In the late 18th century, officials in Prussia and Saxony began to rearrange their complex, diverse forests into straight rows of single-species trees. Forests had been sources of food, grazing, shelter, medicine, bedding and more for the people who lived in and around them, but to the early modern state, they were simply a source of timber.
For a preview of how AI will collide with creative industries, look to advertising. Amazon, Google, and Meta have all started encouraging advertisers to use AI tools to generate ad copy and imagery, promising high performance, lower costs, and super-specific targeting. Now, brands are paying to advertise with AI-generated virtual influencers — synthetic characters that can offer at least some promotional juice at a fraction of the cost.
A few years ago, advertisements for a software service named Monday.com seemed to be suddenly everywhere online. This ubiquity didn’t come cheap. An S.E.C. filing revealed that the product’s developers had spent close to a hundred and thirty million dollars on advertising in 2020 alone, which amounted to roughly eighty per cent of the company’s annual revenue.
FUTURE SHOCK. It’s a term that was first coined by Alvin Toffler in 1970 to describe the psychological disorientation and stress that people experience due to rapid changes in technology, society, and culture. And with the rapid advancements in AI, it’s becoming more relevant than ever before.
It was when I was researching a story on that I realized there truly was no escape from the influencer industry. If business bros with corporate jobs in tech and finance — stable, high-paying careers with cushy benefits! — felt the need to supplement their status (and possibly their income) by becoming influencers, what hope was there for the rest of us?
BEIJING-BORN Savi of @savislook's home was first featured here in our piece on the Camaleonda Sofa by Mario Bellini. The Weibo and YouTube influencer often gives glimpses of her home on her Instagram page and its filled with old-school vibes: 50s farmhouse meets mid-century modern with a nod to the 70s by way of an orange striped shag rug ...
SO LONG AS WE'RE all online and social distancing, we thought it might be interesting to get a glimpse of the homes of those of us who work online, the difference spaces that your favourite influencers are self-isolating in. First up is the New York home of Shea Marie (@sheamarie), blogger, stylist, and social media influencer known for her Peace Love Shea fashion and lifestyle blog ...