20K Instagram Accounts Hacked, AI's Environmental Costs, Copilot Hallucination in UK Police Report

Jim Love covers four headlines: hackers exploited Instagram's AI support bot to hijack over 20,000 accounts by abusing account recovery and password reset links, prompting Meta to disable the tool, remove faulty code, and add enhanced protections. A UN University report warns AI's environmental footprint extends beyond carbon, projecting data centers could consume 945 TWh annually by 2030 and highlighting growing demands for electricity, cooling water, land, and minerals, amid political backlash to data center incentives. A UK government review found false information from a Microsoft Copilot hallucination and other inaccuracies were included in West Midlands Police materials, pointing to failures in review and validation. CBC News also identified at least 14 foreign-linked Facebook accounts posing as Albertans in separatist groups, raising concerns about deceptive political participation and platform responsibility. 00:00 Today's Tech Headlines 00:36 Instagram Bot Account Hijacks 02:03 AI Agents Security Lessons 03:12 UN Report AI Resource Footprint 05:38 Copilot Hallucination Police Report 08:11 Fake Albertans in Facebook Groups 11:04 Wrap Up and Support the Show