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While I focus on Technology, Innovation, and Publishing, because I have a platform, I also flag items that I think are important. I also try to include some resources & opportunities. Please let me know what you think.

Technology

Report: AI-Written Articles Near 50% of Web

Articles generated by AI have briefly outnumbered those written by humans, but the two are now about equal.

https://www.axios.com/2025/10/14/ai-generated-writing-humans

CAA Slams OpenAI’s Sora 2 For ‘Serious and Harmful Risks’ to Clients’ IP: ‘Compensation Is a Fundamental Right’

HT @benedictevans OpenAI launched Sora with minimal copyright restrictions in classic ‘ask for forgiveness, not permission’ mode, but has had to tighten up after a Hollywood backlash.

https://variety.com/2025/film/news/caa-openai-sora-2-harmful-intellectual-property-1236543954/

Hollywood has no idea what to do about AI

Hollywood is struggling to figure out how to respond to OpenAI’s rapid AI advances, particularly given its use of copyrighted content without clear permissions.

https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/798496/hollywood-openai-training-netflix-paramount-warner

Japan wants OpenAI to stop ripping off manga and anime

OpenAI is struggling to contain fallout from copyrighted characters like Mario and Pikachu running rampant on Sora.

https://www.theverge.com/news/799938/japan-government-openai-sora

Spooked by AI, Bollywood stars drag Google into fight for ‘personality rights’

HT @benedictevans They asked judge to prohibit creation of AI videos infringing their IP.They also want Google safeguards to ensure YouTube videos uploaded anyway do not train other AI platforms

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/society-equity/spooked-by-ai-bollywood-stars-drag-google-into-fight-personality-rights-2025-10-01/

WPP commits $400M for AI spending with Google under expanded partnership

Google’s AI will be used to create advertising campaigns by WPP, including real-time personalized marketing

https://seekingalpha.com/news/4503952-wpp-commits-400m-for-ai-spending-with-google-under-expanded-partnership

Walmart partners with OpenAI so shoppers can buy things directly in ChatGPT

With the Walmart partnership, the AI-driven shopping experience “allows customers and Sam’s Club members to plan meals, restock essentials, or discover new products simply by chatting — Walmart will take care of the rest,”

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/walmart-chatgpt-online-shopping-ai-openai-agentic/

1 in 5 high schoolers has had a romantic AI relationship, or knows someone who has

https://www.npr.org/2025/10/08/nx-s1-5561981/ai-students-schools-teachers

Meta is adding more parental controls for teen AI use

https://www.theverge.com/news/801505/meta-ai-chatbot-parental-controls-instagram

Pinterest’s ‘tuner’ lets you dial down the amount of AI content — but not entirely

https://www.theverge.com/news/801093/pinterest-tuner-tool-ai-content-categories

Google launches Veo 3.1 AI video generator. Here are the best new features.

While OpenAI’s Sora 2 has been getting all the attention recently, we found in our comparison that Google Veo 3 is a more capable video generation model altogether. Now it looks like Google might be widening the gap with the launch of Google Veo 3.1.

https://mashable.com/article/google-veo-3-1-announced-new-features

Amazon launches AgentCore AI agent platform

https://the-decoder.com/amazon-launches-agentcore-ai-agent-platform-for-all-businesses/

The holy grail of AI? A model that teaches itself

Self-improving language models are becoming reality with MIT’s updated SEAL technique – they  improve themselves by generating synthetic data to fine-tune upon.

https://venturebeat.com/ai/self-improving-language-models-are-becoming-reality-with-mits-updated-seal

Dfinity launches Caffeine, an AI platform that builds production apps from natural language prompts

It lets users build and deploy full web applications through natural language prompts, eliminating the need for coding. It uses the Motoko programming language, which mathematically guarantees that updates cannot delete user data and enables “orthogonal persistence” to manage data without databases. Early tests show strong engagement, with users creating complex applications — from CRMs to AI-driven tools — entirely by conversation. Dfinity envisions this as the start of a “self-writing internet,” where anyone with a smartphone can create and evolve software through dialogue with AI.

https://venturebeat.com/ai/dfinity-launches-caffeine-an-ai-platform-that-builds-production-apps-from

Will A.I. Trap You in the “Permanent Underclass”?

An online joke reflects a sincere fear about how A.I. automation will upend the labor market and create a new norm of inequality.

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/will-ai-trap-you-in-the-permanent-underclass

OpenAI, Nvidia Fuel $1 Trillion AI Market With Web of Circular Deals

A wave of deals and partnerships are escalating concerns that the trillion-dollar AI boom is being propped up by interconnected business transactions.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-10-07/openai-s-nvidia-amd-deals-boost-1-trillion-ai-boom-with-circular-deals

A small amount of bad data can ‘poison’ even the largest AI models, researchers warn

They assumed attackers need to corrupt a large percentage, or millions of documents for large models. But this study showed a tiny handful of malicious documents can “infect” a model, no matter how large.

https://fortune.com/2025/10/14/anthropic-study-bad-data-poison-ai-models-openai-broadcom-sora-2/

Air Street State of AI Report

HT @benedictevans

https://www.stateof.ai/2025-report-launch

Next Big Things in Tech 2025

From workplace productivity to medical research to gaming and beyond, this was the year AI got real—and it was hardly the only source of 2025’s breakthroughs.

https://www.fastcompany.com/next-big-things-in-tech/list

DoorDash unveils Dot, its autonomous robot built to deliver your food

https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/30/doordash-unveils-dot-its-autonomous-robot-built-to-deliver-your-food/

New York bans AI-enabled rent price fixing

It’s the first statewide ban on algorithms designed to drive up rent.

https://www.theverge.com/news/801205/new-york-rent-price-fixing-ban-software

Publishing & Media

Libraries Look to Fill the Gap Left by Baker & Taylor

Amazon Business created a dedicated Library Hub, Ingram is well positioned to pick up a sizable chunk of B&T’s business, and Bookazine has had some interest.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/98808-libraries-look-to-fill-the-gap-left-by-baker-taylor.html

Trump refiles $15B suit against NYT & PRH after judge’s rebuke

A federal judge had called the original complaint “decidedly improper and impermissible,” and ordered the president to refile his lawsuit against the paper, its reporters and Penguin Random House. #teamPRH

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/10/16/trump-new-york-times-lawsuit/

Good Intentions Aren’t Enough in Publishing Deals: How Creators Can Protect Themselves

The internet is rich with stories about contractual clauses that limit artistic freedom and lock creatives into restrictive terms. This is especially true for unagented authors and illustrators who often find themselves confronting power imbalances within the publishing arena on their own.

https://janefriedman.com/good-intentions-arent-enough-in-publishing-deals-how-creators-can-protect-themselves/

A Texas District Has Just Banned Students from Secondary School Libraries

A Texas school district just shut down access to all secondary school libraries for students due to the regulations of the state’s Senate Bill 13. They voted to shut down all but elementary school libraries in the district in order to ensure their collections are compliant with the law. The bill requires that school libraries remain free of “harmful material,” “indecent content,” and “profane content.” All three of these designations lack any legal definition, opening wide the door for interpretation and undermining the federal standard of the Miller Test in determining obscenity. Laws like SB 13 have been appearing in state legislature nationwide, with the intention to dismantle shared understanding of obscenity in favor of partisan-flavored interpretation of what does and does not constitute “inappropriate” material in books.

https://bookriot.com/new-braunfels-isd-library-closures-sb-13/

YouTube is devouring TV networks around the world. Their choices: capitulate or collapse

Broadcasters are realizing that if they want to grow, or stay solvent, they have to shift their shows to where the viewers are. But does it seem fair to pay YouTube 45% of all ad revenue? Via @claireatki

https://www.themediamix.co/p/youtube-is-devouring-tv-nets-around

Netflix Jumps Into Podcasts With Spotify Deal

Netflix will show video versions of 16 podcasts on sports, culture, entertainment and true crime.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/business/media/netflix-spotify-podcast-deal.html?unlocked_article_code=1.tk8.n6rI.8N-vcP83XEou&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Kids who use social media score lower on reading and memory tests, a study shows

Kids who those who had about one hour a day by age 13 performed on average 1 to 2 points lower on the reading and memory tasks compared to the non-social media users. And the high usage group performed up to 4 to 5 points lower. It’s problematic at really high uses, but it’s also problematic at even in small doses. Even a slight change after a short period of time means that they’re pointed on a trajectory that is different from others: In two, three, five years from now, we might be talking about some very significant gaps between kids who might have been heavy users or not as heavy users.

https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/10/13/nx-s1-5571050/social-media-teens-brains-reading-memory

7 of History’s Costliest Typos

HT @BoSacks

https://historyfacts.com/arts-culture/article/costliest-typos-history/

Resources & Opportunities

CreativeMornings Breakfast Talk with Tina Roth Eisenberg

10/22 8:30-10am Valley Bank NYC – All are welcome!

Join WMG for a special conversation with Tina Roth Eisenberg, founder of CreativeMornings, the global breakfast lecture series that celebrates creativity and community in > 250 cities worldwide. Hosted in the style of CreativeMornings, we’ll welcome you with pastries, coffee, and networking. Then Tina will have a fireside chat exploring what it really takes to build authentic communities in today’s media and creative landscapes. After Q&A, four attendees will have the opportunity to share their 30-second pitches. And then they’ll be more networking. All are welcome!

https://womensmediagroup.org/event-6384874

Book Marketing Meetup with Catherine Cioffi and Ann-Marie Nieves

10/30 5:15pm In person Westchester – WMG Members Only

Join WMG member Catherine Cioffi for a Small Group Social with special guest Ann-Marie Nieves, founder of Get Red PR. Ann-Marie will share insights about the differences between publicity and marketing strategies across three popular publishing paths — self-publishing, hybrid, and traditional publishing — to help you navigate the promotional landscape with confidence.

https://womensmediagroup.org/event-6384958

AI for Authors & Book Publishers: Fauzia Burke in Conversation with Jane Wesman

11/5 12-1pm ET Virtual – All are welcome

Join WMG for a focused virtual session with Fauzia Burke, founder of FSB Associates and author of Online Marketing for Busy Authors. Fauzia will demystify how artificial intelligence is transforming publishing — from creating a media kit to discovering audiences. She’ll lead a thoughtful discussion on the promise and pitfalls of AI for writers and publishers, highlighting the essential skills authors and media professionals need to stay ahead. Drawing on real-world examples, Fauzia will share practical tools and frameworks to help you use AI responsibly and creatively. You’ll come away with actionable strategies to integrate AI into your marketing and promotion efforts — and learn how to leverage new technologies to elevate your message, strengthen your brand, and build lasting connections with readers. She will be in conversation with Jane Wesman, Co-President of WMG and President of Jane Wesman Public Relations, Inc.

https://womensmediagroup.org/event-6389643

Words as Weapons: Women, Online Abuse, & the Fight for Digital Safety

11/12 5:30-7:30pm at Penguin Random House, 1745 Broadway, NYC.

$15 for members; $20 for non-members. All are welcome.

Includes wine and light bites.

One in four American women have faced online harassment, and in some countries, this figure rises to a staggering 60% of female internet users. Women journalists, editors, and authors have long been on the front lines of harassment—and rarely get the chance to process it, name it, or strategize together. Our speakers—leaders across media and digital safety—will examine how gendered hate, disinformation, and surveillance shape public discourse and silence truth-tellers. They’ll unpack the systems fueling this crisis—and explore how we can protect one another, reclaim our voices, and build safer digital spaces. They will share real tools for resistance, resilience, and repair. Register now to stand with other women in media demanding accountability, safety, and justice online.

https://www.womensmediagroup.org/event-6393924

Live Performance of “If Beale Street Could Talk” with Literature to Life

11/15 2pm Girls Write Now NYC

Join WMG member Elise Thoron for a performance and discussion of If Beale Street Could Talk, put on by her company, Literature to Life. James Baldwin’s story about abiding love in the face of injustice remains disturbingly poignant sixty years after it was first published. Told from the perspective of its young heroine, this is the story of one family’s fight for justice in a society where institutional discrimination has the power to destroy lives, a theme that resonates today with audiences from all walks of life. If Beale Street Could Talk will be performed by Channie Waites, and was adapted and directed by Elise. This event will be held at Girls Write Now, which is a scholarship partner of WMG. Space is limited.

https://womensmediagroup.org/event-6384992

Book Bans and the Art of Protecting Authors

Join Publishing Professionals Against Book Bans for a free virtual Town Hall 10/28 4 PM ET w award-winning author Angie Thomas, literary agent Jas Perry, and the American Bookseller Association’s Philomena Polefrone.

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AWcWu0PzQoKbRQLeOuZgTg#/registration

Manuscript to Market: Speeding Up the Journey

Free 11/4 11am ET via zoom. From Publishers Weekly and Westchester Publishing Services. Hear from publishing industry thought leaders Matt Kennell (Executive Director of Sales, Versa Press), Marina Padakis Lowry (Director of Publishing Operations, Zando), and Nina von Moltke (Co-Founder and President, Authors Equity). They will share strategies they have implemented within their companies to move more titles efficiently through the editorial and production workflow, while maintaining top-quality standards. They will discuss steps they are taking, including working with vendors to compress timelines, ensuring books get to market more quickly in response to reader demand for popular authors and genres, including romantasy and mystery.

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2117589212541/WN_E2AjDTlVSlWQ9sgUHF9wAQ#/registration

Latinx In Publishing: Getting In and Moving Up

10/22 7pm ET via Zoom. @LatinxinPub

https://latinxinpublishing.com/events/getting-in-and-moving-up

Gloria’s Foundation Fellowship

The Gloria’s Foundation Fellowship is an opportunity for change makers and hope-a-holics whose work centers around justice and social change to deepen their own endeavors and contribute to present and future organizing. This Fellowship continues the long legacy of Gloria Steinem’s home being a site of inspiration, creativity, and respite for organizers, as well as fostering organizing work that centers empathy and connectedness.

https://www.gloriasfoundation.org/glorias-foundation-fellowship

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