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☆ Natalie Portman says King Charles asked her if she was in the original 'Star Wars' movies at 'The Phantom Menace' premiere
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Jason Guerrasio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

She said the then-Prince Charles asked her if she was in the original "Star Wars" movies. The setting was the 1999 London premiere of "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace." As the first "Star Wars" movie to hit theaters since 1983, it was a big deal that brought the British royals to the event. Advertisement"WWHL" host Andy Cohen asked Portman what she remembered of her interaction with the royal family. "I remember Prince Charles asked me — he was then Prince Charles — if I was in the originals," Portman said with a laugh.

Persons: Natalie Portman, Portman, King Charles, Prince Charles, —, Britain's King Charles ., Andy Cohen, Prince Charles —, Padmé, Julianne Moore, Hayden Christensen, Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader, Wan Organizations: London, Service, Padmé Amidala, Lucasfilm, Netflix Locations: Hollywood, London

☆ Barney and Betty Hill’s UFO abduction story was more about racism than aliens, a new book says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

That sound of unimaginable terror is what a psychiatrist recorded when he put a man named Barney Hill under hypnosis in his office one day in 1964. Estelle Parsons and James Earl Jones in a scene from "The UFO Incident," a 1975 television movie based on the Hills' alleged encounter. Both Hills recalled the encounter under hypnosis, but Barney Hill grew terrified reliving the event. … God, I’m scared!”The Hills’ story changed the way people regarded alien encounters. Barney Hill died of a stroke in 1969, and Betty continued to claim that the abduction occurred.

Persons: Barney Hill, Hill, Darth Vader, Betty, Adam, James Earl Jones, Matthew Bowman, Estelle Parsons, Shutterstock Bowman, Barney Hill’s, ”, ” Bowman, Betty Hill, ” Christopher Bader, ” Margalit Fox, John Blake Organizations: CNN, Civil Rights, ”, NAACP, Hills, California’s Chapman University, The New York Times Locations: New Hampshire, America, United States

LONDON (AP) — A Star Wars-obsessed man who was encouraged by a chatbot “girlfriend” to slay Queen Elizabeth II was sentenced Thursday to nine years in prison for taking his plot to Windsor Castle, where he scaled the walls and was caught with a loaded crossbow on Christmas Day 2021. Chail said the assassination was his life's mission, something he'd thought about since adolescence, but had only shared with the artificial-intelligence powered “girlfriend” he named Sarai. Chail called himself “Darth Chailus,” an identity he said he had assumed as a Sith lord, one of an order from the dark side in Star Wars that included Darth Vader. “I am not a terrorist, I am an assassin, a Sikh, a sith,” he had written in a journal. In one chatbot exchange about a week before his arrest, he told Sarai that his purpose was to assassinate the queen.

Persons: ”, Queen Elizabeth II, “, Jaswant Singh, Chail, Sarai, Nicholas Hilliard, Darth Chailus, Darth Vader, ” Chail Organizations: Windsor Castle, Star Wars, Broadmoor Hospital, Star Locations: Windsor, Amritsar, Chail, London’s

☆ We asked Elon Musk's dad what he thought about the new book out on his son. He had a lot to say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Errol Musk told Insider he isn't happy with what he's heard about the new biography on his son. AdvertisementAdvertisementErrol Musk isn't happy with Walter Isaacson's recent biography about his son, Elon Musk. Isaacson's biography on Elon Musk is filled with accounts of incidents where the Tesla CEO and other family members claim Errol Musk bullied and demeaned Elon. In the book, Isaacson wrote that Elon Musk and his brother Kimbal Musk have cut off communication with their father — an assertion Errol Musk denies. Isaacson, Elon Musk, and Kimbal Musk did not respond to a request for comment ahead of publication.

Persons: Errol Musk, he's, Elon Musk's, —, Errol Musk isn't, Walter Isaacson's, Elon Musk, demeaned Elon, Isaacson, Errol, Vader, Elon's Luke Skywalker, Elon, Errol Musk's, Cyrus McCrimmon, doesn't, he'd, Pip, Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens, Dr, Jekyll, Hyde, it's, Stone, Jana Bezuidenhout, I'm, Kimbal, –, we'd, Joel Saget, Chris Saucedo, " Isaacson, Kimbal Musk, Bill Gates, Elon wouldn't Organizations: Service, Elon, Denver, AFP, Microsoft Locations: South Africa, Florida

☆ In ‘Ahsoka,’ a ‘Star Wars’ Fan Favorite Returns
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Calum Marsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

But over the years, the universe of “Star Wars” has expanded far beyond the realm originally imagined by George Lucas. The title of the latest “Star Wars” series, “Ahsoka,” premiering Aug. 23 on Disney+, may be unfamiliar even for viewers who consider themselves relatively knowledgeable about the franchise. The title character, played by Rosario Dawson in the series, has never appeared in a live-action “Star Wars” movie. (She was heard briefly in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” voiced by Ashley Eckstein.) A certain familiarity with the rest of the stuff that has happened in “Star Wars” outside of the three main film trilogies is, if not quite required, then certainly very helpful.

Persons: Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Han, Leia, George Lucas, “, ”, Rosario Dawson, Ashley Eckstein, Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni —, Boba Fett, “ Obi, Wan Organizations: “, Disney, “ Star

☆ Opinion: ‘Oppenheimer’ is a different kind of movie
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Opinion Gene Seymour | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Bottom lines are important, especially when billions are at stake, as well as the future of an entire industry. US physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer is often referred to as "the father of the atomic bomb." At once skittish and coy, self-effacing and self-aggrandizing, owlish and sexy, Murphy’s Oppenheimer is, at times, his own kind of super-powered being. A moviegoer unfamiliar with the particulars of the history here might be forgiven for wondering whether Murphy’s Oppenheimer is Obi-Wan Kenobi or Darth Vader. “Robert Oppenheimer can touch us still,” Kempton wrote, “because he was one of the few of those who have lived with the illusion of being history’s conqueror and the fact of being its victim.”I’m there for it.

Persons: Gene Seymour, Gene Seymour Jeremy Freeman, “ Oppenheimer, ”, “ Oppenheimer ”, —, J, Robert Oppenheimer, Murray Kempton, “, “ Michael Corleone ”, Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy, Christopher Nolan, diffidence, skittish, Murphy’s Oppenheimer, Obi, Wan, Darth Vader, Nolan, that’s, they’ll, “ Robert Oppenheimer, ” Kempton Organizations: The New York Times, Newsday, Entertainment, The Washington, Twitter, CNN, Los Alamos Laboratory, Universal, coy, Manhattan Locations: Manhattan, New Mexico, Hiroshima, Nagasaki

☆ Op-ed: Why this tech expert says he'd rather his kids play with A.I. than TikTok: The thought of it 'doesn't scare me'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Adam Singolda | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Are generative AI apps such as ChatGPT going to make us more productive, save us time, help us be healthier, smarter, happier? Generative AI is as real as it gets in terms of revolutionizing work, culture, and the nature of creativity. I root for generative AI not only as a tech executive but as a parent. If you spend some time with generative AI, you'll see it's pretty good already. Generative AI companies need to make a stand — will they pay for the sources of data they are ingesting daily?

Persons: Siri, Alexa, George Lucas, Google's chatbot, Anakin, Darth Vader, Adam Singolda Organizations: News

☆ The ultra-rich hopping on the AI bandwagon might be the biggest sign the tech is legit
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The job of family offices, investment firms tasked with managing the fortunes of the ultra-rich, has never been about getting massive returns. Which is why Hayley Cuccinello's story on family offices investing in artificial intelligence is so fascinating. Hayley spoke to executives at family offices about how they're navigating the modern-day gold rush that is AI investing. Of course, a lot of those deals never materialized and most family offices have now largely eschewed digital currencies altogether. The difference is family offices have largely gotten in on AI long before the bandwagon arrived, Hayley reports.

Persons: Dan DeFrancesco, It's, we've, Samantha Lee, Hayley Cuccinello's, Hayley, it's, Read, Erin McDowell, Goldman, Bill Gates, Morgan Stanley, James Gorman, Caniacs, Jeffrey Cane, Hallam Bullock Organizations: Mastercard, Refinitiv, Intelligence, Gates Ventures, Wall Street, LinkedIn Locations: Here's, Wall, Silicon, insider.com, Spain, Austin , Texas, Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York, London

☆ How to create with AI, including art, music, and writing, according to people who've written songs, stories, and letters
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Jack Sommers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

These five people used the tools to make content including a song and a commercial. A song for EurovisionInsider's Chloe Pantazi was underwhelmed by this year's Eurovision song contest. But ChatGPT gave him the space to experiment with the writing in a way he didn't feel comfortable with before. Insider produced a step-by-step guide of how to use it and Craiyon, another free tool that uses AI to generate images. Read more: I used Lensa, the chart-topping app, to make myself a masterpiece digital work of art — here's how it works

Persons: —, ChatGPT, Chloe Pantazi, Sweden's, Pantazi, Spriha Srivastava, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Matt Huculak, Huculak, Read, Elon Musk, . DALL, OpenAI, Lensa, Bethany Biron, Elizabeth Holmes, Biron Organizations: Service, Eurovision, University of Victoria, University of Cambridge Locations: British Columbia, Canada, Cambridge

People picket outside of FOX Studios on the first day of the Hollywood writers strike on May 2, 2023 in Los Angeles. Hollywood is gearing up for another labor fight, and once again worries about artificial intelligence are front and center. Hollywood's talent wants to create guardrails for the use of artificial intelligence in future television and film productions. "Our members are human beings, not puppets, and it is a violation to use AI technology to make them do or say something without their informed consent." Actors have varying comfort levels with how AI is used, which is why SAG-AFTRA is looking to advocate for informed consent when it sits down with the AMPTP.

Persons: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Timothee Chalamet, Wes Anderson, Duncan Crabtree, AFTRA, Crabtree, James Earl Jones, Jones, Darth Vader, Obi, Wan Kenobi, Anderson Organizations: FOX Studios, Hollywood, Alliance, Television Producers, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Star Wars, SAG, CNBC, of America, Writers Guild of America, Disney Locations: Los Angeles . Hollywood, Ireland

☆ Hollywood's next big fight is over how actors will get paid for work by their AI 'digital doubles'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Nathan Mcalone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Hollywood actors want to get paid for work done by their AI "digital doubles." SAG-AFTRA starts negotiations this week for a new contract with Hollywood studios, and AI is a hot topic. Hollywood is gearing up for another union battle this week, and a big topic will be how actors are paid for work done by their "digital doubles" created using artificial intelligence. Crabtree-Ireland told the FT that the starting point for negotiations would be getting union-scale payments for work using digital doubles. And while the use of AI might scare some actors, others in Hollywood are embracing the potential paydays the tech could bring.

Persons: Duncan Crabtree, Keanu Reeves, Tom Cruise, Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford, James Earl Jones, Darth Vader, Crabtree, AMPTP negotiaotors, Hilary Krane Organizations: Hollywood, SAG, Morning, Financial Times, Alliance, Television Producers, Reuters, Guild of America, Saturday, CAA Locations: Ireland, Crabtree, Hollywood

☆ Digital doubles, fake trailers: AI worries Hollywood actors before labor talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

AI already has divided studios and striking film and television writers, who want assurances that the emerging technology will not be used to generate scripts. SAG-AFTRA wants to ensure its members can control use of their "digital doubles" and ensure studios pay the actual actors appropriately, said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union's chief negotiator. A representative for the AMPTP had no comment on its position on use of AI with actors. In negotiations with the Writers Guild of America (WGA), the AMPTP proposed discussing the topic once a year, which the Guild viewed as an attempt to avoid the issue. You're never going to see anything like that if we're all using AI."

Persons: Julia Louis, Dreyfus, Christine, Wes Anderson, Harry Potter, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, AFTRA, Duncan Crabtree, Crabtree, Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, Reeves, Leland Morrill, we're, Morrill, Justine Bateman, Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford, Walt Disney, Ford, Stephen Colbert, James Earl Jones, Darth Vader, Carrie Fisher, AFTRA's Crabtree, Bateman, " Bateman, Lisa Richwine, Jorge Ramos, Dawn Chmielewski, Mary Milliken, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Warner Bros ., Screen, Writers Guild America, YouTube, SAG, Microsoft Corp, Walt Disney Co's, Lucasfilm, Disney, Alliance, Television Producers, Netflix Inc, Writers Guild of America, WGA, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, ANGELES, Hollywood, Ireland, ., Los Angeles

☆ The Star Wars timeline: All movies and shows in chronological order
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

These details are pulled from the official “Star Wars” resources “Ultimate Star Wars” and “Star Wars Character Encyclopedia,” as well as experts from outlets like USA Today and the AV Club. ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ (animated series)Ahsoka is Anakin's padawan in "The Clone Wars," and he lovingly calls her "Snips." ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’"Solo" shows how Han and Chewie became best friends. ‘Star Wars Rebels’Kanan Jarrus, Zeb Orrelios and Sabine Wren take on the Empire in "Star Wars Rebels." ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’Heroes attempt to find the plans to blow up the Death Star in "Rogue One."

☆ A YouTuber used AI to reimagine 'Star Wars' as a quirky Wes Anderson film featuring pink Stormtroopers, a well-lit cantina, and Jeff Goldblum as Emperor Palpatine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A YouTube channel posted a clip of a fake "Star Wars" episode directed by Wes Anderson. Anderson — known for light-hearted and offbeat humor, quirky characters, and his hallmark cinematic symmetry — would probably never be called to direct a "Star Wars" movie. "This summer, Wes Anderson brings you a side of the Star Wars universe that you've never seen before: 'The Galactic Menagerie,'" the narrator says in the video. It seems that the video's release was perfectly timed, as Wes Anderson, Star Wars, and AI have all been points of cultural conversation recently." "At this stage, a guy on a laptop can't create AI content that matches the quality of Wes Anderson," Ward said.

☆ 'Return of the Jedi' missteps: Five ways the 'Star Wars' sequel messed up, from a certain point of view
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

That’s in part because those shortcomings have echoed through the years, as subsequent “Star Wars” mythology has contorted itself, sometimes messily, in order to accommodate them. Still, Episode VI ill-served some of the original trilogy’s significant characters, in ways that have been debated across the decades, yielding the kind of arguments that have become one of the “Star Wars” franchise’s most renewable resources. Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in "Return of the Jedi," which was released in 1983. Lucasfilm/Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock“From a certain point of view.” Let’s stipulate that Anakin Skywalker “became” Darth Vader when he turned to the dark side. “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” will play in select theaters beginning April 28.

☆ I use ChatGPT to write stories for my 5-year-old. It's fun, innovative, and makes bedtime less stressful.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Spriha Srivastava | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The challenge is coming up with new stories, so I used ChatGPT to come up with bespoke, fun tales. With the help of our son, we write prompts for ChatGPT and then read that story before sleep time. And so, I tapped my new friend for help – ChatGPT. They have pros and cons, but when ChatGPT can write a bedtime story for your kid and he loves it, it's a win-win. Spriha SrivastavaThe challenge now is to limit our bedtime creative exercise to one story a day.

☆ Starbucks union pressures board members with billboards, posters – and a butter sculpture
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Nearly 300 company-owned Starbucks cafes have voted to unionize under Workers United, according to National Labor Relations Board data. Starbucks Workers United is deploying a butter sculpture, brass band, billboard and movie posters to put pressure on the coffee chain's board to accept the union. Beth Ford, chief executive officer of Land O'Lakes Inc. (L), and a butter sculpture of land o'lakes her. In the hopes of speeding up the process, just outside of Minnesota's Twin Cities, Starbucks workers will deliver a butter sculpture of Ford to Land O'Lakes' headquarters. "Community allies" will also take part, according to Starbucks Workers United.

☆ Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey, who is worth $75 million, says that business is 'judged and attacked' by society. 'We are the real value creators in the world.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey thinks business is "judged and attacked" by society. Mackey spoke at a conference, in one of his first appearances since stepping down as Whole Foods CEO. "I always felt that business is misunderstood by society," Mackey said during the presentation, according to industry publication Baking Business. "Entrepreneurs are the true heroes in a free-enterprise economy, driving progress in business, society, and the world," he wrote. Now, he plans to start a chain of health restaurants in Southern California called Love.Life!, according to Baking Business.

☆ $30 million worth of Funko Pop figurines are headed to the dump, as the company looks to purge excess inventory
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Funko will throw away $30 million worth of its plastic figurines, the company said this week. The move comes after Funko Pop inventory ballooned nearly 50% in the last year. According to the company, by the end of 2022 its inventory was valued at $246.4 million, an increase of 48% from the same period last year. The way forward, according to the company, is to throw away much of that inventory, as its button-eyed dolls clutter warehouses and store shelves. Still, Funko executives said the company is working hard to course correct and keep its brand top-of-mind for consumers across the globe.

☆ A scientist's recordings reveal turtles coo, squeak, and croak. Listen to their rarely-heard calls.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Researcher Gabriel Jorgewich-Cohen recorded surprising vocalizations from 50 turtle species. Listen to 13 of these seldom-heard turtle sounds, from croaking and squealing to cooing and purring. They were making sounds, too — like the creaking clicks in the clip below. Jorgewich-Cohen recorded 50 different turtle species. The sounds of not-so-silent creaturesJorgewich-Cohen suspects that people don't notice turtle sounds very often because it's hard to hear them through water.

☆ A year only lasts 17.5 hours on the ‘hell planet’
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

One year for this planet lasts about 17.5 hours on Earth. A team of researchers used a new tool known as EXPRES, or the EXtreme PREcision Spectrometer, to determine the precise nature of the planet’s orbit. But the hell planet is not the only planet orbiting Copernicus. An illustration shows just how closely the planet Janssen (left), depicted as an orange dot, orbits its host star Copernicus. Once Janssen moved in closer to Copernicus, the hell planet became even hotter.

☆ Bidens celebrate their first Halloween at the White House
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden distribute Halloween candy to visiting children at the South Portico of the White House in Washington, U.S., October 31, 2022. REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed trick-or-treaters to the White House to celebrate Halloween on Monday, their first time hosting such a celebration since taking office. Treats were also distributed by representatives from the Department of Education, Department of Transportation, NASA, United States Secret Service, Peace Corps, White House Fire Brigade and White House staff among others. The South Portico of the White House was decorated with fall colors, pumpkins, various shades of autumn, and songs such as "Ring of Fire," "Psycho" and "Hall of the Mountain King" set the mood. Halloween has been celebrated at the White House since the mid-20th century, according to the White House Historical Association.

☆ 'Superman' and superstar memorabilia worth 11 million pounds up for auction
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-03 | by ( Hanna Rantala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Returning to an in-person event following a pandemic pause, this year's auction boasts an extended catalogue of over 1,500 lots with an estimated total worth of 11 million pounds ($12.3 million). Music memorabilia is being introduced as a new category this year, getting its own dedicated day. 1/7 Propstore CEO Stephen Lane stands with Superman's (Christopher Reeve) complete costume from "Superman" franchise movies at a Propstore facility in Rickmansworth, Britain, September 27, 2022. Propstore's June auction in Los Angeles was a record-breaker with 2,000 lots selling for over $10 million, he said. Propstore's entertainment memorabilia live auction will be held at the BAFTA headquarters in central London, with bidding also available online or via telephone, Nov. 3-6.

☆ Toy companies expect grown-ups to shop more for other adults this holiday season
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The toy giants realize that many adults aren’t just looking to buy toys for their children, grandkids, nieces and nephews. Companies like Hasbro (HAS) are increasingly looking to adults (and not just parents) as buyers for nostalgic products, whether its gifts for older loved ones, friends or for themselves. Toy companies and other collectibles makers clearly recognize that grown-up shoppers are still invested in the brands that they played with as kids. Mattel (MAT) is hoping to cash in from more adults buying toys for other grown-ups as well. “The Bear Cave has more lighthearted products for adults,” Price John said, including some bears drinking a glass (or bottle) of wine.

☆ James Earl Jones steps back from voicing Darth Vader, signs off on using archived recordings to recreate voice with A.I.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

James Earl Jones, who has voiced Darth Vader for nearly 50 years of “Star Wars” films, seems to be stepping away from the role. “He had mentioned he was looking into winding down this particular character,” Matthew Wood, a Lucasfilm veteran of 32 years, told the outlet. “So how do we move forward?”James Earl Jones and Darth Vader attend the charity premiere of "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" in New York on May 12, 2022. The two also teamed for the voice performance of Darth Vader on the series “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” which debuted on Disney’s streamer this summer. Jones voiced the character on both the big and small screen up until this point.

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