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Shutdown showdown. Happy Friday, FutureParty people. ICYMI, there’s a big battle brewing in Washington, D.C., as lawmakers scramble to strike a deal that prevents a government shutdown. With just two days left before federal funding dries up, millions of civil servants and military families are anxiously waiting to see what happens next. But as it stands, it’s not looking too promising.
In other news… OpenAI has plans for smart devices, Gwyneth Paltrow tries to consciously uncouple from Goop, and Hollywood gets some creator-friendly AI advice.
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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Generative hardware // Illustration by Kate Walker
Jony Ive is helping OpenAI build the “iPhone of artificial intelligence”
The Future. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is plotting an AI hardware device that would be designed by Jony Ive — the designer of the iPhone. The project is still in early stages, and an ultimate design of the mysterious device still hasn’t been decided, but whatever it ends up being could one day join our smartphone and wallet as a staple of our pockets.
PocketGPT
The CEO of the most prominent AI company in the world and Apple’s former design chief are joining forces.
Sam Altman is in discussions with Jony Ive and his LoveFrom firm to design a device that would make interacting with ChatGPT a “more natural and intuitive user experience” — especially now that it can talk to you.
The project already has a $1 billion investment from Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son — who’s pushing for the duo to use Arm microchips (he holds a 90% stake in the company, so he’s hoping for a massive windfall).
The hope is to create an experience that doesn’t rely on screens to be functional — a similar ambition of the secretive startup Humane (of which Altman is a backer).
The Verge notes it’ll be fascinating to see how Ive squares his belief that companies should try to diminish unintended consequences that could arise from new technologies — he believes Apple has a “moral responsibility” to deal with the addictiveness of smartphones — with the creation of a handheld AI device.
We can’t think of anything that could have more unintended consequences.
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BUSINESS
Gwyneth, always a character // Illustration by Kate Walker
Gwyneth Paltrow sweats Goop’s success
The Future. Even though Gwyneth Paltrow retired from acting in 2019, she’s arguably been giving the best performance of her life ever since — the unflappable face of Goop. The unwieldy company has cemented itself as a name in culture… but maybe one that’s too intertwined with that of its celebrity founder and CEO. With the clock clicking on making Goop’s investors some money, the company may need to prepare for the future by either crafting an identity outside of Paltrow or thinking about selling its disparate divisions so they can each soar.
E-evolution
Puck’s Lauren Sherman breaks down what makes the future of Goop such a tough nut to crack.
Founded in 2008 by Paltrow, Goop has evolved over the years, starting from a product recommendation newsletter to a full-fledged lifestyle brand that makes its own products.
The company now encompasses several verticals, like a skin care line, a fashion brand (G. Label), and a ghost kitchen, with five brick-and-mortar stores.
The brand makes $100 million in sales annually — 64% from the skin care line — which is solid but not enough to make the company profitable.
And therein lies the dilemma — backed by VCs like Greycroft and Lightspeed, the company will either need to sell or go public to give them an exit (and there’s no plan for that yet this long in the game).
But here’s the big issue for Goop’s prospects: the brand has become interchangeable with Paltrow’s public persona — she’s profiled constantly on the site, and she funnels any relevant personal brand endorsements through Goop as opposed to herself. (Funnily enough, she only became its CEO in 2017.)
Paltrow is what they call “the key man” — a personality great for the brand right now but could imperil it if she steps away. That’s going to require another evolution from Goop, which is reportedly trying to downplay Paltrow in marketing, hoping to give the brand an identity all its own.
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Wear sunscreen
If we could offer you one piece of advice for the future… that would be it.
Bonus points for anyone who can name the 1999 song we’re referencing. Extra bonus points if you can name the OG source material. And if you know the answer, you’re an elder millennial and, dear lord, we hope you’ve been wearing sunscreen.
The fact of the matter is most people don’t make sunscreen a part of their daily routine. And the majority of those people are… drumroll please… men!
Maybe they haven’t heard of Tiege Hanley, luxury skin care at an affordable price created with men, and those who identify as men, in mind. Their skin system has amazing products, including moisturizer with sunscreen.
Right now, get 30% off your first box plus a FREE gift!
ENTERTAINMENT
Good things AI can do // Courtesy of Disney
Bain & Co. recommends AI leave creatives alone
The Future. Bain & Co’s newest report, “Tech in Content Production: Will AI Kill the Video Star?,” argues creativity (and the people behind it) are far more valuable than the capabilities of generative AI. But, emerging tech does offer the potential to make production and post-production cheaper and more efficient. If heeded, the report could be a blueprint for future projects… and ensure the pressure points that led to this year’s strikes don’t become a common occurrence.
Better ideas
Management consulting firm Bain & Co.’s report has two main points.
“Don’t replace creatives with robots.” Studios should “spurn” that path and “protect the creative engines that power your business” because they’re the only ones capable of “quality content.” Also, generative AI has too many “ethical and legal risks.”
“Do use new technologies to elevate creative ideas.” New techs, like generative AI, game engines, and LED walls, should help unlock creative potential and make the production process quicker and cheaper — especially as filmmaking becomes more digitized.
The report even offers detailed examples of how tech can be applied to cut an average of 20% from budgets and reduce shooting schedules — two tenants that are key to making streaming more profitable. No wonder Disney put together an AI team focused on those goals.
And you can’t beat Bain & Co.’s ultimate takeaway: “More efficient production means more money to support more stories and grow the core of your business.”
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Say goodbye to boring videos
Remember the good ol’ COVID days when we all used Loom to dodge meetings by sending async videos instead? Well, the meetings are back, and those videos haven’t gotten any less snooze-worthy.
Introducing Tella: the screen recorder that doesn’t compromise on speed or creativity. Create presentations, tutorials, and demos that look amazing in minutes, not hours.
Custom video layouts? Got ’em. Zoom effects? You bet. Animated backgrounds? Oh yeah — and by the way, you can snag Tella’s 4K animated backgrounds here for free.
"I make all my videos with Tella — it’s a fantastic tool that blows Loom out of the water!" — James, Founder of UserLoop.
Highlights
The best curated daily stories from around the web
Media, Music, & Entertainment
In the wake of allegations that Hasan Minhaj has routinely embellished stories at the heart of his stand-up routines, Paramount Global is moving off Minhaj as the frontrunner for The Daily Show hosting gig and casting a wider net for candidates. Read more → variety
After HBO licensed some of its originals, including Ballers and Insecure, to Netflix, they got fresh bumps in viewership… on Netflix and Max. Read more → deadline
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony is moving from HBO to Disney+ — the first time it’s changed broadcast homes since 1995. Read more → rollingstone
Fashion & E-Commerce
Lululemon and Peloton are working out together, creating a clothing line and bringing Peloton content to Lulu’s Studio Mirror device. Read more → bloomberg
Tyler, the Creator wants to make sure his signature fragrance, French Waltz, can be smelled everywhere. Read more → bof
Blend is bringing data collection algorithms and generative AI together to craft personalized wardrobe recommendations for those who can’t afford a human personal shopper. Read more → techcrunch
Tech, Web3, & AI
Meta is opening the floodgates on generative AI photo-editing tools in all of its apps. Read more → hypebeast
SpaceX scored the first-ever defense contract with the US Space Force to build a satellite communication system called “Starshield.” Read more → theverge
San Francisco isn’t too happy about the dystopian “sleeping pods” offered by startup Brownstone Shared Housing — “stacked, coffin-like bunks” that cost $700 per month. Read more → forbes
Creator Economy
You can now enroll in the school at the center of the upcoming Hunger Games movie… in Roblox. Read more → tubefilter
In the wake of Epic Games’ job cuts, the company is divesting from Bandcamp — a lifeline for musicians during COVID. Read more → thr
Panera Bread dropped a “Roman Empire menu,” proving the brand may be a little too online. Read more → tubefilter
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Today’s email was written by David Vendrell.
Edited by Nick Comney. Copy edited by Kait Cunniff.
Published by Darline Salazar.