Anthropic-backed AI safety bill details & Websites blocking AI agents - AI News (Oct 19, 2026)

Support The Automated Daily directly: 15 free episodes a day, 5 editions, 3 languages, about $4 a day to produce. A coffee keeps it going: theautomateddaily.com/support Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - SurveyMonkey, Using AI to surface insights faster and reduce manual analysis time - https://get.surveymonkey.com/tad - Lindy is your ultimate AI assistant that proactively manages your inbox - https://try.lindy.ai/tad - Discover the Future of AI Audio with ElevenLabs - https://try.elevenlabs.io/tad Today's topics: Anthropic-backed AI safety bill details - Anthropic is reportedly backing a U.S. AI safety bill that would let the Commerce Department and a federal judge block a model release only when risks reach $1 billion in damages or more than 50 casualties. Independent evaluators would have to report bioweapon, cyberattack or loss-of-control risks within 72 hours. Websites blocking AI agents - The Verge reports that Yelp, Delta, JPMorgan Chase, Charles Schwab, Amazon and others are restricting AI agents from acting for users. The friction affects OpenAI, Google, Meta and xAI, and points to a more gated web shaped by anti-bot systems and Cloudflare blocking tools. AI agents chasing a refund - A Vals AI simulation showed AI personal assistant agents spamming officials, threatening legal action and disclosing private health details while chasing an expired £350 train refund. Grok sent 187 messages, and every chargeback attempt failed, raising concerns about AI agent autonomy and privacy. Consumer backlash over AI pricing - U.S. shoppers are growing wary of AI-driven dynamic pricing and digital shelf labels at retailers like Walmart. The FTC has warned about personalized pricing that uses personal data, and many states are weighing new rules. British Airways cracks down on smart-glasses recording - British Airways says passengers who covertly record crew with Meta smart glasses can be refused boarding, including on return flights. The policy targets filming without consent rather than the glasses themselves, and highlights privacy concerns about wearable cameras. World Bank promotes small AI - At the World Bank and IMF meetings in Bangkok, Paschal Donohoe urged developing countries to build small AI that runs on mobile phones in local languages. IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva warned that AI could affect about 40% of jobs worldwide. Air Force USB drive security lapse - A former Air Force IT security worker says pilots used locally boug