Iterate Weekly - Issue 99
This week we're looking at more AI audiobook narration issues, College interns being asked to master Tik Tok, Young people don't want to drive, Heartbeat music, and the Tiger biography!
Welcome to issue 99 of Iterate Weekly!
Just a reminder that you can always reply to this email or leave a comment on the web version. I read all of them, and I appreciate the feedback, questions, and insights from all of you.
Let’s jump into this week’s stories.
🤖 Tech
AI Audiobook Narration is causing a stir
A while back, I wrote a story about Apple starting to use AI narration for some of their audiobooks.
At the time, it seemed like a topic that could prove to be controversial. And lo and behold, we know have an update.
It turns out that some human narrators are upset that Apple and Spotify used their real voice to train their AI counterparts.
This seems to be pretty justifiable right? If you make a living narrating audiobooks, it must be incredibly disconcerting to hear an AI voice that is scarily similar to your own. The trouble seems to stem from a clause in a contract used by Findaways Voices (who were acquired by Spotify last year). It claims that Findaway Voices had the right to “use audiobooks files for machine learning training and models.”
Needless to say, the folks at Spotify have been put in a pretty precarious situation. As of now, they claim to have stopped using the voices for new AI training purposes. But perhaps the damage is already done.
This is certainly not going to be the last dispute between humans and AI in the ongoing battle for the future of audiobook narration. This is proving to be a fascinating battleground in the future of AI entertainment. Today we’re talking about audiobooks, but soon these discussions will be commonplace in music, movies, etc.
We’re entering a confusing time of AI content creation to say the least…
🎓 Education/Productivity/Work
Brands are hiring college kids to handle Tik Tok
Stop me if you’ve heard this in your office before. “We need a young, college kid to make us relevant on Tik Tok!”
Yep, brands are searching for college-age kids to help them create content for platforms like Tik Tok.
The days of interns being hired to fetch coffee or answer phones are long gone. This new wave of intern is being tasked with understanding a facet of the business that escapes many senior-level employees. Interns are being asked to create viral content that could really make a difference on a company’s bottom line.
Whether these interns are being paid in cash, college credits, or social media clout, it sounds like a pretty useful relationship for both parties. The bigger question is whether these interns can parlay social media success into more secure jobs in the future.
♻️ Health & Environment
Young people don’t want to drive
Keeping with the topic of young people, it turns out that they just aren’t that excited to get their driver’s license.
The rate at which Gen Zers are getting their license is on a steep decline. In 1997, 43 percent of 16-year-olds and 62 percent of 17-year-olds had driver’s licenses. In 2020, those numbers had fallen to 25 percent and 45 percent.
That’s a pretty steep decline. What could be the reason? Well, driving just isn’t as necessary as it was for previous generations. There are now ride sharing apps and real-time public transit updates that make getting around easier. While this may seem strange to the parents of this generation, it’s a great sign for the environment.
Driving has also gotten more expensive. With insurance, registration, and just the high cost of purchasing or leasing a car, it just doesn’t make financial sense for some. It’s also led more people to just get a electric scooter or bike to help with their daily errands.
Have you seen a decrease in teenage driving in your life?
🛍 Grab Bag
Heartbeat Music
Here’s a fun way to make some interesting music. Let your heartbeat create the rhythm.
It’s called the CHD-4 and it looks sort of like a synthesizer mixed with a turntable. Rather than playing music that is engraved into a spiral (like a record) it relies on four concentric rings. Each ring contains the heartbeat pattern of one of four kids who suffers from CHD, captured with an electrocardiogram machine.
This video will give you a better idea of what I’m talking about:
Such a cool idea! I love the ingenuity here to take a serious condition and turn it into beautiful music.
💬 Quote of the Week
"It is far better to be alone, than to be in bad company."
-George Washington
📕Content Recommendation
Tiger
I’m taking a break from the Oscar-nominated movies to recommend a good ol’ fashioned biography. It’s called “Tiger” and it’s obviously about world-famous athlete Tiger Woods.
I’m really not a golf fan at all, but I am a huge fan of well-done biographies. And this one certainly fits the bill.
Most of Tiger’s early career success occurred when I was a bit young to really appreciate it. Although if he played basketball or football I would have probably followed along more closely. But whether or not you are a golf fan, you have to appreciate the human element of the Tiger story.
He had one of the most unique upbringings that I’ve ever encountered. A child of mixed-race parents who had polar opposite parenting styles, Tiger never really had a traditional childhood. I liken it to other popular child stars. But with all of this pressure placed upon him, he still managed to become one of the most-accomplished athletes of all time.
Then of course, there was a fall from grace. But this one is even more relevant now as Tiger is attempting another comeback on the PGA tour. This book has gripped me from page one, you won’t be disappointed if you pick it up.
POLL
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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