DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Airbnb hosts are bracing for an unpredictable summer
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewLast summer ushered in a new normal for hosts on Airbnb and other short-term rental booking websites. Ahead of summer 2024, hosts face pressure to stand out from all the other listings in their areas. Adding additional stress is the increased unpredictability of travelers themselves — hosts say guests are booking trips more last-minute than the advance-planning of years past. With direct bookings, hosts are responsible for collecting the proper paperwork for background checks and payment information, and they don't have the additional insurance offered by the major platforms. Influencers can also help promote direct booking, Burke said.

Persons: —, Vrbo, they're, Emily Burke, Rick Kenworthy, he's, Kenworthy, Ryan Villines, Villines, Burke, she'll, she's, they've, who've, Influencers, Tulsans Organizations: Service, Business, Airbnb Locations: Tulsa , Oklahoma, Arizona, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Airbnb, Missouri, Tulsa

☆ How to survive ‘Maycember’ in three almost-easy steps
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Dr. Katie Hurley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“Maycember” is a term that online content creators the Holderness family coined to describe the sheer chaos of the month of May, much like the month of December. Exhausted teenagers are running on empty as the school year comes to an end, while expectations of parental involvement remain high. I’m always grateful for the people who volunteer their time to head up committees on the PTA or parent board. Prioritize mental healthNo good comes from a family running around from event to event without a moment even to enjoy the ones they attend. In a few short weeks, Maycember will be behind us for another year, and we’ll all breathe a sigh of relief.

Persons: “, Holderness, it’s, I’ve, there’s, I’m, you’ll, It’s, Maycember, You’ll, Katie Hurley, Strong, Fiona McPhee Organizations: CNN

☆ Bollywood and Indian politics: Influence of Modi and BJP on world’s largest film industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

And most of these are Hindi films, meaning Bollywood holds an outsized influence on the country’s culture, identity and economy. A screengrab from the 2022 Bollywood film "The Kashmir Files." CNN reached out to several people from the film industry for this story, some of whom declined to be interviewed due to sensitivities around the topic. It encouraged some Bollywood filmmakers to “(lean) into the caricature of the Muslim villain,” he says. These films are growing fast; outside Bollywood, earnings from the South Indian media and entertainment industry have nearly doubled year on year, according to a 2023 report by the Confederation of Indian Industry.

Persons: India’s, Narendra Modi, Indranil Mukherjee, ”, Raja Sen, “ It’s, Modi, Tanul Thakur, …, Veer Savarkar, –, ” Adah Sharma, Pandits, Vivek Agnihotri, ” Sudipto Sen, Debashree Mukherjee, it’s, Thakur, Sen, Darab Farooqui, Sonu Mehta, Farooqui, “, she’s, Aamir Khan, ” Farooqui, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mukherjee, Yash Chopra, ” That’s, ” Thakur, ” Sen, “ We’ve, ’, Dharmendra, Noemi Cassanelli, “ Something’s Organizations: India CNN —, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Observers, Hollywood, Republican, Modi’s, Getty, CNN, Ministry of Culture, of, Netflix, Columbia, Social Democratic Party of India, Hindustan Times, Columbia University, Journalists, Confederation of Indian Industry Locations: Mumbai, India, Kerala, Kashmir, Jammu, Columbia University’s, Middle Eastern, South, Jaipur, New Delhi, Pakistan, United States, Tamil Nadu

☆ AI-generated influencer ads are having a moment. But they won't replace humans, industry insiders say.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewThe first time he saw a short-form video ad made entirely using AI, Will Sartorius thought it was "mind-boggling." Sartorius is the CEO of the agency SelfMade, which works primarily with direct-to-consumer brands on social advertising. In March, Sartorius came across a viral ad in the style of user-generated content that was made using the AI tool Arcads. AdvertisementPatricia Redulla is a user-generated content creator. This includes sentences that warn against using generative AI for anything from idea generation to scripts to editing.

Persons: —, Will Sartorius, Sartorius, Ariel Marie, It’s, …, — Beck, ike H, ince, ptions, riel, arie, ould, ake, l, ike, ork, eason, anders, arn Organizations: Service, Business Locations: uman

☆ International Disney parks target U.S. customers with American influencers and bloggers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Kat Tenbarge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

As they were originally conceived, Disney's international parks were meant to "bring the unforgettable Disney magic to an international audience," according to the company. While the international parks themselves have always taken steps to accommodate diverse audiences — providing shows and attractions in multiple languages — Disney appears to be marketing the international parks to American audiences in more direct ways. In addition to the content creator efforts, Disney has begun to include its international parks in its own content consumed by Americans. In the Disney+ show "Behind the Attraction," which premiered in 2021, numerous variations on American rides at international parks were discussed and digested for American audiences. Disney creators around the world grew their followings, and demand for content from international Disney parks rose alongside them.

Persons: Peter Pan, Disney, Quincy Stanford, AllEars, Stanford, Emma Kenner, Kenner, Taylor Swift, Rolling Stone Organizations: Disney, Tokyo Disney, YouTube, Disney Parks, NBC, Tokyo Disneyland, Magic, Tokyo Disney Resort, Stanford, Walt Disney Co, Paris La Défense, Rolling, Swift Locations: China, Japan, Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, U.S, California, Florida, Tokyo ., Paris

☆ MrBeast has broken the curse of influencer success
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Lindsay Dodgson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

AdvertisementSome attribute it to dumb luck, but others think Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson has changed content creation forever and set a new standard for what content creators can aspire to. Importantly, he is changing how influencers are viewed by traditional media. Jamie Nudelman, a social media growth expert at the digital marketing consultancy Viral Marketing Stars, told Business Insider that Donaldson has become "more powerful than traditional media." Advertisement"Truthfully, Amazon Prime needs MrBeast more than MrBeast needs Amazon Prime," he said. "Most content creators ride on a trend and then get stuck in it," Nudelman said.

Persons: —, Jimmy, MrBeast, Donaldson, MrBeast Donaldson, YouTube's, Jamie Nudelman, Justin Bieber, Liza Koshy, Bo Burnham, Rachel Pedersen, James Charles, Shane Dawson, Jaclyn Hill, Nudelman, It's, influencers, Pedersen, Liz Germain, Germain, Donaldson obsesses, it's, he's Organizations: Service, Business, Amazon Prime, Amazon, Jeffree, Super Locations: tatters

☆ Google's AI updates could spark chaos for web creators — and be a death blow for some startups
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Google's new AI products may be making some start-ups nervous. An AI-enhanced Google Search and email assistant could threaten smaller AI companies. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementGoogle has new AI products — and they might be making some start-ups nervous. The announcements were followed by social media chatter claiming Google's new launches would "kill" email and browser-based agents, including Perplexity AI.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Google, Business

☆ How viral olive-oil brand Graza tapped influencers for its largest product launch after slashing its marketing budget
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewTwo-year-old Graza has popularized squeeze bottles filled with olive oil that appear in seemingly every food influencer's social videos. And those influencers are playing a key role in the brand's largest product launch to date beyond the squeezable bottles: Beer-can refills. On May 9, Graza rolled out beer cans of olive oil, sending the new product to about 300 creators, said Kendall Dickinson, head of social and influencer marketing for Graza. The goal was to show people how to refill the signature squeezable bottles with more sustainable cans and a kitchen funnel. For example, a TikTok and Instagram video shows how to make onion rings using Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and Graza's olive oil.

Persons: —, Graza, Kendall Dickinson, Andrew Benin, influencers, Dickinson, Harris Teeter, We've Organizations: Service, Graza, Business, Procter, Gamble, Walmart Locations: Benin

☆ Billionaire real estate investor Frank McCourt wants to buy TikTok — but he's not interested in the algorithm
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Shubhangi Goel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewReal estate mogul Frank McCourt is the latest person to raise his hand to try to acquire TikTok's US business. Related stories"We thought this was a really fantastic opportunity to accelerate the creation of an alternative internet," McCourt told the Associated Press. McCourt wants to change TikTok's basic business to an open-source model that allows users and creators more control over their data. McCourt told the New York Times that he doesn't want the algorithm. "We doubt very much that China would sell TikTok with the algorithm," McCourt told the Times.

Persons: —, Frank McCourt, McCourt, Kirkland, Ellis, TikTok, Forbes, Tim Berners, Lee, TikTok . McCourt, Eric Schmidt, Steven Mnuchin, he's Organizations: Service, Guggenheim Securities, Business, Associated Press, Liberty, Los Angeles Dodgers, Big Tech, New York Times, Times Locations: China

☆ A.I. and the Silicon Valley Hype Machine - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Julia Angwin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But now, a year later, the question isn’t really whether A.I. It feels like another sign that A.I. That realization has real implications for the way we, our employers and our government should deal with Silicon Valley’s latest dazzling new, new thing. Acknowledging A.I.’s flaws could help us invest our resources more efficiently and also allow us to turn our attention toward more realistic solutions. “I find my feelings about A.I.

Persons: Sam Altman, “, ”, Molly White

☆ TikTok’s new suitor is former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, as lawsuit pushes back against ban
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Brian Fung | Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Frank McCourt, a real estate billionaire and the former owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, said Wednesday he is laying the groundwork to acquire TikTok as part of a broad initiative to make a healthier internet. Still, McCourt said, the potential opportunity to acquire TikTok is a chance to rewire how social media works. “We can, and must, do more to safeguard the health and well-being of our children, families, democracy and society,” McCourt said in a statement. McCourt joins a host of other would-be suitors angling to pick up a platform used by 170 million Americans. A group of eight TikTok creators on Tuesday also filed a separate lawsuit challenging the potential ban.

Persons: Joe Biden, TikTok, Frank McCourt, McCourt, ” McCourt, Kirkland, Ellis, Sir Tim Berners, Lee, Steven Mnuchin, Kevin O’Leary, “, ”, Topher Townsend, ” TikTok Organizations: New, New York CNN, Los Angeles Dodgers, TikTok, Guggenheim Securities, Former, O’Leary Ventures, US Department of Justice Locations: New York, United States, China

☆ News publishers sound alarm on Google’s new AI-infused search, warn of ‘catastrophic’ impacts
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In other words, users will soon no longer have to click on the links displayed in search results to find the information they are seeking. Why spend time clicking on a link when Google has already scoured the internet and harvested the relevant information with its A.I.? Coffey, whose organization represents more than 2,000 news publishers and has taken an aggressive posture toward A.I. This time with a product that directly competes with our content, using our content to fuel it. Most recently, it drew scorn after temporarily blocking some California news outlets from search results in response to a bill that would force it to pay publishers.

Persons: —, ” Danielle Coffey, Coffey, newsrooms, OpenAI, ChatGPT, Mark Zuckerberg, “, we’ll, ” Marc McCollum Organizations: New York CNN, Google, News / Media Alliance, Big Tech, The New York Times Locations: New York, California

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewCreator-economy startup Jellysmack has sold its catalog-licensing business, JellyFi, a company spokesperson told Business Insider. "Jellysmack's team has been extremely professional, and we hope to continue collaborating with them on many other opportunities," Copyright Capital's CEO Jack Ojalvo told BI in a statement. AdvertisementThe company entered the catalog-licensing business in early 2022, saying it would set aside $500 million for the effort. The company chose to deprioritize JellyFi in favor of more profitable core initiatives.

Persons: —, Frederic Porcherot, Jack Ojalvo, Jellysmack, Sean Atkins, deprioritize, X, it's Organizations: Service, Copyright, BI, Business, Keli Network, YouTube, Facebook, Creative, Jellysmack, Productions, Network Media LLC, Crime Network Locations: SoftBank

☆ Opinion | ‘Tradwife’ Content Isn’t Really for Women. It’s for Men Who Want Submissive Wives.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Jessica Grose | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Tradwife content has been a social media phenomenon for a few years, and even though the trend creates a lot of discourse online and off, I’ve resisted writing about it because I think it’s a trap. Their posts sometimes come with florid captions about the joy and freedom that come from submitting to their husbands, because biblical submission doesn’t connote inferiority. The whole discussion can be a trap because the content itself is meant to be a heightened provocation — some tradwife creators post things that they label as triggering opinions and then say they get so much hate for being stay-at-home moms. But they rely on that dissonance in order to create more engagement (which leads to more clicks and more money). These posts have a way of painting feminists as haters who resist their true nature and casting career women in opposition to women who don’t work for pay.

Persons: I’ve, “ Locations: gauzy

☆ Semafor's Ben Smith: People are not in love with TikTok, but they love creators and short videos
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSemafor's Ben Smith: People are not in love with TikTok, but they love creators and short videosBen Smith, Semafor co-founder and editor-in-chief, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss billionaire Frank McCourt's interest in buying TikTok, who would benefit if the social media is banned in the U.S., and more.

Persons: Semafor's Ben Smith, Ben Smith, Semafor, Frank McCourt's Locations: U.S

☆ Portal project: ‘Inappropriate’ behavior shuts down Dublin to New York City connection
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Marnie Hunter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Less than a week after two public sculptures featuring a livestream between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City debuted, “inappropriate behavior” in real-time interactions between people in the two cities has prompted a temporary shutdown. The creators of the sculptures are now “investigating possible technical solutions to inappropriate behaviour by a small minority of people in front of the Portal,” according to a statement from the Dublin City Council. “Dublin City Council had hoped to have a solution in place today, but unfortunately the preferred solution, which would have involved blurring, was not satisfactory,” the City Council said late Tuesday. The Dublin-New York city pairing isn’t the first real-time bridge between cities through these sculptures. The first Portals, according to the organization’s website, linked Vilnius, Lithuania, with Lublin, Poland, in 2021.

Persons: Niall Carson, ”, Benediktas Gylys, Daithí, de Róiste, “, De Róiste Organizations: CNN, New York City, Dublin City Council, City Council, Dublin, AP Organizers, Flatiron NoMad Partnership, Flatiron, Public, Broadway, Fifth, Dublin’s, Mayor, Róiste’s, Smart Locations: Dublin, Ireland, New, New York, “, York, Poland, Brazil, Lithuania, City, Vilnius, Lublin

But while the company's profile in the industry has stayed constant and swaggering, behind the curtain, its business has been increasingly troubled, 10 insiders told Business Insider. Creator economy professionals mingled beneath glowing jellyfish and coral light fixtures inside Jellysmack's creator lounge during VidCon 2023. "As a startup in the ever-evolving creator economy, we are constantly testing and adapting our business model," the Jellysmack spokesperson told BI in a statement. Advertisement"The world was falling apart with the pandemic, but early Jellysmack felt like a dream," the second former staffer told BI. BI viewed two Jellysmack contracts and an email exchange between Jellysmack and one of its creator clients to verify the practice.

Persons: —, SoftBank, lanyards, Jellymack, Jellysmack, YouTubers, Brad Mondo, Meta, Michael Philippe, Jellysmack cofounders Swann Maizil, Robin Sabban, Nathan Guetta, Condé Nast, Youri Hazanov, Sean Atkins, hasn't, Snapchat —, Amanda Perelli, JellyFi, deprioritize, that's, it's, Ollie Forsyth, They've Organizations: Service, Business, Facebook, influencers, BI, YouTube, Disney, Comcast, Keli, Big Tech, cryptocurrency, MTV, HBO, Copyright Capital, SoftBank, Productions, OKA Media, Network Media LLC, Crime, Star, Spotify, Crime Network Locations: VidCon, SoftBank

☆ TikTok Creators Sue to Block U.S. Law Requiring Sale or Ban
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Sapna Maheshwari | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A group of TikTok creators, including a rancher, a skin care entrepreneur and a promoter of biblical literacy, sued the federal government on Tuesday over a new law that would force the app’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the company or face a ban in the United States. They said it violated their First Amendment rights. TikTok said it was paying the legal fees for the creators’ lawsuit. TikTok pursued a similar legal strategy in 2020, when creators successfully challenged a federal ban, as well as last year in Montana, when creators sued the state after it tried to ban the app. Davis Wright Tremaine, the law firm representing the creators, also represented the app’s creators in Montana last year.

Persons: “, TikTok, Davis Wright Tremaine Organizations: U.S ., Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit Locations: United States, U.S, Montana

☆ TikTok creators sue U.S. government, say divestiture law violates First Amendment
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Josephine Rozzelle | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

TikTok creators gather before a press conference to voice their opposition to the "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act," pending crackdown legislation on TikTok in the House of Representatives, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 12, 2024. Eight TikTok creators sued the U.S. government Tuesday to block the recently passed law that forces ByteDance to divest of the social media app or face a ban, arguing that the law violates the First Amendment, an attorney representing the group said in a post on X. In the filing shared by attorney Davis Wright Tremaine, the group says that the law, which gives TikTok parent ByteDance nine months to find a buyer for the app, "undermines the nation's founding principles and free marketplace of ideas." The law "promises to shutter a discrete medium of communication that has become part of American life, prohibiting Petitioners from creating and disseminating expressive material with their chosen editor and publisher," the lawsuit says. TikTok itself sued the United States last week over the legislation, also invoking a free speech argument in its suit.

Persons: ByteDance, Davis Wright Tremaine, TikTok Organizations: Foreign, Capitol, U.S, United Locations: Washington , U.S, United States

☆ As an adult filmmaker, I know kids are watching porn at a young age. Here's how I talk to mine about it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Joni Sweet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A lot of parents think they don't need to talk to their kids about porn, but as an adult filmmaker, I never had that option. Talking to children about porn isn't just important for parents in the adult entertainment industry, though. We can't assume our kids have not seen porn. That's why I created the nonprofit The Porn Conversation to give families tools to help them talk with kids about porn literacy. Pointing out the things we see and questioning them helps children build the skills they'll need to understand porn.

Persons: —, Erika Lust, I've, what's, they're, it's Organizations: Service, Lust, Business

☆ OpenAI's latest model, GPT-4o, sounds a lot like a digital girlfriend. Some sex workers are rolling with it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. AdvertisementLinda, a phone sex operator, told Business Insider that artificial intelligence is being adopted by some in the sex work community, and she now regularly sees AI-generated images on profiles of fellow phone sex workers. "It's not for everyone, but, honestly, I think it's great — like you want a sex robot, guys — here ya go! " Representatives for OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Persons: —, Scarlett Johannson, Joaquin Pheonix —, OpenAI, Scott Woods, Sam Altman, Linda, Kaitlyn, Amouranth, Siragusa Organizations: Service, Business, Mars, BI, Polygon, The New York Post Locations: Berlin

Meanwhile, OpenAI on Monday launched a new AI model and desktop version of ChatGPT, along with a new user interface. Gemini AI updatesGoogle introduced updates to Gemini 1.5 Pro, its AI model that will soon be able to handle even more data — for example, the tool can summarize 1,500 pages of text uploaded by a user. Generative AI tools such as chatbots and image creators continue to have issues with accuracy, however. New search featuresThe tech giant is launching "AI Overviews" in Google Search on Monday in the U.S. AI Overviews show a quick summary of answers to the most complex search questions, according to Liz Reid, head of Google Search. Google Search found the model of the record player and suggested that it could be malfunctioning because it wasn't properly balanced.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, Andrej Sokolow, Anthropic, OpenAI, There's, Pichai, Gemini, Apple's Siri, Prabhakar Raghavan, Liz Reid, you'll, that's, Google's, Tony Stark's, —, ChatGPT, Demis Hassabis Organizations: Google, Getty, Gemini, Monday, Gmail, Astra Project Astra, Marvel, Astra Locations: U.S

☆ Monday, May 13, 2024: Jim Cramer breaks down the AI effect on this high-profile consumer tech stock
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Monday, May 13, 2024: Jim Cramer breaks down the AI effect on this high-profile consumer tech stockJim and Jeff discuss the share moves for this semiconductor stock. They also talk about reports of this mega cap tech stock partnering with generative AI creators. Finally, they break down the uptick of this industrial stock.

Persons: Jim Cramer, Jeff

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Traditional agencies that work with top Hollywood talent — like blue-chip firms CAA, UTA, and WME — have started representing YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok stars, working with popular creators from Addison Rae to Emma Chamberlain. Some management firms and agencies are focused on specific criteria, like creators in the lifestyle category or those from diverse backgrounds. "There wasn't a huge prioritization of diversity in the influencer space, which was a problem for me, especially as a Black woman," CFG founder Annelise Campbell told Business Insider. "I felt that most brands were not seeing the value of diverse creators and the audiences they serve.

Persons: WME —, Addison Rae, Emma Chamberlain, Annelise Campbell, Shayanne Gal Organizations: Business, Hollywood, CAA, UTA, YouTube, Entertainment

☆ MrBeast's breakup with his talent manager is a wakeup call that influencers won't always need middlemen
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Lindsay Dodgson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

YouTube star MrBeast has parted ways with his talent manager after six years. AdvertisementMrBeast broke up with his talent manager of six years, and it's a wake-up call. YouTube's biggest star striking out alone could signal that creators may not always need middlemen. "He's just taking control of his brand," Varbanova said. An in-house team would likely have a narrower network than a talent agency and be able to offer less support with other tasks.

Persons: MrBeast, —, Jimmy Donaldson, Donaldson, Reed Duchscher, Semafor, Duchscher, Donaldson's, influencers, Nikita Walia, Walia, Katya Varbanova, Gleam, Alfie Deyes, Jim Chapman —, Raff McDonald, Varbanova, Burger, He's, It's, he's, Courtney Bagby Lupilin, Lupilin, doesn't Organizations: Service, Night Media, Bloomberg, Blank, Inc, YouTube, Little Red Management Locations: Dallas, —

Search resuls for: "Creators"

25 mentions found