The Download: accidental AI relationships, and the future of contraception

Plus: Secret Service agents dismantled a giant operation to cripple cell networks. It's surprisingly easy to stumble into a relationship with an AI chatbot The first large-scale computational analysis of the Reddit community r/MyBoyfriendIsAI, which is dedicated to discussing AI relationships, found that many people formed those relationships unintentionally while using AI for other purposes. In fact, only 6.5% of them said they'd deliberately sought out an AI companion. The study found that AI companionship provides vital support for some but exacerbates underlying problems for others. This means it's hard to take a one-size-fits-all approach to user safety. Join us at 1.30pm ET today to learn about the future of birth control Conversations around birth control usually focus on women, but Kevin Eisenfrats, one of the MIT Technology Review 2025 Innovators Under 35, is working to change that.