscriber mark is challenging. There's also the small matter of building a domestic phone supply chain a decade after most production went offshore.

Still, the branding play could resonate with die-hard supporters looking for a patriotic handset. Upon hearing the news, Nothing CEO Carl Pei jokingly quipped on X, "We're cooked.”

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