VISUAL CREATORS
For your artistic side.

🎨 FLUX.1: Next-Gen AI Rival to Midjourney?

The Story: Introducing FLUX.1, a new AI image generator from Black Forest Labs, the team behind Stable Diffusion. With 12 billion parameters, this tool not only produces high-fidelity images but also claims to solve anatomical issues formerly seen in AI-generated art, like hands. FLUX.1 has piqued interest in the creative community, especially as it competes against models like DALL-E 3 and Midjourney.

The Details:

• Developed by Black Forest Labs, FLUX.1 brings advanced image generation capabilities with impressive detail and anatomical accuracy, especially in rendering hands.

• The model comes in three variations: Flux Dev (open source), Flux Schnell (faster), and Flux Pro (API access), all highlighting the lab's commitment to community engagement and innovation.

• Initial reviews compare FLUX.1 to DALL-E 3 and Midjourney, noting that it generally provides comparable output in terms of prompt fidelity and photorealism.

• Backed by $31 million in recent funding, the team aims to push boundaries in AI generative media by releasing their models openly to enhance trust and access.

• The potential challenges lie in the model's heavy resource requirements, likely setting it apart from smaller GPUs commonly used by independent creators.

Why It Matters: FLUX.1's release marks a noteworthy advance in the realm of AI image generators, especially for creative professionals who demand high-quality visual outputs. As it reportedly excels where others fall short — particularly in rendering complex human anatomy — FLUX.1 could become a game-changer for artists and designers seeking innovative tools for their projects. With funding evidence and positive initial feedback, this model signals a competitive push in a space rapidly evolving, and the creative community should stay tuned for further developments that could redefine digital artistry.

PRODUCTION MASTERY
The commercial aspects of creativity.

📸 Artists Flee Instagram: AI Threats Loom!

The Story: Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta recently updated its privacy policy, allowing the company to utilize original artwork from artists to train its AI image generator without explicit consent. This has pushed many artists away from Instagram to platforms like Cara, seeking better protection for their intellectual property.

The Details:

• Meta's updated privacy terms state that users consent to AI training via their content when they accept the new terms, effective June 26, 2024.

• Over 130,000 Instagram users have voiced their discontent, with many artists now migrating to apps like Cara, designed to prevent AI scraping of their work.

• Cara implements "NoAI" labels on posts to alert AI scrapers not to steal content, although its efficacy against dedicated scrapers is uncertain.

• As artists abandon Meta’s platforms, Cara saw its user base leap from 100,000 to over 300,000 profiles in just a few days.

• Patreon is also adapting its policies to address creators' concerns regarding AI, aiming for more artist-friendly solutions.

Why It Matters: The tension between artists and giant platforms like Meta is reaching a boiling point, shaking the foundations of artistic expression in a digital landscape increasingly dominated by AI. As artists seek out platforms that prioritize their rights, ventures like Cara emerge as both a refuge and a potential blueprint for future creative ecosystems. For creators, staying informed and making strategic choices about where to share their work is crucial as the landscape shifts beneath them. The changes initiated by Meta could redefine content sharing norms, impacting income and visibility for creative professionals.

CREATOR ECONOMY
Navigating the digital creative world.

⚖️ X vs. Advertisers: Antitrust Showdown!

The Story: X, formerly known as Twitter, has filed a federal lawsuit in Texas against the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) and several major advertisers. The lawsuit claims that these brands, which include Unilever, CVS, and Mars, engaged in an illegal boycott to withhold billions in ad revenue following Elon Musk’s controversial takeover of the platform.

The Details:

• X alleges that GARM orchestrated an advertiser boycott to enforce safety standards and undermine the platform's revenue, hurting its financial stability.

• This lawsuit follows a decline in X's U.S. advertising revenue, which plummeted 53% in one year, according to internal documents.

• Brands have responded to an uptick in hate speech and misinformation on the platform by significantly reducing their ad spending, and 18 brands entirely pulled their campaigns.

• Musk and X’s CEO, Linda Yaccarino, have both described the lawsuit as a necessary action after two years of appeasing advertisers without results.

• GARM represents over 90% of global advertising spend, and its practices have drawn congressional scrutiny alongside potential antitrust implications.

Why It Matters: This lawsuit could redefine the dynamics between social media platforms and advertisers, especially in an age of growing concern over content moderation and brand safety. For creative professionals and agencies, the outcome may signal shifts in advertising spend priorities and the importance of ad placements on platforms perceived as controversial. If X is successful, it could lead to a broader conversation on antitrust issues within digital advertising, impacting where and how creatives collaborate with brands in a post-Musk world.

🔥 Press Worthy

📽️ VISUAL CREATORS

Blackmagic Camera 2.0 has landed on iOS, introducing remote control to shoot with multiple iPhones. Compatible with iPad Pro, users can easily monitor HD captures at 100fps, enhancing video-making on-the-go. Best part? No subscription fees involved!

Banksy's latest London piece, a wolf silhouette on a satellite dish in Peckham, was reportedly stolen shortly after its debut. Witnesses described a scene of theft with men dismantling the artwork. This vandalism highlights the ever-fleeting nature of street art today.

📈 PRODUCTION MASTERY

ByteDance is diving into AI text-to-video with Jimeng AI, now live on Android and Apple App Stores for Chinese users. Competing with OpenAI's Sora, it must avoid the legal battles and licensing woes that already cloud OpenAI's reputation as it scales. Quality remains a concern too.

Kodak Alaris has been snatched up by Kingswood Capital Management, marking its latest chapter after years of searching for a buyer. Known for its film and photo printing services, Kodak Alaris hopes to regain stability under Kingswood, despite private equity's notorious track record.

🎭 CREATOR ECONOMY

YouTube is testing "Brainstorm with Gemini," an AI feature designed to help creators generate video ideas. Currently in a limited rollout, creators can find it in Creator Studio. YouTube aims to refine this tool based on user feedback, enhancing the creative process.

Instagram is shaking things up by making Views the primary metric for all content formats—photos, Reels, and more. This change aims to simplify performance insights for creators, but could lead to inflated view counts without an increase in actual engagement, altering influencer marketing strategies.

📚 Learn & Grow

📽️ VISUAL CREATORS

• Here Are Some of Our Favorite ‘Childless Cat Ladies’ of Art History

• Must-Know Photoshop Settings for a Smoother Workflow

📈 PRODUCTION MASTERY

• Shooting Video On An iPhone 15 Pro

• How to Negotiate Better Rates for Creative Projects

🎭 CREATOR ECONOMY

• Canva’s cutesy new brand hides its bigger ambitions

• How to Get More Job Opportunities as a Creative Professional