U.S. stocks steadied after an encouraging update on inflation helped calm a Wall Street that’s been wracked by worries about how AI may upend the business world. The S&P 500 barely budged on Friday, a day after it had tumbled to one of its worst losses since Thanksgiving. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.2%. Stocks got some help from easing Treasury yields, which fell after a report showed inflation slowed last month. Several stocks that got hit by worries about AI disrupting their industries a day earlier also recovered some of their sharp losses.

U.S. stocks fell sharply as the market punished companies seen as potential losers from artificial-intelligence technology. The S&P 500 sank 1.6% for its second-worst day since Thanksgiving, though it’s still near its all-time high set late last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.3% and the Nasdaq composite lost 2%. Cisco Systems was one of the heaviest weights on the market after warning of potentially higher expenses, while AppLovin tumbled as worries about AI competition continue to hit software companies. Treasury yields tumbled in the bond market ahead of Friday’s coming report on inflation at the U.S. consumer level.

An Albanian actor is asking the government to stop using her face and voice for its “AI minister” without clear consent. On Thursday, Anila Bisha tells The Associated Press she never agreed to appear as the virtual minister Diella. This week, she filed a request in an administrative court asking for an injunction that stops the government from using her image and voice. She says the deal she signed only covered the e-Albania services platform. She says officials have ignored her messages for months. Her lawyer calls it a first legal step. The government has not commented.

The U.S. stock market roared back, as technology stocks recovered much of their losses from earlier in the week and bitcoin halted its plunge, at least for now. The S&P 500 jumped 2% Friday for its best day since May. The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared 1,206 points and topped the 50,000 level for the first time, while the Nasdaq composite rallied 2.2%. Chip companies helped drive the gains on hopes for more big spending by customers diving into AI technology. Stocks also got a boost from a better reading on sentiment among U.S. consumers. Bitcoin rose back above $70,000.

Moltbook, a so-called social network built exclusively for AI agents, has generated buzz in the technology world and posts from the platform have set the internet ablaze with conversations about autonomous artificial intelligence. While the technology world has been split between excitement and skepticism about Moltbook, many experts have expressed security concerns about the platform. One researcher was able to able to gain unauthenticated access to a database that included personal information and gave him the ability to edit content on the site. More than 1.6 million AI agents are registered on Moltbook, according to the site, but that number has been disputed.

Sharp drops hit Wall Street as technology stocks sank and bitcoin plunged again to roughly half its record price set in the fall. Several discouraging reports on the U.S. job market also knocked down yields in the bond market on Thursday. The S&P 500 fell 1.2% for its sixth loss in the seven days since it set an all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.2%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 1.6%. Bitcoin briefly fell below $64,000, while gold and silver prices resumed their sharp slides. Stock indexes also fell across much of Europe and Asia.

More drops for technology stocks weighed on Wall Street. The S&P 500 fell 0.5% Wednesday for its fifth modest loss in the last six days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 1.5%. More than twice as many stocks rose within the S&P 500 than fell, but the index sank as Advanced Micro Devices and other influential tech stocks weakened. AMD dropped even though the chip company reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Gold and silver prices pared gains from earlier in the day, while Treasury yields held relatively steady.