Lesser known sports stars are showing off Olympic Village life and captivating people with their ‘joyful relatability’Olympic hauls were once the preserve of triumphant athletes showing off their medals, but now every Olympian is getting in on the act by posting videos of themselves unboxing their sponsored kit.Haul videos – a social media staple in which someone usually shows off their recent purchases – have been popping up online with athletes who are preparing to take to track and field, pitches and courts taking to TikTok instead. Continue reading...
As Llama 3.1 405B is made freely available, investors are asking when the huge industry spend will pay offSpending on artificial intelligence could hit a staggering $1tn, according to analysts concerned about whether there will be a return on such a spree. Mark Zuckerberg’s answer this week to such jitters was to release his latest AI system for free.Meta’s Llama 3.1 405B is its most powerful yet, it says, and one of the most capable in the world. While the tech company didn’t disclose how much it cost to train, Zuckerberg, its co-founder and chief executive, has previously disclosed a $10.5bn[...]
The film-maker has been accused of acting inappropriately on the set of his self-funded sci-fi epic MegalopolisVideos have emerged of director Francis Ford Coppola trying to kiss female extras on the set of his new film Megalopolis.Variety obtained footage of the film-maker taken by a crew member during a nightclub scene on set last year. The Guardian had originally reported that the 85-year-old was seen as “old school” in his behaviour around women while shooting, pulling women to sit on his lap and kissing extras to get “them in the mood”. Continue reading...
Former first lady, who has been mostly absent as her husband campaigns, has never told her own story at length beforeThe former first lady Melania Trump has a memoir coming out this fall, Melania, billed by her office as “a powerful and inspiring story of a woman who has carved her own path, overcome adversity and defined personal excellence”.It’s the first memoir by Trump, who has been mostly absent as her husband, the former president Donald Trump, seeks to return to the White House. Continue reading...
Writer says cyclical nature of politics allows satire to appear to predict future, including vice-president’s run for top jobFor years, British politics has echoed the ludicrous and sometimes concerning storylines of Armando Iannucci’s TV show The Thick of It. Now, with the US vice-president, Kamala Harris, campaigning to become the commander-in-chief, Americans are using the show Veep as proof of the satirist’s gift for prophecy.So what does Iannucci think about being dubbed the Nostradamus of western politics? Continue reading...
We Might Regret This is one of TV’s most frank depictions of caring for a wheelchair user – and one of its funniest. Its creators talk steamy scenes, stereotypes – and getting drenched in urineThere is a scene in We Might Regret This that made me truly laugh, but not because it was funny. The BBC comedy follows Freya, a young woman who uses a wheelchair, played by Kyla Harris, who also co-created the series. We see her move in with her much older boyfriend, Abe, and, frustrated with patronising and restrictive agency staff, hire her friend Jo (Elena Saurel) to be her carer. Many moments – hila[...]
Press regulation campaigners accuse prime minister of lacking courage to stand up to newspaper ownersKeir Starmer has dismayed press regulation campaigners by confirming he has no plans to revive the second part of the Leveson inquiry into the British newspaper industry.The prime minister told reporters on Thursday that other issues would take precedence: “We set out in our manifesto our programme for action for this government. We’ve laid that out in the king’s speech. That clearly sets out our priorities and the second half of Leveson is not among them. Continue reading...
Voice actors and motion capture performers to strike over AI protections after nearly two years of negotiationsHollywood’s video game performers voted to go on strike Thursday, throwing part of the entertainment industry into another work stoppage after talks for a new contract with major game studios broke down over artificial intelligence protections.The strike – the second for video game voice actors and motion capture performers under the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (Sag-Aftra) – will begin at 12.01am Friday. The move comes after nearly two years[...]
Prototype, initially launching with select publishers and users, set to challenge Google’s dominance of online searchOpenAI is testing a new search engine that uses generative artificial intelligence to produce results, raising the prospect of a significant challenge to Google’s dominance of the online search market.SearchGPT will launch with a small group of users and publishers before a potential wider rollout, the company announced on Thursday. OpenAI ultimately intends to incorporate the search features into ChatGPT, rather offer a standalone product. Continue reading...
Shares dip as broadcaster reveals its majority stake in company behind Sherlock and Douglas Is CancelledITV has reported a 17% surge in advertising revenue fuelled by the Euro 2024 tournament, while announcing that it has taken a majority stake in the production company behind shows including Sherlock, The Devil’s Hour and Douglas Is Cancelled.The broadcaster said on Thursday that total ad revenue – including TV and digital – was up 17% year on year for the three months to the end of June, ahead of a forecast rise of 12%. Continue reading...
Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2024