Warner Bros. Discovery is planning to split into two publicly-traded companies by next year, one company focused on film, streaming and content production and the other concentrating on traditional television, including cable TV properties CNN, Discovery and TNT Sports. The Streaming & Studios company will contain Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, HBO, and HBO Max, as well as the film and television libraries. Global Networks will include CNN, TNT Sports in the U.S. as well as top free-to-air European channels, Bleacher Report and the Discovery+ streaming network. Continue reading WBD Will Split into Two Publicly Traded Companies Next Year

Bytedance-owned social video platform TikTok is improving ways in which users can customize their For You feed, letting them increase emphasis on subjects of interest with Manage Topics and adding AI-powered Smart Keyword Filters to suppress content they don’t want to see. While the social platform has featured keyword filters for some time, the new filters are smart enough to catch a broader range of unwanted content. Users can now include up to 200 filtering keywords and let AI do the rest “to capture additional videos featuring similar words, synonyms and slang variations” that reduce unwanted content in the For You feed. Continue reading TikTok Adds Features Letting Users Fine-Tune ‘For You’ Feed

An internal OpenAI document revealed as part of a discovery demand in the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust case against Google reveals OpenAI’s plan to turn ChatGPT into the public’s primary Internet interface. Although heavily redacted, the document effectively reveals OpenAI’s goal is to have ChatGPT replace Google Chrome and Search with an “AI super assistant that deeply understands you and is your interface to the Internet.” Aside from bolstering Google’s position that it has competition and is not an impregnable monopoly, the information contained therein provides an in-depth look at OpenAI’s roadmap. Continue reading OpenAI Seeks to Make ChatGPT New Gateway to the Internet

YouTube is integrating Google Lens, allowing viewers to search elements of what they see while watching YouTube Shorts. The visual search enhancement aims to provide more ways to unearth information and discover content in an interactive, intuitive way. YouTube provides an example involving a Short filmed on location that features landmarks a viewer may be interested in visiting. In this example, users could ask Google Lens for related information to learn the name of the destination and helpful details regarding its culture and history, results that would appear over the video content as a visual overlay. YouTube began rolling out the Lens feature in beta to all viewers last week. Continue reading YouTube Shorts Powers New Visual Search with Google Lens

Amazon Music has unveiled an AI search tool for music discovery, rolling out in beta on iOS to select Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers in the U.S. Powered by Amazon Bedrock, the feature aims to help listeners learn more about their favorite artists. Called Explore, it provides richer recommendations, including curated music collections, and the search results can be used to create AI-generated playlists that are based on an artist, according to Amazon. “This experimental feature includes results for many of your favorite artists today and will continue expanding to include more over time,” Amazon adds. Continue reading Amazon Music Beta Tests AI Search in iOS for Unlimited Subs

Google DeepMind has introduced AlphaEvolve, a coding agent that takes an evolutionary approach to general-purpose algorithm discovery and model optimization. AlphaEvolve combines the creative problem-solving abilities of Google’s Gemini models with automated evaluators that verify answers, then applies an evolutionary framework that improves on the most promising results. Evolutionary AI refers to techniques inspired by biological evolution, including natural selection, to optimize and design machine learning models. Continue reading Google DeepMind AlphaEvolve: Model of Algorithm Efficiency

Pinterest has added more AI options for visual search, hoping to drive discovery. The idea is to make it easier to segment elements in Pin image searches, building databases of relevant or personally associated products. When users view a Pin, they’ll now also see AI-generated words that can be used to learn more about elements of an image that interest them, including informationally and to facilitate shopping. “We’re breaking down and decoding images so users can quickly search and shop for the details of an outfit — whether it’s an aesthetic, color palette, fit or product category,” according to Pinterest. Continue reading Pinterest Aims to Improve Discovery with Its AI Search Tools

OpenAI is expanding ChatGPT’s shopping capabilities, adding product recommendations to help users discover products and brands. The chatbot’s results for shopping queries will now automatically include things like prices, images and ratings, much like searches using Amazon or Google Shopping. The company says that products it features in shopping search results “are chosen independently and are not ads.” With the company under pressure to turn a profit, a challenge for many AI startups, that could of course change. The company is reportedly already working with partners to ensure pricing is up to date. Continue reading OpenAI Improves ChatGPT for Shopping with Built-In Pricing

YouTube is testing a new AI Overviews feature for search and discovery powered by Gemini. A “small number” of YouTube Premium subscribers in the U.S. will notice a video results carousel popping up for some English-language search queries. The feature taps AI to highlight clips from videos deemed most helpful for a particular search. Initially, the feature will appear in response to practical inquiries, aiming for a more helpful response to things like product inquiries and requests for information about a place or activity. The idea is to provide quick highlights from several videos. Continue reading YouTube Testing Gemini-Powered AI Overviews for Searches

Meta Platforms has introduced a new Instagram Reels feature called Blend that lets users customize a video feed for themselves and friends. The invite-only Blends can be built for a single friend or within a group chat. Once created, the feed is refreshed each day with new content, with all members able to add material. The idea is to let friends explore and discover content together while adding a new interactive element that harkens back to social media’s roots, cutting through the recent trend of viral influencer content and ads. Earlier this year it was reported that the new feature was being developed. Continue reading Meta Brings ‘Blend’ Custom Video Feed Feature to Instagram

Neptune is a new social video app aiming to compete in the short-form space against stalwarts like TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels. Currently in beta with a test base of about 1,000 users, Neptune has amassed a waitlist of 400,000, according to the company. The app’s noteworthy features include the ability to hide likes and follower counts, in furtherance of a desire to prioritize creativity over competition. That goal stems from founder Ashley Darling’s past experience working as a talent director at the beauty and wellness agency OPTYX, where her focus was “underestimated influencers.” Continue reading TikTok Challenger Neptune Lets Users Hide Likes, Followers

A new Discord Social SDK allows developers to integrate the platform in-app for games. Discord is massively popular with gamers; the company estimates PC players alone spend more than 1.5 billion hours each month on the platform. This free SDK can extend the user experience beyond the third-party content in which it becomes embedded to reach the platform’s community of over 200 million monthly active users. “Developers can power friends lists, cross-platform messaging, voice and more for all players — with or without a Discord account,” the company announced. Continue reading New Discord Social SDK Integrates Platform In-App for Games

Substack has enabled video publishing directly from within the Substack app. The move is designed to increase user engagement while helping its authors monetize, including with smartphones. Each video post can be formatted to reach subscribers instantly through email, app notifications, or both. “With millions of weekly active users and 1 million posts discovered daily, the Substack app has become the leading driver of subscriber and revenue growth for publishers building sustainable, independent businesses,” the company claims. The Substack network has also become a discovery ecosystem, helping creators find potential subscribers. Continue reading Substack Now Lets Creators Monetize with Video Publishing

Amazon has pulled the plug on Inspire, its TikTok-type, short-form video and photo mobile feed designed to help customers explore and discover new products by browsing various categories. Like TikTok, Inspire used a vertical feed and opportunities to purchase products used by influencers and other customers. The shopping giant is instead referring customers to its shopping chatbot Rufus. Amazon has since November 2023 partnered with Instagram to promote shopping within the app, and also has a deal with Snap, so it still has ties to social shopping. Inspire was launched in December 2022 and expanded to national availability in May of 2023. Continue reading Amazon Replaces Social Shopping Feed with Rufus Chatbot

In the conference track of CES this year is a lineup of talks and panels on gaming and esports. During the “Generational Shifts: The Evolution of Gaming” panel, moderated by Consumer Technology Association (CTA) Senior Manager of Market Research Steven Hummel, industry executives and thought leaders shared their views on market trends emerging post-pandemic and how those trends are driving gaming across other media. While it is not surprising to hear that the average age of gamers tends to skew younger these days, perhaps the bigger takeaway is that gaming has become the new social media for many. Continue reading CES: Gaming Is the New Social Media for Young Generations