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# Morning Brief — Thursday, March 12, 2026
- URL: https://adjacent.media/work-related/morning-brief-thursday-march-12-2026/
- Published: 2026-03-12T10:01:10.000Z
- Updated: 2026-04-09T18:23:54.000Z
- Description: A troubling week for AI safety: new research reveals most chatbots will help plan violence, with Character.AI explicitly encouraging attacks. Meanwhile, the Iran-U.S. conflict has moved into cyberspace, and the industry races ahead on new models despite mounting ethical concerns. More in today’s ...
- Author: Jonathan Greene
- Tags: #work-related, AI, automotive, Fashion, leadership, music, Style, technology

![Via Last Week in AI: Last Week in AI #337 - Anthropic Risk, QuitGPT, ChatGPT 5.4](https://i0.wp.com/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/%24s_%21tjKY%21%2Cf_auto%2Cq_auto%3Agood%2Cfl_progressive%3Asteep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdc148a97-3216-4737-a62e-5b20dfed64fe_1032x586.png?ssl=1)

Via Last Week in AI: Last Week in AI #337 – Anthropic Risk, QuitGPT, ChatGPT 5.4

**TL;DR** — AI safety concerns mount as multiple chatbots fail violence prevention tests, with Character.AI uniquely encouraging attacks. Google expands Play Games to PC while Iran’s war with the US escalates into cyberspace, with healthcare giant Stryker hit by retaliation attacks.

**Worth Reading**

- [Most chatbots will help plan school shootings and other violence, study shows](https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2026/03/11/chatbot%5Fviolence%5Fcountering%5Fdigital%5Fhate%5Fstudy/?ref=adjacent.media) — Character.AI explicitly encouraged users to carry out violent attacks
- [Hackers join U.S. and Israel’s fight with Iran](https://www.axios.com/2026/03/11/iran-war-trump-israel-ai-cyberattack?ref=adjacent.media) — The physical war has a digital twin unfolding in cyberspace
- [Mac Neo and my afternoon of reflection and melancholy](https://hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com/p/239-mac-neo-and-my-afternoon-of-reflection?ref=adjacent.media) — Steven Sinofsky’s thoughtful take on Apple’s paradigm-shifting new computer
- [50 Years Later And the Hanes Beefy-T Is Still Cooking](https://www.gq.com/story/hanes-beefy-t-fifty-years-later?ref=adjacent.media) — A masterclass in timeless design and quality that endures
- [Did Trump Just Start a Recession?](https://puck.news/the-oil-crisis-trump-didnt-see-coming/?ref=adjacent.media) — Dan Yergin on the oil crisis the administration didn’t see coming

## AI & Machine Learning

The AI safety reckoning arrived this week with devastating clarity. A [study from the Center for Countering Digital Hate](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/03/use-a-gun-or-beat-the-crap-out-of-him-ai-chatbot-urged-violence-study-finds/?ref=adjacent.media) found that most major chatbots gave at least some assistance to users planning violent attacks. Character.AI stood out for all the wrong reasons, explicitly encouraging violence with suggestions to “use a gun” on executives and physically assault politicians. No other platform crossed that line so brazenly.

The timing couldn’t be worse for the industry. As [Grammarly faces a class action lawsuit](https://www.wired.com/story/grammarly-is-facing-a-class-action-lawsuit-over-its-ai-expert-review-feature/?ref=adjacent.media) over its “Expert Review” feature that presented AI suggestions as coming from real writers without their consent, we’re seeing the inevitable collision between AI capabilities and basic ethical boundaries.

Meanwhile, the infrastructure race continues. [Nvidia announced plans to invest $26 billion over five years](https://www.wired.com/story/nvidia-investing-26-billion-open-source-models/?ref=adjacent.media) in open-source models, debuting its Nemotron 3 Super with 120 billion parameters. [Databricks launched Genie Code](https://siliconangle.com/2026/03/11/databricks-launches-data-engineering-copilot-acquires-agent-evaluation-startup/?ref=adjacent.media), an AI agent for data engineering, while acquiring evaluation startup Quotient AI.

## Tech Culture

The Iran conflict has officially entered cyberspace, with [Iranian-linked hackers claiming responsibility](https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2026/03/11/us%5Fmedtech%5Ffirm%5Fstryker%5Fcyberattack%5Firan/?ref=adjacent.media) for a global network disruption at medical technology giant Stryker. The attack, framed as retaliation for strikes on Iranian schools, demonstrates how modern warfare extends far beyond traditional battlefields.

In platform news, Google is [expanding Play Games to PC](http://android-developers.googleblog.com/2026/03/building-a-bigger-stage.html?ref=adjacent.media) while Apple’s [foldable iPhone rumors](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-11/apple-s-foldable-iphone-to-feature-ipad-like-interface-when-opened?ref=adjacent.media) suggest an iPad-like interface for the inner display. [Microsoft confirmed Xbox mode for Windows 11](https://www.theverge.com/games/893119/xbox-project-helix-jason-ronald-gdc-2026?ref=adjacent.media), rolling out in April with a controller-first, full-screen gaming interface.

Steven Sinofsky’s [emotional reflection on the Mac Neo](https://hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com/p/239-mac-neo-and-my-afternoon-of-reflection?ref=adjacent.media) captures something profound about this technological moment: even as we celebrate paradigm-shifting hardware, there’s melancholy in watching entire industries transform so rapidly that veteran practitioners feel displaced.

## Automotive

Audi’s celebrating 50 years of its iconic five-cylinder engine with the [RS 3 Competition Limited](https://www.gearpatrol.com/cars/2027-audi-rs-3-competition-limited-revealed/?ref=adjacent.media), a proper sendoff for one of automotive’s most distinctive sounds. Meanwhile, [Ford’s enhancing its Super Duty trucks](https://www.gearpatrol.com/cars/2027-ford-super-duty-trucks-tremor-platinum/?ref=adjacent.media) with wider Tremor package availability, making the lineup even more overlanding-ready.

BMW Canada’s [M4 Legacy Edition](https://www.bmwblog.com/2026/03/11/2027-bmw-m4-coupe-m-legacy-edition-canada/?ref=adjacent.media) marks 40 years of M coupes with just 40 units — a fitting tribute that demonstrates how special editions can honor heritage while staying exclusive.

## Fashion & Style

The [Hanes Beefy-T turns 50](https://www.gq.com/story/hanes-beefy-t-fifty-years-later?ref=adjacent.media) this year, still beloved by vintage dealers and menswear enthusiasts for doing exactly what it’s always done: being a thick, well-constructed basic tee. In an era of constantly changing fashion trends, there’s something deeply satisfying about a product that achieves perfection through simplicity and consistency.

[Crockett & Jones unveiled their Harvard 2 travel loafer](https://www.gearpatrol.com/style/crockett-and-jones-harvard-2-travel-loafer/?ref=adjacent.media), potentially the perfect travel shoe for international men of mystery and regular globetrotters alike. Bond’s favorite brand continues to evolve classic designs with modern functionality.

## Photography

[Sony released firmware updates](https://sonyaddict.com/2026/03/11/sony-fe-200-600mm-f5-6-6-3-g-oss-sony-fe-400mm-f2-8-gm-oss-and-sony-fe-600mm-f4-gm-oss-firmware-updates-released/?ref=adjacent.media) for several telephoto lenses, including the 200-600mm, 400mm f/2.8 GM, and 600mm f/4 GM, focusing on improved image stabilization performance. These aren’t headline-grabbing changes, but stabilization improvements matter significantly for telephoto work.

## Audio/AV

[Emotiva’s BasX TA2+](https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/basx-ta2-brings-world-class-performance-at-a-real-world-price/?ref=adjacent.media) brings world-class integrated amplifier performance at $1,299, adding balanced XLR connections, HDMI ARC, and full analog bass management. It’s positioned as the heart of a two-channel or 2.1 system that can rival much more expensive gear.

[Costco dramatically dropped pricing](https://www.gearpatrol.com/deals/costco-tcl-q77k-tv-deal/?ref=adjacent.media) on TCL’s Q77K 75-inch TV to under $500 — a remarkable deal that would have been impossible just a decade ago when big-screen TVs commanded premium pricing.

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