Chaos & Amazement #2346 Temu, Marques Brownlee, and Bin Chickens

Nov 18, 2023

Hollywood actors and studios have finally agreed on 3-year AI rules for consent and compensation. Potential global impact on arts AI limits. The agreement emphasizes fair treatment during the experimentation period. https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/SAG-AFTRA-TV-Theatrical-Summary-Agreement.pdf
A must-read: an exploration of the impact of platforms like Shein, Pinduoduo's Temu, and TikTok Shop on Chinese e-commerce going global. A deep dive into the new era of targeting foreign customers. https://restofworld.org/series/china-shopping-cart/
Marques Brownlee, with 17.7 million YouTube subscribers, significantly shapes the tech industry, influencing product perception and demand. His authoritative reviews, leveraging YouTube's reach, position him as a crucial figure in the tech ecosystem. https://www.fastcompany.com/90978935/marques-brownlee-mkbhd-youtube-tech-review

During its Ignite 2023 event, Microsoft emphasized AI's impact across various industries and its own range of products and services. Bing Chatbot is set to transform into Copilot, providing personalized responses and commercial data protection, with the transition from preview to general availability scheduled for December 1. https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2023/11/15/microsoft-ignite-2023-ai-transformation-and-the-technology-driving-change/
- Then, something surprising was added: a tool that can make realistic avatars and create deepfake videos of them saying things the person never actually said. https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/ai-azure-ai-services-blog/azure-ai-speech-announces-public-preview-of-text-to-speech/ba-p/3981448
Google invests "hundreds of millions" in Character.ai, a chatbot startup with diverse personas, maintaining user engagement at 33 minutes per visit despite a slight drop in monthly visits. https://reuters.com/technology/google-talks-invest-ai-startup-characterai-sources-2023-11-10/
- Venture capital firm A16z has reportedly invested in
  http://civitai.com, a platform for sharing AI models. The controversial nature of @HelloCivitai 's features, including AI-generated nonconsensual content, raises ethical concerns.

Siri Rage
"Voice Activated" is a great short film about Trent, a florist who stutters, dealing with the challenges of modern technology. As Trent overcomes these hurdles, the film becomes heartwarming and inspiring, turning him into a relatable hero.
"A.I. will Destroy Us" by Nobody & The Computer
When you use generative artificial intelligence tools to create a script for a short film exploring the impact of AI on society, the result is bound to be a dystopian nightmare.

Checked out Oculi Mundi's cool map collection, but gotta say, the website layout could be more user-friendly. Still, they're doing a great job making old maps accessible online. https://oculi-mundi.com
The U.S. has their trash pandas, Australia has their Bin Chicken