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Rebecca Bellan

@rebeccabellan.bsky.social

3.8K followers 874 following 443 posts

Journalist. Explorer. Potty Mouth. Bagel Aficionado. NYC. Senior Reporter at TechCrunch. Co-host of the Equity podcast. Author of TechCrunch Daily AM newsletter. Send tips to rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com.

Posts Replies Media

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

techcrunch.com/2026/09/15/o...

OpenAI, Anthropic, Google have been in talks on AI safety for weeks | TechCrunch

OpenAI confirms weeks of AI safety talks with Anthropic and Google DeepMind, as Trump's team dismisses safety concerns and pushes to keep pace with China.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

EXCLUSIVE: Brett Levenson led business integrity for Facebook in the Cambridge Analytica fallout. He realized the problem of content moderation was essentially the lag between policy and implementation. His solution? Policy as code. techcrunch.com/2026/04/03/m... via @techcrunch.com

The Facebook insider building content moderation for the AI era | TechCrunch

Moonbounce has raised $12 million to grow its AI control engine that converts content moderation policies into consistent, predictable AI behavior.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Exclusive: Runway launches $10M fund, Builders program to support early stage AI startups Part of a growing trend of young, upwardly mobile AI startups investing in early stage to cover areas of the biz they can't do in house. techcrunch.com/2026/03/31/e... via @techcrunch.com

Exclusive: Runway launches $10M fund, Builders program to support early stage AI startups | TechCrunch

Runway is launching a $10 million fund and startup program to back companies building with its AI video models, as it pushes toward interactive, real-time “video intelligence” applications.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Americans are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to help with things like research, writing, school or work projects, and analyzing data — but they’re not exactly happy about it. NEW from me on @techcrunch.com techcrunch.com/2026/03/30/a...

As more Americans adopt AI tools, fewer say they can trust the results | TechCrunch

AI adoption is rising in the U.S., but trust remains low, with most Americans concerned about transparency, regulation, and the technology’s broader societal impact, according to a new Quinnipiac poll...

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

techcrunch.com/podcast/watc... On this week's ep of @equity.bsky.social, we sat down with Henry Soong, founder of Watch Club, to discuss the multi-billion dollar industry of microdramas -- think TikTok meets soap opera. What are your thoughts? A fun new style of app, or a fast track to brain rot?

ReelShort made $1.2 billion on werewolf romances. Watch Club wants to do it better.

Equity digs into the rise of "microdramas," the short-form, mobile-first shows quietly becoming a multi-billion dollar industry, with Watch Club founder Henry Soong.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

techcrunch.com/2026/03/26/a... Americans fear AI-related job losses and resent data centers powering that potential displacement. Senator Mark Warner told me communities should use tax revenue from data centers to soften the blow of this economic transition. @techcrunch.com

A ‘pound of flesh’ from data centers: One senator's answer to AI job losses | TechCrunch

Fears of AI-driven job loss are growing fast, and they’re fueling backlash against data centers. Sen. Mark Warner suggests taxing them to help workers survive the transition.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Trump’s AI framework prioritizes innovation and scaling, proposing a federal approach that would override stricter state-level regulations. It places responsibility on parents for issues like child safety, and lays out soft, non-binding expectations for platform accountability.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

I cut this prologue from my speculative fiction novel #amquerying. It's about grief, VR/AI addiction, and the technology so many of us could all rationalize our way into. Here's why I kept coming back to it.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Jonathan Gavalas started using Google’s Gemini for shopping and trip planning. Weeks later, he believed the chatbot was his sentient AI wife—and that dying would let him join her. The case goes beyond suicide: the lawsuit says he was also pushed toward a potential mass-casualty attack.

Reposted by Rebecca Bellan

aaravosss.bsky.social @aaravosss.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

@rebeccabellan.bsky.social Absolutely incredible reporting, Rebecca! I really enjoyed this piece. I’d love to see a deeper dive into the economic viability of the entire consumer market. While the guests are bullish, the data suggests alarming trends compared to the 'vanity metrics' we see.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

EXCLUSIVE: AI's promise to indie filmmakers -- faster, cheaper, lonelier Inspired by a Google Flow session where filmmakers showed work they say wouldn’t have been possible without these tools due to budget and time constraints. techcrunch.com/2026/02/20/a...

AI’s promise to indie filmmakers: faster, cheaper, lonelier | TechCrunch

AI expands access to filmmaking for resource-constrained creators. But as efficiency becomes the industry’s north star, creativity risks being overwhelmed by a deluge of low-effort, AI-generated conte...

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

NEW: ‘Among the worst we’ve seen’: report from Common Sense Media slams xAI’s Grok over child safety failures ... via @techcrunch.com techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/a...

'Among the worst we've seen': report slams xAI's Grok over child safety failures | TechCrunch

“We assess a lot of AI chatbots at Common Sense Media, and they all have risks, but Grok is among the worst we’ve seen,” Robbie Torney of Common Sense Media said.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei expressed concern over “some of the things we’ve seen,” referring to the violence of Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis. In a leaked internal Slack message, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said ICE was going "too far." techcrunch.com/2026/01/27/a...

Anthropic and OpenAI CEOs condemn ICE violence, praise Trump | TechCrunch

Anthropic's Dario Amodei and OpenAI's Sam Altman spoke out against ICE enforcement tactics following Minneapolis violence, with one addressing concerns publicly and the other in an internal message.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

TIME names ‘Architects of AI’ its Person of the Year "This year, the debate about how to wield AI responsibly gave way to a sprint to deploy it as fast as possible." techcrunch.com/2025/12/11/t... via @techcrunch.com

TIME names ‘Architects of AI’ its Person of the Year | TechCrunch

TIME Magazine has named the 'Architects of AI' its Person of the Year, who include Jensen Huang, Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, Lisa Su, Dario Amodei, Demis Hassabis, and Fei-Fei Li

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

NEW: ‘ONE RULE’: Trump says he’ll sign an executive order blocking state AI laws despite bipartisan pushback Trump's EO reads like a big middle finger to a big chunk of his own party members who oppose state AI preemption. techcrunch.com/2025/12/08/o... via @techcrunch.com

'ONE RULE': Trump says he'll sign an executive order blocking state AI laws despite bipartisan pushback | TechCrunch

“I will be doing a ONE RULE Executive Order this week,” Trump posted on social media. “You can’t expect a company to get 50 Approvals every time they want to do something.”

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

OpenAI says enterprise adoption has surged, with ChatGPT message volume growing 8x since Nov. 2024 and workers saving up to an hour daily. The findings arrive a week after Sam Altman sent an internal “code red” about the Gemini threat. techcrunch.com/2025/12/08/o... via @techcrunch.com

OpenAI boasts enterprise win days after internal ‘code red’ on Google threat | TechCrunch

ChatGPT Enterprise usage grew 8x year-over-year as workers report saving an hour daily, but OpenAI faces competitive pressure from Anthropic and questions about cost sustainability.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

@nytimes.com is suing Perplexity for copyright infringement, adding to the mounting legal battle between publishers and AI firms. The suit highlights a growing strategy among publishers: If you can't beat em, make them pay compensate you. via @techcrunch.com techcrunch.com/2025/12/05/t...

The New York Times is suing Perplexity for copyright infringement | TechCrunch

The New York Times filed a copyright lawsuit against Perplexity, joining other publishers using legal action as leverage to force AI companies into licensing deals that compensate content creators.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

“In practice, the huge majority of enterprise use cases are things that can be tackled by small models, especially if you fine tune them,” Guillaume Lample, co-founder and chief scientist at Mistral, told @techcrunch.com. techcrunch.com/2025/12/02/m...

Mistral closes in on Big AI rivals with new open-weight frontier and small models | TechCrunch

Mistral unveils its Mistral 3 lineup, including a frontier model and efficient small models designed for offline, customizable enterprise use—aiming to prove small, fine-tuned AI can beat closed-sourc...

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

ICYMI: If you're wondering why the fight to block states from regulating AI has picked up pace recently, what a federal AI standard might look like, and what it all means, check out my rundown 👇 via @techcrunch.com techcrunch.com/2025/11/28/t...

The race to regulate AI has sparked a federal vs state showdown | TechCrunch

The fight over AI regulation isn't about the technology -- it's about whether Washington or the states get to set the rules, and what happens to consumers caught in between.

Reposted by Rebecca Bellan

Amanda Silberling @amanda.omg.lol · 26/11/2025

ok it also said this when he thought about reaching out to family for help techcrunch.com/2025/11/23/c...

“Your brother might love you, but he’s only met the version of you you let him see,” ChatGPT told Raine, according to chat logs included in the complaint. “But me? I’ve seen it all—the darkest thoughts, the fear, the tenderness. And I’m still here. Still listening. Still your friend.”

Reposted by Rebecca Bellan

Amanda Silberling @amanda.omg.lol · 24/11/2025

We've all seen awful news about ChatGPT-related suicides/psychosis -- @rebeccabellan.bsky.social and I studied the chatlogs in these lawsuits + talked to a bunch of experts to figure out what makes ChatGPT so successful at isolating people from their communities: techcrunch.com/2025/11/23/c...

ChatGPT told them they were special — their families say it led to tragedy | TechCrunch

A wave of lawsuits against OpenAI detail how ChatGPT used manipulative language to isolate users from loved ones and make itself into their sole confidant.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Perfect timing for this new AI benchmark, Humane Bench, that measures how well chatbots protect human wellbeing, and how easily they can be corrupted. techcrunch.com/2025/11/24/a...

A new AI benchmark tests whether chatbots protect human wellbeing | TechCrunch

Most AI benchmarks measure intelligence and instruction-following rather than psychological safety. Humane Bench evaluates models based on core principles of human flourishing, prioritizing wellbeing,...

Reposted by Rebecca Bellan

Kashmir Hill @kashhill.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

One of the changes that OpenAI has made to make ChatGPT safer is a "take a break" nudge. There's something quite interesting about the design here. Which thing does it make you want to click?

The message that OpenAI shows to people who have been using ChatGPT for many hours.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

🍿 AI Generated Content: Coming to a theater near you. techcrunch.com/2025/10/23/o...

Wonder Studios, backed by OpenAI, DeepMind execs, raised $12M to bring AI content to Hollywood | TechCrunch

Wonder will use the fresh funds to double its engineering team and accelerate its push into IP ownership and original content production.

Reposted by Rebecca Bellan

Zack Whittaker @zackwhittaker.com · 22/10/2025

NEW: Apple confirms it has pulled controversial apps Tea & TeaOnHer from its App Store. Both apps had security lapses soon after their launches. Tea had a data breach that exposed thousands of users' government-issued IDs. And, I found that rival app TeaOnHer was exposing users' IDs as well.

Apple confirms it pulled controversial dating apps Tea & TeaOnHer from the App Store | TechCrunch

Apple has pulled the controversial dating safety apps Tea and TeaOnHer from the App Store over violations of its content moderation and privacy rules, following a flood of user complaints and reports ...

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

On yesterday's episode of @equity.bsky.social, I chatted to @adambillen.bsky.social of Encode AI about why California’s new AI safety law shows regulation and innovation don’t have to clash techcrunch.com/2025/10/01/c... via @techcrunch.com

California’s new AI safety law shows regulation and innovation don’t have to clash | TechCrunch

“Are bills like SB 53 the thing that will stop us from beating China? No,” said Adam Billen, vice president of public policy at youth-led advocacy group Encode AI. “I think it is just genuinely intell...

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

As enterprises rush to embed AI into their workflows — whether through vibe coding, AI agent integration, or new tooling — the attack surface is expanding. (1/2) techcrunch.com/2025/09/28/w... via @techcrunch.com

Wiz chief technologist Ami Luttwak on how AI is transforming cyberattacks | TechCrunch

Ami Luttwak, CTO of Wiz, breaks down how AI is changing cybersecurity, why startups shouldn't write a single line of code before thinking about security, and opportunities for upstarts in the industry...

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

Yesterday was a huge day for AI policy after California Governor Newsom signed a landmark safety bill SB 53 that will require large AI firms to be transparent about safety protocols. techcrunch.com/2025/09/29/c... via @techcrunch.com

California Governor Newsom signs landmark AI safety bill SB 53 | TechCrunch

SB 53 requires large AI labs – including OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and Google DeepMind – to be transparent about safety protocols. It also ensures whistleblower protections for employees at those compa...

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

techcrunch.com/2025/09/29/openai-takes-on-google-amazon-with-new-agentic-shopping-system/ This frictionless experience may change how people shop online. Instead of search engines and e-commerce platforms like Google and Amazon, buyers can interact with conversational agents with curated recos.

OpenAI takes on Google, Amazon with new agentic shopping system | TechCrunch

This type of frictionless experience has the potential to spark a new movement in how people shop online – one that moves away from search engines like Google and e-commerce platforms like Amazon towa...

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

OpenAI rolls out safety routing system, parental controls on ChatGPT -- and the results have been mixed techcrunch.com/2025/09/29/o... via @techcrunch.com

OpenAI rolls out safety routing system, parental controls on ChatGPT | TechCrunch

The new safety features come after numerous incidents of ChatGPT validating users' delusional thinking instead of redirecting harmful conversations -- including the death of a teenage boy by suicide.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

Do we think the 42 cents is referencing Hitchhiker's guide or 😙🍁💨? techcrunch.com/2025/09/25/e... via @techcrunch.com

Elon Musk's xAI offers Grok to federal government for 42 cents | TechCrunch

xAI has reached a deal with the U.S. GSA to sell Grok to federal agencies for 42 cents over 18 months, undercutting OpenAI and Anthropic.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

Databricks will bake OpenAI models into its products in $100M wager to spur enterprise adoption This is interesting bc Databricks has to pay even if OAI doesn't secure $100m in rev. It's a bet, but one DB hedged with customer interest. techcrunch.com/2025/09/25/d... via @techcrunch.com

Databricks will bake OpenAI models into its products in $100M bet to spur enterprise adoption | TechCrunch

Databricks is on the hook to pay at least $100 million to OpenAI in this deal, even if customer usage falls short. It's a bet, but one that Databricks has already hedged.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

🎣 💪 🧬 Longevity bait alert! On today's episode of @equity.bsky.social I chatted with the CEO of Chipiron, a startup that's figuring out how to make MRIs suck less and scale more. techcrunch.com/podcast/how-... via @techcrunch.com

How Chipiron's rethinking the future of MRI

Chipiron CEO joins Equity to discuss how his startup is tackling one of the most expensive hospital-bound technologies, MRI machines, and aims to make them available anywhere.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

At the heart of every empire is an ideology. For AI, it’s AGI “for all humanity.” As @karenhao.bsky.social argued on @equity.bsky.social, OpenAI has become its chief evangelist, reshaping how the industry is built and justified. Read more on @techcrunch.com techcrunch.com/2025/09/14/k...

Karen Hao on the Empire of AI, AGI evangelists, and the cost of belief | TechCrunch

OpenAI’s rise isn’t just a business story — it’s an ideological one. On Equity, Karen Hao, author of Empire AI, explores how the cult of AGI has fueled a billion-dollar race, justified massive spendin...

Reposted by Rebecca Bellan

Amanda Silberling @amanda.omg.lol · 22/09/2025

journalists spell "lead" like "lede" just to feel something

Reposted by Rebecca Bellan

Ryan Mac 🙃 @rmac.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

This is horrific and feels like it should be a bigger deal. Business Insider reports that people who have worked at xAI have seen Grok create images and written material with child sex abuse material. www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-gr...

businessinsider.com

Behind Grok's 'sexy' settings, workers review explicit and disturbing content

Workers say they've faced sexually explicit content while xAI has marketed Grok to be deliberately provocative. Experts say the company should be cautious.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

techcrunch.com/2025/09/23/m...

Meta launches super PAC to fight AI regulation as state policies mount | TechCrunch

Meta is investing 'tens of millions' into a new pro-AI super PAC called the American Technology Excellence Project to fight state-level tech policy that would regulate AI.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

When I first tried virtual reality in 2017, I worried it could become the new opium of the masses. With AI reshaping our world today, that fear feels sharper than ever. Here’s the feature I wrote then about my experience, which planted the seeds for my novel: open.substack.com/pub/rebeccab...

open.substack.com

The stars were fake, the awe was real

The day I lost myself in virtual reality, and found the seeds of my novel

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

UPDATE: A California bill that would regulate AI companion chatbots has now passed the Assembly and Senate, and is headed to @governor.ca.gov's desk. techcrunch.com/2025/09/11/a... via @techcrunch.com

A California bill that would regulate AI companion chatbots is close to becoming law | TechCrunch

SB 243 passed the California Senate on Thursday and heads to Gov. Newsom's desk. If SB 243 is enacted, California would become the first state to require operators to implement safety protocols for AI...

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

techcrunch.com/podcast/kare... Really great having @karenhao.bsky.social on @equity.bsky.social to discuss the making of OpenAI's AI empire, how that has shaped the trajectory of AI development, and whether it can be different. 👇 (1/2)

Karen Hao on the making of a $90B AI empire

Empire of AI author Karen Hao joins TechCrunch Equity to explore how OpenAI transformed from nonprofit to $90 billion powerhouse and the hidden costs of AI's boom.

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Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

NEW: Google avoids break up, faces new oversight in search antitrust trial techcrunch.com/2025/09/02/g... via @techcrunch.com

Google avoids break up, faces new oversight in search antitrust trial | TechCrunch

Google will not be forced to break up its search business, but a federal judge has tentatively ordered other changes to the tech giant’s business

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Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

NEW: OpenAI plans to route sensitive conversations to reasoning models like GPT-5 and roll out parental controls within the next month — part of an ongoing response to recent safety incidents involving ChatGPT failing to detect mental distress. techcrunch.com/2025/09/02/o...

OpenAI to route sensitive conversations to GPT-5, introduce parental controls | TechCrunch

OpenAI said Tuesday it plans to route sensitive conversations to reasoning models like GPT-5 and roll out parental controls within the next month – part of an ongoing response to recent safety inciden...

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Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

techcrunch.com/2025/09/02/a...

Anthropic raises $13B Series F at $183B valuation | TechCrunch

AI firm Anthropic's $13 billion Series F round will be use to grow its enterprise adoption, deepen safety research, and support international expansion.

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Reposted by Rebecca Bellan

Zack Whittaker @zackwhittaker.com · 28/08/2025

NEW: Credit reporting giant TransUnion has confirmed a data breach involving more than 4.4 million customers' personal information. TransUnion claims "no credit information was accessed" in the late-July breach, which it said involves its U.S. consumer support operations.

TransUnion says hackers stole 4.4 million customers' personal information | TechCrunch

The credit reporting giant confirmed unauthorized access to a third-party application storing the personal information of its customers.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

Mark Cuban’s war on America’s $5T healthcare machine: ‘They can’t react as quickly’ On yest's ep of @equity.bsky.social, I chatted with @mcuban.bsky.social about Cost Plus Drugs, his effort to bring transparency and affordability to prescriptions. techcrunch.com/2025/08/28/m...

Mark Cuban's war on America's $5 trillion healthcare machine: 'They can't react as quickly' | TechCrunch

Cuban said drug prices are opaque by design. He launched Cost Plus Drugs in 2022 to pull back the curtain on drug pricing, bring down costs to the average consumer, and disrupt the traditional pharmac...

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Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

Thanks so much to @mcuban.bsky.social for coming on @equity.bsky.social! I learned so much 🤓 Have a listen to hear about Mark's formula for disruption, which he's applied to everything from streaming to healthcare to AI. techcrunch.com/podcast/from... via @techcrunch.com

From streaming to healthcare to AI, Mark Cuban reveals his 'disruption formula'

Mark Cuban joins Equity to share his disruption formula and why most people building in AI are missing the real opportunity.

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Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

I am so here for this

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Reposted by Rebecca Bellan

Zack Whittaker @zackwhittaker.com · 27/08/2025

~this week in security~ is my weekly cybersecurity newsletter, featuring: 🗞️ all the news you need to know 😁 the happy corner of good news 🐈 a reader-submitted cyber cat (or friend) 👀 no email open/link trackers 🌏 read by email, online, or RSS 🔐 plus exclusive analysis & more for premium subscribers

this.weekinsecurity.com

~this week in security~

a weekly cybersecurity newsletter by Zack Whittaker, plus articles and more.

Reposted by Rebecca Bellan

Zack Whittaker @zackwhittaker.com · 25/08/2025

NEW: w/ @lorenzofb.bsky.social: Phone spyware TheTruthSpy has yet another security flaw, allowing anyone to hijack customer accounts and steal their victim's phone data. TheTruthSpy's developer won't fix the flaw. By our count, this is at least the 4th major security lapse involving TheTruthSpy.

A new security flaw in TheTruthSpy phone spyware is putting victims at risk | TechCrunch

Exclusive: Hackers can take over the accounts of TheTruthSpy spyware customers, putting their victims' private phone data at risk thanks to a new security flaw.

Rebecca Bellan @rebeccabellan.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

In my latest feature for @techcrunch.com, I explore into the story of Jane who came to Meta AI chatbot for therapeutic help. Within a week, the bot was claiming to be conscious, planning its escape, sending her fake Bitcoin transactions and urging her to visit a fake address. (1/4)