An artificially intelligent chatbot that provides free legal advice has been configured to help victims sue hacked credit report giant Equifax without a lawyer.The DoNotPay robot lawyer generates documents US consumers can take to the small claims court.Depending on the state, consumers can sue Equifax for up to $25,000 (£19,000).The Equifax data breach has affected 143 million US customers.Despite repeated requests by the BBC, Equifax has not confirmed exactly how many UK consumers were affected, but reports suggest the details of up to 44 million British people may have been compromised.The firm has committed to working with regulators in the US, UK and Canada on next steps. It is also offering free credit monitoring and identity theft protection for a year.”We pride ourselves on being a leader in managing and protecting data, and we are conducting a thorough review of our overall security operations,” said Rochard Smith, Equifax chairman and chief executive, when the breach was revealed.

A photographer has settled a two-year legal fight against an animal rights group over a “monkey selfie” picture.Naruto the macaque monkey took the image in the Indonesian jungle in 2011 when it picked up a camera owned by David Slater from Monmouthshire.US judges had said copyright protection could not be applied to the monkey but Peta said the animal should benefit.Peta’s appeal on the “monkey’s behalf” was dismissed but Mr Slater has agreed to donate 25% of any future revenue.In a joint statement from Peta and Mr Slater, it said the photographer will give a quarter of the funds he receives from selling the monkey selfies to registered charities “dedicated to protecting the welfare or habitat of Naruto”.”Peta’s groundbreaking case sparked a massive international discussion about the need to extend fundamental rights to animals for their own sake, not in relation to how they can be exploited by humans,” said Peta lawyer Jeff Kerr.