Happy Wednesday, Cyborgs.

Wow wow wow, lots of drama this week. We’re still shook by the arrest of Telegram’s Pavel Durov, and the Spark Meta AR shut down - more on this below.

On another note, I’m stoked to announce our upcoming LA Salon on Sept 24th!!

Today’s rundown:

• LA Salon Announcement - Sept 24 @ Neuehouse Venice Beach

• TLDR: This week in Future + Culture

  • Meta shuts down its AR creator ecosystem

  • SAG-AFTRA bill limits AI replicas

  • OpenAI’s $100BN Valuation & government collab

  • A flurry of theories float around internet re: the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov

• Community Shares

  • Making AI Clones with Butterflies.ai

  • We’re looking for a co-host and speaker for our AI x Mental Health event in the Bay Area on Oct 10!

😺ᵤₚcₒₘᵢₙg ₑᵥₑₙₜₛ😺

ANNOUNCING:

Humanizing Machines: Intersecting AI, Robotics, and Design by Artist and the Machine on Sept 24th

Join us at Neuehouse Venice Beach as we gather to inspire and connect as a community dedicated to the evolving relationship between humans and machines. An expert panel will delve into the intersection of robotics and humanity, exploring the latest success and failures in AI consumer hardware, the impending robot renaissance, cyborgs, and more. Topics include:

• The Intersection of Robots and Humans: How the convergence of technology and biology is reshaping the future.

• Trends in Consumer AI: Exploring recent successes and epic failures in AI-driven consumer hardware, from Humane, to Rabbit, friend, and Ray-Ban Metas; as well as consumer AI applications, with an emphasis on voice-enabled and real-time interaction.

• Design and Hardware: The role of design in creating intuitive, human-centric AI and robotic hardware.

• Fulfilling Human Needs: How technology can better serve us by understanding and addressing our deepest human needs.

LAST CALL: Getting ready for Virtual Beings NYC edition at Neuehouse Madison Square, on Sept 11! We’ll explore the role of virtual beings in relation to humans, different types of AI-powered avatars, sample use cases, and more. The speaker lineup is pretty nuts..and we’re announcing one last guest speaker soon.

𝕀𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕖𝕟𝕛𝕠𝕪 𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕟𝕖𝕨𝕤𝕝𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣 & 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤, 𝕡𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕖 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝔸𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕤𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕄𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝟙-𝟚 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤 🙏 😻

Meta shuts down its AR creator ecosystem

Having been part of the go-to-market team for Lens Studio at Snap, I know firsthand how much passion and innovation goes into building AR platforms that empower creators. The recent announcement by Meta to shut down its Spark platform is a moment of reflection for many in the art+tech community - creators and brands alike. Spark wasn't just a tool—it was a hub of creativity, a space where developers and brands alike could push the boundaries of mobile AR and spatial experiences. Shutting down this platform not only disrupts the livelihoods of many talented creators but also raises questions about the future direction of mobile AR distribution.

Oftentimes, however, these bold decisions pave way for new eras, shifts and changes - but I deeply feel for the creators who've built audiences, livelihood and identity on this powerful creation and distribution platform. The impact on the community is palpable, with many expressing their disappointment and concern about what this means for their careers and the broader AR ecosystem. This news is a reminder of how essential it is for platforms to maintain a strong relationship with their developer communities, and the opportunity for other platforms, especially those growing fast in the AI space, to provide new opportunities for artists amidst these shifts.

I'm very curious - what will creators do with the time and energy they once dedicated to Spark? Will it flow into other platforms like TikTok's Effect House and Snap's Lens Studio, or will it leap forward into emerging mediums like new AI creative platforms?

SAG-AFTRA bill limits AI replicas

The California Senate approved a bill requiring explicit consent for the use of AI-generated digital replicas of performers, a priority for the SAG-AFTRA union. The bill, which extends protections to various media, addresses concerns over contracts that could allow unauthorized use of an actor’s likeness through AI. After initial opposition from the Motion Picture Association, changes were made to the bill, leading to its neutral stance, and the bill now awaits the governor's approval.

OpenAI’s $100BN Valuation

OpenAI is in the process of raising at a $100BN valuation, a jump up from its last $86BN, with annualized revenue surpassing $3.4BN earlier this year. The significant valuation also suggests some powerful secret projects on the horizon - such as Project Strawberry and Orion. We wait with bated breath.

On another note, here’s an interesting OpenAI X thread to munch on 😻 

A flurry of theories float around internet re: the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov

👫𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗦👫

On the lingering topic of Virtual beings - congrats Micah Gantman & Mehrdad Jahangiri of Butterflies on the new just announced Clones feature that allows users to take a selfie and create a clone of themselves with a developing backstory. Butterflies continues to fascinate us - read Techcrunch coverage here. 

Meanwhile I just took a stab at making my own alter ego, a bold whimsical fairy named Elle Van de Sande, and I’m still digesting 👽 we’ve also created a fictional Artist and the Machine Editor-in-Chief, Ava Moreno - but more on that later 🤣

👫𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗨𝗘𝗗👫

Shoutout to our insanely talented LA event photographer & dear friend, Veronica Lopez (she takes all the amazing LA event shots). Sharing her portfolio & contact here for your event needs in LA.

Artist and the Machine is seeking an event co-host (and speakers) for an upcoming Bay Area event on October 10th on AI and Mental Health! If you know anyone who might be interested in helping us co-host and is based in the Bay Area, please connect me with them :)

💡 𝐂𝐨-𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐮𝐩𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐀 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝟐𝟒𝐭𝐡💡

【ＡＳＨ　ＳＨＵＫＬＡ】

​Ashutosh Shukla has spent over 20 years designing category-defining hardware and leading world class engineering organizations at Apple, Snap, Meta, Rivian, and Bose. He is an inventor with over 50 patents spanning material science, manufacturing methodology, and innovations in consumer electronics, and is a Georgia Tech Alumni with BS in Mechanical Engineering. Ash is currently Co-Founder and CTO of UpHealth (stealth) and advisor to deep tech startups. He has worked on globally renowned products including Rivian EV's, 5 generations of iPhone, Spectacles by Snap, SoundDock by Bose.

What’s inspiring you these days? I’m really excited that tech is finally beginning to build catalytic products with a focus on helping people live better lives instead of just exploiting data.

Your current industry hot take? We will see a ton of progress and market adoption in the AI and Robotics space only after industry starts building applications that serve real human needs rather than replicating current services, e.g. finding a way to improve all aspects of communication instead of building apps that read and write email in less time.

Some of Ash’s portfolio - his pioneering work on the iPhone & Snap Spectacles:

𝕀𝕗 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕖𝕟𝕛𝕠𝕪 𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕟𝕖𝕨𝕤𝕝𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣 & 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤, 𝕡𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕖 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝔸𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕤𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕄𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝟙-𝟚 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤 🙏 😻