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Milk was a bad choice. Move over, Gatorade, there's a new thirst quencher in town, and it's not what you'd expect. In an effort to win over Gen Z, the dairy industry is rebranding milk as the “OG sports drink,” targeting gamers specifically. Not sure about you, but the classic bovine beverage is exactly what we want after a high-intensity workout or late-night COD campaign. #sarcasm
In other news… AI CEO files to copyright himself, Google Search teases Bard integration, and VR misses the mark with teens.
Top Trends
YouTube → Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Twitter → Beef
Google → Jeremy Renner
Reddit → Diddy
TikTok → “Rodeo” - Lah Pat & Flo Milli
Spotify → “Lost The Breakup” - Maisie Peters
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AI
“What!? Who allowed this?” // Illustration by Kate Walker
Metaphysic wants actors to copyright their own AI doubles
The Future. Metaphysic CEO Tom Graham has officially submitted his AI likeness for copyright registration, hoping to create a precedent for people to have their identities protected from malicious deepfake-creators. Meaning your AI double could be the only sanctioned AI double. But with fair use policies not yet updated for the rise of deepfakes, new laws may need to be passed to complete Graham’s ambition.
The second and onlyTom Graham is trying to put a stamp of authenticity on his duplicate self.
Graham says that he is the “author” of the work.
His rationale is that he used a curated data set to train the AI tool used to make the replica.
He also “added other manmade work” to complete the process, including editing and compositing.
The author bit is key because the US Copyright Office only grants copyrights to AI-created work that has been augmented to the point where a human has done most of the work.
Fake for hireGraham hopes that receiving copyright paves the way for actors and other public figures to protect their identity in a world where it’ll become very easy to make deepfakes of anyone. They’ll be able to request a takedown of any unsanctioned deepfake found on the internet (like the digital double of Tom Cruise that was made with Metaphysic’s AI tool).
That’s all a big maybe, though. THR says that the concept of “fair use” may make that dream a little more complicated because copyrighted works can be used under the function of parody, commentary, criticism, or news reporting, and is transformed enough to alter their original purpose.
That’s why Kendrick Lamar was free and clear to make his deepfake-focused “The Heart Part 5” music video.
TECHNOLOGY
Ask Bard // Illustration by Kate Walker
Google Search is set to get AI chatty
The Future. Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced that Bard, the company’s AI chatbot, is coming to Google Search any day now. But with Google going through its biggest round of layoffs and cost-cutting measures ever (affecting its computing infrastructure, which is needed to run these powerful AI algorithms), the transformation may be coming at the wrong time.
Find with BardGoogle is opening the AI floodgates on Search.
Google said that Search would soon have AI chat capability.
Features that are being tested include the ability to ask follow-up questions to an original query and other ways to interact with the company’s vast large language model (LLM).
The announcement comes on the heels of the company releasing its Bard AI chatbot, which, in a bid to take things slow, was only released via a dedicated website with a waitlist that redirected users to Google’s traditional Search if they wanted more info.
Clearly, the market has sped up.
Search and destroy (competition)AI’s disruption of the classic search engine — type a question or keywords and receive a list of links — is an existential threat for Google (though Pichai denies that). Search represents over half of the tech giant’s revenue, bringing in roughly $162 billion last year.
Microsoft’s Bing, which has always been a bit of a laughing stock compared to Google, had ChatGPT integrated into it last month, effectively forcing Google’s hand. Microsoft believes that for every half of a percentage point it gains in Search market share, it’ll make $2 billion in revenue. Google has no intention of giving up the throne (or that money).
TOGETHER WITH BABBEL
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AR/VR
“Boooorrrrrriiiinnnnngggg.”
VR isn’t transporting teens
The Future. US teens don’t care much for VR. A small percentage actually own devices, and a fraction of that even use them. That’s bad news for Silicon Valley, which has, at this point, spent too much money on R&D just to be met with a shrug from young users. But maybe… VR’s time just hasn’t come yet, and people are simply waiting for the right confluence of comfortable tech, photoreal imagers, and actual interesting content before immersing themselves.
No connectionInvestment bank Piper Sandler found that…
29% reportedly own a VR device
But only 4% use it daily
A tiny 7% said they are planning on buying a device in the future
But a whopping 52% were “either unsure or uninterested” in purchasing a VR device
It should come as no surprise that after Meta’s Quest 2 headset failed to meet sales expectations, Meta laid off a major portion of its Reality Labs VR division. Meanwhile, Microsoft recently shut down its social VR platform.
But with Apple’s headset just around the corner, could it be the one to figure out how to unlock mainstream interest? It might be the tech giant’s biggest gamble in a decade.
Future Forecast
For those of you who like to stay a step ahead, here are a few things we’re excited about right now:
The almighty devs at Lemon.io. It’s true. You CAN find the devs you’re looking for! Jokes aside, Lemon is a utopia of software engineers. They can match you with programmers as devoted to your project’s success as you are. It’s easy, fast, and won’t burn your entire budget at once. Plus, their website is one of our favorite places to peruse. The proof is in the pudding.
Fletcher’s future. She’s been around a bit, cementing herself as a pop provocateur with hypnotic vocals and raw appeal. Though Fletcher’s previously released singles did well, she rose to TikTok notoriety during the pandemic. This past fall, she released her debut album, “Girl of My Dreams,” which snagged number 15 on the Billboard 200. She’s also a member of the LGBTQ+ community, is an outspoken activist for non-profits like Trevor’s Project, and is all around a woman who rocks.
One-of-a-kind marketing. The rebels at Alt Marketing School are committed to teaching marketing strategy that appeals to the heart. Their podcast and newsletter are free mini-marketing courses delivered straight to your AirPods and black mirrors. Check them out to amplify your impact and make your marketing more substantial, inclusive, and human. Because we could all benefit from a little more positivity in the world.
Highlights
The best curated daily stories from around the web
Montana aims to boot TikTok
The first legislation of its kind, state lawmakers have advanced a bill to ban TikTok for Montanans. It would essentially punish app stores and internet providers for letting Montana residents access the embattled platform. While banning an app for a single state ultimately seems implausible, TikTok is taking the fight seriously, knowing that a ban there could lead to other states following suit — a move that would make a federal ban much easier.
Read more → wsj
Is there a prescription for aging?
NYC-based Tally Health just raised $10 million to expand its biological age test. After finding a way to reverse aging in mice, David Sinclair, a Harvard researcher on aging, developed a test administered with a cheek swab that shows the discrepancy between a person’s chronological age and biological age. The company then provides a customizable menu of lifestyle changes, diet suggestions, and supplements for becoming algorithmically younger. Monthly subscriptions are pricey, but Tally boasted a 270,000-person waitlist before it launched in February.
Read more → fastcompany
AI is in Pepsi’s C-suite
AI may be the new hot ticket item of 2023, but Pepsi has apparently been using AI since 2020 — from ideating new product lines to analyzing store sales to optimizing product placement. The company even developed its own AI framework to handle all the tasks. Things Pepsi says it won’t use AI for? Employee recruitment and marketing to customers individually. They must know it’s impossible even for AI to change the mind of a Coke fan.
Read more → axios
Your next apartment may be your old parking spot
Parking lots in states like North Carolina, California, Hawaii, New York, and Washington are being remade into housing, including apartment buildings and senior centers. That’s because, with the housing crisis, parking lots are being sold everywhere for redevelopment. And with cities such as LA now passing legislation that apartment complexes no longer need parking if they’re near public transit, apartment restrictions are also loosening. With somewhere between 700 million and two billion parking spots in America, that’s a lot of potential space to live.
Read more → fastcompany
True Anomaly gives the US its own starfighters
The space wars have begun. A startup called True Anomaly, founded by three ex-Space Force members, has come out of stealth with $30 million in funding. Its goal: provide the Pentagon with tech to protect assets in space and do reconnaissance on enemy satellites. How does it plan on doing this? With what it calls the “Jackal” — an “autonomous orbital pursuit vehicle.” Yes, dogfights in space are closer than ever.
Read more → techcrunch
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Today's email was brought to you by David Vendrell.Edited by Nick Comney. Publishing by Sara Kitnick.