INSURANCE NEWS
Young Europeans Turn to AI Chatbots for Emotional Support, Survey Shows
Nearly one in two young people in Europe have used AI chatbots to discuss intimate or personal matters, as the technology increasingly serves as a source of emotional support, an Ipsos BVA survey showed on Tuesday. Of the 3,800 people …
AI Firms Agree to Give US Early Access to Evaluate Their Models
Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Microsoft Corp. and xAI have agreed to give the US government early access to their artificial intelligence models to assess the systems’ capabilities and help improve their security before the technology is released to the public. With …
New Zealand’s A2 Milk Recalls Batches of US Baby Formula After Toxin Found
New Zealand infant formula maker a2 Milk Co. is recalling batches of product sold in the US after detecting a toxin linked to vomiting and diarrhea, marking its first brush with a contamination scare that has rattled the global industry. …
Heat-Trapping Microplastics Found to Play Role in Climate Change
Microplastics in the atmosphere are heating the planet, magnifying climate change impacts, according to new research. Scientists in China and the US found that tiny, colored plastic particles absorb sunlight as winds blow them around the world, trapping heat and …
Insurer QBE Faces Investor Pressure Over Extreme Weather Risks
Australian Ethical Investment Ltd., a pension fund with about A$14 billion ($10 billion) under management, is pressuring QBE Insurance Group Ltd. over the potential threat extreme weather poses to future profitability. The fund, which holds about A$65 million of QBE …
Oil Tanker Pricing Feud Embroils Centuries-Old London Market
A legal claim from one of the world’s largest oil traders is throwing a spotlight on an arcane but critical corner of global finance — the multibillion-dollar freight market and the 282-year-old City of London institution that sits at the …
Ships Cluster Further From Hormuz Strait as Iran Widens Grip
Hundreds of vessels were seen clustering near Dubai on Tuesday, as more ships moved away from a still-empty Strait of Hormuz in response to Iran’s efforts to widen its area of control. A weeks-long ceasefire between the US and Iran …
Middle East Truce in Doubt as US and Iran Launch New Attacks for Control of Hormuz
The fragile truce in the Middle East was in jeopardy on Tuesday after the U.S. and Iran launched new attacks as they wrestled for control of the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military said on Monday it destroyed six Iranian …
No, Florida Lawmakers Did Not Repeal the No-Fault Auto Insurance Law
Did you hear that Florida’s 55-year-old “no-fault” auto insurance statute has been repealed? Most people in the Florida insurance industry probably know that is not true. But a number of recent websites and postings by Florida plaintiffs’ law firms and …
Federal Judge Has ‘Grave Concerns’ About Missouri Roundup Deal
A federal judge overseeing thousands of cancer lawsuits against Bayer AG and its Roundup weedkiller said he had “grave concerns” about whether a proposed $7.25 billion class-action settlement in Missouri could properly address future claims outside the state. At a …
For Autonomous Robots, Not All Rules Are Equal
From driving cars to flying drones, as autonomous robots take on more responsibility, they also face more human-like dilemmas — including what to do when rules collide. For a self-driving vehicle, this conundrum might pop up when a pedestrian suddenly …
Kalshi Grilled by Massachusetts High Court Over What Gambling Is
The Massachusetts Supreme Court appeared skeptical of Kalshi Inc.’s claim that its prediction markets don’t fall under state gambling laws because the company is instead providing financial arrangements between people using “swap” contracts on events like sports. The case is …