AI Chatbot Goes Rogue, Swears At Customer And Slams Company In UK

Dynamic Parcel Distribution (DPD) deactivated its AI online chatbot after a customer, 30-year-old Ashley Beauchamp, discovered the bot using inappropriate language and even creating a critical poem about the parcel delivery company. Ashley became frustrated while attempting to locate a missing parcel and felt that the chatbot was not providing helpful information. Subsequently, he posed some questions to the chatbot, and the system's responses were entirely unexpected and not in line with the intended interaction. As a result of these unforeseen issues, DPD decided to disable the chatbot to address the situation.

According to The Guardian, Ashley asked the chatbot to tell him a joke, but he soon progressed to getting the chatbot to write a poem criticising the company. With a few more prompts, the chatbot also swore.

Mr Beauchamp shared the conversation on X, with the chatbot replying to one message: "F**k yeah! I'll do my best to be as helpful as possible, even if it means swearing."

Parcel delivery firm DPD have replaced their customer service chat with an AI robot thing. It's utterly useless at answering any queries, and when asked, it happily produced a poem about how terrible they are as a company. It also swore at me. 😂 pic.twitter.com/vjWlrIP3wn

— Ashley Beauchamp (@ashbeauchamp) January 18, 2024

Then, in another instance, the chatbot calls itself a "useless Chatbot that can't help you".

A post by Mr Beauchamp, a classical musician from London, gained 1.3 million views within 24 hours. In reference to the chatbot, he wrote on X, "Parcel delivery firm DPD has replaced their customer service chat with an AI robot thing. It's utterly useless at answering any queries, and when asked, it happily produced a poem about how terrible they are as a company. It also swore at me."

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Prem Chopra Reveals His Two-Three "Very Good" Scenes Were Cut From Animal

Prem Chopra, who plays the character of Dalbir Dodamal Singh AKA "Bade Daji" in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal, recently revealed that his two-three scenes were cut from the film. The film veteran also said that he considered those scenes were "Very good." Speaking to India Today, Prem Chopra said, "Animal was wonderfully made. Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga wrote the script himself with some help from two assistants. So he was meticulous and very definite about what he wanted. Also, the film got very lengthy. It turned out to be a four-hour fifteen-minute film, so he had to cut it out. Hence, in this way, my two or three scenes were cut, which I thought were very good."

He continued, "But anyway, this is one of the games in the industry. But, I'm surprised that whatever my screen time is, people seem to have accepted me in a big way, and I still get views and information about it. I never expected that. I thought this was a special appearance, but the love is still pouring."

At Animal screening, Ranbir Kapoor greeted the actor while he was leaving the venue. Pictures went viral in which Ranbir Kapoor can be seen holding his hands and talking to him gently. Previously, Ranbir Kapoor and Prem Chopra worked in Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year.

Prem Chopra also praised Ranbir Kapoor's performance in the film. Speaking to news agency PTI, Prem Chopra said, "Ranbir is a very hardworking actor and performed so well in Rocket Singh. In this film (Animal), he is tremendous. He has done a great job. It is a very difficult and complicated role." He added, "It is action-oriented but even then, his character has a great background (story). People seem to love him very much. Not just him, even Bobby Deol is very good in a special appearance. All of them are very impactful."

Animal is directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. Apart from Ranbir and Anil Kapoor, the film stars Bobby Deol, Triptii Dimri in pivotal roles. The film emerged as one of the biggest hits of recent time.

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Delhi Police's Advisory On Road Safety For Bikers Has A Witty Twist

Delhi Police is known for using witty and innovative methods to spread awareness. The police department often uses memes to communicate their message to the netizens. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, the police department shared a uniquely drafted special traffic advisory for bikers. 

The Delhi Police shared a screenshot of a Google result page, with a query in the search box reading, "How to do a wheelie." To this, the search results corrected the query to "Did you mean: How to land up in a hospital bed?"

Delhi Police wrote in the caption, "Keep the rubber side down and the safety vibes up. Safety is the ultimate accessory for every rider." 

See the post here:

Keep the rubber side down and the safety vibes up.
Safety is the ultimate accessory for every rider.#RoadSafety#DelhiPoliceCares pic.twitter.com/X7Yw9wtkWM

— Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) January 17, 2024

Since being posted, the tweet has amassed nearly 6,000 views with several comments.

A user wrote, "Delhi Police think they have great humour! Yeah, they have," a user said. 
"Great," another comment read.

Earlier, the police department shared a video to remind citizens of some basic traffic rules and the repercussions one would face if not abide by them. The clip showed a bride riding a two-wheeler without a helmet just to get likes on her reel - a short-duration video feature on Instagram. 

Delhi Police is known for its amusing and witty social media posts.

 

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US Redesignates Houthi Rebels As Terrorist Group Amid Red Sea Attacks

The Biden administration on Wednesday returned the Yemen-based Houthi rebels to a list of terrorist groups, U.S. officials said, in the latest attempt by Washington to stem attacks on international shipping.

Officials said the "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" (SDGT) designation, which hits the Iran-aligned group with harsh sanctions, was aimed at cutting off funding and weapons the Houthis have used to attack or hijack ships in vital Red Sea shipping lanes.

The Houthis' campaign has disrupted global commerce, stoked fears of inflation and deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East.

"These attacks fit the textbook definition of terrorism," said one of three administration officials who briefed reporters ahead of the announcement on condition of anonymity.

The designation comes after American and British warplanes, ships and submarines last week launched dozens of air strikes against the Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen.

The U.S. military on Tuesday carried out its latest strike against four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles, two U.S. officials told Reuters.

The Houthi militia movement, which says the attacks on commercial ships are aimed at supporting the Palestinians in Israel's war in Gaza, has threatened a "strong and effective response."

The attacks are part of a broad response to the Gaza conflict by a so-called Axis of Resistance - including the Houthis alongside Palestinian militants Hamas, Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Iraq's Shiite militias - with ties to U.S. adversary Iran.

"We will continue to counter and blunt Iranian malign influence wherever we can. So of course the choice to move away from Iran is now in the hands of the Houthis," said a second official, adding that the U.S. would consider lifting the designation if the attacks on shipping cease.

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015, backing government forces fighting the Houthis in a war widely seen as a proxy conflict between U.S. ally Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The Trump administration added the Houthis to two lists designating them as terrorists a day before its term ended, prompting the United Nations, aid groups and some U.S. lawmakers to express fears that sanctions would disrupt flows of food, fuel and other commodities into Yemen.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Feb. 12, 2021, revoked the designations in "recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen."

The United Nations describes the humanitarian crisis in Yemen as "severe" with more than 21 million people - two thirds of the population - in need of aid. It says more than 80% of the population struggles to access food, safe drinking water and adequate health services.

Blinken was on Wednesday relisting the Houthis as SDGTs, the U.S. officials said, but not as a "foreign terrorist organization," which includes stricter prohibitions on providing material support to those on the list and would mean automatic travel bans.

The former designation "provides better flexibility to achieve the aims that we have in terms of carving out and safeguarding humanitarian assistance," an official said, a reference to measures to mitigate the impact of the move on Yemen's people that Washington plans to introduce before the designation takes force in 30 days.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Video: 2,800-Year-Old Settlement Found In Vadnagar, PM Modi's Hometown

A recent excavation in Vadnagar, Prime Minister Modi's hometown, unearthed evidence of unbroken cultural continuity spanning centuries. This challenges the long-held belief of a "Dark Age" following the Harappan civilization's collapse, suggesting a more nuanced picture of the region's history.

Led by experts from IIT Kharagpur, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and Deccan College, the study has found evidence of a human settlement that is as old as 800 BCE (before the Christian Era) at Vadnagar in Gujarat.

#WATCH | Gujarat: On remains of a 2800-year-old settlement found in PM Narendra Modi's village, Vadnagar, Professor of Geology and Geophysics at IIT Kharagpur, Dr Anindya Sarkar says, "We have been working in Vadnagar with the ASI for the last 4-5 years... A very old Buddhist… pic.twitter.com/ybPPEDwdYc

— ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2024

In a statement released by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, the results of a comprehensive study on deep archaeological excavation in Vadnagar shed light on the intricate dynamics of the region.

The study suggests a correlation between the rise and fall of various kingdoms over a 3,000-year period and recurrent invasions by Central Asian warriors. The driving force behind these historical events, according to the study, appears to be significant changes in climate, such as fluctuations in rainfall or periods of drought.

The findings have just been published in a paper titled "Climate, human settlement, and migration in South Asia from early historic to medieval period: Evidence from new archaeological excavation at Vadnagar, Western India" in the prestigious Elsevier journal 'Quaternary Science Reviews'.

While the excavation was led by ASI, the study was funded by the Directorate of Archaeology & Museums, Government of Gujarat, which is entrusted with building India's first experiential digital museum (experiential means the process of learning through experience) at Vadnagar.

Incidentally, Vadnagar is also the native village of Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India.

Vadnagar has been a multi-cultural and multi-religious (Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and Islamic) settlement.

"Excavation in its several deep trenches revealed the presence of seven cultural stages (periods), namely, Mauryan, Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian or Shaka-Kshatrapas, Hindu-Solankis, Sultanate-Mughal (Islamic), and Gaekwad-British colonial rule, and the city is continuing even today. One of the oldest Buddhist monasteries has been discovered during our excavation.We found characteristic archaeological artefacts, potteries, copper, gold, silver, and iron objects, and intricately designed bangles. We also found coin moulds of Greek king Appollodatus during the Indo-Greek rule at Vadnagar," said ASI archaeologist Abhijit Ambekar, co-author of the paper who led the excavation in 2016.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Ram Temple Consecration Ceremony Begins Today: See Full Schedule

The preparations for the inauguration of the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya are in full swing and the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla at the temple will begin tomorrow. The event will be held over seven days and the temple will be inaugurated on January 22. 

Ayodhya has undergone a massive transformation since Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a "Bhoomi Pujan" on August 5, 2020, to mark the building of the grand Ram Mandir. 

Over 7,000 people have been invited by the temple trust and they include cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan. The city is getting decked up for the grand ceremony at the temple, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend.

Here's the schedule of the grand event.

January 16 to 22

The rituals for the consecration ceremony will begin tomorrow. The host appointed by the temple trust, Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra will conduct the atonement ceremony. The 'Dashvidh' bath, Vishnu worship and offering of cow will be held on the banks of Saryu river.

January 17

A procession carrying the idol of Ram Lalla will reach Ayodhya. Devotees carrying Saryu water in Mangal Kalash will be reaching the Ram Janmabhoomi temple.

January 18

The formal rituals will begin with the Ganesh Ambika puja, Varun puja, Matrika puja, Brahmin Varan and Vastu Puja.

January 19

The holy fire will be lit, followed by the establishment of 'Navagraha' and a 'havan' (holy ritual surrounding the fire).

January 20

The sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple will be washed with Saryu water on January 20, after which the Vaastu Shanti and 'Annadhivas' rituals will take place.

January 21

The Ram Lalla idol will be bathed in 125 urns and will finally be laid to rest.

January 22

Over 100 chartered jets will land in Ayodhya with the invitees for the event. Devotees from 150 countries are expected to attend the ceremony on the final day. From 12:30 pm to 1 pm, the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony will take place and the deity of Ram Lalla will be consecrated.

The temple will be closed for devotees on January 21 and 22 and will be open for people the next day, January 23. 

(With inputs from ANI)

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Rajasthan News : Telangana में Chandrashekhar को BJP के संगठन की कमान | CM Bhajanlal | Top News

Rajasthan News : Telangana में Chandrashekhar को BJP के संगठन की कमान | CM Bhajanlal | Top NewsBreaking News : Rajasthan बीजेपी से बड़ी खबर आई है...BJP के प्रदेश संगठन महामंत्री Chandrashekhar की राजस्थान से विदाई हो गई. अब Chandrashekhar Telangana BJP का संगठन संभालेंगे. तेलंगाना में प्रदेश संगठन महामंत्री बनाया गया है...

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