News/Entertainment
Walk With Me: Palace of Versailles lets visitors chat with 20 AI-powered garden statues
The Palace of Versailles has launched an AI-powered app that allows visitors to have conversations with 20 statues throughout the palace gardens, including Apollo and Cupid riding on a Sphinx. The innovative experience, powered by Ask Mona, an AI platform, and OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence company, enables tourists to interact with historical figures in three languages, offering a novel way to explore the palace's heritage through technology-enhanced storytelling. How it works: The app uses artificial intelligence to bring statues to life through conversational interactions that reveal historical insights and lesser-known details about Versailles. Visitors can speak with 20 different...
read Sep 18, 2025Studios rejected Stallone’s AI-powered Rambo origin story. But nothing is over?
Sylvester Stallone revealed he previously pitched an AI-powered "Rambo" prequel that would use de-aging technology to show him as an 18-year-old John Rambo in Vietnam. The actor disclosed this during a podcast interview while promoting the upcoming third season of "Tulsa King," as Hollywood continues exploring AI applications for visual effects and storytelling. What they're saying: Stallone believes AI technology has advanced enough to make his vision feasible, though studios initially rejected the concept. "Everyone thought I was crazy," Stallone recalled about his AI de-aging pitch. "AI is sophisticated enough to go through Saigon to see him at 18 years...
read Sep 18, 2025Massive Attack quits Spotify over CEO’s €600M military AI investment
Massive Attack has removed their entire music catalog from Spotify to protest CEO Daniel Ek's €600 million investment in Helsing, a military AI company that develops battlefield analysis software and military drones. The Bristol-based band becomes the first major-label artist to take this stance, citing a "moral and ethical burden" where fan money and artistic work ultimately fund what they describe as "lethal, dystopian technologies." What you should know: Ek's venture capital firm Prima Materia led Helsing's latest funding round in June, with the Spotify founder also serving as chairman of the defense tech company. Helsing's software uses AI to...
read Sep 17, 2025Did she not say she’d always love you? AI invokes Whitney Houston’s voice for new tour
Whitney Houston is embarking on a posthumous concert tour 13 years after her death, powered by artificial intelligence technology that isolates her vocals from original recordings. The tour, called "The Voice of Whitney: A Symphonic Celebration," combines AI-extracted vocal tracks with live symphony orchestras and video footage, marking the 40th anniversary of Houston's career launch. Why this matters: Many of Houston's original multitrack recordings had been lost over the years, making traditional tribute concerts impossible until AI technology advanced enough to separate vocals from fully mixed songs without compromising audio quality. How the AI works: Park Avenue Artists, the production...
read Sep 16, 2025James Gunn mocks AI Batman image over funky anatomical errors like short arms
DC Studios filmmaker James Gunn mocked an AI-generated image of actor Brandon Sklenar as Batman, highlighting the technology's anatomical errors and signaling his opposition to artificial intelligence in superhero filmmaking. The public dismissal comes as Warner Bros Discovery has filed a lawsuit against AI image generator Midjourney for facilitating mass copyright infringement of its characters. What happened: Gunn responded to a fan's AI-generated Batman image on Threads, quipping "it would be weird to cast an AI Batman with a 14 inch arm."• The comment targeted the AI's failure to properly render human proportions, specifically pointing out unnaturally short appendages that...
read Sep 15, 2025DOF Robotics raises $40M in IPO for immersive attraction expansion
DOF Robotics, an award-winning producer of immersive simulation attractions and robotic systems, has completed its Initial Public Offering on Borsa Istanbul, raising over $40 million and representing 29% of the company's current value. The IPO enables significant investment in R&D projects, production capacity expansion, and entry into new markets as the 19-year-old company continues its global growth trajectory across 60 countries. What you should know: DOF Robotics has established itself as a major player in the immersive entertainment industry through strategic partnerships and consistent growth. The company exports to over 60 countries across six continents, providing simulators and immersive experiences...
read Sep 12, 2025Lights, camera, robots! Shotoku unveils Swoop cranes to automate broadcast studios
Shotoku Broadcast Systems has unveiled its new Swoop robotic crane line at IBC2025, designed to replace manually operated cranes and jibs in studio environments. The launch represents a significant advancement in studio robotics, offering broadcasters enhanced creative possibilities and operational flexibility while integrating seamlessly with existing robotic camera systems. What you should know: The Swoop line launches with two models featuring different boom arm reaches and base options to match various production needs. Swoop 140 offers a 140 cm (4'7") boom arm reach, while Swoop 220 extends to 220 cm (7'3"). Both versions can be configured with either a SmartPed...
read Sep 12, 2025Oakland music venue bans AI-generated flyers to support local artists
Thee Stork Club, an Oakland music venue, has banned AI-generated promotional flyers, requiring all concert artwork to be created by humans instead. The decision reflects growing resistance within the creative community against AI tools that venue owners say undercut local artists and contradict the DIY punk ethos. Why this matters: The ban highlights mounting tensions between AI advancement and artistic integrity, particularly in creative communities where human craftsmanship is deeply valued. The venue's Instagram announcement received nearly 8,000 likes, with "overwhelmingly positive" reactions from artists and music fans. Multiple commenters noted that AI-generated concert posters make them less likely to...
read Sep 12, 2025Pickford AI casts 5 SAG actors including “Last of US” alum for interactive murder mystery series
Pickford AI has cast five SAG-AFTRA voice actors for "Whispers," an interactive murder mystery series that allows viewers to communicate directly with characters during the investigation. The project represents one of the first major productions to use SAG's newly established AI protocols, potentially setting a precedent for how talent is compensated as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent in entertainment. What you should know: The interactive series breaks from traditional storytelling by letting audiences influence a murder mystery investigation in real-time. • Voice actors Stephen Chang ("The Last of Us," "Bosch Legacy"), Tohoru Masamune ("Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," "Never Have I...
read Sep 11, 2025Amazon Prime Video adds AI “Pocket Health” QB threat levels to NFL broadcasts
Amazon Prime Video has launched new AI-powered features for its Thursday Night Football broadcasts, including "Pocket Health," which analyzes offensive line data to visualize quarterback threat levels in real-time. The enhancements represent Amazon's continued investment in AI-driven sports analytics, building on existing machine learning tools to differentiate its NFL coverage and provide viewers with deeper tactical insights. What you should know: Amazon's latest AI features focus on providing tactical analysis that wasn't previously available to television audiences. Pocket Health uses AI to analyze "tens of thousands of data points" across the offensive line during plays, creating on-screen visuals that indicate...
read Sep 10, 2025AI Darwin Awards launch to honor 2025’s biggest deployment disasters
The technology industry has found a new way to recognize its most spectacular failures. The AI Darwin Awards, launching in 2025, will annually honor the most breathtaking displays of artificial intelligence deployment gone wrong. The concept draws inspiration from the infamous Darwin Awards, which since 1985 have chronicled people who died due to their own poor decision-making. This AI-focused version targets a different kind of extinction: the death of common sense in corporate technology adoption. Rather than celebrating human mortality, these awards highlight the corporate casualties that result when organizations rush to deploy AI systems without adequate planning, testing, or...
read Sep 9, 2025“Lord of the Rings” star Sean Astin leads SAG-AFTRA prez race as AI contract negotiations loom
Sean Astin is running for president of SAG-AFTRA against Chuck Slavin in an election that concludes September 12, positioning himself as the frontrunner to succeed Fran Drescher. The winner will lead the 160,000-member performers union through critical 2025 contract negotiations with major studios, facing mounting challenges from AI threats, runaway production, rising healthcare costs, and an industry still recovering from 2023's 118-day strike. What you should know: Astin brings Hollywood star power and extensive union experience, while Slavin represents a more aggressive negotiating approach as a rank-and-file candidate. Astin, known for roles in "The Lord of the Rings" and "Rudy,"...
read Sep 9, 2025Google’s Nano Banana gains 10M users with viral photo prompts. Here are some to try.
Google's latest AI image generation tool has captured global attention, drawing millions of users within days of its launch. Nano Banana, integrated directly into the Gemini ecosystem, represents a significant leap forward in AI-powered visual creation, processing images at unprecedented speeds while maintaining quality that rivals established competitors like ChatGPT and MidJourney. Josh Woodward, Google's Vice President of Product, recently announced that the Gemini app gained over 10 million new users following Nano Banana's release. The tool has already generated or edited over 200 million images, sparking viral social media trends that showcase its versatility and accessibility. Unlike standalone image...
read Sep 9, 2025Welles estate slams Amazon’s AI resurrection of “Magnificent Ambersons”
Amazon plans to use AI to recreate 43 minutes of destroyed footage from Orson Welles' 1942 film "The Magnificent Ambersons," but the legendary director's estate says they weren't consulted about the project. The controversy highlights growing tensions between AI innovation and creative rights, particularly when it involves posthumous use of artists' work without family consent. What's happening: Edward Saatchi, CEO of Showrunner AI (recently backed by Amazon), announced plans to resurrect the "lost" footage by shooting sequences with live actors and using AI to face-swap their likenesses with the original cast.• The project aims to restore what Saatchi calls Welles'...
read Sep 8, 2025Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham brings aptly-named “Artificial Intelligence” comedy tour to Des Moines
Jeff Dunham, one of the world's most popular ventriloquists, is bringing his "Artificial Intelligence" comedy tour to Des Moines on December 29 at Casey's Center. The performance marks another return to Iowa's capital for Dunham, who has established a pattern of regular shows in the area, including a 2023 headlining gig at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand. Key details: Tickets for Dunham's Casey's Center performance go on sale Monday, September 16 at 10 a.m. The show is part of Dunham's broader "Artificial Intelligence" tour, though specific details about the tour's theme or content weren't provided. Dunham has established a pattern...
read Sep 8, 2025OpenAI backs AI-animated film “Critterz” with $30M budget
OpenAI is backing "Critterz," an AI-generated animated feature film set to debut at the Cannes Film Festival before hitting theaters worldwide in 2026. The company hopes this low-budget production will demonstrate AI's viability in Hollywood and convince skeptical film executives to embrace generative artificial intelligence for movie production. The big picture: OpenAI is making a strategic push into entertainment with a full-length animated film produced primarily using its AI tools, including the recently launched GPT-5 model. Key details: "Critterz" represents a dramatic shift in how animated films could be made, with production costs and timelines that challenge industry norms. The...
read Sep 8, 2025AI cuts 3D movie conversion costs from $5M to pennies
3D cinema is experiencing a notable resurgence, with North American ticket sales jumping 34% year-over-year from May through July 2025, according to RealD's analysis of comScore data. The revival is being fueled by audience willingness to pay premium prices—averaging $18.51 for 3D tickets versus $14.51 for 2D—and emerging AI technology that could dramatically reduce conversion costs from $5 million to a fraction of that price. The numbers: Seven of the top ten new releases from May to July generated $222 million on 3D screens, representing 13% of all tickets sold during that period. Premium formats like RealD 3D, 4DX and...
read Sep 5, 2025Amazon Nova fuels F1-inspired AI racing experience for fans
Amazon Nova is powering the Real-Time Race Track (RTRT), an interactive Formula 1-inspired experience that lets fans design custom racing circuits while receiving AI-generated strategic insights and shareable racing posters. The multimodal AI platform addresses growing fan expectations for participatory sports content by combining text, speech, image, and data processing in real-time while maintaining cost-efficiency for scalable deployment. What you should know: The RTRT transforms passive F1 viewers into active participants through a comprehensive circuit design experience powered by Amazon Nova's multimodal capabilities. Fans can draw racing tracks of different lengths and shapes while receiving real-time AI recommendations for modifications....
read Sep 5, 2025Amazon-backed AI platform plans to restore 43 minutes of lost Orson Welles footage
Showrunner, an Amazon-backed AI platform that calls itself the "Netflix of AI," plans to use artificial intelligence to reconstruct 43 minutes of lost footage from Orson Welles' 1942 film "The Magnificent Ambersons." The project aims to restore what many consider a "ruined masterpiece" after studio executives cut nearly an hour from Welles' original vision, representing one of cinema's most famous cases of studio interference. The big picture: This represents a new frontier in AI's application to film restoration, where technology could potentially recover lost artistic works rather than just creating new content from scratch. What you should know: "The Magnificent...
read Sep 5, 2025AI music hits 2M+ streams, but humans prove creativity can’t be coded. Here are 10 examples.
The music industry stands at a fascinating inflection point where artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape how songs are created, distributed, and consumed. While the technology sparks both excitement and concern across creative industries, the reality of AI's current musical capabilities tells a more nuanced story than either the enthusiasts or skeptics might suggest. Recent developments like The Velvet Sundown—a completely AI-generated band that has accumulated over 2 million streams on Spotify, complete with synthetic band members, fabricated backstories, and algorithmic compositions—illustrate both the potential and limitations of current AI music technology. This virtual band represents a new category of...
read Sep 4, 2025Ain’t AI a stinker? Warner Bros sues Midjourney for creating copyrighted characters
Warner Bros. has filed a lawsuit against Midjourney, an AI image generator, accusing the platform of willfully creating copyrighted images and videos of its characters including Superman, Batman, Bugs Bunny, and Tom and Jerry. The lawsuit marks the third major studio legal challenge against Midjourney, following similar cases from Disney and Universal in June, as Hollywood studios escalate their battle against AI platforms they claim are profiting from unauthorized use of their intellectual property. What you should know: Warner Bros. alleges that Midjourney recently removed safety guardrails that previously blocked users from creating videos that infringe on studio IP. The...
read Sep 4, 2025TCL’s QM9K TVs first to feature built-in Google Gemini AI
TCL has announced the QM9K, its new flagship QD mini LED television series that will be the first TVs to feature Gemini built into Google TV. The integration represents a significant step forward in smart TV technology, combining advanced AI capabilities with hands-free operation and premium display features. What you should know: The QM9K series introduces several industry-first features that could reshape how users interact with their televisions. Users can engage with Gemini using the standard "Hey Google" voice prompt to find movies, ask questions about any topic, and control smart home devices synced through Google Home. An mmWave sensor...
read Sep 2, 2025“The Morning Show’s” Reese Witherspoon urges women to embrace AI as filmmaking’s future
Reese Witherspoon is urging women to get involved in artificial intelligence, calling it "the future of filmmaking" and emphasizing that industry change is inevitable. Speaking to Glamour magazine while promoting "The Morning Show's" fourth season, the Oscar winner positioned AI adoption as both unstoppable and essential for women's participation in Hollywood's evolution. What she's saying: Witherspoon views AI integration as an unavoidable reality that requires proactive female involvement rather than resistance. "It's so, so important that women are involved in AI because it will be the future of filmmaking," Witherspoon said. "And you can be sad and lament it all...
read Sep 2, 2025Animation industry divided on AI as creators fear job loss, reports entertainment data provider Luminate
A new report from Luminate, an entertainment data provider, reveals that generative AI has become a "divisive" topic within the animation industry, with creators and studios split on how to integrate AI-powered tools into production workflows. The findings underscore the growing tension between AI's potential to accelerate production and reduce costs versus concerns about creative integrity, job security, and ethical implications. Why this matters: Animation has emerged as a crucial content category for streaming platforms, with anime fans proving to be among the most engaged audiences across multiple platforms. Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters" recently became the most-streamed original movie in...
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