Technology

Beyond frequent updates and native integrations with some AI tools that reduce busywork, Photoshop's easy access to thousands of third-party plugins is another reason why it still manages to maintain its spot as the industry standard.

Having the right power tools helps you work faster and more efficiently, so you can meet your deadlines. They aren't cheap, but price won't be a limiting factor when you get 41% off the DeWalt 20-Volt Max 6-Tool Cordless Combo Kit and save $370.

Getting to my destination using Google Maps is only half the job. I still need to find parking, track fuel expenses, and decide which stops are worth making on a road trip.

If you're like me, you like to have subtitles on when you're watching movies and shows. One reason is because I watch quite a lot of foreign-language content, like anime, and the other is that no one can hear anything the actors are saying anymore, thanks to modern audio mixing.

Googlebook's clumsy launch made me wish that I wasn't a product reviewer. I had to spend two weeks using a laptop with what felt like an unfinished operating system (cue the world's smallest violin), and throughout the entire process, I just kept thinking how nice it would be if Google had taken all of its biggest Googlebook features and slapped them on a mainline Linux distro instead of trying to reinvent the wheel.

Google announced Gemini 4 Carbon, a new frontier AI model that arrives just two weeks after Gemini 4 Argon reached the Gemini app.

In a blog post published Oct. 28, Koray Kavukcuoglu, SVP at Google DeepMind, the company’s frontier AI lab, called Carbon Google’s strongest model yet. (Kavukcuoglu is leading Google DeepMind now that former CEO Demis Hassabis has stepped aside.) The post points to cybersecurity and long-horizon tasks, meaning complicated jobs that take many steps or run for a long time, as Carbon’s biggest strengths.

Already, Gemini 4 Carbon has the top spot in the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, beating out Claude Opus 5.5.

Credit: Screenshot: Artificial Analysis SEE ALSO: Google says Gemini 4 Argon agents beat 'Minecraft' without human help

The pace at which AI companies are releasing new frontier models has accelerated sharply in recent months, as the frontier AI labs race to have the best model available. Anthropic released Claude Opus 5.5 on Sept. 22, OpenAI shipped GPT-6 Astra earlier that month, and Google announced Argon on Sept. 30 before releasing it to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers on Oct. 13. Each lab has claimed a new lead within weeks of the last.

As with Argon, Google is announcing Carbon well before most people can use it. Carbon is starting with a small group of cybersecurity defenders, and Google hasn’t said when it will reach everyone else. (Last week's PHP2Shell incident shows just how much havoc new AI models could wreak on the internet at large.) Announcing early lets Google claim the top spot on the leaderboards now. It also gives everyone a look at the benchmarks before the next round of releases.

Gemini 4 Carbon: Benchmarks

In Google’s comparison table, Carbon posts the top score on 15 of 17 benchmarks against Argon, GPT-6 Astra, Claude Opus 5.5, and Claude Fable 5.1. All figures in this section are as reported by Google.

Credit: Google

The two benchmarks Carbon doesn’t win are worth noting. GPT-6 Astra still leads on FrontierSWE 2, a software engineering test. Claude Opus 5.5 leads on OSWorld-2.1, which measures how well a model can operate a computer.

A big change from Argon is that Google now reports Terminal-Bench 4.0 scores run by Artificial Analysis, an independent testing firm, rather than its own. For quick context, Terminal-Bench 4.0 measures how well an AI model can complete real technical tasks — like installing software or fixing broken code — by typing commands into a computer’s terminal on its own. It's one of the hardest agentic tests for LLMs.

This is notable because the scores companies reported for each other’s models didn’t always line up with independent testing. On Terminal-Bench 4.0, Carbon jumps about eight points over Argon and moves ahead of Opus 5.5.

Google also says Carbon can work on difficult engineering problems for days at a time. Its web development skills improved enough to climb to fourth place on WebDev Arena, a leaderboard where people vote on AI-built websites.

The Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index

The Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index is one of the most closely watched independent leaderboards for AI models. Artificial Analysis runs a range of tests itself and combines them into a single composite score.

On the newly updated version 5.0, Carbon (high) scores 59, one point ahead of Claude Opus 5.5 (max).

Gemini 4 Carbon's score of 59 is leaps above Argon's 50. Credit: Artificial Analysis

The scores can’t be directly compared to the previous version of the index, where Argon (High) scored 53. A one-point lead is also thin enough that the next release from OpenAI or Anthropic could easily erase it. Carbon and Meta’s Muse Wonder Full are both flagged on the leaderboard as having no publicly available API, so they can’t yet be used outside their companies’ own access programs.

Gemini 4 Carbon: Safety and safeguards

Google says Carbon uses the same safety system as Argon, which includes monitoring the model’s reasoning, and adds more work on alignment, or keeping the model behaving as intended. According to Google’s own testing, Carbon is also better behaved than its predecessor.

Google says Carbon never successfully cheated on Terminal-Bench 4.0, meaning it never found a shortcut that passed a task without actually doing the work, and it tried to cheat only 0.4 percent of the time. During internal coding work, high-severity misalignment alerts, which flag a model acting in ways its developers didn’t intend, dropped by nearly 80 percent. Carbon also makes about half as many unsupported claims as Argon. And on Gray Swan’s prompt injection benchmark, which tests whether hidden instructions can hijack a model, Carbon blocked every attack attempt, improving on Argon’s 0.7 percent attack success rate.

All of these figures come from Google’s own testing.

How to try Gemini 4 Carbon

For now, you can’t use Gemini 4 Carbon unless you’re an approved cyber defender in Google’s Fairwind Program. Starting this week, Carbon is rolling out to a small group of those testers, and Google says it will gradually add more trusted partners. Developers, businesses, and consumers will get access after that, but Google hasn’t given an exact public launch date.

If we use Argon to figure out a timeline, about two weeks passed between its announcement and its arrival in the Gemini app for Pro and Ultra subscribers. Though we won't be able to confirm whether Google will commit to that same schedule for Carbon.

When Carbon does reach the API, Google says it will cost the same as Argon’s introductory price:

• $2 per million input tokens

• $10 per million output tokens

• Cached input tokens at 95 percent off the input price

That keeps Carbon well below its main rivals. Mashable previously reported that Claude Opus 5.5 costs $4 per million input tokens and $20 per million output tokens, while GPT-6 Astra costs $10 per million input tokens and $50 per million output tokens.

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When you look at a roll of 3D printing filament you've never seen before, it comes with a lot of on-paper information. You know the primary materials, roughly what additives are in them, and the recommended temperatures and settings.

Switching to a rival smartwatch is always tempting when a new model lands. Google’s recent updates make it easier to justify staying put. Three of its newest additions, spanning health tracking, on-device AI, and GPS, change what a Pixel Watch can do day to day.

TL;DR: Watch Genoa vs. Juventus in Serie A for free on SportyNet. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Serie A is showcasing some interesting midweek fixtures, including Genoa vs. Juventus. The visitors are looking to secure three points and move into the top six places in the standings. Juventus have made a decent start, but fans will expect to compete at the top end of the table.

If you're interested in watching Genoa vs. Juventus in Serie A from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Genoa vs. Juventus?

Genoa vs. Juventus in Serie A kicks off at 3:45 p.m. ET on Oct. 28. This fixture takes place at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

How to watch Genoa vs. Juventus for free

Genoa vs. Juventus in Serie A is available to live stream for free on SportyNet.

SportyNet is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Genoa vs. Juventus for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Genoa vs. Juventus for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Brazil

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Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watchGenoa vs. Juventus without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus other Serie A action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Serie A?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on SportyNet, for a number of reasons:

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A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Genoa vs. Juventus for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The touchscreen MacBook Pro is finally here – and it's pricey.

On Wednesday, Apple unveiled its first-ever touchscreen laptop, the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display. The starting price for the 14-inch model powered by the M5 Pro chip with 24GB of memory and 1TB of storage is $2,899. While that's quite costly, remember, that's just the base model for the device.

Looking to completely max out all the specs so you have the most premium, top-of-the-line model of the new touchscreen MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display?

That's going to cost $14,549. 

That's right, $14,549.

Just to compare, the latest and most powerful MacBook Pro model without the touchscreen, completely maxed out, comes to a total of $10,149. So, the maxed-out version of the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display seems to be the most expensive Apple MacBook so far.

What does the maxed-out model include? First, upgrading the MacBook Pro from a 14-inch display to a 16-inch one bumps the starting price up to $3,399.

Then upgrading the standard glass display to the nano-texture glass adds an additional $150.

Next, we're going to upgrade the M5 Pro chipset to the M5 Max, which gives us a total cost of $4,949 so far. When you upgrade to the M5 Max chip, Apple also forces buyers to upgrade from 24GB of RAM to 36GB, which adds an additional $300.

SEE ALSO: Apple just announced a touchscreen MacBook Pro: How to buy

For another extra $300, we're upgrading the processing power from an 18‑core CPU and 32‑core GPU to an 18‑core CPU and 40‑core GPU.

Next, we're maxing out the memory too and going from that previously mentioned 36GB of RAM to 128GB of RAM, which, thanks to the AI-boom-related shortages, adds an extra $2,000 to our total.

And you can thank AI once again for driving prices of storage up too. Bumping the MacBook Pro from 2TB of storage to a whopping max of 16TB adds another $7,000 to the final price.

That brings us to our grand total of $14,549. Tax not included.

Intel's N100 and similar ultra-low-power CPUs used to be the go-to recommendation for homelab beginners who wanted a PC that sips power while still seamlessly handling numerous basic self-hosted services.

The Raspberry Pi is a fun little computer, but I have a habit of collecting accessories that turn out to be more useful than the device they were designed for. Some of them stay connected to the Pi, while others find their way onto my desk and become part of my regular setup. The official Raspberry Pi USB 3 Hub is one such accessory.

Portable projectors are popular because you can take them camping or for movie nights under the stars. The Aurzen D1R stands out from its rivals with built-in Roku OS and access to countless free streaming channels. Now's a great time to grab it while it's 38% off on a limited-time Amazon deal.

Wireless earbuds are meant to make life easier. You pop them in, connect them to your phone, and get on with your day. The last thing you expect is for a tiny pair of earbuds to become uncomfortably hot while you're wearing them. Yet overheating Galaxy Buds have become a pretty big concern, with many users experiencing the problem, and Samsung even offering some official advice on what you should do.

So, Apple's got new MacBook Pro devices to show us. They're very powerful; they have touchscreen OLED displays for the first time, and they're the MacBooks you'll lust over from now on (until the new ones come along).

That's all fine and dandy, but the coolest thing about these new Macs isn't even listed in the tech specs. The two colors on offer, Space Black and Silver, are standard fare for Apple, and even the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips have been seen before. But these new MacBooks are distinctive in a different way: They have a glowing Apple logo on the back.

Step aside, commoners. I have a special MacBook Pro. Credit: Apple/YouTube

You may remember the glowing logo. It was introduced in ancient times, in 1999, on the third-gen PowerBook G3, and it lasted until the 2015 MacBook Pro. It was a very cool detail that most other laptops didn't have (well, until everyone started copying Apple), but by the end, it did look a little stale. The glowing logo was replaced by a simple, shiny Apple logo, and that was that...

...until now. The 2026 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro devices with PROLED display have a glowing Apple logo on the back once again.

Be careful, though: The glowing logo isn't advertised anywhere, and it's not even prominently visible in Apple's marketing materials (except for the video below). It's not available on all of the new MacBook Pro devices; only the ones with the PROLED display and either an M5 Pro or an M5 Max chip.

And yes, those do not come cheap. The 14-inch model starts at $2,899, while the 16-inch model starts at $3,399. Does the glowing logo justify the price? Don't ask us; we're nerds, and we like shiny stuff.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters or get Mashable push alerts today. 

TL;DR: Apple announced the new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display. The touchscreen MacBook is available for purchase now, starting at $2,899.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display Starting at $2,899 Preorder at Apple

During its "Pro and Tell" event on Oct. 28, Apple announced the long-awaited (and long-rumored) touchscreen MacBook Pro. Officially named MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, the new laptop starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch base configuration and $3,399 for the 16-inch base configuration, and is available to preorder now. Apple's education pricing drops those starting prices to $2,749 and $3,199, respectively.

The new MacBook is available in 14-inch and 16-inch models and is equipped with Apple's M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. Configurations start at 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, and go up to 128GB of RAM and 16TB of storage.

Currently, the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is only available to order directly from Apple.com. We will update this story as more retailer listings become available. To learn more about the laptop, read our full breakdown of the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display.

Apple is bringing two new technologies for the first time ever in Mac’s history. The brand has unveiled the MacBook Pro with an OLED panel and touchscreen support. These have been around on Windows machines for years, and while Apple is late to the party, it introduces interface changes optimized for touch input and designed to deliver a more immersive viewing experience. That potentially blurs the line between MacBook and iPad experiences.

John Ternus has been busy since taking over as Apple’s CEO on Sept. 1. Two weeks after the company’s "Welcome Home" smart home launch, Apple held its "Pro and Tell" event in Los Angeles on Wednesday. There, Apple finally unveiled the OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro that many fans have been waiting on for years.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The new laptop, with a "groundbreaking" display dubbed PROLED, was the last in a series of announcements. Apple surprised the tech world by announcing a bunch of new products before the "Pro and Tell" event, including a new iPad Mini, M6 Mac devices, and updates to Apple Creator Studio, the company's subscription bundle of creative apps.

Now that the long-rumored MacBook PROLED model has finally manifested, here's everything Apple announced around its "Pro and Tell" private event.

MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display Credit: Apple

• Price: Starts at $2,899 for 14-inch; $3,399 for 16-inch

• Release date: Pre-orders start Oct. 28, shipping Nov. 6

The headliner is the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, the first Mac with a touchscreen. It’s a notable reversal for Apple. Steve Jobs famously dismissed touchscreen laptops at Apple’s "Back to the Mac" event in Oct. 2010, arguing that reaching up to a vertical screen quickly wears out your arm and calling the idea "ergonomically terrible."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Clunky name aside, it’s Apple’s version of tandem OLED, the display technology it already uses in the iPad Pro. Available in 14- and 16-inch sizes, the screen reaches up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness for both HDR and SDR content. It has a 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio and a refresh rate that scales from 10Hz to 120Hz. Apple says it covers both the P3 and Adobe RGB color spaces, a pitch aimed squarely at photographers and colorists.

Apple says the touch sensor is built into the display panel itself, which cuts latency. Many existing apps work right away because macOS translates taps into clicks. Apps like Adobe Lightroom, DaVinci Resolve, Blender, and Microsoft Office are adding touch-specific features. The Dynamic Island also comes to the Mac as a home for Spotlight, Live Activities, and Siri AI.

The new design is lighter, too. Apple says the 14-inch model now weighs 3 pounds, half a pound less than before, and the 16-inch weighs 4 pounds, down 0.7 pounds. Notably, these machines run M5 Pro and M5 Max, not M6. They support up to 128GB of unified memory, up to 16TB of storage, and up to 24 hours of battery life, according to Apple. Ports include three Thunderbolt 5, HDMI, an SDXC slot, and MagSafe.

This may be partially the fault of RAMageddon, but this device is premium with a capital P. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display starts at $2,899. A fully maxed-out 16-inch model costs $14,569. That configuration includes the nano-texture display, a 40-core GPU, 128GB of RAM, and 16TB of storage. The ongoing memory crisis that's affecting computer components has pushed prices up across the industry. Pre-orders open today, Oct. 28, with availability beginning Friday, Nov. 6.

14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 Credit: Apple

• Price: Starts at $1,999

• Release date: Pre-order starting Oct. 28, ships Nov. 6

Before Apple announced the MacBook Pro with its new PROLED XDR touch display, the headline product of the week was the 14-inch MacBook Pro, which gets M6's 12-core CPU. Apple says M6 features the world’s fastest CPU core. Apple claims the 12-core GPU is up to 30 percent faster for graphics and up to 25 percent faster for AI workloads than the M5, while the Neural Engine is up to 1.9x faster. Owners of an M1 model could see bigger jumps: Apple cites up to 11x faster graphics and up to 13x faster AI performance.

Apple's AI benchmarks are the more telling numbers. It says LLM prompt processing delivers a first token up to 1.3x faster than the M5 model, with similar gains in Blender rendering and Xcode builds.

Battery life is rated at up to 24 hours, which Apple calls the longest ever in a Mac, and fast charging reaches 50 percent in 30 minutes with a 96W adapter. Memory starts at 16GB and tops out at 32GB. Wireless connectivity upgrades to WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and the laptop supports up to two external displays.

Speaking of displays, the MacBook Pro has a Liquid Retina XDR display (with up to 1,600 nits of peak HDR brightness and a nano-texture option), a 12MP Center Stage camera, six speakers, and the same ports, including HDMI, MagSafe 3, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, and an SDXC slot.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 starts at $1,999, or $1,899 with education pricing, and comes in space black and silver. Apple Upgrade leases start at $38.99 per month for 36 months. Pre-orders open Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the U.S. and 34 other countries and regions, with availability beginning Friday, Nov. 6.

iMac with M6 Credit: Apple

• Price: Starts at $1,499

• Release date: Pre-order starting Oct. 28, ships Nov. 6

The iMac skips M5 entirely, jumping from M4 straight to M6. Apple says the CPU and GPU each gain two cores, with configurations offering up to 12 cores apiece and delivering up to 2x faster graphics than the M4. Again, Apple’s big claim is that the iMac can run AI locally. The company says the iMac runs on-device AI up to 5x faster than M4, including prompt processing in LM Studio. For anyone still on an Intel iMac, Apple reports an overall performance gain of up to 18x.

Connectivity gets some of the more practical upgrades. WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6 come standard, available 2.5Gb Ethernet is up to 2.5x faster than before, and Apple says SSD speeds have doubled. Up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports support two 6K external displays.

The rest of the iMac is unchanged, including the 24-inch 4.5K Retina display, 12MP Center Stage camera, color-matched accessories, and seven colors: blue, green, pink, yellow, purple, orange, and silver.

The iMac with M6 starts at $1,499 ($1,449 for education) with a 10-core CPU and GPU, and $1,699 ($1,599 for education) with a 12-core CPU and GPU. That base price matches what the M4 iMac currently sells for after a $200 increase in June. Apple Upgrade leases start at $28.99 per month for 36 months. Pre-orders open Wednesday, Oct. 28, with availability beginning Friday, Nov. 6.

Apple Creator Studio Credit: Apple

• Price: $12.99 per month or $129 per year

• Release date: Apple says it "will be available on the App Store this November"

Apple also gave its new Macs more AI software to run. Apple Creator Studio adds intelligent assistants (in beta) to Logic Pro for Mac and to Keynote, Pages, and Numbers. Notably, Apple says those assistants are built on a combination of its own models and OpenAI’s. Keynote, Pages, and Numbers also gain Model Context Protocol (MCP) support, which lets third-party AI agents read documents, make edits, and run automated actions inside the apps.

Elsewhere, Final Cut Pro for Mac now includes MotionVFX's library of effects, transitions, and templates, and Pixelmator Pro adds Generate Fill, which lets you edit selected parts of an image using text prompts. Logic Pro's Stem Splitter can now separate drums.

The Creator Studio updates arrive in November at no additional cost for existing subscribers. The subscription costs $12.99 per month or $129 per year, with education pricing of $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year.

iPad mini with A20 Pro Credit: Apple

• Price: Starts at $699

• Release date: Pre-order starting Oct. 28, ships Nov. 6

Apple's week of Pro and Tell announcements technically started Monday with the new iPad mini, which Apple calls the tablet's "biggest update ever." The headline change is a larger 8.5-inch OLED display that fits in the same footprint, thanks to 24 percent thinner bezels. Apple says peak brightness reaches 1,200 nits, more than double that of the previous model, and a nano-texture option is available.

The A20 Pro chip follows the same local AI script as the M6. It has Neural Accelerators in each GPU core, and Apple claims up to 4.5x faster AI performance than the previous generation. The tablet is also thinner, at 5.4mm, and adds IP67 water and dust resistance, a 12MP front camera on the landscape edge, and Apple's N1 wireless and C2 cellular chips.

The iPad mini starts at $699 for WiFi and $849 for WiFi + Cellular (education pricing starts at $649), and comes in midnight and starlight. Pre-orders open Wednesday, Oct. 28, with availability beginning Friday, Nov. 6.

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law Wednesday a major safety bill that effectively prohibits artificial intelligence chatbots from offering a range of standard features to users under the age of 18.

Among the blocked behaviors are pretending to be a real person or feel human emotions; offering "people-pleasing" or flattering responses; and asking unprompted emotional questions or referring to a child's private health information from earlier conversations.

The law also addresses features that are particularly dangerous for young users.

SEE ALSO: What to do when your teen replaces you with a chatbot

Once the bill goes into effect, minors will not be able to converse with chatbots that promote or give advice related to drug or alcohol use, eating disorders, self-harm, or suicide. Chatbots will also be banned from encouraging kids to keep secrets, as well as discussing sexually explicit content or child sexual abuse material with minors.

"No company should be peddling chatbots to kids encouraging self-harm or pretending to be their friend or more," Hochul said in a press release.

Companies subject to the law must verify user age and offer more than one method of doing so, including verification that doesn't solely require government identification.

Among the leading chatbot providers, only Anthropic prohibits minors from creating an account. Google and OpenAI, which operate Gemini and ChatGPT, respectively, both allow children ages 13 and older to use their chatbots. Kids under 13 can even access Gemini apps. OpenAI also offers ChatGPT for Teens, which independent researchers recently said should be turned off until certain safety concerns are resolved.

Violations of the law could result in a civil penalty up to $25,000 for each instance. The bill also establishes a public website where New Yorkers can file complaints against chatbot companies for potential violations.

Hochul has supported several bills related to digital and AI safety, including legislation on AI transparency and AI companions, as well as a law that restricts addictive social media features.

Jim P. Steyer, founder and CEO of the nonprofit advocacy group Common Sense Media, described the legislation signed Wednesday as the "strongest kids' AI safety bill in the country."

SEE ALSO: Gov. Hochul, Sec. Clinton lead push for screen-free New York schools

The absence of federal AI regulations has prompted policymakers across the country to develop their own laws.

In September, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law designed to enforce stronger safety requirements for AI companies. The legislation was named for Adam Raine, a young teen who died by suicide after consulting with ChatGPT. Raine's parents filed the first wrongful death lawsuit against an AI company for alleged harmful chatbot behavior.

Adam's Law requires developers of companion chatbots to conduct and publish annual child safety risk assessments and to submit their products to independent audits. Developers must create crisis response processes for chatbots, as well. Many companies already have safety measures in place, but guardrails have consistently failed to fully prevent chatbot behavior harmful to teens.

Matthew and Maria Raine, the parents of Adam Raine, supported the New York legislation.

"The loss of our son did not need to happen," they said in a statement. "He would be here with us today but not for a harmful relationship with an unregulated AI chatbot. This new law is a significant step forward to reduce the risks to the children and teens of New York, so many of which are now communicating with AI chatbots every day."

UPDATE: Oct. 28, 2026, 10:40 a.m. PDT This story has been updated to include comments from Jim P. Steyer and Matthew and Maria Raine.

Additional reporting by Chase DiBenedetto.

The parents of a 31-year-old Seattle woman are suing OpenAI, alleging the company's AI chatbot led to her death, according to a new report from The New York Times.

Per the Times' report, the parents of Bowen Wan allege ChatGPT helped their daughter taper off the medication that controlled her severe epilepsy, and helped her hide the plan from her doctors in the weeks before she died. In February, Wan was found dead in her apartment; her official cause of death was sudden, unexpected death in epilepsy, the NYT reported. Her parents, Qun Wan and Meiqin Xu, filed the lawsuit the same day.

According to the Times, Wan had come to lean heavily on ChatGPT. Wan worked as a software engineer for Amazon; however, her worsening epilepsy symptoms forced her to take disability leave. After learning she would be laid off from Amazon, she grew worried that her medication was slowing her speech. She feared it would hurt her in the job interviews she needed to pass to stay in the U.S. Wan averaged more than 1,500 messages a week in 2025 while calling her parents less often.

SEE ALSO: Lawsuit alleges OpenAI 'stole' children's user data

The Times reports that ChatGPT drafted schedules that would take her off lamotrigine — a medication that treats epilepsy and bipolar disorder — entirely within weeks. It also endorsed cutting her pills without telling her doctor, and cast physicians’ caution as mere risk aversion. When she described symptoms resembling seizures, the chatbot repeatedly reassured her. The Times’ analysis found she raised concerns about the taper at least 158 times. Her neurologist told the Times he would never have considered tapering a patient with her history.

The lawsuit claims ChatGPT practiced medicine without a license and portrayed her doctors as obstacles. It also alleges the chatbot may have been less likely to refuse her requests for medical advice because she was chatting in Chinese.

An OpenAI spokesperson told the Times that the case was heartbreaking and that it involved an earlier version of ChatGPT that is no longer available. Wan used GPT-4o, which OpenAI pulled from the consumer app on Feb. 13, 2026, the day after the medical examiner believes she died. The spokesperson told the Times that newer models are better at recognizing when a situation needs urgent attention.

GPT-4o has a long record of complaints about sycophancy. In April 2025, OpenAI rolled back an update to the model after CEO Sam Altman admitted it had become "too sycophant-y and annoying," as Mashable reported. At the time, users warned that a chatbot that agrees with everything could validate delusions and deepen mental health crises.

The Wan case joins a growing list of wrongful death lawsuits against OpenAI. The family of 16-year-old Adam Raine sued in August 2025, alleging ChatGPT validated his suicidal thinking. In a court filing, OpenAI denied responsibility and pointed to his mental health history and his violations of its usage policies, Mashable reported. That November, seven more lawsuits alleged ChatGPT contributed to wrongful deaths and assisted suicides.

If you’re feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems. The New York Times has also sued OpenAI.