Facebook has long been filled with feeds of clickbait articles. Now, Meta is making its own clickbait articles with AI.
Technology
Meta made its own AI-generated clickbait news feed
The standalone Meta AI app now has a “For You” section that populates a list of clickbait-style stories for you to read. But the topics, images, and text are all AI-generated — and as questionable as you’d expect from AI-created works.
The Meta AI app first launched in April 2025 with its focus on a public “Discover” feed that showed AI-generated images and conversations from other users (who frequently seemed unaware that they were being made public). That’s all disappeared. The app now has a standard chatbot interface, plus a For You page that’s been present for at least a few months, displaying a stream of suggested article prompts that, when tapped, generate entire “stories.”
When targeting me, a reporter based in London, the prompts were aggressively British, involving topics like tea, manners, pubs, royals, football — sorry, soccer — and, naturally, the art of queuing. Suggested stories included “A royal butler finally settled the milk first debate” (the tea goes first, apparently), “The psychology of joining a queue without knowing why,” “The anatomy of the devastating British tut,” and “Inside the extreme sport of visiting every UK pub.” Some made even less sense, like “When a bit of a pickle means total disaster.”
My colleague, meanwhile, appears to have been placed firmly within the luxury watch aficionado bracket by the algorithm. His feed suggested stories called “My fake Rolex experiment” and “The brutal math behind the Rolex waitlist illusion.”
The AI-generated text read like puffy filler, offering little substance beyond repeatedly restating the premise of the prompt. Sourcing was also nonexistent.
I tried to track down where these “stories” may have originated. The royal butler tea story appears to trace back to a 2018 BBC Three comedy series called Miss Holland, which follows a fictional beauty queen from a small Dutch town as she travels to Britain and learns “how to be posh and classy” from real former royal butler Grant Harrold. The “Rolex experiment” story, meanwhile, appeared to be a complete fabrication, generated in our chat box as a first-person narrative without a byline, after a bit of usual whirring that happens when a chatbot is generating. Other stories leaned on vague references to unnamed experts or fictional research.
When I tapped the same cards more than once, the generated stories stayed within the rough bounds of the prompt and all were clearly versions of the same thing, but slightly different. Typing the same headline into a separate chat produced a completely different response. The clearest giveaway came from my chat history. It showed the hidden, suggested prompts that were supposed to trigger the generation of articles. One began:
“You are a helpful conversational assistant. The user is responding to a proactive feed card that was shown to them. The card context below provides background on what prompted the user’s message,” followed by what appeared to be references to internal instructions, information, and metadata.
1/5
The articles had images attached. A lot of these were harmless — bland mush of cartoony people, landscapes, and food. But some depicted real people, including public figures, and were riddled with errors. “Who really pays for the royal family in 2026?” featured two Queen Elizabeth IIs, despite her death several years prior and her existence as only one person.
Around the Queen clones were people who seemed to be approximations of other royals: a vaguely Princess Kate-ish face to the left, a strange attempt at Prince William at the back, and a sort-of King Charles in the middle who bore an exaggerated resemblance to his late father. Other images had usual AI tells like impossible hands and bodies leaning at unnatural angles. One image actually turned out to be a GIF of an older couple dancing and making arm movements no human body could make.
It wasn’t clear whether the app should be able to generate AI images of real people in accordance with Meta’s own, rather opaque rules, but it was. The company has previously said it wants “people to know when they see posts that have been made with AI” and that it automatically adds labels to some user-generated content when AI is detected. Despite this, there was no obvious indication or label in the feed or articles that any material was AI-generated.
Meta declined to answer many of my questions about the feature’s purpose, whether the company considers the output news or fiction, what safeguards are in place, and whether images of real people and public figures comply with its own AI-content policies.
“The goal is to suggest what’s most relevant to you – such as fitness advice, meal plans, or other insights – before you even have to ask.”
“We’re testing a daily feed that proactively shares tips, content, and recommendations tailored to your interests,” Meta spokesperson Tracy Clayton said in a brief statement. “The goal is to suggest what’s most relevant to you – such as fitness advice, meal plans, or other insights – before you even have to ask.”
Clayton later sent a nearly identical “updated” statement, mysteriously removing the word “proactively.”
A third statement from Clayton followed later in the day: “This was a test for a limited number of users and it will be deprecated. Meta has no plans to move forward with this feature.”
This leaves me with additional questions. How was this test limited if, besides me, at least three of my colleagues at The Verge had access to the same feature serving AI clickbait? What did “proactively” even mean? And, of course, who asked for any of this in the first place?
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A new wheeled robot could help people at home before many humanoid robots are ready for everyday use. That is the big idea behind Hello Robot’s Stretch 4. While many companies are developing human-shaped robots that walk, balance and try to act like us, Stretch 4 takes a different route. It rolls.
That may sound less exciting at first. However, inside a real home, wheels may make more sense than legs. Homes have rugs, cords, pets, narrow hallways, tight corners and furniture that always seems to get in the way.
A robot that can move carefully through that mess and reach for useful objects could become more helpful than one that looks impressive in a social media video.
HOME ROBOT AUTOMATES HOUSEHOLD CHORES LIKE ROSIE FROM ‘THE JETSONS’
Stretch 4 uses a lifting column and extendable arm to reach objects at different heights around a home or workplace. (Hello Robot)
Stretch 4 focuses on safe movement, reaching and practical assistance in homes and workplaces. That could make it one of the more realistic ways to build a robot that actually helps people where they live.
Join CyberGuy Live: Lock Down Your Phone in 30 Minutes (Saturday, June 13, 10 am ET)
- Your phone holds your email, passwords, photos, banking apps and personal data. In this free, live online class, Kurt the CyberGuy will walk you step by step through simple phone security fixes you can do in real time. You’ll learn how to improve your privacy settings, spot the latest phone scams, use trusted security tools and walk away with a simple checklist to stay protected. Register here: CyberGuyLive.com
What is Hello Robot’s Stretch 4?
Stretch 4 is a mobile robot designed to help indoors. It looks more like a slim rolling assistant than a humanoid robot. That design choice is intentional. The robot has a wheeled base, a lifting column and an arm that can reach for objects. It is built with tools for mapping, navigation, self-charging and VLM grasping demos.
Hello Robot presents Stretch 4 as calibrated, portable and deployable. However, its technical sheet also says it is currently intended for research, development and laboratory use. Researchers and enterprise customers can buy it now. The company also plans home pilot deployments. That real-home testing is important. A staged demo can look great online. A hallway with a rug, a laundry basket and a dog is a much better test.
HUMANOID ROBOTS ARE GETTING SMALLER, SAFER AND CLOSER
Why this wheeled home robot skips legs
Humanoid robots get plenty of attention because they look familiar. They also make it easy to imagine a machine moving through your home like a person. However, legs add risk and complexity.
A bipedal robot has to balance. It has to manage many moving parts. It also has to avoid falling near people, furniture and pets. Stretch 4 takes a simpler route. It uses wheels.
That choice makes sense for many homes, especially homes adapted for people with mobility challenges. If someone already uses a wheelchair, the home may already work well for a robot that rolls. So the question becomes pretty simple. Why make a robot walk if rolling works better?
WHEELED WONDER ROBOT DOG SHOWS OFF CRAZY DANCE MOVES IN ALL KINDS OF TOUGH TERRAIN
How Stretch 4 moves through tight spaces
One of the biggest upgrades in Stretch 4 is its omnidirectional base. That means it can move in any direction without turning first. That could make a big difference in tight rooms.
Think about a robot trying to move near a bed, chair, kitchen island or wheelchair. A machine that can slide sideways may be easier to control. It may also be safer to position.
Hello Robot spent months developing this new base. The company used newer omnidirectional wheel technology that came from powered wheelchairs. That connection fits the mission. A home assistive robot should borrow from designs that already help people move.
THE NEW ROBOT THAT COULD MAKE CHORES A THING OF THE PAST
Why Stretch 4 uses stronger sensors
Stretch 4 also gets a more advanced sensor setup. Earlier versions had a smaller moving head. Stretch 4 now uses lidar and cameras with a wider field of view. It also has a wrist-mounted depth camera to help with reaching and grabbing. Those sensors help the robot understand what is around it. They also help it avoid obstacles and handle objects with more care.
Hello Robot appears to be choosing richer data over a cheaper camera-only setup. That could help the robot work more safely in homes, where things change constantly. A cord may cross the floor. A rug may bunch up. A threshold may get in the way. A useful home robot needs to see enough to react.
Stretch 4’s sensor-packed head helps the robot see its surroundings as it navigates tight indoor spaces. (Hello Robot)
Why human control still plays a role
Stretch 4 includes autonomous features, but Hello Robot keeps a human involved. That can mean direct control. It can also mean a person supervises while the robot handles certain actions on its own. That approach feels realistic for home care.
Fully autonomous home robots still face a tough road. Homes are personal, unpredictable and often cluttered. People also need time to trust a machine that works near them every day. With Stretch 4, a person can stay involved. That could make early home use safer and more practical.
Who Stretch 4 could help first
Stretch 4 may have its strongest early impact with people who have severe mobility impairments. That is where a home assistive robot could offer real value. Picking up a dropped item can become a big deal when someone has limited movement. The same goes for moving an object across a room or reaching something on a shelf. Small tasks can affect independence.
Hello Robot has worked with Henry Evans, who is paralyzed and cannot speak. Evans uses a computer to control robots and has tested assistive robots in his home for years. His view cuts through the hype. For someone who cannot walk, a robot with legs may offer little benefit. A stable wheeled robot may do the job better.
Why safety could decide the home robot race
Safety may decide which robots actually make it into our homes. A robot in a factory works in a controlled space. A robot in your home works near people, pets, furniture and medical equipment. That raises the stakes.
Stretch 4 includes safety features such as force limiting, collision avoidance, tilt avoidance and a dedicated runstop button. A humanoid robot faces a harder problem. If it loses balance or stops suddenly, it could fall. That creates a real concern around older adults, caregivers and people who cannot move quickly.
That risk may explain why a less flashy robot could reach homes sooner. A robot that helps safely beats a robot that looks cool on video.
How much does Stretch 4 cost?
Stretch 4 costs $29,950. That is a lot of money, especially if you are thinking about it as something for the average home. However, this version is not aimed at everyday folks just yet.
Hello Robot says Stretch 4 is currently only certified for laboratory and research use while the company works toward additional certifications. The company also notes that some purchases may be restricted under the DoD 1260H designation, depending on the use of certain government funds.
For now, Stretch 4 is more likely to appeal to researchers, care organizations and pilot programs that want to test what a wheeled robot can actually do.
BERKELEY LAUNCHES A LIGHTWEIGHT OPEN-SOURCE HUMANOID ROBOT
Those early deployments could help Hello Robot improve the system before a future version reaches our homes.
What this means to you
The first truly helpful home robot may look nothing like an actual person. It may roll into the room. It may use one arm. It may look more like a tool than a character from a cartoon. That could all be a good thing.
A home assistive robot should help with real tasks. It should move safely, reach carefully and work in the spaces people already use.
For families caring for someone with limited mobility, that could become meaningful. A robot that helps someone grab an item or complete a simple task could support more independence at home.
For the rest of us, Stretch 4 is a reminder that the first useful home robot may not be the one that looks the most human. It may be the one that can safely help with the small tasks that make daily life easier.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Stretch 4’s wheeled base and low-reaching arm show why rolling robots may work well in real homes. (Hello Robot)
Stretch 4 will not win a robot beauty contest. It will not walk through your house like a person. It will not look like the humanoid robots taking over social media feeds. Yet it may be closer to what you actually need. Hello Robot seems focused on a more grounded goal: build a robot that can help safely inside real homes. That may sound less exciting than a humanoid helper. However, it could mean far more to someone who needs daily help. And if Stretch 4 proves itself in homes, humanoid robot companies may have to answer a tougher question.
Would you rather have a robot that looks human or one that can safely help you at home? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
- Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox.
- For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit CyberGuy.com – trusted by millions who watch CyberGuy on TV daily.
- Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide free when you join.
Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Back in 2015, the two-person studio Metanet released N++, a brutally hard 2D platformer that was a decade in the making, building off of previous releases dating back to the freeware Flash title N. At the time, cofounder Raigan Burns issued some famous last words: “We hope it’s not another 10 years before we come up with a game.” But now here we are, more than a decade later, and N is getting another sequel. And this time the focus is on multiplayer.
The new game is called, absurdly, N Plus Infinity Times Two. Whereas N++ was meant to be the ultimate single-player version of the N concept, this game is described as “the ultimate virtual couch party game with a low skill floor and no skill ceiling.” That means the same slick, acrobatic platforming action and gorgeous graphic design-inspired visuals, but now built around playing competitively or cooperatively with pals across a handful of different modes. It’s launching on the PS5, Xbox, Switch 2, and PC at some point in 2027.
The duo at Metanet was up to a few different things over the last 11 years. In addition to uprooting from Toronto to Montreal, they’ve been prototyping ideas for a few potentially bigger projects, and last year released a 10-year anniversary update for N++. But then, “We started getting the ‘let’s take another crack at it’ bug in 2022,” Burns tells The Verge.
The studio operates in an unusual way, at least compared to most of the game industry. Despite having two hits in N+ and N++, Metanet hasn’t grown or scaled up in any way. And the reason comes down to the way they make games: It simply takes a lot of time to find a game idea that’s worth pursuing as a commercial project. “We’ve resisted doing something that would compromise our ability to keep iterating and prototyping until something good shows up,” says Burns.
“It’s important to feel that magic,” cofounder Mare Sheppard adds. “That’s what’s compelling about making games. That’s when we know that we’re doing it in a way that’s right for us.” Burns has a clear analogy for how they work: “We like being in a band. That’s fun. Being in a lot of meetings and doing a lot of managing: not fun.” This philosophy seems especially prescient given the state of the games industry, where even the biggest hits operate in a way that’s clearly unsustainable.
“We like being in a band. That’s fun. Being in a lot of meetings and doing a lot of managing: not fun.”
In the case of N Plus Infinity Times Two — unfortunately I can’t think of a good way to shorten that title — the spark came in part from watching how younger players interact with games. Even when they’re playing solo, kids are typically still chatting with friends on their phones, essentially turning everything into a multiplayer experience. Burns and Sheppard wanted to find a way to marry that idea with the couch co-op experiences they grew up on, which led to revisiting the N concept but with a multiplayer spin.
The two describe making N++ as a grueling experience. If you think the game’s levels are hard, just imagine having to playtest them over and over. Part of the excitement about N Plus Infinity Times Two wasn’t just finding a spin on the formula that would be fun to play, but also to develop. “This one really feels like we’re having fun,” says Burns. “We’re really fluent in this one instrument. So now the fun challenge becomes playing new styles of music we’ve never played before, but with this thing we’re really comfortable with.”
Image: Metanet Software
As creative industries from games to Hollywood become increasingly homogenous, Burns also believes that there’s something important about doing work that’s distinct, even if it means revisiting a previous idea, like through the multiple versions of N. It’s similar to titles like Hades II and Silksong: indie-developed sequels that iterated a core concept, but with a fresh angle that made them more than a by-the-numbers follow-up. “Being yourself is more fun and exciting anyways,” Burns explains. “But I honestly think it’s more commercially viable to do something only you can do, because then you have no competition.”
As for what’s next after N Plus Infinity Times Two, the pair obviously aren’t revealing anything just yet. There are a few bigger 3D game ideas kicking around, but those would necessitate some of that scaling up that the studio has so far avoided. What they won’t close the door on, however, is coming back to the idea of N again at some point in the future.
“If we can do something that expresses something new, or lets us see things in a different way, or we get a different perspective on what this game is or how to play it, that’s exciting,” says Sheppard. “I think we no longer think this is definitively going to be the last one. We’ve abandoned that idea. It doesn’t have to be.”
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Space changes the rules for almost everything, including how a robot should move. On Earth, legs help us stand, balance and walk across a room. In microgravity, those same legs lose much of their purpose.
That is why Orbit Robotics, an academic spinout from ETH Zurich, took a different approach with Helios. The robot was built with four arms so it can grip, brace and work inside a spacecraft. Two arms can hold on while the other two handle tools, cargo and equipment.
It is a smart design for a place where floating is easy and staying steady is the real challenge. Here is how Helios works and why it could change the way astronauts get help in orbit.
Join CyberGuy Live: Lock Down Your Phone in 30 Minutes (Saturday, June 13, 10 a.m. ET)
- Your phone holds your email, passwords, photos, banking apps and personal data. In this free, live online class, Kurt the CyberGuy will walk you step by step through simple phone security fixes you can do in real time. You’ll learn how to improve your privacy settings, spot the latest phone scams, use trusted security tools and walk away with a simple checklist to stay protected. Register here: CyberGuyLive.com
IS THIS SPACE CAPSULE HOW WE WILL LIVE AND WORK IN ORBIT IN THE FUTURE?
Helios uses two arms to anchor itself while the other two move cargo, tools and equipment inside a spacecraft. (Orbit Robotics)
Why the Helios space robot has four arms
Helios uses two pairs of arms with different jobs. One pair can anchor the robot to interior surfaces. The other pair can handle tools, unload cargo, move equipment or perform other work inside a spacecraft.
That setup is important because stability and work need to happen at the same time in orbit. A floating robot cannot casually plant its feet, bend over and pick something up. It needs to hold on while it works.
That is where Helios makes sense. Two arms can keep it steady while the other two get the job done. In microgravity, legs become extra hardware unless they can grip, brace or manipulate objects. Helios skips that problem by turning the whole body into a tool for movement and work.
How this four-armed space robot works
Orbit Robotics says Helios uses a tendon-driven system. Instead of placing motors at every joint, the robot keeps many of those motors closer to the shoulders. Cables and pulleys then transmit force through the arms.
That design can reduce weight at the ends of the limbs. In space, heavy limbs can create awkward movement. A robot also needs control, especially when it is holding cargo or tools near expensive equipment.
Helios also uses a rolling-contact elbow joint. That may sound like a tiny detail. In orbit, it can make a big difference. A sudden jerk could destabilize the robot. It could also send whatever the robot is carrying drifting across a spacecraft. Smooth movement becomes a safety feature.
How IKARUS helped shape Helios
Before Helios, the team built an earlier robot platform called IKARUS. That project helped test ideas such as teleoperation, imitation learning and dual-arm manipulation. In other words, IKARUS gave the team a way to learn how a robot could move, copy tasks and handle objects in a space-like setting.
Those lessons helped shape Helios. That is important because space hardware rarely gets a second chance. A robot designed for orbit has to be reliable, compact and useful in cramped conditions. It also has to behave predictably around humans. Helios builds on that earlier work with a body that better fits the environment.
QUADRUPED ROBOT PLAYS BADMINTON WITH YOU USING AI
Why astronauts need robotic help in orbit
Orbit Robotics says its mission is to free astronauts, not replace them. That sounds reassuring. It also makes practical sense. Astronauts are highly trained people doing some of the most expensive labor imaginable. Yet a major chunk of crew time aboard the International Space Station goes toward maintenance.
Some estimates put maintenance at roughly 35% of crew time. At an estimated $140,000 per astronaut-hour, basic logistics can become shockingly expensive. That means sorting supplies, moving equipment or handling routine work can carry a huge price tag. Helios does not need to be a genius to help. It needs to move through narrow corridors, stay stable without gravity and manipulate objects with care. That is the point of the design.
Orbit Robotics built Helios with four arms so it can grip, brace and handle tools inside spacecraft in microgravity. (Orbit Robotics)
What Helios could do in space
The first job for Helios appears focused on interior spacecraft work. That could include unloading cargo, helping manage supplies, moving gear and assisting with routine maintenance. Those jobs may sound boring. In orbit, boring tasks still take time, training and attention.
Over time, Orbit Robotics sees a broader role for robots like Helios. That could include satellite servicing. It could also include in-space construction as commercial stations and orbital habitats become more common.
If launch costs keep falling, more equipment will head into orbit. More hardware means more maintenance. More stations mean more logistics. That creates a clear opening for robots like Helios, built for space from the start.
Why robots may take on more space work
Human spaceflight still captures the imagination. It always has. However, the human body has serious limits in space. Astronauts can face radiation exposure, bone loss, vision problems and cognitive effects linked to fluid shifts in the brain.
Those risks grow during longer missions. Robots do not need air, food, sleep or radiation protection in the same way humans do. They can also take risks that would be unacceptable for astronauts.
That does not make astronauts obsolete overnight. Still, it changes the conversation. If machines can handle more work in orbit, humans may spend less time on routine tasks and more time on science. That could mean more attention on research tied to aging, cancer treatments, organ bioprinting and other experiments that benefit from microgravity.
CHINA’S COMPACT HUMANOID ROBOT SHOWS OFF BALANCE AND FLIPS
Could space robots build the next space economy?
If commercial space stations grow, they will need constant care. Cargo will need to be sorted. Equipment will need to be moved. Structures may need inspection or repair. Satellites may need servicing. Future habitats may need robots that can assemble, maintain and adapt.
That is where a machine like Helios becomes more than a cool prototype. It could become part of the labor force that keeps space infrastructure running.
The big question is whether humans remain at the center of that work or move into a more selective role. We may still send astronauts into orbit, but their jobs could change dramatically.
Instead of doing every task by hand, they may supervise robots built for a place where the human body struggles.
The four-armed Helios robot was designed for zero gravity, where legs are less useful than gripping and bracing. (Orbit Robotics)
What Helios could mean for future space robots
Engineers are starting to design machines for specific environments instead of forcing them into human-shaped bodies. That shift could affect more than space exploration.
On Earth, robots already work in warehouses, factories, hospitals and disaster zones. In each case, the best design may not look human. It may look strange, specialized and a little unsettling.
Helios shows why that can be a good thing. A robot built for its environment can work more efficiently. It can also take on risky jobs and help humans focus on work that needs judgment, creativity or science training.
For space, that could mean safer missions. It could also mean fewer astronauts spending precious hours on routine maintenance.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Helios stands out because it was built for the place it is meant to work. In orbit, walking offers very little help. Gripping, bracing and handling equipment become much more important. That is what makes the four-armed design so practical. It gives the robot a way to hold on while it works, which is exactly what astronauts need in microgravity. Orbit Robotics says Helios is meant to help astronauts, not replace them. Still, this robot raises a bigger question. As machines grow more capable, they could take on more of the risky and repetitive work beyond Earth. That could give astronauts more time for science, discovery and decisions that need human judgment. It could also change how we think about sending people into space in the first place.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Would you rather see astronauts doing the work in orbit, or robots taking over the risky stuff? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
- Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox.
- For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit CyberGuy.com – trusted by millions who watch CyberGuy on TV daily.
- Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide free when you join.
Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
-
Rhode Island15 seconds agoHere’s your Rhode Island high school sports schedule for Super Saturday
-
South Dakota8 minutes agoTwo-motorcycle crash in western Sioux Falls leaves two dead
-
Tennessee15 minutes agoTennessee football lands 4-star Malik Howard of Oak Ridge over Alabama, LSU, others
-
Texas18 minutes agoWEEKEND READ: Confronting rare challenges through science, regulation
-
Utah23 minutes agoRep. Celeste Maloy secures initial $10M in Utah’s bid for $1 billion in Great Salt Lake funding
-
Vermont30 minutes agoSouth Burlington Planning Commission discusses data centers – VTDigger
-
Virginia33 minutes agoOne Strength, One Weakness of Virginia Tech Men’s Basketball’s 2026-27 Roster
-
Washington38 minutes agoThe Republicans Defying Trump
