Back in May, the Writers Guild of America went on strike—partly over disputes about compensation, and partly over fears that studios could use generative artificial intelligence tools to replace human writers and creators. This month, when the actor’s union SAG-AFTRA announced its own strike, things really started to heat up as some of the biggest and most recognizable movie stars joined the picket lines. Production in Hollywood has now mostly ground to a halt, negotiations with studios have stalled, and this stalemate looks as though it will persist for some time. What do these strikes mean for the movies, shows, podcasts, and video games we consume? Will the celebrity podcasts and chat shows also go dark? Are our streaming options now going to be limited to reruns and reality shows? Senior writer Kate Knibbs joins us from WIRED’s Culture desk to discuss the shifts that technology, economics, and income disparity have wrought in Hollywood. Show Notes Read our coverage of the WGA strike, the actors’ strike. Learn how AI is being used in Hollywood and in video games. We also have a report from a Hollywood-less Comic-Con. Read WIRED’s entire series on the future of entertainment. Recommendations Kate recommends two music artists, Nation of Language and Yaya Bey. Lauren recommends the episode of WTF with Marc Maron featuring Cillian Murphy. Mike recommends the film How to Blow Up a Pipeline. Kate Knibbs can be found on Twitter @Knibbs. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys. How to Listen You can always listen to this week’s podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here’s how: If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link. You can also download an app like Overcast or Pocket Casts, and search for Gadget Lab. If you use Android, you can find us in the Google Podcasts app just by tapping here. We’re on Spotify too. And in case you really need it, here’s the RSS feed.

In May, a fake image of an explosion near the Pentagon went viral on Twitter. It was soon followed by images seeming to show explosions near the White House as well. Experts in mis- and disinformation quickly flagged that the images seemed to have been generated by artificial intelligence, but not before the stock market had started to dip. It was only the latest example of how fake content can have troubling real-world effects. The boom in generative artificial intelligence has meant that tools to create fake images and videos, and pump out huge amounts of convincing text, are now freely available. Misinformation experts say we are entering a new age where distinguishing what is real from what isn’t will become increasingly difficult. Last week the major AI companies, including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, promised the US government that they would try to mitigate the harms that could be caused by their technologies. But it’s unlikely to stem the coming tide of AI-generated content and the confusion that it could bring. The White House says the companies’ “voluntary commitment” includes “developing robust technical mechanisms to ensure that users know when content is AI generated, such as a watermarking system,” as part of the effort to prevent AI from being used for “fraud and deception.” But experts who spoke to WIRED say the commitments are half measures. “There’s not going to be a really simple yes or no on whether something is AI-generated or not, even with watermarks,” says Sam Gregory, program director at the nonprofit Witness, which helps people use technology to promote human rights. Watermarking is commonly used by picture agencies and newswires to prevent images from being used without permission—and payment. But when it comes to the variety of content that AI can generate, and the many models that already exist, things get more complicated. As of yet, there is no standard for watermarking, meaning that each company is using a different method. Dall-E, for instance, uses a visible watermark (and a quick Google search will find you many tutorials on how to remove it), whereas other services might default to metadata, or pixel-level watermarks that are not visible to users. While some of these methods might be hard to undo, others, like visual watermarks, can sometimes become ineffective when an image is resized. “There’s going to be ways in which you can corrupt the watermarks,” Gregory says. The White House’s statement specifically mentions using watermarks for AI-generated audio and visual content, but not for text. There are ways to watermark text generated by tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, by manipulating the way that words are distributed, making a certain word or set of words appear more frequently. These would be detectable by a machine but not necessarily a human user. That means that watermarks would need to be interpreted by a machine and then flagged to a viewer or reader. That’s made more complex by mixed media content—like the audio, image, video, and text elements that can appear in a single TikTok video. For instance, someone might put real audio over an image or video that’s been manipulated. In this case, platforms would need to figure out how to label that a component—but not all—of the clip had been AI-generated.

Meta is paying to settle a lawsuit that alleges that the company shared the personal data of millions of Facebook users. The social media giant is said to have shared the info with Cambridge Analytica, the company that supported Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. To settle this lawsuit, Facebook’s parent company agreed to pay $725 million to affected users in late 2022.According to a report by news agency AP, Facebook users in the US only have a month left to apply for their share of the privacy settlement. How to claim the settlement payment Facebook users in the US who had an account at any time between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022, are eligible to receive a payment. To apply for the settlement, users can fill out a form and submit it online, or print it out and mail it. The deadline to claim the settlement payment is August 25. The report doesn’t confirm the amount of money individual users will receive. Since the money has to be divided among all the affected users, the payment amount will decrease as more users submit valid claims. Facebook and its legal problemsIn 2018, a lawsuit alleged that Cambridge Analytica, a firm with ties to Trump political strategist Steve Bannon, paid a Facebook app developer for access to the personal information of about 87 million users of the platform. This data was then used to target US voters during the 2016 election campaign that made Trump the country’s 45th president. Before Meta decided to settle the lawsuit, the company’s CEO was grilled by US lawmakers. Moreover, users were also advised to delete their Facebook accounts. Rival platforms like TikTok have also stalled Facebook’s growth. Yet, the social media platform still boasts more than 2 billion users worldwide, which includes nearly 250 million in the US. Apart from the Cambridge Analytica lawsuit, Meta has been under the scanner over data privacy for some time. In May, the EU imposed a record $1.3 billion fine on Meta and ordered it to stop transferring users’ personal information across the Atlantic by October. Moreover, the tech giant’s new micro-blogging app, Threads, has not rolled out in the EU due to privacy concerns.

Xiaomi is all set to launch a host of new products on August 1 in India. These include the Redmi 12 5G, Redmi Watch 3 Active and Xiaomi Smart TV X series. The company has already started teasing the Redmi 12 5G smartphone on the Amazon e-commerce website. The company has been actively teasing the budget phone on social media handles and the specifications are already out. Redmi 12 5G appeared on Amazon India website recently. The website has now added a ‘Notify Me’ button on the page. This means interested buyers can keep track of the upcoming smartphone by clicking on the ‘Notify Me’ button. The Amazon listing of the series goes with the title: ‘Crystal Glass Design’. It also reveals some of the key specifications of the Redmi 12 5G phone. Redmi 12 5G: Expected specifications Amazon India has created a landing page for the upcoming Redmi 12 5G smartphone. In terms of camera, the smartphone could feature a triple camera setup on the rear. The company has confirmed that one of the cameras will offer a 50 MP sensor with Fim Filters. It has also been confirmed that the smartphone will feature up to 12GB RAM and 128GB storage. Xiaomi Smart TV X series to launch on August 1Xiaomi has announced the launch of the Smart TV X series TVs. The upcoming smart TVs will succeed the 4K TVs Xiaomi launched last year. “We are eagerly gearing up for our much-awaited launch on August 1st, 2023. Happy to share with you another product category that we will be launching – the upcoming Xiaomi TV X Series in India on August 1st, 2023. Get ready to immerse yourself in captivating content and limitless possibilities. #BigIsBack”, reads the invite.

Global foldable smartphone shipments are projected to pass the 100-million mark by 2027, a report has said. The increase in adoption of foldable smartphones is attributed to regional drivers, especially in China, as well as consumers’ growing willingness to buy foldables. According to Counterpoint Research’s latest Global Foldable Smartphone Tracker and Forecast, foldable smartphone shipments are estimated to reach 101.5 million in 2027 from 78.6 million in 2026.“At the moment, foldables remain niche. But it is an important segment for brands looking to maintain leadership in innovation and a premium market presence,” said Tom Kang, research director at Counterpoint Research. Samsung and Apple may lead the marketThe market research firm said that Samsung and Apple will account for the biggest market share. Samsung will be the top company and Apple will be a close second. “Samsung and the Chinese OEMs have been very active, especially in their home markets, with China emerging as the biggest market globally last year. If you want to make it in foldables, you have to make it there,” Kang added.It also claimed that foldables will account for 39% of all smartphone shipments in 2027. While Samsung has just launched the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 smartphones, Apple is yet to unveil any plans to launch a foldable iPhone.“In the long term, we are waiting to see what Apple does. We are looking at 2025 as the possible year of iPhone’s foldable debut, which could provide another growth spurt for the segment,” senior analyst Jene Park noted.Foldable smartphone shipment in Q1Recently, a report by Counterpoint Research said that the global foldable smartphone market increased 64% year-on-year (YoY) in Q1 2023, based on sell-in volume, to reach 2.5 million units. The development was significant because the foldable market rose amid a 14.2% YoY decline in the overall global smartphone market during the same period. “When we look at the current consumer response, our latest Global Foldable Smartphone Preference Survey shows a willingness to purchase for the majority of respondents, most notably among current users. This is a good sign and tells us the hype around foldables is legitimate,” Park added.

It was in October 2021 when Facebook announced that going forward the company will be known as Meta. The name change wasn’t the only big announcement as the company signalled its intentions of making metaverse a reality — a world powered by augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality. Since then the going has been anything but easy. During its quarterly earnings call, Meta revealed that since the start of last year Reality Labs — the division dealing with Metaverse — has been losing quite a bit of money. As per Meta, the operating loss from Reality Labs in the quarter was $3.7 billion. A quarter ago, this number was $3.99 billion. In entire 2022, the losses from Reality Labs were in excess of $13 billion. In the last year, Reality Labs has lost more than $21 billion. What Meta has to say According to the company, the losses aren’t unexpected or surprising. In the earnings report, Meta said that operating losses from Reality Labs unit will “increase meaningfully year-over-year due to our ongoing product development efforts in augmented reality/virtual reality and investments to further scale our ecosystem.”The Reality Labs unit raked in $276.1 million in sales. Meta had launched the Meta Quest 3 headset in June. Metaverse still remains in its infancy and it’s not clear how the concept will evolve in the coming years. Meta has made a significant bet and despite murmurs of backing down, the company seems fully invested in it. When Meta announced thousands of job cuts earlier this year, speculation was rife about Reality Labs being hit the worst. However, the company issued a statement saying that it remains committed to its ambitious metaverse plans. The losses in the last 12 months haven’t deterred the company at all, even though it expects to bleed money year-over-year.

Samsung has announced the India pricing, pre-order and availability details for Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 4, Galaxy Tab S9, Galaxy Tab S9+, Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. Here’s the complete India pricing of all the products launched at Galaxy Unpacked 2023.Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 5G: Price, pre-order and other details Pre-booking for Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 are now live at all leading online and offline stores. Consumers can also pre-book at Samsung Live.Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: Price and variants Galaxy Z Flip 5 8GB + 256GB Rs 99,999 Galaxy Z Flip 5 8GB + 512GB Rs 109,999 Galaxy Z Fold 5 12GB + 256GB Rs 1,54,999 Galaxy Z Fold 5 12GB + 512GB Rs 164,999 Galaxy Z Fold 5 12GB + 1TB Rs 184,999 Prebook offers for Galaxy Z Fold5 and Z Flip 5Customers pre-booking Galaxy ZFlip5 will get benefits worth INR 20000 and those pre-booking Galaxy Z Fold5 will get benefits worth INR 23000. Specifications Offers No Cost EMI Galaxy Z Flip5 Benefits worth Rs 20,000 Rs 12K Upgrade + Rs 8K Bank Cashback Up to 9 months Galaxy Z Fold5 Benefits worth Rs 23K Rs 5K Upgrade + Rs 8K Bank Cashback + Upgrade to Higher Storage Variant (Buy 256GB and Get 512GB – Rs 10K Benefit) Up to 9 months Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 Live Commerce offerCustomers pre-booking Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 during “Samsung Live” event starting 12 pm on July 27 will get additional exclusive gift of a Silicone Case with Ring worth Rs 4,199 on purchase of Z Flip5 and Standing Case with Strap worth Rs 6,299 on purchase of Galaxy Z Fold 5. The URL to pre-book the devices during live commerce are https://www.samsung.com/in/live-offers/Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series: Price, pre-booking details and moreGalaxy Tab S9 series is available for pre-order from noon on July 27, 2023 from Samsung Online Store https://www.samsung.com/in/tablets/galaxy-tab-s9/buy/ and all other leading online and offline retail stores. Detailed prices of all models are given below. Models Color Storage WiFi / 5G MOP (₹) Prebook Offer (₹) Net Effective Price (₹) Bank Cashback Upgrade Bonus Tab S9 Ultra GraphiteBeige 512 GB WiFi 119,999 12,000 8,000 99,999 5G 133,999 113,999 256 GB WiFi 108,999 88,999 5G 122,999 102,999 Tab S9+ GraphiteBeige 256 GB WiFi 90,999 11,000 7,000 72,999 5G 104,999 86,999 Tab S9 GraphiteBeige 256 GB WiFi 83,999 9,000 5,000 69,999 5G 96,999 82,999 128 GB WiFi 72,999 58,999 5G 85,999 71,999 Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series: Price, pre-booking details and morePrice, availability & pre-book offerConsumers can pre-book the all new Galaxy Watch6 and Galaxy Watch6 Classic from noon on July 27, 2023 from Samsung Online Store as well as other leading online and offlineretail stores. Consumers can also avail exciting pre-book benefits and can own the all-new Galaxy Watch6 series starting at Rs 19,999. Detailed prices of all models are given below. Model Dial Size Connectivity MOP (₹ ) Prebook Offer Effective Price Cashback Upgrade Bonus Galaxy Watch6 40mm BT Rs 29,999 6,000 4,000 Rs 19,999 LTE Rs 33,999 Rs 23,999 44mm BT Rs 32,999 Rs 22,999 LTE Rs 36,999 Rs 26,999 Galaxy Watch6 Classic 43mm BT Rs 36,999 Rs 26,999 LTE Rs 40,999 Rs 30,999 47mm BT Rs 39,999 Rs 29,999 LTE Rs 43,999 Rs 33,999

Jio Financial Services and BlackRock have agreed to form a joint venture with a 50-50 ownership structure, Jio BlackRock. The partnership aims to combine the strengths and trusted brands of BlackRock and JFS to provide affordable and innovative investment solutions to millions of investors in India enabled by technology. Jio BlackRock is a partnership between JFS and BlackRock that combines the expertise of both companies. BlackRock brings investment management, risk management, product excellence, and access to technology, operations, scale, and intellectual capital around markets. At the same time, JFS contributes local market knowledge, digital infrastructure capabilities, and robust execution capabilities. The partnership aims to introduce a new player to the Indian market with a unique scope, scale, and resource combination. JFS and BlackRock plan to invest an initial US$150 million each in the joint venture.The joint venture will commence operations once the regulatory and statutory approvals are received. The company will have a dedicated management team. According to Rachel Lord, the Chair and Head of APAC at BlackRock, India presents a significant opportunity due to its increasing wealth, favorable demographics, and digital transformation across various industries. This combination is reshaping the market in remarkable ways. BlackRock is thrilled to collaborate with JFS to revolutionize India’s asset management industry and transform financial futures. The partnership will result in Jio BlackRock, which will focus on combining its expertise to provide innovative solutions to the Indian market.Mr Hitesh Sethia, President and CEO of JFS, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership between JFS and BlackRock, a highly reputable global asset management company. The collaboration will combine BlackRock’s investment and risk management expertise with JFS’s technology and market knowledge to enhance digital product delivery. Jio BlackRock aims to become a customer-centric enterprise that prioritizes digital solutions, aiming to provide financial investment opportunities to all Indians and promote financial stability.

Domestic startup Excitel has launched a new ‘Cable Cutter’ plan. The latest home internet plan promises to offer speeds of up to 400 Mbps and a range of 12 OTT channels which will include a selection of 550+ Live TVchannels. This plan claims to improve the home entertainment experience for customers. Plans start at Rs 592 for 12 months of subscription.Excitel’sCable Cutter Plan intends to reduce users’ television expenses without compromising on their favourite shows and movies. Excitel already has 900,000 customers in 35+ Indian cities. Ookla has also recognised Excitel as the fastest and best-rated broadband network in India. According to TRAI, the company was also among the Top 10 ISPs in India in 2020.Commenting on the launch, Excitel’s co-founder and CEO, Vivek Raina said: “We are thrilled to launch our Cable Cutter Plan, a true game-changer in the home broadband and Cable TV arena. The ever-increasing popularity of OTT platforms and the soaring costs of traditional cable TV services have driven us to create a comprehensive solution for our customers. Our cable Cutter Plan offers a seamless blend of Live TV, OTT content, and lightning-fast internet speeds, all bundled together at an affordable price point, the perfect fusion of convenience, variety, and affordability, catering to the ever-evolving entertainment needs of consumers. This, we believe, will empower users to regain control of their entertainment choices and enjoy an unparalleled viewing experience.” Excitel Cable-Cutter plan: Key featuresThis new plan promises internet speeds of up to 400 Mbps. Plans start at Rs 592 for a year of subscription. This plan will also offer users a selection of over 550 Live TV channels and 12 popular OTT platforms. This includes Disney+ Hotstar, SonyLIV and ZEE5. Excitel’s Cable-Cutter plan aims to help customers to enjoy their favourite content without making a deep hole in their pockets. The latest plan also eliminates unnecessary channel bundles and works with a user-centric approach. With high-speed WiFi connectivity, the company also claims to deliver value for money, variety in content and uninterrupted streaming.

Genpact and Microsoft have announced a collaboration that will allow the global professional services firm’s workforce to access Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service and enable them to unlock new opportunities to implement generative AI capabilities for clients. Genpact will support its employees’ use of generative AI tools through comprehensive training programs and resources. Genpact has identified multiple opportunities to leverage large language models (LLMs) to drive enterprise efficiencies in areas such as transition management, global service desk management, infrastructure management and others. Generative AI can help companies improve employee productivity and enhance operational efficiency and agility, allowing Genpact’s business teams to develop use cases in order to solve several day-to-day challenges enterprises face. Azure’s cloud infrastructure coupled with the flexibility of the Azure OpenAI Service will help accelerate these solution development.“Generative AI’s potential to drive innovation is unprecedented, and by democratizing access to this technology, including Microsoft Azure’s powerful AI tools, we continue to foster our culture of innovation, experimentation, and knowledge across our more than 115,000 global workforce,” said Vidya Rao, chief information officer at Genpact. “Our continuous learning environment helps clients optimise AI’s rapidly evolving landscape, and we’re excited to leverage Microsoft’s AI tools to revolutionise the way we approach problem-solving,” Rao added.This relationship with Microsoft builds on Genpact’s deep expertise in AI innovation and its experience with LLMs across numerous industries, including consumer goods, retail, life sciences, healthcare, hi-tech and financial services.“Genpact is an innovator in combining AI and advanced analytics, and we are pleased to collaborate with them to expedite the development of new solutions that empower enterprises to strategically use generative AI for business value,” said Sangita Singh, general manager IT&ITES, Microsoft India. “Microsoft Azure AI, combined with Genpact’s industry knowledge, operational expertise, and experience in running processes for Global Fortune companies, will be a powerful combination,” Singh added.