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So fresh, so clean. If you’ve ever wondered what over 100,000 pounds of plastic looks like, check out this Twitter, err, X post from The Ocean Cleanup. The Dutch non-profit recently spent the past month at sea testing its new plastic extraction system, and the results are pretty impressive. Even more amazing is that the upgrade can now detect (and safely guide out) any marine animals that may become trapped during the cleanup process.
In other news… Disney faces backlash for Gen AI use, luxury retail continues to skyrocket, and climate change threatens education.
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ENTERTAINMENT
Mickey gets tricky with Loki and AI // Illustration by Kate Walker
Artists say Disney used AI-generated art to promote Loki
The Future. Multiple artists have alleged that promotional material for season two of Disney’s Loki features AI-generated content from Shutterstock. Disney hasn’t responded, and Shutterstock’s failure to classify the image as “AI-generated” means the studio doesn’t have to. But if this behavior continues, graphic designers stand to lose work.
Loki’s tricks
Last Monday, illustrator Katria Raden pointed out that the poster appeared to feature AI-generated art.
Background art in the poster has been traced back to a Shutterstock image titled “Surreal Infinity Time Spiral Space Antique.”
The image — which was posted to Shutterstock earlier this year — features telltale signs of AI creation, like numbers and text devolving into nonsensical squiggles. It also lacks embedded metadata explaining how it was made.
Some have speculated that other parts of the poster, such as the small human figures, are also AI-generated.
AI-generated art can’t be licensed on Shutterstock, but since that platform failed to classify this image as AI-generated, Disney has plausible deniability.
Fool me twice
This isn’t the first time Disney’s caught flak for using AI. The recent Marvel film Secret Invasion notoriously used Gen AI to create its opening credits sequence.
That time, Disney claimed that its interest in the tech wouldn’t reduce its need for human workers. But whether human labor is disappearing from the studios or the image licensing platforms, someone’s out of a job.
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BUSINESS
Luxury retail rolls in it // Illustration by Kate Walker
Luxury is fit for IRL consumption
The Future. As more people return to offices and socialize outside their homes post-pandemic, they’re dressing to impress, which means the clothes they buy (and where they buy them) are evolving. In other words, gone are the days of simply adding fits to your online cart. Consumers are now shopping IRL for brand quality and prestige, setting up the US luxury retail market to exceed $75 billion in sales by the end of 2023. While malls may have taken a hit in the past few years, the expansion of luxury retail proves brand experience (even in the form of brick-and-mortar shops) still attracts big spenders.
The new design
Luxury retailers want to stand apart by opening in exclusive luxury wings, reports Forbes. This positioning is supposed to highlight the unique experience of luxury shopping and reflect the desires of today’s luxury consumer, who favors ROI rather than trendy pieces.
Alexander McQueen chose Copley Place in Boston and SouthPark in Charlotte for its store openings, while Dior selected The Mall at Millenia in Orlando and The Domain in Austin.
The US accounts for nearly 32% of global luxury sales, with sunbelt cities like Miami, Atlanta, and Las Vegas making up the biggest portion of luxury leasing.
However, India is emerging as a compelling destination for luxury brands, as its middle class alone surpasses the whole population of the US.
The key to success
Despite tightening in the real estate market, luxury retail is growing and exceeding pre-pandemic levels. The reason might be as simple as ongoing employment in the areas it dresses.
As the names, faces, and pocketbooks of luxury shoppers continue to evolve, so will the brands and their IRL experiences.
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Hedonova outperforms S&P 500 by over 200%
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Since late 2019, Hedonova has achieved a remarkable feat, outperforming the S&P 500 by more than 200%.
Hedonova offers a simple yet powerful proposition: it serves as a single access point to a diverse portfolio of alternative assets, including media royalties, pre-IPO startups, wine, and fine art.
This SEC-regulated fund has captured the spotlight, securing the best multi-strategy hedge fund award at the 2023 Hedgeweek European Awards. With a minimum of $5,000, you can easily start investing in alternative assets at Hedonova.
ENVIRONMENT
There’s no Planet B
Climate change could spell disaster for schools
The Future. As natural calamities (think record heat, wildfires, and flooding) occur more often in the US, school districts are failing to weather the storms due to a lack of financial and bureaucratic support. If they want to avoid more disruptions to the academic year, states might have to rethink how they run their schools to better prepare for climate change.
Feeling the heat
Many schools around the country aren’t equipped to handle climate change because “not enough money is being invested to make the necessary adjustments,” according to Jonathan T. Overpeck, Dean of the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan.
Heat waves are beginning earlier and lasting longer, forcing schools, particularly in the Midwest and Northeast, to close early due to inadequate air conditioning.
Many districts can’t afford private insurance, so they have to rely on grants from FEMA or the Department of Education following natural disasters, which can slow the recovery process.
Even districts with insurance money sometimes don’t have enough to cover all the costs of rebuilding.
What makes matters worse is many families often relocate after a natural disaster, which slashes district funding if the trend continues.
Staying vigilant
The sooner all state leaders admit there’s a climate problem, the sooner US school districts can properly shelter their students and teachers from the inevitable storm.
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Experts urge Americans to transfer their balances in 2024
Did you know some credit cards can actually help you get out of debt faster? Yes, it sounds crazy. But it’s true.
The secret: find a card with a “0% intro APR” period for balance transfers. Then, transfer your debt balance and pay it down as much as possible during the intro period.
No interest means you could pay off the debt faster.
Highlights
The best curated daily stories from around the web
Media, Music, & Entertainment
The new aggravation of the Israeli-Hamas conflict has shown how the incentives of social media platforms (X in particular) may lead users to maximize engagement at the expense of truth. Read More → insider
Microsoft prepares to finalize its $68.7 billion acquisition of Blizzard Entertainment following a 20-month battle with international regulatory agencies… but the fight may not be over yet. Read More → theverge
Disney+ has begun to edit various older cartoon sequences to remove content that could be troubling for today’s viewers. Read More → boingboing
Fashion & E-Commerce
Mattel released a new line of Off-White Monster High dolls to commemorate its collaboration with the late Virgil Abloh. Read More → hypebeast
The proliferation of screens and viewing platforms has made it harder than ever for firms to ensure that the ad space they buy is actually getting in front of an audience. Read More → adage
Gucci has ramped up its efforts to make the fashion industry more diverse and accessible by expanding its Changemakers scholarship program to London. Read More → adweek
Tech, Web3, & AI
Facebook and other social media sites have recently made changes that have significantly decreased referral traffic to the sites of content publishers… and that’s unlikely to change soon. Read More → digiday
Instagram is launching a Trends feature on Threads in an effort to compete with X and other media platforms. Read More → techcrunch
Zoom really does make people feel worse about their appearances, according to recent research conducted on the rise of video conferencing in the past few years. Read More → fastcompany
Creator Economy
KidSuper has entered into an exclusive merch collab with Starbucks to sponsor the company’s seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte this year. Read More → hypebeast
Instagram hinted that it may revive its program of awarding cash bonuses to creators, which the platform began in 2011 and ended in March of this year. Read More → information
An ex-TikTok employee is building a social platform for content creators to network and communicate anonymously. Read More → techcrunch
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Today’s email was written by Kait Cunniff and Luke Perrotta.
Edited by Nick Comney.
Published by Darline Salazar.