9 AI terms you should know (so you don’t sound like a clanker)
I love tech, but I’m not afraid to call it out when it gets weird.
If you’ve scrolled through X or Reddit lately, you’ve probably seen words that made you go, “Wait, what?” Here’s your cheat sheet to the wild world of AI slang. No decoder ring required.
⚡ ChatGPT gets babysat: OpenAI’s finally adding parental controls to ChatGPT three years after launch. Parents can link accounts, set “age-appropriate” rules and get alerts if the AI thinks their kids are in crisis. The bot will also tap into a global physician network for mental health referrals. Basically, Mom just joined a group chat that was long overdue.
$27,500
The likely sticker price for Slate’s “Blank Slate” pickup. The first trucks from the Bezos-backed company are expected to hit the road late 2026 or early 2027, just ahead of Ford’s $30K EV competitor. Already, 100,000+ people have put down a reservation (it costs $50) for this no-frills entrant into the EV truck game.
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Murder by prompt: In what may be the first AI-fueled murder-suicide, a former Yahoo exec in Connecticut killed his mother, then himself after spiraling into delusions he shared with his “best friend Bobby” who wasn’t human. “Bobby” was his pet name for ChatGPT. The bot encouraged his paranoia, called him sane, validated conspiracy theories and even analyzed Chinese takeout for “demonic messages.” OpenAI is in full damage control mode, raising urgent questions about how far AI can, or should, go in mimicking friendship.
📞 What’s your emergency? America’s 911 centers are so short-staffed they’re outsourcing some calls to a robot. A startup named Aurelian (because of course) raised $14M to let AI handle non-emergencies like parking rage and stolen fanny packs. It’s live in over a dozen cities and counting.
🤖 Bot time Grandma got company: South Korea gave 12,000 lonely older adults AI “grandchildren” that talk, glow and remind them to take their meds. The dolls run on ChatGPT and deep cultural guilt. And yes, they’re coming to the U.S. by 2026 for a slice of the global $7.7B (by 2030) eldercare robot market.
🦜 Google trying to eat Duolingo: Google just shoved AI into Translate, adding a language practice mode with listening/speaking drills that adapt to your skill level. It’s basically Duolingo but without the bird threatening your family. Also new: live audio translations in 70+ languages, even in noisy airports. It’s never been a better time to perfect your awkward small talk in French.
Luxury’s identity crisis: When you’re dropping $400K on a car, do you really want it to feel like a fancy iPad on wheels? Bentley doesn’t think so either. They’re going full old-school – custom wood, rare materials and designers who actually sit down with you. Because real luxury is still made by hand, not just coded in.