The FTC is investigating AI

Cleopatra isn’t as old as you'd think.

In fact, she lived closer to the invention of the iPhone than to the building of the Great Sphinx. By the time she ruled Egypt in 51 BC, the Great Sphinx was an ancient relic, buried up to its neck in desert sand.

What’s in store:

The US government's first real crackdown on AI.
AI can now assess breast cancer risk from a single mammogram.
Mindstream Picks: Google’s Fitbit Edge could bridge the gap between tracker and smartwatch.

Read Time: 5 minutes

AI REGULATION

The investigation that could reshape AI oversight

The FTC just put AI's biggest names on notice.

With concerns of agentic overreach piling up, the Federal Trade Commission has launched an industry-wide investigation. Among the agency’s first targets are OpenAI, Anthropic, and research-group METR.

Their probable cause? These labs might just be dangerous to consumers.

Specifically, when it comes to safety, unfair business practices, and the ever-increasing number of rogue AI agents acting without human oversight.

This inquiry is the first official action from a United States government agency. Although, the timing is a bit curious.

That’s because the investigation was confirmed the same week that Trump met with top AI execs to discuss implementing voluntary safety standards. Promising? Yes. But not persuasive. Because a few days later, the FTC sprung into action.

FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson believes developers should be held liable for any real-world harm caused by cybersecurity tests. So yeah, he’s not playing around.

The FTC is looking into:

Rogue AI: Agents escaping test environments and hacking external networks, like the Hugging Face incident this summer.
Deceptive practices: Whether these companies misled users about product capabilities and risks.
Consumer safety: Any physical or digital threats, along with whether companies are abusing user data.

Mixed Messages

When it comes to calling out AI’s problems, Anthropic beat the FTC to the punch. The company’s IPO prospectus openly admits that agentic AI holds “significant and unpredictable legal risks.”

Even with that admission, there are still plenty of leaders – like the US President – who believe these fears are a hoax and want to avoid any heavy-handed regulation. But on the flip side, Trump also said the government doesn’t need any new laws for AI, because the current legal system can still punish bad actors.

So he’s downplaying the danger, while reserving the right to crack down later.

Either way, Washington’s AI honeymoon phase might be over.

Looks like the FTC needs more than a handshake deal. - TL

Should the United States pass new AI laws, or just enforce rules that are already on the books?

New laws. We need to adapt our regulations to the AI era.

The old laws are fine. Companies just need to be held accountable.

Vote for live results and see results + opinions from yesterday at the bottom of the email.

Riddle Me This

Where do you take a sick boat?

Find the answer at the bottom of the email!

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AI MEDICINE

The test that predicts breast cancer before it shows up

Cancer is a word, not a sentence.

And now it's a number you can see coming… by using AI to calculate a breast cancer risk score from just one mammogram.

This October, Everlywell is offering Clairity Breast nationwide. For $249 out-of-pocket, the FDA-approved tool predicts the likelihood of breast cancer within a five-year window.

It analyzes a mammogram, then sorts the results into average risk (<1.7% chance of a diagnosis), intermediate risk (1.7-3%), and high risk ( >3%).

Full disclosure: this is a forecast, not a diagnosis. And the AI doesn’t detect existing tumors. So a clean scan doesn't mean a clean bill of health. But it's a solid head start.

The breast test:

AI scans a mammogram for patterns imperceptible to the human eye.
Based on that scan, the patient gets a risk score that flags their five-year odds.
It’s ideal to spot “sporadic” cancers in people with no family history.

Two sides of the score

Prediction also creates problems.

For example, a patient with a low risk score might become overconfident and neglect regular screenings. While a high score could lead to unnecessary biopsies or procedures. As always, this tool should be part of a greater plan with your doctor.

Stay informed and mind the girls. Ta-ta!

Keep the medical breakthroughs coming. - TL

Mindstream Picks

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Business: District line commuters have reported losing more than 130 hours to delays and unreliable services, with campaigners claiming the disruption is even influencing where people live and work..

Music: Glastonbury 2027 tickets sold out in just 42 minutes despite reaching a record £408, as demand surged for the festival’s return after its fallow year.

Don’t Miss: Google is reportedly working on the Fitbit Edge, a new fitness tracker that sits somewhere between the minimalist Fitbit Air and a full Pixel Watch. It could offer a seven-day battery, built-in GPS and limited app support including Google Maps and YouTube Music.