Guest House
Gregory Halpern / Magnum April 27, 2025, 8:30 AM ET
If I try to remember
it's the sun I see
Wet rope hung on painted clouds
Silent summer warmth in Child's garden
I fell from the tree of winterberries
Mother is at the races tonight
Old girl shouts at the dirt
The house light glows through evening
Lying, I watch—
a cracked helmet tugs at my chin
a fallen trunk by the tinkling pond
I think of a black milk
as the night sinks Issa Quincy is a British writer and the author of Absence . His work has appeared in The London Magazine , Transition Magazine , and The Kenyon Review , and has been anthologized by New Rivers Press.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNET
13 minutes ago
- CNET
He Got Us Talking to Alexa. Now He Wants to Kill Off AI Hallucinations
If it weren't for Amazon, it's entirely possible that instead of calling out to Alexa to change the music on our speakers, we might have been calling out to Evi instead. That's because the tech we know today as Amazon's smart assistant started out life with the name of Evi (pronounced ee-vee), as named by its original developer, William Tunstall-Pedoe. The British entrepreneur and computer scientist was experimenting with artificial intelligence before most of us had even heard of it. Inspired by sci-fi, he "arrogantly" set out to create a way for humans to talk to computers way back in 2008, he said at SXSW London this week. Arrogant or not, Tunstall-Pedoe's efforts were so successful that Evi, which launched in 2012 around the same time as Apple's Siri, was acquired by Amazon and he joined a team working on a top-secret voice assistant project. What resulted from that project was the tech we all know today as Alexa. That original mission accomplished, Tunstall-Pedoe now has a new challenge in his sights: to kill off AI hallucinations, which he says makes the technology highly risky for all of us to use. Hallucinations are the inaccurate pieces of information and content that AI generates out of thin air. They are, said Tunstall-Pedoe, "an intrinsic problem" of the technology. Through the experience he had with Alexa, he learned that people personify the technology and assume that when it's speaking back to them it's thinking the way we think. "What it's doing is truly remarkable, but it's doing something different from thinking," said Tunstall-Pedoe. "That sets expectations… that what it's telling you is true." Innumerable examples of AI generating nonsense show us that truth and accuracy are never guaranteed. Tunstall-Pedoe was concerned that the industry isn't doing enough to tackle hallucinations, so formed his own company, Unlikely AI, to tackle what he views as a high-stakes problem. Anytime we speak to an AI, there's a chance that what it's telling us is false, he said. "You can take that away into your life, take decisions on it, or you put it on the internet and it gets spread by others, [or] used to train future AIs to make the world a worse place." Some AI hallucinations have little impact, but in industries where the cost of getting things wrong – in medicine, law, finance and insurance, for example – inaccurately generated content can have severe consequences. These are the industries that Unlikely AI is targeting for now, said Tunstall-Pedoe Unlikely AI uses a mix of deep tech and proprietary tech to ground outputs in logic, minimizing the risk of hallucinations, as well as to log the decision-making process of algorithms. This makes it possible for companies to understand where things have gone wrong, when they inevitably do. Right now, AI can never be 100% accurate due to the underlying tech, said Tunstall-Pedoe. But advances currently happening in his own company and others like it mean that we're moving towards a point where accuracy can be achieved. For now, Unlikely AI is mainly being used by business customers, but eventually Tunstall-Pedoe believes it will be built into services and software all of us use. The change being brought about by AI, like any change, presents us with risks, he said. But overall he remains "biased towards optimism" that AI will be a net positive for society.
Business Upturn
19 minutes ago
- Business Upturn
BMF Season 4: Everything we know so far about the upcoming season
By Aman Shukla Published on June 6, 2025, 17:30 IST Last updated June 6, 2025, 11:30 IST The Starz crime drama BMF (Black Mafia Family) has captivated audiences with its gripping portrayal of the Flenory brothers' rise in the drug trade. After a thrilling Season 3, fans are eagerly awaiting BMF Season 4. Here's everything we know about the upcoming season. Release Date BMF Season 4 is set to premiere on Friday, June 6, 2025, on Starz. New episodes will air weekly at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on the Starz linear platform and will be available to stream at midnight on the Starz app and other on-demand platforms like Hulu with Live TV and Lionsgate Plus (for UK viewers). The announcement follows the success of Season 3, which averaged nearly 10 million multiplatform viewers, signaling strong anticipation for the new season. Cast The core cast of BMF Season 4 is expected to return, bringing continuity to the story of the Black Mafia Family. Key returning actors include: Demetrius Flenory Jr. as Demetrius 'Big Meech' Flenory, portraying his real-life father. Da'Vinchi as Terry 'Southwest T' Flenory, Meech's brother and business partner. Russell Hornsby as Charles Flenory, the brothers' father. Michole Briana White as Lucille Flenory, their mother. La La Anthony as Markaisha Taylor, Terry's love interest and aspiring business partner. Steve Harris as Detective Von Bryant, determined to take down BMF. Kelly Hu as Detective Veronica Jin, Bryant's partner. Laila D. Pruitt as Nicole Flenory, the Flenorys' younger sister. Myles Truitt as B-Mickie, a childhood friend and BMF member, returning after a Season 3 absence. Eric Kofi-Abrefa as Lamar Silas, Meech's rival, also returning after missing Season 3. Plot Details BMF Season 4 will pick up in the early 1990s, following the Flenory brothers as they expand their drug empire beyond Detroit. The season will explore their ventures in Atlanta, St. Louis, Los Angeles, and even Mexico, where they face violent confrontations with rival organizations. A teaser trailer highlights a dramatic trip south of the border, where Meech and Terry narrowly escape death, an event that will 'change them forever.' According to the official synopsis, Meech learns of a prophecy predicting his continued rise in the drug trade, fueling his belief in his invincibility—potentially to his detriment. The brothers' relationship will be tested as they navigate rivalries, law enforcement, and personal ambitions. Meanwhile, Markaisha seeks to establish herself as a serious player in Terry's business, while Lucille and Charles grapple with the emotional and financial fallout of their divorce while co-parenting Nicole, who introduces new challenges. Detective Bryant, still reeling from the loss of his son, channels his grief into an intensified pursuit of BMF. The season will delve deeper into the Black Mafia Family's expansion, blending real-life events with fictional drama. As the real BMF wasn't dismantled until the early 2000s, Season 4 may include time jumps to bring the story closer to its conclusion or continue to explore the 1990s in detail. Fans can expect high-stakes action, intricate family drama, and the brothers' pursuit of the 'American Dream' through their criminal empire. Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
ITV For Sale: Behind The Headlines Of A Deal That Everyone And No One Is Talking About
If you've watched ITV's The Assembly, you will know that it involves stars like Danny Dyer and David Tennant subjecting themselves to no-holds-barred questions from a captivating cast of neurodivergent interrogators. It makes for illuminating viewing, producing genuine revelations from its disarmed but obliging subjects, who enter the show in a spirit of openness. Far from the cameras, in a colorless room in the basement of London's 11 Cavendish Square townhouse on Tuesday, ITV chairman Andrew Cosslett was similarly squirming in the face of questioning, with less comical results. Chairing ITV's Annual General Meeting (AGM), Cosslett was grilled, almost heckled, by an angry shareholder demanding to know when the British broadcaster's 78p share price will rise after flatlining for more than three years. More from Deadline 'Inspector Ellis' Back On The Case With Season 2 Order From Acorn TV & 5; All3Media Strikes International Deals For Sharon D Clarke-Starring Crime Drama Crisis? What Crisis? ITV Studios Bosses Reject Talk Of Gloom In The Scripted Market But Note British Limited Series Are Under Threat Legacy Media? UK Pubcasters Balk At Outdated Term & Say "We've Got To Be Phoenixes Rising From The Ashes" 'This is not good enough, you must have some idea, you guys are very highly paid,' said the shareholder. Cosslett struggled to answer, reaching for what by now feels like an old fail-safe. 'If you can explain to me what Donald Trump will do next, then maybe I could,' he said. Questions around ITV's sticky share price — Cosslett and ITV boss Carolyn McCall faced three during the 45-minute AGM alone — are inextricably linked to the constant mutterings around its potential sale. On this matter, ITV has been a little less forthcoming with answers than the celeb bookings on The Assembly. The company that gave the world Downton Abbey has been finding new ways to say 'no comment' to inquiries about whether it will submit to suitors, including RedBird IMI and Banijay. Cosslett did, however, reveal a little more at the AGM, first noting that 'the board has an obligation to review offers,' before positing: 'If someone approaches with an offer we have to take interest and it's very clear from the room that there are lots of people interested in getting the share price up.' This week has been a high watermark for sale speculation. Twenty-six miles west of the AGM, ITV Studios' unscripted producers were gathering for their annual 'creative exchange' in Windsor. The meeting has long been in the diary, and although the sale was not officially on the agenda, it was certainly on the lips of those in attendance, some of whom expressed anxiety about a buyer smashing production labels together. 'People are scared sh**less — a lot of people will be losing their jobs,' said one producer. ITV matters, hence the steady drip of press reports and speculation. 'ITV creates more rumors than dramas,' joked one insider. The £3B ($4B) behemoth is a British cultural icon, which entertains the nation with Coronation Street and Britain's Got Talent. The company is also a world-straddling production titan, with ITV Studios boasting shows from Love Island to Rivals, and a great deal in between. Were the listed company to come under new ownership, or if it were to flog ITV Studios, it would profoundly reshape the British TV sector and reorder the global production power list. Flanked by its banking advisors at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Robey Warshaw, ITV has reportedly been entertaining potential suitors since at least last November. RedBird IMI, run by former CNN chief Jeff Zucker, emerged as the frontrunner to a deal after the Abu Dhabi-backed investment fund acquired All3Media last year. The rumor mill continued to turn last month when The Financial Times reported that French media giant Banijay had held early-stage talks with ITV. The configuration of any deal is opaque, but what is clear is that ITV Studios is the prize for a buyer with production ambition. RedBird IMI's Interest Cools Four sources with knowledge of the talks told Deadline that RedBird IMI's interest has cooled significantly in recent weeks, though the situation remains fluid and could change again quickly. These people said RedBird IMI believes ITV Studios' valuation is too high. Ironically, ITV is said to be citing the £1.15B price RedBird IMI paid for All3Media — around 10 times All3Media's profit that year — as a benchmark for the valuation it is hoping to achieve, though Zucker has previously played down suggestions he overpaid for The Traitors production group. It would put a circa-£3B valuation on ITV Studios, which generated record profits of £300M last year. 'Valuation is always vexed,' someone drily noted. One source said RedBird IMI has reservations about ITV wanting ITV Studios' management team to remain in place post-deal, which has proved a sticking point. Any agreement could see ITV Studios boss Julian Bellamy and All3Media chief Jane Turton vying for the top job, for example. Turton, linked with the soon-to-be vacant Channel 4 CEO role, is said to have frustrations that RedBird IMI has not yet fully unleashed All3Media on the M&A market after it has missed out on targets, such as See-Saw Films. RedBird IMI and All3Media declined to comment. Banijay's talks are said to be tentative. The French production empire behind Big Brother and Peaky Blinders has the appetite for big buys following its €2B ($2.2B) acquisition of Endemol Shine in 2020 and its serious interest in All3Media more recently. Some think ITV Studios might be too big a bite for a company with a net debt pile of €2.6B. The FT reported that Banijay could look to involve other investors if it attempted to acquire all of ITV. 'Banijay is over-leveraged,' said one senior source from the M&A sector. 'They raised money when they bought Endemol but I don't think there are billions of pounds around at the moment to chase down media production content assets. The market is in trouble.' The potential to unlock savings by combining the companies is obvious, this source added, but they questioned whether ITV Studios has a 'game-changing' asset amongst its labels and sales arm to catapult Banijay to the next level. Banijay declined to comment. Sources point out that talks with RedBird IMI or Banijay have not matured to the point where ITV has needed to alert the market to a potential deal. Regulatory rules in the UK required the FTSE 250 company to tell shareholders in June 2023 that it was 'actively exploring' acquiring All3Media. Watching from the sidelines is Liberty Global, ITV's biggest shareholder with a 9.9% stake, which has long been a cheerleader for a sale. Shape Of A Deal Selling ITV Studios could be a simpler transaction, but where this would leave an ad revenue-dependent TV network business is unclear. The so-called Media & Entertainment division boasts sales of £2.1B, of which around a quarter is generated online, including via streaming service ITVX. It is a depreciating asset, but ITV has just been awarded a new license, meaning it is committed to broadcasting public service content for another decade. A full sale would likely attract the interest of UK regulators and lawmakers. This could be particularly thorny for Abu Dhabi-backed RedBird IMI, which has been told it cannot own The Daily Telegraph, let alone a public service broadcaster with guaranteed platform prominence and an audience of millions. Lord Grade, chairman of Ofcom, gestured to this when asked by lawmakers if the media regulator has any concerns about RedBird IMI's interest in ITV. He said this month that RedBird IMI is a 'peculiar' prospect because of its links to the United Arab Emirates government. An industry source told us RedBird IMI has 'never expressed any interest in the broadcast arm,' meaning the foreign ownership questions are not an issue. RedBird IMI's acquisition of All3Media was waived through without so much as an eyebrow being raised by the government. Grade also pointed out that foreign ownership of public service broadcasters is not off the table, given Paramount controls Channel 5. Banijay may be a more palatable option in this respect, with one person suggesting that the French producer could use the ITV network as a testing ground for new shows, akin to the way John de Mol has done at Talpa. There are other options. Some think ITV should explore a joint venture for ITV Studios, allowing it to secure investment and scale while maintaining some control. ITV CEO McCall, who has been in the job for more than seven years, has continued to bolster the production arm, recently sanctioning deals for The Gentlemen co-producer Moonage Pictures and Hartswood Films, the company behind Sherlock. Those close to her say she is unwilling to 'stand on touchlines' as consolidation goes on around ITV in a market where it is competing with Netflix, YouTube, and Meta for eyeballs and revenue. What can be said with certainty is that any deal will be complicated. Thomas Dey, a seasoned media industry M&A broker at investment bank ACF, summed it up like this: 'Achieving the transaction will be hard. I think you've got to be quite special and get quite a lot of support.' For now, ITV's future feels like the subject that everyone and no one is talking about. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About The 'Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping' Movie So Far TV Show Book Adaptations Arriving In 2025 So Far Book-To-Movie Adaptations Coming Out In 2025 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
