April 20, 2023
what we've been watching...
empowering you with insights and information from the edge of today’s headlines
Technology
Charging for Access: Reddit, which used to be called the “front page of the internet,” may begin charging tech companies for access to its API. Companies like Google, Microsoft and OpenAI had been using Reddit’s chats to train their Large Language Models, and now Reddit, ahead of its potential IPO, is looking to monetize its social network. Reddit isn’t the first tech company to push back against being used as training data. A consortium of artists and Getty Images are separately suing Stability AI and Midjourney for training image generators on artists’ work without consent.
In a battle of wills, Twitter is threatening a suit against Microsoft for using its API. Microsoft (one of the largest investors in OpenAI) also announced that its ad platform will no longer support the social media platform after Twitter began charging for access.
AI goes Viral: We thought ChatGPT had a stellar opening weekend, but AI Drake seems to be taking the cake. If you haven’t heard, the AI-generated song, “Heart on My Sleeve,” featuring the voices of Drake and The Weeknd, went viral this past weekend on TikTok. The song was removed from Spotify, YouTube, and AppleMusic for apparent copyright concerns, but what is the copyright infringement? Their voices? Their brands? Was the song actually made by AI or were we actually being punk’d by Drake? When the Verge asked Universal Music Group about why the song was taken down, the answer was rather vague. What’s copyrightable in a copy? UMG then went even further and asked streaming services to block all AI companies from accessing the work of their artists for training purposes.
Throwing for Chips: The European Union has joined the chorus of nations that are providing subsidies and incentives for locally produced chipmakers. This week the EU agreed to a EUR43BN EU Chips Act, in the hopes of doubling its share of global output to 20% by 2030. The US Chips Act, which was signed in August of 2022, came in at over $52BN, and has lured TSMC to Arizona (proposing to invest over $40BN in two factories, with the hopes of getting $15BN in subsidies). South Korea’s Samsung is also planning boosting production in Asia, as the country announced a $424BN investment plan in high-tech industries.
Human Technology: What does it feel to run like Eliud Kipchoge, who is the world-record holder in the marathon at 2 hours 1 minute and 9 seconds (or roughly 13mph for 26.2 miles)? Try out the Tumbleator, which simulates Kipchoge’s pace just for 20 feet — most actually get shot out the back — even Olympic champion Mo Farah.
Here come the robots: We thought the NYPD’s robot dogs were dystopian, but now the department has the capability to shoot GPS trackers at your car using a modified AR-15 to follow your vehicle remotely. We guess the days of watching televised police chases will soon be relegated to Google Maps.
Through the looking glass: Call us old school, but we like our cars to come with windows. Polestar just unveiled its new SUV and it has no rear windshield — in its place is a high definition camera. While the designers claim that removing the window allowed the car to be more aerodynamic, we aren’t sure about the point of driving in “a cocoon.”
Greatest Show from Earth: Scientists have discovered deep-sea coral reefs in uncorrupted condition deep in the Galápagos marine reserve. “They are pristine and teeming with life – pink octopus, batfish, squat lobsters and an array of deep-sea fish, sharks and rays,” said Dr Michelle Taylor. This discovery, by scientists collaborating with Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia, may help to demonstrate the value of Global Ocean Alliance and the resilience of deep-water coral communities.
Business
No more red envelopes: Netflix is finally shutting down its DVD-by-mail business. (did you know that it actually still mailed DVDs?) Over the 25-year period of shipping DVDs, Netflix mailed 5.2BN, but the service accounted for less than 0.5% of the company’s overall revenue in 2022. The first Netflix DVD that shipped was Beetlejuice, on March 10, 1998, while the most popular Netflix DVD ever was The Blind Side. We can’t imagine DVDs making a comeback like vinyl without the album artwork and inserts, but we hope Netflix will find a way to digitize those films that are trapped on plastic.
Red Slips: While Netflix may be looking for ways to cut costs, the Writers Guild of America has voted overwhelmingly to go on strike, and the biggest culprit: streaming. Streaming platforms have changed the way screenwriters are compensated especially when it comes to residuals, because users watch shows on demand rather than with repeated, planned broadcasts. The strike is set to begin on May 1, and the last time the writers went on strike was in 2007 for 100 days, which apparently kept Jesse Pinkman alive in the first season of Breaking Bad, because no one was there to write the ending.
Champagne problems: Taylor Swift may have broken Ticketmaster, Spotify and who knows how many Pete Davidsons, but she was also apparently one of the only celebrities to actually do some due diligence before endorsing FTX. FTX, the defunct crypto-exchange, had hired several celebrity spokespeople including Shaq (who had been dodging the subpoena for months), Gisele and Tom Brady, Stephen Curry, Naomi Osaka, and Jimmy Fallon. Taylor was in negotiations for a $100M sponsorship when she asked something along the lines of “‘Can you tell me that these are not unregistered securities?’” Rumor has it that Caroline Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda Research and SBF’s ex-girlfriend, was a huge fan of Taylor Swift. No word on any connection to Anti-Hero.
Pandemic Bread: We all remember the ritual of baking during the pandemic, or everything is a cake meme, yet evidently, our love of sweets and butter has withstood the test of being locked up at home. The newest craze, at least according to the lines outside of NY City’s pop-ups, are baked goods. According to Eater, the newest bakeries with the longest lines (and hopefully, the best goods), are From Lucie, L’Appartement 4F, Lysée, Librae Bakery, Bạn Bè, and Lady Wong. Guess we know where we are planning our next walking tour.
Culture
Greatest Show on Earth: We wish we’d known about this sooner, or at least hoped that it might be televised, but the 2022 edition of the World Championship of Magic, definitely went under our radar. Every three years, professional and amateur magicians gather from around the globe to compete for the most ingenious trick, while also spending a week teaching each other how to master their craft. This year’s winning trick was performed by Simon Coronel, who had developed it over 10 years, and described the feeling as “a moment of awe so inexplicable, it hints at a universe where magic really exists.” The tricks are judged by a panel of 10 veteran members of the International Federation of Magic Societies, and there is even a close-up category with cameras “scrutiniz[ing] every move.” We’ll be sure to set our calendar reminders for 2025, although we still haven’t figured out how the mentalist steals our watch at the holiday event each year.
iPhone theory: According to a 2020 interview with Knives Out director Rian Johnson, Apple has rules when it comes to using its products on camera, and it doesn’t let villains use iPhones. (beware: Succession spoilers) So far, fans have pointed out that the show has featured Androids in the hands of Logan, Gerri, and Tom. (Roman and Kendall have switched loyalties and devices depending on the season, although both have been exclusively team Apple this season.) We are not sure what the dreaded green bubble means, but luckily, Cousin Greg is also on team blue.
And finally….take an animated ride on a Space Elevator
— Lauren Eve Cantor
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