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Why are respected film-makers suddenly embracing AI?

Soderbergh mentioned in an interview with Filmmaker Magazine that he used what sounds like generative AI to produce “thematically surreal images that occupy a dream space rather than a literal space” for his upcoming documentary about John Lennon and Yoko Ono. “I don’t think it’s the solution to everything, and I don’t think it’s the death of everything. We’re in the very early stages. Five years from now, we all may be going, ‘That was a fun phase.’ We may end up not using it as much as we thought we were going to.”

Source: Why are respected film-makers suddenly embracing AI?

Reese Witherspoon Confronts Backlash Over AI Support

Last week, Reese Witherspoon went viral (in the wrong way) for declaring “the AI revolution has begun” and suggesting that women should learn about the technology. “The jobs women hold are 3x more likely to be automated by AI, yet women are using AI at a rate 25% lower than men on average,” she wrote on Instagram. The post attracted a fair amount of backlash, with people pointing out the problems associated with data centers and intellectual property, and accusing Witherspoon of being paid by AI companies to promote generative tools.

Source: Reese Witherspoon Confronts Backlash Over AI Support

deviantART says artists made $23 million on its platform last year, was ‘100% right to embrace AI

Welcoming AI and introducing DreamUp resulted in significant backlash from its community, and a number of artists left the platform entirely. But Levy says any claim that dA has lost artists and/or that it’s dying is “a convenient web troll narrative” that’s also dead wrong. “Let’s address this ridiculous nonsense once and for all. There has been no ‘downfall of DeviantArt,’ nor any mass exodus,” he wrote.

Source: deviantART says artists made $23 million on its platform last year, was 100 right to embrace AI

Can A.I. Determine Which Artist Made a Painting?

Until recently, to determine the origins of different elements of a painting, art experts relied on their own analyses of the minute details of brushstrokes, Jackie Flynn Mogensen reports for Scientific American. But this method is rife with error and has led to numerous misattributions over the centuries. The new study, led by anthropologist Andrew Van Horn of Purdue University, employed artificial intelligence to try to paint a more accurate picture of a painting’s history.

Source: Can A.I. Determine Which Artist Made a Painting? 

Deezer says 44% of songs uploaded to its platform daily are AI-generated

Deezer announced on Monday that AI-generated tracks now represent 44% of all new music uploaded to its platform. The company said it’s receiving almost 75,000 AI-generated tracks per day and more than two million per month. The consumption of AI-generated music on the platform is still very low, at 1-3% of total streams, and 85% of these streams are detected as fraudulent and demonetized by the company.

Source: Deezer says 44% of songs uploaded to its platform daily are AI-generated

Why Authentic Visual Content Isn’t Paid More — And What Would Change That

A verified editorial photograph with full chain-of-custody provenance sits in the same licensing catalog, at the same price point, as an AI-composite that looks vaguely similar. Behind a paywall, whether it’s a stock subscription or a news outlet, all content is treated equally. You pay for access, and everything inside costs the same. The photograph’s relationship to reality, its evidentiary weight, its verifiable origin, none of this is priced.

Source: Why Authentic Visual Content Isn’t Paid More — And What Would Change That

Disney Fires The Entire Team Managing Its DVD & Blu-ray Sales

Disney has eliminated its entire home entertainment division in a sweeping round of layoffs that intensified concerns over the long-term viability of physical media formats such as DVDs and Blu-ray discs according to a report from The Wrap.  Its complete dissolution marks a stark departure from an era when physical discs generated substantial supplemental revenue for studios, often through elaborate collector’s editions featuring bonus features, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and exclusive artwork that streaming services cannot replicate.

Source: Disney Fires The Entire Team Managing Its DVD & Blu-ray Sales 

Voice actors fight to save their livelihoods and local cultures from Hollywood’s AI push

 As studios, production companies, and streaming platforms increasingly turn to AI for voice-overs and to dub English-language content into local languages, more than 2 million full-time and part-time voice actors worldwide stand to lose their livelihood and the rights to their voice. “With new AI-generated voices, I will be out of a job even though I am the one providing the input,” said Azevedo, who is president of the Brazilian Association of Dubbing Professionals.

Source: Voice actors fight to save their livelihoods and local cultures from Hollywood’s AI push

Musicians Respond to Calls For PRS to Reduce License Fees

The U.K.’s main musician and songwriter trade associations have responded to calls for PRS to reduce its blanket license fees for grassroots music venues. On Tuesday (April 14), the Music Venue Trust launched a campaign titled Set The Record Straight: Fair Licensing Fees, aimed at examining how PRS For Music’s licensing charges are calculated, applied and enforced across the U.K.’s grassroots live music circuit.

Source: Musicians Respond to Calls For PRS to Reduce License Fees

New Study Explores the ‘Streaming Paradox’

A new report is providing a closer look at the “streaming paradox,” or the idea that on-demand listening plays an important role in artists’ careers but leaves much to be desired in the royalties department.  Unsurprisingly, the analysis covers a variety of angles across its nearly 90 pages. But at the top level, the resource breaks down artist survey responses (more here in a moment) en route to providing a relatively balanced look at the streaming landscape.

Source: New Study Explores the ‘Streaming Paradox’

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