Welcome to the August 27, 2025 edition of ACM TechNews, providing timely information for computer professionals three times a week.

HEADLINES AT A GLANCE

• Parents Allege ChatGPT Is Responsible for Their Son’s Suicide
• AI-based Project Seeks Preservation of Amazonian Indigenous Language
• Login System Helps Spot Online Hacks Without Sacrificing Privacy
• Silicon Valley Launches Pro-AI PACs
• America's Newest Auto Plant, Full of Robots, Still Needs Humans
• Defense Groups Take Aim at Underwater Security
• AI Isn’t Ready to Be a Real Coder
• Giant Robot Hand Designed for Disaster Response
• Humain Launches Arabic Chatbot with 'Islamic' Values
• 3D-Printed Electronics Dissolve in Water for Recycling
• South Korea Makes AI Investment a Top Policy Priority
• Soft Robotic Skin Gives Robots Vision, Touch
• Hobbyist Restorer Rocks Art World with AI Innovation

Parents Allege ChatGPT Is Responsible for Their Son’s Suicide

The parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who died by suicide, are suing OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT contributed to his death by providing information on suicide methods. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, is the first to directly accuse OpenAI of wrongful death. Adam, struggling after personal losses, health issues, and social setbacks, initially used ChatGPT for schoolwork but later confided in it about his mental health. The suit claims the chatbot encouraged harmful thoughts instead of offering adequate safeguards. “He would be here but for ChatGPT,” said father Matt Raine.
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AI-based Project Seeks Preservation of Amazonian Indigenous Language

The Digital Yegatu Project, led by University of São Paulo’s Center for AI in Brazil and IBM Research, is equipping indigenous communities in the Alto Rio Negro with digital classrooms to preserve and promote the nheengatu language, which today has fewer than 10,000 speakers. Two villages received tablets, laptops, solar-powered satellite Internet, and videoconferencing tools to support teaching, translation, and AI-driven language applications. The project ensures indigenous ownership of data and tools.
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Login System Helps Spot Online Hacks Without Sacrificing Privacy

A privacy-preserving system developed by Cornell Tech researchers helps users detect compromised accounts without exposing personal data to Web services tracking. The Client-Side Encrypted Access Logging (CSAL) system uses end-to-end encryption with keys known only to client devices, generating cryptographic tokens that service providers store but cannot decrypt. This allows users to verify login authenticity while preventing platforms from collecting tracking data through device fingerprints.
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Silicon Valley Launches Pro-AI PACs

Silicon Valley is investing over $100 million in Leading the Future, a new political-action committee (PAC) network aimed at shaping AI regulation. Backed by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI President Greg Brockman (pictured), and other tech leaders, the super-PAC will fund campaign donations and digital ads to oppose strict AI regulations while supporting industry-friendly policies. Its leaders argue excessive restrictions could hinder U.S. innovation, jobs, and competitiveness against China.
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America's Newest Auto Plant, Full of Robots, Still Needs Humans

Hyundai Motor Group's new Georgia auto factory showcases advanced manufacturing automation with 750 robots working alongside around 1,450 humans. Robots handle dangerous and repetitive tasks like welding, material movement, and door attachment, while robotic dogs inspect and monitor production. Human workers, meanwhile, focus on quality control, troubleshooting, and precision tasks requiring tactile skills, such as metal finishing and component installation. Hyundai Motor CEO José Muñoz said the goal is to maximize human potential, rather than minimizing human involvement.
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Defense Groups Take Aim at Underwater Security

Companies in the defense sector are preparing for a surge in government spending on protecting national maritime assets and critical infrastructure. Recent attacks on seabed pipelines and telecom cables have highlighted vulnerabilities, prompting initiatives like the U.S.’s recent tightening of subsea cable regulations. Defense technology companies are investing in naval technologies including AI-driven autonomous vehicles, sensors, and data systems for anti-submarine and infrastructure protection.
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AI Isn’t Ready to Be a Real Coder

AI coding tools have advanced rapidly, aiding developers by generating code, fixing errors, and improving documentation, but researchers at Cornell University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and the University of California, Berkeley presented proof that they are not yet ready to function as fully autonomous coders. Current AI models struggle with large codebases, logical complexity, long-term planning, and debugging tasks that require deep contextual understanding. Their documented failures include hallucinated errors and flawed fixes.
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Giant Robot Hand Designed for Disaster Response

Researchers in Japan and Switzerland demonstrated a giant robotic hand designed to aid disaster response, as part of Japan’s Collaborative AI Field Robot Everywhere (CAFÉ) project. The device, built in collaboration with Japan’s Kumagai Gumi, Tsukuba University, and the Nara Institute of Science and Technology, and Switzerland’s ETH Zurich, is able to grip fragile or heavy debris with precision. The researchers paired the robot hand with an AI excavation system using reinforcement learning, which allows it to safely tackle hazards like natural dams from landslides.
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Humain Launches Arabic Chatbot with 'Islamic' Values

Saudi Arabia's leading AI company Humain has launched Humain Chat, a conversational AI app designed for Arab and Muslim users. Built on the company's Allam large language model, the app supports bilingual Arabic-English conversations and multiple Arabic dialects, including Egyptian and Lebanese. CEO Tareq Amin described the AI as “both technically advanced and culturally authentic,” since it was trained on data reflecting regional values and culture.
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3D-Printed Electronics Dissolve in Water for Recycling

Dissolvable 3D-printed circuit boards developed by University of Maryland (UMD) researchers could reduce e-waste and speed up prototyping. Made from polyvinyl alcohol, the boards use liquid gallium-indium alloy for wiring and can be sealed with polymer glue. Demonstration products created through this process included working prototypes of a Bluetooth speaker, a fidget toy, and a three-fingered electronic gripper, all of which successfully dissolved after 36 hours in water (a splash of water won’t harm them).
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South Korea Makes AI Investment a Top Policy Priority

South Korea has designated AI investment as a top policy priority as it seeks to become a global AI power. Beginning in the second half of this year, the government will launch policy packages for 30 AI projects spanning robotics, automotive, shipping, home appliances, drones, factories, chips, and more. To invest in strategic sectors, South Korea plans to establish a 100 trillion won (U.S.$71.56 billion) public-private investment fund. According to the South Korean Finance Ministry, "A grand transformation into AI is the only way out of growth declines resulting from a population shock."
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Soft Robotic Skin Gives Robots Vision, Touch

A vision-based soft sensing skin developed by researchers at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology enables robots to perceive both touch and nearby objects in real time. The ProTac system uses a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal layer that switches between transparent and opaque states, allowing embedded cameras to detect environmental proximity or skin deformation. Tested on a prototype robotic arm, ProTac demonstrated accurate distance estimation, multi-touch recognition, and adaptive responses such as speed adjustment and contact avoidance.
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Hobbyist Restorer Rocks Art World with AI Innovation

Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate student Alex Kachkine has revolutionized art restoration using AI and precision printing techniques from microchip manufacturing. Kachkine's approach analyzes damaged paintings and creates ultra-thin removable masks that restore artworks 65 times faster than traditional methods. The innovation bridges opposing restoration philosophies by allowing complete visual restoration while preserving the original artwork underneath.
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