The Creator Whisperer

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Happy Thursday, Future Party. Here’s the most important news of the day: tomorrow’s already Friday. Has 2026 had an unusual number of long weekends already? Not complaining.

OpenAI has hired Charles Porch — the exec who was the connective tissue between Instagram and the creative community for the past 15 years — to win over creatives to AI.

The Big Picture: OpenAI has a complicated relationship with the creative community. While it has inked a billion-dollar pact with Disney to license “animated, masked, and creature” characters, the company’s scraping of copyrighted material for training data and brash rollout of Sora angered rights holders across the board. Sam Altman may be thinking it’s time to reset relations with the creative industries.

Behind The Hire: Charles Porch wants to do for AI what he did with social media — “threading the needle between culture and tech,” as he told Vanity Fair.

Closing Thoughts: Porch is responsible for helping many A-list creatives not just onboard to Instagram, but strategize how to use the platform to launch projects and connect with fans. That included working with Beyoncé on a surprise album release, getting Pope Francis on Instagram, and convincing TikTok creators to migrate to Reels.

But can Porch really get creatives to want to work with OpenAI? With top talent like Matthew McConaughey, Darren Aronofsky, and Gwyneth Paltrow already experimenting with the tech, Porch seemingly has an opening to convince creatives that OpenAI’s systems should be their tools of choice… it just might be his toughest job yet.

The Future: If Porch can win the trust of the creative community, he may become one of the key liaisons in developing the tech in a way that respects artists’ rights.

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Scientists from ETH Zurich, a university in Switzerland, have developed a wearable device that can coach Olympic ski jumpers while they’re in motion.

Why It Hits: We’re entering the age of tech-enabled sporting — from Nike introducing exoskeleton footwear to AI companies partnering with F1 teams. These cutting-edge devices and systems may be key to taking athletes to the next level of performance.

Between The Wires: Olympic skiers are getting an onboard computer.

Last Run: Considering that ski jumpers travel 60 mph down a 378-foot slope before launching hundreds of feet — all in about 15 seconds — any tech that helps them make adjustments in real time is a game changer. Dr. Leitner says the device is designed to help athletes perfect “all the positioning, the center of mass, everything [that] must be stable when you arrive [at the launch point] to optimize your performance and the length of the jump.”

Geez, no pressure. No wonder some Olympians have (illegally) toyed with adding stitching to the crotch of their suits or even injecting penis-enlargement drugs to improve their lift.

Next Games: With the device set to train skiers for the 2030 Winter Olympics, all eyes may be on the Swiss team — not only to see if they medal, but whether they break any records.

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35.1% of you voted Most nights in yesterday’s poll: How often do you feel you get a good night’s sleep?

“I think it’s because I’m an optimistic person and don’t obsessively worry. I figure things will work out the way they’re supposed to.”

“I’m lucky enough most of the things that caused my stress are in the past.”

“My sleep patterns have been messed up for ages due to PTSD and other issues; for some reason, I sleep better in the morning.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join our Poll Of The Day newsletter, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

🏈 The Seattle Seahawks are going on the auction block at a $6.6 billion valuation, which could make it the largest NFL deal in history.

🎥 Production company Department M is in talks to acquire a “significant” stake in indie studio Neon.

🎫 Spotify is teaming up with SeatGeek to sell concert tickets directly on the platform.

🦾 Amazon is boxing up its Blue Jay warehouse robot after just a few months of testing.

⌚ Meta is trying its hand at a smartwatch again, potentially releasing a model later this year.

🚗 Tesla can no longer call its Autopilot function “Autopilot” in California.

🛻 VW’s Scout Motors US relaunch is likely being delayed until 2028.

👕 Noah co-founder Brendan Babenzien is stepping down as J.Crew’s men’s creative director.

📉 The stock of freelance marketplace Fiverr is falling as AI starts to take over jobs.