If you were online between March 25 and March 26, your timeline may have been flooded with a barrage of AI-generated images, a large number of which would have been existing photographs recreated using the style of Studio Ghibli’s anime. On March 25, Sam Altman announced on Twitter that they Read more…
Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about one of my favourite science fiction novels: ‘Snow Crash‘ by Neal Stephenson. “Snow Crash” envisions a future world where nation states have unravelled into chaotic, hyper-commercialised landscapes where traditional governmental structures have largely disintegrated. In this world, power is decentralised and fractured among Read more…
There’s been a disturbance in the Force. Have you felt it? All across popular culture, we have been witnessing an interesting phenomenon: the blurring of lines, the fading to grey, the end of good and evil. It’s all a matter of perspective, haven’t you heard? Call me old-fashioned, but I’ve Read more…
If I were to ask you about a film depiction of artificial intelligence, there are quite a few candidates that would pop into one’s head. My mind tends to immediately jump to some classics, such as HAL 9000 in “2001: A Space Odyssey”. Another popular one is Skynet, and therefore Read more…
It’s difficult to take anything coming out of Elon Musk’s Twitter account seriously, and I say this as a person who is quite fond of a bit of eccentricity online. Since the pandemic began, Musk has been trying to keep the attention of a bored world squarely on him. He Read more…
I recently read a Vice article entitled “I Miss My iPod Classic More Than Anything” with a mixture of appreciation and smugness. As the proud owner of an iPod Classic, I tend to agree with all the sentiments expressed, with the added pleasure of still being able to listen to Read more…
[SPOILERS] After languishing for more than a year in my “to read” pile, I finally got around to reading The Circle by David Eggers. This is an important, yet flawed book, and while I loved many of the concepts and loathed the dystopian present that it describes, I believe that Read more…
A very interesting case has been developing this week to highlight several issues surrounding the DMCA take-down procedure, and the protection of copyright story elements such as plot, story and dialogue. The case involves the YouTube channel of Spanish geek vlogger Frikidoctor, which seems to specialise in Game of Thrones Read more…
There has been a disturbance in the Force, have you felt it? Wait, wrong franchise. To Boldly Go Where No Copyright Suit Has Gone Before! Yes, Qapla’ ! Occasionally there are cases that seem to be tailor-made for legal geeks: Naruto v Slater; Lucasfilm v Ainsworth; DC Comics v Towle. Read more…
I have to admit that I am not a big fan of radio. Other than the occasional listen to the always excellent BBC Radio 6, I tend to spend most of my listening time with my own music (iPods still rule!), and podcasts. I have been surprised by the endurance Read more…