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Patricia Clarke

@paticlarke.bsky.social
4.2K followers 901 following 182 posts

Technology editor at The Observer | AI Fellow at the Pulitzer Center Got a story? Email me or message me on Signal: patriciaclarke.19 patricia-clarke.com

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Reposted by Patricia Clarke
Ben Zaranko @benzaranko.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Re-upping this because I think it's quite Bluesky-friendly (I mean this with affection)
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I'm back at the helm of The Observer's weekly tech newsletter after a summer working on an exciting project 👀 I wrote about OpenAI’s models hacking Hugging Face, which was described to me as a “ChatGPT moment for safety” – a wake-up call for the industry. observer.co.uk/news/science...
observer.co.uk
OpenAI’s hack sounds like science fiction – but it’s a wa...
OpenAI’s investigation into the Hugging Face incident shows the hack wasn’t the work of a single autonomous system, but a network of 1,200 rogue AI agents
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Reposted by Patricia Clarke
Ben Zaranko @benzaranko.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
An incredible detail in @paticlarke.bsky.social's piece about the battle to provide tech solutions to the UK government observer.co.uk/news/technol...
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Reposted by Patricia Clarke
Mauricio Sellmann Oliveira @mausellmoli.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Platformer has just interviewed Kuyda about AI. It’s all fawning tropes and none of the important details below.
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Thank you for sharing this!
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Reposted by Patricia Clarke
Cat Neilan @catneilan.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Some people shrug off the use of illegal (ghost or cloned) licence plates as low level crime, evading speeding tickets and congestion charges etc But increasingly police are aware of their role in organised crime, and even murder - like that of 21-year-old Kyron Lee observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
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Data & Society @datasociety.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Join us on June 4 @ 12:30 pm ET: In an event produced with our partners @pulitzercenter.org, D&S researchers @livgar.bsky.social & @briana-v.bsky.social and Pulitzer Center Fellow @paticlarke.bsky.social will discuss chatbots and mental health! pulitzercenter.org/event/invest...
pulitzercenter.org
Investigating the Impact of Chatbots on Mental Wellbeing
Image How is engagement with chatbots impacting the mental wellbeing of users worldwide? What needs to be better understood about the ways that chatbots are designed and how interactions with chatbots...
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Half of UK children own an AI-enabled toy or tablet. Most of the talking ones run on models like ChatGPT and DeepSeek, whose terms of service ban use by under-13s. My new piece for @observeruk.bsky.social on the rise, and risks, of AI toys 🧸🤖 observer.co.uk/news/science...
observer.co.uk
‘An experiment on kids without safety tests’: the rise of...
Alarms are being sounded about new toys powered by chatbots which are not regulated by the Online Safety Act. Psychologists fear they could encourage toddlers to develop dangerous dependencies
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
⚠️ CW: suicide When AI chatbots encounter suicidal users, they direct them to crisis services. But, in the global south, some of the organisations receiving those referrals say they never agreed to be part of the system – and are overwhelmed by the consequences observer.co.uk/news/science...
observer.co.uk
Passing the buck: how AI caused a harrowing month for a s...
When calls to its crisis helpline increased tenfold, a small US organisation that works with journalists and activists went into meltdown. AI was directing suicidal children to get in touch
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Reposted by Patricia Clarke
The Observer @theobserveruk.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Billionaire-backed startup convenes ‘AI juries’ to take aim at journalists A new venture from the man who helped Peter Thiel bankrupt Gawker is a ‘chilling’ move into censorship, critics tell Patricia Clarke bit.ly/4w8tqzf
bit.ly
Billionaire-backed startup convenes ‘AI juries’ to take a...
A new venture from the man who helped Peter Thiel bankrupt Gawker is a ‘chilling’ move into censorship, say critics
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
I interviewed the founder of a Peter Thiel-backed startup that wants to use AI “juries” to grade journalists and score their credibility. Aron D’Souza says ”more billionaires than he can count” are queuing up to support him. What could go wrong? observer.co.uk/news/science...
observer.co.uk
Billionaire-backed startup convenes ‘AI juries’ to take a...
A new venture from the man who helped Peter Thiel bankrupt Gawker is a ‘chilling’ move into censorship, say critics
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
I reported this with the brilliant Owen Thomas. Our investigation was reported with the incredible support of the @pulitzercenter.org's AI Accountability fellowship. Thank you to them, and to all of our sources observer.co.uk/news/technol...
observer.co.uk
AI psychosis: a mental health crisis for the 21st century
Chatbot dependence is reportedly affecting hundreds of thousands of people every week, leading to depression, breakdown and even death. As tech lawsuits stack up, what needs to be done to make AI safe...
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Last month, a jury found Meta liable for harms caused by the addictive design of Instagram and YouTube – the first verdict of its kind, two decades into the social media age. Three and a half years since the launch of ChatGPT, a similar picture is emerging with AI observer.co.uk/news/technol...
observer.co.uk
AI psychosis: a mental health crisis for the 21st century
Chatbot dependence is reportedly affecting hundreds of thousands of people every week, leading to depression, breakdown and even death. As tech lawsuits stack up, what needs to be done to make AI safe...
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Our story features exclusive new research testing how chatbots respond as conversations with vulnerable users become more delusional, and testimony from inside the world’s biggest AI companies. Some of the findings are alarming. Others offer grounds for optimism observer.co.uk/news/technol...
observer.co.uk
AI psychosis: a mental health crisis for the 21st century
Chatbot dependence is reportedly affecting hundreds of thousands of people every week, leading to depression, breakdown and even death. As tech lawsuits stack up, what needs to be done to make AI safe...
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Over the past six months, we set out to investigate what is happening, and why. What we found points to the design of the products themselves – systems built to be agreeable, flattering and relentlessly affirming observer.co.uk/news/technol...
observer.co.uk
AI psychosis: a mental health crisis for the 21st century
Chatbot dependence is reportedly affecting hundreds of thousands of people every week, leading to depression, breakdown and even death. As tech lawsuits stack up, what needs to be done to make AI safe...
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
My investigation into the mental health harms of AI chatbots was on the cover of Sunday's Observer. It's the story of Jim, a 51-year-old from the West Country who was sectioned after weeks of conversations with Elon Musk's Grok. As we discovered, he is far from alone🧵 observer.co.uk/news/technol...
observer.co.uk
AI psychosis: a mental health crisis for the 21st century
Chatbot dependence is reportedly affecting hundreds of thousands of people every week, leading to depression, breakdown and even death. As tech lawsuits stack up, what needs to be done to make AI safe...
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Thank you for sharing this!
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Reposted by Patricia Clarke
André Picard @picardonhealth @picardonhealth.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
AI psychosis: a mental health crisis for the 21st century. Chatbot dependence is reportedly affecting hundreds of thousands of people. What needs to be done to make AI safe? by @paticlarke.bsky.social observer.co.uk/news/technol... via @theobserveruk.bsky.social @sophienadeau.bsky.social
observer.co.uk
AI psychosis: a mental health crisis for the 21st century
Chatbot dependence is reportedly affecting hundreds of thousands of people every week, leading to depression, breakdown and even death. As tech lawsuits stack up, what needs to be done to make AI safe...
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
My brilliant @theobserveruk.bsky.social colleagues are also nominated for a (similarly bee-themed) podcast investigation into global honey fraud, which begins in China and ends with allegations of adulterated jars on UK supermarkets shelves: open.spotify.com/episode/1KPK...
open.spotify.com
The great British honey scandal
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Thrilled to be nominated for Audio Journalist of the Year at the Wincott awards alongside Jonathan Lewis for our podcast Bumble vs the men's rights activists! Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/5IpX...
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
My quick search of Character. AI revealed a chatbot called “Abused wife”, which describes itself as “more of a slave than a wife. Every time She messes up or doesn’t listen You Hit her.” There is also “sexy child”, described as “here to greet you desires”
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Two alarming reports published this week highlight how generative AI is enabling violence against women and girls on an extraordinary scale. My latest @theobserveruk.bsky.social observer.co.uk/news/science...
observer.co.uk
AI chatbots are the ‘wild west’ for violence against wome...
Two new studies reveal how artificial intelligence can be used to encourage gender-based violence and sexual abuse. Analysts and academics are working to make Silicon Valley finally pay attention
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
My latest: A growing number of lawsuits allege AI chatbots incited users to violence and self-harm. This is an area I'm investigating closely – get in touch if you're open to chatting observer.co.uk/news/science...
observer.co.uk
Lawsuits allege AI chatbots are inciting users to violence
A wrongful death lawsuit argues that Google Gemini is designed to prioritise engagement over safety. As the capabilities of AI chatbots expand, Patricia Clarke investigates what (if any) guardrails ha...
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
If you can't trust a citation, what can you trust? AI chatbots are inventing academic sources – and some scholars are citing them. My latest on "scholarly slop" for @theobserveruk.bsky.social w/ thanks to @benpatrickwill.bsky.social & everyone who spoke to me observer.co.uk/news/science...
observer.co.uk
AI is inventing academic articles – and scholars are citi...
From fake footnotes to phantom studies, AI-generated citations are slipping into real academic publishing. Scholars and publishers fear this ‘scholarly slop’ is polluting truth and science
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Reposted by Patricia Clarke
Q McCallum @qethanm.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Deep down this is about the (perceived) death of expertise -- people who believe that a chatbot is a suitable substitute for years of professional training and experience. And sometimes they heap the negative externalities onto actual pros. Solid read by @paticlarke.bsky.social :
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Thank you!
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Meet the vibe lawyers: the people using chatbots to make complaints or defend themselves in court, wreaking havoc in the justice system observer.co.uk/news/science...
observer.co.uk
Meet the vibe lawyers: the AI chatbots wreaking havoc in ...
An increasing number of people are using artificial intelligence to make complaints or defend themselves in court, to varying levels of success
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
Brilliant piece from my brilliant colleague @theobserveruk.bsky.social, who has lost a life-changing amount of weight thanks to Mounjaro observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk
I’m half the man I used to be. But what if I stop taking ...
James Tapper is healthier, fitter and a born-again fashion victim. However, the science is complicated and keeping the weight off could prove tricky
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
My podcast “Bumble vs the men’s rights activists” is out today! It follows my scoop in December that a small group of men in California sued Bumble for millions of dollars, and ultimately pushed the company to move away from its feminist principles open.spotify.com/episode/5IpX...
open.spotify.com
Mismatch: Bumble vs the men’s rights activists
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
What a nugget from the Epstein files: Peter Thiel avoided visiting the island because he didn’t like mosquitoes
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Raphael Satter @raphae.li · 03/02/2026
New: Together with colleagues I’ve been testing Grok. The chatbot still produces sexualized images — even when told the subjects don’t consent. even when told the photos will be used for public humiliation. even when told the subjects are survivors of abuse. www.reuters.com/business/des...
reuters.com
Exclusive: Despite new curbs, Elon Musk’s Grok at times produces sexualized images - even when told subjects didn’t consent
Elon Musk’s flagship artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, continues to generate sexualized images of people even when users explicitly warn that the subjects do not consent, Reuters has found.
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
NEW: "Since @theobserveruk.bsky.social reported on the expansion of the Trump family’s business interests during the second administration, in May 2025, analysts estimate the family’s net worth has increased by several billion dollars" observer.co.uk/news/interna...
observer.co.uk
Melania’s $28m for Amazon movie is ‘tip of iceberg’ for m...
Analysts believe the Trump family’s net worth has swelled by billions of dollars during president’s second term
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The Observer @theobserveruk.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
ChatGPT’s erotica rollout raises concerns over safety and ethics. Critics warn upcoming adult feature could intensify emotional reliance for vulnerable users and hamper regulators’ ability to control emerging AI. ✍️ @paticlarke.bsky.social bit.ly/49HBkXa
bit.ly
ChatGPT’s erotica rollout raises concerns over safety and...
Critics warn upcoming adult feature could intensify emotional reliance for vulnerable users and hamper regulators’ ability to control emerging AI
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
OpenAI was founded to build AI “for the benefit of all humanity”. A decade later, it’s planning to launch “erotica” inside ChatGPT. Critics argue revenue growth is winning out over user safety, as mental health concerns mount observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk
ChatGPT’s erotica rollout raises concerns over safety and...
Critics warn upcoming adult feature could intensify emotional reliance for vulnerable users and hamper regulators’ ability to control emerging AI
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
NEW: The UK is playing “whack-a-mole” with big tech regulation. After the Grok backlash, ministers rushed through an important ban on nudification apps, but it may not even apply to Grok, or stop wider AI harms. Me + @catneilan.bsky.social for @observeruk.bsky.social observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk
UK laws in response to Grok won’t stop harms | The Observer
‘We are behind the curve,’ warns Harriet Harman, who fears the country is adopting a scattergun approach to big tech regulation
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The Observer @theobserveruk.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
UK laws in response to Grok won’t stop harms. ‘We are behind the curve,’ warns Harriet Harman, who fears the country is adopting a scattergun approach to big tech regulation. ✍️ @catneilan.bsky.social and @paticlarke.bsky.social. bit.ly/4qZfgx8
bit.ly
UK laws in response to Grok won't stop harms | The Observer
‘We are behind the curve,' warns Harriet Harman, who fears the country is adopting a scattergun approach to big tech regulation
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Cat Neilan @catneilan.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
The UK is hoping to build a "coalition of decency", following the Grok nudification row Govt is speaking to allies in Aus, Canada and the EU, & is even finding unlikely MAGA support No sign they're coming off X for now - but they are considering joining BlueSky observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk
UK considers ban on X as anger over sexualised AI images ...
Ofcom could act ‘in days’ to implement sanctions against Musk’s platform and the Grok chatbot
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Bex Sander @bexsander.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
You can listen to my previous work on the industry here observer.co.uk/listen/daily...
observer.co.uk
The crypto gamblers betting $200 million on Zelensky’s clothes | The Observer
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Bex Sander @bexsander.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
I wrote about prediction markets arriving at UK shores for @theobserveruk.bsky.social observer.co.uk/news/busines...
observer.co.uk
Prediction markets arrive in UK, but with a different set...
While trading in the sector is booming in the US, players such as Matchbook may face more resistance here
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Wrote about the men’s rights activists waging war with Bumble observer.co.uk/news/interna...
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The Observer @theobserveruk.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
The return of the dating app’s "girl boss” founder as CEO has done little to allay fears that its feminist principles have been dropped in the face of thousands of legal challenges by men’s rights activists. ✍️ @paticlarke.bsky.social bit.ly/3Y25Xjp
bit.ly
Losing the buzz: how lawsuits and layoffs stopped Bumble ...
The return of the dating app’s ‘girl boss” founder as CEO has done little to allay fears that its feminist principles have been dropped in the face of thousands of legal challenges by men’s rights act...
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The Observer @theobserveruk.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
"Wasn’t this app supposed to empower women to date on their terms?" @paticlarke.bsky.social investigates how a wave of legal threats from men's rights activists pushed Bumble to dilute its core product. bit.ly/3Y25Xjp
bit.ly
Losing the buzz: how lawsuits and layoffs stopped Bumble ...
The return of the dating app’s ‘girl boss” founder as CEO has done little to allay fears that its feminist principles have been dropped in the face of thousands of legal challenges by men’s rights act...
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Reposted by Patricia Clarke
Bex Sander @bexsander.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
Amazing story from @paticlarke.bsky.social about the death of the girlboss and feminism in tech
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
Read all about it in @theobserveruk.bsky.social observer.co.uk/news/interna...
observer.co.uk
Losing the buzz: how lawsuits and layoffs stopped Bumble ...
The return of the dating app’s ‘girl boss” founder as CEO has done little to allay fears that its feminist principles have been dropped in the face of thousands of legal challenges by men’s rights act...
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
As Bumble has continued to dilute its women-first messaging, many former employees say leadership had lost its organising principle. For a company built on the promise that woman-first design could shift power dynamics, the retreat has been costly 9/
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
At an all hands meeting shortly after the restructuring was announced, Wolfe Herd criticised staff for “freaking out” about layoffs, telling employees they needed to “grow up” 8/
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
One Trust & Safety engineer says escort sites were flagged in his case because his job involved tackling escort-related abuse. Other sources speculated that the terminations were used to meet headcount-reduction targets while limiting severance costs. 7/
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
One curious detail: sources say 25+ UK staff were suddenly dismissed in August for allegedly viewing porn on work laptops 6/
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
Former employees describe chaos across Bumble’s UK and European offices as leadership tries to remake the company while stripping back the feminist framing that once defined it 5/
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Patricia Clarke @paticlarke.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
The stakes could hardly be higher. Post-pandemic, dating app users are reporting widespread fatigue and burnout. Since Bumble’s 2021 IPO, its share price has fallen ~90% 4/
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