News/Entertainment
Can AI Recommend the Perfect Movie and End the Streaming Era’s Paradox of Choice?
The quest for the perfect movie recommendation is a common frustration in the age of streaming, with AI offering potential solutions but also facing limitations due to the complex, subjective nature of human preferences. Key Takeaways: The latest episode of The Vergecast explores why TV and movie recommendations are so challenging and whether AI can improve them: Despite the abundance of incredible content available through streaming services, users often struggle to find something to watch, ending up aimlessly scrolling through options or rewatching familiar titles. AI models from companies like OpenAI and Google have the potential to enhance recommendations by...
read Jul 28, 2024If You Tell Stories, Here’s How AI Can Help You
AI is changing the art and business of storytelling, making it more accessible, efficient, and engaging for creators across industries: AI as a creative tool: AI is empowering directors, marketers, and content creators to bring their ideas to life with greater confidence and ease: Vimeo CMO Lynn Girotto believes that AI handles the technical execution, allowing creative teams to focus on ideation and overcoming writer's block. AI is seen as a short-term "nice to have" and a long-term "need to have," similar to the evolution of mobile websites a decade ago. Balancing AI and human creativity: While AI offers significant...
read Jul 25, 2024AI Surveillance at Paris Olympics Sparks Privacy Concerns and Fears of Overreach
A controversial new AI surveillance system is being deployed at the Paris Olympics, raising concerns about privacy and fundamental rights. The system, which uses algorithms to analyze CCTV footage in real-time, is part of the extensive security measures put in place for the Games. Key details of the AI surveillance system: The algorithms, developed by French companies, will be used at 46 train and metro stations during the Olympics to detect potential security threats: The system can identify and alert operators to events such as crowd surges, abnormally large groups, abandoned objects, weapons, or people falling to the ground. Developers...
read Jul 25, 2024AI Disrupts Reality TV: Casting Challenges, Deepfakes, and Digital Clones
The rise of AI is transforming the reality TV industry, impacting both the casting process and the creation of unauthorized content featuring reality stars. AI's impact on casting: Reality TV casting directors are facing challenges due to applicants using AI filters and editing tools on their social media photos, making it harder to assess their real appearance: Valerie Penso-Cuculich, a casting director for shows like Love Island USA and The Real Housewives of Dubai, says potential contestants are increasingly using AI to alter their appearance, resulting in over-filtered images that don't reflect reality. When applicants show up for Zoom auditions,...
read Jul 24, 2024How AI Is Enhancing Creativity and Streamlining Production for Filmmaking
The rise of artificial intelligence in filmmaking is transforming the industry, offering directors powerful new tools and creative possibilities. AI is now involved in nearly every stage of the filmmaking process, from scriptwriting to post-production editing. AI's multifaceted role in modern filmmaking: AI algorithms are being used to analyze successful scripts, identify storytelling patterns, and suggest plot points, character developments, and dialogue, helping filmmakers craft more resonant narratives: AI has been used to write short film scripts, such as Sunspring (2016) and It's No Game (2017), showcasing its potential to generate creative content. AI is also being integrated into cinematography...
read Jul 23, 2024Google and NBC Score Big with AI-Enhanced Olympics Coverage in Paris Partnership Deal
Google and NBC are leveraging AI to enhance the viewer experience for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. Key partnership details: Google has struck a deal with NBCUniversal and Team USA to integrate its Gemini AI models into Olympics coverage across TV and online platforms: NBC commentators will demonstrate Google Search's AI Overviews feature during their coverage, sharing quick facts and detailed information about sports, athletes, and Olympic rules. SNL alumna and NBC's "chief superfan commentator," Leslie Jones, will use Google's Gemini AI to explore the Games and learn about new sports in real-time. AI Overviews will also...
read Jul 20, 2024AI Surveillance at Paris Olympics Raises Privacy Concerns and Sets Troubling Precedent
The 2024 Paris Olympics will see widespread use of AI-powered surveillance, raising concerns about privacy and the normalization of mass surveillance in France. Key Takeaways: The French government has authorized extensive use of AI surveillance systems for the Paris Olympics, in collaboration with private tech companies: AI software will be used to monitor security camera feeds, flagging events like crowd surges, abandoned objects, weapons, fires, and certain traffic violations in real-time. The government has also expanded traditional surveillance powers, including wiretapping and collecting geolocation, communications, and visual/audio data. Controversial Legal Changes: To enable this level of AI surveillance, France had...
read Jul 20, 2024Navigating the Opportunities and Pitfalls of AI In Entertainment
The rise of AI in Hollywood has sparked both excitement and concern, with creators and technologists debating its potential impact on the entertainment industry. Key takeaways: AI tools have the potential to democratize Hollywood by making creative tools more accessible, enabling historically excluded groups to tell their stories. However, AI also poses a threat to copyrighted material, requiring further development of ownership solutions such as blockchain technology. Collaboration between creators and technologists is crucial in finding innovative approaches to protect artists' work while leveraging AI's benefits. Generational divide in perception of AI: Younger adults are more optimistic about AI's job-creating...
read Jul 19, 2024Google’s AI Takes Center Stage at 2024 Paris Olympics with NBCUniversal Partnership
Google's AI technologies take center stage at the 2024 Paris Olympics, as the company becomes the "official AI sponsor for Team USA" in a partnership with NBCUniversal that will prominently feature Google's AI-powered features during the broadcast. Key AI integrations: Google's AI tools will be woven into various aspects of the Olympic coverage, providing an immersive and informative viewing experience: Google Maps' 3D Immersive Views will showcase photorealistic models of iconic Olympic venues like Versailles, Stade Roland Garros, and the Aquatics Centre, along with event details for each location. Announcers and commentators will incorporate Google Search AI Overviews into broadcast...
read Jul 19, 2024AI is Making Poker More Mathematically Solvable Than Ever Before
The optimal poker strategy known as the Nash equilibrium isn't always employed by expert players, as they often adapt their play to exploit opponents' suboptimal moves. Key Takeaways: While game theory proves an optimal strategy exists for poker, rapid AI advances have only recently made this strategy accessible to players: Game theory pioneers John von Neumann and John Nash mathematically showed that even complex games like poker have an optimal strategy, or Nash equilibrium. In the past few years, AI "solvers" have given elite players the ability to study and memorize optimal play for common situations in Texas Hold'em. These...
read Jul 18, 2024AI Meets Reality TV: Holographic Host Joins Big Brother’s 26th Season
A holographic Julie Chen Moonves will join the real Julie Chen Moonves in hosting the upcoming 26th season of the reality show Big Brother: The show's AI theme this year, "BB AI", will feature a 7-foot hologram projection box containing a virtual version of host Julie Chen Moonves, known to fans as "Chenbot", though her exact role is not yet clear. Hologram technology brings celebrities to life: The AI-powered hologram is created by Proto Hologram, which has also produced interactive holographic experiences featuring William Shatner, Elton John, and others for various industries: To create the hologram, the subject is filmed...
read Jul 18, 2024How AI Companions Are Redefining Human Relationships in the Digital Age
The emergence of AI companions is redefining human relationships in the digital age, raising profound questions about the nature of companionship and the potential consequences of substituting human interaction with digital entities. The rise of AI companions: AI chatbots and holographic avatars are being designed to provide emotional support, companionship, and even mimic romantic or intimate relationships: Replika, an AI chatbot, provides personalized emotional support through text conversations, learning over time to simulate a genuine emotional connection. Gatebox's holographic AI companion sends messages, welcomes users home, and controls smart home appliances, creating a sense of presence for those living alone....
read Jul 17, 2024GB News Becomes First UK Broadcaster to Integrate AI-Generated Content into Programming
GB News to introduce AI-generated sports news bulletins on its radio station, marking the first UK news broadcaster to integrate generative AI into regular public-facing output. Key details of GB News' AI implementation: The AI-generated sports updates will be a significant step forward in GB News' use of artificial intelligence across its editorial operation: 30-second AI-generated sports updates will air at the end of the main news bulletins every hour, written using generative AI. The bulletins will be delivered using the virtual voice of GB News presenter Tatiana Sanchez, requiring almost no human intervention. GB News is already using AI...
read Jul 17, 2024Paris Olympics 2024: AI and Tech to Revolutionize Sports Broadcasting Experience
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris offer a glimpse into how AI is poised to change sports broadcasting by leveraging cutting-edge technology and AI to deliver an immersive, personalized viewing experience across multiple platforms. Unprecedented coverage and customization options: NBC and other broadcasters are offering an extensive array of viewing options to cater to individual preferences and make it easier for audiences to find and watch the events they want: The Olympic Broadcasting Service (OBS) plans to generate over 11,000 hours of content from the 3,800 hours of competitions, including live coverage, behind-the-scenes features, analysis, and highlights. NBC's Peacock streaming...
read Jul 16, 2024Hacker Group Leaks Disney Data, Igniting More AI Debate in Hollywood
Hacker group NullBulge claims responsibility for Disney data leak: NullBulge, a self-proclaimed hacktivist group, says it breached thousands of Disney's internal messaging channels and leaked approximately 1.2 terabytes of data, including computer code, information about unreleased projects, and conversations about marketing, studio technology, and job applicants. Leak motivated by concerns over Disney's AI practices and treatment of artists: According to NullBulge, the leak was prompted by Disney's handling of "artist contracts, its approach to AI, and its pretty blatant disregard for the consumer": The group, which claims to be based out of Russia, says it gained access to Disney's system...
read Jul 12, 2024Hong Kong Firm Relaunches Tech Blogs with Fake Content, Stolen Identities
In a brazen misuse of AI technology, a Hong Kong-based web advertising firm has relaunched classic tech blogs like The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) and iLounge, populating them with AI-generated content falsely attributed to the original writers. Unethical use of AI and stolen identities: Web Orange Limited, the company behind the relaunch, claims to have purchased the domain names and brand identities but not the original content. They have used AI to reword old articles and generate new ones, attaching the names of former writers without their consent: Christina Warren, a former TUAW writer now at GitHub, discovered her name...
read Jul 11, 2024K-pop Fans Clash Over AI’s Role in Beloved Genre
The use of AI in K-pop music and music videos has sparked a divisive debate among fans, as leading groups like Seventeen and Aespa experiment with the technology. Fans divided on AI's role in K-pop: While some fans appreciate AI's potential to help artists overcome creative blocks, others worry it could diminish the personal connection between fans and their favorite musicians: Seventeen member Woozi admitted to "experimenting" with AI for songwriting on their latest album, stating that it's a "technological development that we have to leverage, not just be dissatisfied with." Fans value K-pop artists who are hands-on with choreographing,...
read Jul 11, 2024AI Tool Promises Hollywood-Grade Video Creation for All
Odyssey aims to bring Hollywood-grade AI video creation to the masses Key differences from other text-to-video tools: Odyssey promises to give users full, fine-tuned control over every element in the generated scenes, unlike current text-to-video tools that output a non-editable video file: If the scenery, characters, lighting, or motion is off in current tools, the user has to start the generation process again from scratch. Odyssey overcomes this by training four separate generative models that allow fine-tuning of geometry, materials, lighting, and motion, enabling users to rapidly create videos exactly as envisioned. Startup background and approach: Odyssey is a year-old...
read Jul 10, 2024will.i.am on AI: Revolutionizing Music, Empowering Youth, Solving Global Challenges
The interview with will.i.am at the Imagination In Action conference provided fascinating insights into the evolution and potential of AI in music and beyond. Key takeaways: will.i.am's early exposure to AI and his investments in companies like OpenAI and Anthropic have positioned him as a visionary in the field: He is now the CEO of FYI.AI, a company focused on creating AI personas that engage in authentic, relatable conversations. FYI's "secret sauce" involves using natural speaking voices and conversational training data to create AI that feels like a real "superstar" rather than a bland tool. Analyzing the impact of technology...
read Jul 10, 2024A New Camera Is Bringing Generative AI to Movie Making
A groundbreaking AI-powered movie camera is transforming the world of filmmaking, offering new creative possibilities for directors and cinematographers. Introducing the CMR-M1: The CMR-M1, a prototype camera developed by SpecialGuestX and 1stAveMachine, utilizes generative AI to enhance and transform filmed footage in real-time: The camera sends digital film to the cloud, where a Stable Diffusion-based model transforms the footage based on pre-trained models and personalized prompts. A wheel on the side of the camera allows operators to smoothly transition between real footage and AI-generated overlays, while an NFC chip slot enables the use of personalized style cards. Embracing physical interfaces...
read Jul 9, 2024AppleTV+’s ‘Sunny’ Explores Love and Implications of AI Companionship
The humanity of AI takes center stage in "Sunny": The upcoming Apple TV+ series "Sunny," premiering Wednesday, delves into questions about the humanity and emotional capabilities of artificial intelligence through the story of a grieving woman and her robot companion. Rashida Jones and Hidetoshi Nishijima lead the cast: Rashida Jones stars as Suzie Sakamoto, an American living in Japan who reluctantly accepts a robot named Sunny designed by her late husband to anticipate her emotional needs after his death. Hidetoshi Nishijima plays Masa, Suzie's engineer husband who created Sunny before his untimely passing in a plane crash. Jones expressed concerns...
read Jul 8, 2024Toonstar Offers Glimpse Into Future of AI-Powered Animation
Toonstar, a Los Angeles-based animation studio, is leveraging AI technologies to revolutionize the animation industry, enabling more efficient production processes and empowering a new generation of creators to bring their stories to life. AI-powered animation pipeline: Toonstar employs AI at various stages of the animation process, from pre-visualization to post-production, reducing time and costs associated with producing high-quality animated content: The studio has developed AI engines that tailor visual styles and animation techniques to each project, allowing for faster and more affordable production. By using AI for parts of the animation process, Toonstar aims to get more projects to market,...
read Jul 5, 2024Wimbledon Deploys AI to Protect Players from Online Abuse, Signaling Shift in Sports
Protecting players from online abuse at Wimbledon: Wimbledon is using artificial intelligence technology called Threat Matrix to scan social media posts about players for threatening, racist, sexist, and otherwise harmful content, in response to reports of online abuse affecting players like Emma Raducanu and Harriet Dart. Threat Matrix scans posts in 35 languages, processes the data, and passes concerning content to human reviewers who can then take action, such as identifying and tracking down the individuals responsible for inappropriate messages. The technology allows Wimbledon to proactively identify concerning content rather than solely relying on players reporting abuse, and a more...
read Jul 5, 2024Intel’s AI Innovations to Revolutionize Paris 2024 Olympic Experience for Athletes and Fans
Intel is leveraging AI to enhance the Paris 2024 Olympic experience for athletes, broadcasters, and attendees through various innovative applications. AI-powered chatbot for athletes: Intel is integrating a generative AI chatbot into the Athlete 365 app to assist over 10,000 athletes in navigating the Olympic Village and understanding the games' day-to-day operations: The chatbot, powered by Intel's Gaudi 2 platform, will provide conversational responses to athletes' queries, helping them find information that would otherwise be buried in PDFs. Intel's Responsible AI group has contributed to the chatbot's development to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. AI-driven broadcast highlights: Intel AI...
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