AI Taking Over Hollywood?
July 14, 2023
Good morning. The latest installment of the Mission: Impossible series, "Dead Reckoning Part One" released in theaters on July 12th, revolves around a sentient AI, dubbed "The Entity", that has the potential to trigger global wars. If you’re into action, Tom Cruise, and the extreme outcome of what could happen with AI, definitely give it a watch!
In today’s newsletter:
🎬 AI vs Hollywood
⚖️ Stability AI Drama
💸 Causaly's $60M Raise
📜 China’s New Regulatory Framework
🤖 Google’s Bard Expands Globally
💰 Wing’s $600M Venture Fund
NEWS
AI Takes the Stage: Hollywood's New Script Sparks a Real-Life Drama
Midjourney
Lights, camera, AI? Hollywood's latest script seems to be borrowed from a dystopian sci-fi flick… The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) is up in arms because Hollywood studios are proposing to use AI to create digital doppelgängers of actors. The catch is that these AI clones could potentially be used indefinitely, bypassing the need for things like consent or paychecks
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA's chief negotiator, isn't exactly thrilled. He's worried about what this could mean for the industry and, more importantly, for the actors themselves.
To get a sense of what's at stake, let's take a detour into the world of TV's Black Mirror. Remember the recent Season 6 episode "Joan is Awful"? Joan, our protagonist, wakes up one day to find her life being played out on a TV series. The twist? The show uses a digital clone of actress Salma Hayek Pinault to portray Joan's life, with all the juicy details gathered from her devices. The show is whipped up by a quantum computer that tailors content for each viewer. Check out this interview about the episode 👇
The implications of this tech are as massive as they are mind-boggling. It could revolutionize entertainment, creating hyper-personalized content, but could also blur the lines between reality and fiction, leading to job losses for actors, while raising serious questions about privacy and control over one's image.
Is this a bad thing for entertainment? Not necessarily. It could open up new avenues for storytelling and engagement. But it's also potentially dangerous. The use of AI and digital likeness in this way could lead to invasions of privacy and a loss of control over one's image and identity. It could also lead to job losses for actors and other professionals in the entertainment industry.
In short, Hollywood's latest proposal and the plot of "Joan is Awful" give us a sneak peek into a future where AI and digital likeness are the new stars of the show. The next few years will be crucial in determining what the future of entertainment looks like.
NEWS
Stability AI in Hot Water: Co-founder's Lawsuit Alleges Fraud and Embezzlement Amidst New Tech Launch
Midjourney
Cyrus Hodes, co-founder of Stability AI, is taking the company and its CEO, Emad Mostaque, to court. The charges? Nothing much… just Fraud and embezzlement.
Hodes claims he was hoodwinked into selling his 15% stake in the company for a measly $100. Fast forward a few months, and that stake would have been worth a cool $150 million.
According to Hodes, Mostaque conveniently forgot to mention active fundraising efforts and a planned pivot into AI text-to-image generation. The lawsuit also accuses Mostaque of playing fast and loose with company funds for personal expenses and destroying evidence.
Here’s Forbe’s take on Emad Mostaque’s 👇
This isn't the first time Mostaque has been in the legal crosshairs. Tayab Waseem previously filed a lawsuit, claiming Mostaque backed out of an agreement to give him a 10% stake in the company.
The drama could spell trouble for Stability AI and Mostaque's reputation. If the allegations of fraud and embezzlement stick, it could lead to legal consequences and a loss of trust from investors and partners. It could also make future investments and partnerships harder to come by. But, as they say, the show must go on, and the outcome will hinge on the court's findings and the company's response.
In the meantime, Stability AI isn't letting a little legal trouble slow them down. They've just launched Stable Doodle, a sketch-to-image tool that uses their latest Stable Diffusion model to turn sketches into artistic masterpieces. The tool gives users precise control over the image generation process, making it a potential game-changer for designers, illustrators, and other professionals.
💸 AI Pioneer Causaly Secures $60M for Biomedical Breakthroughs
Causaly, an AI platform specializing in drug discovery and biomedical research, has successfully raised $60 million in a Series B funding round. The platform, which uses machine learning to analyze vast amounts of biomedical knowledge, aims to accelerate the pace of drug discovery and development. The funding will be used to expand the company's operations and further develop its AI capabilities. (link)
📜 China Pioneers Regulatory Framework for Generative AI Services
China's Cyberspace Administration has set forth new regulations for generative AI services, taking effect from August 15. These rules mandate that AI services, such as ChatGPT, must secure an operating license, perform comprehensive security assessments, and align with the socialist core values. The regulations apply to services available to the general public, providing a clear framework for tech giants. (link)
🤖 Google's Bard AI Chatbot Challenges ChatGPT in Europe, Brazil
Alphabet's AI chatbot, Bard, is expanding its reach to Europe and Brazil, marking its largest expansion since its launch in February. This move puts Bard in direct competition with Microsoft-backed rival, ChatGPT. The expansion is part of Alphabet's broader strategy to capitalize on the growing demand for AI chatbots. (link)
💰 Wing Venture Capital Fuels AI Startups with $600M Fund
Wing Venture Capital, an early-stage investor, has closed a $600 million fund dedicated to backing startups focused on artificial intelligence (AI). The firm plans to continue investing in companies that develop AI tools with a business use case. Interest in AI has surged, particularly in the wake of the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Wing, an early supporter of the $59 billion cloud-computing firm Snowflake Inc., has already invested in several AI companies, including Copy.ai, Gong, and Pinecone. (link)
AI Lawyer: Personal AI lawyer at your fingertips (link)
SnackPrompt: Discover fresh AI prompts, upvote the best, & bookmark your favorites (link)
Respeecher Marketplace: AI voice library for content creators (link)
MindOS: Create autonomous AI agents for your professional tasks (link)
Locofy AI: Turn Figma or Adobe XD designs into code: React, React Native, HTML-CSS+ (link)
Drafthorse: Write hundreds of SEO-optimized articles in minutes (link)
Our database of all the best AI tools mentioned in our newsletter:
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Prompt: surrealist painting by Pablo Picasso, striking and bizarre images, dripping, melting --ar 16:9 --q 2 --s 750 --v 5.2
Prompt: microscopic community living on a circuitboard:: hyperrealisitc circuitboard:: 8k --ar 16:9 --q 2 --s 750
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