⚡️Uh oh, guys. Google is apparently creating a journalism AI.
PLUS: A massive. MASSIVE. HUGE. Supercomputer.
Clayton Hester
July 20, 2023
The Precap
Happy Thursday, creatives!
Hope you’re having a great kinda day in a great kinda way.
We’re going live here in just a moment — check out the stream at www.clay.inc.
In the meantime, we’ve got massive supercomputers, AI-journalism, centuries-old tapestries restored after decades of work.
All that, and a metaphorical bag of chips.
We were legally advised not to leave any uncertainty — no free bags of chips. Sorry.
But we do hope you would like some free creativity news.
Check it out below!
—Clayton
💡Ready for next-level creativity?
Trends & Changes
Google is currently testing a cutting-edge product called Genesis, which utilizes artificial intelligence technology to generate news stories. The search giant has pitched this innovative tool to renowned news organizations such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and News Corp, the owner of The Wall Street Journal.
Genesis has the ability to absorb information, including intricate details of current events, and effortlessly produce news copy. Google envisions this tool as a valuable assistant for journalists, automating certain tasks to create more time for other important activities. The company believes that Genesis represents responsible technology that can steer the publishing industry away from the potential pitfalls of generative AI.
But what’s going to happen here, with an AI landscape rife with “hallucinations” (or mistakes) on part of AI?
With massive growth comes inevitable churn.
Threads, Meta's ambitious Twitter competitor, experienced a promising launch but is has had a drop-off of users, according to data analytics company Similarweb. In just a week, the number of daily active users on Threads fell from 49 million to 23.6 million. Even though Threads saw its best day on July 7, just two days after its launch, daily user numbers have steadily declined since then. Similarweb also reports a decline in total daily usage time, dropping from 21 minutes on July 7 to just over 6 minutes on July 14.
With numbers that big, you’re bound to have some loss.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has been slapped with a staggering 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) fine by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) for breaching the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This landmark ruling sends shockwaves through the tech industry, impacting Meta's newly launched social network, Threads, which won't be available in the EU anytime soon.
The DPC's concern revolves around the illegal transfer of user data from Europe to the United States by Meta, which is a violation of privacy laws. In particular, Irish regulators allege that adequate protections for user data are not in place when it is processed, transferred, or stored in the U.S. While this ruling does not directly affect data transfers from Instagram and WhatsApp, the soaring popularity of Threads will likely draw closer scrutiny from the DPC.
Silicon Valley start-up Cerebras has unveiled its groundbreaking supercomputer, fueling the surging demand for chips and computing power in the A.I. realm. Designed with the company's specialized chips, this cutting-edge technology promises to revolutionize the creative landscape.
Impressively towering within a spacious Santa Clara facility, this new supercomputer recently became operational, boasting colossal proportions and delivering exceptional performance. Cerebras' chips, akin to dinner plates in size, dwarf traditional A.I. chips by 56 times, seamlessly integrating the power of hundreds of conventional chips into each unit.
Artosphere
After a monumental 24-year undertaking, the National Trust has successfully restored a collection of 16th-century tapestries at Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire, marking the organization's most extensive restoration effort to date. The arduous process of cleaning and handstitching the massive tapestries, one at a time, has finally culminated in the unveiling of the last tapestry from the set of 13 Gideon tapestries in the long gallery. The meticulous restoration, which cost £1.7m, has provided creatives with a remarkable example of perseverance and dedication.
An angel. A history. A hidden portrait.
It’s all explained with a look at Walter Benjamin’s thoughts on Paul Klee’s “Angelus Novus.”
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Legacies
Jerry Bradley, the innovative record executive who challenged the traditional country music scene and reshaped the industry, died at his home in Mount Juliet, Tenn., at the age of 83. As the driving force behind the groundbreaking 1976 album "Wanted! The Outlaws," which featured legendary artists Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Tompall Glaser, and Jessi Colter, Bradley forever changed the landscape of country music.
Newly Released
