Happy Tuesday.
The current thing in tech and business is a new paper by Google announcing a breakthrough in quantum that threatens Bitcoin security.
Today’s lineupProject Eleven Co-Founder & CEO Alex Pruden at 12:00 PM
Applied Intuition Founder & CEO Qasar Younis at 12:15 PM
The Infinity Machine author Sebastian Mallaby at 12:30 PM
Somos Founder Forrest Heath at 1:00 PM
Saronic Co-Founder & CEO Dino Mavrookas at 1:10 PM
WHOOP Founder & CEO Will Ahmed at 1:20 PM
Public Co-Founder & Co-CEO Jannick Malling at 1:30 PM
Crosby Co-Founder & CEO Ryan Daniels at 1:40 PM
Co-Founder & President Chris Yu at 1:50 PM
AI Is Coming for Your Memes
Memes are changing.
That became abundantly clear during the Oscars a few weeks back, when Conan tried to create a new Leonardo DiCaprio meme (to go alongside the classic Leo memes). In doing so, especially by using “TFW” and the blocky white font that defined early internet memes, he inadvertently demonstrated that the meme templates Millennials grew up with have become increasingly stale, even cringe.
Instead, AI-generated videos are the new meme template that every network and studio should be focusing their launches on.
Look at what’s happening with the Harry Potter reboot. When the trailer first dropped, the reaction to the new Snape, played by Ghanaian-English actor Paapa Essiedu, was (predictably and unfortunately) negative. According to the LA Times, he’s received death threats since being cast in the role.
But after a few incredibly viral (and well-produced) AI videos, one an “original” Snape vs. Black Snape MMA match, another an AI-generated rap video, and another, Dripwarts the School of Drip, the narrative has started to shift. The videos have amassed tens of millions of views, and on my timeline, sentiment around both the character and the reboot has done a complete 180.
AI meme videos are inherently viral and are driving real awareness in a way traditional memes no longer can. Not just because they’re novel (and more entertaining), but because a single AI clip can travel further and compound harder than traditional meme formats in social feeds that now heavily favor video.
This suggests a new playbook for marketers, especially in entertainment. If you’re about to drop a trailer for a new movie or show, you need to be thinking about your ragebait character. The one people will latch onto, remix with AI, and build around (I wouldn’t be surprised if Dwayne Johnson’s Maui, already getting roasted for his hilariously fake wig in early footage from the live-action Moana, ends up becoming the next iconic AI meme character).
Conan tried to force a Leo meme down our throats at the Oscars. While this might have worked 12 years ago (see Ellen’s selfie), that playbook is over. Today, enraged fans and communities will, if you’re successful, take your characters or moments and turn them into something much bigger: entire cinematic universes.
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HeadlinesClaude code source code leaked
Bloomberg: Google Paper Warns Crypto on Quantum Risk Ahead of 2029 Timeline
Forbes: Google Finds Quantum Computers Could Break Bitcoin Sooner Than Expected
➞ Google Research: Safeguarding cryptocurrency by disclosing quantum vulnerabilities responsibly
Explained: cybersecurity attack targets popular HTTP client library
Jack Dorsey posts X article: From Hierarchy to Intelligence
NYT: Heeding Kennedy’s Wishes, F.D.A. Is Expected to Lift Restriction on Peptides
Oracle layoffs reported as company pushes deeper into AI
Bloomberg: Allbirds to Wind Down After Selling Assets for Just $39 Million
Colossus: How Demis Hassabis Went From Idealist to Realist
Dominic Alvieri: “Mercor AI has allegedly been breached by Lapsus”
FT: US presses UK and allies to secure quantum computing supply chains
Class action lawsuit against David (protein bars) voluntarily dismissed
Insider Gaming: Disney Senior Executives Have Considered Buying Epic Games, It’s Claimed
CNBC: Autonomous ship startup Saronic raises $1.75 billion in race to modernize U.S. military
NYT: Whoop, a Wearable Health Device Maker, Raises $575 Million
Public releases AI Agents for investing
FT: Raspberry Pi profit surges as AI boom lifts demand
Windows on Theory: The state of AI safety in four fake graphs
Supply Chain Attack on Axios Pulls Malicious Dependency from npm
The Guardian: ‘Succulent Chinese meal’ speech added to Australia’s National Film and Sound Archive
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