‘Where does the bot end and human begin?’: what the legendary @Horse_ebooks can teach us about AI

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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Legendary Knopf Editor Robert Gottlieb Dies at 92

Knopf executive v-p and publisher Reagan Arthur said it would be hard to name an editor who had a more lasting and profound impact on American letters than Gottlieb: "He had a vision not just for what worked on the page, but what worked in the marketplace." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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‘AI Voices’ in Audiobooks: Storytel in ElevenLabs Partnership

Storytel invests in ElevenLabs, looking to offer automated audiobook readings and 'voice switching' for users between preferred voices. The post ‘AI Voices’ in Audiobooks: Storytel in ElevenLabs Partnership appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-06-13 21:58:52 UTC ]
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Michael Caine’s novel will most likely be rubbish, but I’m glad he’s found his happy ending | Xan Brooks

Most actors make terrible novelists – but writing the ‘cracking thriller’ Deadly Game was life-affirming for the veteran star, so never mind the finished productGod spare us another millionaire actor who fancies themself as a bestselling author –unless the actor is Michael Caine, in which case... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-06-08 12:30:07 UTC ]
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Google and Facebook urged by EU to label AI-generated content

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[ The Guardian | 2023-06-05 13:06:04 UTC ]
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Authors Guild Issues Contract Clause Changes to Account for AI

As part of its campaign to protect its members from the rise of large language models and other artificial intelligence tools, the Authors Guild has released four new model contract clauses concerning the technology. Earlier, the Guild released a survey of members that found that 69% of those... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
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What Banned Books Can Teach Us: Building an LGBTQ Picture Book Library for Pride

This year, I’m celebrating Pride through LGBTQ children’s books. I’m building a new library for my two kids and wife Stefanie, who is trans and transitioned just two years ago. We began with Being You: A First Conversation About Gender (Penguin, 2021) and a pride alphabet book, Pride Puppy... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-01 08:53:12 UTC ]
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The Morning After: Industry leaders say AI presents 'risk of extinction' on par with nuclear war

With the rise of AI language models and tools like ChatGPT and Bard, we've heard warnings from people involved, like Elon Musk, about the risks posed by AI. Now, a group of high-profile industry leaders has issued a one-sentence statement: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-05-31 11:15:45 UTC ]
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Illinois set to become first state to end book bans

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[ The Guardian | 2023-05-30 10:00:33 UTC ]
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Microsoft appeals for a new US agency to regulate AI

Microsoft has called for the US federal government to create a new agency specifically focused on regulating AI, Bloombergreports. At a speech in Washington, DC attended by some members of Congress and non-governmental organizations, Microsoft vice chair and president Brad Smith remarked that... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-05-26 09:55:10 UTC ]
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The Only Good Harry Potter Spinoff Could Teach a Thing or Two to J.K. Rowling

America’s second-most-popular play at high schools is a very unauthorized wizard story. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2023-05-26 09:50:00 UTC ]
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A More Introspective End of the World: A Reading List of Quiet Apocalypse Books

Apocalypse brings to mind cataclysmic events, often involving Mad Max-esq fighting, cannibalism, and what horrors one must endure, or commit, to survive. I love such stories. I like to imagine that I would survive, thrive even, conveniently forgetting that my life of indoor pursuits, reading,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-25 12:26:54 UTC ]
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U.S. Book Show: Human Connection Powers the Book Business

Editors and literary agents on the mechanics—and the emotions—behind the publishing business, what makes a bestseller, and how book bidding wars can cloud expectations. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury admits using AI-generated artwork for Sarah J Maas novel

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[ The Guardian | 2023-05-19 14:30:22 UTC ]
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After layoffs and an AI scandal, CNET's staff is unionizing

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[ Engadget | 2023-05-16 16:13:18 UTC ]
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Why are biographies so popular? Because humans are enthralled by the lives of others | Caroline Knox

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[ The Guardian | 2023-05-09 08:00:15 UTC ]
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AI machines aren’t ‘hallucinating’. But their makers are | Naomi Klein

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[ The Guardian | 2023-05-08 08:02:01 UTC ]
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S&S Posts Record Quarter, Could Be Sold by End of Year

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-04 04:00:00 UTC ]
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AI Concerns Drop Chegg Stock by 48%

The stock price of Chegg, the online learning platform for university students, fell 48% Tuesday, after its CEO reported that a spike in interest by students in ChatGPT resulted in lower than expected results in the first quarter. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Microsoft Designer’s superb, free AI art tools open to everyone

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[ PC World | 2023-04-27 17:06:28 UTC ]
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