Technology

On Monday, New York-based Runway announced the availability of its Gen 2 system, which generates short snippets of video from a few words of user prompts. Users can type in a description of what they want to see, for example: “a cat walking in the rain,” and it will generate a roughly 3-second video clip showing just that, or something close. Alternately, users can upload an image as a reference point for the system as well as a prompt.

Source: Generative AI’s Next Frontier Is Video

A broad coalition of creative organizations has announced the launch of the Human Artistry Campaign to ensure AI is developed and used in ways that support human culture and artistry rather than replacing or eroding it. The group outlined principles advocating best practices for AI that emphasize respect for artists, their work, and their personas, as well as transparency and adherence to existing law, including copyright.

Source: Major Labels, Recording Academy, 30+ Music Organizations Issue List of ‘AI Principles’

Berlin-based digital creator Julian van Dieken submitted the image after the Mauritshuis asked people to send in their versions of the famous painting for an installation called “My Girl with a Pearl.” Van Dieken said he had used the AI tool Midjourney — which can generate complex pictures on the basis of a prompt, using millions of images from the internet — and Photoshop. But the decision to choose an AI-generated image sparked a backlash.

Source: Girl with AI earrings sparks Dutch art controversy – ET Telecom

The company claims the model is “more creative and collaborative than ever before” and “can solve difficult problems with greater accuracy.” It can parse both text and image input, though it can only respond via text. OpenAI also cautions that the systems retain many of the same problems as earlier language models, including a tendency to make up information (or “hallucinate”) and the capacity to generate violent and harmful text.

Source: OpenAI announces GPT-4 — the next generation of its AI language model

Developed and designed in partnership with Define Creative, Beatport.io will launch on Aventus, a web3 solutions provider for enterprises and parachain in the Polkadot ecosystem. Beatport says the new platform will serve as its first permanent home in the web3 space and will enable labels and artists to create and sell unique digital assets while generating engagement from fans.

Source: Beatport Launches ‘Beatport.io’ — Web3 Hub for Electronic Music

Emerging performers, especially those from traditionally underrepresented communities, often struggle to sell enough tickets and track plays to earn a living. But as new technologies upend the way we discover and experience music, artists have a unique opportunity to take control of their own brand on social media and in virtual environments like the metaverse.

Source: Where art meets tech: How a young analyst is helping musicians to thrive in Web3

Web3 music platforms offer several opportunities to musicians, fans, and investors. One of the critical advantages of these music platforms is the ability to provide more control to artists over their music and related content. For instance, blockchain technology can help artists track their royalties, giving them better control over their revenue streams and ensuring they are fairly compensated.

Source: Web3 and Music: How Blockchain is Revolutionizing the Industry

So, NFTs have gone speedily from boom to predictable bust. By the end of 2022, around 18 months after the explosion began, marketplaces had folded or lost almost all their value. The Art Basel Miami Beach fair—thronging with NFT evangelism just 12 months earlier—had, by last December, lost the faith. But the NFT crash doesn’t negate the blockchain—the underlying technology that makes NFTs unique and traceable—as an artistic space.

Source: The NFT bubble has popped, but there’s still untapped potential in digital art

Since the breakthrough emergence of Amazon in the publishing space, the industry as a whole has been greatly affected by its growth and dominance. While the e-commerce company has heaped pressure on traditional publishing houses by setting new benchmarks, its business model has helped launch the careers of millions of self-published authors.

Source: How Technology Impacts Book Publishing

A dozen US senators unveiled bipartisan legislation Tuesday expanding President Joe Biden’s legal authority to ban TikTok nationwide, marking the latest in a string of congressional proposals threatening the social media platform’s future in the United States. The proposed law takes a wide-ranging approach to fears that companies with ties to China could be pressured by that country’s government into handing over Americans’ sensitive personal information or communications records.

Source: US senators unveil bipartisan bill empowering Biden to ban TikTok and other services | CNN Business