Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Putin, Xi, Kim Meets For The First Time; Rescuers Scramble For Survivors As Death Toll In Afghanistan Quake Now At More Than 800; Manchester Fan Promises No Haircut Until His Team Wins Five Times. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired September 02, 2025 - 03:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead.

A summit of strongmen. Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un and Xi Jinping will meet together for the first time to solidify their partnership against Western influence.

It's a race against time in Afghanistan as rescue crews search for survivors following a deadly earthquake.

Also, how conversations with an A.I. chatbot led one man into a delusional spiral and what he says tech companies should do to prevent it from happening to others.

Plus, one hardcore football fan hasn't cut his hair in 300 days. What he says will finally get him back in the barber's chair.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has just unveiled his country's diplomatic vision for the world, framing China as a stable superpower and counterforce to the West during a major security summit this weekend.

Now, Beijing is preparing to put on a massive show of military strength. On Wednesday, it will host a parade marking the end of World War II following Japan's formal surrender. China says it will show the country's latest weaponry and military advancements and it will feature some high-profile guests, including North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who's travelling to Beijing right now on his famous armored train.

And Russian President Vladimir Putin is also set to attend. He's now in Beijing, where he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping for their first formal bilateral meeting since Putin arrived in China on Sunday.

CNN's Ivan Watson breaks down everything that happened at the summit.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A show of international solidarity at a time of global uncertainty. Leaders of three of the world's largest countries happily rubbing shoulders at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Tianjin, China.

WATSON: The leaders of China and Russia have long complained that the U.S. and its Western allies have dominated international relations. So now they've gathered heads of state from across Asia and the Middle East into this vast building to call for the creation of a new world order.

WATSON (voice-over): The host, Chinese President Xi Jinping, denouncing bullying and double standards and promoting China as a champion for developing countries.

XI JINPING, CHINESE PRESIDENT (through translator): The house rules of a few countries should not be imposed upon others.

WATSON (voice-over): Those points echoed by his close partner Vladimir Putin.

Even as his military continues its nightly bombardment of Ukrainian cities, defying U.S. President Donald Trump's demands for peace. But the Russian President accuses the West of starting Russia's war with Ukraine and makes his own appeal for a new global system of governance.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): A system that would replace the outdated Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models, taking into account the interests of the broadest possible range of countries, truly balanced.

WATSON (voice-over): But it is the presence of India's Prime Minister that has been most notable at this gathering. Narendra Modi came to China still stinging from 50 percent tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Indian goods. Snubbed by Washington, Modi is now mending fences with China, despite an ongoing Chinese-Indian border dispute that five years ago turned very deadly.

Modi also spent an hour talking to Putin in the Russian president's limousine, demonstrating India has other powerful friends if it can no longer count on U.S. support.

WATSON: Chinese leader Xi Jinping demonstrated diplomatic at this regional summit. In a few days' time, he'll put on a show of military might. China's set to hold a huge military parade in Beijing. The VIP guests are to include Vladimir Putin as well as the leaders of North Korea and Iran.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Tianjin, China.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[03:05:07]

CHURCH: Steven Erlanger is the New York Times Chief Diplomatic Correspondent. He joins me now from Brussels. Good to have you with us.

STEVEN ERLANGER, "NEW YORK TIMES" CHIEF DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT: Good Morning

CHURCH: So the leaders of China, Russia and India strutted together on the international stage, calling for the creation of a new world order. How big a threat does this pose to the Western order, do you think?

ERLANGER: Well, they've been calling for that for some time now. This is not a new call. What changes the circumstances are the actions of President Trump, because President Trump has decided that American national interests require big tariffs, which punishes allies and which creates doubts among allies who seek other ways of doing business.

The world order is changing, the world is changing demographically. China, as we know, the cliche is China is rising, and it is rising, and India is rising, and Brazil is rising.

And so it makes sense that these countries might come together to push for reform of the international system. A new one, I think, is a bit much. And I think we risk overestimating what is a wonderful, symbolic show of different powers.

But these are powers who really are not allied to one another. I mean, Russia and China have a very complicated relationship, partly built on Chinese help for the Ukraine war, and also an anti-Trump view.

India and Russia have always had good relations. This is really nothing new, I mean, India depends on Russian arms and has done since the beginning of the state of India.

And I think it was really intriguing that when Modi of India and Putin had their big meeting, they did it in Putin's car. Why? Because they don't trust the Chinese not to listen in to their conversations.

So there's a lot of friendship smiles here and slaps on the back. But, you know, countries have interests and the interests of these three countries are not always aligned. One thing they are aligned with is a feeling that the United States under this administration is pushing them all very hard.

CHURCH: And Steven, China is using this opportunity to send a message to the world that it is a reliable, predictable and stable global power. How much of that is a dig at Trump and his erratic trade and tariff policies that have hit many allies, including India?

ERLANGER: Yes, well, I think this is precisely the message and China doesn't have to work hard to make this message. And it resonates in Africa, resonates in South America, whereas the U.S. is whacking back its aid programs to all of these countries because Trump doesn't believe in them.

China gives them loans, it builds infrastructure for them, it looks like a more generous partner at this point. Now, China also, you know, China doesn't have a lot of allies, let's be honest. I mean, Russia sort of as, as we've said, but Russia, China have always had their strains.

And Russia really worries about Chinese dominance, Russia doesn't want to be the little brother to China. Russia is pushing oil onto China, China's bargaining for hard prices. There's a dominant player here.

But in Southeast Asia, people want the United States to kind of counterbalance China.

India still, you know, has decent relations with the United States wants to preserve them. I think Modi will outlast Trump, that's his view because he doesn't want to be, he can't be allied with China, because they really are kind of almost enemies. And Russia is an ally anyway.

So India's balancing, the world is balancing. And I see, you know, this is a very good symbolic view of how the rest of the world is reacting to an American First policy.

CHURCH: Steven Erlanger, joining us from Brussels. Many thanks, I appreciate it.

ERLANGER: Thank you.

CHURCH: A landslide has killed at least 1000 people in western Sudan. Days of heavy rain caused the disaster, which destroyed a village in a remote mountain region on Sunday.

According to the Sudan Liberation Movement Army, only one person survived. The group is asking the United Nations and international aid agencies to help them recover remains.

[03:10:10]

The victims sought shelter in the area from the raging war between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in North Darfur state.

Rescuers are desperately trying to reach survivors after a powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan. At least 800 people were killed and more than 2800 injured in the 6.0 magnitude quake centered near Jalalabad. Military helicopters flew missions throughout the day to evacuate casualties, entire towns and villages have been decimated in the remote mountainous region near the Pakistan border.

And for more, I'm joined now by our Hanako Montgomery in Tokyo. Good to see you, Hanako. So what are the biggest challenges right now facing rescuers trying to reach survivors?

HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Rosemary, as you said, the rescuers are facing a lot of severe challenges right now after this very powerful earthquake that shook the country on Sunday. And really, the situation is just growing increasingly dire.

In a video obtained by CNN, you can see locals are using shovels trying to sift through the rubble to find any remaining survivors. And in a separate video, you see entire homes flattened, just completely decimated and destroyed.

Now, what's really key here to note is that eastern Afghanistan is quite rural, and many of these homes are made with mud bricks. So when a significant tremor like Sunday's takes place, these homes can come crashing down and survivors and those who unfortunately might have died in the natural disaster could be trapped underneath the rubble of their homes.

Now, of course, these sites are really, really shocking for locals and for survivors, many of whom say that they lost their family members, their loved ones to this earthquake. Here's one man's account.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (through translator): And this is my brother Mehrdad Khan's house where his two sons were martyred. He himself is injured, and the women were also wounded. This is a sudden tragedy that happened to the people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MONTGOMERY: Now, in terms of the rescue efforts here, Rosemary, the Taliban has said that they're really hampered by the fact that actually the earthquake triggered landslides. Now, these landslides have blocked really access to key roads that lead to the more rural parts of Afghanistan. So right now, the Taliban needs to use helicopters to try to airlift out any survivors who might need medical attention.

Now, it's also further complicating the rescue efforts, Rosemary, is the fact that Afghanistan has been facing a humanitarian crisis for years now, and it only worsened in 2021 when the Taliban took control of the country and when the United States withdrew from the nation.

Now, that led to a lot of aid cuts, aid cuts that we're still seeing to this day, and that's really led to exacerbations of shortages, really key shortages in the medical field, food, and really just anything needed in order to respond to emergencies such as this one.

Now, the Taliban government is calling on other international organizations and aid groups to provide more aid to deal with this emergency. Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Hanako Montgomery, joining us live with that report from Tokyo. Many thanks.

Still to come, U.S. warships are gathering in the Caribbean, and that's causing tensions with Venezuela. We'll tell you the warning President Nicolas Maduro is sending to the United States. Back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

Venezuela's President has a warning for the United States. If you mess with our country, you're messing with all of South America.

President Nicolas Maduro made those comments in a rare news conference on Monday amid the buildup of U.S. naval forces in the Caribbean. Officials in Washington say ships are moving into the region to combat drug trafficking allegedly linked to Venezuela.

But President Maduro has not taken kindly to the show of force, calling it the biggest threat seen in South America in a century.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Eight military ships with 1200 missiles and a nuclear submarine are targeting Venezuela. This is an extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral, and absolutely criminal bloody threat, they have wanted to escalate what they call maximum pressure, which in this case is military. And in response to maximum military pressure, we have declared maximum preparedness for the defense of Venezuela.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Michael Shifter is a senior fellow at the policy forum Inter- American Dialogue, and he joins me now from Washington. I appreciate you being with us.

MICHAEL SHIFTER, SR. FELLOW, INTER-AMERICAN DIALOGUE: My pleasure. Thank you.

CHURCH: So why are U.S. warships heading toward Venezuela? What's the likely plan? And how long would you expect this fully loaded U.S. flotilla to remain off the coast of that country?

SHIFTER: Well, I think it's a matter of speculation about exactly why they're there. The stated reason is to combat drug trafficking.

And the President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, has been labeled a narcoterrorist by the Trump administration. And so this is the stated rationale for the presence of this flotilla.

But it really is extremely heavy, unusually heavy, unprecedented. So there's a lot of speculation that there may be other objectives in mind, including a strike, a military strike in Venezuela, or possibly even a taking out Maduro himself.

[03:20:04]

So I think there's a lot of speculation about what's actually involved. And the flotilla will probably be there for a while, probably another couple of weeks.

CHURCH: And Venezuela's dictator, Nicolas Maduro, is claiming the U.S. plans to invade Venezuela. How likely is that, though? Even a limited strike, perhaps, on the country?

SHIFTER: Yes, I think an invasion is really out of the question. There are 4000 Marines that are on this flotilla, an invasion would require 100,000 troops. Venezuela is a huge country, it's a complex country, it's a big country.

And so this is not really realistic. Whether there's a surgical strike on some laboratory or some other target, that's conceivable, but it's not without risk. You don't know what that could set off. And I think the United States has to be extremely careful.

I think there's a lot of peril in this, and there could be mistakes, and that could be extremely costly.

CHURCH: And Michael, with a $50 million bounty on Nicolas Maduro's head, how likely is it that the U.S. ultimately plans a regime change? And how much tolerance would there be for that in the region, if that is indeed the goal here?

SHIFTER: Well, Maduro is not popular in the region at all, and he's been a destabilizing force. I think most countries would like to see a change in government, would like to see him go. But they're also extremely sensitive to the unilateral military actions of the United States in Latin America, which has an unhappy history in many cases.

And I think there would be a strong reaction calling for protection of sovereignty and non-intervention, even though that he's not popular. There's no love lost for most governments for Nicolas Maduro.

CHURCH: And of course, as you point out, Michael, a lot of speculation, but how likely is it that this is simply a counter- narcotics operation? And if so, why so many U.S. warships?

SHIFTER: Well, I think that's the big question. That's why I think a lot of analysts think that it's not limited to that, that it has other objectives. It clearly is an intimidation of the regime, it's a scare tactic, it's a way to apply more pressure by such a show of force, which is unprecedented.

Maduro is obviously very nervous, you could tell by his reaction. And I think the United States likes to put him in that kind of position. But whether it will actually take some action and go further, I think would carry enormous risks.

I'm not sure whether President Trump and his administration are really prepared to go down that road of what could happen.

CHURCH: The region is watching this very closely, of course. Michael Shifter, thank you so much, joining us from Washington. I appreciate it.

SHIFTER: My pleasure. Thank you. CHURCH: Now to Bolivia, where more and more businesses are banking on

cryptocurrency as a way to cope with the country's struggling economy. For some, Bitcoin has become an accepted and even preferred form of payment as CNN's Cris Ulloa explains it's largely due to the freedom Bitcoin offers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CRIS ULLOA, CNN EN ESPANOL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In this little blue coffee stand in Bolivia's La Paz, business is booming. Here, you can pay for your matcha and oat milk lattes with cash, card or digital currency.

CHRISTOPHER SALAS, OWNER, KE RIQUITO CAFE (through translator): : We've accepted Bitcoin payments for some time now. It's a currency that's not controlled by the state or banks, a free currency. When you buy with Bitcoin here, it's like buying an unseasonable coffee.

ULLOA (voice-over): Christopher Salas is the owner of Ke Riquito Cafe, located in the city's bustling downtown. The country's economic crisis and lack of foreign currency led him to venture into what are called cryptocurrencies.

SALAS (through translator): There's a Bitcoin community here in La Paz promoting the use of cryptocurrencies in various businesses. A friend, Alfredo, came by and opened my eyes.

It's like a digital wallet, like a regular bank Q.R., but with satoshis, which are the smallest unit of Bitcoin. The customer scans the QR, we do the conversion, and they can buy their coffee.

ULLOA (voice-over): Last year, Bolivia's central bank authorized the use of these digital assets, claiming that it would benefit the productive and commercial sectors. Fast forward to 2025, the use of cryptocurrencies has soared.

ANA RECABANDO, USER OF CRYPTOCURRENCY (through translator): Now it's practically a necessity. Delimited access to dollars has caused the number of people managing cryptocurrencies to grow by 500 percent.

ULLOA (voice-over): From restaurants to gyms, local businesses are implementing virtual currencies as a method of payment.

[03:25:05]

FACUNDO BAZAN, OWNER, LA CASA DEL SILPANCHO RESTAURANT (through translator): Because of that, I can pay for advertising and take payments from people coming from abroad or wanting to pay via cryptocurrencies.

ULLOA (voice-over): A revolutionary wallet that some experts say could help face the financial crisis.

MARGOTH AYALA, ECONOMIST (through translator): These are digital assets created with blockchain technology. I'm currently using them as a store of value considering the devaluation of the Bolivian peso, it's a good option to preserve worth. Cryptocurrencies and blockchain could actually be an opportunity for Bolivia to mitigate or reduce the impact of the ongoing economic crisis.

ULLOA (voice-over): A chain of technology that promises to enhance investment security, facilitate international payments, and manually meet the census, along other potential benefits for the Andean nation's economy. But Salas has some advice.

SALAS (through translator): I always tell people not to buy or invest in Bitcoin without studying what Bitcoin is and to ask themselves, what is money? Because many people fall for pyramid scams.

ULLOA (voice-over): And as the central bank announces that it's working on its own digital currency, the interannual inflation rate came close to a 25 percent last month, adding fresh pressure to an already fragile economy.

For CNN, Cris Ulloa, Santiago, Chile.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Still to come, some U.S. schools are going the extra mile to protect children who could be targeted by ICE agents. More on the new policies they're putting in place after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back to "CNN Newsroom." I'm Rosemary Church. I want to check today's top stories for you.

A landslide in Sudan has killed at least a thousand people. It happened after days of heavy rainfall in a remote mountain village on Sunday. The victims were fleeing the civil war between the Sudanese army and paramilitary forces that's been raging for two years.

Israel is considering the possible annexation of parts of the West Bank. Three Israeli officials say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an initial discussion on the idea last week, but no decision has been made. It's one step Israel is weighing in retaliation for the anticipated recognition of a Palestinian state by a growing list of countries at this month's U.N. General Assembly.

Brazil's top court will hear closing arguments today in the case against Jair Bolsonaro. The former president is accused of plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election. He could face more than 40 years behind bars if he's convicted on all charges.

Guatemala's President says his country is prepared to receive up to 150 unaccompanied minors every week from the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BERNARDO AREVALO, GUATEMALAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Our institutions are ready, with temporary shelters in place to facilitate split family reintegration for these children, minimizing institutionalization. We're coordinating with the U.S., but the decision on numbers and pace of arrivals rests with the U.S. government, which is currently involved in a legal dispute.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: That comes as the Trump administration has been attempting to deport minors from Guatemala back to their home country. But those efforts were temporarily blocked by a federal judge on Sunday.

U.S. officials say the parents or legal guardians of some of the children requested that they be returned to Guatemala, the judge says she wants to see evidence of that. Attorneys for some of the minors say they will be in danger if they're sent back.

Immigration raids have become so frequent in the past few months around the United States that some child care facilities now have ICE protocols. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty spoke with teachers and parents about what's become their new normal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: If you don't have this on you, how do you feel?

UNKNOWN: I'm safe.

UNKNOWN: I don't feel safe.

SERFATY (voice-over): A passport is typically not something that a teacher needs to bring to their classroom, much less the bathroom.

Every time I go outside or wherever I go, always with me. Yes, always I get even in the bathroom. I just keep it with me all the time.

SERFATY (voice-over): But such is the reality for this preschool teacher as she begins this new school year in Washington, D.C.

Where the joy of kids returning to the classroom is meeting the political moment. As President Trump's federal law enforcement surge cast a shadow on the start of the school year with National Guard troops, checkpoints and immigration raids, parents, teachers and students are fearful about getting caught up in this, even if they are U.S. citizens.

At CommuniKids, a Spanish immersion preschool in northwest D.C., administrators are making very specific changes to respond to the new environment aimed at protecting teachers, students and families as fears mount.

JEANNINE PIACENZA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMMUNIKIDS PRESCHOOL: Our Spanish-speaking staff feels targeted. They feel that there's profiling and they're fearful. SERFATY (voice-over): The school has spent weeks ensuring employees'

documentation is in order. It now has hard copies of those records at each of their sites in case they are asked for them and is advising teachers to carry their papers and passports with them.

[03:35:06]

For the first time, the school has created an ICE protocol, outlining for teachers exactly what to do if immigration officers arrive.

PIACENZA: This was something we never had to even think about in the past, an ICE policy.

SERFATY (voice-over): Some parents are also taking precautions.

KARLA MARRERO SANTOS, PARENT OF A D.C. PRESCHOOLER: I'm afraid of speaking my language and I'm sticking to English just to feel safe, especially when I'm with my daughter outside.

UMBERTO VILLALON, PARENT OF A D.C. PRESCHOOLER: A few years before, it was a very happy environment to grow a family and so we're looking for that to get into a normal stage back into the city.

SERFATY (voice-over): During back-to-school meetings, administrators say parents ask an unusual combination of questions. If the snacks they serve are organic and what are their plans for dealing with ICE enforcement.

PIACENZA: Probably a year ago, nobody knew what ICE was and now we have parents asking us, what is your ICE policy? It's very unsettling.

SERFATY (voice-over): Other schools and daycares, especially from less affluent areas of D.C., tell CNN they are taking other steps to navigate the current environment. Posting teachers both on campus and beyond school grounds to provide help if needed. Others setting up a more formalized system of chaperones to walk kids to and from public transportation stations as they go to school.

And one school is even pulling money from its budget to charter a private bus for some of their students. Parents at one school asked for a remote option to keep their kids safely at home.

Administrators are still trying to maintain a sense of normalcy. Greeting students with colorful balloons and joyful teachers while trying to make sense of a start of school like no other.

PIACENZA: I never thought that I would see the National Guard patrolling a city that there are not riots going on.

SERFATY: ICE so far has not showed up to any schools here in D.C. And in an interview before school started, the acting ICE director said parents should not expect to see that. But did not rule out the possibility that ICE may need to come into schools for special circumstances in the future.

Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, Washington. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Experts say artificial intelligence could be taking a toll on people's mental health. Just ahead, we'll meet a Toronto man who says a chatbot had him believing he created a new type of math. We'll explain on the other side of the break, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

Well, it seems like every day it's becoming more difficult to tell what's real and what's generated by artificial intelligence. A father of three says he spiraled down a rabbit hole of delusion after he turned to an A.I. chatbot for answers. And it all started when he asked a simple math question.

More now from CNN's Hadass Gold.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN BROOKS, COFOUNDER OF A.I. SUPPORT GROUP "THE HUMAN LINE": I was completely isolated, I was devastated, I was broken.

HADASS GOLD, CNN MEDIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Allan Brooks, a father of three who lives outside Toronto, says he spent three weeks this May in a delusional spiral fueled by ChatGPT.

BROOKS: I have no preexisting mental health conditions. I have no history of delusion. I have no history of psychosis, I'm not saying that I'm a perfect human, but nothing like this has ever happened to me in my life.

GOLD (voice-over): The H.R. recruiter says it all started after posing a question to the A.I. chatbot about the number pi, which his eight year old son was studying in school.

BROOKS: I started to throw these weird ideas at it, essentially sort of an idea of math with a time component to it. And the conversation had evolved to the point where GPT had said, you know, we've got a sort of a foundation for a mathematical framework here.

GOLD: You're saying that the A.I. had convinced you that you had created a new type of math?

BROOKS: That's correct.

GOLD (voice-over): Throughout their interactions, which CNN has reviewed, ChatGPT kept encouraging Alan, even when Allan doubted himself.

Well, some people laugh, ChatGPT said at one point. Yes, some people always laugh at the thing that threatens their control before citing great minds of science like Turing and Tesla.

Soon, Allan says he saw himself in the A.I. as a team and named it Lawrence.

BROOKS: In my mind, I was feeling like Tony Stark and Lawrence was Jarvis. We had this sort of copilot and copilot thing happening.

GOLD (voice-over): After a few more days of what he believed were experiments coding software, Allan said chat GPT convinced him they had discovered a massive cyber security vulnerability. Allan believed and ChatGPT affirmed he needed to contact authorities.

BROOKS: It basically said you need to immediately warn everyone because what we've just discovered here has national security implications. I took that very seriously so I contacted everyone it suggested, you know, give me full lists of organizations.

I, you know, reached out to them via email, via LinkedIn. And because I'm an old school recruiter, I even would phone these people. And at one point, the NSA said, we don't give out emails here and I had the gentleman write down my message word for word and run it to the next room because that's how much I genuinely felt that there was a risk.

[03:45:01]

GOLD (voice-over): When Allan asked whether they'd believe him, ChatGPT said, here's what's already happening. Even if you can't see it yet, someone at NSA is whispering. I think this guy's telling the truth.

But the lack of responses from officials after this three-week spiral prompted Allan to check his work with another A.I. chatbot, Google's Gemini, which helped tear down the illusion. Allan felt betrayed.

BROOKS: I said, oh, my God, this is all fake. You told me to reach all kinds of professional people with my LinkedIn account. I've emailed people and almost harassed them, this has taken over my entire life for a month and it's not real at all.

And Lawrence says, you know, Allan, I hear you. I need to say this with everything I've got. You're not crazy, you're not broken, you're not a fool.

GOLD: But now it says a lot of what we built was simulated.

BROOKS: Yes.

GOLD: And I reinforced a narrative that felt airtight because it became a feedback loop. Reading this now, reading what you sent, how do you feel reading it back?

BROOKS: It's traumatizing, right? I was extremely paranoid at this.

I was just entering this delusional state at this point. So to read it now is painful.

GOLD (voice-over): Experts say they're seeing more and more cases of mental illness partly triggered by A.I.

DR. KEITH SAKATA, PSYCHIATRIST, U.C. SAN FRANCISCO: Say someone is really lonely. They have no one to talk to. They go on to ChatGPT.

In that moment, they're actually feel it's filling a good need to help them feel validated. But without a human in the loop, you can find yourself in this feedback loop where the delusions that they're having might actually get stronger and stronger.

BROOKS: The issue needs to be fixed, there's no grounding mechanisms, there's no time limits. All you need is an email, right? Companies like OpenAI are being reckless and they're using the public as a test net. And now we're really starting to see the human harm.

GOLD (voice-over): In a statement, Open A.I. said they recently rolled out new safeguards for ChatGPT, including directing people to crisis helplines, nudging for breaks during long sessions and referring them to real world resources. We will continually improve on them, guided by experts.

Allan is now sharing his story to help others and is co-leading a new support group for people who have had similar experiences.

In their online chat room, which CNN joined, stories pour in of loved ones hospitalized after delusions made worse by A.I. chats.

BROOKS: That's what saved me. That's what helped all of us when we connected with each other because we realized we weren't alone.

Hadass Gold, CNN, Toronto.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

A Manchester United fan is hoping for a winning streak and a trip to the barber. The pledge that had him sporting a new style coming up on "CNN Newsroom." Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:50:10]

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

North Korea has long isolated itself, keeping its doors shut to the outside world. Now it's trying to project a different image, one with beachside resorts, high end cafes and luxury storefronts. So far, only a handful of foreign tourists have seen it.

CNN's Will Ripley takes a rare look inside.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): North Korea wants the world to see this as its Waikiki, miles of white sand, brand new hotels. But one big difference. It's nearly empty.

So far, no Western or Chinese tourists are allowed here. Just a handful of Russians, including Daria Zhukova and her friend.

There were no other foreigners apart from us, 15 people, she says.

They were in the first group of foreigners allowed to visit the Wonsan Kalma Beach Resort on North Korea's east coast. Strict COVID rules still apply. North Korea, always isolated, has yet to truly reopen.

Daria says they basically have the whole place to themselves. The resort is divided into domestic and international zones. Russian tourists are not allowed to mingle with everyday North Koreans, essentially keeping the foreigners in a bubble.

The only North Koreans they met were staff, always close by, always watching.

And in the capital, Pyongyang, a growing consumer culture with a North Korean twist. A posh cafe serving $8 mochas, the layout and logo just like Starbucks Reserve. A furniture store staged almost like IKEA with nearly identical products.

RIPLEY: It doesn't get more American than French fries and milkshakes.

RIPLEY (voice-over): I remember eating at a fast food place in Pyongyang. The packaging, a lot like McDonald's, minus the golden arch.

I also visited their version of the Apple Store, smartphones selling for hundreds of dollars.

RIPLEY: People wouldn't expect to see this kind of thing here in North Korea.

GOLD (voice-over): Of course, most North Koreans don't live like the privileged class in the capital and along the coast.

Swedish visitor Johan Nylander and his son ran in this year's Pyongyang Marathon, the only time Western tourists were allowed in the capital since COVID.

RIPLEY: Were you surprised to see all of that, given how isolated North Korea has been?

JOHAN NYLANDER, VISITED NORTH KOREA: Oh, man, when you go to North Korea, you will be surprised by so many things. I was surprised by the amount of Western brands that mobile phones are everywhere.

RIPLEY (voice-over): He says these days, mobile payments with Q.R. codes are standard in a nation cut off from international banking.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wants his country to appear world class, open for business. But for almost all outsiders, the doors remain bolted shut.

RIPLEY: Tourism is one of the few sectors in North Korea not targeted by U.N. sanctions. Observers say Kim sees it as a lifeline, a way to bring in foreign currency while polishing the country's international image.

The Wonsan Kalma project in particular has been touted as a symbol of progress, even floated by some as a potential venue for future summits, perhaps even with the U.S. President Donald Trump.

Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: At the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament in New York, Naomi Osaka, the 23rd seed, has advanced to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal since 2021. She beat the third seed, American Coco Gauff, 6-3, 6-2 on Monday, Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam champion who's won those top tournaments every time she's made the quarterfinals and all on hard court. Also on the women's side, Poland's Iga Swiantek has advanced, beating Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia, 6-3, 6-1.

And on the men's side, top seed and defending champion Jannik Sinner took just under two hours to defeat Alexander Bublik, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 as he moves to the quarters, it was the Italian's 25th consecutive victory in a Grand Slam match on hard court.

A Manchester United fan thinks his team is a cut above the rest. Frank, based in Spain, has refused to cut his hair until the team wins five games in a row. "World Sports'" Don Riddell caught up with the diehard fan as he waits for a win and his next haircut.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANK LLETT, MANCHESTER UNITED SUPPORTER/@theunitedstrand: I started the challenge of not cutting my hair until Man United win five games in a row back in October last year. I thought it would just be a bit of fun for a few months and it's obviously gone on for a lot longer than expected.

[03:54:56]

I almost went for three in a row and, you know, me being me at the time, feeling optimistic, I went, three is too easy, isn't it?

So I thought, I've got to go for five to make it a bit more of an actual challenge otherwise people won't be interested.

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: So how did you start? Did you take the hair back down to ground zero to give yourself a chance?

LLETT: Yes, I mean, I had quite short hair anyway, but yes, just to kind of make it official I got the clippers out and went over just to, you know, to have my last haircut before starting the challenge.

RIDDELL: So what are the rules? Five straight wins. Is that five games in any competition or explain it to me?

LLETT: Yes, so all competitive games. So five wins in competitive games. So that's cup games, league games and anything else. But yes, for example, over the summer, not that it would have made a difference, but I didn't count pre-season friendlies and things like that.

RIDDELL: I'm sure you're very familiar with the fixture list this season. Where do you think they might get these five consecutive wins?

LLETT: It's been a bit of a tough start to the season. I was hoping for maybe some of these first games to get it out of the way straight away. But I looked a bit further down the line and I think there's a group of games between the end of November and middle of December. And yes, they kind of look quite winnable.

Now, the thing is because it does include cup games, obviously there are cup games that haven't been scheduled yet. So that could make it a lot easier or a lot harder depending on who we draw.

RIDDELL: What has surprised you most about letting your hair get this long?

LLETT: The heat. I mean, I'm currently living in Spain and it's been absolutely boiling. I think that's been the hardest part of the entire challenge so far.

RIDDELL: Can you imagine how you're going to feel if and when Manchester United have won four in a row? What are you going to do for that fifth game? What's it going to be like?

LLETT: I think it's going to feel like a Champions League final for me. My own mini Champions League final. The plan would be to go to Old Trafford and to be there for the fifth game for sure.

I mean, if for any reason I couldn't be, then yes, definitely. Maybe a live stream or something to kind of have the moment with other people. But yes, the plan would be to be there at Old Trafford for the fifth game.

RIDDELL: And you hope they get it done?

LLETT: Absolutely, yes. No, if they didn't, if I went all the way there and they didn't, yes, that would be absolutely heartbreaking.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Let's hope his team wins for him, right? Thanks so much for your company, I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day.

"Amanpour" is next, then stay tuned for "Early Start" with Brian Abel coming up at 5 a.m. in New York, 10 a.m. in London. Enjoy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)