The power of an Instagram Story

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses various topics, including the popularity of the "All Eyes on Rafah" AI-generated image, the use of AI-generated content by media outlets, the current state of the streaming landscape, and the phenomenon of "social media reruns" on platforms like Twitter.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The "All Eyes on Rafah" AI-generated image

1. What are the criticisms being levied against the "All Eyes on Rafah" image? The article mentions that the "All Eyes on Rafah" image has been called "disingenuous," "privileged," and a sign of how "disconnected we have become from our humanity." The article also notes that the image has sparked a 24-hour debate in the author's Discord channel.

2. Why was the "All Eyes on Rafah" image able to bypass censors and filters on social media? According to the article, the image was posted by a young Malaysian photographer named shahv4012, whose Instagram story contained a mix of AI-generated images, cartoons, memes, and resources related to the situation in Gaza. The story did not have any AI-generated content warnings or graphic content warnings, and the "Add Yours" sticker allowed users to quickly share the slides, enabling the image to spread widely.

3. How does the article contextualize the criticism of the "All Eyes on Rafah" image? The article argues that the criticisms of the "All Eyes on Rafah" image are not new or specific to AI-generated content. It suggests that every few years, new forms of political engagement on social media are met with criticism from "real" activists or the existing political establishment, who claim that the new methods are "dangerous, or unethical, or missing context, or nuance."

[02] AI-generated content and media outlets

1. What deals have The Atlantic and Vox announced with OpenAI? The article states that both The Atlantic and Vox have signed licensing deals with OpenAI, with Vox describing the deal as an agreement that "recognizes the value of our work and intellectual property, while opening it up to new audiences and better informing the public."

2. How does the article view the Washington Post's new AI summary widget? The article is critical of the Washington Post's new AI summary widget, describing it as a "dead end" and a "disastrous mess" that allows readers to bypass the actual content of the article in favor of machine-generated bullet points.

3. What data does the article cite regarding the usage of generative AI services? According to a study by The Reuters Institute, most people are only using generative-AI services about once or twice a month, and only about 7% of American respondents said they're using ChatGPT on a daily basis.

[03] The streaming landscape

1. What insights does the article provide about the current state of streaming in the US? The article cites Nielsen data showing that the amount of time Americans spend watching streaming platforms has remained relatively flat for almost a year, and that linear TV (cable and broadcast) is still much bigger than streaming. The article also notes that YouTube is the most popular streaming platform, followed by Netflix, with everything else lagging far behind.

2. How does the article characterize the state of streaming services? The article quotes the TV Grim Reaper, who described the current state of streaming services as a "cash incinerating failure."

[04] "Social media reruns"

1. What is the phenomenon of "social media reruns" that the article describes? The article notes that every few weeks, there are posts on Twitter (X) and Tumblr that ask users to share their favorite old posts. The article suggests that this behavior is a result of a sense that the "peak moment" of the social network has passed, as well as the fact that there is more old content on the platform than new content.

2. How does the article connect this phenomenon to the launch of a new "main character" on Twitter (X)? The article suggests that despite the prevalence of "social media reruns," Twitter (X) might still have "a little bit of juice left in it" due to the recent launch of a new "main character" on the platform.