Why this matters: Unlike Meta’s and Google’s text-to-video systems, Runway’s model was built with customers in mind. “This is one of the first models to be developed really closely with a community of video makers,” says Runway CEO and cofounder Cristóbal Valenzuela. “It comes with years of insight about how filmmakers and VFX editors actually work on post-production.” Valenzuela thinks his model brings us a step closer to having full feature films generated with an AI system. 

Bits and Bytes

ChatGPT is everywhere. Here’s where it came from
ChatGPT has become the fastest-growing internet service ever, reaching 100 million users just two months after its launch in December. But OpenAI’s breakout hit did not come out of nowhere. Will Douglas Heaven explains how we got here. (MIT Technology Review)

How AI algorithms objectify women’s bodies
A new investigation shows how AI tools rate photos of women as more sexually suggestive than similar images of men. This is an important story about how AI algorithms reflect the (often male) gaze of their creators.  (The Guardian)

How Moscow’s smart-city project became an AI surveillance dystopia 
Cities around the world are embracing technologies that purport to help with security or mobility. But this cautionary tale from Moscow shows just how easy it is to transform these technologies into tools for political repression.  (Wired)

ChatGPT is a blurry JPEG of the internet
I like this analogy. ChatGPT is essentially a low-resolution snapshot of the internet, and that’s why it often spews nonsense. (The New Yorker) 

Correction: The newsletter version of this story incorrectly stated Google lost $100 million off its share price. It was in fact $100 billion. We apologize for the error.