America & the World V: DOGE Business

[QualityChimp]

So the Twitter blue ticks got turned off today, to much hilarity.
Whereas a blue tick used to be a symbol of authenticity (a real person or business), now all that's left are people who have paid to be blue ticks, with everyone else doing the Nelson Muntz pointy "Ha ha!"

Nintendo and Xbox are still gold, but PlayStation is not. Apart from PlayStation France, weirdly enough.

Elon Musk pays for Stephen King and LeBron James to keep Twitter blue ticks

Beyoncé and Ronaldo among those to lose Twitter blue check in purge

Twitter blue ticks: Multiple Hillarys and New Yorks as verifications disappear

Still loads of people are simping for the billionaire Musk.

Not Greg, though.

Embedded Tweet

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/florida-republicans-trans-kids-parents-bill-b2323714.html

Live in Florida and got a Trans child?
Not for much longer the way DeSantis is going

[Cassius_Smoke]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-b2323714.html
Live in Florida and got a Trans child?
Not for much longer the way DeSantis is going

A sneak peek into what's coming in the UK soon.

[briareos_kerensky]

Is this some kind of twisted way to win Republican backers back? "See, I can be as much of a terrible person like Trump! Vote for me!"

[huxley]

DeSantis protests to much, what's he hiding?
Maybe didnt make the cut to be a mouseketeer.

[Neon Ignition]

Tucker Carlson, Fox News' most popular host, out at network (msn.com)
Cost the company multi-millions?

[Neon Ignition]

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/24/far-right-britain-first-twitter-gold-tick

Musk lets his favoured people keep their blue ticks on Twitter or even get the Gold Tick...

[Neon Ignition]

Joe Biden formally announces 2024 White House run | Joe Biden | The Guardian

[QualityChimp]

Tucker Carlson, Fox News' most popular host, out at network (msn.com)
Cost the company multi-millions?

I was surprised at this, but reading that story I can see why he's gone.
Hope the whole channel folds, but there's not much hope in that.

Joe Biden formally announces 2024 White House run | Joe Biden | The Guardian

I feel that Trump and Johnson have irreparably broken politics by making people think those making the most noise are making the most difference, when in reality we all know a big mouth that we cringe at when they walk into the pub!

[Asura]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/..._implications/


EDIT: AI political attack ads, i.e. using AI to show things happening to Biden etc. which haven't happened.

[Neon Ignition]

That election image isn't great As soon as it put forward that question I immediately questioned if it was inferring Biden being re-elected or if it was a pro-Biden ad questioning the idea of Trump being re-elected

In a political landscape as warped as the US's, I imagine the AI stuff isn't as sharp as the human made stuff.

[wakka]

I actually think the AI component of this is not really that relevant.

It was still developed, storyboarded, scripted by a team of human beings. It's just that they've used AI tools to generate their chosen visuals.

You could achieve the exact same video by shooting footage, paying actors and using computer generated special effects. AI just shortens the timeline and reduces the budget.

[Asura]

I actually think the AI component of this is not really that relevant.

It was still developed, storyboarded, scripted by a team of human beings. It's just that they've used AI tools to generate their chosen visuals.

You could achieve the exact same video by shooting footage, paying actors and using computer generated special effects. AI just shortens the timeline and reduces the budget.

I think the difference is the number of people. With AI generated footage, soon, you'll only need 2-3 people to make something like this - whereas to film it, you need to hire all those people; camera people, lighting people, actors, costumers - all of whom lack scruples and will happily appear in a political ad they know to be a lie.

Just cutting it down from 30 people to 5 people makes that much more viable. It's much easier to find ~5 people who just don't give a **** about ethics than 30.

[QualityChimp]

Definitely sets a dangerous precedent.

Remember the "New Labour, New Danger" posters?



Obviously Tony Blair doesn't really have demon eyes (in his human form), but it's obvious from this poster.
According to Wikipedia, the poster was withdrawn by the ASA because they didn't have permission to use Blair's image and received complaints.

However: "In 1999, the ASA decided to stop regulating political advertising, citing this advert as a particularly difficult case and saying: "The free flow of argument in the cut and thrust of open debate is the best antidote to political advertising that misleads or offends.""

My first point is that AI images are a lot more convincing than the Blair poster.
How many people were taken in by that AI generated Puffy Pope pic?

->Open Spoiler<-

You can't copyright your likeness, only things created.
There definitely needs to be some more legislation, otherwise a lot more of this will go on.I'll split 50% royalties on any successful AI generated song that uses my voice. Same deal as I would with any artist i collab with. Feel free to use my voice without penalty. I have no label and no legal bindings.

In other AI news, Grimes invites people to use her voice in AI songs.
"I'll split 50% royalties on any successful AI generated song that uses my voice. Same deal as I would with any artist i collab with. Feel free to use my voice without penalty. I have no label and no legal bindings."

I think it's worth noting that this reckless attitude was soon brought into check:
"When asked what she would do if people used her voice to create racist or violent content, she wrote that she “may do copyright takedowns ONLY for rly rly toxic lyrics” or songs that were “anti-abortion or [something] like that”.

“That’s the only rule... [I] don’t wanna be responsible for a Nazi anthem unless it’s somehow in jest, a la Producers I guess,” she said."

[Asura]

How many people were taken in by that AI generated Puffy Pope pic?

->Open Spoiler<-

This was the image which really got to me, as I thought it was real.

I mean obviously it looks silly but then you see the Pope in weird things like the Popemobile.