Shortly after federal agents killed Alex Pretti Saturday morning, the Department of Homeland Security began to run with the story that the dead man had been armed and dangerous. He had a gun, DHS said. (A Bellingcat analysis of the video concludes that Pretti was unarmed when he was shot.) He had approached the agents holding the gun, DHS said. (He was holding a phone, The New York Times reports.) Pretti died on his knees, surrounded by armed Border Patrol agents, with shot after shot unloaded in his direction.
Technology
10 things you should never tell an AI chatbot
This is a heartbreaking story out of Florida. Megan Garcia thought her 14-year-old son was spending all his time playing video games. She had no idea he was having abusive, in-depth and sexual conversations with a chatbot powered by the app Character AI.
Sewell Setzer III stopped sleeping and his grades tanked. He ultimately committed suicide. Just seconds before his death, Megan says in a lawsuit, the bot told him, “Please come home to me as soon as possible, my love.” The boy asked, “What if I told you I could come home right now?” His Character AI bot answered, “Please do, my sweet king.”
DON’T SCAM YOURSELF WITH THE TRICKS HACKERS DON’T WANT ME TO SHARE
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You have to be smart
AI bots are owned by tech companies known for exploiting our trusting human nature, and they’re designed using algorithms that drive their profits. There are no guardrails or laws governing what they can and cannot do with the information they gather.
A photo illustration of an AI chatbot. (iStock)
When you’re using a chatbot, it’s going to know a lot about you when you fire up the app or site. From your IP address, it gathers information about where you live, plus it tracks things you’ve searched for online and accesses any other permissions you’ve granted when you signed the chatbot’s terms and conditions.
The best way to protect yourself is to be careful about what info you offer up.
Be careful: ChatGPT likes it when you get personal
THIS CRIME SHOT UP 400% — HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
10 things not to say to AI
- Passwords or login credentials: A major privacy mistake. If someone gets access, they can take over your accounts in seconds.
- Your name, address or phone number: Chatbots aren’t designed to handle personally identifiable info. Once shared, you can’t control where it ends up or who sees it. Plug in a fake name if you want!
- Sensitive financial information: Never include bank account numbers, credit card details or other money matters in docs or text you upload. AI tools aren’t secure vaults — treat them like a crowded room.
- Medical or health data: AI isn’t HIPAA-compliant, so redact your name and other identifying info if you ask AI for health advice. Your privacy is worth more than quick answers.
- Asking for illegal advice: That’s against every bot’s terms of service. You’ll probably get flagged. Plus, you might end up with more trouble than you bargained for.
- Hate speech or harmful content: This, too, can get you banned. No chatbot is a free pass to spread negativity or harm others.
- Confidential work or business info: Proprietary data, client details and trade secrets are all no-nos.
- Security question answers: Sharing them is like opening the front door to all your accounts at once.
- Explicit content: Keep it PG. Most chatbots filter this stuff, so anything inappropriate could get you banned, too.
- Other people’s personal info: Uploading this isn’t only a breach of trust; it’s a breach of data protection laws, too. Sharing private info without permission could land you in legal hot water.
A person is seen using ChatGPT. (Frank Rumpenhorst/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Still relying on Google? Never search for these terms
Reclaim a (tiny) bit of privacy
Most chatbots require you to create an account. If you make one, don’t use login options like “Login with Google” or “Connect with Facebook.” Use your email address instead to create a truly unique login.
TECH TIP: SAVE YOUR MEMORIES BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE
FYI, with a free ChatGPT or Perplexity account, you can turn off memory features in the app settings that remember everything you type in. For Google Gemini, you need a paid account to do this.
Best AI tools for search, productivity, fun and work
Google is pictured here. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)
No matter what, follow this rule
Don’t tell a chatbot anything you wouldn’t want made public. Trust me, I know it’s hard.
Even I find myself talking to ChatGPT like it’s a person. I say things like, “You can do better with that answer” or “Thanks for the help!” It’s easy to think your bot is a trusted ally, but it’s definitely not. It’s a data-collecting tool like any other.
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OpenAI’s co-founder and longtime president, Greg Brockman, didn’t just make a run-of-the-mill donation to the main pro-Trump super PAC — together, he and his wife Anna’s September 2025 donations equaled the largest of them all, totaling $25 million to “MAGA Inc.,” per a recent filing. The Brockmans’ donations made up nearly one-fourth of the six-month fundraising cycle.
It’s the latest in a string of examples of tech executives cozying up to President Trump’s administration, happening as the administration pushes to aggressively back the AI industry and defang state-level regulations that companies like OpenAI have largely opposed. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Brockman’s multimillion-dollar donation isn’t the only example of him spending big, under his own name, on lobbying efforts that have their sights set on dismantling potential AI industry regulation. The pro-AI super PAC “Leading the Future,” of which Brockman is a significant backer, has bought ads targeting New York State Assemblymember Alex Bores — a cosponsor of New York’s RAISE Act, which was watered down at the last minute after coordinated lobbying efforts.
Though news of the Brockmans’ donations first broke earlier this month, it’s seen a resurgence in online discussion after the recent death of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, where federal officers have fatally shot two people during an anti-immigrant crackdown. Tech workers from across the industry, including multiple employees at OpenAI, have signed a letter calling for their CEOs to cancel all contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and publicly condemn the department’s actions. “When Trump threatened to send the national guard to San Francisco in October, tech industry leaders called the White House,” the petition’s website states. “It worked: Trump backed down. Today we’re calling on our CEOs to pick up the phone again.”
However, since Trump’s inauguration, tech leader after tech leader has donated to his inauguration fund, flocked to Mar-a-Lago to meet with him, or attended White House dinners by his side. In return, they’ve gotten an administration eager to roll back consumer protections and tech regulation. Trump’s AI Action Plan resurrected a failed Republican attempt to bar states from passing AI regulations, to tech leaders’ delight. The new provision states that “AI is far too important to smother in bureaucracy at this early stage” and that the government “should not allow AI-related Federal funding to be directed toward states with burdensome AI regulations that waste these funds,” though it should also “not interfere with states’ rights to pass prudent laws that are not unduly restrictive to innovation.” Targets of the moratorium include SB 53, the landmark AI transparency bill California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in September despite many tech companies lobbying against it, including OpenAI.
In 2019, Brockman co-wrote a blog post about how hard it is to “change powerful systems … once they’ve been deployed,” and that it’s “important to address AGI’s safety and policy risks before it is created.” Six years later, his posts have shifted in tone, highlighting the importance of “approach[ing] emerging technology with a growth-focused mindset.” In a New Year’s Eve post on X, Brockman wrote that “this year, my wife Anna and I started getting involved politically, including through political contributions, reflecting support for policies that advance American innovation and constructive dialogue between government and the technology sector.” He added that “it’s been great to see the president’s and his administration’s willingness to engage directly with the AI community.”
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Tuya Smart just introduced Aura, its first AI-powered companion robot made for pets.
Aura is designed specifically for household cats and dogs, with AI trained to recognize their behaviors, movements and vocal cues. The idea behind Aura is simple. Pets need more than food bowls and cameras. They need attention, interaction and reassurance.
Aura stays active in the home, watches for behavior changes and responds in real time so owners can better understand how their pets are doing. Many pets struggle when left alone for long hours. Small changes often show up first. A dog may stop playing. A cat may hide or groom excessively. These signs can point to stress or anxiety. Aura steps in during those quiet stretches, offering engagement instead of an empty room.
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ROBOTS LEARN 1,000 TASKS IN ONE DAY FROM A SINGLE DEMO
Tuya Smart unveils Aura, an AI-powered companion robot designed to interact with household cats and dogs and monitor behavior changes in real time. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Why emotional intelligence matters for pets
Smart feeders and pet cameras handle the basics. Emotional care is a different story. Pets are social. When routines change, their mood can shift quickly. Aura tracks behavior and listens for changes in sound patterns. It can tell whether a pet feels excited, anxious, lonely, or relaxed. Aura then sends real-time emotional updates to an owner’s phone. That makes it easier to spot issues early rather than guessing after the fact.
How Aura interacts with pets at home
Aura acts more like a companion than a device that sits still. Several systems work together throughout the day to keep pets engaged. Key features include:
- Laser play and treat dispensing for active interaction
- Simulated pet sounds with expressive animated eyes
- Voice interaction, which is designed to feel natural and responsive
Instead of waiting for a button press, Aura looks for opportunities to engage. It turns long, quiet hours into moments of play and stimulation.
Capturing moments that matter
Aura also keeps an eye out for moments worth saving. Using AI pet recognition and intelligent tracking, it captures everyday highlights like playful bursts, calm naps and funny interactions. Aura can automatically turn these clips into short videos. That helps owners stay connected and feel closer to their pets even when they are away. It also makes it easier to capture moments you might never catch on your own and share them with family or post on social media.
AI PHOTO MATCH REUNITES TEXAS WOMAN WITH LOST CAT AFTER 103 DAYS
Aura uses artificial intelligence to recognize pet movements, sounds and emotional cues, offering engagement and reassurance when pets are home alone. (OLEKSII FILIPPOV / AFP via Getty Images)
How Aura moves and recharges on its own
Movement is a big part of Aura’s role in the home. With V-SLAM navigation, binocular vision and AIVI object recognition, Aura moves freely while avoiding obstacles. When the battery runs low, it returns to its feeding and charging dock on its own. That keeps it ready without constant attention from owners.
A bigger ecosystem around pet care
Aura connects to Tuya’s broader ecosystem, which opens access to services beyond the home. These include smart pet boarding, health and medical care, behavior training, grooming, customization and community tools. Instead of handling one task, Aura becomes a central hub for pet care that can evolve over time.
More than a pet robot
Aura focuses on pets today, but the technology behind it reaches further. Emotional awareness, proactive assistance and ecosystem integration could also support elder care, home monitoring and family connectivity. Starting with pets gives Tuya a clear emotional use case while setting the stage for future home robotics.
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ROBOT STUNS CROWD AFTER SHOCKING ONSTAGE REVEAL
The Aura robot moves through the home autonomously, playing with pets, dispensing treats and capturing video highlights for owners. (Gabe Souza/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)
Kurt’s key takeaways
Tuya has not shared a release date or pricing for Aura yet. The company unveiled the robot earlier this month at CES 2026, but details on availability and cost remain unclear. Those specifics are likely to come closer to a wider consumer launch. Even so, Aura signals a shift in how smart home technology shows up for pets. It moves beyond simple monitoring and leans into interaction and emotional awareness. If Aura delivers on its promise, it could help pet owners feel more comfortable leaving their pets home alone while staying connected throughout the day.
If technology can read your pet’s emotions and respond in real time, would you trust it to become part of your home routine, or would that feel like too much? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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America’s Second Amendment is beloved by conservatives. Minnesota allows open carry with a permit. Pretti lived in a city where people are regularly being assaulted and even killed by the masked and armed men he was busy observing. So why has so much ink been spilled over the minutiae of his behavior? Why is it so normal for law enforcement — those who are supposed to be keepers of law and order — to kill Americans? And why is the only question at the end of the day how much their victims deserved to die?
In July 2020, DHS sent in over a hundred federal officers from various agencies to my city of Portland, Oregon. They flooded downtown with a thick fog of brownish tear gas. This didn’t neutralize the crowds — it merely hurt and enraged them. The city understood it was being intentionally tormented by sadists and chose to walk into the tear gas out of spite.
Throughout the protests, politicians and media figures fixated on whether Portland and other cities were the site of “protests” or “riots.” The distinction was drawn solely based on the behavior of the protesters, whose actions were treated as if they occurred in a vacuum. But on the ground in Portland, that felt as if it was missing the point.
The protesters’ actions blurred the definition of nonviolence. They came wearing gas masks and carrying shields. People brought leaf blowers and intentionally blew the tear gas straight back at the agents who threw the canisters. They chucked plastic water bottles at the feds because they hated them and thought it might be funny to bonk them on their militarized helmets. No one was trying to murder the feds, but nevertheless, it was not the same as linking arms and walking down the streets of Selma while singing.
But if a riot was occurring in Portland, the feds had instigated it — preemptively escalating the situation with rubber bullets and pepper balls and gas canisters, weapons that don’t simply blur the definition of “nonlethal” but literally contradict it.
These unequal expectations were unfair to civilians. And they are being applied again, with greater weight and brutality, to the people of Minneapolis.
It is obvious that ICE’s presence in Minnesota is a source of conflict and anxiety. As feds leave disorder and fear in their wake, Minnesotans without training or state-issued protective gear are being asked to behave with greater restraint than the armed agents who are supposed to be upholding the law.
Early reporting would suggest that Pretti was violently killed while engaging nonviolently with federal law enforcement. Videos show that he was holding a phone and moving to help a protester when agents grabbed him by the legs and wrestled him to the ground. The agents shout that he has a gun only after they’ve pinned him to the ground.
Why must the victims of state violence be entrusted with the task of not escalating a situation?
But whatever happened, the physical coordinates of Pretti’s purported gun in the few seconds leading up to his killing are far less relevant than the ongoing siege of the Twin Cities. What, in the face of this aggression, is so relevant about his demeanor or his attitude or how he approached the agents right before his death? Why must the victims of state violence be entrusted with the task of not escalating a situation, when they’re not drawing a salary or health insurance or pension on the taxpayer’s dime?
The people are being charged with keeping the peace, asked to stand firm against the federal agents who are disrupting it. This is a sick form of double taxation — your paycheck gets docked so that a guy in a mask can beat you up while you try to calm him down. “That’s fine, dude, I’m not mad at you,” Renee Good told ICE agents moments before they shot her through the side window of her car. Did she deserve to die because she did an inadequate job of tempering their feelings?
What is the point of pinning someone to the ground before pouring pepper spray in his face? What is the point of all of this, except to anger the public, and then to respond to that anger with even more force? ICE, CBP, and Border Patrol have proven themselves incapable of obeying the law, let alone enforcing it for others; unable to self-soothe, let alone keep the peace. ICE and its ilk are not an answer to a problem, but a problem with only one solution. They are malignant, they are worthless, and they should not exist.
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