By TREVOR HOGG Images courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Rather than a world constructed around photorealistic pixels, a video game created by Markus Persson has taken the boxier 3D voxel route, which has become its signature aesthetic, and sparked an international phenomenon that finally gets adapted into a feature with the release of A Minecraft Movie. Brought onboard to help filmmaker Jared Hess in creating the environments that the cast of Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Sebastian Hansen, Emma Myers and Danielle Brooks find themselves inhabiting was Disguise under the direction of Production VFX Supervisor Dan Lemmon. “[A]s the Senior Unreal Artist within the Virtual Art Department (VAD) on Minecraft, I experienced the full creative workflow. What stood out most was how deeply the VAD was embedded across every stage of production. We weren’t working in isolation. From the production designer and director to the VFX supervisor and DP, the VAD became a hub for collaboration.” —Talia Finlayson, Creative Technologist, Disguise Interior and exterior environments had to be created, such as the shop owned by Steve (Jack Black). “Prior to working on A Minecraft Movie, I held more technical roles, like serving as the Virtual Production LED Volume Operator on a project for Apple TV+ and Paramount Pictures,” notes Talia Finlayson, Creative Technologist for Disguise. “But as the Senior Unreal Artist within the Virtual Art Department (VAD) on Minecraft, I experienced the full creative workflow. What stood out most was how deeply the VAD was embedded across every stage of production. We weren’t working in isolation. From the production designer and director to the VFX supervisor and DP, the VAD became a hub for collaboration.” The project provided new opportunities. “I’ve always loved the physicality of working with an LED volume, both for the immersion it provides and the way that seeing the environment helps shape an actor’s performance,” notes Laura Bell, Creative Technologist for Disguise. “But for A Minecraft Movie, we used Simulcam instead, and it was an incredible experience to live-composite an entire Minecraft world in real-time, especially with nothing on set but blue curtains.” Set designs originally created by the art department in Rhinoceros 3D were transformed into fully navigable 3D environments within Unreal Engine. “These scenes were far more than visualizations,” Finlayson remarks. “They were interactive tools used throughout the production pipeline. We would ingest 3D models and concept art, clean and optimize geometry using tools like Blender, Cinema 4D or Maya, then build out the world in Unreal Engine. This included applying materials, lighting and extending environments. These Unreal scenes we created were vital tools across the production and were used for a variety of purposes such as enabling the director to explore shot compositions, block scenes and experiment with camera movement in a virtual space, as well as passing along Unreal Engine scenes to the visual effects vendors so they could align their digital environments and set extensions with the approved production layouts.” A virtual exploration of Steve’s shop in Midport Village. Certain elements have to be kept in mind when constructing virtual environments. “When building virtual environments, you need to consider what can actually be built, how actors and cameras will move through the space, and what’s safe and practical on set,” Bell observes. “Outside the areas where strict accuracy is required, you want the environments to blend naturally with the original designs from the art department and support the story, creating a space that feels right for the scene, guides the audience’s eye and sets the right tone. Things like composition, lighting and small environmental details can be really fun to work on, but also serve as beautiful additions to help enrich a story.” “I’ve always loved the physicality of working with an LED volume, both for the immersion it provides and the way that seeing the environment helps shape an actor’s performance. But for A Minecraft Movie, we used Simulcam instead, and it was an incredible experience to live-composite an entire Minecraft world in real-time, especially with nothing on set but blue curtains.” —Laura Bell, Creative Technologist, Disguise Among the buildings that had to be created for Midport Village was Steve’s (Jack Black) Lava Chicken Shack. Concept art was provided that served as visual touchstones. “We received concept art provided by the amazing team of concept artists,” Finlayson states. “Not only did they send us 2D artwork, but they often shared the 3D models they used to create those visuals. These models were incredibly helpful as starting points when building out the virtual environments in Unreal Engine; they gave us a clear sense of composition and design intent. Storyboards were also a key part of the process and were constantly being updated as the project evolved. Having access to the latest versions allowed us to tailor the virtual environments to match camera angles, story beats and staging. Sometimes we would also help the storyboard artists by sending through images of the Unreal Engine worlds to help them geographically position themselves in the worlds and aid in their storyboarding.” At times, the video game assets came in handy. “Exteriors often involved large-scale landscapes and stylized architectural elements, which had to feel true to the Minecraft world,” Finlayson explains. “In some cases, we brought in geometry from the game itself to help quickly block out areas. For example, we did this for the Elytra Flight Chase sequence, which takes place through a large canyon.” Flexibility was critical. “A key technical challenge we faced was ensuring that the Unreal levels were built in a way that allowed for fast and flexible iteration,” Finlayson remarks. “Since our environments were constantly being reviewed by the director, production designer, DP and VFX supervisor, we needed to be able to respond quickly to feedback, sometimes live during a review session. To support this, we had to keep our scenes modular and well-organized; that meant breaking environments down into manageable components and maintaining clean naming conventions. By setting up the levels this way, we could make layout changes, swap assets or adjust lighting on the fly without breaking the scene or slowing down the process.” Production schedules influence the workflows, pipelines and techniques. “No two projects will ever feel exactly the same,” Bell notes. “For example, Pat Younis [VAD Art Director] adapted his typical VR setup to allow scene reviews using a PS5 controller, which made it much more comfortable and accessible for the director. On a more technical side, because everything was cubes and voxels, my Blender workflow ended up being way heavier on the re-mesh modifier than usual, definitely not something I’ll run into again anytime soon!” A virtual study and final still of the cast members standing outside of the Lava Chicken Shack. “We received concept art provided by the amazing team of concept artists. Not only did they send us 2D artwork, but they often shared the 3D models they used to create those visuals. These models were incredibly helpful as starting points when building out the virtual environments in Unreal Engine; they gave us a clear sense of composition and design intent. Storyboards were also a key part of the process and were constantly being updated as the project evolved. Having access to the latest versions allowed us to tailor the virtual environments to match camera angles, story beats and staging.” —Talia Finlayson, Creative Technologist, Disguise The design and composition of virtual environments tended to remain consistent throughout principal photography. “The only major design change I can recall was the removal of a second story from a building in Midport Village to allow the camera crane to get a clear shot of the chicken perched above Steve’s lava chicken shack,” Finlayson remarks. “I would agree that Midport Village likely went through the most iterations,” Bell responds. “The archway, in particular, became a visual anchor across different levels. We often placed it off in the distance to help orient both ourselves and the audience and show how far the characters had traveled. I remember rebuilding the stairs leading up to the rampart five or six times, using different configurations based on the physically constructed stairs. This was because there were storyboarded sequences of the film’s characters, Henry, Steve and Garrett, being chased by piglins, and the action needed to match what could be achieved practically on set.” Virtually conceptualizing the layout of Midport Village. Complex virtual environments were constructed for the final battle and the various forest scenes throughout the movie. “What made these particularly challenging was the way physical set pieces were repurposed and repositioned to serve multiple scenes and locations within the story,” Finlayson reveals. “The same built elements had to appear in different parts of the world, so we had to carefully adjust the virtual environments to accommodate those different positions.” Bell is in agreement with her colleague. “The forest scenes were some of the more complex environments to manage. It could get tricky, particularly when the filming schedule shifted. There was one day on set where the order of shots changed unexpectedly, and because the physical sets looked so similar, I initially loaded a different perspective than planned. Fortunately, thanks to our workflow, Lindsay George [VP Tech] and I were able to quickly open the recorded sequence in Unreal Engine and swap out the correct virtual environment for the live composite without any disruption to the shoot.” An example of the virtual and final version of the Woodland Mansion. “Midport Village likely went through the most iterations. The archway, in particular, became a visual anchor across different levels. We often placed it off in the distance to help orient both ourselves and the audience and show how far the characters had traveled.” —Laura Bell, Creative Technologist, Disguise Extensive detail was given to the center of the sets where the main action unfolds. “For these areas, we received prop layouts from the prop department to ensure accurate placement and alignment with the physical builds,” Finlayson explains. “These central environments were used heavily for storyboarding, blocking and department reviews, so precision was essential. As we moved further out from the practical set, the environments became more about blocking and spatial context rather than fine detail. We worked closely with Production Designer Grant Major to get approval on these extended environments, making sure they aligned with the overall visual direction. We also used creatures and crowd stand-ins provided by the visual effects team. These gave a great sense of scale and placement during early planning stages and allowed other departments to better understand how these elements would be integrated into the scenes.” Cast members Sebastian Hansen, Danielle Brooks and Emma Myers stand in front of the Earth Portal Plateau environment. Doing a virtual scale study of the Mountainside. Practical requirements like camera moves, stunt choreography and crane setups had an impact on the creation of virtual environments. “Sometimes we would adjust layouts slightly to open up areas for tracking shots or rework spaces to accommodate key action beats, all while keeping the environment feeling cohesive and true to the Minecraft world,” Bell states. “Simulcam bridged the physical and virtual worlds on set, overlaying Unreal Engine environments onto live-action scenes in real-time, giving the director, DP and other department heads a fully-realized preview of shots and enabling precise, informed decisions during production. It also recorded critical production data like camera movement paths, which was handed over to the post-production team to give them the exact tracks they needed, streamlining the visual effects pipeline.” Piglots cause mayhem during the Wingsuit Chase. Virtual versions of the exterior and interior of the Safe House located in the Enchanted Woods. “One of the biggest challenges for me was managing constant iteration while keeping our environments clean, organized and easy to update,” Finlayson notes. “Because the virtual sets were reviewed regularly by the director and other heads of departments, feedback was often implemented live in the room. This meant the environments had to be flexible. But overall, this was an amazing project to work on, and I am so grateful for the incredible VAD team I was a part of – Heide Nichols [VAD Supervisor], Pat Younis, Jake Tuck [Unreal Artist] and Laura. Everyone on this team worked so collaboratively, seamlessly and in such a supportive way that I never felt like I was out of my depth.” There was another challenge that is more to do with familiarity. “Having a VAD on a film is still a relatively new process in production,” Bell states. “There were moments where other departments were still learning what we did and how to best work with us. That said, the response was overwhelmingly positive. I remember being on set at the Simulcam station and seeing how excited people were to look at the virtual environments as they walked by, often stopping for a chat and a virtual tour. Instead of seeing just a huge blue curtain, they were stoked to see something Minecraft and could get a better sense of what they were actually shooting.”

The Roads Must Roll is a Blender add-on for easy creation of photo-real streets, bridges and intersections. This update introduces new vehicles, bridge pillars, motion blur, intersection presets, procedural islands, and performance optimizations. Sma

Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studioSave this picture!© Prayoon Tesprateep•Bangkok, Thailand Architects: Volume Matrix studio Area Area of this architecture project Area:  1500 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2025 Photographs Photographs:Prayoon Tesprateep Lead Architects: Kasin Sornsri More SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! Text description provided by the architects. Brick Journey is an architectural project that harmonizes conceptual interpretation with spatial design, blending various functions and local aesthetics. This vibrant space encompasses a residence, café, and art galleries. The initial concept is inspired by the journey of the owner, a doctor with a profound passion for ancient art. As an art collector, he has traveled the world to acquire unique masterpieces. He envisioned his home not only as a place to live but also as a sanctuary for his cherished collection. The architect responded to this vision by creating a spatial narrative that encourages exploration. A curving wall weaves through the layout, guiding and distorting the circulation to create a sense of wandering-inviting visitors to discover the space as their own personal journey.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Upon approaching the site, the first impression is marked by a small, enclosed entrance framed by the curved wall. This design element creates a sense of tension and curiosity, gently pushing visitors to step inside. Above this entrance lies an observation area, symbolizing a point where beginning and end converge. Passing through the threshold, visitors encounter a small pond on the right, accompanied by an empty frame moment of reflection that the owner holds dear. This area includes a multipurpose space used for temporary exhibitions and gatherings, and includes bathroom facilities. This room is connected to an outdoor courtyard, which also takes advantage of the beautiful view and ventilation.Save this picture!Save this picture!On the left side of the site lies the café and reception area. A significant feature here is the expansive courtyard, which benefits from the shade of a large, existing tree that has grown since the owner's childhood. The café is designed with floor-to-ceiling windows, providing unobstructed views of the courtyard and artifacts suspended throughout the space. A unique element is the incorporation of antique doors from the owner's collection, seamlessly merging art and architecture.Save this picture!Save this picture!The second floor is dedicated primarily to galleries. A staircase leads to a temporary exhibition space suitable for smaller-scale paintings. The two main buildings are connected via a steel bridge, which leads to the upper level of the café. This section houses an exhibition featuring pieces from the Indian subcontinent. Turning at this point leads visitors back to the multipurpose area via an original Art Nouveau staircase, while continuing forward completes the journey, returning to the elevated observation point—the symbolic end of the path.Save this picture!Save this picture!This architecture prominently features brick; the choice of using brick as the main material is due to the revival of ancient architecture, as brick used to be the dominant material used in building and construction. Therefore, utilizing various types of brick and construction techniques to create texture, depth, and a sense of timelessness throughout the project is metaphorical to a journey of brick building this architectural piece.Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less About this officeVolume Matrix studioOffice••• MaterialBrickMaterials and TagsPublished on June 16, 2025Cite: "Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studio" 16 Jun 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1031113/brick-journey-volume-matrix-studio&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Barbara Betlejewska is a PR consultant and manager with extensive experience in architecture and real estate, currently involved with World Visualization Festival, a global event bringing together CGI and digital storytelling professionals for 3 days of presentations, workshops, and networking in Warsaw, Poland, this October. Over the last twenty years, visualization and 3D rendering have evolved from supporting tools to become central pillars of architectural storytelling, design development, and marketing across various industries. As digital technologies have advanced, the landscape of creative work has changed dramatically. Artists can now collaborate with clients worldwide without leaving their homes, and their careers can flourish without ever setting foot in a traditional studio. In this hyper-connected world, where access to knowledge, clients, and inspiration is just a click away, do we still need to gather in person? Do conferences, festivals and meetups in the CGI and architectural visualization world still carry weight? The People Behind the Pixels Professionals from the visualization industry exchanging ideas at WVF 2024. For a growing number of professionals — especially those in creative and tech-driven fields — remote work has become the norm. The shift to digital workflows, accelerated by the pandemic, has brought freedom and flexibility that many are reluctant to give up. It’s easier than ever to work for clients in distant cities or countries, to build a freelance career from a laptop, or to pursue the lifestyle of a digital nomad. On the surface, it is a broadening of horizons. But for many, the freedom of remote work comes with a cost: isolation. For visualization artists, the reality often means spending long hours alone, rarely interacting face-to-face with peers or collaborators. And while there are undeniable advantages to independent work, the lack of human connection can lead to creative stagnation, professional burnout, and a sense of detachment from the industry as a whole. Despite being a highly technical and often solitary craft, visualization and CGI thrive on the exchange of ideas, feedback and inspiration. The tools and techniques evolve rapidly, and staying relevant usually means learning not just from tutorials but from honest conversations with others who understand the nuances of the field. A Community in the Making Professionals from the visualization industry exchanging ideas at WVF 2024. That need for connection is what pushed Michał Nowak, a Polish visualizer and founder of Nowak Studio, to organize Poland’s first-ever architectural visualization meetup in 2017. With no background in event planning, he wasn’t sure where to begin, but he knew something was missing. The Polish Arch Viz scene lacked a shared space for meetings, discussions, and idea exchange. Michał wanted more than screen time; he wanted honest conversations, spontaneous collaboration and a chance to grow alongside others in the field. What began as a modest gathering quickly grew into something much bigger. That original meetup evolved into what is now the World Visualization Festival (WVF), an international event that welcomes artists from across Europe and beyond. “I didn’t expect our small gathering to grow into a global festival,” Michał says. “But I knew I wanted a connection. I believed that through sharing ideas and experiences, we could all grow professionally, creatively, and personally. And that we’d enjoy the journey more.” The response was overwhelming. Each year, more artists from across Poland and Europe join the event in Wrocław, located in south-western Poland. Michał also traveled to other festivals in countries like Portugal and Austria, where he observed the same thing: a spirit of openness, generosity, and shared curiosity. No matter the country or the maturity of the market, the needs were the same — people wanted to connect, learn and grow. And beyond the professional side, there was something else: joy. These events were simply fun. They were energizing. They gave people a reason to step away from their desks and remember why they love what they do. The Professional Benefits Hands-on learning at the AI-driven visualization workshop in Warsaw, October 2024. The professional benefits of attending industry events are well documented. These gatherings provide access to mentorship, collaboration and knowledge that can be challenging to find online. Festivals and industry meetups serve as platforms for emerging trends, new tools and fresh workflows — often before they hit the mainstream. They’re places where ideas collide, assumptions are challenged and growth happens. The range of topics covered at such events is broad, encompassing everything from portfolio reviews and in-depth discussions of particular rendering engines to discussions about pricing your work and building a sustainable business. At the 2024 edition of the World Visualization Festival, panels focused on scaling creative businesses and navigating industry rates drew some of the biggest crowds, proving that artists are hungry for both artistic and entrepreneurial insights. Being part of a creative community also shapes professional identity. It’s not just about finding clients — it’s about finding your place. In a field as fast-moving and competitive as Arch Viz, connection and conversation aren’t luxuries. They’re tools for survival. There’s also the matter of building your social capital. Online interactions can only go so far. Meeting someone in person builds relationships that stick. The coffee-break conversations, the spontaneous feedback — these are the moments that cement a community and have the power to spark future projects or long-lasting partnerships. This usually doesn’t happen in Zoom calls. And let’s not forget the symbolic power of events like industry awards, such as the Architizer’s Vision Awards or CGArchitect’s 3D Awards. These aren’t just celebrations of talent; they’re affirmations of the craft itself. They contribute to the growth and cohesion of the industry while helping to establish and promote best practices. These events clearly define the role and significance of CGI and visualization as a distinct profession, positioned at the intersection of architecture, marketing, and sales. They advocate for the field to be recognized on its own terms, not merely as a support service, but as an independent discipline. For its creators, they bring visibility, credit, and recognition — elements that inspire growth and fuel motivation to keep pushing the craft forward. Occasions like these remind us that what we do has actual value, impact and meaning. The Energy We Take Home The WVF 2024 afterparty provided a vibrant space for networking and celebration in Warsaw. Many artists describe the post-event glow: a renewed sense of purpose, a fresh jolt of energy, an eagerness to get back to work. Sometimes, new projects emerge, new clients appear, or long-dormant ideas finally gain momentum. These events aren’t just about learning — they’re about recharging. One of the most potent moments of last year’s WVF was a series of talks focused on mental health and creative well-being. Co-organized by Michał Nowak and the Polish Arch Viz studio ELEMENT, the festival addressed the emotional realities of the profession, including burnout, self-doubt, and the pressure to constantly produce. These conversations resonated deeply because they were real. Seeing that others face the same struggles — and come through them — is profoundly reassuring. Listening to someone share a business strategy that worked, or a failure they learned from, turns competition into camaraderie. Vulnerability becomes strength. Shared experiences become the foundation of resilience. Make a Statement. Show up! Top industry leaders shared insights during presentations at WVF 2024 In an era when nearly everything can be done online, showing up in person is a powerful statement. It says: I want more than just efficiency. I want connection, creativity and conversation. As the CGI and visualization industries continue to evolve, the need for human connection hasn’t disappeared — it’s grown stronger. Conferences, festivals and meetups, such as World Viz Fest, remain vital spaces for knowledge sharing, innovation and community building. They give us a chance to reset, reconnect and remember that we are part of something bigger than our screens. So, yes, despite the tools, the bandwidth, and the ever-faster workflows, we still need to meet in person. Not out of nostalgia, but out of necessity. Because, no matter how far technology takes us, creativity remains a human endeavor. Architizer’s Vision Awards are back! The global awards program honors the world’s best architectural concepts, ideas and imagery. Start your entry ahead of the Final Entry Deadline on July 11th.  The post Building an Architectural Visualization Community: The Case for Physical Gatherings appeared first on Journal.

By TREVOR HOGG Images courtesy of Chocolate Tribe. Nosipho Maketo-van den Bragt, Owner and CEO, Chocolate Tribe After initially pursuing a career as an attorney, Nosipho Maketo-van den Bragt discovered her true calling was to apply her legal knowledge in a more artistic endeavor with her husband, Rob Van den Bragt, who had forged a career as a visual effects supervisor. The couple co-founded Chocolate Tribe, the Johannesburg and Cape Town-based visual effects and animation studio that has done work for Netflix, BBC, Disney and Voltage Pictures. “It was following my passion and my passion finding me,” observes Maketo-van den Bragt, Owner and CEO of Chocolate Tribe and Founder of AVIJOZI. “I grew up in Soweto, South Africa, and we had this old-fashioned television. I was always fascinated by how those people got in there to perform and entertain us. Living in the townships, you become the funnel for your parents’ aspirations and dreams. My dad was a judge’s registrar, so he was writing all of the court cases coming up for a judge. My dad would come home and tell us stories of what happened in court. I found this enthralling, funny and sometimes painful because it was about people’s lives. I did law and to some extent still practice it. My legal career and entertainment media careers merged because I fell in love with the storytelling aspect of it all. There are those who say that lawyers are failed actors!” Chocolate Tribe hosts what has become the annual AVIJOZI festival with Netflix. AVIJOZI is a two-day, free-access event in Johannesburg focused on Animation/Film, Visual Effects and Interactive Technology. This year’s AVIJOZI is scheduled for September 13-14 in Johannesburg. Photo: Casting Director and Actor Spaces Founder Ayanda Sithebe (center in black T-shirt) and friends at AVIJOZI 2024. A personal ambition was to find a way to merge married life into a professional partnership. “I never thought that a lawyer and a creative would work together,” admits Maketo-van den Bragt. “However, Rob and I had this great love for watching films together and music; entertainment was the core fabric of our relationship. That was my first gentle schooling into the visual effects and animation content development space. Starting the company was due to both of us being out of work. I had quit my job without any sort of plan B. I actually incorporated Chocolate Tribe as a company without knowing what we would do with it. As time went on, there was a project that we were asked to come to do. The relationship didn’t work out, so Rob and I decided, ‘Okay, it seems like we can do this on our own.’ I’ve read many books about visual effects and animation, and I still do. I attend a lot of festivals. I am connected with a lot of the guys who work in different visual effects spaces because it is all about understanding how it works and, from a business side, how can we leverage all of that information?” Chocolate Tribe provided VFX and post-production for Checkers supermarket’s “Planet” ad promoting environmental sustainability. The Chocolate Tribe team pushed photorealism for the ad, creating three fully CG creatures: a polar bear, orangutan and sea turtle. With a population of 1.5 billion, there is no shortage of consumers and content creators in Africa. “Nollywood is great because it shows us that even with minimal resources, you can create a whole movement and ecosystem,” Maketo-van den Bragt remarks. “Maybe the question around Nollywood is making sure that the caliber and quality of work is high end and speaks to a global audience. South Africa has the same dynamics. It’s a vibrant traditional film and animation industry that grows in leaps and bounds every year. More and more animation houses are being incorporated or started with CEOs or managing directors in their 20s. There’s also an eagerness to look for different stories which haven’t been told. Africa gives that opportunity to tell stories that ordinary people, for example, in America, have not heard or don’t know about. There’s a huge rise in animation, visual effects and content in general.” Rob van den Bragt served as Creative Supervisor and Nosipho Maketo-van den Bragt as Studio Executive for the “Surf Sangoma” episode of the Disney+ series Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire. Rob van den Bragt, CCO, and Nosipho Maketo-van den Bragt, CEO, Co-Founders of Chocolate Tribe, in an AVIJOZI planning meeting. Stella Gono, Software Developer, working on the Chocolate Tribe website. Family photo of the Maketos. Maketo-van de Bragt has two siblings. Film tax credits have contributed to The Woman King, Dredd, Safe House, Black Sails and Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning shooting in South Africa. “People understand principal photography, but there is confusion about animation and visual effects,” Maketo-van den Bragt states. “Rebates pose a challenge because now you have to go above and beyond to explain what you are selling. It’s taken time for the government to realize this is a viable career.” The streamers have had a positive impact. “For the most part, Netflix localizes, and that’s been quite a big hit because it speaks to the demographics and local representation and uplifts talent within those geographical spaces. We did one of the shorts for Disney’s Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, and there was huge global excitement to that kind of anthology coming from Africa. We’ve worked on a number of collaborations with the U.K., and often that melding of different partners creates a fusion of universality. We need to tell authentic stories, and that authenticity will be dictated by the voices in the writing room.” AVIJOZI was established to support the development of local talent in animation, visual effects, film production and gaming. “AVIJOZI stands for Animation Visual Effects Interactive in JOZI [nickname for Johannesburg],” Maketo-van den Bragt explains. “It is a conference as well as a festival. The conference part is where we have networking sessions, panel discussions and behind-the-scenes presentations to draw the curtain back and show what happens when people create avatars. We want to show the next generation that there is a way to do this magical craft. The festival part is people have film screenings and music as well. We’ve brought in gaming as an integral aspect, which attracts many young people because that’s something they do at an early age. Gaming has become the common sport. AVIJOVI is in its fourth year now. It started when I got irritated by people constantly complaining, ‘Nothing ever happens in Johannesburg in terms of animation and visual effects.’ Nobody wanted to do it. So, I said, ‘I’ll do it.’ I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, and four years later I have lots of gray hair!” Rob van den Bragt served as Animation Supervisor/Visual Effects Supervisor and Nosipho Maketo-van den Bragt as an Executive Producer on iNumber Number: Jozi Gold (2023) for Netflix. (Image courtesy of Chocolate Tribe and Netflix) Mentorship and internship programs have been established with various academic institutions, and while there are times when specific skills are being sought, like rigging, the field of view tends to be much wider. “What we are finding is that the people who have done other disciplines are much more vibrant,” Maketo-van den Bragt states. “Artists don’t always know how to communicate because it’s all in their heads. Sometimes, somebody with a different background can articulate that vision a bit better because they have those other skills. We also find with those who have gone to art school that the range within their artistry and craftsmanship has become a ‘thing.’ When you have mentally traveled where you have done other things, it allows you to be a more well-rounded artist because you can pull references from different walks of life and engage with different topics without being constrained to one thing. We look for people with a plethora of skills and diverse backgrounds. It’s a lot richer as a Chocolate Tribe. There are multiple flavors.” South African director/producer/cinematographer and drone cinemtography specialist FC Hamman, Founder of FC Hamman Films, at AVIJOZI 2024. There is a particular driving force when it comes to mentoring. “I want to be the mentor I hoped for,” Maketo-van den Bragt remarks. “I have silent mentors in that we didn’t formalize the relationship, but I knew they were my mentors because every time I would encounter an issue, I would be able to call them. One of the people who not only mentored but pushed me into different spaces is Jinko Gotoh, who is part of Women in Animation. She brought me into Women in Animation, and I had never mentored anybody. Here I was, sitting with six women who wanted to know how I was able to build up Chocolate Tribe. I didn’t know how to structure a presentation to tell them about the journey because I had been so focused on the journey. It’s a sense of grit and feeling that I cannot fail because I have a whole community that believes in me. Even when I felt my shoulders sagging, they would be there to say, ‘We need this. Keep it moving.’ This isn’t just about me. I have a whole stream of people who want this to work.” Netflix VFX Manager Ben Perry, who oversees Netflix’s VFX strategy across Africa, the Middle East and Europe, at AVIJOZI 2024. Netflix was a partner in AVIJOZI with Chocolate Tribe for three years. Zama Mfusi, Founder of IndiLang, and Isabelle Rorke, CEO of Dreamforge Creative and Deputy Chair of Animation SA, at AVIJOZI 2024. Numerous unknown factors had to be accounted for, which made predicting how the journey would unfold extremely difficult. “What it looks like and what I expected it to be, you don’t have the full sense of what it would lead to in this situation,” Maketo-van den Bragt states. “I can tell you that there have been moments of absolute joy where I was so excited we got this project or won that award. There are other moments where you feel completely lost and ask yourself, ‘Am I doing the right thing?’ The journey is to have the highs, lows and moments of confusion. I go through it and accept that not every day will be an award-winning day. For the most part, I love this journey. I wanted to be somewhere where there was a purpose. What has been a big highlight is when I’m signing a contract for new employees who are excited about being part of Chocolate Tribe. Also, when you get a new project and it’s exciting, especially from a service or visual effects perspective, we’re constantly looking for that dragon or big creature. It’s about being mesmerizing, epic and awesome.” Maketo-van den Bragt has two major career-defining ambitions. “Fostering the next generation of talent and making sure that they are ready to create these amazing stories properly – that is my life work, and relating the African narrative to let the world see the human aspect of who we are because for the longest time we’ve been written out of the stories and narratives.”

Why it matters: A technological leap in fiber optics has shattered previous limitations, achieving what experts once considered impossible: transmitting data at 1.02 petabits per second – enough to download every movie on Netflix 30 times over – across 1,808 kilometers using a single fiber no thicker than a human hair. At the heart of this breakthrough – driven by Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) and Sumitomo Electric Industries – is a 19-core optical fiber with a standard 0.125 mm cladding diameter, designed to fit seamlessly into existing infrastructure and eliminate the need for costly upgrades. Each core acts as an independent data channel, collectively forming a "19-lane highway" within the same space as traditional single-core fibers. Unlike earlier multi-core designs limited to short distances or specialized wavelength bands, this fiber operates efficiently across the C and L bands (commercial standards used globally) thanks to a refined core arrangement that slashes signal loss by 40% compared to prior models. The experiment's success relied on a complex recirculating loop system. Signals traveled through an 86.1-kilometer fiber segment 21 times, simulating a cross-continental journey equivalent to linking Berlin to Naples or Sapporo to Fukuoka. To maintain integrity over this distance, researchers deployed a dual-band optical amplification system, comprising separate devices that boosted signals in the C and L bands. This enabled 180 distinct wavelengths to carry data simultaneously using 16QAM modulation, a method that packs more information into each pulse. // Related Stories At the receiving end, a 19-channel detector, paired with advanced MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) processing, dissected interference between cores, much like untangling 19 overlapping conversations in a crowded room. Schematic diagram of the transmission system This digital signal processor, leveraging algorithms developed over a decade of multi-core research, extracted usable data at unprecedented rates while correcting for distortions accumulated over 1,808 km. The achievement caps years of incremental progress. In 2023, the same team achieved 1.7 petabits per second, but only across 63.5 km. Earlier efforts using 4-core fibers reached 0.138 petabits over 12,345 km by tapping the less practical S-band, while 15-mode fibers struggled with signal distortion beyond 1,001 km due to mismatched propagation characteristics. The new 19-core fiber's uniform core design sidesteps these issues, achieving a capacity-distance product of 1.86 exabits per second per kilometer – 14 times higher than previous records for standard fibers. Image diagram of 19-core optical fiber. Presented as the top-rated post-deadline paper at OFC 2025 in San Francisco, this work arrives as global data traffic is projected to triple by 2030. While challenges remain, such as optimizing amplifier efficiency and scaling MIMO processing for real-world use, the technology offers a viable path to petabit-scale networks. Researchers aim to refine production techniques for mass deployment, potentially enabling transoceanic cables that move entire data centers' worth of information hourly. Researchers aim to refine production techniques for mass deployment, potentially enabling transoceanic cables that move entire data centers' worth of information hourly. Sumitomo Electric's engineers, who designed the fiber's coupled-core architecture, note that existing manufacturing lines can adapt to produce the 19-core design with minimal retooling. Meanwhile, NICT's team is exploring AI-driven signal processing to further boost speeds. As 6G and quantum computing loom, this breakthrough positions fiber optics not just as a backbone for tomorrow's internet, but as the central nervous system of a hyperconnected planetary infrastructure.

A Fungal Disease Ravaged North American Bats. Now, Researchers Found a Second Species That Suggests It Could Happen Again White-nose syndrome caused millions of bat deaths, and scientists are sounding the alarm that a second fungus could be disastrous if it reaches American wildlife Lillian Ali - Staff Contributor May 30, 2025 A little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) is seen with white fuzz on its nose, a characteristic of the deadly white-nose syndrome. Ryan von Linden / New York Department of Environmental Conservation In February 2006, a cave explorer near Albany, New York, took the first photograph of bats with a mysterious white growth on their faces. Later, biologists studying the mammals in caves and mines discovered piles of dead bats in the state—also with the fuzzy white mold. The scientists were floored. For years, no one knew what was causing the mass die-offs from this “white-nose syndrome.” In early 2007, Albany residents called local authorities with reports of typically nocturnal bats flying in broad daylight. “They were just dying on the landscape,” wildlife biologist Alan Hicks told the Associated Press’ Michael Hill in 2008. “They were crashing into snowbanks, crawling into woodpiles and dying.” At last, scientists identified a culprit: The bats had succumbed to an infection caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Since its initial discovery, white-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats across 40 U.S. states and nine Canadian provinces, making it “the most dramatic wildlife mortality event that’s ever been documented from a pathogen,” DeeAnn Reeder, a disease ecologist at Bucknell University, tells the New York Times’ Carl Zimmer. Now, nearly two decades later, scientists have developed some promising ways to fend off the disease, including an experimental vaccine. But a new study published this week in the journal Nature warns of a newly discovered second species of fungus that, if it reaches North America, could set all that progress back. “We thought we knew our enemy, but we have now discovered it is twice the size and potentially more complex than we had imagined,” lead author Nicola Fischer, a biologist at the University of Greifswald in Germany, says in a statement. Little brown bats are susceptible to white-nose syndrome in North America. Krynak Tim, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The team analyzed 5,479 fungus samples collected by hundreds of citizen science volunteers across North America, Asia and Europe. They found that white-nose syndrome is caused by two distinct fungal species native to Europe and Asia, with only one species having reached North America so far. If the second species hits the continent, it could look like a “reboot” of the epidemic, Reeder tells the New York Times. Study co-author Sébastien Puechmaille, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Montpellier in France, knew bats in Europe had also been seen with white fuzz on their noses, as he tells the New York Times. But those populations didn’t die off like American bats. Charting the disease across Europe and Asia, he noticed that the fungus was able to live alongside those bats, while it ravaged American ones. In its native range, the fungus grows in the bodies of hibernating bats as their internal temperature drops, then it’s shed in the spring when they awaken. But in American bats, the fungus causes their immune systems to activate and burn fat reserves as they hibernate. The bats then wake up periodically, causing irregular activity and eventual starvation. The researchers suggest the damaging fungal spores were first brought to North America by cavers that traveled from Europe—potentially western Ukraine—to the United States without completely disinfecting their boots or rope. White-nose syndrome poses a threat not just to bats, but to whole ecosystems. Bats are vital parts of many food chains, eating insects and pollinating plants. However, they reproduce fairly slowly, only having one or two pups at a time. Rebuilding a bat population, then, could take decades. And since cave ecosystems are similarly delicate, biologists are wary of trying to kill off the fungus preemptively. “Cave ecosystems are so fragile that if you start pulling on this thread, what else are you going to unravel that may create bigger problems in the cave system?” said University of Wisconsin–Madison wildlife specialist David Drake to the Badger Herald’s Kiran Mistry in December. The discovery also occurs as the original wave of white-nose syndrome continues to spread across North America, having just crossed the Continental Divide in Colorado. Just one spore of the new species could be devastating to American bat colonies. Puechmaille tells the New York Times that policies should be put in place to make sure the second fungus does not spread to more continents, and that cavers should not move equipment between countries and should disinfect it regularly. “This work … powerfully illustrates the profound impact a single translocation event can have on wildlife,” he adds in the statement. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Let's make this simple: You want to know if there are any post- or mid-credits scenes in Karate Kid: Legends. The answer is yes!Well, what do you call it when a movie ends, they cut to a title card, but then they immediately cut to another scene? Let’s call it a starts-credit scene. It would be hard to miss, but if you had to pee and were thinking of leaping out of your seat the second it seemed the movie was over, well, you shouldn’t. Full spoilers for the entire movie follow!The prophecy of six movies and six seasons of a TV show – wait, was that a thing? – has been fulfilled, as the Karate Kid franchise returns to theaters in Karate Kid: Legends. Though it is opening just a few months after the conclusion of the hit Netflix series Cobra Kai, the filmmakers have stressed this is a standalone story and that while Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) is in both, fans shouldn’t expect the film to continue Cobra Kai storylines, as we shift focus to a new Karate Kid, Li Fong (Ben Wang). Still, it was hard not to wonder if there would be any overt connections between the two beyond Daniel’s presence - or if fans should actually worry that the film would outright contradict the series in any way. Ultimately, while the movie sticks to that standalone promise pretty strongly, and Daniel actually has a relatively small role, there are two scenes that touch upon other aspects of the larger Karate Kid franchise - specifically tied to The Karate Kid Part II and, yes, Cobra Kai. Ranking the Karate Kid MoviesThe Karate Kid Part II Connection (and Continuity Error)Karate Kid: Legends has been marketed as a movie where Li Fong gets trained by two legends from Karate Kid history - Daniel LaRusso and Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han. This is pretty notable because Mr. Han’s only appearance prior to this was alongside Jaden Smith in 2010’s The Karate Kid, a film that was intended at the time to be an outright remake of the 1984 original. And while it changed the character names and locations, it used nearly every notable story beat from the 1984 film. All of which makes it pretty funny that it’s now been retconned to be part of the larger Karate Kid/Cobra Kai universe, since it means we just have to accept Mr. Han and Mr. Miyagi had remarkably similar experiences as widowed handymen who were secretly martial arts masters that ended up mentoring and befriending a bullied young boy who moved into the building they worked in… And then entered them in a tournament where they could face their bully… And one night drunkenly broke down and spoke about their dead family to the kid they were training... And so on…But hey, the universe works in mysterious ways, and I guess maybe it’s even more cosmic that Han and Miyagi lived such similar lives since it turns out they were really good friends whose families had been bonded together for literal centuries! Legends reveals that the two were longtime pals and we even get a photoshopped image of Pat Morita and Jackie Chan in the mid-1980s together to prove it. Legends opens with a flashback scene pulled from The Karate Kid Part II to dive into the bond between the Miyagi and Han families.“Legends actually opens with a flashback scene pulled from The Karate Kid Part II to dive into the bond between the Miyagi and Han families. In Part II, when Daniel traveled with Miyagi to Okinawa, Miyagi explained to him how in the year 1625, his ancestor, fisherman Shimpo Miyagi, got drunk on his boat and woke up to find himself off the coast of China. He would return to Okinawa a decade later with a Chinese wife and two children, also now knowing the secret of Miyagi family karate, bringing karate to Okinawa for the first time in the process. However, Legends transitions from this scene between Daniel and Miyagi into animation accompanied by a soundalike for the late Pat Morita (is it an actual human or AI? Who can say these days?) that goes into specifics we didn’t hear in The Karate Kid Part II. Here, Miyagi says that it was the kung fu experts in the Han family who Shimpo encountered and learned from, and that is what forged a bond that has lasted to the present day between the two families. Oh, and a side note fanboy rant: Karate Kid: Legends literally begins with this flashback scene, alongside onscreen text that says “Okinawa, 1986.” 1986 is the year The Karate Kid Part II was released, yes, but that’s not the year that movie took place in! The Karate Kid Part II is set the summer after Daniel won the All-Valley in December 1984 in the first movie. Hence, it’s the summer of 1985. They make sure to get this right on Cobra Kai when referencing Part II’s events (and hell, when referencing The Karate Kid Part III as well, which takes place later in 1985), so it is odd and annoying that no one noticed this error in the entire process of completing this film, when plenty of Karate Kid/Cobra Kai fans can spot it instantly. Sigh… End rant. PlayLi’s Three Dads (Can Fight)Karate Kid: Legends is actually rather misleading in terms of marketing, because yes, Li ends up being trained by Mr. Han and Daniel together for this film’s big tournament, the New York-based 5 Boroughs. But none of that happens – and we don’t even see Daniel outside of that old Part II footage – until the second half of the movie. The first half follows Li moving to New York with his mom (Ming-Na Wen) where, at first, he’s having the traditional Karate Kid new kid in town path of falling for a friendly cute girl he meets (Sadie Stanley as Mia) whose ex-boyfriend (Aramis Knight as Connor) turns out to be a bullying a-hole who’s also a seemingly unbeatable karate champion. But one big difference this time is that Li actually is a rather formidable kung fu fighter already, thanks to the training he received back in China from Mr. Han - he’s just not ready for someone as skilled as Connor yet. But the other big difference is that the film then takes a huge detour from other Karate Kid films for quite awhile when Li bonds with Mia’s dad, Victor (Joshua Jackson), an ex-boxer turned pizza place owner who’s attempting a boxing comeback in order to quickly make money he needs to pay back a loan from the dangerous O’Shea (Tim Rozon). O’Shea is also the guy who runs the Demolition karate school that trains Connor, so basically think of him as Kreese from the original Karate Kid… if he also had a side hustle as a mobster/loan shark type.      After Li helps Victor fight off some of O’Shea’s goons, Victor is amazed at his fighting prowess and asks the kid to help him train to get back into fighting shape - and pass on some of his kung fu techniques for punching and dodging. Li accepts, and for a surprising amount of the first half of its run time Karate Kid: Legends does a fun twist on the usual underdog story, with the young teen character mentoring the older character on how to fight. However, in Victor’s big comeback fight, his opponent goes for some brutal sucker punches at O’Shea’s orders, sending Victor to the hospital. With Connor still harassing Li and Li now wanting to help Victor and Mia get the money they still need to pay off Victor’s debt, he is convinced by Mr. Han – who comes from China to see him – to enter the 5 Boroughs tournament, which comes with a snazzy $50,000 prize for the winner. Mr. Han will of course help train him, but he can’t do it alone, because the 5 Boroughs is a karate tournament, not kung fu. So it’s off to Los Angeles and to Mr. Miyagi’s house (AKA Miyagi-Do Karate Dojo to Cobra Kai fans) to recruit a reluctant Daniel LaRusso to help, with Han explaining his friendship with Miyagi - though you’d think Daniel might already know about him?Karate Kid: Legends Ending ExplainedSoon enough, as Han predicts, Daniel does come to New York and he and Han team up to get Li ready for the tournament in just a few days time, using his foundation of kung fu to build upon to teach him Miyagi karate. Daniel also gives Li a headband he found among Miyagi’s belongings that he believes is connected to the bond between the Hans and the Miyagis and the idea of “two branches, one tree.” And then Li gets his ass kicked in the tournament and loses to Connor! Li beats Connor, and it being a Karate Kid movie, he does it using a special move he’d practiced earlier, of course.“Just kidding, Li beats Connor, and it being a Karate Kid movie, he does it using a special move he’d practiced earlier, of course - this one a fancy kick his late brother taught him, with an added second slide move suggested by Daniel, since Connor already has seen and countered that kick on its own in a previous skirmish the two had.Does Karate Kid: Legends Have a Mid- or Post-Credits Scene?As mentioned above, Karate Kid: Legends does have an additional scene – two, actually – though they appear almost immediately after the film appears to end, rather than true “mid-credits” scenes, since no credits actually run before they appear. After Li wins, Victor holds him up triumphantly to the cheering crowd and we get the traditional Karate Kid freeze frame on Li and then cut to the movie’s logo filling the screen… Except then, instead of the closing credits beginning, we get the two back-to-back scenes that actually wrap up the story. In the first scene, Victor is opening a new second location for his pizza place, with Li and Mia assisting. Han is there too alongside Li’s mom, though he mentions he will be returning to China soon, while Li says something about a pizza delivery to a notably far address. William Zabka (center) does show up as Johnny Lawrence in the "mid-credits" scene!We then cut to Los Angeles and a knock at the door of Mr. Miyagi’s home. Daniel answers and is confused to see it’s a pizza, saying he didn’t order one. However, when he opens the box, alongside the pizza (which we only glimpse, but it does appear to be freeze-dried, thankfully) is a note from Li, thanking Daniel for his help. Daniel walks inside with the pizza and up to… Johnny Lawrence! Yes, William Zabka does make a cameo in this movie as Johnny, in the one moment at my press screening of Karate Kid: Legends that got a big cheer from the crowd. The scene is an amusing comedic one, as Johnny first mocks the New York pizza Daniel received, insisting the best pizza is in the Valley’s own Encino. He then suggests to Daniel they open their own pizza place, which he has the perfect name for - Miyagi-Dough. An exasperated Daniel tells Johnny that’s offensive and walks off as Johnny begins brainstorming slogans like “Slice hard, slice fast.”So Is That It for Cobra Kai Connections in Karate Kid: Legends? Pretty much. And obviously the Johnny appearance is not an “important” scene, in that it doesn’t overtly set up anything for the future (unless we get a Miyagi-Dough Netflix series), but it does acknowledge Cobra Kai for the first time in the film. Prior to that, at no point does Daniel mention his wife or kids or that he runs a car dealership and an active dojo or really anything about the characters and events from the series, who we can presume are all simply living their lives off screen. But Johnny finally showing up, as Daniel’s pal, does at least let us know they are reinforcing where the show left off as far as where Daniel is in his life. If you’re searching for possible connections beyond that, there are a couple of slight/tenuous ones. When Li is explaining how vicious Connor fights, they end up describing him like he’s a tiger, with Daniel suggesting they just need to bait him. He mentions having fought opponents like that before, though it’s up to the viewer to determine if he means Johnny, Chozen, Mike Barnes, Kreese, Terry Silver, some combination of those guys, or someone else entirely. Then there’s the headband that Daniel says he found among Miyagi’s belongings. Was this something Daniel has had in his possession since Miyagi died or did he find it more recently? The final season of Cobra Kai had Daniel discover a trunk Miyagi had hidden away, containing artifacts from his past, including his headband from the brutal Sekai Taikai tournament. Was this second headband in there too and we just didn’t see it on the show or did Daniel already have it? That’s probably not a question we’ll ever get an answer to on screen, so the answer may be whichever you’d like it to be.But what did you think of Legends? Let’s discuss in the comments!

Thanks to the legal discovery process, Google’s antitrust trial with the Department of Justice has provided a fascinating glimpse into the future of ChatGPT.An internal OpenAI strategy document titled “ChatGPT: H1 2025 Strategy” describes the company’s aspiration to build an “AI super assistant that deeply understands you and is your interface to the internet.” Although the document is heavily redacted in parts, it reveals that OpenAI aims for ChatGPT to soon develop into much more than a chatbot. “In the first half of next year, we’ll start evolving ChatGPT into a super-assistant: one that knows you, understands what you care about, and helps with any task that a smart, trustworthy, emotionally intelligent person with a computer could do,” reads the document from late 2024. “The timing is right. Models like 02 and 03 are finally smart enough to reliably perform agentic tasks, tools like computer use can boost ChatGPT’s ability to take action, and interaction paradigms like multimodality and generative UI allow both ChatGPT and users to express themselves in the best way for the task.”The document goes on to describe a “super assistant” as “an intelligent entity with T-shaped skills” for both widely applicable and niche tasks. “The broad part is all about making life easier: answering a question, finding a home, contacting a lawyer, joining a gym, planning vacations, buying gifts, managing calendars, keeping track of todos, sending emails.” It mentions coding as an early example of a more niche task.Even when reading around the redactions, it’s clear that OpenAI sees hardware as essential to its future, and that it wants people to think of ChatGPT as not just a tool, but a companion. This tracks with Sam Altman recently saying that young people are using ChatGPT like a “ life advisor.”“Today, ChatGPT is in our lives through existing form factors — our website, phone, and desktop apps,” another part of the strategy document reads. “But our vision for ChatGPT is to help you with all of your life, no matter where you are. At home, it should help answer questions, play music, and suggest recipes. On the go, it should help you get to places, find the best restaurants, or catch up with friends. At work, it should help you take meeting notes, or prepare for the big presentation. And on solo walks, it should help you reflect and wind down.” At the same time, OpenAI finds itself in a wobbly position. Its infrastructure isn’t able to handle ChatGPT’s rising usage, which explains Altman’s focus on building data centers. In a section of the document describing AI chatbot competition, the company writes that “we are leading here, but we can’t rest,” and that “growth and revenue won’t line up forever.” It acknowledges that there are “powerful incumbents who will leverage their distribution to advantage their own products,” and states that OpenAI will advocate for regulation that requires other platforms to allow people to set ChatGPT as the default assistant. (Coincidentally, Apple is rumored to soon let iOS users also select Google’s Gemini for Siri queries. Meta AI just hit one billion users as well, thanks mostly to its many hooks in Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook.) “We have what we need to win: one of the fastest-growing products of all time, a category-defining brand, a research lead (reasoning, multimodal), a compute lead, a world-class research team, and an increasing number of effective people with agency who are motivated to ship,” the OpenAI document states. “We don’t rely on ads, giving us flexibility on what to build. Our culture values speed, bold moves, and self-disruption. Maintaining these advantages is hard work but, if we do, they will last for a while.”ElsewhereApple chickens out: For the first time in a decade, Apple won’t have its execs participate in John Gruber’s annual post-WWDC live podcast. Gruber recently wrote the viral “something is rotten in the state of Cupertino” essay, which was widely discussed in Apple circles. Although he hasn’t publicly connected that critical piece to the company backing out of his podcast, it’s easy to see the throughline. It says a lot about the state of Apple when its leaders don’t even want to participate in what has historically been a friendly forum.Elon was high: As Elon Musk attempts to reframe the public’s view of him by doing interviews about SpaceX, The New York Times reports that last year, he was taking so much ketamine that it “was affecting his bladder.” He also reportedly “traveled with a daily medication box that held about 20 pills, including ones with the markings of the stimulant Adderall.” Both Musk and the White House have had multiple opportunities to directly refute this report, and they have not. Now, Musk is at least partially stepping away from DOGE along with key lieutenants like Steve Davis. DOGE may be a failure based on Musk’s own stated hopes for spending cuts, but his closeness to Trump has certainly helped rescue X from financial ruin and grown SpaceX’s business. Now, the more difficult work begins: saving Tesla. Overheard“The way we do ranking is sacrosanct to us.” - Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Decoder, explaining why the company’s search results won’t be changed for President Trump or anyone else. “Compared to previous technology changes, I’m a little bit more worried about the labor impact… Yes, people will adapt, but they may not adapt fast enough.” - Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on CNN raising the alarm about the technology he is developing. “Meta is a very different company than it was nine years ago when they fired me.” - Anduril founder Palmer Luckey telling Ashlee Vance why he is linking up with Mark Zuckerberg to make headsets for the military. Personnel logThe flattening of Meta’s AI organization has taken effect, with VP Ahmad Al-Dahle no longer overseeing the entire group. Now, he co-leads “AGI Foundations” with Amir Frenkel, VP of engineering, while Connor Hayes runs all AI products. All three men now report to Meta CPO Chris Cox, who has diplomatically framed the changes as a way to “give each org more ownership.”Xbox co-founder J Allard is leading a new ‘breakthrough’ devices group at Amazon called ZeroOne. One of the devices will be smart home-related, according to job listings.C.J. Mahoney, a former Trump administration official, is being promoted to general counsel at Microsoft, which has also hired Lisa Monaco from the last Biden administration to lead global policy. Reed Hastings is joining the board of Anthropic “because I believe in their approach to AI development, and to help humanity progress.” (He’s joining Anthropic’s corporate board, not the supervising board of its public benefit trust that can hire and fire corporate directors.)Sebastian Barrios, previously SVP at Mercado Libre, is joining Roblox as SVP of engineering for several areas, including ads, game discovery, and the company’s virtual currency work.Fidji Simo’s replacement at Instacart will be chief business officer Chris Rogers, who will become the company’s next CEO on August 15th after she officially joins OpenAI.Link listMore to click on:If you haven’t already, don’t forget to subscribe to The Verge, which includes unlimited access to Command Line and all of our reporting.As always, I welcome your feedback, especially if you have thoughts on this issue or a story idea to share. You can respond here or ping me securely on Signal.Thanks for subscribing.See More: