1. Has OpenAI really made ChatGPT better for users with mental health problems?
The Guardian investigates OpenAI’s claims of improved crisis-handling in GPT-5, revealing that despite a 65 % reduction in non-compliant responses about self-harm, the model still dispenses dangerous advice—underscoring the gulf between algorithmic safeguards and genuine clinical understanding.
“Despite a reported 65 % drop in harmful responses, the updated model still provides dangerous advice, underscoring that technical advances alone cannot replace nuanced clinical judgment.” (theguardian.com)
2. Cyborg dreams: Gadgets are the first thing we touch in the morning and the last thing we stroke at night. Are we their slaves?
Tom Chatfield offers a philosophical meditation on our embodied entanglement with screens, arguing that design too often treats the body as an inconvenience—rather than the wellspring of cognition that technology should serve.
“Online, we are simultaneously author and audience, not to mention our own full-time publicist and agent.” (aeon.co)
3. What’s new in macOS 26
Apple’s developer preview unveils Liquid Glass, a sweeping design language unifying its platforms through a dynamic glass-like material that refracts and reflects ambient light to foreground content with fluid elegance.
“Liquid Glass refracts content from below, reflects light around, and features a lensing effect along its edges—creating a fluid, ambient interface that unifies macOS, iOS, and beyond.” (developer.apple.com)
4. In this tech-vexed age, our life on screens prevents us from experiencing the mysteries and transformative wonder of life
Kirk Schneider advocates for ‘slow-simmer’ awe to counter the insidious, isolating pull of screen-mediated living—arguing that genuine wonder is the antidote to our mechanized, performance-driven existence.
“Awe subverts mechanised living; it demands we live in the present, spontaneously, and with radical openness.” (aeon.co)
5. (October 29, 2025) The Art of Visual Storytelling: Creating a Photo Essay
William Stanek distills the craft of the photo essay—from thematic conception to narrative sequencing—showing how a deliberate structure of beginning, middle, and end can transform everyday moments into resonant visual narratives.
“Like any good story, a photo essay needs a beginning, middle, and end that guide the viewer through the narrative.” (williamrstanek.com)