Sexually explicit AI-generated images of Taylor Swift circulated on X, prompting backlash and calls for legislation. The deep fake images viewed millions of times, were traced back to a Telegram group that reportedly used Microsoft's AI tool Designer to generate explicit content.
But this is not the first time.
Recently, ahead of New Hampshire's primary, a robocall impersonating President Joe Biden urged Democrats not to vote, claiming that voting in the primary would enable Republicans to elect Donald Trump again in November. Biden's campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, labeled it disinformation and an attempt to suppress voting. (Listen to Deep Fake of Joe Biden)
On Social media, People are sharing ads using deep fakes of Celebrities like Jennifer Aniston to promote scam websites.
Media Outlets
Nearly a dozen mainstream media companies are grappling with extensive staff cuts.
Forbes: CEO announced layoffs affecting roughly 3% of the company.
Insider: Eliminating 8% of its workforce after a union strike over a contract impasse.
New York Daily News: Facing "chronic cuts," with staff walking off the job to protest.
Paramount: CEO warned of a fresh round of layoffs.
Los Angeles Times: Planned a one-day, multi-city walkout against 115 job cuts, with over 20% of the newsroom affected.
Conde Nast: Hundreds of union workers walked off the job protesting previously announced layoffs affecting approximately 5% of staff.
Sports Illustrated: Experiencing layoffs after its parent company, The Arena Group, failed to make a $3.75 million quarterly payment.
The ongoing crisis has motivated media companies to consider selling renowned brands, with BuzzFeed contemplating the sale of Complex and Tasty, Red Ventures looking to offload CNET, and Paramount exploring potential buyers like Skydance Media.
U.S. New Home Sales
In December 2023, the seasonally adjusted annual rate of new residential sales reached 664,000, an 8.0% increase from the revised November rate of 615,000 and 4.4% higher than the estimate for December 2022, which was 636,000.
Throughout 2023, an estimated 668,000 new homes were sold, a 4.2% increase from the 2022 figure of 641,000.
The median sales price for new houses in December 2023 was $413,200, with an average sales price of $487,300.
At the close of December, there were approximately 453,000 new houses available for sale, and given the current sales rate, this represents a supply that would last for 8.2 months.
But existing homes are facing tough time
Existing homes, which typically constitute about 90 percent of sales, witnessed an 18.7% decline in 2023 with total sales reaching 4.09 million, a figure not seen since 1995.
Rents are also increasing
In 2022, rents became unaffordable for 22.4 million households, constituting half of all renters who were spending 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities. according to a recent report from the Harvard Joint Center.
Among these, 12.1 million renters are severely burdened, paying more than half of their income for housing.
Median rent in the U.S. was $1,964 in December 2023, 3.3% higher than at the same time last year.
Middle-income households earning between $30,000 and $74,999 annually experienced the most significant increase in cost burdens since 2019 paying 41 % of their paycheck went toward rent and utilities.
Pokemon with guns
Palworld, developed by Pocketpair, has rapidly become a gaming sensation, selling 8 million copies within six days of its release on the Steam platform, accumulating USD 189 million in sales. The game, which has been dubbed "Pokemon with guns," introduces a vast open-world setting where players catch and utilize creatures called "pals” for various activities, including combat, farming, and building structures.
The Pokemon Company has responded to the game's popularity by stating its intention to investigate potential intellectual property infringement, as Palworld's creature designs and gameplay mechanics bear resemblance to the beloved Pokemon franchise.
This move comes amid Palworld quickly gaining popularity, becoming the second-most-played game on Steam with 2 million concurrent users.
Things to Know:
Alabama carried out its first execution using nitrogen gas, with inmate Kenneth Smith being the first in the nation to undergo this method. Kenneth Smith, convicted for his role in a 1988 murder-for-hire, had previously survived a failed lethal injection attempt in 2022.
Nitrogen hypoxia, a new method of capital punishment, is designed to replace oxygen with a high concentration of nitrogen, causing death.
The State of Alabama, in its court filings, asserted that nitrogen hypoxia would be painless, causing unconsciousness within seconds and death within minutes.
Parents continue to financially support their adult children well into their late 20s and 30s according to a recent report. The report indicates that about a third (33%) of young adults between 18 and 34 still live with their parents.
57% of those aged 18 to 24, 21% of those aged 25 to 29, and 11% of those aged 30 to 34 are part of this demographic.
Interestingly, 72% of young adults still living with their parents contribute financially in some way, with 65% assisting with groceries or utility bills, and 46% helping with rent or mortgage.
64% of young adults still at home say it has a positive impact on their personal financial situation. 45% of parents find the living arrangement positive for their relationship with their child. 29% of parents say it's somewhat positive.
CG Oncology, a California-based biotech company focused on bladder cancer, raised $380 million in its IPO, pricing 20 million shares at $19 each. This surpassed the initial target of around $200 million. With an expected market value of around $1.2 billion, CG Oncology's IPO is the first in the biotech sector for 2024. The company had previously raised approximately $317 million in venture capital funding since its formation in 2010.
Vince McMahon, the co-founder of WWE and executive chairman of TKO Group Holdings, has announced his resignation from both positions following a lawsuit filed by former WWE staffer Janel Grant accusing him of sexual assault and misconduct. Despite his intention to defend himself, he decided to resign "out of respect for the WWE Universe, TKO business, and its stakeholders."
McMahon's resignation from TKO comes after he stepped down as WWE's CEO in 2022 amid similar allegations, returning to his position in early 2023.
The lawsuit claims that Grant signed a nondisclosure agreement in 2022, with McMahon agreeing to pay $3 million but the payments stopped, leading Grant to seek voiding the NDA and pursuing financial damages.
Rie Kudan, the recent winner of Japan's prestigious literary award, the Akutagawa Prize, openly acknowledged that approximately five percent of her winning novel, "Tokyo-to Dojo-to" ("Sympathy Tower Tokyo"), was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), specifically ChatGPT.
Apple has become the leading smartphone seller in China, marking the first time the American tech giant secured the top spot in the country. According to data from IDC Apple's iPhone captured a market share of 17.3%, outperforming other major players in the Chinese smartphone market.
The data revealed that Apple's success was particularly noteworthy given the challenges it faced, including stiff competition from local brands like Honor, OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi.
MIT researchers have introduced Liquid Metal Printing (LMP), an innovative additive manufacturing technique capable of rapidly 3D printing large-scale parts using liquid metal. This process involves depositing molten aluminum along a predefined path into a bed of tiny glass beads, resulting in a 3D structure that solidifies within minutes.