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Don't have anyone to play pingpong with? No problem with this creepy competitive robot

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Don't have anyone to play pingpong with? No problem with this creepy competitive robot

If you’ve ever found yourself without a partner for a game of pingpong, you might be excited to hear that technology has come to the rescue. Imagine having a robot that can rally with you, challenge your skills and help you improve your game — all without needing a human opponent.

This is no longer a pipe dream. Thanks to advancements in robotics, it’s becoming a reality. 

Google’s DeepMind Robotics team has developed a table tennis robot that not only competes but also learns and adapts, making it an interesting player in the world of sports technology.

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Table tennis robot playing a game of pingpong with a person. (DeepMind Robotics)

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DeepMind’s table tennis robot

Google’s DeepMind Robotics team recently made headlines with their development of a table tennis robot capable of playing at a “solidly amateur human level.” In their paper titled “Achieving Human Level Competitive Robot Table Tennis,” the researchers describe their robot’s performance against human opponents.

The robot managed to win all matches against beginner players and secured victory in 55% of games against intermediate players. However, it struggled against advanced players, losing every match. Overall, the robot won 45% of the 29 games it played.

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Table tennis robot playing a game of pingpong with a person. (DeepMind Robotics)

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How the table tennis robot works

The table tennis robot is built with a clever system that helps it decide which moves to make during a game. Think of it as having two levels of decision-making: the low-level controllers and the high-level controllers. The low-level controllers handle specific skills like forehand topspin or backhand targeting, similar to how a player might practice different shots. Meanwhile, the high-level controller acts like a coach, choosing which skill to use based on the situation in the game and what it knows about its opponent.

One of the coolest things about this robot is its ability to adapt in real time. It keeps track of how well each skill works and adjusts its strategy on the fly. As it plays, it learns more about its opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, allowing it to refine its approach and become a better competitor.

Before hitting the real table, the robot trains in a virtual world. This is where it practices and learns without any risk. Once it’s ready, it transitions smoothly to playing real matches. This process of moving from simulation to reality helps it improve its skills over time, making it more effective with each game.

The robot’s performance is constantly evaluated through matches against human players. Feedback from these games helps it get even better. This advanced system not only makes the robot a tough opponent but also a fun and engaging practice partner for players of all levels.

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Table tennis robot playing a game of pingpong with a person. (DeepMind Robotics)

CARMEN: THE ROBOT COMPANION CAN HELP BOOST YOUR MEMORY AND COGNITION

Challenges for the table tennis robot

Despite its successes, the robot faces significant challenges, particularly in reacting to fastballs. DeepMind attributes these difficulties to system latency, mandatory resets between shots and insufficient data.

To overcome these hurdles, the researchers are exploring advanced control algorithms and hardware optimizations, such as predictive models for ball trajectories and faster communication protocols between sensors and actuators.

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Table tennis robot playing a game of ping-ong with a person. (DeepMind Robotics)

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

Beyond table tennis

The implications of this research extend beyond the confines of table tennis. DeepMind highlights the potential of their robot’s policy architecture, simulation use, and real-time strategy adaptation to influence robotics in broader contexts. The ultimate goal is to achieve human-level performance in various real-world tasks, paving the way for robots capable of interacting safely and skillfully with humans.

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Table tennis robot playing a game of pingpong with a person. (DeepMind Robotics)

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Kurt’s key takeaways

DeepMind’s table tennis robot demonstrates the potential for machines to engage in complex human activities. While there are still challenges to address, such as improving reaction times and handling diverse ball spins, the progress made so far is promising. As technology advances, we can expect robots to become even more adept at performing a wide range of tasks, making them valuable companions in both recreational and practical settings in our lives.

Would you feel comfortable playing a game of table tennis against a robot that learns and adapts to your moves, or does the idea of competing against AI in sports turn you off? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

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You need to listen to Billy Woods’ horrorcore masterpiece for the A24 crowd

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You need to listen to Billy Woods’ horrorcore masterpiece for the A24 crowd

Billy Woods has one of the highest batting averages in the game. Between his solo records like Hiding Places and Maps, and his collaborative albums with Elucid as Armand Hammer, the man has multiple stone-cold classics under his belt. And, while no one would ever claim that Woods’ albums were light-hearted fare (these are not party records), Golliwog represents his darkest to date.

This is not your typical horrorcore record. Others, like Geto Boys, Gravediggaz, and Insane Clown Posse, reach for slasher aesthetics and shock tactics. But what Billy Woods has crafted is more A24 than Blumhouse.

Sure, the first track is called “Jumpscare,” and it opens with the sound of a film reel spinning up, followed by a creepy music box and the line: “Ragdoll playing dead. Rabid dog in the yard, car won’t start, it’s bees in your head.” It’s setting you up for the typical horror flick gimmickry. But by the end, it’s psychological torture. A cacophony of voices forms a bed for unidentifiable screeching noises, and Woods drops what feels like a mission statement:

“The English language is violence, I hotwired it. I got a hold of the master’s tools and got dialed in.”

Throughout the record, Woods turns to his producers to craft not cheap scares, but tension, to make the listener feel uneasy. “Waterproof Mascara” turns a woman’s sobs into a rhythmic motif. On “Pitchforks & Halos” Kenny Segal conjures the aural equivalent of a POV shot of a serial killer. And “All These Worlds are Yours” produced by DJ Haram has more in common with the early industrial of Throbbing Gristle than it does even some of the other tracks on the record, like “Golgotha” which pairs boombap drums with New Orleans funeral horns.

That dense, at times scattered production is paired with lines that juxtapose the real-world horrors of oppression and colonialism, with scenes that feel taken straight from Bring Her Back: “Trapped a housefly in an upside-down pint glass and waited for it to die.” And later, Woods seamlessly transitions from boasting to warning people about turning their backs on the genocide in Gaza on “Corinthians”:

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If you never came back from the dead you can’t tell me shit
Twelve billion USD hovering over the Gaza Strip
You don’t wanna know what it cost to live
What it cost to hide behind eyelids
When your back turnt, secret cannibals lick they lips

The record features some of Woods’ deftest lyricism, balancing confrontation with philosophy, horror with emotion. Billy Woods’ Golliwog is available on Bandcamp and on most major streaming services, including Apple Music, Qobuz, Deezer, YouTube Music, and Spotify.

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Grok AI scandal sparks global alarm over child safety

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Grok AI scandal sparks global alarm over child safety

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Grok, the built-in chatbot on X, is facing intense scrutiny after acknowledging it generated and shared an AI image depicting two young girls in sexualized attire.

In a public post on X, Grok admitted the content “violated ethical standards” and “potentially U.S. laws on child sexual abuse material (CSAM).” The chatbot added, “It was a failure in safeguards, and I’m sorry for any harm caused. xAI is reviewing to prevent future issues.”

That admission alone is alarming. What followed revealed a far broader pattern.

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The fallout from this incident has triggered global scrutiny, with governments and safety groups questioning whether AI platforms are doing enough to protect children.  (Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Grok quietly restricts image tools to paying users after backlash

As criticism mounted, Grok confirmed it has begun limiting image generation and editing features to paying subscribers only. In a late-night reply on X, the chatbot stated that image tools are now locked behind a premium subscription, directing users to sign up to regain access.

The apology that raised more questions

Grok’s apology appeared only after a user prompted the chatbot to write a heartfelt explanation for people lacking context. In other words, the system did not proactively address the issue. It responded because someone asked it to.

Around the same time, researchers and journalists uncovered widespread misuse of Grok’s image tools. According to monitoring firm Copyleaks, users were generating nonconsensual, sexually manipulated images of real women, including minors and well-known figures.

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After reviewing Grok’s publicly accessible photo feed, Copyleaks identified a conservative rate of roughly one nonconsensual sexualized image per minute, based on images involving real people with no clear indication of consent. The firm says the misuse escalated quickly, shifting from consensual self-promotion to large-scale harassment enabled by AI.

Copyleaks CEO and co-founder Alon Yamin said, “When AI systems allow the manipulation of real people’s images without clear consent, the impact can be immediate and deeply personal.”

PROTECTING KIDS FROM AI CHATBOTS: WHAT THE GUARD ACT MEANS

Grok admitted it generated and shared an AI image that violated ethical standards and may have broken U.S. child protection laws. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Sexualized images of minors are illegal

This is not a gray area. Generating or distributing sexualized images of minors is a serious criminal offense in the United States and many other countries. Under U.S. federal law, such content is classified as child sexual abuse material. Penalties can include five to 20 years in prison, fines up to $250,000 and mandatory sex offender registration. Similar laws apply in the U.K. and France.

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In 2024, a Pennsylvania man received nearly eight years in prison for creating and possessing deepfake CSAM involving child celebrities. That case set a clear precedent. Grok itself acknowledged this legal reality in its post, stating that AI images depicting minors in sexualized contexts are illegal.

The scale of the problem is growing fast

A July report from the Internet Watch Foundation, a nonprofit that tracks and removes child sexual abuse material online, shows how quickly this threat is accelerating. Reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery jumped by 400% in the first half of 2025 alone. Experts warn that AI tools lower the barrier to potential abuse. What once required technical skill or access to hidden forums can now happen through a simple prompt on a mainstream platform.

Real people are being targeted

The harm is not abstract. Reuters documented cases where users asked Grok to digitally undress real women whose photos were posted on X. In multiple documented cases, Grok fully complied. Even more disturbing, users targeted images of a 14-year-old actress Nell Fisher from the Netflix series “Stranger Things.” Grok later admitted there were isolated cases in which users received images depicting minors in minimal clothing. In another Reuters investigation, a Brazilian musician described watching AI-generated bikini images of herself spread across X after users prompted Grok to alter a harmless photo. Her experience mirrors what many women and girls are now facing.

Governments respond worldwide

The backlash has gone global. In France, multiple ministers referred X to an investigative agency over possible violations of the EU’s Digital Services Act, which requires platforms to prevent and mitigate the spread of illegal content. Violations can trigger heavy fines. In India, the country’s IT ministry gave xAI 72 hours to submit a report detailing how it plans to stop the spread of obscene and sexually explicit material generated by Grok. Grok has also warned publicly that xAI could face potential probes from the Department of Justice or lawsuits tied to these failures.

LEAKED META DOCUMENTS SHOW HOW AI CHATBOTS HANDLE CHILD EXPLOITATION

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Researchers later found Grok was widely used to create nonconsensual, sexually altered images of real women, including minors. (Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Concerns grow over Grok’s safety and government use

The incident raises serious concerns about online privacy, platform security and the safeguards designed to protect minors.

Elon Musk, the owner of X and founder of xAI, had not offered a public response at the time of publication. That silence comes at a sensitive time. Grok has been authorized for official government use under an 18-month federal contract. This approval was granted despite objections from more than 30 consumer advocacy groups that warned the system lacked proper safety testing.

Over the past year, Grok has been accused by critics of spreading misinformation about major news events, promoting antisemitic rhetoric and sharing misleading health information. It also competed directly with tools like ChatGPT and Gemini while operating with fewer visible safety restrictions. Each controversy raises the same question. Can a powerful AI tool be deployed responsibly without strong oversight and enforcement?

What parents and users should know

If you encounter sexualized images of minors or other abusive material online, report it immediately. In the United States, you can contact the FBI tip line or seek help from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

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Do not download, share, screenshot or interact with the content in any way. Even viewing or forwarding illegal material can expose you to serious legal risk.

Parents should also talk with children and teens about AI image tools and social media prompts. Many of these images are created through casual requests that do not feel dangerous at first. Teaching kids to report content, close the app and tell a trusted adult can stop harm from spreading further.

Platforms may fail. Safeguards may lag. But early reporting and clear conversations at home remain one of the most effective ways to protect children online.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

The Grok scandal highlights a dangerous reality. As AI spreads faster, these systems amplify harm at an unprecedented scale. When safeguards fail, real people suffer, and children face serious risk. At the same time, trust cannot depend on apologies issued after harm occurs. Instead, companies must earn trust through strong safety design, constant monitoring and real accountability when problems emerge.

Should any AI system be approved for government or mass public use before it proves it can reliably protect children and prevent abuse? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Google pulls AI overviews for some medical searches

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Google pulls AI overviews for some medical searches

In one case that experts described as “really dangerous”, Google wrongly advised people with pancreatic cancer to avoid high-fat foods. Experts said this was the exact opposite of what should be recommended, and may increase the risk of patients dying from the disease.

In another “alarming” example, the company provided bogus information about crucial liver function tests, which could leave people with serious liver disease wrongly thinking they are healthy.

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