entertainment, Artificial Intelligence
Hannah Brainard
April News: Entertainment Industry Divided on ...

This month, music and film are at the forefront as each battles with the future uses for burgeoning tech. While AI-generated film visuals seem to be coming up short, progress toward realistic AI-generated music is starting to send shockwaves. On the consumer side, music streaming tools are being released to allow more listening experience customization. Across the industry, artists are celebrating ways that some these new tools can enhance their work, while speaking out against potential impacts on jobs, compensation, and creative freedom.

April News: Entertainment Industry Divided on AI Tools
Artificial Intelligence, Marketing, Social Media
Samantha Sonnet
How Generative AI is Impacting Digital Marketing

Generative AI (GenAI) has become increasingly integrated into marketing and communication careers, and even our daily lives, with the rise of various text-to-image, text-to-video, & text-to-text tools. As digital marketers find new and innovative ways to keep up with the trends, and specifically GenZ in a quick-changing popular culture scene, how are they reacting to the rise of GenAI?

How Generative AI is Impacting Digital Marketing
Blockchain, Sustainability
Hannah Brainard
Blockchain Technology for Climate Action in the ...

Arts and cultural organizations are becoming increasingly aware of their climate impact, and many are taking action to reduce harm. Tracking, reporting, and offsetting emissions may seem like an overwhelming feat for small or mid-sized organizations, but emerging blockchain technology may help make the process more efficient and reliable. 

Blockchain Technology for Climate Action in the Arts
Advocacy, Arts & Technology, Laws & Legal, Social Media
AMT Lab Staff
TikTok — to Ban or Not to Ban

As previously foreshadowed by Samantha in an article written in July of 2023, TikTok: Opportunity and Risk, TikTok has been under a microscope from governments across the globe for quite awhile. The analysis provided in her article is still relevant today given the recent vote to ban TikTok, and the United States House moving forward to force Chinese state-owned TikTok company ByteDance to sell their ownership of the U.S. version of TikTok, or lose access to the United States TikTok market. To fully understand the situation, this article will recap TikTok’s controversial Privacy Policy and the 2023 testimonies, and also discuss the current governmental situation surrounding the ban. 

TikTok — to Ban or Not to Ban
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Technology, Data, Digital Futures, Management
Brett Ashley Crawford, Ph.D.
Digital Strategy: Not Optional Anymore

Digital strategy has become a buzzword after the explosion of AI in the last 18 months. Yet, it is not about AI. AI has been the tipping point for organizations and professionals to recognize that they must update or create a digital strategy for success. Digitally-forward arts organizations already have a digital component as part of their strategic plan. Read more to understand the need for technology to be a core component of strategic plans and operations.

Digital Strategy: Not Optional Anymore

Laws & Legal

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TikTok — to Ban or Not to Ban

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TikTok — to Ban or Not to Ban

As previously foreshadowed by Samantha in an article written in July of 2023, TikTok: Opportunity and Risk, TikTok has been under a microscope from governments across the globe for quite awhile. The analysis provided in her article is still relevant today given the recent vote to ban TikTok, and the United States House moving forward to force Chinese state-owned TikTok company ByteDance to sell their ownership of the U.S. version of TikTok, or lose access to the United States TikTok market. To fully understand the situation, this article will recap TikTok’s controversial Privacy Policy and the 2023 testimonies, and also discuss the current governmental situation surrounding the ban. 

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In the News: April 2023

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In the News: April 2023

Technologies like artificial intelligence and NFTs continue to break into new industries this April. The United States government licensed ChatGPT, dancers paired with robots, and music industry leaders have been taking a stand on AI-made music. We are in the midst of figuring out where these technologies fit into our lives, and how they will change our industries. Feelings of uneasiness continue. The following stories illustrate a variety of viewpoints on the ways in which technology has been integrated into new and unique settings as of late.

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In the News: March 2023

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In the News: March 2023

From rising STEAM programs to the emphasis on AI in popular culture, the interplay of art and technology allows for new visions to be imagined, new heights to be reached, and new stories to be told. This month, we’re highlighting some of the ways in which technology and art interweave to redefine the very definition of creativity.

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In the News: January 2023

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In the News: January 2023

AI. Lawsuits. Copyright. Matthew Butterick. These are all terms we’ve been inundated with in the past month. To avoid being redundant, we won’t be diving into much detail on these stories. Instead, we’ll be presenting some stories you may have missed.

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In the News: November 2022

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In the News: November 2022

Each passing month of 2022 seems to give us no shortage of controversial tech-related news that has implications for the nonprofit arts sector. The following stories exhibit the ways in which large companies in the tech sector overstepped their roles and abused their power.

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In the News: October 2022

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In the News: October 2022

As issues surrounding AI and NFTs continue to come to light, conversations about ethical uses of technology become more complex. This month, we are taking a look at stories that address the issues of data privacy in AI technology, the ongoing legal battlefield of NFTs, and digital strategies in theatre.

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In the News: September 2022

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In the News: September 2022

In the past month, AI has been dominating arts news. As its role as a collaborator and partner in visual art projects grows in popularity, many question its ethics and even object to its use in the arts entirely. There’s no doubt of its benefit in certain contexts. For instance, in the area of cultural preservation projects, which may take humans much longer if unassisted by the technology. But, understandably so, there also seems to be a looming fear in the artist community that it will displace human artists. Many object to even calling AI-generated or AI-assisted art “art.” While the future is uncertain concerning the legality and ownership of such “artwork,” these conversations are important to have. And it is vital to stay informed on the various issues involving AI in art, both good and bad, to see how the law adapts.

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In the News: August 2022

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In the News: August 2022

It is that time of the year – work is starting to pick up and school is back in session. To mark the beginning of a new academic year, this month’s round up of news focuses on current events regarding arts education.

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The Monopoly Game: How Consolidation Jeopardizes Content Independence in Gaming

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The Monopoly Game: How Consolidation Jeopardizes Content Independence in Gaming

Throughout my tenure as Chief Editor of Research at AMT Lab, I have focused on the benefits of the gaming industry for nonprofits, as well as the monopolistic tendencies and battles of Big Tech, specifically regarding arts and entertainment. Recently, these two worlds have collided, as a wave of consolidation in the gaming industry has raised a new set of antitrust concerns across the globe. In the center of it all? None other than Microsoft, a Big Tech giant that has evaded the antitrust spotlight over the past few years – until now. Due to the expanding value of the video gaming industry at over $300 billion, mergers and acquisitions seemed an obvious destiny bound for the trials and tribulations of antitrust litigation. Microsoft has successfully inserted itself into the gaming industry, incited the largest wave of consolidation that it has ever seen, and merged its dominant position in the sector with its Big Tech-skewed Metaverse goals.

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The Importance of Nonprofits' Prioritization of Patron Privacy

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The Importance of Nonprofits' Prioritization of Patron Privacy

In 2021, TikTok updated its privacy policy which allowed it to collect biometric data on its users, including faceprints and voiceprints. Rather than explicitly informing its users about this change, the app vaguely communicated that they were issuing a “privacy update.” Once people found out what the update entailed, concern rightfully grew. This type of data collection indicates a significant shift from companies collecting behavioral data on their consumers to something much more invasive and without true consent. Only 36% of Americans trust tech companies using facial recognition technology. In general, public trust in Big Tech has been steadily falling in the United States. Regardless, however, most people still click “accept” to the Terms & Conditions on any website without actually knowing what is being agreed to, indicating a disconnect between what US citizens expect from businesses and what is actually being conducted. With a lack of national protection, nonprofit organizations must assume responsibility in protecting personal consumer data and using it ethically.