The iPhone of AI

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Happy Tuesday, FutureParty people. And happy 50th anniversary to Dungeons & Dragons. The role-playing tabletop game has undergone quite a journey from a favorite of teens huddled in basements to becoming one of the most popular and enduring IPs across every form of media (including a great, criminally under-seen movie). And yes, people are still playing it in basements, letting their imaginations soar just as they did when they were kids.

DAILY TOP TRENDS

Altman, Ive, and Powell Jobs’ AI Team-Up

It’s official: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and former Apple design chief Jony Ive are working together on an AI device, and they’ve brought in investor Laurene Powell Jobs to lead funding.

Why It Hits: While there are plenty of startups trying to make an AI device happen, the difficulty is making any of them feel as necessary as just carrying around a smartphone. A truly necessary AI device could finally put a second device in consumers’ pockets.

Between the Lines: Considering the pedigree of Altman, Ive, and Powell Jobs, AI could soon get its “iPhone moment.”

• The partnership between Altman and Ive has been rumored since September 2023 but was confirmed by Ive in a new NYT profile. Ive’s brand, LoveFrom, is leading design.

• The company hasn’t disclosed what the device could even remotely be or when it would be released, but it’s said to have a touchscreen element.

• The project has raised almost a billion dollars in a funding round led by Powell Jobs’ Emerson Collective (Powell Jobs is the widow of Apple’s Steve Jobs).

• The company has 10 employees, including iPhone vets Tang Tan and Evans Hankey, working out of an office in San Francisco.

The Future: Jony Ive is credited with spearheading the look and feel of the iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Apple Watch… you know, devices heralded for their genius simplicity and intuitive design. And of course, Altman is the ruler of OpenAI, which is only amassing more wealth and power. The device would likely be the physical embodiment of ChatGPT, cementing the era of AI.

Go Deeper: Don’t expect the device to be released anytime soon — LoveFrom doesn’t have a reputation for rushing.

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California Turns Off Kids’ Notifications

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new bill into law that puts strict parameters around how social media apps can interact with minors in the state.

The Big Picture: Governments, social scientists, and parents are trying to figure out how best to moderate kids’ relationships with social media — technology designed to keep us endlessly engaged. Like many laws in the state, California’s law could be a blueprint for the rest of the country.

Behind the Code: California’s SB976 has received the official signature to become the state law starting in 2027.

• The law stipulates that social media apps can’t send minors notifications during school hours (8AM to 3PM on weekdays) and when they should be sleeping (12AM to 6AM).

• It also requires that minors automatically be given a depersonalized experience on the apps, meaning no algorithmic recommendations.

• But these rules aren’t hard and fast — parents can turn off both rules if desired.

Closing Thoughts: California’s law is especially significant because most of the companies affected have their HQs in the state and have generated enormous profits from keeping users — especially young users — hooked. Putting guardrails in place to protect minors was already trending within social media companies themselves (thanks to several explosive reports on how they didn’t for years). Putting legal limitations on how minors can use social media may be culture’s first step towards treating platforms like cigarettes — things people used freely all the time but turned out to be bad for them.

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DEEP DIVES

• Read: Complex profiles Elliott Hill, Nike’s new CEO… who’s no newcomer to the brand.

• Watch: Bloomberg explores whether American consumers, who are finally getting some relief with the Fed’s first rate cut in four years, are economically exhausted.

• Listen: Oscar-winning filmmaker Cord Jefferson (American Fiction) and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Creed) give a masterclass about making movies in Hollywood for In Proximity.

53.1% of you voted No in yesterday’s poll: Do you work in the entertainment industry?

“However, I got laid off from a network in 2017, then got a great studio job to get laid off again in 2022. Haven’t worked since, so… pivot?!”

“Like so many others, I’ve been affected by the strikes and the studios cutting back. Hence, since being laid off in 2023, I’ve had to take work outside the industry to make ends meet.”

“Moved to LA to become a filmmaker 15 years ago. Now a partner in my own talent management company.”

“Events, baby!”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join our Poll Of The Day newsletter so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

QUICK HITS

→ Entertainment / Media

🤯 Filmmaker and mo-cap acting wizard Andy Serkis is making a “narrative-driven story” where AI characters come to life via AR.

🎮 Nintendo quietly filed paperwork with the FCC for a new wireless device. Could this be a new console?

💿 Nonprofit organization SoundExchange is launching a registry for artists to protect their music from being illegally used as training data by AI systems.

→ Technology

🖥️ Qualcomm is making a takeover play for rival Intel — a deal that could be worth nearly $100 billion.

🔋 The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania is reopening to power Microsoft data centers.

🤖 Cloudflare is opening a marketplace that will allow websites to set payment terms to let bots scrape their content.

→ Creator Economy

📱 TikTok is launching an updated “Subscriptions” tool for creators on the platform.

📺 X is getting a video tab on its platform and has already programmed its first X-exclusive show — a soccer-focused reality show produced by Seven Seven Six founder Alexis Ohanian.

📣 Twitch is launching a feature that allows multiple creators livestreaming together to merge their chats.