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On the 15th of October our book “Real Fake – Playing with Reality in the Age of AI, Deepfakes and the Metaverse” has been released. It is our take on synthetic media, deepfakes, fake news, conspiracy theories, memes, internet culture, Generation Z and Alpha, crypto, narrative economics, virtual humans, CGI influencers, vTubers, NFTs, DAOs, VR, Web3, the Creator Economy and the Metaverse. Real Fake is about how humans continuously manipulate reality and how new digital technology tools enable us to go one step further in this ancient game.
Social Media Platforms Have Weakened Democracies
“Social scientists have identified at least three major forces that collectively bind together successful democracies: social capital (extensive social networks with high levels of trust), strong institutions, and shared stories. Social media has weakened all three.”
Gen Z TikTok Brands Are Changing How We Shop
“I think they have a better understanding of what consumers actually need and want. They don’t actually create for consumers. They create for themselves and their communities.”
Fan Tokens From Manchester City to PSG Prove Disappointing
“For many hopeful fans, soccer club tokens have proved a disappointment, with prices quickly losing steam within days. It’s now three years since fan tokens started trading in the main crypto exchanges, promising an alternative for clubs to gain financing and for fans to be closer to their favorite teams. Both these options have yet to live up to expectation.”
Polish Film Uses AI to Create an English Version
“The Champion” was originally spoken in Polish and German and released internationally in 2020. The same film now also exists in English, with the actors’ mouths each digitally manipulated word to make it look as though they’re speaking in a different language.
“Each actor learned their lines in English and reread them in front of a series of cameras capturing their face and performance from multiple angles. So the actors aren’t being “deepfaked,” but employing technology to digitally redo their own performance. In the video, “The Champion’s” director Barczewski even described the new version of the film as still the original but “enhanced” and now accessible for a much wider audience.”
‘Jack Dorsey’s First Tweet’ NFT Went on Sale for $48M. It Ended With a Top Bid of Just $280
“Iranian-born crypto entrepreneur Sina Estavi purchased the NFT for $2.9 million in March 2021. Last Thursday, he announced on Twitter that he wished to sell the NFT, and pledged 50% of its proceeds (which he thought would exceed $25 million) to charity. The auction closed Wednesday, with just seven total offers ranging from 0.09 ETH ($277 at current prices) to 0.0019 ETH (almost $6).” Read the full article @ CoinDesk.
MUST LISTEN: The Meaning of Life in the Metaverse
“We could soon be living more of our lives in immersive virtual worlds, but what will that look like and how will it affect us? New York University professor of philosophy and neural science David Chalmers joins Azeem Azhar to discuss what the metaverse might offer us, the moral quandaries it could pose, and what our rights there might look like.”
MUST FOLLOW: Web3 Is Going Just Great
If you want to balance all the NFT sweet talking with some bitter saltiness, we recommend web3 is going just great on Twitter. The account accumulates all the NFT failures. Their tagline says it all:
“web 3 is go just great… and is definitely not an enormous grift that’s pouring lighter fluid on our already-smoldering planet.”
Contact
Real Fake is a weekly newsletter in which SogetiLabs’s Research Institute VINT examines the future where synthetic reality becomes part or our objective reality. We investigate the impact of new technology on people, organisations and our society. If you have any questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact us. You can reach us at vint@sogeti.com.
