Hollywood writers’ call for AI regulation

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Emerging tech trends like AI, VR, and web3 are disrupting the fashion world at breakneck speeds.

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1/ Hollywood writers call for AI regulation during WGA strike (Link)

On strike, the Writers Guild of America (WGA), representing over 11,500 screenwriters, proposes that AI be banned from rewriting literary material and not used as source material, as well as pushes for existing protected material to be excluded from system learning.

Writers see AI as a threat to the industry and other creative sectors if left unregulated. Some choice words on Twitter:

• “AI is terrifying,” Dopesick and Empire creator Danny Strong says, clarifying he’s not terrified of systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT taking writers’ jobs due to them being “a terrible writer.” Yet he warns: “But who knows? That could change.”

• “Be afraid, kids. Your treasured shows could be slaughtered because Wordsmiths are yet again not respected,” BAFTA judge Del Walker tweets, citing similar 2007 strikes ruined shows like Heroes, Prison Break, and Desperate Housewives.

In response to the call for AI regulations, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, serving as labor representatives for Hollywood’s studios, affirms that “AI raises hard, important creative and legal questions for everyone.”

2/ China is developing AI without US chips: Here’s how (Link)

Despite the sanctions slapped by the US in October 2022 which have restricted Chinese companies' access to advanced chips like Nvidia's A100 and H100 - China remains committed to overcoming hardware barriers and advancing AI development creatively.

The goal: create promising alternatives in order to compensate for the use of A800 and H800 chips, which primarily support smaller AI models.

Noteworthy developments so far:

• China is utilizing various semiconductor and chip combinations to decrease dependence on a single hardware type, yielding promising early outcomes.

• Alibaba unwraps plans to introduce ChatGPT competitor Tongyi Qianwen into its app portfolio, including DingTalk.

• Chinese authorities initiate a mandatory review of all domestic generative AI services prior to public operation.

3/ Mars4 secures long-term financial support from DWF Labs, boosting AI-powered metaverse game development (Link)

Web3 metaverse project Mars4.me gains financial backing through a partnership with DWF Labs, accelerating the development of new products and a multiplayer game, including:

• The launch of multiplayer functionality in Mars4’s 3D survival game, expanding the metaverse experience for players worldwide.

• Finalizing the 3D game’s surface recreation with the help of AI and NASA elevation data to create an exact surface model of Mars, something never achieved before.

• Peer-to-peer resource trading within the game and through the Mars4 client Mars Control Center, with integrated AI and machine learning facilitating seamless digital asset exchanges between players and investors.

• The looming release of 2nd-gen Colonist NFTs, offering users increased opportunities in Mars4’s play-to-earn game model.

Mars4.me CEO Richard Berno said:

“We are thrilled to have DWF Labs as a partner in our mission to create an innovative gaming platform allowing humanity to explore Mars virtually with adventures, fun and excitement. Their expertise and financial support will be instrumental in realizing our vision and taking MARS4 to the next level.”

4/ Metaverse education blossoms in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan (Link)

From South Korea to Taiwan, educators and organizations are tapping the metaverse for instruction, dabbling in VR apps to enhance teaching and learning.

Some use cases:

• South Korean’s Pohang University of Science and Technology works toward becoming a "metaversity" where classrooms are digitalized into the metaverse. POSTECH is keen to apply VR in difficult-to-reach spaces such as outer space and the nanoworld, eventually replacing classes that require more hands-on experiences or training in dangerous environments.

• In Japan, at N and S high schools or the country’s largest online high schools, 7,000 students learn through VR headsets.

Taiwanese nonprofit Syin-Lu Social Welfare Foundation, offering professional help for mentally or intellectually disabled children and their families, uses VR to raise awareness about people with autism.

🏃‍♂️ Quick Hits

🎮 Gaming

• Warner Bros. Discovery CEO hints at a new Superman game at a recent investor call. (Link)

• Retro classic Operation Wolf returns with a new VR game for PSVR2, Pico 4, and Meta Quest 2. (Link)

• Enter the world of multiplayer NFT game Spider Tanks by Gala Games. (Link)

• What does it take to build a career in metaverse gaming? (Link)

• Game development panel at a U of A course explored the creative, cultural, and ethical implications of designing video games in a continually evolving metaverse. (Link)

🕶 Fashion

• Exuberant NY-based label Bad Binch TongTong conquers the metaverse. (Link)

• For mental health awareness, athleisure label Alo Yoga lets brick-and-mortar store visitors tap an NFC-activated display to claim their free daily affirmation collectible. (Link)

• Hugo Boss - presenting at MFW 2023 - touts 25% increase in group sales and positive full-year outlook, with SS 2023 launch driving momentum globally. (Link)

• Sizing and fit tech company Alvanon talks disruption at 3D Tech Fest 2023: Redefining Fashion Intelligence. (Link)

• AI gets fashion personalization and curation in motion for Gen Z shoppers. (Link)

• Musician and co-founder of fashion label PHANTACi co-founder Jay Chou unveils a “special demo” metaverse space in Tmall. (Link)

🏀 Sports

• Big early bet: The NBA's Brooklyn Nets is the 1st pro sports team to broadcast a game in the metaverse, coined the Netaverse. (Link)

• How the metaverse fosters inclusion and harmony in the sporting ecosystem - and how businesses benefit. (Link)

• The metaverse store of sportswear giant Nike in a nutshell. (Link)

• How crypto-backed sports league Karate Combat, recently raising $18M, seeks to enhance fan engagement through XR tech and web3. (Link)

• Video: John Zeigler, CMO of Sinclair Broadcast Group, elaborates on how the metaverse can add to a layering sports fandom on top of shared experiences. (Link)

🎥 Media & Entertainment

• Twitter admits some private Circle tweets were accidentally made public owing to a “security incident.” (Link)

• TikTok launches Pulse Premiere to place ads after premium publisher content. (Link)

• Meet creative dynamo Carrie Able: a painter, 3D printed sculptor, musician, and metaverse pioneer. (Link)

• Web3 trailblazers: Here’s how Jessica Jerrick helped iHeartMedia bring ad partners to the metaverse. (Link)

• Seoul Tower, other endearing South Korean tourist spots get recreated on metaverse platform ifland. (Link)

• K-pop girl group Aespa expands its fictional universe from the cyberpunk metaverse to the "real world" for its third EP My World. (Link)

🖼 Art

• Forget FOMO: NFT project promoting Joy of Missing Out (JOMO) boosts mental health in web3. (Link)

• DAO-driven roving NFT art festival Bright Moments takes Tokyo by storm. (Link)

• Take a peek into Solitude, an NFT collection by Andhika Ramadhian. (Link)

• Virtual museums showcasing digital artwork are fast becoming a crucial artery of the metaverse economy. (Link)

• How prestigious auction house Sotheby’s metaverse is bound to be a game-changer. (Link)

• The Palm Generative Art Maker is a tool for minting blockchain-based generative art collections. (Link)

🤖 AI

• Can AI-generated movies & TV ever replace organic creation? (Link)

• Google search engine becomes more “personal” with AI chat and video clips. (Link)

• Verified Facebook accounts lure users into clicking malicious ChatGPT and Google AI-related links. (Link)

• TikTok user wins the lottery with help from lucky AI. (Link)

• Medical IP is creating medical digital twins in virtual spaces. (Link)

• An Arizona restaurant employs AI to take customer orders. (Link)

💸 Funding & Partnerships

• Microsoft collaborates with AMD to develop an AI processor, code-named Athena, with financial backing. (Link)

• Aether Games secures $4.5M in token and equity funding to make a dent in the gaming landscape. (Link)

• Fintech startup Fundly.ai bags $3M in seed funding in its bid to help retailers and distributors manage cash flows and increase margins. (Link)

• Launchpool and Unizen partner to source and qualify early-stage crypto and web3 projects that haven’t been listed on any centralized or decentralized exchange, and may or may not have completed their private sale funding. (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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