Latest news with #Rolfe
Perth Now
24-04-2025
- Perth Now
Findings loom on Indigenous teen fatally shot by police
A coroner will return to the outback to hand down her findings into the death of an Indigenous teenager shot by a police officer during a botched arrest. Warlpiri-Luritja man Kumanjayi Walker died after being shot three times at close range by then-constable Zachary Rolfe during a botched arrest at a home in the Northern Territory community of Yuendumu in November 2019. In March 2022, an NT Supreme Court jury acquitted Mr Rolfe of murdering the 19-year-old. NT Coroner Elisabeth Armitage in November closed her long-running inquest to consider more than 5000 pages of transcripts and 1990 pages of written submissions. An NT courts spokesperson said on Thursday that Judge Armitage would deliver her findings on June 10. Judge Armitage accepted an invitation from the Parumpurru Committee of Yuendumu to deliver her findings in the remote town where she heard some of the evidence. Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer previously told the inquest that Mr Rolfe's character should be considered as a direct cause of death. "Mr Rolfe was a man whose ego was wrapped up in his use of force, and who took pride in and derived a sense of worth from expressing his dominance over others," she said. "They were generally Aboriginal men and he expressed that dominance with the use of force." Counsel for Northern Territory Police previously told Judge Armitage "it is absolutely undeniable that Mr Rolfe is a racist" based on his derogatory text messages about Indigenous people. Mr Rolfe's solicitor Luke Officer told the coroner racism could not be considered under the Coroner's Act, which only permits her to investigate the cause of death. "There's no need to inquire into whether racism played a part ... there is no direct evidence of that, it has no relevance to cause of death," Mr Officer said. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14
ABC News
24-04-2025
- ABC News
NT coroner to deliver long-awaited findings about police shooting of Kumanjayi Walker
The long-awaited coroner's findings into the death of an Aboriginal man shot by a Northern Territory police officer in 2019 will be handed down on June 10, 2025. WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains the name and image of a person who has died, used with the permission of their family. Kumanjayi Walker was killed in the remote Aboriginal community of Yuendumu, 300 kilometres north-west of Alice Springs, on November 9, 2019. Kumanjayi Walker, 19, was fatally shot by Zachary Rolfe in Yuendumu in 2019. ( Supplied ) The Warlpiri-Luritja man's death, and the subsequent prosecution of the police officer responsible, sent shockwaves through the community and made headlines across the country. Zachary Rolfe had been attempting to take Mr Walker into custody when the 19-year-old stabbed Mr Rolfe in the shoulder. The then-officer responded by firing his Glock three times. Mr Rolfe was charged with murder four days later, and was ultimately acquitted of all criminal charges — including manslaughter and engaging in a violent act causing death — after a six-week NT Supreme Court trial in March 2022. Zachary Rolfe was acquitted of all criminal charges in March 2022. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) Jurors found Mr Rolfe was acting in self-defence and in line with his police training when he fired his weapon. The coronial inquest into Mr Walker's death, which is mandatory under NT law because he died in custody, has been running for more than two-and-a-half years. Coroner Elisabeth Armitage's inquiry was initially scheduled to run for three months, between September and December 2022, but the hearings ultimately stretched across 66 days — over 20 months — as 72 witnesses gave evidence. A series of unsuccessful legal appeals launched on behalf of Mr Rolfe and others, as well as a broad scope of inquiry, contributed to the delays, making it the Elisabeth Armitage says what she uncovered during the coronial inquest was "deeply disturbing." ( ABC News: Michael Franchi ) The coroner's inquiry delved well beyond the night Mr Walker was shot, as she heard evidence about both Mr Rolfe and Mr Walker's lives in the years prior to the death. She examined allegations of racism, cover-ups and excessive use of force among police, as well as the decisions made immediately before and after Mr Walker was killed. Judge Armitage described what she uncovered as "deeply disturbing". The coroner's inquiry investigated allegations of racism within the NT Police Force. ( ABC News: Pete Garnish ) Through text messages found on Mr Rolfe's phone — which he sought to have barred from the inquiry, arguing they were irrelevant — the inquest heard racist language was used among police on the Alice Springs beat. Photo shows a graphic showing a male middle-aged police officer, a young man in a white collared shirt and a woman wearing a dress The coronial inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker has finished after almost two years of hearings, leaving the Northern Territory Police Force in crisis. When Mr Rolfe gave substantial evidence to the inquest, more than a year after it began, he told the coroner such language was "normalised" among police and revealed the force's most elite unit had spent years The coronial investigation into the death in custody of the 19-year-old Warlpiri-Luritja man became the trigger for an ICAC inquiry and a string of internal investigations for the Northern Territory Police Force. He has launched an appeal of that decision. Zachary Rolfe was dismissed from the NT Police Force in 2023. ( ABC News: Michael Franchi ) After hundreds of hours of hearings, the coroner received thousands of pages of submissions from the 16 interested parties to the inquest — including Mr Walker's family, Mr Rolfe, the NT Police Force, other government agencies and community organisations. Her findings and recommendations are likely to be lengthy and will be delivered in Yuendumu, where Mr Walker died. "Coroner Armitage has accepted an invitation from the Parumpurru committee of Yuendumu to deliver her findings in Yuendumu, noting that the Local Court regularly sits in Yuendumu, and that the Coroners Court has a history of, where possible, conducting inquests, or parts of inquests, in the geographical area where a death has occurred," an NT courts spokesperson said in a statement.
Axios
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
SF LGBT Center executive director to step down
Rebecca Rolfe, the longtime executive director of San Francisco's LGBT Center, plans on retiring at the end of the year after serving at the organization for more than two decades. Why it matters: Rolfe, who announced her departure at the center's annual fundraising event Saturday evening, is stepping down at a tumultuous time for the community amid the Trump administration's efforts to roll back protections for LGBTQ+ people. Since first opening in 2002, the center has been a crucial hub as the sole organization dedicated to serving the full spectrum of LGBTQ+ people in San Francisco. What they're saying:"I think there's a mistaken belief that in San Francisco, we have somehow magically conquered homophobia and transphobia and racism," Rolfe told Axios ahead of Saturday's event. "The reality is that we continue to see those challenges here as well." By the numbers: The San Francisco metro area is home to the highest concentration of LGBTQ+ people in the U.S., per 2021 Williams Institute estimates. More LGBTQ+ people have also moved to San Francisco in recent years in search of acceptance, safety and security, Rolfe said. Between the lines: Discrimination experienced by LGBTQ+ people can lead to increased difficulties accessing resources like housing, employment and health care, Rolfe added. Rolfe spearheaded a number of new initiatives during her tenure, such as housing and employment resource programs, specialized support for youth and trans communities and yoga classes for queer and trans people. The big picture: The center also launched " Unbreakable Pride" two years ago in partnership with other LGBTQ+ organizations across the U.S. to provide support services, advocacy and resources beyond the Bay Area. "We are, for many people, literally the yellow brick road. We're the vision of what might be possible for queer folks," Rolfe said of the organization and the city as a whole. What's next: The center has yet to announce Rolfe's replacement, though she will remain in the role through December. The bottom line:"In spite of the fact that I've been here so long, I'm a believer in change, and I'm really excited to see the direction that the center will continue to grow in," Rolfe said.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
AI-generated action figures were all over social media. Then, artists took over with hand-drawn versions.
Artificial intelligence-generated action figures permeated social media feeds last week as people fed images of themselves to ChatGPT and asked it to package them into miniature toys. The resulting images, dubbed a 'starter pack' for a specific person, display packaged dolls that take on the appearance of the subjects, complete with personalized mini accessories — such as iced coffees, laptops, perhaps cameras or pairs of running shoes — and labeled with the subjects' names and job titles. The action figure starter pack trend is the latest iteration of a growing AI meme cycle, in which internet users who discover ideas for AI-generated artwork quickly inspire others to produce content using the same prompt. Over the last few years, AI-inspired fads have spurred growing scrutiny over how they're contributing to issues like environmental waste and the devaluation of human labor. The starter packs gained traction over the past few days as brands and public figures took part. Holly Rolfe, an England-based illustrator and ceramicist who sells her work online, said she found herself sighing in frustration when she noticed the AI action figures taking off. 'The worst was seeing small, especially creative, businesses — and even graphics designers — hopping on the trend,' Rolfe said. 'I think it reinforces how tone-deaf big business can be and accentuates the gulf between brand and consumer. Every single one of those businesses, even the small ones, could have afforded to pay an artist. But they didn't.' Soon, artists like Rolfe began circulating their own hand-drawn versions of the trend, shared on various social media platforms under the hashtag #StarterPackNoAI, to counter the wave of AI-produced content. OpenAI, the AI giant behind ChatGPT, has been sued by several news outlets, authors and visual artists who allege copyright infringement. It has recently asked the U.S. government to make it easier for AI companies to learn from copyrighted material, citing a need to 'strengthen America's lead' globally in advancing the technology. A spokesperson for OpenAI wrote in an emailed statement that the company's image generation tools 'are designed to support human creativity, not replace it, helping anyone explore ideas and express themselves in new ways.' As generative AI becomes increasingly sophisticated and accessible, many AI models appear capable of generating images in the styles of specific artists or studios. Last month, ChatGPT-generated memes and portraits in the theme of Studio Ghibli's distinct animation style flooded the internet, triggering potential copyright concerns from users online and causing some observers to resurface studio co-founder Hayao Miyazaki's comments calling AI-generated art 'an insult to life itself.' OpenAI told NBC News at the time that it prevents image generations 'in the style of individual living artists, but we do permit broader studio styles." Studio Ghibli didn't respond to a request for comment last month about the AI-generated images created in its animation style. Rachel Dormal, a graphic designer in Michigan who sells her own art prints online, said she worries about artists' being pushed out of their livelihoods as people choose to pay lower prices for instantaneous AI-generated commissions rather than human-made work, which often costs more because of the artists' time and labor. And most developers don't reveal the specific data used to train their AI models, giving rise to concerns about the potential pilfering of human work without artists' knowledge or consent. 'People don't understand all the training data that is sucked up to create a soulless reproduction of someone's style. There are some artists who spend their entire lives building a specific style, only for it to be stolen and rebranded as the 'AI style,'' Dormal said. 'Ghibli is an excellent example. But it happens to smaller and less-known artists every day.' Dormal was among the many artists online who shared their own takes on the 'starter pack' trend, drawing her own personalized version in the digital art software Procreate. In her drawing, the package label reads: 'Real Human Artist.' Kentucky-based digital artist April Schweiss joined the trend and drew herself as an action figure with accessories like her cat Fred, her composition notebook and her roller skates. Ever since AI-generated images infiltrated the market, Schweiss said, she has been struggling to make a full-time living through her illustrations. 'I can't keep up with someone who's using AI to create shirt designs and they're doing drop shipment and uploading 150 designs in a month, whereas I might only create five paintings that month,' Schweiss said. 'That other artist that uses AI might have 10,000 sales, where I'll have three.' To writer and illustrator Haley Weaver, who has been sharing her art online for nearly a decade, the internet's eagerness to embrace AI-powered trends isn't surprising. Weaver, based in Seattle, said she can understand why people are tempted to try out tools that show them what they'd look like as a Disney princess, a Studio Ghibli character or an action figure, especially when those options are quicker and cheaper than hiring real artists. 'But I also think there's something really sad about that. And it's scary as someone who currently makes a living as an artist,' Weaver said, noting that she has frequently found her own art style reposted or sold without permission throughout her career. More recently, she has also discovered that some AI models were able to produce written responses that resembled her tone when they were prompted to generate something 'in the style of @haleydrewthis.' Weaver said that while she thought the AI-generated starter packs were 'so cute,' it wasn't until she began seeing artists give their hand-drawn takes on them that the action figures began feeling 'soulful.' On her own 'Haley Weaver Starter Pack,' she made sure to include the label '100% AI Free!' 'It's such an instant gratification to type in some things about yourself, upload a photo and there you are as an action figure. But from my experience, so much of that gratification is also making it yourself and taking the time to really think about it,' Weaver said. 'There's also the beauty of everyone having their own unique style. I think a lot of AI art just kind of looks the same." This article was originally published on
NBC News
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
AI-generated action figures were all over social media. Then, artists took over with hand-drawn versions.
Artificial intelligence-generated action figures permeated social media feeds last week as people fed images of themselves to ChatGPT and asked it to package them into a miniature toy. The resulting image, dubbed a ' starter pack ' for a specific person, displays a packaged doll that takes on the appearance of the subject, complete with personalized mini accessories — such as an iced coffee, a laptop, perhaps a camera or a pair of running shoes — and labeled with the subject's name and job title. The action figure starter pack trend is the latest iteration of a growing AI meme cycle, in which internet users who discover ideas for AI-generated artwork quickly inspire others to produce content using the same prompt. Over the last few years, AI-inspired fads have spurred growing scrutiny over how they're contributing to issues like environmental waste and the devaluation of human labor. The starter packs gained traction over the past few days as brands and public figures took part. Holly Rolfe, an England-based illustrator and ceramicist who sells her work online, said she found herself sighing in frustration when she noticed the AI action figures taking off. 'The worst was seeing small, especially creative, businesses — and even graphics designers — hopping on the trend,' Rolfe said. 'I think it reinforces how tone-deaf big business can be and accentuates the gulf between brand and consumer. Every single one of those businesses, even the small ones, could have afforded to pay an artist. But they didn't.' Soon, artists like Rolfe began circulating their own hand-drawn versions of the trend, shared on various social media platforms under the hashtag #StarterPackNoAI, in an effort to counter the wave of AI-produced content. OpenAI, the AI giant behind ChatGPT, has been sued by several news outlets, authors and visual artists who allege copyright infringement. It has recently asked the U.S. government to make it easier for AI companies to learn from copyrighted material, citing a need to 'strengthen America's lead' globally in advancing the technology. A spokesperson for OpenAI wrote in an emailed statement that the company's image generation tools 'are designed to support human creativity, not replace it, helping anyone explore ideas and express themselves in new ways.' As generative AI becomes increasingly sophisticated and accessible, many AI models appear capable of generating images in the style of specific artists or studios. Last month, ChatGPT-generated memes and portraits in the theme of Studio Ghibli's distinct animation style flooded the internet, triggering potential copyright concerns from users online and causing some observers to resurface studio cofounder Hayao Miyazaki's comments calling AI-generated art 'an insult to life itself.' OpenAI told NBC News at the time that the company prevents image generations 'in the style of individual living artists, but we do permit broader studio styles." Studio Ghibli did not respond to a request for comment last month about the AI-generated images created in its animation style. Rachel Dormal, a graphic designer in Michigan who sells her own art prints online, said she worries about artists being pushed out of their livelihoods as people choose to pay lower prices for instantaneous AI-generated commissions rather than human-made work, which often costs more due to the artists' time and labor. And most developers do not reveal the specific data used to train their AI models, giving rise to concerns about the potential pilfering of human work without artists' knowledge or consent. 'People don't understand all the training data that is sucked up to create a soulless reproduction of someone's style. There are some artists who spend their entire lives building a specific style, only for it to be stolen and rebranded as the 'AI style,'' Dormal said. 'Ghibli is an excellent example. But it happens to smaller and less-known artists every day.' Dormal was among the many artists online who shared her own take on the 'starter pack' trend, drawing her own personalized version in the digital art software Procreate. In her drawing, the package label reads: 'Real Human Artist.' Kentucky-based digital artist April Schweiss joined those participating in the #StarterPackNoAI trend and drew herself as an action figure with accessories like her cat Fred, her composition notebook and her roller skates. Ever since AI-generated images infiltrated the market, Schweiss said, she's been struggling to make a full-time living through her illustrations. 'I can't keep up with someone who's using AI to create shirt designs, and they're doing drop shipment and uploading 150 designs in a month, whereas I might only create five paintings that month,' Schweiss said. 'That other artist that uses AI might have 10,000 sales, where I'll have three.' To writer and illustrator Haley Weaver, who has been sharing her art online for nearly a decade, the internet's eagerness to embrace AI-powered trends isn't surprising. Weaver, based in Seattle, said she can understand why people are tempted to try out tools that show them what they'd look like as a Disney princess, a Studio Ghibli character or an action figure, especially when those options are quicker and cheaper than hiring a real artist. 'But I also think there's something really sad about that. And it's scary as someone who currently makes a living as an artist,' Weaver said, noting that she has frequently found her own art style reposted or sold without permission throughout her career. More recently, she's also discovered that some AI models were able to produce written responses that resembled her tone when prompted to generate something 'in the style of @haleydrewthis.' Weaver said that while she thought the AI-generated starter packs were 'so cute,' it wasn't until she began seeing artists give their hand-drawn takes on it that the action figures began feeling 'soulful.' On her own ' Haley Weaver Starter Pack,' she made sure to include the label: '100% AI Free!' 'It's such an instant gratification to type in some things about yourself, upload a photo and there you are as an action figure. But from my experience, so much of that gratification is also making it yourself and taking the time to really think about it,' Weaver said. 'There's also the beauty of everyone having their own unique style. I think a lot of AI art just kind of looks the same."
