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As 2025 comes to a close, consumer AI is entering a new phase. A small number of products now dominate everyday use, multimodal models have unlocked entirely new creative workflows, and the big labs have pushed aggressively into consumer experiences. At the same time, it is becoming clearer which ideas actually changed user behavior and which ones did not.In this episode, a16z consumer investors Anish Acharya, Olivia Moore, Justine Moore, and Bryan Kim look back at the biggest product and model shifts of 2025 and then look ahead to what 2026 may bring. They discuss why consumer AI appears to be trending toward winner-take-most, how subtle product design choices can matter more than raw model quality, and why templates, multimodality, and distribution are shaping the next wave of consumer products.Where do startups still have room to win? How will the role of the big labs continue to change? And what will it actually take for consumer AI apps to break out at scale in 2026? Resources:Follow Anish: https://x.com/illscienceFollow Olivia: https://x.com/omooretweetsFollow Justine: https://x.com/venturetwinsFollow Bryan: https://x.com/kirbyman01 Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zListen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYXListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Show on SpotifyListen to the a16z Show on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In unserer Sendung: „Tondokument“ bringen einen Vortrag und eine Lesung. Zunächst spricht der Musiker und Autor Tom Sora über „linke Intellektuelle im Dienst des Totalitarismus“. Im Anschluss liest der Schriftsteller Uwe Tellkamp das Kapitel „Die helle Nacht“ aus seinem aktuellen Roman „Der Schlaf in den Uhren“. Beide Beiträge wurden am 8. November 2025 bei der alternativen Buchmesse „Seitenwechsel“ in Halle an der Saale dargeboten. Initiiert wurde die Messe von Susanne Dagen, Inhaberin des Buchhauses Loschwitz in Dresden.
PNR: This Old Marketing | Content Marketing with Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose
Joe and Robert kick off their annual predictions episode by grading last year's forecasts using ChatGPT. They revisit what hit, what missed, and why context often ruins otherwise solid predictions. Along the way, they discuss AI's uneven progress, platform power shifts, crypto hype, nostalgia marketing, podcast attrition, and the growing tension between tech optimism and cultural fatigue. The episode closes with fresh predictions spanning marketing, media, sports, and culture. Key Topics and Takeaways 2025 Predictions Reviewed (with AI grading) BlueSky stalls while X stabilizes and improves monetization TikTok avoids a ban and continues to grow despite regulatory pressure AI image tools (including early Sora) underwhelm initially Bitcoin fails to hit $200K despite strong institutional momentum Generative AI stumbles, but without a single catastrophic "AI Chernobyl" Online sports gambling faces increased scrutiny and structural pullbacks Podcast attrition accelerates quietly ("pod fading") Major brands lean hard into nostalgia as a hedge against AI sameness One major political prediction completely misses 2026 Prediction Overview Joe goes deep into the importance of email as an indication of humanity and states that the reply rate will be the key KPI for email moving forward. In addition, he makes big bets on: - Famous creators stopping their channels - Elon Musk's net worth at the end of the year - Apple buying Disney Robert believes that AI strategy will no longer be in vogue, and marketers will stop using it altogether because AI will be integrated into everything. Robert also discusses "the Mamdani effect" and how it will take over the election process. Tune in to the episode to get all the predictions right up to the very last minute. Subscribe and Follow: Follow Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose on LinkedIn for insights, hot takes, and weekly updates from the world of content and marketing. ------- This week's sponsor: Did you know that most businesses only use 20% of their data? That's like reading a book with most of the pages torn out. Point is, you miss a lot. Unless you use HubSpot. Their customer platform gives you access to the data you need to grow your business. The insights trapped in emails, call logs, and transcripts. All that unstructured data that makes all the difference. Because when you know more, you grow more. Visit https://www.hubspot.com/ to hear how HubSpot can help you grow better. ------- Get all the show notes: https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/ Get Joe's new book, Burn the Playbook, at http://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/ Subscribe to Joe's Newsletter at https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/. Get Robert Rose's new book, Valuable Friction, at https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/ Subscribe to Robert's Newsletter at https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/ ------- This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork
At the end of every year, we take a few weeks to reset and reflect on everything that happened in culture over the past twelve months. We share our reflections with you in the form of our Top 20 Annual Countdown. This week, the Top 10! After much deliberation (heard in the Roundtable Episode) here is the list of the Top 10! 10. AI video slop (Sora, VEO3, Vibes) 9. Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show 8. The American Pope 7. Taylor Swift's engagement 6. Man's Best Friend by Sabrina Carpenter 5. Stranger Things season 5 4. A Minecraft Movie 3. 6-7 2. Videos of the assassination of Charlie Kirk on social media 1. KPop Demon Hunters Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.
Fluent Fiction - Japanese: A New Year's Wish: Finding Hope in Kyoto's Winter Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ja/episode/2025-12-26-23-34-02-ja Story Transcript:Ja: 冬の朝、空気は凛として冷たかった。En: On a winter morning, the air was sharp and cold.Ja: ハルトは京都の静かな街並みを歩きながら、心の中で小さな不安を感じていた。En: Haruto felt a small anxiety in his heart as he walked through the quiet streets of Kyoto.Ja: 大学をまもなく卒業する彼にとって、これからの人生は未知数だった。En: With his imminent graduation from university, his future was uncertain.Ja: 答えを見つけたい、何か新しい始まりが欲しい―そんな気持ちでいっぱいだった。En: He was filled with a desire to find an answer, to have a new beginning.Ja: 今日、ハルトは家族のために京都にいるアキコと、仕事のために最近京都に引っ越してきた幼馴染のソラと一緒に、伏見稲荷大社へ向かうことになった。En: Today, Haruto was heading to Fushimi Inari Taisha with Akiko, who was in Kyoto for her family, and his childhood friend Sora, who had recently moved to Kyoto for work.Ja: 新年、神社にお参りをするのは、日本の伝統的な習慣だ。En: Visiting a shrine at the start of the new year is a traditional Japanese custom.Ja: ハルトはこの伝統に参加することで、安心感を得られるかもしれないと思っていた。En: Haruto thought that participating in this tradition might bring him some peace of mind.Ja: 神社に着くと、多くの人々が朱色の鳥居をくぐりながら祈願していた。En: Upon arriving at the shrine, many people were passing through the vermilion gates, praying for their wishes to be granted.Ja: 石段を上る途中、アキコが笑顔で話しかけた。En: As they climbed the stone steps, Akiko spoke up with a smile.Ja: 「ハルト、今年はどんな願い事をするの?」En: "What kind of wish will you make this year, Haruto?"Ja: 彼女はいつも前向きで、伝統を大切にしていた。En: She was always positive and cherished traditions.Ja: 「まだ決めてないけど…」とハルトは小声で答えた。彼は自分の不安を伝えるのが少し恥ずかしかった。En: "I haven't decided yet..." Haruto replied in a low voice, somewhat embarrassed to express his anxieties.Ja: 一方、ソラは少し静かだった。En: Meanwhile, Sora was a little quiet.Ja: 新しい職場に慣れず、疎外感を感じているようだ。En: He seemed to be feeling alienated, not yet accustomed to his new workplace.Ja: 「俺たち、またこうして集まれるのはいいね」とソラがぽつりと言った。その言葉には、どこか安堵が混じっていた。En: "It's nice that we can gather like this again," Sora said quietly, with a hint of relief in his words.Ja: 神社の頂上で、ハルトは深く息を吸い込み、初日の出を見つめた。En: At the top of the shrine, Haruto took a deep breath and gazed at the first sunrise.Ja: 光が差し込むその瞬間に、心の中で願った。「未来がはっきり見えなくていい。En: At that moment when the light streamed in, he wished in his heart, "It's okay if the future isn't clear.Ja: ただ、自分に正直でいたい。そして勇気を持って進みたい。」En: I just want to be honest with myself and move forward with courage."Ja: アキコとソラもそれぞれの願いを込めて静かに祈った。En: Akiko and Sora also made their wishes in silent prayer.Ja: 自然と手を合わせた彼らは、互いの気持ちを感じ取った。En: Without words, they naturally joined their hands together, sensing each other's feelings.Ja: 言葉はなくとも、そこには確かな繋がりがあった。En: There was a definite connection among them.Ja: 新年の祝いが終わると、三人は一緒に市内をぶらぶら歩き、昼食を共にした。En: After the New Year celebration, the three of them wandered around the city and had lunch together.Ja: それぞれの人生がどんなに違っても、再び絆を深めることができたのだ。En: No matter how different their lives were, they were able to deepen their bond again.Ja: ハルトはふと気がついた。未来の不安は消えないけれど、支えてくれる友達や家族がいる。それが何より安心感を与えてくれると。En: Haruto suddenly realized that although the anxiety about the future wouldn't disappear, having supportive friends and family provided him with comfort above all else.Ja: 夕方、神社を後にするとき、ハルトは心の中で微笑んだ。En: In the evening, as they left the shrine, Haruto smiled inwardly.Ja: 「今年は、伝統をもっと大切にしよう。En: "This year, I'll cherish traditions more.Ja: そうすれば、不安なんて小さなことに思えるかもしれない。」En: Maybe then, my anxieties will seem like small matters."Ja: 冬空の下、三人はまた次の再会を約束し、別々の道を歩き出した。En: Under the winter sky, the three promised to meet again and walked their separate paths.Ja: それでも、彼らの心には新たな希望の光が差し込んでいた。En: Even so, a new light of hope shone in their hearts. Vocabulary Words:sharp: 凛としたimminent: まもなくuncertain: 未知数vermilion: 朱色cherished: 大切にしていたembarrassed: 恥ずかしかったalienated: 疎外感gather: 集まれるrelief: 安堵gazed: 見つめたcourage: 勇気silent: 静かにdefinite: 確かなconnection: 繋がりwandered: ぶらぶら歩きsupportive: 支えてくれるcomfort: 安心感cherish: 大切にしようtraditions: 伝統light: 光hope: 希望anxieties: 不安promised: 約束peace of mind: 安心感wishes: 願い事accustomed: 慣れずstreamed: 差し込むyearning: 欲しいcustom: 習慣bond: 絆
News and Updates: Disney / OpenAI / Sora- Disney will invest $1B in OpenAI, license characters for Sora videos, stream curated content on Disney+, and embrace generative AI amid Hollywood copyright concerns debates. Louisiana Social Media Law Blocked- Federal judge blocks Louisiana's social media age-verification law, ruling it vague and unconstitutional, burdening anonymous speech and access, courts' trend favoring platforms over child-protection efforts. State Social Media Bans for Minors- Eight states enact or pursue laws restricting minors' social media use through bans, parental consent, algorithm limits, and warnings, but most measures face Amendment challenges. Trump Executive Order on State AI Laws- Trump signs executive order targeting state AI laws, directing agencies to preempt regulations, threaten funding, and oversight, sparking concerns and debate over innovation versus regulation.
Brutaliteam explores the rest of the Sora's Stump mines and stumbles onto a nefarious plot of peril. Support us directly on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/stinkydragon - get access to ad-free episodes, bonus content like Stinky Dragon Adventures & Second Wind, our patreon-exclusive discord, and more!Check out the Deck of Dungeon's Here!Check out our new merch at store.stinkydragonpod.com ! Follow us on our socials at https://linktr.ee/TalesFromTheStinkyDragonCast: Gus Sorola, Blaine Gibson, Barbara Dunkelman, Jon Risinger, Chris DemaraisWriter/Editor/Composer: Micah RisingerProducer: Benjamin Ernst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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A little over a week ago, Disney became the first major media company to strike a content licensing deal with Sora, OpenAI's short-form video platform. This means that people on Sora can start making videos with Disney characters. Today, we'll chat about what it means for consumers, the companies, and artists in the entertainment industry. But first: GDP growth jumped in the third quarter, and it was not just consumers buying stuff.
A little over a week ago, Disney became the first major media company to strike a content licensing deal with Sora, OpenAI's short-form video platform. This means that people on Sora can start making videos with Disney characters. Today, we'll chat about what it means for consumers, the companies, and artists in the entertainment industry. But first: GDP growth jumped in the third quarter, and it was not just consumers buying stuff.
“You should share some of that hatred with Sora. He's far too nice for his own good.” Who says thay a boy, a duck, and a […] The post Kingdom Hearts II – Cane and Rinse No.695 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.
(00:00:00) INTRO (00:07:00) Los juguetes esta navidad ya vienen con consejos sobre política y fetiches para niños (00:27:18) Juguetes sexuales con IA (00:35:48) Iban a salir unas entrevistas en el CECOT y 60 minutes antes lo sacaron de 60 minutes (00:43:08) Cositas varias del petróleo (00:47:20) EL MENÚ (00:50:22) ANUNCIOS (00:51:44) PATREON (00:55:58) Home school (01:01:17) No son los juegos del hambre gente, dejen el show (01:07:53) Te estás quedando sin memoria, el mundo también, las RAM no aguantan la demanda (01:11:52) La FIFA y el famoso ticket (01:14:52) Nos deshicimos de los manicomios para esto (01:21:32) La casa blanca denuncia que la fotografiaron por su lado malo (01:27:39) Alemania le crea un cochinito de ahorro a los niños y les pasa 10 euros mensuales (01:30:08) La nueva víctima del dinamic pricing: Las Escuelas (01:38:32) Es el desempleo gente (01:41:00) Ucrania recibe oxígeno de la Unión Europea pero no se lo quita a Rusia (01:42:58) Trump, el Cannabis y una decisión que aún no aclara nada (01:48:16) Las preguntas que el parlamento Español pide que Sánchez responda (01:51:31) Mientras tanto vox lidia con su propia Revuelta (01:57:02) Hasta a Victor Orban lo están protestando (01:59:30) Tractores Belgas, Mercosur y 25 años para firmar un acuerdo (02:01:52) Antes que le sigan robando contenido Disney firma acuerdo con Sora para que hagas tus videos cortos con Mickey sin que se arme un rollo (02:06:32) EXTRA ACUERDATE QUE VIENE NAVIDAD COMO DIJIMOS EN EL EPISODIO LA MERCH ESTÁ AQUÍ 🤾👉👉👉https://quesevayantodos-shop.fourthwall.com/collections/all LE PUEDES COMPRAR A UN PANA LA SUSCRIPCIÓN CON TARJETA DE REGALO 🤾👉👉👉 https://www.patreon.com/profesorbriceno/gift O COMPRAR UNA GIFT CARD DE PATREON EN 🤾👉👉👉 https://rewarble.com/brands/patreon 🔹 EPISODIO COMPLETO Y PARTICIPACION EN VIVO EN 💻https://www.patreon.com/profesorbriceno 🔸 Las Grabaciones pueden verse en vivo en TWITCH 🖥️https://www.twitch.tv/profesorbriceno SUSCRÍBETE AL PODCAST POR AUDIO EN CUALQUIER PLATAFORMA ⬇️ AQUÍ LAS ENCUENTRAS TODAS: ➡️➡️➡️ https://pod.link/676871115 los más populares 🎧 SPOTIFY ⬇️ https://open.spotify.com/show/3rFE3ZP8OXMLUEN448Ne5i?si=1cec891caf6c4e03 🎧 APPLE PODCASTS ⬇️ https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/que-se-vayan-todos/id676871115 🎧 GOOGLE PODCASTS ⬇️ https://www.ivoox.com/en/podcast-que-se-vayan-todos_sq_f11549_1.html 🎧 FEED PARA CUALQUIER APP DE PODCASTS ⬇️ https://www.ivoox.com/en/podcast-que-se-vayan-todos_sq_f11549_1.html Si te gustó, activa la campanita 🔔 🎭 FECHAS DE PRESENTACIONES ⬇ ️ http://www.profesorbriceno.com/tour Redes sociales: ✏️Web https://www.profesorbriceno.com ✏️Instagram https://www.instagram.com/profesorbriceno/ ✏️X https://x.com/profesorbriceno ✏️Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profesorbricenoOficial/
In this special episode from The Grill Room archive, Julia and Dylan dive into the launch of OpenAI's new video-generation app, Sora 2, and Mark Zuckerberg's A.I. social media platform, Vibes. They explain why these releases have sent Hollywood into a state of not-so-mild panic, and how these A.I. platforms might reshape the media industry writ large. Then, they turn to the YouTube TV–NBCU carriage dispute, and what it portends for similar industry battles going forward. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A inteligência artificial generativa já faz parte da rotina de empresas e profissionais, mas junto com a eficiência vêm riscos que nem sempre são óbvios. Um deles são as chamadas “alucinações de IA”, quando sistemas geram respostas falsas, inventam fatos, criam referências inexistentes ou erram informações com extrema convicção. Neste episódio do Podcast Canaltech, Fernanda Santos conversa com Guilherme Silveira, CIO do Grupo Alun, para explicar o que são as alucinações na prática, por que elas acontecem, quais impactos reais já causaram em empresas e decisões judiciais, e o que pode ser feito para reduzir esses erros no uso corporativo da tecnologia. A conversa também aborda responsabilidade legal, confiança excessiva nas respostas da IA e como desenvolver um olhar mais crítico para usar essas ferramentas de forma segura, consciente e responsável. Você também vai conferir: Sora avança na América Latina, mas Brasil fica de fora da lista, carro elétrico pode virar powerbank em apagões e especialistas recomendam desligar o Wi-Fi do celular fora de casa. Este podcast foi roteirizado e apresentado por Fernada Santos e contou com reportagens de Viviane França, Danielle Cassita e Lilian Sibila, sob coordenação de Anaísa Catucci. A trilha sonora é de Guilherme Zomer, a edição de Yuri Souza e a arte da capa é de Erick Teixeira.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
¿Quién es el verdadero dueño de tu atención? Netflix quiere comprar Warner, Disney entrega sus personajes a OpenAI y los Oscars huyen de la televisión tradicional para refugiarse en YouTube. La industria del entretenimiento está colapsando y renaciendo ante nuestros ojos. En este episodio analizamos las compras hostiles, la intervención de Trump en Hollywood y cómo el algoritmo está reemplazando a la creatividad humana. ¿Estamos listos para ver películas creadas 100% por robots? Dale play antes de que decidan por ti.☕️ Acompaña este episodio con Café Granell: https://cafesgranell.es¡Ya disponible los sabores de navidad!Pruébalos con un 10% de descuento usando el código SINFILTRO10 al hacer tu pedido.⏰ Minutos (00:00) Intro(02:22) Empresas que gobiernan nuestra atención(02:40) Historia de la TV y la psicología del mando(03:25) Noticia: Instagram para TV(03:50) La guerra del formato vertical(04:30) Ver Shorts en TV(04:50) Futuro: ¿Televisores verticales o Gafas AR?(05:20) El algoritmo de Reels expuesto(05:54) Los Oscars se transmitirán en YouTube(06:20) Los eventos en vivo mueren en TV(07:35) Netflix compra Warner Bros(07:50) Por qué Netflix rechaza comprar CNN(08:05) El impacto de monopolizar licencias(08:35) Debate: Guiones basados en estadísticas vs. Inspiración(09:08) La contraoferta hostil de Paramount(09:40) ¿Trump apoya a Paramount?(10:00) Conexiones: Jared Kushner y la familia Ellison(11:15) Alianza entre Disney y OpenAI(11:50) El problema de Sora y la calidad del contenido(12:35) Estrategia de Disney para proteger su IP(13:10) ¿Se puede vender arte de Disney hecho con IA?(13:58) Adaptar los negocios al consumo actual(14:15) Mejor hecho que perfecto
This week on The Nerdpocalypse Podcast (last episode of 2025), the guys return to discuss the new Running Man adaptation, F1, Wake Up Dead Man (Knives Out 3), James Cameron discusses his Terminator series reboot, A Different World sequel series coming to Netflix, Youtube will host the Academy Awards starting in 2029 and ending in 2033, Disney inks deal with OpenAI to use its characters in Sora, WB reject the Paramount deal, Rob Reiner's death sparks something politically usual in this era, trailers for Greenland 2, The Pitt season 2, and Guy Ritchie's Young Sherlock series, and much more.CHECKED OUTThe Running ManF1Wake Up Dead ManTOPICS - Section 1James Cameron is working on Terminator Reboot after AvatarOriginal actors to show up in ‘A Different World' Sequel SeriesYoutube will host the Academy Awards from 2029-2033TOPICS - Section 2Disney Inks Blockbuster $1B Deal With OpenAI, Handing Characters Over To SoraWB rejects Paramount's corporate takeover “offer”Jared Kushner and his team pull money from Paramount backingRob Reiner's death reminds us the once dominant “mono-culture” in moviesWTF? by JayTeeDee from the “Edit That Out” PodcastMicah: https://tinyurl.com/isitthebraidsJay: https://tinyurl.com/UnszndTRAILERSGreenland 2: MigrationThe Pitt (season 2)Young SherlockTNP STUDIOS PREMIUM (www.TheNerdpocalypse.com/premium) $5 a month Access to premium slate of podcasts incl. The Airing of Grievances, No Time to Bleed, The Men with the Golden Tongues, Upstage Conversation, and full episodes of the Look Forward political podcast
Andrew and Ben begin with reactions to ChatGPT's new image capabilities, a reminder of OpenAI's strategic advantages vs. Google, Disney's deal with Sora, and Gemini 3 Flash. From there: Netflix and its competition for attention, Netflix continues its foray into podcasting, and a question about movie theaters highlights costs that Netflix will have to internalize going forward. Then: Extended thoughts on SpaceX and the possibility of data centers in space, while a listener does some field reporting on AWS usage. At the end: Strategies for a successful remote work life, Tesla and Rivian's aversion to CarPlay, the new United app and developer trade-offs, oenophile preferences, Taco Bell, Christmas traditions, and an attack on Andrew for hypocrisy.
Hollywood is at a breaking point—and audiences can feel it.On In the Tank Podcast #522, Linnea Lueken, Jim Lakely, Chris Talgo, S.T. Karnick, and Donald Kendal dig into what's reshaping movies and TV right now: DEI-era gatekeeping, studios quietly changing course, shrinking opportunities for creators, and the growing role of AI in entertainment.They're joined by Christian Toto, returning for his fifth annual appearance, to break down how Hollywood's incentives filtered out creative voices—and why so many films now feel safe, preachy, and lifeless.The panel also tackles Disney's new AI deal involving OpenAI's Sora platform and what it means for writers, actors, and storytelling itself. Plus: the crew runs through their “Unhinged” list of the worst movies and TV of 2025—and what might actually be worth watching next.If Hollywood has lost its edge, this episode explores why—and what comes next.Join us LIVE at 1 p.m. ET every Friday on YouTube, Rumble, X, and Facebook.Visit our sponsor, Advisor Metals: https://climaterealismshow.com/metalsChapters: 00:33 Intro01:57 Special Guest Introduction03:55 Support Our Sponsor! 05:50 Unhinged: Worst Movies of 2025 22:08 Film Affected By DEI49:15 AI in Movies? Good or Bad?1:19:25 The Future of Movies: Embracing The ExperienceSTORIES COVERED ON THE SHOW:DEI To Blame? - Writers and other roles in movie companies are being filtered by DEI politics in Hollywood. Does this have an effect on the quality of films?https://www.compactmag.com/article/the-lost-generation/https://variety.com/2025/film/news/hollywood-drops-dei-programs-donald-trump-disney-paramount-amazon-1236327202/AI in Movies - Where is it good, and Where does it suck?https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-openai-sora-agreement/https://archive.ph/2xtns Optimism for the Future: the best films of 2025, what to look forward to in 2026 and beyond.https://x.com/vegasstarfish/status/1961588349799731453https://www.imdb.com/calendar/ In The Tank broadcasts LIVE every Thursday at 12pm CT on on The Heartland Institute YouTube channel. Tune in to have your comments addressed live by the In The Tank Crew. Be sure to subscribe and never miss an episode. See you there!Climate Change Roundtable is LIVE every Friday at 12pm CT on The Heartland Institute YouTube channel. Have a topic you want addressed? Join the live show and leave a comment for our panelists and we'll cover it during the live show!
El programa 2799 de Radiogeek, les habló de varios temas importantes. ChatGPT lanza su tienda de aplicaciones para desarrolladores, Sora disponible en Argentina, Apple abre el sistema de aplicaciones en Japón, Samsung confirma que no va cerrar la producción de discos SSD Sata, TikTok en Estados Unidos esta garantizado. Toda esta información la pueden encontrar desde nuestra web www.infosertec.com.ar o bien desde el canal de Telegram/Whastapp, o Instagram. Esperamos sus comentarios.
Did AI end up being a political force this year?
Some guys can't take a hint. After half a dozen proposals and a hostile bid, Paramount Skydance got a definitive “no means no” from Warner Bros. Discovery's board this week. Elaine Low and Sean McNulty break down how the tables turned on suitor PSKY, what this means for the timeline of a Netflix-Warner Bros. merger and the wild payouts David Zaslav and the WBD C-suite are getting regardless of what happens. (Contraction, schmontraction.) Then, Erik Barmack unpacks Disney's $1B investment in OpenAI, Bob Iger's claim that the deal poses “no threat to creatives,” and what it really means when 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars characters can now be remixed into user-generated Sora videos. Plus: Richard Rushfield on the tragic murders of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner. Want to be featured in a future mailbag episode? Send your questions to podcasts@theankler.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Check out our reviews of ‘Wake Up Dead Man,' ‘Zootopia 2,' and ‘Five Nights at Freddy's 2.' We'll also review the sixth and seventh episodes of Vince Gilligan's ‘Pluribus' on Apple TV. Beforehand, we'll discuss the week's top entertainment news, including trailers for ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow,' ‘The Boys' Season 5, and ‘The Drama;' Rob Reiner's tragic death; Netflix and Paramount wage war over Warner Bros; Disney funds Sora; the world is basically falling apart; and more! Enjoy!TIMECODES… Intro (0:00)The Toms: Entertainment News (1:52)*SPOILERS* ‘Pluribus' Episodes 6-7 (43:13)*SPOILERS* ‘Zootopia 2' (58:15) *SPOILERS* ‘Five Nights at Freddy's 2' (1:09:09) ‘Wake Up Dead Man' Review (1:32:07)*SPOILERS* for ‘Wake Up Dead Man' (1:43:13)What Are Ya Doin'? (2:06:37)SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS...Email: tomppodcast@gmail.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU2jjOm3gwTu2TVDzH_CJlwFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/That-One-Movie-Podcast-535231563653560/Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOMPPodcastPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/tomppodcastINTRO MUSIC... "Constellation" by Brian Hanegan
Our 228th episode with a summary and discussion of last week's big AI news!Recorded on 12/12/2025Hosted by Andrey Kurenkov and Jeremie HarrisFeel free to email us your questions and feedback at contact@lastweekinai.com and/or hello@gladstone.aiRead out our text newsletter and comment on the podcast at https://lastweekin.ai/In this episode:OpenAI's latest model GPT-5.2 demonstrates improved performance and enhanced multi-modal capabilities but comes with increased costs and a different knowledge cutoff date.Disney invests $1 billion in OpenAI to generate Disney character content, creating unique licensing agreements across characters from Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars franchises.The U.S. government imposes new AI chip export rules involving security reviews, while simultaneously moving to prevent states from independently regulating AI.DeepMind releases a paper outlining the challenges and findings in scaling multi-agent systems, highlighting the complexities of tool coordination and task performance.Timestamps:(00:00:00) Intro / Banter(00:01:19) News PreviewTools & Apps(00:01:58) GPT-5.2 is OpenAI's latest move in the agentic AI battle | The Verge(00:08:48) Runway releases its first world model, adds native audio to latest video model | TechCrunch(00:11:51) Google says it will link to more sources in AI Mode | The Verge(00:12:24) ChatGPT can now use Adobe apps to edit your photos and PDFs for free | The Verge(00:13:05) Tencent releases Hunyuan 2.0 with 406B parametersApplications & Business(00:16:15) China set to limit access to Nvidia's H200 chips despite Trump export approval(00:21:02) Disney investing $1 billion in OpenAI, will allow characters on Sora(00:24:48) Unconventional AI confirms its massive $475M seed round(00:29:06) Slack CEO Denise Dresser to join OpenAI as chief revenue officer | TechCrunch(00:31:18) The state of enterprise AIProjects & Open Source(00:33:49) [2512.10791] The FACTS Leaderboard: A Comprehensive Benchmark for Large Language Model Factuality(00:36:27) Claude 4.5 Opus' Soul DocumentResearch & Advancements(00:43:49) [2512.08296] Towards a Science of Scaling Agent Systems(00:48:43) Evaluating Gemini Robotics Policies in a Veo World Simulator(00:52:10) Guided Self-Evolving LLMs with Minimal Human Supervision(00:56:08) Martingale Score: An Unsupervised Metric for Bayesian Rationality in LLM Reasoning(01:00:39) [2512.07783] On the Interplay of Pre-Training, Mid-Training, and RL on Reasoning Language Models(01:04:42) Stabilizing Reinforcement Learning with LLMs: Formulation and Practices(01:09:42) Google's AI unit DeepMind announces UK 'automated research lab'Policy & Safety(01:10:28) Trump Moves to Stop States From Regulating AI With a New Executive Order - The New York Times(01:13:54) [2512.09742] Weird Generalization and Inductive Backdoors: New Ways to Corrupt LLMs(01:17:57) Forecasting AI Time Horizon Under Compute Slowdowns(01:20:46) AI Security Institute focuses on AI measurements and evaluations(01:21:16) Nvidia AI Chips to Undergo Unusual U.S. Security Review Before Export to China(01:22:01) U.S. Authorities Shut Down Major China-Linked AI Tech Smuggling NetworkSynthetic Media & Art(01:24:01) RSL 1.0 has arrived, allowing publishers to ask AI companies pay to scrape content | The VergeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
One of the biggest misconceptions in real estate right now is the belief that AI should take agents completely out of the process. We constantly hear agents asking, "How do I automate this so I never have to touch it again?" But that's the wrong mentality, and it's actually where you start losing money instead of making more of it. Because AI isn't at a point where it can replace us, and more importantly, we don't want it to get there. The real power of AI isn't replacement; it's acceleration. It collapses the time it takes to write, plan, organize, produce content, recap meetings, or think through strategy, so you can redirect your energy into the parts of the business only a human can do: judgment, connection, negotiation, and leadership. That's why the smartest approach, especially in real estate, is this workflow: human → AI → human. You give the context, vision, and direction, AI does the heavy lifting, and then you refine the output so it aligns with your voice, your ethics, and your standards. How do we use AI to buy back our time, not remove ourselves from our businesses? Should going viral be our goal with AI video content? In this episode, I'm joined by real estate leader and founder of the Real Estate AI Network, Blair Knowles. We talk about why partnering with AI creates more income than trying to outsource your entire business to it. We dive into why agents who stop chasing full automation and start embracing collaboration are the ones who gain the biggest advantage in the market. Things You'll Learn In This Episode What AI can't do (and why it's a good thing) AI can save agents two hours a day, but you still need to review the output for accuracy, ethics, and compliance. Are we missing out by looking for full automation instead of using AI to amplify what we do? Voice-to-text is a secret weapon Tools like Whisper Flow let you "talk your business into existence," eliminating typing and turning car rides and chores into productive work sessions. How much content could you produce if writing became as easy as talking? Long-tail blogging is beating Zillow and paid SEO AI makes it possible to publish hyper-specific content daily, exactly the type Google and GPT overviews prioritize. How does this let smaller agents outrank the giants in less than 24 hours? About the Guest Blair Knowles is the Founder and CEO of RAIN—the Real Estate AI Network—a modern coaching and training community for agents who want tactical, not theoretical, AI—built for traction over hype. RAIN offers field-tested strategies and tools that show agents exactly how to implement AI in their businesses today. It's designed for busy agents who want to get started with AI but don't have time to sift through endless tools, trends, and misinformation. Blair built RAIN to be a shortcut—delivering only what works, with short, actionable trainings that save agents time and drive results. Blair began her real estate career in 2013, built a top-performing team, and launched her independent brokerage, Ridgeline Real Estate, in 2020. Today, Ridgeline includes more than 25 agents and staff. Under her leadership, the firm will surpass $100M in annual sales and cross half a billion in total volume in 2025. She cont hiinues to lead with a focus on clarity, implementation, and forward momentum—both inside RAIN and in the real estate industry at large. Join RAIN: Real Estate's AI Network on Facebook. Sign up for training: Revamp Your Sitting Listing with AI - November 6 Webinar Harness the Marketing Power of Sora for Real Estate - November 13 Webinar AEO/GEO - How to Show Up on ChatGPT | Free Guide- https://therainagent.myflodesk.com/aeogeo About Your Host Marki Lemons Ryhal is a Licensed Managing Broker, REALTOR®, and avid volunteer. She is a dynamic keynote speaker and workshop facilitator, both on-site and virtual; she's the go-to expert for artificial Intelligence, entrepreneurship, and social media in real estate. Marki Lemons Ryhal is dedicated to all things real estate, and with 25+ years of marketing experience, Marki has taught over 250,000 REALTORS® how to earn up to a 2682% return on their marketing dollars. Marki's expertise has been featured in Forbes, the Washington Post, Homes.com, and REALTOR® Magazine. Subscribe, Rate & Review Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm, so our show reaches more people. Thank you!
In this episode of Get Scene Unscripted, Jesse Malinowski breaks down the big industry news everyone is talking about: Disney's partnership with OpenAI and the release of Sora — and what it actually means for actors.Instead of feeding fear, Jesse offers a grounded, long-term perspective rooted in history, creativity, and mindset.In this conversation, Jesse covers:What Disney's partnership with OpenAI really involvesWhy AI-generated characters are not the same thing as replacing actorsHow fear and anger shut down creativity — and opportunityWhy actors are not at the “top of the food chain,” and why that mattersThe parallels between AI and past industry shifts like television and CGIA powerful story about someone using AI to finally become an artistWhy curiosity is the only mindset that creates momentumHow assumptions — not facts — derail acting careersWhy most actors don't fail because of technology, but because they stop enjoying the journeyJesse challenges actors to stop clenching their fists and start asking better questions:What's possible now? How can I adapt? How can this serve my creativity instead of killing it?This episode is about choice — fear or curiosity — and why one leads to stagnation while the other leads to opportunity.
Get our AI Video Guide with 5+ prompts and real results: https://clickhubspot.com/rhk Episode 89: How big of a leap is the latest generation of AI video models—and do they really live up to the hype? Matt Wolfe (https://x.com/mreflow) and Maria Gharib (https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maria-gharib-091779b9), an AI writer and newsletter creator, dive into hands-on testing and candid discussion about the brand-new Runway 4.5, Kling AI, and more. In this episode, Matt and Maria put early-access Runway 4.5 through its paces, experiment with quirky video prompts, and compare outputs from the top AI video tools including Kling's latest models. Is Runway 4.5 a massive leap forward, or just playing catchup with VEo and Sora? What kinds of content can creative teams actually produce with these new generative video AIs? Plus, Matt and Maria get real about the mixed reactions to AI-driven brand ads—like the recent McDonald's spot—and discuss where this fast-evolving field is headed. Check out The Next Wave YouTube Channel if you want to see Matt and Nathan on screen: https://lnk.to/thenextwavepd — Show Notes: (00:00) AI Video Innovations Podcast (03:53) Monkey on Roller Skates (07:22) AI Prompt Success Evolution (12:00) Nano Banana: Still Superior (13:56) Incremental Update, Limited Impact (17:32) AI Video & Image Editing (20:27) Lip Sync Test Analysis (25:50) Domino Effect Gone Awry (27:29) Kling's Dragon Feels Cinematic (31:21) Image-Based Video Generation Preference (34:02) Drone Flight Through Watch (37:38) Why Can't Video Models Work? (39:20) Rubber Hose Tap Dance Fail (44:30 AI as Assistive, Not Primary (46:03) Podcast Feedback Wanted — Mentions: Nano Banana Pro: https://gemini.google/overview/image-generation/ Sora: https://openai.com/sora/ Runway 4.5: https://runwayml.com/research/introducing-runway-gen-4.5 Kling: https://klingai.com/global/ Midjourney: https://www.midjourney.com/home Veo: https://gemini.google/overview/video-generation/ ModelScope: https://www.modelscope.ai/ Get the guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/tnw — Check Out Matt's Stuff: • Future Tools - https://futuretools.beehiiv.com/ • Blog - https://www.mattwolfe.com/ • YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/@mreflow — Check Out Nathan's Stuff: Newsletter: https://news.lore.com/ Blog - https://lore.com/ The Next Wave is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Production by Darren Clarke // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano
In this special live episode recorded at SynthBee headquarters in South Florida, hosts Charlie Fink, Ted Schilowitz, and Rony Abovitz bring listeners inside a special gathering of neuroscientists, philosophers, and technologists debating the future of AI. Moving beyond hype, the conversation focuses on "Collaborative Intelligence" vs. Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), exploring whether we are building tools that amplify humanity or autonomous systems that will eventually replace it.Instead of traditional interviews, the hosts invite workshop speakers to the hot seat for rapid-fire insights on the deepest questions in tech: Can we measure an AI's true intentions? Is consciousness a physics problem? And how do we ensure these systems remain compatible with human flourishing?News HighlightsDisney invests $1B in OpenAI & licenses IP: The hosts debate whether this is a masterstroke to engage fans with user-generated Sora content or a "Yahoo powered by Google" mistake that hands the keys to the kingdom to a rival.Valve launches new PCVR hardware: A quick look at the attempt to revive the high-end PC VR market.Meta adds real-time vision to Ray-Bans: The next step in multimodal AI wearables.Guest HighlightsDr. Uri Maoz (Neuroscientist, Chapman/Caltech): Discusses the "black box" problem of neural networks, comparing the opacity of AI to the human brain, and how neuroscience tools might help us detect deception in AI systems.Dr. Walter Sinnott-Armstrong (Ethics Professor, Duke): Argues that ethical AI regulation shouldn't be a monolith; different cultures need "sovereignty of ethics" to allow diverse moral frameworks to coexist rather than one centralized Silicon Valley standard.Dr. Julio Frenk (Chancellor, UCLA): Frames the AI race as a battle between "Computational Democracy" (distributed, transparent power) and "Computational Autocracy" (centralized control), warning that universities must preserve critical thinking or risk losing the ability to govern AI at all.Reed Maxwell & Laura Condon (Hydrologists, Princeton/Arizona): Reveal how AI is modeling the planet's water crisis, predicting "black swan" climate events, and why funding for this critical earth-science work is mysteriously disappearing.Danny M (12-Year-Old Prodigy): Steals the show with a stunningly articulate take on AI consciousness, "trapped man" experiments, and how fractal geometry might map neural weights—proving the next generation is more ready for this future than we are.Dr. Aaron Schurger (Psychology, Chapman): Explores the neuroscience of spontaneous action and free will, debating whether "telepathic" connections and quantum effects in the brain could be the missing link for true human-AI compatibility.Jared Ficklin (Chief Product Officer, SynthBee): The former Frog Design fellow argues we must shift the conversation from AI "capability" to "compatibility," using the intuitive connection humans have with dogs or horses as the benchmark for successful AI interfaces.Thanks to our sponsor Zappar!Subscribe for weekly insider perspectives from veterans who aren't afraid to challenge Big Tech. New episodes every Tuesday. Watch full episodes on YouTube. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss Disney entering a licensing agreement with Sora and investing $1 billion in OpenAI. The deal allows OpenAI to use characters from Disney's deep pocket of popular IP in its Sora AI video generator. They break down the details of the deal, why Disney did it, how CEO Bob Iger handled the announcement, whether other companies will follow suit, and what this means for the long-term tension between Hollywood and AI (03:12). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Timothée Chalamet's press tour and Oscar chances (26:25). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Disney has reached a $1B deal with OpenAI for ChatGPT support and Sora video generation. It really sucks for their creators and for consumers. Let's talk about it.Kingdom Compass points you to towards the goods and bads of all things Disney. Check out our content!Music Credits:Kingdom Compass Intro Music: Chillpeach - Wonder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F44Va0ErrFQ
Welcome To The Real Oshow,0:00 Intro1:15 Who Created The Heisman Trophy?2:10 2026 Movie Releases4:04 Disney's $1 Billion Deal With Sora17:35 Why the Ellisons Now Control Entertainment18:40 Closing Thoughts In this episode, we break down one of the most important media deals in years — Disney's $1 billion partnership with OpenAI's Sora, and why it signals a complete reset of how Hollywood will create, protect, and control stories in the AI era.Disney didn't just sign this deal to experiment with new technology. This is about cutting production costs, protecting its most valuable IP, and staying ahead of a future where fans can generate studio-quality content on their own. From Pixar and Marvel to Star Wars and ESPN, we dive into how Sora could fundamentally reshape Disney's creative pipeline — and why Disney wants a seat at the table before AI-generated Mickey Mouse content floods the internet.But the Disney story is only part of a much bigger shift happening in entertainment.By the end of the episode, we zoom out and explain how David Ellison and Larry Ellison have quietly become two of the most powerful figures in Hollywood. Between AI infrastructure, cloud dominance, studio ownership, and media consolidation, the Ellison family now sits at the intersection of technology, content, and distribution — a position that traditionally belonged to legacy studios alone. Hollywood power is no longer just about directors and actors — it's about who controls the tech behind the stories.Earlier in the podcast, we also hit two important side stories shaping the moment: • A quick but fascinating breakdown of John Heisman, the man whose impact on football was so massive they named the sport's most iconic trophy after him. • A look ahead at 2026's upcoming movie slate, and why it represents a true post-pandemic reset for the film industry — with studios finally ready to take big swings again after years of cautious releases.Enjoy The Show, Check out our YouTube page - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoqz3s_B_VYHuQtuVIDxpiQTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@therealoshow?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pcTweet @zacharyowings2 with your thoughts about the podcast or suggestions for future shows.Music by Leno Tk - Greatness (Streaming on all platforms)
OpenAI's Sora 2 app lets anyone with a smartphone create AI-generated deepfake videos, from phony footage of a corgi rock climbing to fake videos of kids carrying guns in school. Is it time to stop believing our eyes?
Construction at Animal Kingdom's upcoming Encanto attraction is finally starting to pop above the fence line, and Jim and Len do what they do best - stare at aerial photos until they start seeing ride-height changes and possible “big thing” anchors. Then the show veers into a surprisingly tight math problem: is it actually cheaper for an American couple to fly to Japan and do Tokyo Disney than it is to do a weekend at Walt Disney World? (Spoiler: the internet is almost right, which is somehow worse.) NEWS• Aerial photos suggest the Encanto ride site at Animal Kingdom may include a ride-height change (and at least one very suspicious hole in the ground).• Orange County tourist tax collections hit a new record for October, up 15 percent year over year - yes, people are still going to Orlando.• Disney Cruise Line Port Canaveral numbers show strong October sailings - Disney Magic at 81 percent occupancy, Treasure and Wish at 89 percent.• Hallmark and Disney team up for the first in-park holiday movie, “Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True,” arriving in 2026.• Disney's surprise AI headline: a reported $1 billion OpenAI investment tied to Disney characters appearing in Sora, and what Disney might really be building toward. FEATURE• Why Remy's Ratatouille Adventure (and its Paris counterpart) reportedly switched from 3D to 2D - guest comfort, visibility, and the ongoing cost of 3D glasses.• The long history of Disney's ever-changing 3D eyewear “story names,” from MuppetVision safety goggles to opera glasses and beyond.• The wild near-miss: Avatar: Flight of Passage allegedly came close to becoming 2D, and how producer Jon Landau pushed back. For this episode's full show notes, click here. HOSTS• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com• Len Testa - IG: @len.testa | Website: TouringPlans.com FOLLOW• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews• Instagram: JimHillMedia• TikTok: JimHillMedia PRODUCTION CREDITSEdited by Dave GreyProduced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency SPONSORThis episode's Disney-ish News is sponsored by UnlockedMagic.com - from our friends at DVCRentalStore.com. If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Construction at Animal Kingdom's upcoming Encanto attraction is finally starting to pop above the fence line, and Jim and Len do what they do best - stare at aerial photos until they start seeing ride-height changes and possible “big thing” anchors. Then the show veers into a surprisingly tight math problem: is it actually cheaper for an American couple to fly to Japan and do Tokyo Disney than it is to do a weekend at Walt Disney World? (Spoiler: the internet is almost right, which is somehow worse.) NEWS• Aerial photos suggest the Encanto ride site at Animal Kingdom may include a ride-height change (and at least one very suspicious hole in the ground).• Orange County tourist tax collections hit a new record for October, up 15 percent year over year - yes, people are still going to Orlando.• Disney Cruise Line Port Canaveral numbers show strong October sailings - Disney Magic at 81 percent occupancy, Treasure and Wish at 89 percent.• Hallmark and Disney team up for the first in-park holiday movie, “Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True,” arriving in 2026.• Disney's surprise AI headline: a reported $1 billion OpenAI investment tied to Disney characters appearing in Sora, and what Disney might really be building toward. FEATURE• Why Remy's Ratatouille Adventure (and its Paris counterpart) reportedly switched from 3D to 2D - guest comfort, visibility, and the ongoing cost of 3D glasses.• The long history of Disney's ever-changing 3D eyewear “story names,” from MuppetVision safety goggles to opera glasses and beyond.• The wild near-miss: Avatar: Flight of Passage allegedly came close to becoming 2D, and how producer Jon Landau pushed back. For this episode's full show notes, click here. HOSTS• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com• Len Testa - IG: @len.testa | Website: TouringPlans.com FOLLOW• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews• Instagram: JimHillMedia• TikTok: JimHillMedia PRODUCTION CREDITSEdited by Dave GreyProduced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency SPONSORThis episode's Disney-ish News is sponsored by UnlockedMagic.com - from our friends at DVCRentalStore.com. If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Weird week in AI.
How can you be more relaxed about your writing process? What are some specific ways to take the pressure off your art and help you enjoy the creative journey? With Joanna Penn and Mark Leslie Lefebvre. In the intro, Spotify 2025 audiobook trends; Audible + BookTok; NonFiction Authors Guide to SubStack; OpenAI and Disney agreement on Sora; India AI licensing; Business for Authors January webinars; Mark and Jo over the years Mark Leslie LeFebvre is the author of horror and paranormal fiction, as well as nonfiction books for authors. He's also an editor, professional speaker, and the Director of Business Development at Draft2Digital. Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, and memoir as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. Mark and Jo co-wrote The Relaxed Author in 2021. You can listen to us talk about the process here. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights, and the full transcript is below. Show Notes Why the ‘relaxed' author Write what you love Write at your own pace Write in a series (if you want to) Schedule time to fill the creative well and for rest and relaxation Improve your writing process — but only if it fits with your lifestyle You can find The Relaxed Author: Take the Pressure Off Your Art and Enjoy the Creative Journey on CreativePennBooks.com as well as on your favorite online store or audiobook platform, or order in your library or bookstore. You can find Mark Leslie Lefebvre and his books and podcast at Stark Reflections.ca Why the ‘relaxed' author? Joanna: The definition of relaxed is “free from tension and anxiety,” from the Latin laxus, meaning loose, and to be honest, I am not a relaxed or laid-back person in the broader sense. Back in my teens, my nickname at school was Highly Stressed. I'm a Type A personality, driven by deadlines and achieving goals. I love to work and I burned out multiple times in my previous career as an IT consultant. If we go away on a trip, I pack the schedule with back-to-back cultural things like museums and art galleries to help my book research. Or we go on adventure holidays with a clear goal, like cycling down the South-West coast of India. I can't even go for a long walk without training for another ultra-marathon! So I am not a relaxed person — but I am a relaxed author. If I wanted to spend most of my time doing something that made me miserable, I would go back to my old day job in consulting. I was paid well and worked fewer hours overall. But I measure my life by what I create, and if I am not working on a creative project, I am not able to truly relax in my downtime. There are always more things I want to learn and write about, always more stories to be told and knowledge to share. I don't want to kill my writing life by over-stressing or burning out as an author. I write what I love and follow my Muse into projects that feel right. I know how to publish and market books well enough to reach readers and make some money. I have many different income streams through my books, podcast and website. Of course, I still have my creative and business challenges as well as mindset issues, just like any writer. That never goes away. But after a decade as a full-time author entrepreneur, I have a mature creative business and I've relaxed into the way I do things. I love to write, but I also want a full and happy, healthy life. I'm still learning and improving as the industry shifts — and I change, too. I still have ambitious creative and financial goals, but I am going about them in a more relaxed way and in this book, I'll share some of my experiences and tips in the hope that you can discover your relaxed path, too. Mark: One of the most fundamental things you can do in your writing life is look at how you want to spend your time. I think back to the concept of: ‘You're often a reflection of the people you spend the most time with.' Therefore, typically, your best friend, or perhaps your partner, is often a person you love spending time with. Because there's something inherently special about spending time with this person who resonates in a meaningful way, and you feel more yourself because you're with them. In many ways, writing, or the path that you are on as a writer, is almost like being on a journey with an invisible partner. You are you. But you are also the writer you. And there's the two of you traveling down the road of life together. And so that same question arises. What kind of writer-self do you want to spend all your time with? Do you want to spend all your time with a partner that is constantly stressed out or constantly trying to reach deadlines based on somebody else's prescription of what success is? Or would you rather spend time with a partner who pauses to take a contemplative look at your own life, your own comfort, your own passion and the things that you are willing to commit to? Someone who allows that all to happen in a way that feels natural and comfortable to you. I'm a fan of the latter, of course, because then you can focus on the things you're passionate about and the things you're hopeful about rather than the things you're fearful about and those that bring anxiety and stress into your life. To me, that's part of being a relaxed author. That underlying acceptance before you start to plan things out. If the writing life is a marathon, not a sprint, then pacing, not rushing, may be the key. We have both seen burnout in the author community. People who have pushed themselves too hard and just couldn't keep up with the impossible pace they set for themselves. At times, indie authors would wear that stress, that anxiety, that rush to produce more and more, as a badge of honor. It's fine to be proud of the hard work that you do. It's fine to be proud of pushing yourself to always do better, and be better. But when you push too far — beyond your limits — you can ultimately do yourself more harm than good. Everyone has their own unique pace—something that they are comfortable with—and one key is to experiment until you find that pace, and you can settle in for the long run. There's no looking over your shoulder at the other writers. There's no panicking about the ones outpacing you. You're in this with yourself. And, of course, with those readers who are anticipating those clearly communicated milestones of your releases. I think that what we both want for authors is to see them reaching those milestones at their own paces, in their own comfort, delighting in the fact their readers are there cheering them on. Because we'll be silently cheering them along as well, knowing that they've set a pace, making relaxed author lifestyle choices, that will benefit them in the long run. “I'm glad you're writing this book. I know I'm not the only author who wants peace, moments of joy, and to enjoy the journey. Indie publishing is a luxury that I remember not having, I don't want to lose my sense of gratitude.” —Anonymous author from our survey Write what you love Joanna: The pandemic has taught us that life really is short. Memento mori — remember, you will die. What is the point of spending precious time writing books you don't want to write? If we only have a limited amount of time and only have a limited number of books that we can write in a lifetime, then we need to choose to write the books that we love. If I wanted a job doing something I don't enjoy, then I would have remained in my stressful old career as an IT consultant — when I certainly wasn't relaxed! Taking that further, if you try to write things you don't love, then you're going to have to read what you don't love as well, which will take more time. I love writing thrillers because that's what I love to read. Back when I was miserable in my day job, I would go to the bookstore at lunchtime and buy thrillers. I would read them on the train to and from work and during the lunch break. Anything for a few minutes of escape. That's the same feeling I try to give my readers now. I know the genre inside and out. If I had to write something else, I would have to read and learn that other genre and spend time doing things I don't love. In fact, I don't even know how you can read things you don't enjoy. I only give books a few pages and if they don't resonate, I stop reading. Life really is too short. You also need to run your own race and travel your own journey. If you try to write in a genre you are not immersed in, you will always be looking sideways at what other authors are doing, and that can cause comparisonitis — when you compare yourself to others, most often in an unfavorable way. Definitely not relaxing! Writing something you love has many intrinsic rewards other than sales. Writing is a career for many of us, but it's a passion first, and you don't want to feel like you've wasted your time on words you don't care about. “Write what you know” is terrible advice for a long-term career as at some point, you will run out of what you know. It should be “write what you want to learn about.” When I want to learn about a topic, I write a book on it because that feeds my curiosity and I love book research, it's how I enjoy spending my time, especially when I travel, which is also part of how I relax. If you write what you love and make it part of your lifestyle, you will be a far more relaxed author. Mark: It's common that writers are drawn into storytelling from some combination of passion, curiosity, and unrelenting interest. We probably read or saw something that inspired us, and we wanted to express those ideas or the resulting perspectives that percolated in our hearts and minds. Or we read something and thought, “Wow, I could do this; but I would have come at it differently or I would approach the situation or subject matter with my own flair.” So, we get into writing with passion and desire for storytelling. And then sometimes along the way, we recognize the critical value of having to become an entrepreneur, to understand the business of writing and publishing. And part of understanding that aspect of being an author is writing to market, and understanding shifts and trends in the industry, and adjusting to those ebbs and flows of the tide. But sometimes, we lose sight of the passion that drew us to writing in the first place. And so, writing the things that you love can be a beacon to keep you on course. I love the concept of “Do something that you love, and you'll never work a day in your life.” And that's true in some regard because I've always felt that way for almost my entire adult life. I've been very lucky. But at the same time, I work extremely hard at what I love. Some days are harder than others, and some things are really difficult, frustrating and challenging; but at the end of the day, I have the feeling of satisfaction that I spent my time doing something I believe in. I've been a bookseller my entire life even though I don't sell books in brick-and-mortar bookstores anymore—that act of physically putting books in people's hands. But to this day, what I do is virtually putting books in people's hands, both as an author and as an industry representative who is passionate about the book business. I was drawn to that world via my passion for writing. And that's what continues to compel me forward. I tried to leave the corporate world to write full time in 2018 but realized there was an intrinsic satisfaction to working in that realm, to embracing and sharing my insights and knowledge from that arena to help other writers. And I couldn't give that up. For me, the whole core, the whole essence of why I get up in the morning has to do with storytelling, creative inspiration, and wanting to inspire and inform other people to be the best that they can be in the business of writing and publishing. And that's what keeps me going when the days are hard. Passion as the inspiration to keep going There are always going to be days that aren't easy. There will be unexpected barriers that hit you as a writer. You'll face that mid-novel slump or realize that you have to scrap an entire scene or even plotline, and feel like going back and re-starting is just too much. You might find the research required to be overwhelming or too difficult. There'll be days when the words don't flow, or the inspiration that initially struck you seems to have abandoned you for greener pastures. Whatever it is, some unexpected frustration can create what can appear to be an insurmountable block. And, when that happens, if it's a project you don't love, you're more likely to let those barriers get in your way and stop you. But if it's a project that you're passionate about, and you're writing what you love, that alone can be what greases the wheels and helps reduce that friction to keep you going. At the end of the day, writing what you love can be a honing, grounding, and centering beacon that allows you to want to wake up in the morning and enjoy the process as much as possible even when the hard work comes along. “For me, relaxation comes from writing what I know and love and trusting the emergent process. As a discovery writer, I experience great joy when the story, characters and dialogue simply emerge in their own time and their own way. It feels wonderful.” — Valerie Andrews “Writing makes me a relaxed author. Just getting lost in a story of my own creation, discovering new places and learning what makes my characters tick is the best way I know of relaxing. Even the tricky parts, when I have no idea where I am going next, have a special kind of charm.” – Imogen Clark Write at your own pace Mark: Writing at your own pace will help you be a more relaxed author because you're not stressing out by trying to keep up with someone else. Of course, we all struggle with comparing ourselves to others. Take a quick look around and you can always find someone who has written more books than you. Nora Roberts, traditionally published author, writes a book a month. Lindsey Buroker, fantasy indie author, writes a book a month of over 100,000 words. If you compare yourself to someone else and you try to write at their pace, that is not going to be your relaxed schedule. On the other hand, if you compare yourself to Donna Tartt, who writes one book every decade, you might feel like some speed-demon crushing that word count and mastering rapid release. Looking at what others are doing could result in you thinking you're really slow or you could think that you're super-fast. What does that kind of comparison actually get you? I remember going to see a talk by Canadian literary author Farley Mowat when I was a young budding writer. I'll never forget one thing he said from that stage: “Any book that takes you less than four years to write is not a real book.” Young teenage Mark was devastated, hurt and disappointed to hear him say that because my favorite author at the time, Piers Anthony, was writing and publishing two to three novels a year. I loved his stuff, and his fantasy and science fiction had been an important inspiration in my writing at that time. (The personal notes I add to the end of my stories and novels came from enjoying his so much). That focus on there being only a single way, a single pace to write, ended up preventing me from enjoying the books I had already been loving because I was doing that comparisonitis Joanna talks about, but as a reader. I took someone else's perspective too much to heart and I let that ruin a good thing that had brought me personal joy and pleasure. It works the same way as a writer. Because we have likely developed a pattern, or a way that works for us that is our own. We all have a pace that we comfortably walk; a way we prefer to drive. A pattern or style of how and when and what we prefer to eat. We all have our own unique comfort food. There are these patterns that we're comfortable with, and potentially because they are natural to us. If you try to force yourself to write at a pace that's not natural to you, things can go south in your writing and your mental health. And I'm not suggesting any particular pace, except for the one that's most natural and comfortable to you. If writing fast is something that you're passionate about, and you're good at it, and it's something you naturally do, why would you stop yourself from doing that? Just like if you're a slow writer and you're trying to write fast: why are you doing that to yourself? There's a common pop song line used by numerous bands over the years that exhorts you to “shake what you got.” I like to think the same thing applies here. And do it with pride and conviction. Because what you got is unique and awesome. Own it, and shake it with pride. You have a way you write and a word count per writing session that works for you. And along with that, you likely know what time you can assign to writing because of other commitments like family time, leisure time, and work (assuming you're not a full-time writer). Simple math can provide you with a way to determine how long it will take to get your first draft written. So, your path and plans are clear. And you simply take the approach that aligns with your writer DNA. Understanding what that pace is for you helps alleviate an incredible amount of stress that you do not need to thrust upon yourself. Because if you're not going to be able to enjoy it while you're doing it, what's the point? Your pace might change project to project While your pace can change over time, your pace can also change project to project. And sometimes the time actually spent writing can be a smaller portion of the larger work involved. I was on a panel at a conference once and someone asked me how long it took to write my non-fiction book of ghost stories, Haunted Hamilton. “About four days,” I responded. And while that's true — I crafted the first draft over four long and exhausting days writing as much as sixteen hours each day — the reality was I had been doing research for months. But the pen didn't actually hit the paper until just a few days before my deadline to turn the book over to my editor. That was for a non-fiction book; but I've found I do similar things with fiction. I noodle over concepts and ideas for months before I actually commit words to the page. The reason this comes to mind is that I think it's important to recognize the way that I write is I first spend a lot of time in my head to understand and chew on things. And then by the time it comes to actually getting the words onto the paper, I've already done much of the pre-writing mentally. It's sometimes not fair when you're comparing yourself to someone else to look at how long they physically spend in front of a keyboard hammering on that word count, because they might have spent a significantly longer amount of a longer time either outlining or conceptualizing the story in their mind or in their heart before they sat down to write. So that's part of the pace, too. Because sometimes, if we only look at the time spent at the ‘writer's desk,' we fool ourselves when we think that we're a slow writer or a fast writer. Joanna: Your pace will change over your career My first novel took 14 months and now I can write a first draft in about six weeks because I have more experience. It's also more relaxing for me to write a book now than it was in the beginning, because I didn't know what I was doing back then. Your pace will change per project I have a non-fiction work in progress, my Shadow Book (working title), which I have started several times. I have about 30,000 words but as I write this, I have backed away from it because I'm (still) not ready. There's a lot more research and thinking I need to do. Similarly, some people take years writing a memoir or a book with such emotional or personal depth that it needs more to bring it to life. Your pace will also shift depending on where you are in the arc of life Perhaps you have young kids right now, or you have a health issue, or you're caring for someone who is ill. Perhaps you have a demanding day job so you have less time to write. Perhaps you really need extended time away from writing, or just a holiday. Or maybe there's a global pandemic and frankly, you're too stressed to write! The key to pacing in a book is variability — and that's true of life, too. Write at the pace that works for you and don't be afraid to change it as you need to over time. “I think the biggest thing for me is reminding myself that I'm in this to write. Sometimes I can get caught up in all the moving pieces of editing and publishing and marketing, but the longer I go without writing, or only writing because I have to get the next thing done instead of for enjoyment, the more stressed and anxious I become. But if I make time to fit in what I truly love, which is the process of writing without putting pressure on myself to meet a deadline, or to be perfect, or to meet somebody else's expectations — that's when I become truly relaxed.” – Ariele Sieling Write in a series (if you want to) Joanna: I have some stand-alone books but most of them are in series, both for non-fiction and for my fiction as J.F. Penn. It's how I like to read and write. As we draft this book, I'm also writing book 12 in my ARKANE series, Tomb of Relics. It's relaxing because I know my characters, I know my world; I know the structure of how an ARKANE story goes. I know what to put in it to please my readers. I have already done the work to set up the series world and the main characters and now all I need is a plot and an antagonist. It's also quicker to write and edit because I've done it before. Of course, you need to put in the work initially so the series comes together, but once you've set that all up, each subsequent book is easier. You can also be more relaxed because you already have an audience who will (hopefully) buy the book because they bought the others. You will know approximately how many sales you'll get on launch and there will be people ready to review. Writing in a non-fiction series is also a really good idea because you know your audience and you can offer them more books, products and services that will help them within a niche. While they might not be sequential, they should be around the same topic, for example, this is part of my Books for Authors series. Financially, it makes sense to have a series as you will earn more revenue per customer as they will (hopefully) buy more than one book. It's also easier and more relaxing to market as you can set one book to free or a limited time discount and drive sales through to other books in the series. Essentially, writing a book in a series makes it easier to fulfill both creative and financial goals. However, if you love to read and write stand-alone books, and some genres suit stand-alones better than series anyway, then, of course, go with what works for you! Mark: I like to equate this to no matter where you travel in the world, if you find a McDonald's you pretty much know what's on the menu and you know what to expect. When you write in a series, it's like returning to hang out with old friends. You know their backstory; you know their history so you can easily fall into a new conversation about something and not have to get caught up on understanding what you have in common. So that's an enormous benefit of relaxing into something like, “Oh, I'm sitting down over coffee, chatting with some old friends. They're telling me a new story about something that happened to them. I know who they are, I know what they're made out of.” And this new plot, this new situation, they may have new goals, they may have new ways they're going to grow as characters, but they're still the same people that we know and love. And that's a huge benefit that I only discovered recently because I'm only right now working on book four in my Canadian Werewolf series. Prior to that, I had three different novels that were all the first book in a series with no book two. And it was stressful for me. Writing anything seemed to take forever. I was causing myself anxiety by jumping around and writing new works as opposed to realizing I could go visit a locale I'm familiar and comfortable with. And I can see new things in the same locale just like sometimes you can see new things and people you know and love already, especially when you introduce something new into the world and you see how they react to it. For me, there's nothing more wonderful than that sort of homecoming. It's like a nostalgic feeling when you do that. I've seen a repeated pattern where writers spend years writing their first book. I started A Canadian Werewolf in New York in 2006 and I did not publish it until ten years later, after finishing it in 2015. (FYI, that wasn't my first novel. I had written three and published one of them prior to that). That first novel can take so long because you're learning. You're learning about your characters, about the craft, about the practice of writing, about the processes that you're testing along the way. And if you are working on your first book and it's taking longer than planned, please don't beat yourself up for that. It's a process. Sometimes that process takes more time. I sometimes wonder if this is related to our perception of time as we age. When you're 10 years old, a day compared to your lifetime is a significant amount of time, and thinking about a year later is considering a time that is one-tenth of your life. When you have a few more decades or more under your belt, that year is a smaller part of the whole. If you're 30, a year is only one-thirtieth of your life. A much smaller piece. Just having written more books, particularly in a series, removes the pressure of that one book to represent all of you as a writer. I had initial anxiety at writing the second book in my Canadian Werewolf series. Book two was more terrifying in some ways than book one because finally, after all this time, I had something good that I didn't want to ruin. Should I leave well enough alone? But I was asked to write a short story to a theme in an anthology, and using my main character from that first novel allowed me to discover I could have fun spending more time with these characters and this world. And I also realized that people wanted to read more about these characters. I didn't just want to write about them, but other people wanted to read about them too. And that makes the process so much easier to keep going with them. So one of the other benefits that helps to relax me as a writer working on a series is I have a better understanding of who my audience is, and who my readers are, and who will want this, and who will appreciate it. So I know what worked, I know what resonated with them, and I know I can give them that next thing. I have discovered that writing in a series is a far more relaxed way of understanding your target audience better. Because it's not just a single shot in the dark, it's a consistent on-going stream. Let me reflect on a bit of a caveat, because I'm not suggesting sticking to only a single series or universe. As writers, we have plenty of ideas and inspirations, and it's okay to embrace some of the other ones that come to us. When I think about the Canadian rock trio, Rush, a band that produced 19 studio albums and toured for 40 years, I acknowledge a very consistent band over the decades. And yet, they weren't the same band that they were when they started playing together, even though it was the same three guys since Neil Peart joined Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. They changed what they wrote about, what they sang about, themes, styles, approaches to making music, all of this. They adapted and changed their style at least a dozen times over the course of their career. No album was exactly like the previous album, and they experimented, and they tried things. But there was a consistency of the audience that went along with them. And as writers, we can potentially have that same thing where we know there are going to be people who will follow us. Think about Stephen King, a writer who has been writing in many different subjects and genres. And yet there's a core group of people who will enjoy everything he writes, and he has that Constant Reader he always keeps in mind. And so, when we write in a series, we're thinking about that constant reader in a more relaxed way because that constant reader, like our characters, like our worlds, like our universes, is like we're just returning to a comfortable, cozy spot where we're just going to hang out with some good friends for a bit. Or, as the contemplative Rush song Time Stand Still expresses, the simple comfort and desire of spending some quality time having a drink with a friend. Schedule time to fill the creative well and for rest and relaxation Mark: What we do as writers is quite cerebral, so we need to give ourselves mental breaks in the same way we need to sleep regularly. Our bodies require sleep. And it's not just physical rest for our bodies to regenerate, it's for our minds to regenerate. We need that to stay sane, to stay alive, to stay healthy. The reality for us as creatives is that we're writing all the time, whether or not we're in front of a keyboard or have a pen in our hand. We're always writing, continually sucking the marrow from the things that are happening around us, even when we're not consciously aware of it. And sometimes when we are more consciously aware of it, that awareness can feel forced. It can feel stressful. When you give yourself the time to just let go, to just relax, wonderful things can happen. And they can come naturally, never feeling that urgent sense of pressure. Downtime, for me, is making space for those magic moments to happen. I was recently listening to Episode 556 of The Creative Penn podcast where Joanna talked about the serendipity of those moments when you're traveling and you're going to a museum and you see something. And you're not consciously there to research for a book, but you see something that just makes a connection for you. And you would not have had that for your writing had you not given yourself the time to just be doing and enjoying something else. And so, whenever I need to resolve an issue or a problem in a project I'm writing, which can cause stress, I will do other things. I will go for a run or walk the dogs, wash the dishes or clean the house. Or I'll put on some music and sing and dance like nobody is watching or listening—and thank goodness for that, because that might cause them needless anxiety. The key is, I will do something different that allows my mind to just let go. And somewhere in the subconscious, usually the answer comes to me. Those non-cerebral activities can be very restorative. Yesterday, my partner Liz and I met her daughter at the park. And while we quietly waited, the two of us wordlessly enjoyed the sights and sounds of people walking by, the river in the background, the wind blowing through the leaves in the trees above us. That moment wasn't a purposeful, “Hey, we're going to chill and relax.” But we found about five minutes of restorative calm in the day. A brief, but powerful ‘Ah' moment. And when I got back to writing this morning, I drew upon some of the imagery from those few minutes. I didn't realize at the time I was experiencing the moment yesterday that I was going to incorporate some of that imagery in today's writing session. And that's the serendipity that just flows very naturally in those scheduled and even unscheduled moments of relaxation. Joanna: I separate this into two aspects because I'm good at one and terrible at the other! I schedule time to fill the creative well as often as possible. This is something that Julia Cameron advises in The Artist's Way, and I find it an essential part of my creative practice. Essentially, you can't create from an empty mind. You have to actively seek out ways to spark ideas. International travel is a huge part of my fiction inspiration, in particular. This has been impossible during the pandemic and has definitely impacted my writing. I also go to exhibitions and art galleries, as well as read books, watch films and documentaries. If I don't fill my creative well, then I feel empty, like I will never have another idea, that perhaps my writing life is over. Some people call that writer's block but I know that feeling now. It just means I haven't filled my creative well and I need to schedule time to do that so I can create again. Consume and produce. That's the balance you need in order to keep the creative well filled and the words flowing. In terms of scheduling time to relax instead of doing book research, I find this difficult because I love to work. My husband says that I'm like a little sports car that goes really, really fast and doesn't stop until it hits a wall. I operate at a high productivity level and then I crash! But the restrictions of the pandemic have helped me learn more about relaxation, after much initial frustration. I have walked in nature and lain in the garden in the hammock and recently, we went to the seaside for the first time in 18 months. I lay on the stones and watched the waves. I was the most relaxed I've been in a long time. I didn't look at my phone. I wasn't listening to a podcast or an audiobook. We weren't talking. We were just being there in nature and relaxing. Authors are always thinking and feeling because everything feeds our work somehow. But we have to have both aspects — active time to fill the creative well and passive time to rest and relax. “I go for lots of walks and hikes in the woods. These help me work out the kinks in my plots, and also to feel more relaxed! (Exercise is an added benefit!)” –T.W. Piperbrook Improve your writing process — but only if it fits with your lifestyle Joanna: A lot of stress can occur in writing if we try to change or improve our process too far beyond our natural way of doing things. For example, trying to be a detailed plotter with a spreadsheet when you're really a discovery writer, or trying to dictate 5,000 words per hour when you find it easier to hand write slowly into a journal. Productivity tips from other writers can really help you tweak your personal process, but only if they work for you — and I say this as someone who has a book on Productivity for Authors! Of course, it's a good idea to improve things, but once you try something, analyze whether it works for you — either with data or just how you feel. If it works, great. Adopt it into your process. If it doesn't work, then discard it. For example, I wrote my first novel in Microsoft Word. When I discovered Scrivener, I changed my process and never looked back because it made my life so much easier. I don't write in order and Scrivener made it easier to move things around. I also discovered that it was easier for me to get into my first draft writing and creating when I was away from the desk I use for business, podcasting, and marketing tasks. I started to write in a local cafe and later on in a co-working space. During the pandemic lockdown, I used specific playlists to create a form of separation as I couldn't physically go somewhere else. Editing is an important part of the writing process but you have to find what works for you, which will also change over time. Some are authors are more relaxed with a messy first draft, then rounds of rewrites while working with multiple editors. Others do one careful draft and then use a proofreader to check the finished book. There are as many ways to write as there are writers. A relaxed author chooses the process that works in the most effective way for them and makes the book the best it can be. Mark: When it comes to process, there are times when you're doing something that feels natural, versus times when you're learning a new skill. Consciously and purposefully learning new skills can be stressful; particularly because it's something we often put so much emphasis or importance upon. But when you adapt on-going learning as a normal part of your life, a natural part of who and what you are, that stress can flow away. I'm always about learning new skills; but over time I've learned how to absorb learning into my everyday processes. I'm a pantser, or discovery writer, or whatever term we can apply that makes us feel better about it. And every time I've tried to stringently outline a book, it has been a stressful experience and I've not been satisfied with the process or the result. Perhaps I satisfied the part of me that thought I wanted to be more like other writers, but I didn't satisfy the creative person in me. I was denying that flow that has worked for me. I did, of course, naturally introduce a few new learnings into my attempts to outline; so I stuck with those elements that worked, and abandoned the elements that weren't working, or were causing me stress. The thought of self-improvement often comes with images of blood, sweat, and tears. It doesn't have to. You don't have to bleed to do this; it can be something that you do at your own pace. You can do it in a way that you're comfortable with so it's causing you no stress, but allowing you to learn and grow and improve. And if it doesn't work but you force yourself to keep doing it because a famous writer or a six-figure author said, “this is the way to do it,” you create pressure. And when you don't do it that way, you can think of yourself as a failure as opposed to thinking of it as, “No, this is just the way that I do things.” When you accept how you do things, if they result in effectively getting things done and feeling good about it at the same time, you have less resistance, you have less friction, you have less tension. Constantly learning, adapting, and evolving is good. But forcing ourselves to try to be or do something that we are not or that doesn't work for us, that causes needless anxiety. “I think a large part of it comes down to reminding myself WHY I write. This can mean looking back at positive reviews, so I can see how much joy others get from my writing, or even just writing something brand new for the sake of exploring an idea. Writing something just for me, rather than for an audience, reminds me how much I enjoy writing, which helps me to unwind a bit and approach my projects with more playfulness.” – Icy Sedgwick You can find The Relaxed Author: Take the Pressure Off Your Art and Enjoy the Creative Journey on CreativePennBooks.com as well as on your favorite online store or audiobook platform, or order in your library or bookstore. The post The Relaxed Author Writing Tips With Joanna Penn and Mark Leslie Lefebvre first appeared on The Creative Penn.
On This Episode: On this episode: Roderick & Cari return for episode 392 of The Rise & Grind Podcast! The conversation kicks off with the shocking news of John Cena officially retiring from the WWE, before diving into new music from Pooh Shiesty and a breakdown of 21 Savage's latest album What Happened to the Streets?, plus his recent interview with Big Bank. The guys also tap in with standout mentions from Nas & DJ Premier's “Light Years” and Conway The Machine's You Can't Kill God With Bullets. In news, they discuss Rod Wave claiming $2M per show without a promoter, the end of an era as Hot 97's “Ebro in the Morning” wraps up after 13 years, and Disney investing $1B into OpenAI, striking a multi-year deal with Sora that could reshape content creation across film and streaming. Intro: Pooh Shiesty- FDO Roderick | Nas & DJ Premier- Pause Tapes Cari | Rexx Life Raj- Oppenheimer Subscribe to Apple Music now to hear all of the new albums & tracks we discuss: https://apple.co/3NgdXW
週二天下零時差關注以下國際大事: 一、《華爾街日報》:從手機應用程式起家的矽谷新創Nex Team,成功靠著遊戲機Nex Playground擄獲家長的心,成為美國黑五購物季的大黑馬。 二、《金融時報》:OpenAI宣布與迪士尼達成協議,旗下影音平台Sora用戶將可以使用正版迪士尼角色進行創作。但Sora面臨的結構性問題依舊無解。 三、《彭博商業週刊》:加薩戰爭引發抵制美商浪潮,馬來西亞消費者轉向本土品牌,意外改寫連鎖餐飲版圖。 文:李立心 製作團隊:莊志偉、張雅媛 *Ask AI!用最簡單的方式看懂2026,立即試用:https://bit.ly/4rKWZod *訂閱天下全閱讀:https://bit.ly/3STpEpV *意見信箱:bill@cw.com.tw -- Hosting provided by SoundOn
This week: Disney has agreed to make a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI along with a licensing deal setting limitations on the use of it's IP on Sora. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss this is a precedent-setting deal and how well OpenAI will actually be able to enforce the terms of the licensing agreement. Then, the hosts examine the likelihood of rumored tech IPOs that could be more than $1 trillion each, including Elon Musk' s SpaceX. And finally, Instacart's variable prices signal a growing trend toward dynamic pricing for everything from eggs to soccer tickets. The hosts dive into the threat of companies using our personal data to set individual prices and what's being done to prevent it. In the Slate Plus episode: Musk and Bezos's data centers head to space? Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth. Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com/SLATE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This Week In Startups is made possible by:LinkedIn Ads - http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartupsDevStats - https://www.devstats.com/twistCrusoe - https://crusoe.ai/buildToday's show: FINALLY, you can hang out with Kylo Ren and Olaf the Snowman… thanks to the magic of AI.On TWiST, we're digging into the mega OpenAI-Disney deal. Mickey is giving Sam Altman a $1 billion investment AND will allow is copyrighted characters to appear in Sora and ChatGPT images.Of course, Jason predicted this would happen WAY BACK during the summer months and even showed off his “Darth Calacanis” creation on the “All-In Podcast.”PLUS Amazon has been launching and pulling AI features from Prime Video… what gives? Jason's predictions on the coming AI blowback and who's on what side. Why he's so focused on Education, Health Care, and Housing as issues. AND why founders should always take calls from Big Companies, even if it might just be a fishing expedition.It's a new Friday TWiST! Check it out!Timestamps:(00:00) Lon joins Alex and Jason to talk about the big Disney-OpenAI deal bringing Disney characters to Sora(03:10) Jason totally called the Disney-OpenAI stuff on All-In(9:42) LinkedIn Ads: Start converting your B2B audience into high quality leads today. Launch your first campaign and get $250 FREE when you spend at least $250. Go to http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups to claim your credit.(18:59) DevStats - DevStats integrates your dev work and your business goals into a shared language that everyone can understand. Get 20% off, plus access to their dedicated Slack channel. Just go to https://www.devstats.com/twist.(20:15) Why Amazon Prime Video pulled its AI recaps and anime dubs(24:44) Who gets to set the rules around AI: The Debate Continues(26:13) Jason's predictions on the AI blowback coming in 2026… with clips!(30:11) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/build to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(31:21) Is AI here to help people or replace them?(35:55) It's all about EHH: Education, Health Care, Housing(40:47) How all of this and MORE will be impacted directly by AI automation(45:35) Why Alex wants to lower the temperature around AI Doomerism(51:19) JUST FOR FOUNDERS: When should you take a call from a BigCo?(53:45) Why Jason thinks just about everyone in media will lose to TikTok and YouTubeSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(9:42) LinkedIn Ads: Start converting your B2B audience into high quality leads today. Launch your first campaign and get $250 FREE when you spend at least $250. Go to http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups to claim your credit.(18:59) DevStats - DevStats integrates your dev work and your business goals into a shared language that everyone can understand. Get 20% off, plus access to their dedicated Slack channel. Just go to https://www.devstats.com/twist.(30:11) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/build to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.
This week: Disney has agreed to make a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI along with a licensing deal setting limitations on the use of it's IP on Sora. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss this is a precedent-setting deal and how well OpenAI will actually be able to enforce the terms of the licensing agreement. Then, the hosts examine the likelihood of rumored tech IPOs that could be more than $1 trillion each, including Elon Musk' s SpaceX. And finally, Instacart's variable prices signal a growing trend toward dynamic pricing for everything from eggs to soccer tickets. The hosts dive into the threat of companies using our personal data to set individual prices and what's being done to prevent it. In the Slate Plus episode: Musk and Bezos's data centers head to space? Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth. Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com/SLATE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week: Disney has agreed to make a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI along with a licensing deal setting limitations on the use of it's IP on Sora. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss this is a precedent-setting deal and how well OpenAI will actually be able to enforce the terms of the licensing agreement. Then, the hosts examine the likelihood of rumored tech IPOs that could be more than $1 trillion each, including Elon Musk' s SpaceX. And finally, Instacart's variable prices signal a growing trend toward dynamic pricing for everything from eggs to soccer tickets. The hosts dive into the threat of companies using our personal data to set individual prices and what's being done to prevent it. In the Slate Plus episode: Musk and Bezos's data centers head to space? Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth. Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com/SLATE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week: Disney has agreed to make a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI along with a licensing deal setting limitations on the use of it's IP on Sora. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss this is a precedent-setting deal and how well OpenAI will actually be able to enforce the terms of the licensing agreement. Then, the hosts examine the likelihood of rumored tech IPOs that could be more than $1 trillion each, including Elon Musk' s SpaceX. And finally, Instacart's variable prices signal a growing trend toward dynamic pricing for everything from eggs to soccer tickets. The hosts dive into the threat of companies using our personal data to set individual prices and what's being done to prevent it. In the Slate Plus episode: Musk and Bezos's data centers head to space? Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Cheyna Roth. Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com/SLATE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Disney invested $1 Billion in OpenAI… And licensed its top 200 characters to Sora.Elon Musk confirmed SpaceX plans to IPO in 2026… but it's all about the SpaceX logo on a t-shirt.The Savannah Bananas have married co-founders… so we brought ‘em on the pod.A woman just had a baby in a Waymo robotaxi… It's a self-driving delivery.$DIS $GOOG $MARSBuy tickets to The IPO Tour (our In-Person Offering) TODAYAustin, TX (2/25): https://tickets.austintheatre.org/13274/13275 Arlington, VA (3/11): https://www.arlingtondrafthouse.com/shows/341317 New York, NY (4/8): https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0000637AE43ED0C2Los Angeles, CA (6/3): https://www.squadup.com/events/the-best-one-yet-liveGet your TBOY Yeti Doll gift here: https://tboypod.com/shop/product/economic-support-yeti-doll NEWSLETTER:https://tboypod.com/newsletter OUR 2ND SHOW:Want more business storytelling from us? Check our weekly deepdive show, The Best Idea Yet: The untold origin story of the products you're obsessed with. Listen for free to The Best Idea Yet: https://wondery.com/links/the-best-idea-yet/NEW LISTENERSFill out our 2 minute survey: https://qualtricsxm88y5r986q.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dp1FDYiJgt6lHy6GET ON THE POD: Submit a shoutout or fact: https://tboypod.com/shoutouts SOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tboypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tboypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tboypod Linkedin (Nick): https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-martell/Linkedin (Jack): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-crivici-kramer/Anything else: https://tboypod.com/ About Us: The daily pop-biz news show making today's top stories your business. Formerly known as Robinhood Snacks, The Best One Yet is hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Disney agreed to let its characters be used in OpenAI's Sora videos, so is this a visionary move, or is Disney giving away its IP to AI? We discuss media in AI, Oracle's recent earnings report, and ask what executive would be the dream free agent pickup for some beaten-up stocks. Travis Hoium, Dan Caplinger, and Jon Quast discuss: - Disney's licensing deal with OpenAI - Oracle's earnings and AI buildout - Lululemon earnings recap - CEO free agent picks Companies discussed: Nike (NKE), The Trade Desk (TTD), Disney (DIS), Block (XYZ), Oracle (ORCL), Alphabet (GOOG). Host: Travis Hoium Guests: Dan Caplinger, Jon Quast Engineer: Dan Boyd Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We're committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Episode 734: Neal and Toby discuss Disney's $1 billion deal with OpenAI and what it means for the future of it's characters and Sora. Next up, Time announces their person(s) of the year, hello AI! Then, an entertainment filled stock and dog of the week and all of the headlines you need to know heading into the weekend. Check out https://www.linkedIn.com/mbd for more. Subscribe to Morning Brew Daily for more of the news you need to start your day. Share the show with a friend, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast app. Listen to Morning Brew Daily Here: https://www.swap.fm/l/mbd-note Watch Morning Brew Daily Here: https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today's Headlines: Donald Trump had a not-so-stellar day yesterday. First, Indiana's GOP-controlled state senate actually stood up to him and rejected his pressure campaign to pass a wildly gerrymandered congressional map. So instead of all nine districts going red, only seven will — proving that sometimes his bullying doesn't work (shocking, I know). Then Congress did its favorite thing: nothing helpful. Both parties tanked bills that would've extended Obamacare subsidies, meaning everyone's insurance premiums are about to skyrocket. Over in the House, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem got grilled during the annual “worldwide threats” hearing — mostly about immigration and the administration's messy due-process violations. She even denied ICE had detained veterans… until a deported veteran showed up…on zoom. Meanwhile, a federal judge ordered the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia because ICE couldn't produce a single legal document justifying why they were trying to deport him. CBP also wants to require travelers from 40 visa-waiver countries to hand over five years of social media, emails, phone numbers, and family history before visiting the U.S. And the administration is adding another militarized zone to the southern border just because. Trump also failed yet again to manufacture a criminal case against NY AG Letitia James — the second grand jury in two weeks declined to indict her for fake mortgage fraud. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a new law requiring disclosure when ads use AI-generated actors and requiring consent for post-mortem likeness use. But Trump immediately tried to kneecap state AI rules with an executive order letting DOJ punish states that “restrict” AI — all part of the administration's push for “AI neutrality” (whatever that means), including new federal guidance to ban “woke” AI. And finally, Disney struck a $1 billion deal with OpenAI to let Sora use Disney characters in AI-generated videos. So basically… they're paying someone to copy their own IP. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: NYT: Indiana Senate Republicans Reject Trump's Redistricting Effort CNN: Live updates: Trump administration, health care vote and latest Venezuela news PBS News: WATCH: Noem defends Trump immigration policy in House hearing on security threats AP News: Foreigners allowed to travel to the US without a visa could soon face new social media screening AP News: Trump administration adds militarized zone in California along southern US border NYT: A Grand Jury Again Resists Trump's Push to Reindict Letitia James WSJ: Trump Signs Executive Order to Curtail State AI Laws Axios: White House issues federal agency guidance against "woke" AI Axios: N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul proposes major changes to AI bill Deadline: Disney Inks Blockbuster $1B Deal With OpenAI, Handing Characters Over To Sora Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
OpenAI GPT-5.2 is here! The new model shows improvements, but the bigger news might be the deal Sam Altman made with Disney to bring characters to Sora. We dive into the implications for AI & Hollywood, plus Google's Deep Research & Android XR, Runway Gen-4.5, Gemini 2.5, & WAY more AI News. HARSH, THE GUARDRAILS WILL BE. FUN, YOU MIGHT STILL HAVE. Get notified when AndThen launches: https://andthen.chat/ Come to our Discord to try our Secret Project: https://discord.gg/muD2TYgC8f Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AIForHumansShow AI For Humans Newsletter: https://aiforhumans.beehiiv.com/ Follow us for more on X @AIForHumansShow Join our TikTok @aiforhumansshow To book us for speaking, please visit our website: https://www.aiforhumans.show/ // Show Links // OpenAI's GPT-5.2 https://openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-5-2/ Disney OpenAI Deal For Sora & Investment https://openai.com/index/disney-sora-agreement/ https://www.wsj.com/business/media/disney-to-invest-1-billion-in-openai-license-characters-for-use-in-chatgpt-sora-3a4916e2?st=y8EdTr&reflink=article_copyURL_share Bob Iger Talks Deal on CNBC https://x.com/MorePerfectUS/status/1999162796966051953?s=20 Cease & Desist letter sent to Google day before this deal https://www.wsj.com/business/media/disney-to-invest-1-billion-in-openai-license-characters-for-use-in-chatgpt-sora-3a4916e2?st=d74Bcx&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink Google's New AR XREAL Android Glasses (Demo starts at 12:19) https://www.youtube.com/live/a9xPC_FoaG0?si=7X4wC-x3lTu18WYk&t=739 Google Deep Research Agent (in API) https://blog.google/technology/developers/deep-research-agent-gemini-api New Updates To Google Gemini 2.5 Flash Audio https://x.com/googleaidevs/status/1998874506912538787?s=20 Runway 4.5 Launches + Lots Of New Stuff https://www.youtube.com/live/OnXu-6xecxM?si=YIzZO5egj4m_SJgV Gavin's First Runway 4.5 Output https://x.com/gavinpurcell/status/1999171408979509322?s=20 Design Within Cursor Now https://x.com/cursor_ai/status/1999147953609736464?s=20 Glif's Agent Getting Really Good https://x.com/heyglif/status/1998493507615600696?s=20 Gavin's 'fashion' shoot with GLIF Agent https://x.com/gavinpurcell/status/1998560308873527454?s=20 McDonald's Pulls AI Ad After Getting Dragged Across The Coals https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/mcdonalds-ai-generated-commercial Video of the T-800 From Last Week Kicking Their CEO https://x.com/CyberRobooo/status/1997290129506148654?s=20 Nano Banana Pro Five Minutes Earlier / One Hour Later / Ten Hours Later Prompt https://x.com/gizakdag/status/1998501408098668983?s=20 Making Crowds In of Famous Images https://www.reddit.com/r/aiArt/comments/1pifspt/crowded/ Duck Season / Rabbit Season By lkcampbell in our Discord https://sora.chatgpt.com/p/s_6936b1cadd008191b1042ff7f0bb913f
Join Simtheory: https://simtheory.aiGPT-5.2 is here and... it's not great. In this episode, we put OpenAI's latest model through its paces and discover it can't even identify a convicted serial killer when the text literally says "serial killer." We compare it head-to-head with Claude Opus and Gemini 3 Pro (spoiler: they win). Plus, we reflect on the "Year of Agents" that wasn't, why your barber switched to Grok, Disney's billion-dollar investment to use Mickey Mouse in Sora, and why Mustafa Suleyman should probably be fired. Also featuring: the GPT-5.2 diss track where the model brags about capabilities it doesn't have.CHAPTERS:00:00 Intro - GPT-5.2 Drops + Details01:25 First Impressions: Verbose, Overhyped, Vibe-Tuned02:52 OpenAI's Rushed Response to Gemini 303:24 Tool Calling Problems & Agentic Failures04:14 Why Anthropic's Models Just Work Better06:31 The Barber Test: Real Users Are Switching to Grok10:00 The Ivan Milat Vision Test (Serial Killer Edition)17:04 Year of Agents Retrospective: What Went Wrong25:28 The Path to True Agentic Workflows31:22 GPT-5.2 Diss Track (Yes, Really)43:43 Why We're Still Optimistic About AI50:29 Google Bringing Ads to Gemini in 202654:46 Disney Pays $1B to Use Mickey Mouse in Sora56:57 LOL of the Week: Mustafa Suleyman's Sad Tweets1:00:35 Outro & Full GPT-5.2 Diss TrackThanks for listening. Like & Sub. xoxox
Disney signs a blockbuster deal to license characters to OpenAI AND invest $1 billion dollars in the company. Oracle as the new bellwether for thinking about OpenAI's prospects. More on the whole Data Centers In Space phenomenon. And let me introduce you to the Model Context Protocol to make the web safe for AI agents. Disney Inks Blockbuster OpenAI Deal to Bring More Than 200 Characters to Sora Video Platform, Will Invest $1 Billion in AI Company (Variety) Disney to Invest $1 Billion in OpenAI, License Suite of Characters for Sora in Landmark Deal (The Wrap) Oracle Can't Escape OpenAI's Shadow (WSJ) Spotify tests more personalized, AI-powered ‘Prompted Playlists' (TechCrunch) Bezos and Musk Race to Bring Data Centers to Space (WSJ) MCP has already taken the industry by storm, and now Anthropic is giving it away. (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
OpenAI and Disney signed a three-year licensing deal that lets ChatGPT and Sora generate images and videos. Project Aura from Xreal will use Android XR, the same OS as on the Galaxy XR, but in a glasses form factor. Are we getting to the point of no return where AI generated video and images will be indistinguishable from real video and images? And what are RAM prices soaring and what can consumers expect to pay for memory in the upcoming year? Starring Sarah Lane, Tom Merritt, Robb Dunewood, Patrick Norton, Len Peralta, Roger Chang, Joe. To read the show notes in a separate page click here! Support the show on Patreon by becoming a supporter!