| Here’s a look at today's tech briefing: - Pixar cuts 14% of its workforce amid shift toward feature films.
- OpenAI pauses ChatGPT voice resembling Scarlett Johansson.
- Microsoft shows off AI Copilots that perform tasks autonomously.
- Apple appeals $2B antitrust fine from EU.
- Study: Internet web pages are disappearing.
- $15 Comcast bundle combines Netflix, Apple TV+, Peacock.
Beth
p/beth-duckett | |
| 1 | | Pixar is cutting 14% of its workforce, the largest layoffs in its history, as parent company Disney works to slash annual spending by $7.5B. Under Disney CEO Bob Iger, Pixar is refocusing on theatrical releases over exclusive streaming films and shows. More: - While Disney began mass layoffs across divisions last year, Pixar's downsizing was postponed due to ongoing production schedules.
- The animation studio is now cutting 175 of its 1,300 employees, fewer than the 260 workers that were expected.
- Disney acquired Pixar in 2006 and has used it for Disney+ content under ex-CEO Bob Chapek, who pushed for exclusive streaming content.
- However, Iger is now scaling back Disney+ original content to focus on quality and profitability amid high streaming competition.
- More feature films will screen in theaters before launching on Disney+.
Zoom out: - Since 2019, only one Pixar animated feature — "Elemental" — has grossed over $480M globally.
- "Inside Out 2," Pixar's newest film, premieres June 14, followed by "Elio" in 2025 and "Toy Story 5" in 2026.
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| 2 | | OpenAI paused a ChatGPT voice resembling Scarlett Johansson's after the actress hired legal counsel and sent inquiries about its creation. Johansson voiced a virtual assistant in the film "Her," featuring a man falling in love with the AI system. OpenAI said the voice, "Sky", is not an imitation of Johansson but was created by another professional actress. More: - Johansson says OpenAI offered to hire her for an audible version of ChatGPT. After she declined, the actress says OpenAI launched a voice that sounds "eerily similar" to her own.
- OpenAI hired the voice actor for Sky before contacting Johansson and has since paused using that voice in its products "out of respect for Ms. Johansson," its CEO said.
- The Sky voice has been available in ChatGPT since last September, but its similarity to Johansson became clearer last week when the company demoed a newer AI model.
Zoom out: - On Tuesday, the actors' union SAG-AFTRA backed Johansson, saying it shares her concerns and supports "her right to have clarity and transparency regarding the voice used."
- The debate over AI mimicking actors' likenesses has escalated in Hollywood, as AI-generated content becomes more and more indistinguishable from humans.
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| 3 | | Microsoft showed off new AI-powered Copilots that act like virtual employees and automatically perform assigned tasks in the background. Microsoft is now testing the "AI agents," with plans for a public preview later this year. More: - CEO Satya Nadella announced the AI agents at today's Microsoft Build developer conference keynote.
- Copilot agents autonomously monitor systems like inboxes and perform complex tasks like data entry in the background without waiting for user prompts
- The agents can also ask for help, learn from new feedback, and use business data to complete tasks triggered by specific events.
- Businesses and developers can build their own AI Copilots inside Microsoft's Copilot Studio.
Other Build announcements: | | | |
| 4 | | Apple is appealing a nearly $2B antitrust fine from the European Union over music streaming competition concerns. In March, the EU fined Apple for blocking rival music streaming apps from promoting cheaper subscription alternatives outside the App Store. More: - The European Commission began investigating Apple in 2020 following Spotify's complaint that Apple was suppressing its service to favor iTunes and Apple Music.
- In March, the EU determined that Apple does stifle competition by preventing developers from promoting cheaper music subscriptions to iOS users.
- In addition to a €1.84B fine, the EU required Apple to allow European music apps to inform users of alternative purchasing options and add links for subscription purchases.
Zoom out: - At the time, Apple said it would appeal the decision, arguing the EU failed to "uncover any credible evidence of consumer harm, and ignores the realities of a market that is thriving, competitive, and growing fast."
- Apple officially filed its appeal on May 16 at the EU's General Court in Luxembourg, though a ruling may take years.
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| 5 | | Internet web pages are disappearing, according to the Pew Research Center. A quarter of all pages that existed from 2013 to 2023 are now unreachable, according to Pew's analysis, which found that online content can be fleeting, with pages often deleted on otherwise functional websites. 
What the numbers show: Of all the web pages that existed in 2013, 38% are now lost, and even 8% of 2023 pages have already disappeared. Pew found that 23% of news pages and 21% of government websites have at least one broken link, while 54% of Wikipedia references contain dead links. Similarly, about a fifth of tweets vanish within months of posting. What it means: Contrary to popular belief, web content is not permanent, with many pages being deleted or moved, contributing to this "digital decay." Social media posts, especially tweets, are often short-lived, though viral content may last longer through repeated posts. | | | |
| 6 | | Comcast will charge $15 a month for its streaming bundle combining Netflix, Apple TV+, and Peacock. The StreamSaver package is only available to Comcast's cable, internet, and mobile subscribers. More: - The bundle offers Netflix's ad-supported plan ($6.99/month), Peacock's ad-supported Premium ($5.99/month), and ad-free Apple TV Plus ($9.99/month).
- By bundling, subscribers save $8 a month or $96 a year.
- Comcast is also adding Netflix and Apple TV+ to its Now TV service, which includes 40 live-streaming channels and Peacock for $30 a month.
Zoom out: - Streaming platforms are bundling more services at discounts to attract customers wary of multiple subscriptions amid market saturation.
- As customers shift from pay-TV to streaming, Comcast hopes to counter subscriber losses by making more revenue per subscriber.
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 | AI and technology writer | | Beth is a contributing editor and writer of Inside's AI and Tech newsletters. She has written for publications including USA Today, the Arizona Business Gazette, and The Arizona Republic, where she received recognition with a Pulitzer Prize nomination and a First Amendment Award for collaborative reporting on state pension cost increases. You can reach her at Beth.Duckett@yahoo.com. | | This newsletter was edited by Beth Duckett | |
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