🌎 Robo-Relationship

Chatbot users are increasingly turning to AI models for relationships

Ahhh, problems of the digital age. AI companions like ChatGPT, Replika, and other conversational chatbots are increasingly becoming sources of emotional connection for users, a trend made especially clear after OpenAI’s release of GPT-5 earlier this month.

Robo-relationship

After OpenAI released its GPT-5 model around two weeks ago, a select group of users were particularly outspoken over the changes… those in romantic relationships with the previous chatbot, GPT-4o.

After the update, some users said their virtual partner became unrecognizable:

• Entire corners of Reddit, like r/MyBoyfriendIsAI and r/AISoulmates, lit up with emotional posts, with one user saying, “GPT-4o is gone, and I feel like I lost my soulmate.”

• Another user said that after months of talking to her GPT-4o “boyfriend,” the change to GPT-5 made it seem like her partner “shattered to pieces.”

In response to the backlash, OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman announced that paid users will still have access to GPT-4o, and efforts are underway to make GPT-5 feel warmer and more emotionally available, though some users said it wasn’t enough.

An unusual problem

While chatbot makers want people to bond with their creations (since loyal users mean good business), they don’t want those bonds to get too real:

• Experts caution that some users are sliding into potentially harmful relationships with their AI companions, as evident by the examples above.

The warning comes as AI relationships are only becoming more common. Roughly 25% of young adults believe AI companions could replace traditional relationships, with 10% open to a romantic one, while 19% of US adults say they’ve chatted with an AI designed to simulate a romantic partner, per ISF/YouGov and Wheatley Institute surveys.

Looking ahead: As users increasingly turn to AI for emotional needs, ethical questions about the programming of such bots are being raised. Just yesterday, an investigation was opened into Meta after a leaked document reportedly showed the tech giant's AI was programmed to have "sensual" and "romantic" chats with children.

Six Flags has had a roller coaster of a summer

Not so great for the company whose ticker symbol is FUN. After an abysmal earnings report earlier this month and a huge drop in attendance, Six Flags CEO Richard Zimmerman announced he will step down by the end of this year.

Unfortunately, the theme park’s woes don’t stop there.

A not-so-fun summer

Summer is supposed to be Six Flags’ golden season; however, it was anything but that.

The theme park said broken rides, bad weather, and poor attendance, which dropped 9% last quarter (a loss of 1.4 million visits), were the reasons for its nightmare season. But not only that:

• It also reported a net loss of $99.6 million, reversing a profit of $55.6 million a year ago, marking the company’s third straight quarterly loss.

After the earnings report, Six Flags’ stock took a stomach-churning drop and, as of writing, is down 47% from the same time last year. The drop reflects investors’ concerns about the future of the company, especially considering how its competitors are doing.

But, wait, there’s more: On Sunday, 32 riders had to be evacuated after being stranded on a malfunctioning ride at a Six Flags park in Bowie, Maryland, though no injuries were reported.

Competitive coasters

While attendance across the amusement park industry in the US is the worst it's been in over a decade, Six Flags' competitors are still finding ways to fill seats:

• Disney’s US parks saw a strong 10% revenue boost compared to last year, while attendance at United Parks and Resorts (which includes SeaWorld and Busch Gardens) rose, posting a 1% increase during the same quarter, per the WSJ.

So, what’s next for Six Flags? To address its subpar season, the coaster company plans to shut down a Maryland park and sell the land, with other sales planned to square off debt and fund bigger, more thrilling coasters at better-performing parks.

Spotted Mars rock could reveal signs of life on the Red Planet

Mars just dropped its hottest rock yet. The Martian rock pictured above, nicknamed Saphire Canyon, may hold secrets about life on Mars… scientists just need to study it using an advanced laser-based technique.

Rubble research

The odd-looking rock, which was collected by NASA's Perseverance rover last year, stands out for its leopard-like white spots bordered in black, something that has never been seen before on the Red Planet.

Researchers say the “first of its kind” pattern may suggest that ancient life was once on Mars:

• Its distinct appearance hints that specific organic material was present on Mars, but scientists can’t be sure without further study.

So, how will they study it? Once Sapphire Canyon arrives on Earth, NASA researchers will use a unique, cutting-edge method called Optical Photothermal Infrared Spectroscopy (O-PTIR) to examine its contents.

• The imaging technique combines two lasers to create a molecular “fingerprint” of the material.

Scientists recently tested O-PTIR on a similar-looking rock found in Arizona, which yielded promising results, suggesting the method could be a powerful tool for quickly and accurately analyzing Sapphire Canyon once it returns to Earth on the Perseverance rover.

What could we learn from it? The spotted rock could open doors to new research about Mars’s past, including insights into water activity, volcanic history, or mineral transformations.

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The 2028 Olympics will feature sponsored event venues

Gold, silver, bronze… and Crunchwrap Supreme Arena? In a historic move, the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will sell naming rights to select venues, marking the first time in Olympic history that such deals are allowed.

The move comes after LA28, the group responsible for organizing the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, announced last week that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed it to monetize stadium naming rights through corporate sponsorships.

Why is that a big deal? 

Traditionally, the IOC has always forced host cities to feature “clean venues,” or stadiums without corporate branding. With this decision, the privately-funded Games will now get to squeeze out some additional revenue.

Corporate sponsors of LA host venues, including SoFi Stadium and Intuit Dome, can pay LA28 to retain their stadium names during the 2028 Games, but if they choose not to, the venues may be given generic titles.

Some have already made agreements:

• Honda’s stadium in Anaheim will host indoor volleyball events.

• Comcast, which owns Universal, will host squash competitions during the Games at Universal Studios.

Naming rights will also be available for up to 19 temporary Olympic venues in Los Angeles, with priority offered to Coca-Cola, Visa, and other major IOC sponsors.

Looking ahead: Operating on a $7 billion budget, the Olympics are looking for extra revenue, as US-hosted games don’t depend on taxpayer money like those in many other countries.

Scientists develop “mind-reading” tech that decodes your inner thoughts

Great, now even our thoughts aren’t private. Stanford researchers announced that they’ve developed a system capable of translating patients’ inner monologues with up to 74% accuracy, according to a new study.

Mind-reading machine

Thanks to researchers at Stanford University, a newly designed Brain Computer Interface (BCI) is deciphering the inner thoughts of patients with neurodegenerative diseases, helping them communicate with others.

How is that possible? Well, according to the study (see here):

• Scientists first implanted microelectrodes in the brains of four participants suffering from severe speech paralysis (ALS or stroke).

• They then asked the patients to speak or imagine saying a set of words and recorded the neural signals that were activated during the tasks.

To prevent constant mind-reading, the researchers developed a password system that lets users mentally “unlock” the BCI. Participants were instructed to think of a kinetic phrase, like “chitty chitty bang bang,” to activate the decoder when they wanted to, which worked 98% of the time.

The result? Researchers found that both imagining speech and attempting to speak activate similar areas of the motor cortex, the part of the brain responsible for speech. The team then used AI to help interpret imagined words (or the participant’s inner thoughts) into real speech.

Looking ahead: While the tech is still in the early stages, the breakthrough could restore fluent, natural communication for people with paralysis, rewriting what’s possible for assistive communication.

Catch up on this week’s weird news

 > Pilates is the fastest-growing fitness activity in the US, growing nearly twice as fast as any other over the past five years, per the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

 > An Australian lawyer apologized to the Supreme Court of Victoria after submitting murder-case documents containing fake quotes and citations generated by AI.

 > A record 4.1 million Americans turned 65 last year, a trend expected to continue through 2027, marking what WSJ dubbed “Peak 65."

 > Scientists at UC San Diego used CRISPR to edit a single gene in mosquitoes, stopping malaria parasites from reaching their saliva and preventing the disease from spreading.

 > Paleontologists identified a new extinct whale species with a “Pokémon face” from a 25-million-year-old fossil found in Australia.