YouTube is blocking adblockers, AI-powered influencer earns $72k in one week, and Google reimagines search with YouTube, TikTok, and Reddit

YouTube is blocking adblockers

In a bid to combat the rising popularity of ad blockers, YouTube has started preventing users with active ad blockers from using its platform. The move is designed to support ad revenue, which has seen a decline in 2023. If an ad blocker is detected, users will receive a warning and be prompted to either disable the ad blocker or subscribe to YouTube Premium. This controversial decision was initially spotted on Reddit, Inc. and later confirmed by the site's moderators. YouTube's actions also appear to be part of a broader strategy to promote its $11.99-per-month YouTube Premium service, which offers an ad-free viewing experience, offline video downloads, and includes YouTube Music Premium. I’m sure advertisers and creators will love this move, but regular users? Not so much. What do you think about this?

AI-powered influencer earns $72k in a week

In an unexpected twist of AI use, Caryn Marjorie , a popular influencer, turned her YouTube videos into a chatbot and generated $72k in just one week! She analyzed her speech and mannerisms from her videos to create an interactive AI version of herself, charging $1 a minute for interaction. With over 1000 "boyfriends" spending between 10 minutes to several hours a day chatting with the AI, and a 5000-person waiting list, it's a testament to the diverse and unexpected ways AI can be leveraged! Shout out to Timothy Armoo for sharing this on LinkedIn. Whether you think it's a fascinating innovation or a sad reflection of our times, one thing is certain: AI continues to push boundaries in unexpected ways.

Google reimagines search with YT, TT & Reddit?

谷歌 is introducing a new feature to its search results. The "Perspectives" filter will now appear on top of some search results, providing links to discussion boards, Q&A sites, and social media platforms such as Reddit, YouTube, and TikTok . This will enable users to gain insights from different perspectives without having to specifically search for these platforms. In addition, Google is improving its system for understanding and ranking personal content, acknowledging the growing relevance of individual content creators in the internet era. Dylan Harari thinks peer recommendations triumph over SEO content that’s often not relevant, making this the most pivotal change to search.

What we can learn from Vice’s bankruptcy

After years of financial struggles and top-executive departures, VICE Media , known for its websites like Vice and Motherboard, filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. This move is designed to facilitate the company's sale to a group of lenders, including Fortress Investment Group, Soros Fund Management, and Monroe Capital. These lenders will offer around $225 million in a credit bid for nearly all of Vice's assets and assume a significant portion of its liabilities. Despite once being part of the fast-rising digital media ventures, Vice's bankruptcy filing underscores a challenging period for many technology and media companies struggling with a weak advertising market and slowing economic growth. But, there are learnings in all of this. Brett Dashevsky highlights 5 learnings for creators, while Phil Ranta discusses the downsides of the digital/premium model.?

RIP Metaverse - a failed vision of the online world

The Metaverse, once the heartthrob of the tech world, has found itself relegated to the industry's graveyard of failed ideas. This bold concept, which promised to revolutionize the way we interact online, was born out of Facebook's rebrand to Meta in 2021. However, the excitement quickly faded as the product failed to deliver on its grand promises. Without a clear vision or business use case, the Metaverse was quickly overshadowed by the rise of generative AI, a more promising technology trend. As a result, major corporations have started shutting down their Metaverse-related initiatives, and even Meta itself seems to have shifted its focus to other financial ventures. I think there will be a time when the Metaverse, or a reimagined version of it, will become what Zuckerberg wished it could be. Just not now.?

And just like that, you're done in a flash ?

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