Ethics & Safety Weekly AI News

August 4 - August 12, 2025

This weekly update shows major steps forward in making AI agents safer and more ethical. The biggest news comes from Europe, where new rules for high-risk AI systems took effect in August 2025. These rules focus on AI tools that make decisions about people's lives, like job hiring or loan approvals.

A scary discovery came from medical researchers who found that AI chatbots easily spread false health information. When doctors or patients ask these AI agents questions with wrong medical facts, the bots often repeat and expand on the lies. However, researchers found a simple fix - adding one warning line to the AI prompt cuts these errors by almost half.

In the United States, doctors are pushing back against government AI plans. The American Medical Association wants stronger rules to stop AI bias in healthcare. They worry that unfair AI could harm patients, especially those from different backgrounds.

Workplace safety experts met this week and decided that AI is here to stay. The American Society of Safety Professionals created a special team to figure out how to use AI helpers safely at work. They believe AI won't replace safety workers but will make them better at their jobs.

In Africa, scientists built an AI system to speed up research approval. This AI agent helps review research projects faster while keeping human oversight. The system could cut waiting times from years to just weeks.

All these stories show the same pattern: AI agents are getting more powerful, but we need better rules and safety checks to use them responsibly.

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