By reusing and repurposing existing writing into viral fragments on Twitter, the account functioned like today’s chatbots. The Guardian spoke to Jacob Bakkila, the human behind the accountMore than a decade before an AI-powered chatbot could do your homework, help you make dinner or pass the bar exam, there was @Horse_ebooks. The primitive predecessor to today’s chatbot renaissance began as a Twitter account in 2010, tweeting automated excerpts from ebooks that, decontextualized, took on unexpected and strangely poetic meanings.Purportedly a spambot, the account surfaced quotes from ebooks that went viral for their absurdist fragments – phrases like “Hello saxophone,” “COULD THIS BE THE”, and “Today we are lucky to be talking”. It amassed more than 200,000 followers at its peak and now, despite being inactive for a decade, the account still holds 131,000 followers. Its most memorable quip – “everything happens so much” – still resonates today. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2024-01-03 15:00:04 UTC ]
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In his debut novel 'Vintage Contemporaries,' Dan Kois tracks two friends with big dreams in '90s New York and pays homage to late author Laurie Colwin. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-01-13 14:00:22 UTC ]
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Two years after her apparent suicide, the novelist has announced she is still very much alive. Is this what it takes to sell books nowadays?‘All publicity is good publicity,” Susan Meachen thought to herself as she prepared to stage her suicide. In September 2020, Meachen, the self-published... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-01-11 07:00:12 UTC ]
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Because AI is apparently just like us, it seems to have romanticized the creative fields. So instead of, say, figuring out how to help me dispute denied insurance claims, it’s more interested in writing children’s books, getting into poetry, and now… narrating audiobooks. Yesterday, The Verge... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-01-06 17:02:28 UTC ]
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A curious setting in Adobe Photoshop’s privacy preferences has the artistic community on edge this week. A recent viral moment highlights just how nervous the artist community is about artificial intelligence (AI). It started earlier this week, when French comic book author Claire Wendling... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2023-01-06 09:45:00 UTC ]
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When you browse Apple Books for your next audiobook, you might come across a few titles with a note that says they were "Narrated by Apple Books." That's because the tech giant has released a catalogue of titles that make use of its new AI-powered digital narration service. The company said the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-01-05 13:10:59 UTC ]
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Apple and Google’s AI turn in a booming market may sound less than human and raise the ire of voiceover actors, but it has cost benefits For the first few seconds, the narrator of Kristen Ethridge’s new romance audiobook, Shelter from the Storm, sounds like a human being. The voice is light and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-01-05 06:41:18 UTC ]
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The end of the year has produced a spike in financial troubles that include at least four independent comics publishers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The Murdoch stable has let indiscretions slide in the past but there is less tolerance now. Plus: Nine returns to AAPJust as News Corp Australia was licking its wounds after terminating three big name journalists for allegedly behaving badly, another scandal has broken.The Australian’s... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-12-16 02:16:26 UTC ]
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Amazon is discontinuing its print textbook rental program, and will phase out print and digital magazine and newspaper subscriptions as well, though some magazines and newspapers will remain available through Kindle Unlimited. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Emergence Magazine is an online publication with annual print edition exploring the threads connecting ecology, culture, and spirituality. As we experience the desecration of our lands and waters, the extinguishing of species, and a loss of sacred connection to the Earth, we look to emerging... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-12-12 09:52:40 UTC ]
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A prized center of Arabic language, culture, and literature in London is closing amid mounting economic and post-Brexit challenges. The post London’s Al Saqi Bookstore Is Closing, Ending a 44-Year Run appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-12-06 02:05:02 UTC ]
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Bookends & Beginnings in Evanston, Ill., which announced several weeks ago that it was forced to move to another space after its landlord raised the rent 125%, launched a GoFundMe campaign to finance the move. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The holiday travel season is once again upon us! It's the magical time of the year that combines standing in airport security lines with incrementally losing your mind as the hands of your watch perpetually tick closer to a boarding time that magically moved up 45 minutes since you left the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-12-04 15:30:19 UTC ]
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Disney researchers have developed an artificial intelligence system that seemingly makes it far easier to make an actor appear younger or older in a scene. While artists will still be able to make manual adjustments to make sure the effect looks as realistic as possible, the AI tool could take... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-12-01 15:45:09 UTC ]
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The upcoming Microsoft Designer is a visual art design tool that you simply must try for yourself. It’s simply one of the best consumer apps Microsoft has ever made, following in the footsteps of Clipchamp. Why use Designer? Two reasons: AI art and templates. In Designer, you can combine... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2022-11-30 21:59:02 UTC ]
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Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts is calling on Congress to pass new legislation to rein in tech companies after Twitter boss Elon Musk ignored an information request. “Elon Musk could respond to my tweets but failed to respond to my letter by yesterday’s deadline and answer basic questions... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-11-28 12:15:18 UTC ]
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Faced with a a huge increase in rent from a new landlord, Bookends & Beginnings in Evanston, Ill. is moving to a slightly larger space on a main street two blocks away from its current location. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-16 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Religion publishers aim to help readers looking for a deeper spiritual experience this Christmas season with a number of new titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-09 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Women have faced gender-based discrimination in the workforce throughout history, denied employment in all but a handful of subservient roles, regularly ignored for promotions and pay raises — and rarely ever compensated at the same rates as their male peers. This long and storied socioeconomic... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-10-30 14:30:31 UTC ]
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The vending machine, created by Bogle Bartle Hegarty, was placed at Comic Con in London, as part of a seasonally appropriate activation for the new Netflix series The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself. Continue reading at Media Week
[ Media Week | 2022-10-28 12:44:39 UTC ]
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