Future+ Fridays | Issue12

Hello and welcome back to Future+ Fridays for our 12^th issue!

We are back with an in-depth look at the latest updates in tech, culture, and fashion. This week, we'll explore OpenAI's recent announcements, Absolut is tackling AI bias, advancements in AI hyper-personalisation, AI Artist at Photo London exhibition, and more.

Also announcing our upcoming LIVEstream Monday 20th of June at 4PM BST. Sign up here for access. It will be co-hosted with Future+ members Carlota Rodben, Beyond Luxury and Blake Lezenski, from Outlier Ventures and also special guest Nell Lloyd-Malcolm, from xydrobe. We will be talking about the latest news and tech trends, as well as what to expect at the upcoming events VivaTech, Paris and NFC Summit in Lisbon.

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📖 In this week’s issue

1. OpenAI releases GPT-4o, a faster model available for free

2. Absolut combats AI bias in fashion with diverse image prompts

3. Blockout 2024: Spark against celebrity culture

4. Photo London: AI art by Roope Rainisto recontextualised

5. From Web1 to Web3: AI unveils era of hyper-personalisation

👩‍💻 Also on our radar, in case you missed it

1. Dior collaboration with Stone island is here

2. TikTok starts to automatically label AI content

3. Pre-loved fashion: 'Resell on eBay' button to encourage resale

4. Christian Louboutin collaborates on a collection of well heeled chairs

5. Generative AI in Search: Let Google do the searching for you

6. Gucci overview of Cruise 2024 in London

7. Prada heir announces group's openness to more M&A

8. George Yashin's vision building AR try-on with ZERO10

9. The Met, D&G and Valentino increase use of Web3 and roadmaps

10. Launch of HUGO Garage in Roblox (and Miami!)

📅 Upcoming events on our calendar this month -

1. Reminder that we will be in Paris for Vivatech from 22-24th May, to co-host the Luxury x Innovation rendezvous in partnership with Limitless Luxury and The Sandbox on the 23rd May. Spaces are limited, RSVP for access here. Future+ members/partners will have priority.

2. We are curating the fashion track at NFC Lisbon on the 28th May with speakers from Lanvin Group, MF Brands, BNV, Outlier Ventures, DressX and more. Reply to this email for access.

📲 Are you a brand or PR team that has news to share? Fill this form here to be featured to over 2000+ marketers, execs and innovation teams across fashion, luxury, beauty, retail and emerging technologies.

🔎 Deeper Insights

1- OpenAI releases GPT-4o, a faster model available to all ChatGPT users for free

TDLR:

• OpenAI announced ChatGPT-4o, a new multimodal model based on GPT-4 intelligence

• Enhancements include better responsiveness to voice, image, and text prompts

• ChatGPT-4o has been made available to all users for free, with extra benefits for paid subscribers

Last Monday, OpenAI made major announcements, including the introduction of a new model called ChatGPT-4o. 'o' standing for omni, highlights its natively multimodal capabilities. This new model enhances responsiveness to voice, image, and text prompts, making interactions with machines more natural and human-like. ChatGPT-4o can quickly understand and respond to any combination of audio, text, and images, offering a seamless user experience.

One of the standout features of ChatGPT-4o is its new voice mode. Users can choose from pre-registered assistant voices for conversation, one prompt at a time..Additionally, OpenAI has made ChatGPT-4o accessible to all users for free, ensuring wider access to advanced AI technology. Paid subscribers, will still benefit from up to five times the capacity limits of free users. The announcements also included the launch of a MacBook app for ChatGPT (with android coming later this year).

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The rollout of ChatGPT-4o's capabilities will be done step by step, with text and image enhancement having begun this week. Future improvements aim to enable more natural, real-time voice conversations and the ability to interact with ChatGPT via real-time video to give the model access to surroundings. Lastly, OpenAI emphasised that the model has undergone extensive safety testing by independent experts, with safety built into its design, ensuring responsible and effective use of its advanced capabilities.

​​Why it matters: The introduction of ChatGPT-4o marks a significant step forward in AI technology, making multimodal interactions more accessible and intuitive. By providing this advanced model for free to all users, OpenAI is democratising AI technology, ensuring that its benefits are widely available and encourages broader adoption of AI technologies across various sectors. This initiative not only enhances user experience but also sets a new standard for AI interaction.

⭐️ Future+ cultivates dynamic partnerships with forward-looking brands and companies through in-depth insights reports, brand focused content, case studies, events and experiences. Become a partner here

2- Absolut combats AI bias in fashion with diverse image prompts

TDLR:

• Absolut Vodka addresses AI bias in fashion by collaborating with Copy Lab to create 10,000 diverse image prompts

• The final result was 25 inclusive fashion images available on a royalty-free stock image site, featured in Copy Magazine second edition and on a micro-site

• This initiative is part of a long-term push for inclusivity and diverse representation by Absolut Vodka

Artificial intelligence has often been scrutinised for generating factual inaccuracies and amplifying race and gender stereotypes. Absolut Vodka, in collaboration with studio COPY Lab, a studio that offering AI visuals for brands has launched an initiative to combat the lack of diverse representation in AI-generated fashion content. Through the ‘Absolut Intelligence’ effort, they fed 10,000 image prompts into AI datasets, covering a wide spectrum of fashion, culture, and identity as well as gender fluidity, ethnicity, age and body types. This resulted in 25 unique and inclusive images.

These AI-generated images are available on a royalty-free stock image website and will be featured in the second edition of the AI fashion magazine, Copy Magazine. Additionally, Absolut has created a microsite to explain the purpose and effort behind this initiative, extending the brand's over 40-year commitment to inclusivity, fluidity, and diverse representation. Through this initiative the goal is to train AI algorithms to generate less biased outputs and better interpret diversity in fashion.

The Global Vice President of Marketing at Absolut emphasised the brand’s ethos of mixing ideas, identities, people, perspectives, and drinks. As a global brand, they feel a deep responsibility to confront AI biases head-on, aiming to contribute to the creation of more equitable and inclusive technology that positively impacts individuals and communities worldwide.

Absolut is not alone in addressing AI biases. Last month, Dove pledged not to use AI to represent women, and IBM launched the campaign 'Trust What You Create' to highlight potential AI pitfalls. In other inclusivity efforts, Absolut previously launched the global platform Absolut Ally last year to educate consumers and business owners about LGBTQ+ allyship.

Why It Matters: As AI technology becomes increasingly prevalent, with experts predicting that up to 90% of internet content could be AI-generated within a few years, it is crucial to address and mitigate biases in AI systems. These systems, trained on biased data, risk perpetuating and amplifying existing inequalities. Absolut’s initiative aims at challenging AI biases inspire conversations and encourage others to join in creating more equitable and inclusive AI technologies. This initiative sets a precedent for other industries, emphasising the importance of diversity and representation in AI-generated content, and pursuing a more inclusive future.

🔮 Are you a journalist, trend forecaster or futurist with a unique perspective on the intersection of creative, culture and technology? Apply to become a Future+ Contributor today.

3- Blockout 2024: social media boycott of celebrity culture

TDLR:

• A video from influencer Hayley ‘Bayley’ Kalil ignited a blockout 2024 campaign

• The campaign also called ‘digital guillotine’ targets celebrities silent on geopolitical issuers

• There has been missing lost of followers and blocked celebrities following the boycott

The Met Gala, known for its opulence and extravagance, faced unexpected backlash this year on the digital sphere. Amidst the world's situation, images of lavish fancy costumes contrasted with scenes suffering and ongoing war. This juxtaposition kicked off a movement on social media, spearheaded by a video shared by TikTok user Hayley Kalil. The video – now deleted – featuring Hayley in an elaborate floral dress lip-syncing the quote "let them eat cake" from the 2008 film "Marie Antoinette," sparked the Blockout 2024 campaign, also referred to as the “digital guillotine” or “digitine.”

The campaign targets celebrities who have remained silent about the Israel-Hamas conflict. Social media users, drawing parallels with the disparities depicted in "The Hunger Games," began boycotting celebrities ad celebrity-backed brands.

In the past week, online activists have created 'block lists' of celebrities to unfollow and block, aiming to diminish their social clout and, consequently, their revenue. Celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift, Kylie Jenner, Hayley Bieber, Jennifer Lopez, and Hailey Bieber have collectively lost hundreds of thousands of followers. This movement underscores the complex role celebrities play in public discourse.

The blockout 2024 campaign echoes previous movements like #MeToo, which gained momentum through the involvement of high-profile individuals. The rise of social media has facilitated 'cancel culture,' allowing for the mass, online boycott of individuals or brands deemed to have acted inappropriately.

Why It Matters: The blockout 2024 campaign shows that people want celebrities to be more accountable, especially when they stay silent on important global issues. Social media is shaping public opinion, and movements like this highlight the power of collective action. This boycott represents a shift in how society views celebrity influence, signaling the start of a new era where public figures are held more accountable.

4- Photo London: AI art by Roope Rainisto recontextualised within traditional photography

TDLR:

• Photo London is back features featuring over 120 exhibitors from 50 cities

• A highlight of this year is the artist Roope Rainisto, famous in the Web3 space, his series ‘Vacation’ blends AI and traditional photography

• Artists using emerging technologies demonstrate the industry's openness to new mediums and the evolving use of traditional ones.

Photo London is back in London this week, showcasing 120 exhibitors from nearly 50 cities. Among the highlights is Finnish artist Roope Rainisto, a prominent name in the Web3 scene known for his NFT collection “Life in West America,” which had generated over $3.5 million in sales. Rainisto's work, presented by NFT platform Verse Works, might be unfamiliar to most traditional attendees. His latest series, "Vacation," includes an installation and photographs that use AI to visualise holiday fantasies with photographic realism, exploring the psychology of finding happiness in places designed for pleasure.

Photo London is open until Sunday 19th, make sure to visit before it is too late.

Why It Matters: Photo London illustrates the evolving nature of photography as it integrates with various artistic practices, demonstrating how AI can expand artistic expression by challenging conventional boundaries. Featuring AI art by artists like Roope Rainisto signifies a major shift in the art world. This blend of AI and traditional photography expands the horizons of artistic expression, challenging conventional boundaries and reshaping our understanding of creativity.

5- From Web1 to Web3: AI unveils era of hyper-personalisation

TDLR:

• Fashion trends have evolved from being controlled by a few individuals to being influenced by global communities.

• Trend forecasters agencies and social media democratised trend-setting but led to homogenisation.

• Web3 and AI are now enabling real-time, hyper-personalised fashion allowing to cater to individual preferences and micro-communities.

• Examples include Reebok’s AI-designed sneakers and Adore Me’s customisable lingerie.

The fashion industry has undergone significant transformations from the Web1 era of the mid-90s to the emerging Web3 landscape. Web1 was characterised by a top-down approach where trends were dictated by luxury brands, magazines, and catwalks. This centralised model meant that style and messaging were controlled by a few influential entities.

Web2 brought a wave of democratisation, disrupting traditional trend-setting processes. Social media platforms allowed communities to connect, share, and influence trends on a global scale. This period also saw the rise of trend-forecasting companies like WGSN and Mintel, which became essential resources for brands, retailers, and designers. However, as brands began to chase consumer preferences rather than set them, a homogenised fashion landscape emerged. Social media's rapid growth further fuelled this trend, prompting forecasters to leverage big data and AI to predict trends.

The future of fashion lies in Web3, which promises to balance creative direction from brands with the empowerment of micro-communities. Operating on decentralised internet platforms, Web3 focuses on hyper-personalisation through generative AI. This shift enables brands to cater to individual preferences in real-time, moving away from the mass-market approach of Web2. By analysing precise consumer data, brands can respond to micro-trends and offer highly personalised fashion experiences.

Some brands are already exploring this mass customisation era. For example, Reebok has launched AI campaigns allowing customers to design digital sneakers, and Adore Me has introduced a pilot for customers to create personalised lingerie sets using generative AI. These initiatives highlight the potential of Web3 to bring hyper-personalised fashion to life.

Why it matters: The transition to Web3 represents a significant shift in the fashion industry, empowering both brands and consumers. By harnessing AI and decentralised platforms, fashion can become more responsive, inclusive, and personalised. This evolution not only enhances consumer experiences but also promotes a more sustainable and innovative fashion ecosystem.

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Last reminder that our Insights report is live, in partnership with Luxurynsight from our inaugural Codes of Culture summit, read here.

Disclaimer- Information in this newsletter only for the purpose of sharing knowledge, news and insights.

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