Tag Archives: Arts & Entertainment

More than 10,500 artists sign open letter protesting unlicensed AI training

Posted on by

Some of the biggest names in Hollywood, literature and music have issued a warning to the artificial intelligence industry. The Washington Post reports that more than 10,500 artists have signed an open protest letter objecting to AI developers’ “unlicensed use” of artists’ work to train their models.

“The unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted,” the one sentence letter reads.

The letter has support from some huge names across the film, television, music and publishing industries. Some of the more famous signatures include actors Julianne Moore, Rosario Dawson, Kevin Bacon and F. Murray Abraham, as well as former Saturday Night Live star Kate McKinnon, author James Patterson and Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke.

The unauthorized use of their work to train AI models has been an area of major concern among creatives. The SAG-AFTRA union and Writers Guild of America recently held industry-wide strikes demanding better protections for their work and livelihood against the use of AI in studio projects.

There are also several lawsuits currently in courts accusing some AI developers of using copyrighted content without permission or proper compensation.On Monday, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post sued Perplexity AI for violating their copyright protections. Music labels like Universal, Warner and Sony sued the makers of the Suno and Uido AI music makers back in June for violating its copyright protections on a “massive scale.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/more-than-10500-artists-sign-open-letter-protesting-unlicensed-ai-training-174544491.html?src=rss

Meta and GoFundMe team up to streamline social media donations

Posted on by

Meta and GoFundMe have partnered up to simplify the process by which folks use social media to donate to charitable causes. GoFundMe links will still be shared via social media, but now they’ll boast a suite of improvements. This integration impacts both Instagram and Facebook.

The companies say the new GoFundMe links create an “interactive experience for potential donors.” To that end, there’s a big and bold new donate button that jettisons users to the official GoFundMe page to complete the transaction. The social media posts are also now dynamic, meaning they change in real time as the amount of money raised and the number of donors fluctuates.

The integration in action.
GoFundMe

There’s also new “seamless” integration with Instagram Stories, which is handy. GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan said in a press release that this move was intended to “give organizations the tools to inspire a new generation of supporters to make a difference for the causes they care about.”

These new features will soon be available in the US, Australia, Ireland, Canada and the UK. Beyond GoFundMe integration, social media sites have always experimented with different ways to streamline charitable giving. Instagram gave users the ability to create group fundraisers back in 2021 and added donation stickers before that.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-and-gofundme-team-up-to-streamline-social-media-donations-163042446.html?src=rss

Epic Games launches a new unified game development assets marketplace, Fab

Posted on by

If you’re a game developer or animator, chances are you frequent sites like the Unreal Engine Marketplace, Quixel, ArtStation Marketplace and Sketchfab Store. The days of buying assets from each of these stores separately are over, as Epic Games just launched Fab, its new marketplace merging all of the sites mentioned above.

While the Fab website is live, Unreal Engine 5 Editor users can also access it in the app directly when the update is live. Unreal Editor for Fortnite also has Fab integration, which is currently down for maintenance.

Fab’s content includes animations, VFX, environments, characters, plug-ins and much more. These assets may have either a Creative Commons license or Standard License; the latter comes in Personal and Professional tiers. Epic Games says that both tiers of the Fab Standard License allow assets to be used in any game engine you want. However, the Creative Commons license only allows assets to be used on Unreal Engine. 3D assets can also be viewed in real time before purchasing to ensure developers only get the products they need.

Fab Assets
Epic Games

The entire Quixel Megascans library is available for free now until the end of this year, and the contents are free to use in all engines and creation tools. There are 17,000 assets from the original library, along with 10 packs accompanying Fab’s launch.

Epic Games also mentioned some future goals for Fab, including Roblox and Minecraft assets, access to MetaHumans and more. There will also be a portion of Fab’s Megascans content made free next year in the form of a starter pack.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/epic-games-launches-a-new-unified-game-development-assets-marketplace-fab-135335228.html?src=rss

Spotify debuts an in-app cover art maker for playlists

Posted on by

Spotify already lets you upload your own pics to use as playlist covers, but now it has launched a feature that gives you an easy, in-app way to customize them. The audio streaming service's new Create Cover Art feature comes with a set of tools you can use to crop images in different shapes, such as hearts and stars, and then place them against backgrounds in the colors of your choice. It will also give you access to an effects toolset, which includes the fish-eye and radiar blur effects, as well as text tools that you can use to add cover titles in different typefaces. And yes, you can use the effects to transform any text you add to your images. Finally, you can choose from a bunch of stickers to further personalize your cover. 

While the company is releasing Create Cover Art in its beta form, it is rolling out to 65 markets around the world. To try it out, you'll need to be on the mobile app. Find the ellipsis (...) context menu when you open one of your playlists and then look for "Create Cover Art" among the options that pop up. The toolset will show up from there, and you can share anything you create with it on social media if you wish.

Create cover art
Spotify

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/spotify-debuts-an-in-app-cover-art-maker-for-playlists-130026423.html?src=rss

Blade Runner 2049 producer sues Elon Musk for image used in Cybercab launch

Posted on by

When Elon Musk introduced Tesla's robotaxi, the Cybercab, earlier this month, he showed a slide during his presentation that probably looked familiar to Blade Runner 2049 fans. It featured the back of a person wearing a trench coat against a desert-like landscape with high-rise buildings in the background. Now, a producer behind the movie is suing him for copyright infringement. According to The New York Times, Alcon Entertainment accused him of using "AI-created images mirroring scenes from Blade Runner 2049, including one featuring a Ryan Gosling look-alike." It said that it previously denied a request by Musk, Tesla and Warner Bros. Discovery to use imagery from the film as part of the Cybercab event. The companies were also named as defendants in the lawsuit. 

Alcon called Tesla's use of AI to create images nearly identical to scenes from the movie an "intentionally malicious gambit." It argued that by connecting the product announcement to the movie, the automaker made the event "more attractive to a global audience" and misappropriated "the Blade Runner 2049 brand to help sell Teslas." In its lawsuit, Alcon said that the connection between Musk and its film has a financial impact on the company, even going so far as calling the defendants' actions as a "massive economic theft," because it's currently in talks with other potential automative partners for its upcoming Blade Runner 2099 television series. 

"Any prudent brand considering any Tesla partnership has to take Musk's massively amplified, highly politicized, capricious and arbitrary behavior, which sometimes veers into hate speech, into account," it reportedly wrote in its complaint. It said it "adamantly objected" to being associated with Musk or any of his companies, and that Musk was personally aware that it refused his company's request. "He thus personally knew and understood that to incorporate ‘BR2049’ into the event presentation at all would be improper and an unauthorized misappropriation of ‘BR2049’ goodwill," the producer wrote. It's worth noting that Musk mentioned Blade Runner during the event, saying that he loves the franchise, but he doesn't "know if we want that future." Musk is one of the biggest supporters of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and is known for making divisive, controversial tweets. He had also been caught retweeting fake news in the past, including a doctored Kamala Harris video. 

Alcon called the movie still that Tesla allegedly copied "one of the most iconic images" from Blade Runner 2049. We took the image above from Tesla's live stream, and you can see the still from the film below. 

A man in a trench coat with a car and a desert landscape in the background.
Warner Bros. Picture

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/blade-runner-2049-producer-sues-elon-musk-for-image-used-in-cybercab-launch-120048345.html?src=rss

Star Citizen spinoff Squadron 42 has been delayed again until 2026

Posted on by

The single-player Squadron 42, set in the Star Citizen universe, has been delayed all the way to 2026. This is interesting because the developers said the game was “feature complete” last year. Squadron 42 was first announced in 2014 and has experienced numerous delays throughout the past decade.

The stated reason for the delay is to apply more polish. Cloud Imperium Games (CIG) boss Chris Roberts said at this weekend’s CitizenCon that he’s “confident” the title will make its 2026 release window. To sate eager fans, the developer dropped an hour-long gameplay video that chronicles the opening segments, seen below.

Roberts also told convention-goers that Squadron 42 would feature “30 to 40 hours of gameplay.” He went on to note that there’s still some work left to “bring the quality of the game up to” the level shown in the gameplay video.

Squadron 42 is a first-person action game that features on-foot exploration and combat, ship piloting and more. It has an absolutely stacked voice and mocap cast, many of whom are featured in the above gameplay video. The cast includes Gary Oldman, Henry Cavill, Mark Hamill, Gillian Anderson, Andy Serkis and Sophie Wu, among many others.

There’s also the matter of the parent game Star Citizen. It’s still not ready for a full release, after being a huge Kickstarter success story in 2012. However, the game has an active alpha community and is still racking up impressive crowdfunding numbers. All told, CIG has raised over $729 million for the title in the past 12 years.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/star-citizen-spinoff-squadron-42-has-been-delayed-again-until-2026-180946358.html?src=rss

Vampire Survivors is getting a Castlevania expansion, but still no vampires

Posted on by

Vampire Survivors is one of the biggest gaming success stories of recent years and developer Poncle hasn’t taken its foot off the gas. It continues to ship updates and expansions, and the latest is a crossover that (almost) makes all the sense in the world.

Poncle has revealed a DLC based on its biggest inspiration, Castlevania. The studio says it’s “an all-out celebration of Konami’s iconic franchise.”

The largest paid Vampire Survivors expansion to date has more than 20 new characters, such as some Belmonts and Belnades. There are dozens of additional weapons, including eight more whips. As a devotee of the game’s original whip, I’m pleased to hear that. Alucard’s sword, spear and shield are present, as is elemental magic in a first for Vampire Survivors. There will be more than 30 new music tracks as well, with Poncle borrowing dozens of them from the Castlevania series.

What’s more, the DLC will introduce the largest Vampire Survivors level so far, with a whole heap of secrets and bosses to track down. Despite this expansion tying into a series that is all about vampires and vampire hunters, Vampire Survivors still won’t actually feature any vampires — even though we’re “literally at Dracula's castle.” This lack-of-vampires bit continues to be pretty funny.

Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania will arrive on Halloween (October 31) on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PS4, PS5 and mobile. It’ll cost $4.

In the meantime, Poncle has opened up a very ‘90s-style online guest book, which is perhaps inspired by Castlevania: Harmony of Despair. There's also a Castlevania sale on Steam that highlights some of the series' other collaborations.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/vampire-survivors-is-getting-a-castlevania-expansion-but-still-no-vampires-143149407.html?src=rss

Disney’s Daredevil series lands March 4, 2025

Posted on by

It seems like forever ago that Netflix's Daredevil series was cancelled (it was 2018 to be exact), but the Hell's Kitchen superhero/lawyer is finally coming back. Marvel Studios announced that Daredevil: Born Again will arrive on Disney+ on March 4, 2025, a bit later than it promised back in 2022. The news was revealed during a New York Comic Con panel that featured returning stars Charlie Cox (Matt Murdock/Daredevil) and Vincent D'Onofrio (Kingpin). 

Born Again was first announced in 2022 as an 18-episode, two-season order with some returning characters, new faces and a recast Vanessa Fisk (Kingpin's wife). Executive producer Brad Winderbaum said earlier this year that the series would enter Marvel canon as part of the "sacred timeline." That was significant, as Daredevil and other Marvel Television series on Netflix (Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and Iron Fist) were always kept separate from the primary Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

Charlie Cox's Daredevil has popped up here and there since the series was cancelled, most recently appearing in Marvel Studio's Echo series and catching a brick in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The original Daredevil on Netflix was well-liked by critics and audiences alike, so its cancellation came as a small shock. However, it seemed inevitable once the rival Disney+ streaming service launched, plus the show reportedly didn't generate a massive audience for Netflix and cost a fortune to make  

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/disneys-daredevil-series-lands-march-4-2025-130017844.html?src=rss

Star Trek: Section 31 will premiere on January 25

Posted on by

It's been over half a decade since we first heard rumblings of a Section 31 spinoff, and now we finally have a release date. Star Trek: Section 31 will be exclusively available on Paramount+ starting Friday, January 25. The news came during a Star Trek universe panel at Comic Con over the weekend.

The movie stars Michelle Yeoh as Emperor Philippa Georgiou, a role she played in Star Trek: Discovery. She joins a "secret division of Starfleet" that must protect the United Federation of Planets while she faces the "sins of her past." Alongside Yeoh, Star Trek: Section 31 stars actors such as Sam Richardson and Omari Hardwick.

An adaptation focused solely on Section 31 and starring Yeoh has been in the works since 2019. At the time, CBS All Access (now Paramount+) announced it would be a TV show focused on her character, Captain Georgiou. Then, in 2023, the production officially got the green light but, instead, as a movie. The news came just one month after Yeoh won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once (lesson: winning prestigious awards can get things going).

Paramount+ released a teaser for Star Trek: Section 31 in July, which you can watch here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/star-trek-section-31-will-premiere-on-january-25-123023747.html?src=rss

Alien: Romulus is coming to VHS

Posted on by

First, records came back into fashion, and now it could be (*checks notes*) VHS tapes. The last major movie put on VHS was A History of Violence in 2006, but Alien: Romulus, this year's addition to the Alien franchise, is being released as a limited edition VHS tape on December 3rd, The Verge reports. Its director, Fede Alvarez, announced the news at a Beyond Fest-partnered viewing.

The Alien: Romulus VHS tape celebrates the 45th anniversary of Alien, a cultural icon infamously described as "a movie where nobody listens to the smart woman, and then they all die except for the smart woman and her cat." The tape will show viewers Alien: Romulus in a 4:3 aspect ratio and comes in a retro-looking case designed by artist Matt Ferguson.

Alien: Romulus premiered in August and has reportedly garnered $350 million worldwide — we were fans, calling it "a gorgeous and terrifying Alien tale for a new generation." We'll have to wait and see how much VHS sales add to this (seriously, does anyone own a VHS player anymore?), but it will simultaneously be released on 4K-UHD, DVD and Blu-Ray in December. There's no word yet on pricing or quantity for the limited edition VHS tape.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/alien-romulus-is-coming-to-vhs-110055668.html?src=rss