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Europe's business jet industry aims for green rebrand
Europe's business jet industry aims for green rebrand
By Joanna Plucinska GENEVA Europe's business jet sector is putting its greenest foot forward at its flagship annual
2023-05-22 14:11
Spotify clarifies position on whether it will ban AI-powered music
Spotify clarifies position on whether it will ban AI-powered music
The boss of Spotify has said he would not completely ban content generated by artificial intelligence from the music streaming service. Daniel Ek told the BBC he thought there were legitimate use cases for the technology in music, but that it should not be used to impersonate real artists without their consent. He said there were three “buckets” of AI use in music: tools such as auto-tune, which he said was acceptable; software which impersonated artists, which was not; and a more controversial middle ground where AI-generated music was inspired by a specific artist but did not directly mimic them. But he said the issue would likely be debated for “many, many years”. “You can imagine someone uploading a song, claiming to be Madonna, even if they’re not. We’ve seen pretty much everything in the history of Spotify at this point with people trying to game our system,” he said. “We have a very large team that is working on exactly these types of issues.” Spotify does not allow content from its platform to be used to train AI models. Last month, Irish singer Hozier said he would consider striking over the threat of AI to the music industry, and a number of other artists have spoken out about their concerns about the use of technology in creating music. Regulators worldwide are stepping up their scrutiny of AI, given its explosion into general use worldwide and fears over its impact on jobs, industry, copyright, the education sector and privacy – among many other areas. We've seen pretty much everything in the history of Spotify at this point with people trying to game our system Daniel Ek, Spotify The UK will host a safety summit on the potential opportunities and threats posed by AI in November. Read More Spotify makes AI voice clones of podcasters and uses them to speak other languages Spotify CEO Daniel Ek denies existence of alleged artist streaming scheme Streaming service Deezer signs Universal Music royalty deal to prioritise musicians over AI
2023-09-26 21:51
A change too far? England’s last roll of the dice comes up short
A change too far? England’s last roll of the dice comes up short
England had covered the gaps, they had filled the holes. They had adjusted, adapted, repositioned, created a new formation, and reached a first World Cup final. Then England changed again. Down 1-0 at half time in the World Cup final, Sarina Wiegman went for a last roll of the dice, a double substitution that saw Alessia Russo and Rachel Daly brought off and Lauren James and Chloe Kelly come on. That 3-5-2 that was England’s revelation of the tournament, that changed their World Cup? It was binned. England went back to 4-2-3-1. They disposed of the wing-backs and brought on the wingers. They stopped pressing Spain and abandoned their plan. With it, and for the first time at the World Cup, the Lionesses did not find the change that was required. James and Kelly brought moments of improvement, but the truth is that England were at their most dangerous when Lauren Hemp and Russo were combining as a front two. Hemp’s switch to a central role took away the threat that was everywhere in the first half and left Wiegman searching for something else. On came Beth England. Up went Millie Bright. But this was a situation England could not overcome. In a tournament that has been defined by England’s ability to adapt and solve the problems they have faced, the changes that were required against Spain were a step too far. Mary Earps’s save from Jenni Hermoso’s penalty gave England some momentum, but this was a final that stuttered and in the second half never found its rhythm, where stoppages played into Spain’s hands and covered the defensive frailties they had previously shown through the tournament. “When Mary saved the penalty I thought we’d go on and score the goal,” Wiegman shrugged. “But we didn’t.” Wiegman felt England improved with the changes and they certainly played with a better balance. But by then the game had changed and in its final moments, Spain managed to stay in control. While England never found the right combinations, Spain never quite felt threatened. While England played with two systems, neither one quite arrived at the right time. Perhaps this was always the natural conclusion for a World Cup that hit its first hurdle in November when Beth Mead suffered a torn ACL, then when England lost Leah Williamson, and then Fran Kirby; the deflating end to a tournament where Wiegman has not had the same consistency or continuity of last summer’s Euros, and where winning the final was beyond the resilience of this side. Perhaps it’s also the rebalance from last summer’s quarter-final in Brighton, where Spain were the better team and lost after England found a moment of magic through Georgia Stanway’s equaliser. England couldn’t produce another one; despite the introductions of Kelly and James, England were at their most threatening when they played into an open, frantic match, even if it left them more vulnerable at the other end and, ultimately, led to Olga Carmona’s winning goal. It was a quality finish, the moment to crown Spain’s golden generation, a magnificent team of sharp passers and quick minds. Aitana Bonmati was the clear player of the tournament and no one will be surprised when the Ballon d’Or follows at the end of the year. They looked a class above England, but the regret is that a head coach who appears to have no impact on how his team plays in Jorge Vilda did not need to have a tactical approach to beat the Lionesses. England gave Spain what they wanted. Wiegman committed to a brave plan but it gave England a hard time. They had pushed high and pressed Spain, hoping to force the error, with Lucy Bronze and Daly defending as forwards as much as wingers, gambling on a misplaced pass. But Spain were too good. They responded by playing through England, isolating a back three that had found strength in its unity. Spain pulled an already stretched team further out of shape and created another problem for England to solve. Bronze’s misadventure then led to another one. As Carmona fired past Earps, Bronze immediately sank to the pitch, as if her legs had been cut from beneath her, the sort of reaction that told you everything about where the goal had come from. It was a run that was too ambitious when what England needed to do was move it faster. Bronze was crowded out, England were outnumbered, and suddenly it was left to Russo to follow Carmona’s run. That was a gap in the team that England could not cover. There had been such a fine balance to it, an open game where the first goal was always going to be crucial. While the final was goalless, England had chances that came from their high press and then found spaces to hit Hemp down the channels. But when Spain scored, the space vanished and Wiegman needed to try something else to protect her side, even if it meant England lost some of their unpredictability. To reach this stage was a triumph of the team’s approach and its mentality; a campaign that always managed to deliver answers. Eventually, and on the biggest stage of all, England were unable to find another. Read More England suffer World Cup heartache as brilliant Spain show Lionesses what’s missing Jorge Vilda: Spain’s World Cup coach at the heart of a civil war England v Spain LIVE: Women’s World Cup final result and reaction as Lionesses suffer heartbreak England players ‘heartbroken’ after World Cup final defeat to Spain England suffer World Cup heartache as brilliant Spain show Lionesses what’s missing Sarina Wiegman has already made the biggest decision of England’s World Cup
2023-08-20 22:42
Horizon Forbidden West shifts 8.4 million units
Horizon Forbidden West shifts 8.4 million units
Guerrilla Games is celebrating the impressive sales of 'Horizon Forbidden West'.
1970-01-01 08:00
Bill Gates says AI risks are real but nothing we can't handle
Bill Gates says AI risks are real but nothing we can't handle
Bill Gates sounds less worried than some other executives in Silicon Valley about the risks of artificial intelligence.
2023-07-13 00:08
Colin Cowherd: The Chargers Need to Fire Brandon Staley
Colin Cowherd: The Chargers Need to Fire Brandon Staley
Colin Cowherd explains why Brandon Staley needs to go.
2023-11-14 04:25
Field hospital bus presented to Ukraine ambassador
Field hospital bus presented to Ukraine ambassador
The next challenge will be transporting the bus to Ukraine - more than 2,000 miles away.
2023-05-24 00:39
Manchester City to rival Arsenal with bid for Declan Rice
Manchester City to rival Arsenal with bid for Declan Rice
Manchester City are readying an offer for West Ham captain Declan Rice as the interest in the 24-year-old continues to grow. Arsenal have had two bids rejected for West Ham and Manchester United also hold a strong interest.
2023-06-22 20:05
China Vice President Sees ‘Positive Signals’ in Ties With US
China Vice President Sees ‘Positive Signals’ in Ties With US
Recent high-level meetings have helped improve the China-US relationship, a top official in Beijing said before an expected
2023-11-08 08:53
Biden administration moves to boost housing supply, improve renter protections
Biden administration moves to boost housing supply, improve renter protections
By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON The Biden administration on Thursday continued its push to drive down housing prices, announcing
2023-07-28 00:16
In Defense of Minimalist King Lamar Odom's Spartan Television Setup
In Defense of Minimalist King Lamar Odom's Spartan Television Setup
It's fine!
2023-08-21 22:01
What Is Old Bay Seasoning, Anyway?
What Is Old Bay Seasoning, Anyway?
The original Old Bay seasoning recipe had dozens of ingredients—but McCormick’s current one is shrouded in secrecy.
2023-07-12 21:00