The AI community is abuzz over DeepSeek R1, a new open-source reasoning model. The model was developed by the Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, which claims that R1 matches or even surpasses OpenAIs ChatGPT o1 on multiple key benchmarks but operates at a fraction of the cost. This could be a truly equalizing breakthrough that is great for researchers and developers with limited resources, especially those from the Global South, says Hancheng Cao, an assistant professor in information systems at Emory University. DeepSeeks success is even more remarkable given the constraints facing Chinese AI companies in the form of increasing US export controls on cutting-edge chips. But early evidence shows that these measures are not working as intended. Rather than weakening Chinas AI capabilities, the sanctions appear to be driving startups like DeepSeek to innovate in ways that prioritize efficiency, resource-pooling, and collaboration. To create R1, DeepSeek had to rework its training process to reduce the strain on its GPUs, a variety released by Nvidia for the Chinese market that have their performance capped at half the speed of its top products, according to Zihan Wang, a former DeepSeek employee and current PhD student in computer science at Northwestern University. DeepSeek R1 has been praised by researchers for its ability to tackle complex reasoning tasks, particularly in mathematics and coding. The model employs a chain of thought approach similar to that used by ChatGPT o1, which lets it solve problems by processing queries step by step. Dimitris Papailiopoulos, principal researcher at Microsofts AI Frontiers research lab, says what surprised him the most about R1 is its engineering simplicity. DeepSeek aimed for accurate answers rather than detailing every logical step, significantly reducing computing time while maintaining a high level of effectiveness, he says. DeepSeek has also released six smaller versions of R1 that are small enough to run locally on laptops. It claims that one of them even outperforms OpenAIs o1-mini on certain benchmarks.DeepSeek has largely replicated o1-mini and has open sourced it, tweeted Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas. DeepSeek did not reply to MIT Technology Reviews request for comments. Despite the buzz around R1, DeepSeek remains relatively unknown. Based in Hangzhou, China, it was founded in July 2023 by Liang Wenfeng, an alumnus of Zhejiang University with a background in information and electronic engineering. It was incubated by High-Flyer, a hedge fund that Liang founded in 2015. Like Sam Altman of OpenAI, Liang aims to build artificial general intelligence (AGI), a form of AI that can match or even beat humans on a range of tasks. Training large language models (LLMs) requires a team of highly trained researchers and substantial computing power. In a recent interview with the Chinese media outlet LatePost, Kai-Fu Lee, a veteran entrepreneur and former head of Google China, said that only front-row players typically engage in building foundation models such as ChatGPT, as its so resource-intensive. The situation is further complicated by the US export controls on advanced semiconductors. High-Flyers decision to venture into AI is directly related to these constraints, however. Long before the anticipated sanctions, Liang acquired a substantial stockpile of Nvidia A100 chips, a type now banned from export to China. The Chinese media outlet 36Kr estimates that the company has over 10,000 units in stock, but Dylan Patel, founder of the AI research consultancy SemiAnalysis, estimates that it has at least 50,000. Recognizing the potential of this stockpile for AI training is what led Liang to establish DeepSeek, which was able to use them in combination with the lower-power chips to develop its models. Tech giants like Alibaba and ByteDance, as well as a handful of startups with deep-pocketed investors, dominate the Chinese AI space, making it challenging for small or medium-sized enterprises to compete. A company like DeepSeek, which has no plans to raise funds, is rare. Zihan Wang, the former DeepSeek employee, told MIT Technology Review that he had access to abundant computing resources and was given freedom to experiment when working at DeepSeek, a luxury that few fresh graduates would get at any company. In an interview with the Chinese media outlet 36Kr in July 2024 Liang said that an additional challenge Chinese companies face on top of chip sanctions, is that their AI engineering techniques tend to be less efficient. We [most Chinese companies] have to consume twice the computing power to achieve the same results. Combined with data efficiency gaps, this could mean needing up to four times more computing power. Our goal is to continuously close these gaps, he said. But DeepSeek found ways to reduce memory usage and speed up calculation without significantly sacrificing accuracy. The team loves turning a hardware challenge into an opportunity for innovation, says Wang. Liang himself remains deeply involved in DeepSeeks research process, running experiments alongside his team. The whole team shares a collaborative culture and dedication to hardcore research, Wang says. As well as prioritizing efficiency, Chinese companies are increasingly embracing open-source principles. Alibaba Cloud has released over 100 new open-source AI models, supporting 29 languages and catering to various applications, including coding and mathematics. Similarly, startups like Minimax and 01.AI have open-sourced their models. According to a white paper released last year by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, a state-affiliated research institute, the number of AI large language models worldwide has reached 1,328, with 36% originating in China. This positions China as the second-largest contributor to AI, behind the United States. This generation of young Chinese researchers identify strongly with open-source culture because they benefit so much from it, says Thomas Qitong Cao, an assistant professor of technology policy at Tufts University. The US export control has essentially backed Chinese companies into a corner where they have to be far more efficient with their limited computing resources, says Matt Sheehan, an AI researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. We are probably going to see a lot of consolidation in the future related to the lack of compute. That might already have started to happen. Two weeks ago, Alibaba Cloud announced that it has partnered with the Beijing-based startup 01.AI, founded by Kai-Fu Lee, to merge research teams and establish an industrial large model laboratory. It is energy-efficient and natural for some kind of division of labor to emerge in the AI industry, says Cao, the Tufts professor. The rapid evolution of AI demands agility from Chinese firms to survive.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the 2025 Academy Award nominations and ILM visual effects teams received two nominations in the Visual Effects category. ILM Visual Effects Supervisor Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser was nominated for his work on Fede lvarezs sci-fi/horror-thriller Alien: Romulus and ILMs Pablo Helman and David Shirk were each nominated for their contributions to Jon M. Chus musical fantasy film Wicked. In addition to its nomination for visual effects, Wicked received nominations in nine other categories.Sepulveda-Fauser said, Working on Alien: Romulus with Fede, a director with such a bold and compelling vision, was an absolute pleasure. I am incredibly proud of the beautiful imagery ILMs Sydney and San Francisco teams brought to the screen. Bringing this project to life has been nothing short of extraordinary.Helman and Shirk were equally effusive in their praise for their teams on Wicked with Shirk noting, Im so excited for our nomination and honored to be part of such an amazing team! I was frequently awed by the artistry and passion of the crew. Its an incredible thrill to see our contribution recognized for a film that is so emotional, and optimistic and has connected so strongly with audiences. Helman added, It was such an incredible experience to be part of the production of Wicked and I feel so honored to be nominated! This film was such a passion project for every member of the cast and crew. Our effects teams around the world put their heart and soul into the work and I couldnt be more proud of the teams effort, it truly defied gravity. The nominated films were selected by the Academys Visual Effects branch based on peer voting at the annual Visual Effects Bake-off event. Of the 10 films invited to participate ILM contributed to half of those in contention including Alien: Romulus, Deadpool & Wolverine, Gladiator II, Twisters, and Wicked. The 97th Oscars will still be held on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC, streamed live on Hulu and air live in more than 200 territories worldwide.

Black Ops 6 zombie players are getting a good start to the year, as developer Treyarch on Friday revealed a new trailer for the next zombies map, The Tomb, which is launching at the beginning of the game's second season on Tuesday, Jan. 28.The Tomb was first revealed for 115 Day, Call of Duty's annual zombie celebration. When the new season goes live, Black Ops 6 will have four zombies maps available within four months of the game's launch -- an unprecedented release schedule for the shooter franchise.In addition to information about the new map, Treyarch recently pulled the curtains back on how well its zombie Directed Mode is working and shared details about quality-of-life improvements that'll be folded into the season 2 launch.Here's everything we know so far about the next content drop on Jan. 28.What we know about the next Black Ops 6 zombies map Black Ops 6 players got their first look at some shots from within The Tomb's catacombs today. ActivisionPicking up after the events of Citadelle des Morts, The Tomb will have Weaver, Maya, Carver and Grey plunge into the heart of an ancient catacomb to rediscover a powerful artifact capable of helping them deal with the undead threat.The new map has been built from the ground up for zombies. It's not reusing any locations from the campaign or Warzone modes.The Tomb will be smaller than maps like Terminus and Citadelle des Morts, forcing engagements in tighter play areas. The returning Black Ops 4 perk Death Perception is meant to help players deal with this increased threat by offering more insights into where nearby zombies are located. In addition, new traps like the arrow trap and aetheric lanterns will rain damaging bolts of energy down upon undead pursuers in a pinch.Treyarch cited Liberty Falls as a key contributor to the design philosophy for the new map, explaining that the Black Ops 6 launch map was the most replayed zombies experience in recent years.Fan-favorite weapons will return, including the PPSh-41 SMG and a "reimagined Wonder Weapon inspired by [Treyarch's] past." This wonder weapon is the Staff of Ice from Origins, an oft-lauded zombies map introduced in Black Ops 2 and remastered for Black Ops 3. The new easter egg will reward players with a Project Janus skin for the new wonder weapon.As per usual, any weapon introduced in the multiplayer battle pass or seasonal events will be usable in the zombies mode loadout. Three new GobbleGums will also make their debut and be earnable in The Tomb and other Black Ops 6 zombies maps upon the launch of Season 2.In addition to the main Easter egg, The Tomb will have a strong focus on side Easter eggs -- like the Liberty Falls bowling alley minigame and bank vault.Black Ops 6 season 2 quality-of-life improvements revealedIt looks like the beginning of season 2 will largely focus on improving the Black Ops 6 zombies experience, but that doesn't mean the multiplayer mode is being left high and dry. There are four key changes being made to players' quality-of-life at the beginning of season 2.Multiplayer and Zombies mode challenge tracking: Players will now be able to separately track challenges for multiplayer and zombies. In addition, players can now pin 10 challenges for each mode at any given time -- if no challenges are manually pinned, Black Ops 6 will show players the challenges they are closest to completing.Separate HUDs for multiplayer and zombies modes: Players who want to use different heads-up display layouts for the different modes will now be able to do so without toggling each and every option whenever they swap between multiplayer and zombies.Co-op pause: If everyone in a lobby is grouped in a single co-op party, pausing in zombies mode will function like it does in a solo session. Crucially, this feature will not work if you aren't in a party with every player in your co-op game.AFK kick loadout recovery:If you're kicked from a zombies game for AFKing for too long, you are now able to rejoin the lobby and recover your weapons, equipment, score streaks and perks.Black Ops 6 zombies Directed Mode is working as planned Directed Mode makes the main Easter eggs much easier, giving players ample time to build up their loadout of Pack-a-Punched weapons, perks, armor and more. ActivisionThe final insight we received for 115 Day focuses on the new zombies mode introduced in Black Ops 6: Directed Mode.Treyarch created this mode to increase community participation in the zombies maps' main Easter eggs -- round caps and guided objectives make the challenges much easier for new and casual players to finish.Now, the developer has revealed that Directed Mode is working the way it intended. Whereas 3.38% of Call of Duty zombies players completed the main Easter egg on maps before the guided mode was introduced, that number has more than doubled with 8.23% of players completing the Black Ops 6 maps' main Easter eggs.Treyarch intends to continue looking for ways to make its zombies storyline more easily accessible to all players, but is optimistic about the results so far.Maybe more players will be able to beat the Black Ops 6 zombies maps by 115 Day in 2026.

Lexington residents have multiple providers to choose from, including Spectrum, Comporium and Kinetic. Heres how the best broadband providers in Lexington stack up.

OpinionJanuary 24, 20254 min readWere Living in a Dystopian Climate Thriller. It's Time to Rewrite the EndingDecades of warnings went ignored about the threats from climate change. With homes everywhere now burning, flooding and washing away, its time we start listening to scientists climate solutionsBy Peter H. Gleick edited by Daniel VerganoA motorcyclist stops to look at a burning home during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area of Los Angeles county, California on January 8, 2025. Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty ImagesBleak visions of a dystopian future offered up by science-fiction writers, TV shows and Hollywood disaster movies are no longer fiction. Real floods, droughts, wildfires and coastal storms happening nownotably the catastrophic fires that have devastated Los Angelesare a stark wake-up call. Our refusal to aggressively cut greenhouse-gas emissions isnt a problem for some distant uncertain future; it has become our present-day reality.It is time to disavow climate denial and accelerate building disaster resilience in our cities and homes.It's not as though we werent warned. Climate scientists have been sounding the alarm about growing climate risks for decades. Despite repeated warnings, we have failed to adequately mitigate or adapt to climate change. As the popular meme goes, We are in the midst of the longest, saddest, most excruciating and unsatisfying I told you so in the history of the world.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.In 1969 Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan wrote a memo on these risks to President Nixon, warning of a Goodbye New York, 10-foot sea level rise. But he was ignored. In 1977 Frank Press, science advisor to President Carter, wrote of the scale and speed of the impending change to the climate: The potential effect on the environment of a climatic fluctuation of such rapidity could be catastrophic and calls for an impact assessment of unprecedented importance and difficulty.In 2007, at the release of the fourth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report summarizing the state of climate science knowledge, Harvards John Holdren (who later became science advisor to President Barack Obama), said: We basically have three choices: mitigation, adaptation and suffering. Were going to do some of each. The question is what the mix is going to be. The more mitigation we do, the less adaptation will be required and the less suffering there will be.Perhaps, like me, youre a fan of the many good (and sometimes bad) TV shows and movies that hint at dystopian futures where aliens, extreme geophysical events or other catastrophes wreak havoc on cities, societies or the planet as a whole. Los Angeles is a popular target in many of these films, for its iconic status and, probably, because the entertainment industry is centered there. The city is leveled in the 1974 film Earthquake, starring Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner. Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche race around L.A. as it is consumed in flames in 1997s Volcano. Tornadoes wipe out the iconic Hollywood sign and the Capitol Records building during the global climate catastrophe in 2004s The Day After Tomorrow. In the more recent Blade Runner 2049 and Syfy Network series The Expanse, massive seawalls try to protect a future Los Angeles and New York City from sea-level rise caused by climate change.Whether politicians admit it or not, the scenes we witness in real life show were now all living in a dystopian science fiction movie.Incredibly, leading policy makers and pundits continue to deny scientific reality. In 2020, after an earlier series of devastating wildfires, then president Donald Trump dismissed concerns over climate change, telling one California official I don't think science knows about global warming. It'll start getting cooler, you just watch. Five increasingly hot years later, Trump is continuing to ignore the science during the Los Angeles disaster, preferring instead to point fingers at California water policy, diversity and inclusion efforts, endangered fish and his political opponents. His major campaign funder Elon Musk has also weighed in with grossly unscientific opinions dismissing the role of climate change.Theyre wrong, and its our responsibility as scientists to say so. These fires were unambiguously influenced by human-caused climate change. Global temperatures are accelerating upward; 2024 was the hottest year in recorded history, and all 10 of the hottest years have been in the last decade, continuing a century-long trend of warming. Extreme hydrologic events, including floods and droughts, are accelerating, and Southern California is intensely dry. Los Angeles has received essentially no rainfall in over 10 months, with the driest start to a rainy season on record, parching soils and vegetation and setting the stage for extreme winds to intensify and spread the fires.Refusal to acknowledge the role of climate change must stop. It hinders efforts to mitigate climate change by cutting damaging emissions. It contributes to failures to strengthen our ability to adapt to those impacts we can no longer avoid. And it massively worsens the human suffering caused by accelerating disasters.We know whats coming, but we also know what to do. In addition to aggressively accelerating the energy transition away from fossil fuels, changing individual behavior and reducing carbon emissions from other sources, we have to expand efforts to build resilience to unavoidable impacts.That means strategies such as improving resilience to wildfires with better land management, and policy reforms, such as building with fire-resistant materials and designs, reducing vegetation around homes and restricting development in high-risk areas. Communities must toughen water systems by modernizing infrastructure, diversifying water supplies and strengthening fire-fighting. Coastal properties at risk of sea-level rise and intensifying storms will have to be protected, moved or abandoned. New construction in risky areas must be halted, despite pressure from developers to build in these areas, and any reconstruction must be to higher, safer standards and designs.It's time to listen to the science, stop listening to the deniers and work to make our dystopian future, once again, fiction.This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed by the author or authors are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

OpinionJanuary 24, 20255 min readHow Reality TV Helps Explain Trumps SuccessWhat makes reality shows so popular also helps explain why Donald Trump is so popularIn May 2016 a red hat with the saying Make America Great Again was placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame star of now president Donald Trump hours after he was found guilty of 34 felony charges of falsifying business records in an effort to influence the 2016 election. Jay L. Clendenin/Getty ImagesWith Donald Trump back in office, much of the world is still struggling to make sense of his appeal to so many Americans. This is especially the case now, after he became a felon, incited an insurrection and promised to govern as a dictator. How does someone so unfiltered, unrefined and dismissive of moral codes and norms end up getting elected?It may be those very things that are core to his appealTrump is not the first head of state who has capitalized on brash behavior to gain that position. He may appeal to the average voter for the very same reasons you keep watching that reality television show you love to hate: these shows delight people by giving them a look at something that feels both real and taboo. Trump is among many successful politicians who have succeeded by appearing more relatable, such as George W. Bush, who famously scored as the more appealing candidate to have a beer with in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, the authentic emotional appeal of Barack Obama or the bumbling clown image of Boris Johnson. But Trumps appeal seems different.In our experience as business professors, weve seen how business models that include seemingly repellent behavior can captivate audiencesand as a television personality, Trump has been no exception. Trump the politician has pulled from that same playbook. We have spent years studying how transgression (an act that goes against law, norms or standards), stigma and emotions affect businesses, stakeholders and even society. Trumps election had striking similarities to what we have observed in businesses based on voyeurism. That is, the anchor of his appeal is tied to how the perception of his authenticity and his transgressions fuel human emotion.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Think about reality shows such as Big Brother, social media influencers, erotic webcam and OnlyFans models and slum tourism. These are businesses that let audiences peek into things that are typically kept private. These are businesses based on voyeurismthey turn peoples curiosity about private and forbidden aspects of others lives into a product or service that generates money. Experiencing something forbidden creates a unique mix of emotionsthrill, curiosity and even discomfortthat people are willing to pay for. To succeed, such businesses balance showing enough realness to feel authentic and forbidden with avoiding crossing lines that might alienate their audience.Of course, Trump is a reality television show character turned president, and part of the success of his shows was brashnessberating hapless contestants or yelling youre fired over and over. Just as voyeuristic businesses do, Trump has positioned himself as both authentic (he tells it like it is, people say) and transgressive (he does and says things as a political leader that people in his position normally do not). In this way, Trump has cultivated a distinct persona that resonates with certain audiences and keeps them engaged amidand often because ofcontroversies. Heres how this works.Authenticity is about delivering experiences that feel real, connecting audiences with the unfiltered truth of a subject. Trumps followers often say they like it when he resists traditional political correctness and elite social norms, such as the carefully calibrated communication that is often associated with people in positions of power. Despite his wealth and high status, people see him as an authentic figure. Trumps blunt manner, frequent social media outbursts and disregard for polished speeches all reinforce this perception. That makes him seem more honest to his followers, regardless of whether or not he is telling the truth. They believe that hes acting without artifice, bringing an undiluted version of himself directly to the public, which is one half of the voyeurism puzzle. In voyeuristic businesses, the same is expected. Webcam models, for example, are perceived to bring their full personality to their performances, casting aside the tropes seen in classic pornography. Reality star actors are seen as being unfiltered and unrefinedthey are more real, even if its staged.Transgression is the other component that helps voyeuristic business succeed. And this is the quality that we were most surprised could work for a presidential candidate, a position that is governed by both explicit and implicit rules of behavior. Transgression creates value by making audiences feel part of something special, rebellious or forbidden. Trumps public statements, which many view as offensive or inflammatory, appeal to supporters who feel disenchanted with the status quo. By bucking the rules of politics and society, his followers see him as fighting against restrictions that they believe have prevented people from saying what they really think. By breaking these codes, as he takes unprecedented unilateral actions (some clearly unconstitutional), he captures attention and generates a sense of excitement, offering supporters an emotional thrill that is rare in mainstream politics. Transgression and authenticity work in tandem to create a mix of emotional responses in audiencesexcitement, shock, curiositythat keep them coming back. Trumps political actions and statements, whether policy-oriented or scandalous, tend to evoke strong emotions. Consider his actions on immigration in the first week of his current term or his rhetoric around Greenland. Whether supporters feel pride, anger or excitement, these emotions foster engagementthey are the hook that catches and holds on to the audience.By combining authenticity and transgression, Trump has cultivated a following that perceives him as both relatable and daring, someone who breaks rules and pushes boundaries in ways they admire. So one reason his appeal persists is because he offers audiences a safe way to engage with transgressive ideas, creating a space where they can defy societal norms while feeling validated in their frustrations. This strategy, rooted in the emotional complexities of voyeurism, explains why his popularity endures even as he continues to break traditional political norms. Like the businesses based in voyeurism that we studied, he crafts an experience that is both intimate and defiant, appealing deeply to a specific audiences desires and emotions.But the emotional allure of authenticity and transgressionso central to voyeurismdoes more than captivate; it distorts. In voyeuristic businesses, this emotional hook often obscures deeper realities of exploitation, inequality and ethical breaches. Similarly, Trumps emotional appeal transforms the presidency from a role of profound consequence into an ongoing spectaclemore akin to a reality TV drama than a position shaping our lives and future. This framing trivializes critical issues, distracting from the structural and personal harm and injustices that often underpin the show.What we have learned from voyeuristic businesses, however, is that the scales can tip. Emotional captivation is a delicate balance. Too much authenticity can feel raw and unpalatable, while too much transgression can repel. Over time, the emotional thrill that draws people in can begin to unravel, giving way to unease, fear or even revulsion. In the context of Trumps presidency, this tipping point might come when the emotional sugar highs of rule breaking no longer feel exciting but threateningwhen the costs of a leader who prioritizes self-interest over the common good become impossible to ignore or when the harm to the targets of his punitive policies (whether transgender people, undocumented immigrants or career civil servants) becomes undeniable. The question is: How much can society endure before this shift occurs?Our hope is that understanding these dynamics will sharpen the conversation about leadership, governance and the kinds of emotional narratives we allow to dominate our political landscape. Recognizing the parallels between Trumps appeal and voyeuristic practices is not just about explaining his rise; its about equipping ourselves to confront its consequences and being ready to fight back.This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed by the author or authors are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

Xbox Series X/S sales trailing behind Xbox One in US, while PS5 outpaces PS4But hardware sales down across the board.Image credit: Eurogamer News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on Jan. 24, 2025 Four years after its launch, US sales of Xbox Series X/S are trailing behind those of its predecessor, Xbox One, at the same point in the consoles' life time. Sales of PlayStation 5, however, are now firmly outpacing PlayStation 4.That's according to sales data from marketing research and technology company Circana (formerly The NPD Group) in its latest monthly report. Circana executive director and games industry analyst Mat Piscatella summarised the company's finding - covering US games and hardware spending up to December 2024 - in a lengthy post on Bluesky (thanks VGC).Commenting on some of the reports highlights, Piscatella wrote, "Through each console's first 50 months in the US market (life to date ending Dec 2024 for both Xbox Series X/S and PS5), PS5 lifetime unit sales are 7 percent ahead of PS4's pace, while Xbox Series X/S trails Xbox One by 18 percent." By comparison, Piscatella noted, "Through 38 months in the US (through Dec 2023), PS5 led PS4 by 6 percent while Xbox Series X/S trailed Xbox One by 13 percent."Newscast: our thoughts on the latest Xbox Developer Direct.Watch on YouTubeCircana's 2024 end-of-year report charts what Piscatella called a "rough" 12 months for gaming hardware, with consumer spending falling 29 percent compared to last year. On a more granular level, spending on PS5 hardware fell by 18 percent (although it remained the best-selling platform in December) while Series X/S and Switch declined by 38 percent. This drop, however, was "expected" according to Piscatella, given Switch's substantial time on the market, and PS5 and Series X/S both being "past their selling peaks".While specific hardware sales figures weren't disclosed, Sony last year revealed, amid declining year-on-year sales, 61m PS5s have been shifted since its launch in November 2020. Microsoft does not share sales figures for Xbox Series X/S, but it also previously confirmed declining hardware sales as it increasingly pushes Xbox as a hardware agnostic brand.Piscatella's full summary of Circana's latest report on US games and hardware trends can be found on Bluesky and makes for an interesting read.

Mark Zuckerberg stood up in the Senate hearing room on Capitol Hill, turned around, and began to speak. It was hard to hear him over the camera clicks. I felt the room lift behind me as bereaved parents held up photos of their dead kids, lost to suicide or exploitation following exposure to Zuckerberg's online platforms. I realized I was standing by the time I could make out any of his words. Im sorry for everything youve been through, he said.That was January 31, 2024 and less than a year later, Zuckerberg announced Meta would be abandoning fact-checkers and implementing similar policies to Elon Musk's X.This deeply craven and dangerous reversal, ostensibly to reduce censorship from Meta platforms, will make Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp even more unsafe for LGBTQ+ users. Thats why, after 13 years on Instagram, amassing 80,000 followers, and having monetarily benefited from being an influencer, I am finally leaving Instagram.I initially joined Instagram because it was what all of my friends were doing. As a young dancer featured on television shows, it was a place to build and maintain connections and community. It was also a business, a place where I could earn money for more dance training and raise awareness about causes and issues I cared deeply about. But over time, due to policy and content moderation decisions made or not made by Meta, it went from something fun and engaging to something that fueled anxiety, took over my childhood, and ultimately caused harm to me and people I love.At the end of the day, social media is a product of its environment, and the environment is getting worse. The rise in hate speech on social media has become a significant concern in recent years. Meta's decision to end its fact-checking program and ease content moderation will only add to the increase in harmful behaviors, including harassment and hate speech, especially if Zuckerberg implements something similar to Xs community notes. Giving anyone with a valid phone number and six months of a clean record on the platform the status of approved moderator, a status kept anonymous, is not enough to keep harmful disinformation and hate speech from spreading. Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news.Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!That doesnt mean members of the LGBTQ+ community should lose hope entirely. There are people fighting to hold technology companies accountable and to make online spaces better. Its important that young LGBTQ+ people know that there are people, like my colleagues at Heat Initiative, fighting for Big Tech to clean up their act, so that isolated members of the LGBTQ+ community arent forced to turn to dangerous online experiences when their in-person community fails them. The unfortunate reality is that, right now, the LGBTQ+ community is harmed disproportionally more on these platforms than their peers. Zuckerbergs actions will only accelerate the risks that young LGBTQ+ people face on Metas platforms.Lennon Torres protesting an an Apple store for the Heat Initiative.Credit: Photo by Johnny MakesIronically, Metas new policies seem likely to hurt their business too. In his announcement, Zuckerberg parroted language that has been used by Musk to justify the elimination of safety measures on X, but those decisions have proven to be terrible for Xs business. When Twitter became X and it immediately shifted away from a place people could connect and keep up to date to a cesspool of illegal and harmful content, users and advertisers fled. Zuckerberg should take note, especially since he said himself that its likely we will see a similar uptick in harmful content on Metas platforms.But no one in the LGBTQ+ community should be under the illusion that social media or the newest technology will inherently increase connection or belonging. At least not without thorough protections. After I saw that even Apple CEO Tim Cook, a so-called LGBTQ+ advocate, donated $1 million dollars to the Trump Inauguration and sat directly behind the now president as he took the presidential oath, I was reminded again that technology CEOs are focused only on protecting their power. That unsettling realization and Zuckerbergs announcement left me asking myself if I will keep using these platforms. Our LGBTQ+ community must come to terms with the fact that tech tycoons like Zuckerberg, Musk and Cook dont have our best interests at heart. Ever.Ultimately, we have to reckon with the fact that Metas new policies are just the latest in a long line of decisions that have put LGBTQ+ users at risk on their platforms. To know they have a ton of hate speech on their platforms, are building algorithms meant to addict young users to their products for life, and are actively moving to ensure less content safety, I can't sit idly by and use their platforms. Zuckerberg is taking the company in a fundamentally dangerous direction.Related StoriesIt is so clear to me that the young and wild toxic relationship of my youth was not with a romantic partner or friend, but with Mark Zuckerberg and the products he has built to imprison and profit off of our attention. And like many exes do, he sticks around uninvited and I am certainly done giving him a pass.Join me. Its time to delete your Instagram.Lennon Torres is an LGBTQ+ advocate who grew up in the public eye, gaining national recognition as a young dancer on television shows. With a deep passion for storytelling, advocacy, and politics, Lennon now works to center the lived experience of herself and others as she crafts her professional career in online child safety at Heat Initiative, aiming to bridge the gap between online safety and LGBTQ+ representation through intentionally inclusive strategies. Lennons LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennon-torres-325b791b4/

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Companies that want to build AI voice into their products are rushing to work with ElevenLabs, the startup that develops synthetic voice technology like voice cloning and dubbing tools. Now ElevenLabs is turning up the volume on its business with a huge series C raise, just a year after a sizable series B.The New York startup has closed a Series C of $250 million at a valuation of between $3 billion and $3.3 billion, multiple sources tell TechCrunch. The round is being led by ICONIQ Growth, several people said. Andreessen Horowitz, one of the lead investors in the companys $80 million Series B in January, 2024, was another name mentioned as a potential investor in this round. ElevenLabs, ICONIQ Growth and Andreessen Horowitz did not respond to our request for comment.For months, investors have been scrambling to invest in ElevenLabs after a blockbuster period of growth for the company, with its AI audio technology getting used everywhere, TechCrunch was the first to report in October.On the back of a strong funnel of business, sources tell us that ElevenLabs was initially looking for funding at a $4 billion valuation. But a $3 billion valuation is still triple the unicorn valuation that the company landed with that year-ago Series B. One source said the company has been preparing to announce the round this month so official confirmation may come any day now.ElevenLabs fundraise comes after a strong few years both for the company and the wider industry. The company was founded in 2022 by Mati Staniszewski and Piotr Dabkowski who respectively previously worked at Palantir and Google. Childhood friends from Poland, the pair were inspired by the poor quality of dubbing in the American videos they watched growing up, and they saw an opportunity to use AI to develop something better.Their idea was a clear example of right idea-right time. As generative AI services have become more advanced, multimedia has come to the fore, and there has been a growing interest in building applications that include sound and video alongside GenAI text services.ElevenLabs released its first beta product in January 2023, and by the time it had raised its Series A of $19 million in June 2023, it had gone viral.Some of that growth has not been without controversy, with stories of fake news being created with its tech. But as ElevenLabs has developed a raft of detection tools and other safeguards to prevent misuse, it has emerged as a key partner for enabling speech-based services for an increasingly high-profile number of businesses.Its technology, usable via an API and priced at a number of usage tiers, covers a wide range of use cases: translating text to speech (in multiple languages), cloning voices, changing voices in an audio track, creating entirely new voices; alongside other voice editing tools.Customers include other technology platforms such as Syntheisa, the text-to-video startup that works with businesses and itself announced a fundraise of $180 million earlier this month; publishing giants like Washington Post, Harper Collins and Bertelsmann, which says 36 businesses are using ElevenLabs tech in their content creation; and gaming companies, among others.Usage has led to a rapid rise in sales. In October, sources told us that ElevenLabs annualized recurring revenue (ARR) had grown from $25 million in 2023 to $80 million. Two people in November estimated that its ARR was likely closer to $90 million. If the latter figure is accurate, a $4 billion valuation would have put its valuation multiple at 44 times ARR; in the end it seems the deal has been done at a slightly more moderate multiple of 37 times ARR.For some context on that number, these are not the most exuberant valuations at the moment: investors appear willing to pay as much as 50 times ARR for the fastest-growing generative AI companies.Anysphere, the maker of a popular AI-coding assistant Cursor, has received multiple unsolicited offers valuing the company at about $2.5 billion, which translates to about 52 times ARR, TechCrunch reported in November. The company has seen its revenue grow from $4 million annualized recurring revenue (ARR) in April to $4 million a month as of last month. (ARR is commonly calculated by multiplying the latest monthly revenue by 12.) However, by the time the deal, which was led by Thrive at a valuation of $2.5 billion, was announced earlier this month, Anysphere had reached $100 million in ARR, The New York Times reported. That implies that the company was valued at 25 times ARR.ElevenLabs more temperate multiple may be a function of the companys competitors, which include a plethora of startups but also giants like Google and OpenAI.Other past backers of the company have included Sequoia, Credo Ventures, Concept Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Disney, and nearly two dozen high-profile angel investors.