Latest news with #StudioGhibli-style
Business Insider
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
Read the pitch deck an AI video startup behind viral baby podcast memes used to raise $32 million from A16z and others
A video of a baby interviewing a dog on a podcast went viral last month. No, it wasn't real. It was an AI-generated video created by comedian Jon Lajoie, who used Hedra, an AI video generation platform, to make the animation. Hedra's platform allows users to generate images, video, and audio with its web-based content creation studio. "Our model and technology focuses on the most controllable, compelling characters, whether that's a hyperrealistic human or an animated character or even an animal," Hedra's CEO, Michael Lingelbach, told Business Insider. On Thursday, Hedra announced that it raised a $32 million Series A fundraising round led by Andreessen Horowitz's Infrastructure fund. The round included returning investors such as A16z Speedrun, Abstract, and Index Ventures. Since its launch in 2024, the AI video startup has rapidly raised capital. In August, it announced a $10 million seed investment round. In March, Amazon 's Alexa Fund announced that it invested in the startup and several other AI companies. Hedra said it has raised a total of $44 million but has not disclosed a valuation. Competition in the generative AI is hot, with buzzy companies like Captions, HeyGen, Synthesia, and Runway building tech around video and avatars (Hedra specified that it is not an avatar company). "We're not trying to compete with Google Veo, we're not trying to compete with Sora," Lingelbach said. "We're focusing really firmly on building the best character models, and that's something that with this additional capital we can make another step function in doing." Hedra's Character-3 "omnimodal" model combines images, text, and audio to generate video. Creating a character with Hedra begins by uploading an image and then uploading audio that they've either already recorded (like a podcast) or generated using text-to-speech models like ElevenLabs. "Both voice and video are seeing rapid evolution right now," Lingelbach said. "We took a big leap forward on naturalness of expression with our current model." Hedra's platform is also users to integrate outside models like ElevenLabs, Google Veo, and Flux "all in one workflow," Lingelbach said. Hedra's core user base has been professional creators and marketers, Lingelbach said. "We're already seeing a massive influx of AI-generated content," Lingelbach said. "My Instagram and TikTok feed are filled with various memes and also more serious content now that's AI-generated." From comedy skits to faceless creator content to … talking babies, Hedra's already seen a wide range of use cases. Podcast content, particularly, has been a popular application of Hedra's tech. "It's not really something that we anticipated initially, but it definitely has been driving a lot of our usage," he said. In addition to the viral trend of AI baby-hosted podcasts that people have been creating using Hedra, others have used Hedra to create Studio Ghibli-style videos of the classic podcast interview clip. With its recent raise, Hedra plans to expand into more enterprise marketing applications, expand its team, and open an office in New York City. Note: Some slides have been redacted in order to share the deck publicly. Hedra Hedra is focused on storytelling and characters. The deck explains Hedra's 'omnimodal foundation model' that lets people quickly generate digital characters. Here's what the slide says: At Hedra, we've built the world's best character performance model that uniquely combines video, voice, motion, and emotion in a way never before possible. Hedra's Character-3 model is the world's first omnimodal foundation model in production. The only model that supports human, animated, and animal characters. And it works with any angle or framing. Built to prioritize efficiently scaling unified models The entire model was developed with a budget of under $2 million Hedra's customers range from everyday consumers to creators and marketers. The deck highlights Hedra's research team and its proprietary tech. Hedra Then the deck introduces the team. Here's what the slide says: We've assembled the best team to own this category — marrying deep research with AI-Native product design. Key Leadership Team: Michael Lingelbach: Founder / CEO Stanford PhD student of Fei-Fei Li and Jiajun Wu. Senior author of 3 real-time diffusion papers. Recipient of prestigious Stanford Graduate Fellowship. Hongwei Yi: Head of Research Former PhD Student of Michael Black, principal researcher behind first audio to video diffusion model to hit the market in the US. Wei Li: Research Lead Core contributor to Google Bard/Gemini, PaLM-2 and T5, with 8+ years experience at Google Brain/Deepmind. Jason Wilson: Head of Engineering Previously led engineering at Nava Benefits (Thrive-backed Series B startup) and engineering manager at Descartes Labs. Alan Guo: Chief of Staff MBA from Harvard Business School. Previously worked in growth & strategy at Disney, Jubilee Media, and Firework. Ramin Keene: Principal Engineer Hedra concludes its deck by saying 'we're just getting started.'
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Sam Altman and Satya Nadella show unity Ghibli-style, even as Microsoft flirts with OpenAI rivals
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, the man driving ChatGPT, has shared a Studio Ghibli-style photo with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, amid rumours about tensions between the two leaders. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack India's Rafale-M deal may turn up the heat on Pakistan China's support for Pakistan may be all talk, no action India brings grounded choppers back in action amid LoC tensions Posting on X, Altman wrote, 'fun showing @satyanadella our new office and talking about some of our latest progress!' Nadella replied: 'Great to see you today, @sama. Love the new office!' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Seniors Are Snapping Up This TV Box, We Explain! Techno Mag Undo These friendly exchanges appear to respond to growing speculation that both CEOs are beginning to move in different directions, each focusing more on their own ambitions in the competitive AI race. Also Read: Microsoft and OpenAI: From allies to rivals in the AI race Live Events The once-strong partnership began to show signs of strain in late 2023, when Altman was briefly removed from OpenAI—Microsoft was caught unawares by the boardroom turmoil. Since then, a number of developments have pointed to a possible drift. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories For instance, Microsoft has started developing its own AI models, putting it in direct competition with OpenAI. It has also been testing models from other companies such as Meta, DeepSeek, and Elon Musk's xAI. Microsoft was also noticeably absent from OpenAI's major Stargate event. Meanwhile, Nadella quietly hired Mustafa Suleyman, cofounder of Google's DeepMind, and a known rival of Altman. Adding to the speculation, The Verge recently reported that Microsoft is preparing to host Musk's Grok AI model on its cloud platform, despite the rocky history between Musk and Altman.
WIRED
01-05-2025
- WIRED
Think Twice Before Creating That ChatGPT Action Figure
May 1, 2025 9:56 AM People are using ChatGPT's new image generator to take part in viral social media trends. But using it also puts your privacy at risk—unless you take a few simple steps to protect yourself. Photograph:At the start of April, an influx of action figure started appearing on social media sites including LinkedIn and X. Each figure depicted the person who had created it with uncanny accuracy, complete with personalized accessories such as reusable coffee cups, yoga mats, and headphones. All this is possible because of OpenAI's new GPT-4o-powered image generator, which supercharges ChatGPT's ability to edit pictures, render text, and more. OpenAI's ChatGPT image generator can also create pictures in the style of Japanese animated film company Studio Ghibli—a trend that quickly went viral, too. The images are fun and easy to make—all you need is a free ChatGPT account and a photo. Yet to create an action figure or Studio Ghibli-style image, you also need to hand over a lot of data to OpenAI, which could be used to train its models. Hidden Data The data you are giving away when you use an AI image editor is often hidden. Every time you upload an image to ChatGPT, you're potentially handing over 'an entire bundle of metadata,' says Tom Vazdar, area chair for cybersecurity at Open Institute of Technology. 'That includes the EXIF data attached to the image file, such as the time the photo was taken and the GPS coordinates of where it was shot.' OpenAI also collects data about the device you're using to access the platform. That means your device type, operating system, browser version, and unique identifiers, says Vazdar. 'And because platforms like ChatGPT operate conversationally, there's also behavioral data, such as what you typed, what kind of images you asked for, how you interacted with the interface and the frequency of those actions.' It's not just your face. If you upload a high-resolution photo, you're giving OpenAI whatever else is in the image, too—the background, other people, things in your room and anything readable such as documents or badges, says Camden Woollven, group head of AI product marketing at risk management firm GRC International Group. This type of voluntarily provided, consent-backed data is 'a goldmine for training generative models,' especially multimodal ones that rely on visual inputs, says Vazdar. OpenAI denies it is orchestrating viral photo trends as a ploy to collect user data, yet the firm certainly gains an advantage from it. OpenAI doesn't need to scrape the web for your face if you're happily uploading it yourself, Vazdar points out. 'This trend, whether by design or a convenient opportunity, is providing the company with massive volumes of fresh, high-quality facial data from diverse age groups, ethnicities, and geographies.' OpenAI says it does not actively seek out personal information to train models—and it doesn't use public data on the internet to build profiles about people to advertise to them or sell their data, an OpenAI spokesperson tells WIRED. However, under OpenAI's current privacy policy, images submitted through ChatGPT can be retained and used to improve its models. Any data, prompts, or requests you share helps teach the algorithm—and personalized information helps fine tune it further, says Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at security outfit ESET, who created his own action figure to demonstrate the privacy risks of the trend on LinkedIn. Uncanny Likeness In some markets, your photos are protected by regulation. In the UK and EU, data protection regulation including the GDPR offer strong protections, including the right to access or delete your data. At the same time, use of biometric data requires explicit consent. However, photographs become biometric data only when processed through a specific technical means allowing the unique identification of a specific individual, says Melissa Hall, senior associate at law firm MFMac. Processing an image to create a cartoon version of the subject in the original photograph is 'unlikely to meet this definition,' she says. Meanwhile, in the US, privacy protections vary. 'California and Illinois are leading with stronger data protection laws but there is no standard position across all US states,' says Annalisa Checchi, a partner at IP law firm Ionic Legal. And OpenAI's privacy policy doesn't contain an explicit carveout for likeness or biometric data, which 'creates a grey area for stylized facial uploads,' Checchi says. The risks include your image or likeness being retained, potentially used to train future models, or combined with other data for profiling, says Checchi. 'While these platforms often prioritize safety, the long-term use of your likeness is still poorly understood—and hard to retract once uploaded.' OpenAI says its users' privacy and security is a top priority. The firm wants its AI models to learn about the world, not private individuals, and it actively minimizes the collection of personal information, an OpenAI spokesperson tells WIRED. Meanwhile, users have control over how their data is used, with self-service tools to access, export, or delete personal information. You can also opt out of having content used to improve models, according to OpenAI. ChatGPT Free, Plus, and Pro users can control whether they contribute to future model improvements in their data controls settings. OpenAI does not train on ChatGPT Team, Enterprise, and Edu customer data by default, according to the company. Trending Topics The next time you are tempted to jump on a ChatGPT-led trend such as the action figure or Studio Ghibli-style images, it's wise to consider the privacy trade-off. The risks apply to ChatGPT as well as many other AI image editing or generation tools, so it's important to read the privacy policy before uploading your photos. There are also steps you can take to protect your data. In ChatGPT, the most effective is to turn off chat history, which helps ensure your data is not used for training, says Vazdar. You can also upload anonymized or modified images, for example, using a filter or generating a digital avatar rather than an actual photo, he says. It's worth stripping out metadata from image files before uploading, which is possible using photo editing tools. 'Users should avoid prompts that include sensitive personal information and refrain from uploading group photos or anything with identifiable background features,' says Vazdar. Double-check your OpenAI account settings, especially those related to data use for training, Hall adds. 'Be mindful of whether any third-party tools are involved, and never upload someone else's photo without their consent. OpenAI's terms make it clear that you're responsible for what you upload, so awareness is key.' Checchi recommends disabling model training in OpenAI's settings, avoiding location-tagged prompts, and steering clear of linking content to social profiles. 'Privacy and creativity aren't mutually exclusive—you just need to be a bit more intentional.'
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Business Standard
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Telangana transfers IAS officer who reshared Hyderabad land row AI image
In a major rejig of the state's bureaucracy, the Telangana government has transferred several at least 20 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers. Among the transferred officers is Smita Sabharwal, who recently stoked a controversy by sharing an AI-generated image connected to the Kancha Gachibowli land dispute. The bureaucrat had shared a Studio Ghibli-style image related to the disputed land a few weeks ago, which resulted in the Gachibowli police issuing summons to her. The image, which she had posted on her X account, depicted the ongoing land controversy near Hyderabad Central University. After recording her statement with the police, Sabharwal posted on X, 'The post was reshared by 2,000 individuals on this platform. I sought clarification on whether the same action is initiated for all! If not, this raises concern about selective targeting, that in turn compromises the principles of natural justice and equality before the law.' Sabharwal's transfer has drawn particular attention, considering her prominence during the previous K Chandrashekar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi government. Sabharwal was serving as the special chief secretary for youth advancement, tourism and culture (YAT&C), which is looking after the arrangements for the Miss World Beauty pageant 2025. Sabharwal has been transferred with the contest set to begin in two weeks. She has been reassigned as the member secretary of the Telangana Finance Commission, a position she previously held before her stint in YAT&C. Also Read Earlier, Sabharwal had questioned the provision of reservations for differently-abled persons in the civil services, which led to a major controversy. "With all due respect to the Differently Abled. Does an Airline hire a pilot with a disability? Or would you trust a surgeon with a disability? The nature of the #AIS (IAS/IPS/IFoS) is field work, long taxing hours, and listening first-hand to people's grievances-which requires physical fitness. Why does this premier service need this Quota in the first place," Sabharwal said in a post on X. Her statements came after the controversy over the selection of Puja Khedkar, an ex-trainee IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre, who allegedly availed concessions for physical disability and OBC candidacy fraudulently.
Mint
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
How to turn your photos into Chibi figures: A step-by-step guide to the latest viral trend after Ghibli
The internet has a new obsession and it is small, cute and packed inside a capsule! After the buzz around Studio Ghibli-style art, netizens are now turning their attention to an even more adorable trend — Chibi figurines. These tiny anime-style characters are making waves online, thanks to a fresh visual trend that transforms real people into pocket-sized, big-eyed versions of themselves. What is the Chibi figure trend? In Japanese, "Chibi" is a slang term for something small or short. In the world of art and toys, it refers to mini figures with big heads, large eyes, and compact bodies — all designed to dial up the cuteness factor. Now, thanks to AI tools like ChatGPT-4o, users can create realistic 3D-style Chibi versions of themselves or their friends from just a single photo. Held between fingers, captured in a capsule One of the most eye-catching ways these Chibi figures are being displayed is inside virtual glass capsules, much like the gashapon toys found in Japan. The trend involves generating a close-up image of a transparent capsule held between two fingers. Inside sits the detailed 3D Chibi figure, dressed casually and posed playfully. With soft lighting and a blurred background, the image looks as real as any toy one might collect. Here is the prompt that I used to create the Chibi figure using a real-life image. Just upload your image on ChatGPT, apply the given prompt, and the AI will do its work. A realistic, portrait-oriented close-up photograph of a transparent glass gashapon capsule held delicately between two adult fingers. Inside the capsule is a highly detailed, 3D chibi-style figurine of a cheerful young man wearing sunglasses, a pink sunhat with a yellow flower, a dark Batman T-shirt, and blue jeans. The figurine is full-body, standing upright with one hand on his hip and the other adjusting his sunglasses. The background is softly blurred, with natural lighting to emphasise the realism and miniature charm of the figurine. Real-life image used to turn into a Chibi figure. Final output after ChatGPT 4o turned real-life image to a Chibi figure. The best part? All it takes is a clear, coloured photo showing the full face and some outfit detail. So, whether you are an anime fan or just love cute things, the Chibi figure trend might be your next favourite online craze. First Published: 23 Apr 2025, 05:34 PM IST
