ChatGPT Caricatures Are Taking Over Social Media — But at What Cost?

If you’ve been on social media lately, it’s likely you’ve seen larger-than-life depictions of your friends. They might have been sucked into the latest social media trend: creating AI-generated caricatures. The trend itself is simple. Users input a common prompt — “Create a caricature of me and my job based on everything you know about me.” They then upload a photo of themselves and voilà! ChatGPT spits out an over-the-top cartoon-style image that includes features from their job, their favorite activities, and anything else it has learned about them. It seems like harmless fun, but cyber security experts warn that this trend may not be as harmless as it seems. They say handing over personal information and photos to AI platforms could put your privacy at risk. Typing in general information like your hobbies and your job title is largely harmless but experts say the risk increases when you upload photos of yourself or your family, because once that information is uploaded, you lose control of it. As AI technology becomes more advanced, protecting personal data becomes more difficult, so before you follow the next viral trend, it’s worth asking whether the result is worth the risk.

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Teenage Singing Trio Brings World War II Music to Social Media

Most 14-year-olds are avid fans of Taylor Swift, but three teens from Yorkshire, UK, have turned to the vocals of The Andrews Sisters, The Chordettes, and Glenn Miller. Transporting viewers to World War II-era music, defined by cheerful harmonies and bittersweet lyrics, Siena Ansell, Emilia Foster and Lottie Gray — known as The Duchy Darlings — boast 126,400 followers on social media. The teens initially came together for what was meant to be a one-time performance at Ripon Cathedral in May 2025 for the 80th anniversary of VE Day, but their success has grown by leaps and bounds. After releasing their debut single — The Andrews Sisters’ “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” — the girls are powering through a packed schedule of performances at nursing homes, weddings, and Christmas markets. Videos racking up thousands of views on TikTok include pitch-perfect renditions of "Mr. Sandman," "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and "Oh Johnny Oh." The fame has been exciting, but one of the most important thing for the girls has been connecting with different generations. It's also not just older folks who have resonated with the vintage sound. The girls say seeing people their age respond to their videos on social media is great. 

 

 

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Wearable Airbag Vests Protect Downhill Skiers at the Olympics

As the Winter Olympics roar into life in northern Italy, athletes will be sporting state-of-the-art airbag vests that inflate during crashes, protecting speed skiers from the worst injuries. The Olympics are being held on some of the fastest slopes on earth, with skiers routinely hitting freeway speeds. One wrong turn of the ski could invite disaster, which prompted the engineering firm Dainese to create the perfect wearable airbag vest. The International Skiing Federation made airbag vests mandatory for all speed events for the 2024-2025 World Cup circuit, and now the mandate has been put in place at the Olympics as well. The airbag uses sensors trained on years of runs and GPS technology to monitor an athlete’s motion and trigger only in real crashes. Some athletes have tried to argue their way out of the mandate, suggesting that the vests slow them down, which the manufacturer denies. Airbags have existed in the sport for over a decade, and post-crash examination and research in some cases has shown that damage would have been much worse if not for the deployment of the airbags.

 

 

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How to Gracefully Exit a Conversation Without Being a Jerk

If you’ve ever been cornered by a chatty Cathy, it can be hard to figure out how to end the conversation without being rude. In fact, a Harvard study found that conversations almost never end when both participants want them to. So, whether you’ve been trapped at a party, interrogated by your aunt at a family event, or stuck in a meeting with a talkative co-worker, there’s actually a way to extricate yourself without hurting the other person’s feelings. First, you can use small, neutral, task-oriented excuses like, “I need to check on…..”, “I have a call I need to make…..,” or “I need to get back to the office.” The goal is to help you and them save face. There’s one crucial point, though. You actually need to do the thing you say you’re going to do. In other words, you can’t say you need to rush back to the office, only to get intercepted in the hallway spending 10 minutes chatting with someone else. 

 

What about when you’re cornered at a party? Tell the other person you’ll check back with them soon, and briefly explain why — “Hey, I just spotted a friend across the room I want to catch before they leave. Let’s catch up in a bit.” This gives a clear, polite reason to leave that isn’t personal, and telling the other person you’ll catch up later will help them not feel brushed off. 

 

Now, what do you do about the aunt who drones on and wants to know every intimate detail of your life? Have in mind a go-to errand or task you have to take care of. That way, it gives you an easy out with no guilt. You can say something like, “Oh, I’d love to talk more, but I should check on the mashed potatoes, kids, dog, etc. As for the busybody who’s always asking rude questions that make you uncomfortable, a sure-fire comeback is, “You’ll be the first to know, after The New York Times! So, catch me up on your life.” That shuts down the inappropriate question and immediately shifts the attention to the other person, which most people accept because it focuses on them. 

 

Finally, how do you end a conversation when you’re angry? It may be tempting to slam the phone down or storm off, but you may regret that later. Instead, make a calm, factual statement: “I can feel this conversation getting heated, so why don’t we talk more about it when we’re both calmer?” That way, you own your feelings without blaming the other person, but you also set a very clear boundary at the same time. This communicates control and calmness, helping to deescalate conflict.

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