The daily rap sheet of the machine age.
7 items
A proposed class action filed July 30, 2026 in the Northern District of California alleges Granola's AI notetaker records virtual meetings without most participants' knowledge and feeds the recordings into model training by default. The complaint quotes the company's own marketing: "Other people in the room won't know it's there."
Original report: AI notetaker Granola sued over unannounced recording and training
Macmillan imprint Minotaur cancelled a $2.4 million deal for Jerry Valade's unpublished debut crime novel "Call Me, I'll Hide the Body" after AI-detection tools flagged "fingerprints" of AI use, Deadline reported, citing copyright concerns. Valade denies the accusations; the author's literary agency said it could no longer verify how the manuscript was written and withdrew the book.
Original report: Minotaur drops $2.4M debut novel over suspected AI use
Indian intelligence officials say deepfake videos allegedly from Pakistani social media handles falsely show Prime Minister Narendra Modi threatening action against students who joined the NEET exam protests, in what an Intelligence Bureau official called an attempt to get students "on the streets". The government says peaceful protesters face no action; Delhi ordered proceedings in 13 FIRs closed.
Original report: Indian officials blame Pakistani handles for Modi deepfakes targeting students
Hafeez Tahir, who created and directed the 1993 TV series Ainak Wala Jin, says the AI-generated film adaptation released in cinemas in July used his work without permission and made genie Nastoor Jin look like "a dacoit". Tahir, who says he later sold the series rights to a private TV channel, is weighing legal action.
Original report: 'Ainak Wala Jin' creator calls AI film remake 'daylight robbery'
A 67-year-old farmer in Chuzhou, Anhui, followed an AI app's July 10 weed-and-pest plan exactly and killed the entire 150-mu sesame crop; the plan included fomesafen, a soybean-field herbicide. Asked afterwards, the AI named fomesafen as the culprit. Customer service said the app merely compiles public online information and could only log the complaint.
Original report: AI spraying plan wipes out farmer's 150 mu of sesame
Singer Sonu Thukral says he filed a cyber cell complaint after clips from the July 15 music video for his song "Jugni", which some viewers claimed showed a wardrobe malfunction, spread online, adding that an AI-edited version is also circulating. The makers had reportedly blurred or removed the disputed portion and have not commented.
Original report: Singer files police complaint over 'Jugni' clip he says was AI-edited
A Threads clip claiming Taiwan's "crane king", a Zhubei crane-firm chairman, had married a local actress in his sixth marriage drew over 400,000 views. He called it a "vile AI composite video"; it was reportedly a face-swapped clip of him with his daughter at a car handover. The veteran singer named as the bride also denied it, with a joke.
Original report: Deepfake turns daughter into crane magnate's 'sixth bride'
