Gamestop Fires CEO

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🇬🇧 UK’s world-first global summit on AI safety

🙃 GameStop CEO fired

⚖️ Coinbase is SEC’s next target

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UK hosting global summit on AI safety [Link]

Amid countries’ continuing bid to limit the technology’s risks while leveraging its benefits, the United Kingdom is hosting the world's 1st summit on AI in the fall.

The finer points of the news, delivered by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak himself:

• The summit will gather key countries, leading tech companies, and researchers to agree safety measures for tracking and evaluating the most significant AI risks

• PM Sunak and US President Biden will take a coordinated approach to the opportunities and challenges of emerging tech when they meet at the White House this week

• Global companies are expanding their AI work in the UK, as Sunak confirms new university scholarships to further UK-US tech leadership

Previously, the UK leader met with G7 members for a shared approach to the AI issue at the Hiroshima Summit, while back in May he convened with OpenAI, DeepMind, and Anthropic CEOs.

Sunak harps on a united approach:

“No one country can do this alone. This is going to take a global effort. But with our vast expertise and commitment to an open, democratic international system, the UK will stand together with our allies to lead the way.”

GameStop CEO fired

At its Q1 2023 earnings report and through a short press release, GameStop fires its CEO Matt Furlong, with no news of an immediate replacement, while board chairman Ryan Cohen gets appointed as executive chairman.

Furlong started at GameStop in June 2021, overseeing developments such as GameStop’s move into NFTs and layoffs at the organization. He joined GameStop after 8 years at Amazon, including leading its Australia business.

It’s worth noting that GameStop opened the NFT marketplace in June 2022, the time when the broader market was losing momentum. While initially targeting artwork and profile pictures (PFPs), the marketplace later added support for web3 games built on Ethereum scaling network Immutable X.

Coinbase is SEC’s next target

After hounding crypto exchange Binance with legal charges, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) files a major lawsuit against Coinbase, targeting its "staking-as-a-service" program and its proof of stake mechanisms.

The SEC alleges that Coinbase:

• Figures in unregistered securities offering

• Pools customers' stackable crypto assets

• Performs blockchain transaction validation services

• Shares a portion of the rewards with customers whose assets were part of the pool

• And further charges around compliance with securities laws, transactions, and more

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong assures that the staking service, the focus of the SEC's complaint against the exchange, will remain operational despite the legal proceedings.

He affirms: “We’re not going to wind down our staking service. Again, as these court cases play out, it’s really business as usual.”

PUMA x LaMelo Ball for NFT sneakers [Link]

In another show of the NBA’s enduring relationship with NFTs, PUMA collaborates with NBA star LaMelo Ball and Gutter Cat Gang (GCG) for MB.03 or GutterMelo, which comes with on-chain integrations.

Starting June 29, collectors can purchase the limited-ed sneakers via an OpenSea exclusive drop, touted by the sportswear brand as having “unrestrained design and the latest PUMA NITRO foam technology.” Prices start at $175 and will act as a ticket to claim the physical twin beginning July.

Not unlike Malik Monk’s Nike Kobe 6 Gutter Cat Gang sneaker and Tyrese Haliburton’s Nike Kobe AD “Bored Ape #8409” game-worn sneakers, NFTs continue to lure in sports brands and athletes worldwide, serving diverse benefits around branding and community building.

How the metaverse is transforming oil & gas [Link]

The energy sector is embracing and creating its own industrial metaverse, incorporating technologies like digital twins, VR, AR, AI, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Major players such as ADNOC, Aramco, and Kent have already pulled together compelling examples of these remarkable capabilities, including:

• Engineers and stakeholders interact with 3D/4D/5D models, simulations, and data to optimize designs and make informed decisions.

• Engineers troubleshoot issues, perform maintenance, and monitor performance from any location, which in turn increases operational efficiency and reduces downtime.

• Remote monitoring and maintenance gets accelerated via IoT devices, sensors, and real-time data.

• A virtual environment for training and testing AI/ML models plays out, improving accuracy and performance.

Quick Hits

🎮 Gaming

• DeepMind repurposes its game-playing Alpha series of AIs for other tasks. (Link)

• P2E NFT-based game Tanjea - Race to Riches launches on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. (Link)

• At WWDC, Apple unveils a new toolkit that makes it easier and faster for developers to bring their PC games to macOS. (Link)

• Misc Games announces its upcoming simulator, Ships At Sea, as the sequel to its Fishing: Barents Sea and Fishing: North Atlantic releases. (Link)

• Multiplayer, real-time war strategy game Viking Rise gets new AR filters and a metaverse art exhibition on Decentraland. (Link)

🕶 Fashion

• Gmoney's 9dcc and Jeff Staple's StapleVerse launch limited-ed caps and on-chain integrations, including a digital clone. (Link)

• Christie’s hosts its 7th annual Art+Tech Summit on July 19th, joining forces with Gucci and web3 brand Moonpay. (Link)

• Forever 21 taps Amperity to unify its 1st-party customer data, activating and attracting new customers and retaining existing ones. (Link)

• Street fashion brand Weekday makes its NFT debut with The Fabricant, launching the Artifact 001 wearable sunglasses. (Link)

• From creating wearable digital fashion to expanding supply-chain transparency for online shoppers, these 3 women are pushing fashion into the future. (Link)

🏀 Sports

• Lionel Messi signs with Inter Miami in MLS, Apple wins: its subscription offer becomes a sweeter deal. (Link)

• In sports advertising, streaming platform MILLIONS.co adopts ChatGPT for athlete influencer marketing campaigns. (Link)

• The NBA’s move to Azure cloud is helping improve fan experience and in-game performance, thanks to AI-assisted tools unlocking data’s full potential. (Link)

• Web3 tech is foundational to us, says SimWin Sports CEO David Ortiz as he talks about 24/7 DFS products, digital assets, and DEI. (Link)

• Analyzing patterns not obvious to the human eye, AI tools can revolutionize the way athletes train, optimize performance, and minimize injury risk. (Link)

• CBS Sports ties up with Israeli sports tech ecosystem Hype Sports Innovation on VR, AR, AI, and remote production for enhanced broadcasting coverage. (Link)

🎥 Media & Entertainment

• Iconic DC Super Hero film Superman gets released as a web3 movie experience. (Link)

• London-based CYBR Magazine harnesses AR-enabled storytelling. (Link)

• Georgia radio host Mark Walters sues OpenAI for libel after its ChatGPT program falsely accused him of embezzlement. (Link)

• 12 ways web3 media could embrace AI. (Link)

• Equity, the UK's performers and creatives union, unveils a toolkit to safeguard talent from unregulated AI in entertainment. (Link)

• Fans can now join The Walking Dead creators in shaping the future of storytelling. (Link)

• “The most important piece is how do we protect artists?”: web3 music startup Pixelynx as it talks Korus and AI music. (Link)

• EDM artist Agoria dives deep into NFT music with Bolero. (Link)

🖼 Art

• Magma unveils tools to safeguard creators' works from AI replication, blocking the use of artist names in prompts without permission. (Link)

• Stand With Crypto NFT spreads across crypto Twitter amid SEC crackdown. (Link)

• Artist Deepa Mann-Kler invites audiences to join her in the metaverse. (Link)

• An historic NFT artwork by Beeple sold for an unprecedented $69.M, spotlighting NFT art’s enduring appeal. (Link)

• NFT Tech unveils its groundbreaking generative AI studio. (Link)

🤖 AI

• DeepMind applies its mastery of games to a more serious business: the foundations of computer science. (Link)

• Space10, IKEA’s research studio, uses AI to create a folding sofa that fits in an envelope. (Link)

• A new AI tool can now read physicians' notes and accurately predict patients' risk of death. (Link)

• AI recruitment surges among Britain’s biggest banks as they jostle to attract top talent. (Link)

• Google Cloud expands its consulting arm to include AI consulting. (Link)

• Discover Blush, an AI-powered dating app offering relationship confidence. (Link)

💸 Funding & Partnerships

• HealthifyMe raises $30M funding to accelerate its AI capabilities and global expansion. (Link)

• MatrixSpace raises $10M in series A funding, bringing the company's total funding to $20M since its 2020 launch. (Link)

• Salesforce and Google Cloud strategically partner to help businesses leverage data and AI. (Link)

• Move.ai partners with Disguise to launch Invisible, their AI-powered markerless motion capture solution. (Link)

• Mobile Streams inks a commercial partnership with Bitso to promote and develop NFTs. (Link)

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All content on this newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not aim to serve as or replace expert investment advice.

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