Stories

"This small group of people has tried to basically run a con on all of us. 'We’re doing this out of the goodness of our own hearts. We’re making the world better.' No, you’re padding your bottom lines and all you care about is you." - The New York Times

Simply generate "the raw fiber of old myths woven into new stories, processed through the internet, refined into audiobooks, ... which drive fans back to bookstores, where they can buy a keepsake hardcover" and, if they're lucky, "drink themed cocktails in ACOTAR-inspired ball gowns at midnight." - The Atlantic

"That this narrator has all the personality of a chatbot is probably not coincidental." Ouch.  - The Atlantic

And yet: "Hundreds of working-class comedians have lost a key source of income and exposure, while wealthy celebrity comics take up their airspace" on SiriusXM. - CBC

Not that "stuck in Florence" is so awful, but for full Italian Renaissance Master love, you have to travel. - The New York Times

"Seeking out fear is our way of preparing our bodies for the sometimes scary real world. And this vaccine is actually fun for most people." - NPR

"The panicked race to introduce AI technology across the advertising industry, to cut client costs and avoid being pushed aside by big tech, has raised fears of a lost generation." - The Guardian (UK)

"Publishers are now using LLMs like Claude and ChatGPT to email literary agents, write publicity and back-cover copy, design cover art, and generate marketing materials, often at the direction of their executives." - Wired

Deniz Goktas was still convicted, but he says, "In a strange way, there’s something encouraging about it. If leaders can be this fragile about jokes, it’s a sign of the power of comedy." - The New York Times

"While romance is basically keeping the whole publishing industry afloat at this point, the genre has historically been pitched to women and queer readers. Accordingly, some straight men feel shame about their interest." - LitHub

But, alert: "there’s more to freezing a book than just tossing it next to the ice cream." - The New York Times

Cage: "I am not an AI-friendly actor, so it’s like, connect those dots! I’m not a member of their club. I didn’t sign the waiver to let him use AI on Spider Noir. I’m probably not going to be working with that studio again." - Variety

"As tempting as it may be to imagine the Best Picture result as set in stone, history tells us that there will always be a few surprises along the way." - Vulture

For one thing, it never connected to the internet. And: "It was a one-function device that superbly executed its function. It made people unconditionally happy." - Wired

"If a dancer needs more pointe shoes, we can’t tell them no. I mean, it’s their job to be on stage looking beautiful and having a shoe that supports them." - KCCI