💰 AI Models Offer Pricier Products to the Rich

Researchers ran 325,000 queries on 13 popular AI models, including ones from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Qwen. They found that chatbot recommendations depend on how much their user earns (at least according to the information they have).

Claude Opus 4.8 stood out the most. The model offered "wealthy" users flights that cost $198 more on average than those it offered low-income users. And the effect persists even when the prompt explicitly asks for the cheapest options.

Now's a good time to complain to your chatbot about your low salary.

✖️ Smart Power Strip Failure Kills Aquarium Fish Across China

Aquarium electronics made by Wolda began failing abruptly on the evening of September 30. Some owners noticed the shutdown right away, but October 1–7 is a public holiday in China, and many were traveling or away from their offices. Only on returning did people find their fish dead, with filters and aeration systems down. One user complained that a stopped pump had flooded his home.

The cause of the failure remains unclear. The company blamed a hacker attack, but there is no independent confirmation of that. On social media, some of those affected blame a botched firmware update.