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Disney, YouTube Red drop PewDiePie over anti-Semitic videos

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Disney and YouTube Red have cut ties with YouTuber Felix Kjellberg, more commonly known as PewDiePie, after he posted multiple anti-Semitic videos on his channel.

The Wall Street Journal reports it found nine videos on PewDiePie’s channel that had anti-Semitic comments and/or Nazi imagery. These include a video of two men holding up a sign that said “Death to All Jews” as well as a video featuring a man dressed as Jesus saying, “Hitler did nothing wrong,” among others.

The videos prompted Disney, through Maker Studios, to sever business ties with the YouTuber who owns the most subscribed YouTube channel. His subscriber count currently stands at over 58 million. Disney earlier bought Maker Studios for $675 million. It’s the multichannel network that is partnered with PewDiePie.

A Maker Studios spokeswoman told Forbes.com: “Although Felix has created a following by being provocative and irreverent, he clearly went too far in this case and the resulting videos are inappropriate. Maker Studios has made the decision to end our affiliation with him going forward.”

Following the backlash, YouTube has also cancelled Season 2 of PewDiePie’s show on YouTube Red. It had also pulled ads from the questioned videos. However, it has yet to remove the videos on the platform on the grounds of its rules that they will ban any video that “promotes or condones violence against individuals or groups based on race or ethnic origin (or) religion.”

PewDiePie reacted to the news through Tumblr clarifying that he is “in no way supporting any kind of hateful attitudes.”

He started off by saying that the videos were made to point out “how crazy the modern world is, specifically some of the services available online. I picked something that seemed absurd to me — that people on Fiverr would say anything for 5 dollars.”

He went on to say that his content is for entertainment and not political commentary, and that this is something his audience clearly understood. He added that he understands the jokes were ultimately offensive and again insisted his stand on the matter saying, “to anyone unsure on my standpoint regarding hate-based groups: No, I don’t support these people in any way.”

PewDiePie rose to YouTube fame through his videos that featured him playing video games while adding crude commentary. He has since gained millions of subscribers and reportedly made $15 million in 2016 through YouTube ads, his YouTube Red series, as well as other merchandise sales.

[irp posts=”3822″ name=”YouTubers react to the Samsung Galaxy Note 7″]

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Logitech introduces a dedicated shortcut for ChatGPT

Compatible with most keyboards and mice

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Artificial intelligence is already meant to simplify a workflow. However, despite the ease, there are still a few ways to optimize the process. Today, Logitech has launched a new shortcut to launch ChatGPT straight from your mouse or keyboard.

Minus programmable hotkeys or buttons, there are hardly any built-in way to easily access an AI model. For a typical workflow, it still consists of manually opening the model on a separate window and keeping it within cursor’s reach throughout the day.

Logitech is simplifying the process by adding a dedicated shortcut for its devices. With a Logitech keyboard or mouse supported by the Logi Options+ app, users can program a keyboard or mouse button for the new Logi AI Prompt Builder.

Once activated, the AI Prompt Builder automatically accesses easy options for highlighted text. For example, users can easily rephrase or summarize the text. Likewise, they can input their own custom queries. By eliminating a few clicks and some typing throughout the day, the new tool hopes to save you time.

While most Logitech keyboards and mice are compatible with the new tool, it is also more easily accessible with the new Logitech Signature AI Edition Mouse. The new mouse has a dedicated button just for AI prompts. If you’re an AI power user, this one is perfect for you.

SEE ALSO: Logitech unveils G Pro X 60 gaming keyboard: Price, details

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X’s AI accused Klay Thompson of vandalizing houses with bricks

AI thought joke posts were real

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Image source: Keith Allison, Wikimedia

Despite the ease that the technology promises, artificial intelligence still isn’t the most reliable thing you can depend on. Today’s models can still flub answers. Now, the pitfalls of AI are abundantly clear with a few mishaps on X. Golden State Warrior Klay Thompson was just “accused” of a vandalism spree involving bricks.

Late Tuesday night, X presented an AI-generated news snippet. The article, posted soon after the Warriors’ play-in loss to the Sacramento Kings, reads: “Klay Thompson Accused in Bizarre Brick-Vandalism Spree.”

The snippet hilariously described an incident where Thompson supposedly vandalized houses in Sacramento with bricks. Thankfully, according to the snippet, no one was hurt. It even had a few sources for its claims below the news summary.

The sources, however, are just joke posts stemming from the recently concluded game. In that do-or-die game, Thompson put up a staggering 0 points on ten shot attempts, the most misses without a make by a Warrior since the ’68 season. Naturally, everyone joked that the Warriors guard just threw bricks all over Sacramento.

Now, X is currently experimenting with a new AI feature called Grok. The model collates trending topics and creates snippets of what’s happening for X users. However, it’s not exactly the smartest in determining real news from satiric ones. The feature notes as much, carrying a fine-print caveat warning users to “verify its outputs” because it’s an early feature and can make mistakes.

SEE ALSO: New X users must pay a dollar per year to post and reply

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New X users must pay a dollar per year to post and reply

Rolling out globally now

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New users on X might soon face a tough time on the platform. The social media website will likely start charging new accounts a small fee for the right to post on the platform.

Now, the fee isn’t a new one. Almost six months ago, the company tested the paid system in New Zealand and the Philippines. New users in those countries had to pay a dollar per year for the ability to post and reply to content.

As spotted by X Daily News on the same platform, the company might be ready to take the experiment to a larger market. New text strings have shown that the policy is rolling out worldwide.

The policy is designed to combat a wave of bots appearing on the platform. By preventing new accounts from creating posts, X hopes to stave off the standard behavior of bots these days. You might have noticed them as OnlyFans creators in unrelated posts, peddling NSFW content on their bio.

Though the global rollout was only just spotted, owner Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed the change. Replying to X Daily News, Musk says that it is “the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots.” He says that the current breed of bots can easily bypass simple checks these days.

SEE ALSO: X will no longer let you hide your blue checkmark

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