philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

‘Gorilla Tag’ Has Topped $100M in Revenue, Making it One of VR’s Most Successful Games

... Not long after its launch back in early 2021 it became clear there was something special about Gorilla Tag. It’s minimalistic ‘tag’ gameplay, unique arm-based locomotion, and novel social architecture made for simple social fun. And it turns out, people really like simple social fun. ...

• 10 million lifetime players
• 3 million monthly active users
• 1 million daily active users

...

See the full story here: https://www.roadtovr.com/gorilla-tag-revenue-vr-success-another-axiom/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2kv0qFz2u3EhojezbDLi5oBLBwIzCUjWBlCuC-VbZV7G69H_i6eEqwHO4_aem_Dq7vBphHhdysDs_f3ZeUBw

Center for News, Technology & Innovation

Center for News, Technology & Innovation, an independent global policy research center, seeks to encourage independent, sustainable media, maintain an open internet and foster informed public policy conversations.

Adam Clayton Powell, III, Executive Director, USC Election Cybersecurity Initiative, is an advisor to this group.

One session and whitepaper - Synthetic Media & Deepfakes https://innovating.news/article/synthetic-media-deepfakes/

See the webpage here: https://innovating.news/about/

The Bletchley Declaration by Countries Attending the AI Safety Summit, 1-2 November 2023

PhilNote: in order to get support from China, the EU, and the US, this agreement is all about discussing issues without actually defining them (ex. "risk") or developing a plan for deployment and enforcement.

... This could include making, where appropriate, classifications and categorisations of risk based on national circumstances and applicable legal frameworks. We also note the relevance of cooperation, where appropriate, on approaches such as common principles and codes of conduct.  ...

In the context of our cooperation, and to inform action at the national and international levels, our agenda for addressing frontier AI risk will focus on:

• identifying AI safety risks of shared concern, building a shared scientific and evidence-based understanding of these risks, and sustaining that understanding as capabilities continue to increase, in the context of a wider global approach to understanding the impact of AI in our societies.
• building respective risk-based policies across our countries to ensure safety in light of such risks, collaborating as appropriate while recognising our approaches may differ based on national circumstances and applicable legal frameworks. This includes, alongside increased transparency by private actors developing frontier AIcapabilities, appropriate evaluation metrics, tools for safety testing, and developing relevant public sector capability and scientific research.

...

See the full story here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-safety-summit-2023-the-bletchley-declaration/the-bletchley-declaration-by-countries-attending-the-ai-safety-summit-1-2-november-2023

Colorado’s Landmark AI Act: What Companies Need To Know

Colorado has become the first state to enact a comprehensive law relating to the development and deployment of certain artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The Colorado Artificial Intelligence Act (CAIA), which will go into effect on February 1, 2026, adopts a risk-based approach to AI regulation that shares some similarities with the EU AI Act. ...

Key Points

• The CAIA is primarily focused on high-risk artificial intelligence systems, which is defined as any system that, when deployed, makes — or is a substantial factor in making — a “consequential decision.” As discussed further below, consequential decisions generally relate to those involving education, employment, financial services, housing, health care or legal services.
• The CAIA is designed to protect against algorithmic discrimination, namely unlawful differential treatment that disfavors an individual or group on the basis of protected characteristics.
• The law imposes various obligations relating to documentation, disclosures, risk analysis and mitigation, governance, and impact assessments for developers and deployers of high-risk AI systems.
• With respect to all AI systems that interact with consumers, deployers must ensure that consumers are aware they are interacting with an AI system.
• The state attorney general can bring an action for violations of the CAIA as an unfair or deceptive trade practice; there is no private right of action available.

Read the full story here: https://www.skadden.com/insights/publications/2024/06/colorados-landmark-ai-act

Major record labels sue AI company behind ‘BBL Drizzy’

A group of record labels including the big three — Universal Music Group (UMG), Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Records — are suing two of the top names in generative AI music making, alleging the companies violated their copyright “en masse.”

The two AI companies, Suno and Udio, use text prompts to churn out original songs. Both companies have enjoyed a level of success: Suno is available for use in Microsoft Copilot though a partnership with the tech giant. Udio was used to create “BBL Drizzy,” one of the more notable examples of AI music going viral. ...

The plaintiffs say that when they accused Suno of using copyrighted works, the company deflected, saying training data was “confidential business information.” Udio made similar claims in correspondences, according to the suit. ...

See the full story here: https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/24/24184710/riaa-ai-lawsuit-suno-udio-copyright-umg-sony-warner

Pew Says Youth Turn to TikTok for News, but X Tops Overall

... In a separate TikTok analysis, Pew found “the vast majority of adult TikTok news consumers are under age 50, including 44 percent who are 18 to 29.” And regardless of whether they look to TikTok for news, most users surveyed say they happen to see news-related content there in the course of a visit.

“TikTok users report seeing funny posts (84 percent) and people’s opinions (80 percent) related to current events at higher rates than news articles (57 percent) or breaking news information (55 percent),” according to Pew Research.

Engadget’s takeaway from the Pew study, and one fielded by the Knight Foundation, is that “news on social media is a fractured mess,” with “much of the news content people see on X and TikTok being driven by those platforms’ recommendation algorithms,” and concludes “publishers are getting far less traffic from social media, and news is increasingly filtered through influencers, meme creators and random algorithmically-surfaced accounts.”

See the full story here: https://www.etcentric.org/pew-says-youth-turn-to-tiktok-for-news-but-x-tops-overall/

73% of Entertainment and Marketing Creatives Think AI ‘Will Elevate Content,’ UTA Study Finds

For many in Hollywood, AI has been a swear word. That may be changing.

According to a new study by the talent agency UTA, 73 percent of entertainment and marketing creatives believe generative artificial intelligence “will elevate content,” and 75 percent of those currently using AIsay they are “creating higher-quality work” with it.

This (and other findings) led United Talent Agency to declare this to be “a profound turning point in AI’s adoption in marketing and entertainment.” The industries UTA services (and UTA IQ studies) are shifting from “fear and resistance” to “curiosity, excitement, and cautious optimism,” the report reads, as “respected leaders and professionals openly discuss usage.” ...

For this study, UTA interviewed 293 creative professionals in the marketing and advertising fields and 209 in the entertainment field. The survey was conducted in mid-May 2024. ...

See the full story here: https://www.indiewire.com/news/business/73-entertainment-marketing-creatives-ai-will-elevate-content-uta-study-1235018413/

London cinema praised for scrapping AI-written film after public backlash

A cinema in central London has been praised for cancelling its screening of a film written using artificial intelligence a day after it was announced, following intense public criticism.

The Prince Charles Cinema in Soho was scheduled to host the premiere of The Last Screenwriter, which was penned by ChatGPT, on 23 June (Sunday). This listing raised concerns among filmgoers about “the use of AI in place of a writer”.

The Last Screenwriter follows a character called Jack who fears for his job after discovering an AI script writing programme. When Jack experiments with the software, he begins to realise it matches his own writing skill and even surpasses his ability to empathise with others. ...

See the full story here: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/cinema-ai-written-film-scrapped-backlash-b2565250.html

4 New Things I Saw at AWE 2024 That Will Make You Want AR and VR in Your Life

Productivity, immersion, creativity, UI options

See the full story here: https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/4-new-things-i-saw-at-awe-2024-that-will-make-you-want-ar-and-vr-in-your-life/

The Vatican Library Explores Virtual Reality Technology to Enhance Visitor Experience

This innovative approach marks a significant departure from traditional methods of preservation and conservation, signaling a new era in the dissemination of historical knowledge. By embracing technology, the Vatican Library is not only safeguarding its treasures for future generations but also ensuring that they remain relevant and accessible in an increasingly digital world. ...

The Vatican Library was founded in 1475 by Pope Sixtus IV and has since been a cornerstone of preservation and research in the fields of theology, philosophy, history, and culture. ...

See the full story here: https://smartphonemagazine.nl/en/2024/06/18/the-vatican-library-explores-virtual-reality-technology-to-enhance-visitor-experience/