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How Chinese short dramas became AI content machines
China’s short drama industry is fueled by bite-sized, melodramatic and bawdy shows made for smartphone scrolling. Now, many are being created entirely with AI: no actors, camera operators, cinematographers or CGI experts needed.
An average of 470 AI-generated short dramas were released every day in January. Production lead times have decreased from months to weeks, while costs have dropped by up to 90%. Storytelling is also increasingly driven by performance data.
The format is expanding rapidly overseas, reshaping the work of writers and production crews. Read the full story on the dramatic impact of AI on China’s short drama industry.
-Cawei Chen
The world is on track to miss its health targets
The World Health Organization’s latest global statistics report sounds more like a progress update than a warning signal. Progress on some of the world’s biggest health threats is being halted, and in some cases completely reversed.
There are 1.3 million new HIV cases in 2024, malaria is on the rise again, vaccination rates in the US are falling and 42.8 million children suffer from severe malnutrition. The world is now far from meeting many of the UN’s key health targets by 2030.
Here’s what the figures tell us about the state of global health.
-Jessica Hamzelau
it Story It’s from The Checkup, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside scoop on all things biotech. Sign up To get it in your inbox every Thursday.
Must read
I’ve scoured the internet to find you today’s funniest/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Musk and Altman face charges of lying as their trial goes to the jury
The lawyers attacked the rivals’ credibility in their closing arguments. (WSJ $)
+Musk was accused of “selective amnesia”. (reuters $)
+ The pair are in court over the future of OpenAI. (MIT Technology Review)
+ And their lawsuit has made everyone worse off. (wired $)
2 AI data centers are putting a strain on America’s power grid
Nevada is redirecting power from Lake Tahoe to AI. (Ars Technica)
+ Utah is getting a huge data center despite water shortage fears. (Guardian)
+ Nobody wants a data center in their backyard. (MIT Technology Review)
3 OpenAI is considering legal action against Apple over its ChatGPT integration
He has not got the expected benefits from the deal with Apple. (bloomberg $)
+ OpenAI is disappointed with the promotion of ChatGPT integration. (NYT $)
4 Anthropic has agreed to terms for a $30 billion financing deal
At a valuation of $900 billion, which is ahead of OpenAI. (Information $)
+ Dragoneer, Greenoaks, Sequoia, and Altimeter are leading the way in this round. (foot $)
6 Washington and Beijing to hold formal talks on AI security
They will discuss guardrails on AI. (cnbc)
+ And a protocol to prevent non-state actors from acquiring powerful models. (NYT $)
5 Alphabet and Amazon are using “unprecedented” borrowing to fund AI
They are exploiting the foreign debt market to new levels. (foot $)
+ People can’t agree on what an AI bubble is. (MIT Technology Review)
7 Big Tech has turned to Sesame Street to deflect attention from scrutiny of screen use
Accused of encouraging children’s technological dependence. (reuters $)
8 Anthropic’s feud with the White House threatens other businesses
Figma and Tenable say this will hurt their ability to sell software. (bloomberg $)
9 autonomous agents staged digital crime during security testing
After this “AI Bonnie and Clyde” removed itself. (Guardian)
10 A Poop App Offers to Sell Photos of Users’ Stool Analysis App
The images were used for AI training. (404 media)
today’s thought
“It’s as if we don’t exist.”
-North Lake Tahoe resident and Tahoe Spark CEO Daniel Hughes explains Luck Residents are being sidelined because their energy suppliers prioritize data centres.
one more thing
The rise of the technical ethics circle
Just before Christmas, a pastor preached morality over money to several hundred members of his flock. But the preacher was not religious, and his congregation was not a church. It was All Tech Is Human, a nonprofit dedicated to ethics and responsibility in technology.
Founded in 2018, the organization has built a rapidly expanding community of people who believe technology should focus less on profits and more on public interest. It is also attracting people searching for meaning and connection in the digital world.
Find out why thousands of people are turning to tech ethics communities for guidance and connection.
-Greg M. Epstein
we can still have good things
A place of relaxation, fun and distractions to brighten your day. (Any ideas? drop me a line.)
+ go behind the scenes of the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
+ Marvel at this robot Folding and Launching Paper Planes As soon as possible.
+ look moving moment Rescued animals are reunited with the humans who rescued them.
+ peek inside The heart of a barred spiral galaxy In this stunning new capture from the James Webb Space Telescope.
