Vacheron Constantin Has Made the World's Most Complicated Wristwatch
Vacheron Constantin has filed 13 patent applications for this watch, whose new movement, Caliber 3655, consists of a mind-boggling 1,521 hand-assembled, hand-finished components. In fact, just the assembly of the movement itself (the engine of the watch) took almost a year to complete. In addition to the five astronomical complications that have never been combined in a wristwatch before, it also features a specially-conceived minute repeater with Westminster chime (which sounds the time on demand using four hammers and four gongs in different tones), for which seven of the 13 patents were filed.
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Business Insider
6 hours ago
- Business Insider
Screenwriters are wrestling with AI's role in Hollywood — and what it means for the future of storytelling
For decades, Hollywood has experimented with technology to make movies and TV shows faster, cheaper, and flashier. Now, with generative AI, that experimentation is creeping into one of the industry's most sacred spaces: the writers' room. From blockbuster franchises to indie productions, writers are grappling with AI's role in shaping scripts — sparking fierce divisions among industry insiders. Some see it as a tool that could add depth to the storytelling process. Others see it as a soulless machine, incapable of capturing the lived experiences that make great stories resonate. Studios like Lionsgate are already striking deals with AI startups to speed up production and cut costs. Meanwhile, the Writers Guild of America has staged protests against the technology, waving signs that say "ChatGPT doesn't have childhood trauma." Audiences may also be wary: A recent survey of 5,000 people across the US, UK, Europe, and Australia by Baringa, a management consulting firm, found that 53% of US consumers would feel uncomfortable watching content touched by AI. Despite some startups' cautious approach, the usage of AI raises legal and existential questions about what stories get told, who gets to tell them, and how audiences will connect with the next era of entertainment. Still, there's been a wave of experimentation, like using AI to predict the likelihood of a script's box-office fate and filmmakers treating it as a tool for rote parts of script writing. Startups are using AI to transform the screenwriting process Some companies see AI as a way to place safer bets on risky projects. a Swiss startup, uses predictive AI to analyze screenplays and forecast their commercial potential. Studios can upload anything from a synopsis to a finished cut, and the system maps plot, genre shifts, emotional arcs, casting, and audience and financial predictions. Once the screenplay is uploaded, the AI compares its elements to a database of 400,000 films, featuring data on the successes, failures, and narrative components of past Hollywood and indie films. The AI also runs simulated focus groups with "digital twins" that represent real consumers. Largo then generates detailed insights on genre trends, audience demographics, and revenue forecasts. Studios can later use these insights to decide which projects to greenlight and to guide rewrites. If a story's emotional arc reads as "too flat," for example, that feedback can be relayed to writers. According to the company, producers using its software have a green-lighting rate of three times higher than average. The company also said simulated focus groups are 10 times faster and cheaper than traditional ones, giving smaller studios access to testing once reserved for big-budget productions. "The goal is not just to increase commercial value, but to use the feedback to increase creative value as well," Sami Arpa, the CEO and cofounder of told Business Insider. Filmmakers are experimenting with AI as a creative collaborator Filmmaker Nik Kleverov used ChatGPT on " Memory Maker," a sci-fi short he directed for AI film studio Wonder Studios. He used the chatbot to check story originality, brainstorm plot twists, and expand the project's fictional universe. But Kleverov rejects letting AI draft full scripts, calling the "regurgitated" results "stale" and "trite." At the same time, he sees it as a way to explore big, budget-impacting ideas without costly risk. "As far as original creativity, the human mind is unparalleled," Kleverov told Business Insider. "Humans always need to lead those stories." For some creators, AI can spark inspiration in unexpected ways. Rahul Gautama, EY's media and entertainment consulting leader in the Americas, recalls an animator client who tested prompt-based image generation and received a "hallucinated" image that inspired a new narrative direction. It's an example of how AI-image generators — even if they don't work as intended — can inspire fresh ideas. "Script visualization is an exciting space," Gautama told Business Insider. "Providing writers an opportunity to 'see' their ideas before filming can offer valuable creative provocation." AI creates new forms of storytelling — but with limits Some filmmakers are using AI to reimagine how stories are told. Steven Ilous, the founder and CEO of an entertainment technology startup, works with clients like Netflix and Porsche to make "Smart Content" that blends narrative with audience engagement. In " Lollipop Racing," a 10-episode series with "The Fast and the Furious" writer David Ayer as executive producer, viewers can participate in a parallel race. proprietary AI creates digital avatars of the viewer, which are woven back into the show — sometimes even using their own voices. While the main plot remains human-written, algorithm delivers dynamic, personalized content, like bonus scenes based on audience choices. Ilous imagines AI enabling "never-ending" shows or fan-built universes. However, despite its potential, he keeps its use limited to interactive experiences to protect the artistic integrity of writers. "I don't think there's enough clarity yet on how AI can be used ethically from a writing perspective," Ilous said. Not all experiments go well. Robert J. Locke, the executive producer at August Sun Productions, tried an AI coverage service for script feedback and found it "useless." AI, he argued, "will always fall short" because it doesn't have personal experiences to draw from to convey emotional depth. "Screenplays have to touch people's hearts," Locke said. "AI just can't do that." AI in screenwriting raises legal and creative concerns Using AI in writing introduces thorny copyright issues. US law requires human authorship for copyright protection, meaning a fully AI-written screenplay without meaningful human modification can't be copyrighted, said Matthew Asbell, an intellectual property attorney. AI-assisted scripts, however, can be protected if the human author shapes the creative expression. Even with legal protection, though, overuse could erode audience trust. "The risks of AI-generated content are real and significant," Gautama said, adding that in a long-running series, dropping in an AI-written episode could undermine continuity and character authenticity. Arpa acknowledged the risk of "content inflation" — formulaic output from over-reliance on AI — but said talent will still stand out. "If you just use these tools like a magic wand, you'll get something average, and that average won't be satisfactory," Arpa said. For now, most filmmakers don't see AI as a replacement for human writers. Studios may embrace it to speed up development and cut costs. But the consensus is that the best stories still require human judgment, lived experience, and emotional depth. The challenge will be integrating AI in ways that preserve those qualities. "Time will tell if we are willing and able to develop an emotional connection with these stories," Gautama said.
Medscape
16 hours ago
- Medscape
Elevated Leukocyte Counts Signal Diabetes Risk in HIV
TOPLINE: Higher leukocyte counts, predominantly within the normal range, independently predicted new-onset diabetes in individuals with HIV infection, potentially identifying an increased risk for diabetes up to 10 years before diagnosis. METHODOLOGY: Researchers examined the association between blood leukocyte counts and the risk for new-onset diabetes among individuals of the Swiss HIV Cohort Study from January 2000 to August 2023. They included 732 people with HIV infection and diabetes (cases) and 2032 matched control individuals with HIV infection but without diabetes. The median age of all individuals was 54 years, and both groups consisted of approximately 78.7% men. New-onset diabetes was defined using the Expert Committee on the Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes Mellitus criteria: a confirmed plasma glucose level ≥ 7.0 mmol/L (fasting) or ≥ 11.1 mmol/L (non-fasting) with typical symptoms or an A1c level ≥ 6.5%. At each 6-monthly visit, the latest leukocyte count was assessed at different intervals before the matching date in cases and control individuals. TAKEAWAY: The median of the most recent leukocyte count was significantly higher in cases than in control individuals (6200 vs 5900 cells per microliter; P < .001). Higher leukocyte counts in cases vs control individuals remained significant at multiple timepoints before the diagnosis of diabetes — at years 2 (P = .016), 3 (P < .001), 5 (P = .013), 8 (P < .001), and 10 (P = .003). A multivariable analysis showed that compared with individuals in the lowest leukocyte quintile, those in the highest quintile had a significantly increased risk for diabetes (adjusted odds ratio, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.71-3.57). Other risk factors included a 2.23-times higher diabetes risk with dyslipidemia, 2.83-times higher risk with overweight, and 2.29-times higher risk with at least 1 year of integrase inhibitor use. IN PRACTICE: 'Knowledge that high leukocytes, mostly within the normal range, increase DM [diabetes] risk 10 years in advance and by more than twice in 20% of people with HIV (ie, those in the top leukocyte quintile) may motivate clinicians to place even more emphasis on the optimization of DM risk factors (weight, nutrition, physical activity) and, perhaps, ART [antiretroviral therapy] selection in such persons,' the authors wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Sophia C. Meyer and Zoe Klein, University Center for Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases Service, Kantonsspital Baselland, Bruderholz, Switzerland. It was published online on August 01, 2025, in HIV Medicine. LIMITATIONS: The study population predominantly consisted of men, White individuals, and relatively young individuals, potentially limiting generalizability. Nutrition, differential leukocyte counts, inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein and interleukin 6 are not routinely measured in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study, nor is A1c, which may have led to the underestimation of diabetes cases in the present study. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by the Swiss HIV Cohort Study, the Swiss HIV Cohort Study Research Foundation, and the Swiss National Science Foundation. Several authors reported receiving unrestricted grants, consulting fees, fees for being on the data safety monitoring or advisory board, and other financial and nonfinancial support from pharmaceutical companies, including Gilead Sciences, ViiV Healthcare, Pfizer, and Merck. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Business Upturn
2 days ago
- Business Upturn
Board Achieves Microsoft Solutions Partner Designation with Azure Certified Software for its Enterprise Planning Platform
Business Wire India Board, a leading Enterprise Planning Platform, today announced it has earned the Microsoft Solutions Partner designation with Certified Software for Azure, recognizing the company's proven capabilities in delivering enterprise-grade SaaS solutions on Microsoft Azure. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: This designation recognizes the Board Enterprise Planning Platform for meeting Microsoft's highest technical standards for financial planning software. It validates the platform's ability to empower customers with continuous, autonomous cloud governance—driving smarter financial strategies and streamlined operations across the enterprise. "Achieving the Certified Software for Azure designation is a major milestone in our strategic alignment with Microsoft," said John Kelley, Global Lead, Microsoft Alliance at Board. "We're committed to delivering secure, scalable, and compliant software solutions that help our partners and customers accelerate their strategic financial and operational planning performance." "Board continues to demonstrate excellence as part of our ISV partner ecosystem,' comments Andrew Reid, Commercial Partner Lead Switzerland, Member of the Swiss Leadership Team, Microsoft. 'We're proud to recognize them with the Certified Software for Azure designation. This designation reflects Board's commitment to the highest standards in architecture, security, and operational performance—empowering customers with smarter, scalable, and trusted enterprise planning in the cloud.' As a long-standing global Microsoft ISV (Independent Software Vendor) partner and member of the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program (MAICPP), Board is positioned to deepen its collaboration with Microsoft, delivering more effective support for enterprise customers and greater value through the Microsoft commercial marketplace. To learn more, visit or find Board in the Azure Marketplace. About Board Board is the Enterprise Planning Platform built to accelerate business performance, enable continuous planning, and drive confident, aligned decisions. It powers more accurate forecasts with real-time visibility into enterprise and external data. It unifies finance and operations with a single source of the truth. And with AI-augmented experiences for every role, teams can continuously make smarter decisions for predictable, profitable business outcomes. That's why visionary global brands including H&M, BASF, Burberry, Toyota, Coca-Cola, HSBC, and thousands more trust Board to navigate complex markets with confidence. For more information, visit View source version on Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire India. Business Upturn take no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash
