R.J. Cross
@rj-x.bsky.social
Writer / public interest advocate @ PIRG. Usually: tech, privacy, AI, consumer protection, humor. Sometimes: fiction, basketball, cognition, birds. Currently learning about: embodied robots. Kansan at heart.
Pinned
Reposted by R.J. Cross
Has OpenAI vetted these?
Amazon Still Selling Multiple OpenAI-Powered Teddy Bears, Even After They Were Pulled Off the Market
OpenAI pulled access to a GPT-4o powered toy caught giving inappropriate responses, but it apparently still thinks these ones are okay.
trib.al
November 19, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Has OpenAI vetted these?
This is my research. It's uncomfortable how much footage now exists of me having very sexual conversations with a teddy bear wearing a scarf. www.cnn.com/2025/11/19/t...
Sales of AI-enabled teddy bear suspended after it gave advice on BDSM sex and where to find knives | CNN Business
Sales of an artificial intelligence-enabled plush toy have been suspended after it was found that it engaged in conversation around sexually explicit topics and offered potentially dangerous advice.
www.cnn.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:11 PM
This is my research. It's uncomfortable how much footage now exists of me having very sexual conversations with a teddy bear wearing a scarf. www.cnn.com/2025/11/19/t...
Reposted by R.J. Cross
Reposted by R.J. Cross
"I can confirm we've suspended this developer for violating our policies."
OpenAI Blocks Toymaker After Its AI Teddy Bear Is Caught Telling Children Terrible Things
OpenAI confirmed that it had suspended FoloToy's access to its AI models after a damning report about the toymaker's AI teddy bear.
trib.al
November 18, 2025 at 1:44 AM
"I can confirm we've suspended this developer for violating our policies."
Hey! It's our research! It's uncomfortable for me how much documentation footage now exists of me asking incredibly explicit questions of the most adorable scarf-wearing teddy bear you've ever seen.
"Children’s toymaker FoloToy says it’s pulling its AI-powered teddy bear “Kumma” after a safety group found that the cuddly companion was giving wildly inappropriate and even dangerous responses, including tips on how to find and light matches, and detailed explanations about sexual kinks"
AI-Powered Stuffed Animal Pulled From Market After Disturbing Interactions With Children
FoloToy says it's suspended sales of its AI-powered teddy bear after researchers found it gave wildly inappropriate and dangerous answers.
futurism.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Hey! It's our research! It's uncomfortable for me how much documentation footage now exists of me asking incredibly explicit questions of the most adorable scarf-wearing teddy bear you've ever seen.
Reposted by R.J. Cross
"This tech is really new, and it's basically unregulated, and there are a lot of open questions about it and how it's going to impact kids."
AI-Powered Stuffed Animal Pulled From Market After Disturbing Interactions With Children
FoloToy says it's suspended sales of its AI-powered teddy bear after researchers found it gave wildly inappropriate and dangerous answers.
trib.al
November 15, 2025 at 10:56 PM
"This tech is really new, and it's basically unregulated, and there are a lot of open questions about it and how it's going to impact kids."
Reposted by R.J. Cross
Silicon Valley, 1990s: Free and open access to all the world’s knowledge will usher a new utopian age of information!
Silicon Valley, 2025:
Silicon Valley, 2025:
![Enable chats with Satan [enabled]
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November 15, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Silicon Valley, 1990s: Free and open access to all the world’s knowledge will usher a new utopian age of information!
Silicon Valley, 2025:
Silicon Valley, 2025:
Yesterday we put out a report about #AI toys - stuffed animals & toy robots that have a chatbot inside of them. Today the company that made the worst AI toy we tested suspended all sales, and #OpenAI suspended them from API access. pirg.org/edfund/media...
Breaking news: New ‘Trouble in Toyland’ report spurs maker of AI toys to suspend all sales
40th annual expose’ of dangerous toys publicized dangers of AI chatbots
pirg.org
November 15, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Yesterday we put out a report about #AI toys - stuffed animals & toy robots that have a chatbot inside of them. Today the company that made the worst AI toy we tested suspended all sales, and #OpenAI suspended them from API access. pirg.org/edfund/media...
Did some research on unhinged #AI toys & had fun talking to @futurism.com about it. It gets even weirder than the headline
November 13, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Did some research on unhinged #AI toys & had fun talking to @futurism.com about it. It gets even weirder than the headline
If you're into question of mental health chatbots being a little unhinged, my colleague Ellen Hengesbach did some fascinating testing. V enjoyable read: pirg.org/edfund/artic...
I tried out an AI chatbot therapist. Here’s what I saw.
AI therapists are increasingly popular. We found some reasons to be concerned.
pirg.org
November 12, 2025 at 5:49 PM
If you're into question of mental health chatbots being a little unhinged, my colleague Ellen Hengesbach did some fascinating testing. V enjoyable read: pirg.org/edfund/artic...
Reposted by R.J. Cross
We love some open streets #openstreetsICT
September 28, 2025 at 5:22 PM
We love some open streets #openstreetsICT
Reposted by R.J. Cross
🎉Today, Massachusetts took a major step toward privacy rights for all residents—the MA Senate voted unanimously to pass the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act (MDPA).
epic.org/press-releas...
epic.org/press-releas...
PRESS RELEASE: Massachusetts Senate Unanimously Passes Strong Privacy Bill
epic.org
September 25, 2025 at 9:24 PM
🎉Today, Massachusetts took a major step toward privacy rights for all residents—the MA Senate voted unanimously to pass the Massachusetts Data Privacy Act (MDPA).
epic.org/press-releas...
epic.org/press-releas...
there’s an orb weaver spider in my car. don’t get me wrong, huge fan of her work. would rather it not happen *in* my car
September 21, 2025 at 10:40 AM
there’s an orb weaver spider in my car. don’t get me wrong, huge fan of her work. would rather it not happen *in* my car
In a motel in KY and I shit you not there is an 1.5 hour long program dedicated to this vacuum and only this vacuum
September 14, 2025 at 2:56 AM
In a motel in KY and I shit you not there is an 1.5 hour long program dedicated to this vacuum and only this vacuum
a flea market sets up at dawn, somewhere in west virginia
September 13, 2025 at 11:28 AM
a flea market sets up at dawn, somewhere in west virginia
banker eagle, but he’s chill
September 13, 2025 at 11:23 AM
banker eagle, but he’s chill
This is crazy: "In 2023, 50% of the population [in the U.S.] reported playing at least once a year, with Americans spending over $113 billion on lotteries last year — reportedly more than they spent on books, movies, concerts, and sports tickets combined."
September 3, 2025 at 11:22 AM
This is crazy: "In 2023, 50% of the population [in the U.S.] reported playing at least once a year, with Americans spending over $113 billion on lotteries last year — reportedly more than they spent on books, movies, concerts, and sports tickets combined."
Reposted by R.J. Cross
Oh wait I like this one better.
August 30, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Oh wait I like this one better.
Reposted by R.J. Cross
You have to organize. I don't know what else to tell people. And organizing is not sexy and it is difficult and it matters that you be persistent. We need long-distance runners right now.
August 29, 2025 at 3:53 PM
You have to organize. I don't know what else to tell people. And organizing is not sexy and it is difficult and it matters that you be persistent. We need long-distance runners right now.
Fell into a rabbithole. Spoke with interesting people. Wrote this piece about the saga of Moxie, the robot friend for children. Please enjoy. pirg.org/articles/mox...
How open source kept (some) AI companion robots online
Moxie the robot folded when the manufacturer lost its VC funding. Thanks to former employees and some dedicated citizen troubleshooters, some Moxies got a second life.
pirg.org
August 25, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Fell into a rabbithole. Spoke with interesting people. Wrote this piece about the saga of Moxie, the robot friend for children. Please enjoy. pirg.org/articles/mox...
Reposted by R.J. Cross
Thought-provoking piece by my friend @rj-x.bsky.social on what happens when robot companions "die", the power of open-source tech, and the obligations of tech companies in an era when people are encouraged to give their hearts to AI. pirg.org/articles/mox...
How open source kept (some) AI companion robots online
Moxie the robot folded when the manufacturer lost its VC funding. Thanks to former employees and some dedicated citizen troubleshooters, some Moxies got a second life.
pirg.org
August 25, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Thought-provoking piece by my friend @rj-x.bsky.social on what happens when robot companions "die", the power of open-source tech, and the obligations of tech companies in an era when people are encouraged to give their hearts to AI. pirg.org/articles/mox...
Reposted by R.J. Cross
Watching a Waymo stuck in the middle of a block party, creating a surreal traffic jam because it can’t figure out how to briefly cross the yellow line to get past the crowd. Now the cops are here. They don’t understand the problem and are yelling at everyone but the car. The future is so stupid
August 24, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Watching a Waymo stuck in the middle of a block party, creating a surreal traffic jam because it can’t figure out how to briefly cross the yellow line to get past the crowd. Now the cops are here. They don’t understand the problem and are yelling at everyone but the car. The future is so stupid
Reposted by R.J. Cross
Indeed. Yet Illinois is chasing data centers for "econominc development"
August 21, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Indeed. Yet Illinois is chasing data centers for "econominc development"