Scavenger Hunt in Carbondale seeks sign-ups
CARBONDALE — Get some friends together and sign up for Rainbow Cafe’s Community Scavenger Hunt, happening Saturday. The hunt is noon to 3 p.m. and open to all ages, plus any size of team including individuals. Also, everyone will win something. Sign up for the hunt here, the fun starts Saturday at Rainbow Cafe LGBTQ+ Community Center, 118 N. Illinois Ave., and involves an area within walking distance of the center.
Poets encouraged to register for Galena Poestry Slam
GALENA — Draw on your passion for poetry and compete for cash prizes at a poetry slam organized by Galen Public Library April 22. The slam, happening at Miss Kitty’s Grape Escape, is open to adults who have selections of original poetry of three minutes or less. Among the guest judges: Ted Williams, named Galena’s first-ever poet laureate in 2024.  Register in advance here to compete. Prizes range from $50 to $200. The slam is 6 to 8 p.m. at Miss Kitty’s, 242 N. Main St.
Companies could be liable for chatbot harm
SPRINGFIELD — A new bill would make tech companies liable for physical or financial harm to people, reports Central Illinois Proud. The bill, SB 3368, would also require parental consent for children to use chatbots like ChatGPT. State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Peru, said she introduced the bill after the federal government failed to pass its own regulations on chatbots and artificial intelligence. This is only one of the chatbot-related bills discussed at a state Senate committee hearing April 9; another bill would shut down a chatbot and display mental health resources if a user talks about self-harm. The bill awaits a committee vote and may be tripped up by a new federal policy announced March 20 that blocks states from making their own AI laws.
