Video Game Actors Score a Win

The Lead

Video Game Actors Score a Win: The actors behind your favorite video game characters, backed by SAG-AFTRA, have struck deals with 80 game projects. The strike continues against major publishers like Disney, Warner Bros., and Electronic Arts, as the agreements secure wage increases, AI protections, and safety measures for the performers.

Reels

Simba for AI: Rob Minkoff, who helped bring "The Lion King" to life, thinks AI could make movie-making easier for everyone. While he sees AI as a tool, not a replacement, he warns about the wild, uncharted territory of copyright in the digital age.

Be the Star with Qatar Airways: Qatar Airways has introduced a new global campaign named 'AI Adventure,' which uses AI technology to allow participants to star in their own customized scenes, emphasizing the airline's focus on personalized customer experiences. This campaign reflects Qatar Airways' commitment to innovation and customer engagement by integrating viewers into the narrative through advanced AI that adapts to their physical features.

NCAA unlocks their Archives: The NCAA is now letting athletes profit from their game moments through AI-powered video archives. This means your favorite college sports stars could soon be in commercials, thanks to AI sorting through years of footage.

Thrills

AI Arrives to help Peter Molyneux: Peter Molyneux predicts that AI will significantly transform the video game industry within two years, potentially automating the creation of characters, animations, dialogue, and even entire games from simple prompts. This advancement could threaten jobs in game development but also highlights the growing interest from Hollywood in adapting video game narratives, as noted by Molyneux and echoed by other industry veterans like Shinji Mikami.

AI.App: Mobile gaming, already a dominant force in the gaming market, is expected to grow significantly, reaching $195 billion by 2030, with AI playing a pivotal role in enhancing gameplay through personalized content, improved NPC interactions, and voice chat functionalities. However, while AI, particularly generative AI, offers benefits like rapid content creation and dynamic game environments, it also poses challenges such as potential copyright issues and the need for ethical implementation to sustain long-term value in the gaming industry.

This is AI: ESPN has started using AI to generate game recaps for the Premier Lacrosse League and NWSL, sparking backlash among fans and media for potentially devaluing the sports and replacing human journalists. Despite the controversy, ESPN defends the move by stating it allows their staff to focus on more in-depth coverage, while also acknowledging and correcting initial AI-generated errors in their coverage.

Bills

EU’s AI Rulebook: The EU is setting the stage for AI regulation, classifying systems by risk and demanding transparency. This could mean big changes for tech companies, with hefty fines for rule-breakers.

Wombo Raises $9m: Wombo, known for AI art, just got $9 million richer. But what's next? A supercomputer or just more cool AI photos?

CalMaters take on AI Laws: CalMaters breaks down how California's lawmakers are crafting rules to keep AI in check, from preventing deepfakes to protecting kids online. But will these laws be enough, and will they become law?