Ideas and News from the Weekend of April 13, 2024

Welcome to the elastic ideas newscast. Each week we share the most interesting stories centering on AI, Metaverse, Spatial Computing, XR, Innovation and Cultural Dynamics. Feel free to suggest your favorites to Andrew Schwartz and share with your friends

Weekend of April 13 2024 | Episode 10? |? Deci-mail

Newscast

From Demand

AI is all anyone (and even this newsletter this weekend) can talk about. How did the conversation start? Demand looks at OpenAI’s growth and how it brought AI to the mainstream

From Nature

Ai is being used to restore speech to people with neurological deficits. This is huge

From Axios

Apparently the creator of The Terminator is having a tough time thinking up ways for AI to destroy the world that are fictional

From Eric Eggert

AI is a tool, but it’s not a panacea. We still need to do the work to keep the table open for everyone

Netcast

From Vogue Business (Some Assembly Required)

Having been accused of a well thumbed scale during the last few election cycles, and coming off of a brand revitalization due to the steps of their competitors, Meta is slowing its roll when it comes to promoting news on its platforms. That will shift how many learn about much

From Fashion United

We’re adding new colors to our world. The layer of data that exists all around us is able to add context and meaning. And with that, we need to keep in mind just how to embrace the new opportunities for storytelling

From Rarible Blog

Back in the earliest years of this century, the companies that made it past the irrational exuberance of the Dot Com age were able to bring to life what we all lovingly refer to as Web2.0. If you had a real idea, an actual strategy and the courage to continue, you ended up in a pretty great place. Meet some of the courageous women who are doing that right now with NFTs and web3

From New York Times (Some Assembly Required)

Axios is looking at how they can use AI to save journalism

Noisecast

From Songwhip

It’s a Dis-album Buffet from Metro Boomin, Future and J.Cole. Though the track dising Kendrick has now been removed from Might Delete Later. All worth listening to if only to enjoy the drama unfolding (and how to make fun of Drake)

From Pitchfork

Shabaka is the center of so much of the UK Jazz scene that whenever he records it’s worth listening. This new album - a solo album - has only a few moments of his signature saxophone and instead creates an intense atmosphere of woodwinds and emotion. Of course Andre3000 stops by with his flute

From Songwhip

Red Hot Org & Meshell Ndegeocello get together to celebrate the great Sun Ra. She completely immerses the listener in the ideas of Sun Ra and creates something magical

From Songwhip

An 8 year old I know went to Fenway Park this week for his first Red Sox Opening Day. The brilliant Josh Kantor plays Fenway’s organ and accepts requests via social media. Josh played the lead song off this album because it is, as the 8 year old says, ‘The Rock n Roll Song’. Word is that this was the self-proclaimed best day of that 8 year old’s life.

Smartcast

From The Atlantic (Hat tip to Shawna Turner, PMP, Masters in Infosec )

While The Atlantic has been dour on many topics lately (kids, please just stay off their lawn), they are here to make a point that the shock and awe of AI wonder is ebbing, and that means that we are entering an age where the thing you make if more interesting than the tool you use

From New York Times (Some Assembly Required)

Consultants used to get a bad rap as being people who would sell you a watch and then charge you to tell you what time it was. AI giants are taking inspiration from that by scouring all the user generated content that exist out in the world and harvesting it for their training of LLMs

From The Verge

A bad review can do a lot of things. It can kill your company, it can inspire your engineers it can even be exceptionally entertaining. The Verge reviews the new Humane AI Pin, and you can choose your own point of view

From 404 Media

A TikTok presentation of the future. A New York restaurant that employs a cashier that’s zoomed in from of the Philippines . A step away from fully AI experiences

Randomcast

From TechCrunch

Google continue to get into the space of creating fun but unusable short videos from text prompts

From Deadline

A new procedural series is coming out that utilizes AI as part of the crime solving process, and episodes will be directed by the ever-inventive Simon Hunter

From Dreamworks

IF you have an Apple Vision Pro, you can meditate with Po from Kung Fu Panda

From Threads User AIRESEARCHS

In the future your favorite footballer will have a serial number on their jersey

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