Go-kart maker Blue Shock Race set a world record for speed when its electric go-kart hit 101.3 mph. These are not toys… is something you could yell back at the horde of middle school birthday party goers on the go-kart track who thought it was pretty funny slamming you into the walls. But who’s laughing now, kids?
In today’s email:
Strike-first self-defense: How Hollywood’s new AI terms impact workers everywhere.
Dollar stores: Are they really as wallet-friendly as we think?
Move over, dogs: It’s hamsters’ and lizards’ time to get pampered.
Around the web: The oldest post office, a restaurant prank, inside a big clock, and more.
👇 Listen: “Consent, compensation, and clarity” enter the AI debate.
The big idea
‘AI is not a writer:’ Why the writers’ strike deal matters beyond Hollywood
As Hollywood writers get back to work, the AI protections they won will help others keep their jobs (for now).
2023-09-28T00:00:00Z
Ben Berkley
You don’t have to be a screenwriter to toast the end of the Writers Guild of America’s 148-day work stoppage — but if you are one, you’ll have a little more in your champagne budget.
After a bruising campaign, the WGA secured a new three-year labor agreement on Sunday that increases pay, raises streaming residuals, and stabilizes writers’ rooms.
But it’s the deal’s AI provisions that’ll be particularly impactful, as they’ll be felt far beyond studio backlots.
How AI will be governed in Hollywood
AI was a final sticking point to be resolved, perVariety. The agreement’s basics include:
“AI is not a writer”: The deal clarifies that AI can’t write or rewrite literary material, be used for source material, or supplant a writer’s credit.
Optional usage, mandated disclosure: Writers can use chatbots as they please, but no studio can require them to use AI software. Studios must also disclose to writers if materials they’re provided have been generated by AI.
Scripts will fuel AI development: WGA’s big concession here was that existing scripts can be used to train AI models.
What it means for everyone else
The WGA deal is one of the first (and most high-profile) contracts to place formal worker protections around AI, and it’ll set the stage for other negotiations, including but not limited to active strikes involving actors, animators, and video game performers.
As such, it will help direct the pace of AI adoption across industries. The deal also initiates standard employee safeguards; as one attorney involved in AI negotiations toldBloomberg, “Consent, compensation, and clarity have been missing from the equation up until now.”
At the very least, by guaranteeing human writers’ involvement in all projects, the WGA has ensured the scenario its members fear (i.e., AI stealing jobs) won’t happen — for the next three years, at least.
Free Resource
ChatGPT hacks for business professionals
As Big Tech players race to launch the first great multimodal AI model, workers in the weeds are finding new ways to save time.
Stay savvy out here. Take our ebook of ChatGPT hacks you can use across sales, marketing, management, and customer support.
Panera is hopping on the latest TikTok trend with a “Roman Empire” menu. The selection includes some of Panera’s fan-favorites, like mac and cheese, cinnamon crunch bagels, and Caesar salad.
SNIPPETS
The FCC plans to restore net neutrality rules, which require broadband providers to treat all traffic equally.
The strikes continue: Two Las Vegas culinary and bartending unions, representing 60k workers, voted Tuesday to authorize a strike. If a walkout occurs, the strike could impact 36+ casinos and hotels.
Meta is paying ~$181m — about seven years worth of rent — to end its lease on a London office location. The company had 18 years left on the lease and has never used the property.
Nevermind: Snap is closing its AR-for-businesses unit, designed to let retailers use its AR tech on their websites, after six months. A memo revealed it was too expensive and complex to execute.
Astronaut Frank Rubio has returned to Earth after 371 days on an ISS mission, the longest spaceflight by a US astronaut.
The Art Institutes, a network of for-profit US art colleges, will close its remaining eight schools this week. There is currently no set plan to help its 1.7k enrolled students continue their education.
Video
The economics of dollar stores
Dollar stores are everywhere. Really, we mean it — everywhere.
In the US, there are more dollar stores than there are CVS, Walgreens, Target, and Walmart locations combined.
Together, the two largest chains — Dollar Tree and Dollar General — have ~40k US locations.
Dollar General told The Hustle that ~75% of Americans live within 5 miles of one of their stores.
OK, so they’re everywhere — How do they make money?
Despite selling items for as little as $1, dollar stores rake in billion-dollar revenues, thanks to elite profit margins.
Dollar General, for instance, makes ~30 cents for every dollar in sales. That’s better than Target and Walmart.
So, are these stores really as wallet-friendly for consumers as we think they are?
In this video, we break down what makes dollar stores so profitable, and why some believe dollar stores have created a false economy.
Lizards, hamsters, and guinea pigs, oh my! Americans are spoiling their tiny pets rotten.
2023-09-28T00:00:00Z
Sara Friedman
Move over, cats and dogs — there are some new, tiny attention hogs in town.
Lizards, hamsters, guinea pigs, and other mini pets are reaping the benefits of owners willing to spoil them rotten, per The Wall Street Journal.
Those perks include some pretty adorable products designed specifically for them:
Rock and Scott sells everything from habitats to tiny party hats for small pets.
GuineaDad makes customizable wooden castles for guinea pigs.
Pocket’s Pet lists snacks, chew toys, and accessories on Etsy.
Norm’s Piggy Pen offers spa services like nail trims and blow-drys for guinea pigs, rabbits, and ferrets.
And, after customers complained that pet habitats were eyesores in their homes, PetSmart partnered with HGTV designers Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent to create small-pet decor, including faux leather and sherpa couches.
The pets may be small, but the potential profit is big:Businesses are vying for a piece of the ~$136.8B pet market.
While little pets are getting more popular…
… dog ownership is dwindling. The number of American households with dogs fell 5.6% YoY to 65.1m.
Despite an adoption boom during the pandemic, shelters have been filling back up and owners are skimping on dog and cat food.
But people are still bringing home pint-sized friends: The number of American households with small pets has risen 7% this year.
We leave you with this important note as we approach Halloween: Tiny pet costumes are a thing.
AROUND THE WEB
📺 On this day: In 1951, retailers received the first color TVs, developed by CBS. They were discontinued weeks later after the National Production Authority requested color TVs not be shipped during the Korean War.
💌 That’s interesting: The world’s oldest post office is located in Scotland, ~50 miles south of Glasgow. The 311-year-old site just welcomed its 17th owners.
🥘 Haha: How a fake restaurant became a real one, just for one night.
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