an ever-changing tech landscape…

The tech industry has seen significant changes in the past several months. Layoffs, hiring freezes, and the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank threaten the industry and its workers. SVB’s collapse impacts tech start-ups and venture capitalists in particular. Meaning startup funding is on hold as companies scramble to make payroll. All the while, FTX’s founder Sam Bankman-Fried continues to be investigated over one of the largest financial fraud schemes in history, and crypto prices fell after Silvergate Capital announced it will wind down operations and liquidate its crypto-friendly bank.

The impacts of all these events on arts organizations may feel like six degrees of separation. The concern, however, is more for the US economy and how governments respond to these crises. Landmark case decisions and public policies will pave the way for the future of tech, and the arts need to be ready to respond.

Dance data project conducts first-ever gender equity index

Dance Data Project (DDP) announced the results of its first Gender Equity Index (GEI) in the dance industry. The survey utilized publicly available data to determine companies’ commitment to supporting equity. DDP ranked the Eugene Ballet as Best Overall and Best of Commissions. BalletX, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and the Smuin Ballet were ranked in the Best of Leadership category. DDP also included a list of the 50 largest US-based ballet companies and grouped them by their equity scores under categories of “Exceptional,” “Good,” and “Needs Work.”

In the arts’ journey toward equitable pay and representation, quantitative data reporting is crucial to gauge progress. As it stands, 76.6% of the ballet field is female-dominated. However, men typically hold more prestigious and higher-paying positions. The hope for such projects is to increase awareness of the equity gaps that still exist across arts sectors.

New Bill introduced to restrict TikTok

On February 28, the White House announced a 30-day period within which federal employees were to delete TikTok from government-issued mobile devices, following suit with a ban set forth by the Canadian government. Despite American users’ outrage, the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act was introduced on March 7. The bill would allow the secretary of commerce to identify, investigate, and determine which actions should be taken against products and services that it determines to pose a national security threat. Since 2020, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has been reviewing TikTok’s data privacy, collection, and storage methods. Although a ban isn’t forthcoming, it isn’t completely off the table for the White House.

ai poses opportunities and obstacles in various artforms

AI continues to be a controversial topic, particularly in the visual arts. The lawsuits against Open AI and Stable Diffusion have mobilized artists to take a stance against AI-generated art. ChatGPT has gained massive attention, both positive and negative. Overall, artificial intelligence is an increasingly polarizing topic.

For some, acknowledging the opportunities AI presents is just as important. Architect Hamza Shaikh believes his field is entering a new age with the facilitation of AI. Social media offers a platform for such architectural creations and allows for an online community of architects to thrive. It’s wonderful, of course, when an artistic community is built and artwork is shared with the world to be inspired by.

When such creative power exists, however, artists may tiptoe the line, or even fully cross it (which only propels the argument against AI art). “Photographer” Jos Avery revealed that his portraits are all generated by Midjourney. He has fervently defended his actions against claims of fraud. Stories such as this fuel both sides of the AI debate. Thus, arts organizations’ involvement with AI-generated content is an ethical issue worth considering.

capacity interactive podcast offers data privacy guidance for arts organizations

Capacity Interactive’s in-house podcast, CI to Eye, released its episode, Navigating The New Privacy Landscape: User-Centric and Privacy-focused Data Collection. Arts marketing is an area with an increasing need for data privacy compliance. But it can understandably feel overwhelming for arts organizations to tackle.

Host Dan Titmuss talks with Alison Goldberg, Jodi Daniels, and Rob Macpherson about the current data privacy landscape and starting to become a policy-compliant organization.