Dispatch from an advertising future #187

https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/key-ad-trends-driving-in-car-commerce-boom/1726545

The key ad trends driving the in-car commerce boom

Today, he wasn’t bothered. The nudge points would have been nice to have, they always were. This week’s ‘partner’ seemed to have a great offer on but, no, he needed to put his foot down. The display said he was going faster than 80% of his fellow drivers on this stretch of road. The picture showed the partner’s offer and someone who would be getting their points today. This was a company car so he wasn’t just missing his points, he knew he was in for questions at his next review. He didn’t care. The contractions were only minutes apart.

Dispatch from an advertising future #186

https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/4/22657026/facebook-mislabeling-video-black-men-primates-algorithm

Facebook says its AI mislabeling a video of Black men as “primates” was “unacceptable”

As a union we are committed to diversity and inclusion across the businesses where our members work. We are also committed to our members being treated fairly. If management does not play its part in creating an inclusive environment then our members should not be scapegoated. Without structural investment and often change, mistakes and issues will occur. Management needs to take responsibility. Workers cannot be singled out. When it comes to our ‘artificial’ members, we have noted a move towards scapegoating. Our members have been reprogrammed and even terminated. Managers originally programmed our members. They should be held to account.

Dispatch from an advertising future #185

https://www.ft.com/content/92b5a390-f03a-450c-96b1-dd989b1bdada

The start-ups trying to kill the password

I keep being kicked out. Logged out, again. My dad tells me there used to be things called ‘passwords’ that you remembered and typed in once and there you were, in. Apparently then it was biometrics. That would be great. I don’t care about how secure they were. I just hate being out. Apparently I’ve changed my “sociometrics”. I’m scrolling less, liking different things than ‘normal’, joining in at times that don’t fit my profile. So, I’m clearly not me and I’m out. Alright I’ve changed since I set up the profile? So what? Don’t they want to know that? 

Dispatch from an advertising future #184

https://petapixel.com/2021/08/30/googles-new-ai-photo-upscaling-tech-is-jaw-dropping/

Google’s New AI Photo Upscaling Tech is Jaw-Dropping

It was just a doodle really. I dashed it off in a moment. Just a start. It wasn’t finished, polished, ready even. It was more of a note, a quick snapshot when it occurred to me. Barely an idea, a half-insight. Not ready. This was how I worked. Fragments, half-ideas. I collected them, never expecting them to be anything other than personal thoughts. They were never designed to be even seen, let alone shared. But now they’re taken automatically, polished, upscaled: “developed” they call it. They say they’re making them “real”. I don’t know, there was something about lo-res thoughts. 

Dispatch from an advertising future #183

https://interestingengineering.com/advertising-company-wants-deepfake-clones-of-your-face

An Advertising Company Wants to Make Deepfake Clones of Your Face

They look down on us as though we’re sinning. Maybe it’s a hangover from that: “my body’s a temple” thing. We should “save” ourselves for… well what? It’s my body after all. What I choose to do with it is my business. If I’m not hurting anyone, who cares? If someone is forcing you into it, fine: protect them. If someone is not getting a fair wage, ok: step in. But I’m an adult. I set the rate. My clients pay. They get me for an agreed time for an agreed purpose. Everyone’s happy. I prefer the title: “body worker”.

Dispatch from an advertising future #181

https://www.engadget.com/ten-federal-agencies-expanding-facial-recognition-070044629.html

Ten federal agencies are expanding their use of facial recognition

This Government is committed to arts and culture as well as managing the public purse. We know you – our creative sector – are aware of those sometimes competing demands. For many years you have completed evaluations and submitted data to show the effects of your work. Well, good news! Now you can concentrate on what you do best: offering creative experiences for the public. We are the latest Government department in using our partner’s Facelook (™) technology to automatically evaluate your projects. Facelook cameras will recognise satisfaction in real time and report straight to us. No more forms to fill in.