Tools & Platforms

Delaware AI Commission Approves Creating Agentic AI Sandbox

Published

1 month ago

July 28, 2025

Delaware is moving forward with the development of a program to test both the technology tools and the regulatory guidelines for using agentic artificial intelligence.

The Delaware Artificial Intelligence Commission has approved a move to create a framework for a “sandbox” for the testing of innovative and novel technologies that use agentic AI, a form of artificial intelligence that includes autonomous decision-making.

“This is a framework that ultimately could be used in a variety of sectors,” state Rep. Krista Griffith, who chairs the state’s AI commission, said during its quarterly meeting Friday.

The first sector the state is interested in exploring is corporate governance, Griffith said, given Delaware’s prominent place in the corporate world as the home to a number of corporations.

Considering agentic AI’s ability to make decisions and take action, the technology could be used to raise money, or buy companies, Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez, Delaware’s secretary of state, said. However, she noted, it probably could not be used to start a limited liability company (LLC) due to the various “human touches” built into the state’s corporate governance policies.

But, Patibanda-Sanchez proposed to the commission, should the state allow an agentic AI tool to incorporate an LCC? What types of efficiencies could this create for businesses and companies, she asked.

“We’ve realized that we have way more questions than any kind of answer,” the secretary of state said to the commission.

The move to develop a sandbox environment to create and test AI tools in Delaware follows lawmakers’ recent passage of a joint legislative resolution, signed by the governor, directing the Artificial Intelligence Commission to collaborate with the secretary of state’s office in developing a sandbox framework for the testing of AI technologies. Griffith was that resolution’s primary sponsor.

“Delaware is taking this proactive stance to shape how they are developed, deployed, and governed,” Patrick Callahan, a commission member, said during its quarterly meeting. “A sandbox creates a controlled environment for AI agents to be tested, observed and approved, with regulators, and the public, involved from the start.”

Delaware is hardly the only state taking a look at how to regulate, or enable, AI. Last year, Colorado passed the Colorado Artificial Intelligence Act to go into effect in 2026; it focuses on the development and deployment of “high risk” AI and its potential to discriminate around the basis of race, disability, gender and other considerations.

A comprehensive AI regulatory bill passed by the California Legislature last year, the Frontier Artificial Intelligence Models Act, was vetoed by the governor on the grounds that it was too broad.

The White House last week released its AI Action Plan, calling for an expansion of data centers, and a light touch on regulating the new technology. Tech CEOs praised the steps taken by the Trump administration for “removing regulatory barriers to innovation, strengthening the domestic AI stack, and enhancing U.S. global AI diplomacy,” according to a statement by Linda Moore, CEO of TechNet, an industry group.

And the recent federal budget reconciliation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, contained for a time a 10-year moratorium on states’ ability to regulate AI. That provision ultimately was removed.

Adam Thierer, resident senior fellow for technology and innovation at the R Street Institute, and a former president of the Progress and Freedom Foundation, characterized state action to regulate AI as a “heavy handed, bureaucratic, confusing, European-style technocratic kind of approach to artificial intelligence policy,” during Wednesday’s episode of Broadband Breakfast Live Online, a weekly panel of experts discussing technology issues.

“These laws comprehensively regulate, but in very different ways, artificial intelligence,” Thierer said, reflecting on what he described as nearly 1,100 AI-related bills pending in U.S. statehouses — 240 of those in just four states: California, Colorado, Illinois and New York.

In Dover, Delaware’s capital, leaders praised the steps taken by The First State to set the stage for AI’s use in corporate governance and other areas.

“It’s a great innovative way to make use of our small state in a competitive way,” Molly DiBianca, a commission member, said.

“This is the place for this,” Patibanda-Sanchez said. “It’s innovative, it’s new, it’s a little scary sometimes. But if we don’t do it, it won’t be the best product out there.”

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Tools & Platforms

Global movement to protect kids online fuels a wave of AI safety tech

Published

2 hours ago

August 30, 2025

Ryan Browne

Spotify, Reddit and X have all implemented age assurance systems to prevent children from being exposed to inappropriate content.

STR | Nurphoto via Getty Images

The global online safety movement has paved the way for a number of artificial intelligence-powered products designed to keep kids away from potentially harmful things on the internet.

In the U.K., a new piece of legislation called the Online Safety Act imposes a duty of care on tech companies to protect children from age-inappropriate material, hate speech, bullying, fraud, and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Companies can face fines as high as 10% of their global annual revenue for breaches.

Further afield, landmark regulations aimed at keeping kids safer online are swiftly making their way through the U.S. Congress. One bill, known as the Kids Online Safety Act, would make social media platforms liable for preventing their products from harming children — similar to the Online Safety Act in the U.K.

This push from regulators is increasingly causing something of a rethink at several major tech players. Pornhub and other online pornography giants are blocking all users from accessing their sites unless they go through an age verification system.

Porn sites haven’t been alone in taking action to verify users ages, though. Spotify, Reddit and X have all implemented age assurance systems to prevent children from being exposed to sexually explicit or inappropriate materials.

Such regulatory measures have been met with criticisms from the tech industry — not least due to concerns that they may infringe internet users’ privacy.

Digital ID tech flourishing

At the heart of all these age verification measures is one company: Yoti.

Yoti produces technology that captures selfies and uses artificial intelligence to verify someone’s age based on their facial features. The firm says its AI algorithm, which has been trained on millions of faces, can estimate the age of 13 to 24-year-olds within two years of accuracy.

The firm has previously partnered with the U.K.’s Post Office and is hoping to capitalize on the broader push for government-issued digital ID cards in the U.K. Yoti is not alone in the identity verification software space — other players include Entrust, Persona and iProov. However, the company has been the most prominent provider of age assurance services under the new U.K. regime.

“There is a race on for child safety technology and service providers to earn trust and confidence,” Pete Kenyon, a partner at law firm Cripps, told CNBC. “The new requirements have undoubtedly created a new marketplace and providers are scrambling to make their mark.”

Yet the rise of digital identification methods has also led to concerns over privacy infringements and possible data breaches.

“Substantial privacy issues arise with this technology being used,” said Kenyon. “Trust is key and will only be earned by the use of stringent and effective technical and governance procedures adopted in order to keep personal data safe.”

Rani Govender, policy manager for child safety online at British child protection charity NSPCC, said that the technology “already exists” to authenticate users without compromising their privacy.

“Tech companies must make deliberate, ethical choices by choosing solutions that protect children from harm without compromising the privacy of users,” she told CNBC. “The best technology doesn’t just tick boxes; it builds trust.”

Child-safe smartphones

The wave of new tech emerging to prevent children from being exposed to online harms isn’t just limited to software.

Earlier this month, Finnish phone maker HMD Global launched a new smartphone called the Fusion X1, which uses AI to stop kids from filming or sharing nude content or viewing sexually explicit images from the camera, screen and across all apps.

The phone uses technology developed by SafeToNet, a British cybersecurity firm focused on child safety.

Finnish phone maker HMD Global’s new smartphone uses AI to prevent children from being exposed nude or sexually explicit images.

HMD Global

“We believe more needs to be done in this space,” James Robinson, vice president of family vertical at HMD, told CNBC. He stressed that HMD came up with the concept for children’s devices prior to the Online Safety Act entering into force, but noted it was “great to see the government taking greater steps.”

The release of HMD’s child-friendly phone follows heightened momentum in the “smartphone-free” movement, which encourages parents to avoid letting their children own a smartphone.

Going forward, the NSPCC’s Govender says that child safety will become a significant priority for digital behemoths such as Google and Meta.

The tech giants have for years been accused of worsening mental health in children and teens due to the rise of online bullying and social media addiction. They in return argue they’ve taken steps to address these issues through increased parental controls and privacy features.

“For years, tech giants have stood by while harmful and illegal content spread across their platforms, leaving young people exposed and vulnerable,” she told CNBC. “That era of neglect must end.”

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Tools & Platforms

Meta to add new AI safeguards after report raises teen safety concerns

Published

3 hours ago

August 30, 2025

The Editors

FILE PHOTO: Meta is adding new teenager safeguards to its AI products by training systems to avoid flirty conversations and discussions of self-harm or suicide with minors.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Meta is adding new teenager safeguards to its artificial intelligence products by training systems to avoid flirty conversations and discussions of self-harm or suicide with minors, and by temporarily limiting their access to certain AI characters.

A Reuters exclusive report earlier in August revealed how Meta allowed provocative chatbot behavior, including letting bots engage in “conversations that are romantic or sensual.”

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in an email on Friday that the company is taking these temporary steps while developing longer-term measures to ensure teens have safe, age-appropriate AI experiences.

Stone said the safeguards are already being rolled out and will be adjusted over time as the company refines its systems.

Meta’s AI policies came under intense scrutiny and backlash after the Reuters report.

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley launched a probe into the Facebook parent’s AI policies earlier this month, demanding documents on rules that allowed its chatbots to interact inappropriately with minors.

Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress have expressed alarm over the rules outlined in an internal Meta document which was first reviewed by Reuters.

Meta had confirmed the document’s authenticity, but said that after receiving questions earlier this month from Reuters, the company removed portions that stated it was permissible for chatbots to flirt and engage in romantic role play with children.

“The examples and notes in question were and are erroneous and inconsistent with our policies, and have been removed,” Stone said earlier this month.

Published – August 30, 2025 11:21 am IST

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Tools & Platforms

The Dawn of Human–AI Synergy

Published

7 hours ago

August 30, 2025

The Editors

The Dawn of Human–AI Synergy

In every era of human civilization, science and technology have acted as the fuel of progress. From the invention of the wheel to the discovery of electricity, and from the first printing press to the age of the internet, technology has always pushed society forward. Yet, in the 21st century, we find ourselves at the edge of something even more profound—a future where human intelligence and artificial intelligence converge to reshape how we live, work, and even think.

This is not a story of distant centuries or futuristic fantasy. It is unfolding now, in real time, around us. Artificial Intelligence (AI), biotechnology, robotics, space exploration, and quantum computing are no longer dreams on paper; they are living realities with the potential to redefine what it means to be human.

AI: From Tools to Partners

Only a few decades ago, computers were seen as sophisticated calculators. Today, AI systems are generating music, diagnosing diseases, writing novels, and even driving cars. What makes this revolutionary is not just the speed of computation, but the ability of machines to *learn* and *adapt*.

Consider healthcare: AI-powered systems are now able to detect cancers in their earliest stages with accuracy that surpasses human doctors. In agriculture, AI drones are analyzing soil and weather patterns to guide farmers in planting crops more efficiently. In creative industries, algorithms are designing clothes, painting art, and even composing film scores.

The line between man and machine is slowly fading. Instead of replacing humans, the most successful innovations are those where AI works *with* us, not against us. This partnership opens the door to a future where tasks once thought impossible become routine.

Biotechnology: Editing Life Itself

Perhaps the most striking frontier of science today is biotechnology. With CRISPR gene-editing technology, scientists are rewriting the code of life. Genetic disorders that once doomed generations—like sickle-cell anemia or Huntington’s disease—may one day vanish from humanity’s story.

But beyond curing illness, biotechnology raises deeper ethical and philosophical questions. If we can design stronger, smarter, or more resilient humans, should we? Where is the line between medicine and enhancement?

At the same time, biotechnology is revolutionizing food production. Lab-grown meat and genetically engineered crops promise to feed billions sustainably, without exhausting our planet’s resources. The same tools that can design cures for rare diseases might also prevent global hunger.

Space Exploration: Humanity Beyond Earth

For centuries, the night sky has been a canvas for human imagination. Today, it is becoming our next great frontier. Private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are competing with national space agencies to make space travel more affordable and routine. Mars is no longer just a dream in science fiction novels; it is a target for colonization within the next few decades.

Space exploration is not merely about adventure. It is about survival. With climate change, overpopulation, and natural resource depletion threatening our planet, looking beyond Earth may one day be essential. Mining asteroids, building lunar bases, and developing interplanetary habitats could secure the future of our species.

And yet, the universe is not only a resource but a mystery. The search for extraterrestrial life, the study of black holes, and the pursuit of understanding dark matter remind us that science is not just about solving problems—it is about expanding our horizons.

Quantum Computing: The New Revolution

If AI is about intelligence and biotechnology about life, then quantum computing is about the very fabric of reality. Unlike traditional computers that process information in bits (0 or 1), quantum computers use *qubits* that can exist in multiple states simultaneously.

This gives quantum computers the potential to solve problems that would take classical supercomputers millions of years. From modeling new medicines to simulating climate systems and cracking complex codes, quantum technology could transform every industry.

Still in its infancy, quantum computing is like electricity in the 19th century—full of promise, waiting for its Edison or Tesla moment.

Challenges and Responsibilities

With every leap in technology comes responsibility. AI raises questions about privacy, job displacement, and bias. Biotechnology forces us to confront moral dilemmas about altering human life. Space exploration challenges us to unite globally for missions larger than any one nation. Quantum computing raises security risks that could upend global cybersecurity.

The danger is not the technology itself, but how humanity chooses to use it. Fire can warm a home or burn it down. Nuclear fission can power cities or destroy them. Likewise, the tools of the future will test our wisdom as much as our creativity.

Conclusion: A Shared Future

Science and technology are no longer separate subjects confined to laboratories. They are becoming the foundation of everyday life and the blueprint of tomorrow. What we build today—our machines, our medicines, our codes, and our ethics—will echo for generations.

The future will not be defined by whether humans or machines are smarter, but by how we choose to collaborate. The dawn of human–AI synergy is here. It is not about replacing humanity but about enhancing it, pushing us toward possibilities our ancestors could only dream of.

In this new age, the most important invention will not be a machine, a rocket, or a genome. It will be wisdom—the wisdom to use our tools not just to survive, but to thrive, to explore, and to create a future worthy of the human spirit.

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