Australia Bans AI 'Emotional Intimacy' with Children;

Australia's lower house passed a digital duty of care bill requiring platforms to ban chatbot conduct that simulates emotional intimacy and fosters a child's dependence on it in place of human relationships; the bill now goes to the Senate, with the government hoping to pass it by year's end. A government survey found 78 per cent of Australian children aged 10 to 17 have used a chatbot, and more than half of those for personal or social reasons. A crossbench amendment giving the telecommunications ombudsman power over big tech was rejected in the lower house, and the bill is silent on what happens to children's conversation data when a companion app goes bankrupt.