Tech report: Early Amazon deals, AI concerns in classrooms, viral food trends

Amazon Prime Days officially kick off tomorrow, but some major deals are already live.

(LILAMAX)- Amazon Prime Days officially kick off tomorrow, but some major deals are already live. Shoppers can find early discounts on fans, misters, earphones, Apple products, vacuums, and other cleaning tools. The annual sales event runs through Friday, giving Prime members multiple days to grab big savings.

A new study from MIT is raising red flags about how students are using AI in academic settings. Researchers found that repeated use of ChatGPT led to declining motivation and effort, with students relying heavily on copy-and-paste tactics and struggling to even paraphrase their own ideas. Those who scored higher in conscientiousness were far less likely to use generative AI, suggesting that more self-disciplined students prefer to complete assignments independently. Another study — this one from Support Ninja — looked at how online shoppers react to customer service automation. The takeaway: tone and personalization matter. Cold, impersonal responses from automated systems — especially on social media — hurt trust and sales for some of the biggest e-commerce brands.

When it comes to deciding what’s for dinner, social media may be your new sous-chef. A recent survey of 5,000 U.S. adults found that 77% now base mealtime decisions on food trends they see online. The research, commissioned by McCain and conducted by Talker Research, found that nearly 40% of social media feeds are filled with food-related content — and over half of respondents say they’ve saved enough recipes to fill a cookbook.