As the internet embraces new tools for artistic creation, many users have been experimenting with generating images simply by making requests. The results have ranged from charming family portraits and various interpretations of the iconic Distracted Boyfriend meme to some rather unsettling creations. A particularly popular trend has emerged, with many opting to transform their requests into artistic styles reminiscent of Studio Ghibli.
In a recent episode of The Vergecast, the conversation focused significantly on this phenomenon of “Ghibli-ification.” Kylie Robison from Technology News joined the discussion to shed light on OpenAI’s latest image generator feature within ChatGPT, which boasts enhanced power and accuracy when compared to previous iterations. This tool highlights not only the creativity and entertainment potential of such AI applications but also raises serious legal and ethical concerns about their implications. The landscape of lawsuits surrounding these advancements appears to be rapidly evolving, yet the ultimate direction remains uncertain.
Before diving deeper into the AI discussion, hosts Nilay and David addressed some gadget news. They noted the unexpected resurgence of the Canon G7X Mark III on social media platforms like TikTok, sparking curiosity about the popularity of this five-year-old camera. The episode also covered the return of classic features to Facebook, updates to the AirPods Max, rumors surrounding potential camera additions for Apple Watch, upcoming announcements for WWDC, and the potential phase-out of the Echo brand.
In the lightning round, the hosts introduced “Brendan Carr is a Dummy,” a humorous segment within the popular podcast. They also discussed recent developments about Signal’s security issues, Elon Musk’s influence on Reddit’s content moderation policies, updates on proposed TikTok legislation, and the latest trends affecting the automotive industry.
For those interested in further information on the topics covered during the episode, links related to gadget news are provided below:
- On TikTok: check out these G7x videos!
- From Meta: Returning the Magic of Friends to Facebook
- Apple’s AirPods Max with USB-C are set to support lossless audio
- The Apple Watch may soon feature cameras and enhanced capabilities
- Apple’s WWDC 2025 event kicks off on June 9th
Further insights into AI and relevant developments include:
- OpenAI is restructuring leadership with Sam Altman refocusing on technical efforts
- OpenAI has launched an upgraded image generation feature in ChatGPT and Sora
- There will be a delay in the rollout of ChatGPT’s new image generator for free users
- The ChatGPT platform is increasingly stylizing everything in the vein of Studio Ghibli
- OpenAI has stated, ‘our GPUs are melting’ as it imposes limits on image generation requests
- OpenAI anticipates $12.7 billion in revenue for the year
- Microsoft is introducing ‘deep reasoning’ AI for research and data analysis with its Copilot
- Google claims its new ‘reasoning’ Gemini AI models represent a significant advancement
- Google is deploying real-time AI video capabilities with Gemini
- Perplexity is actively pursuing TikTok
Additionally, in the lightning round:
- From Status: The Carr Alarm
- From Business Insider: Disney Faces New Challenges Amid Trump Investigations
- Leaked discussions of a military strike involving Trump officials in a Signal group chat
- Recent Strike group chat messages have been revealed by The Atlantic
- Elon Musk has been pressing Reddit’s CEO for more stringent content moderation
- Experts suggest Trump’s strategy to save TikTok may not succeed
- Apple has been barred from presenting at a high-stakes Google antitrust hearing
- Rivian is establishing a new company to focus on e-bikes
- BYD is outperforming Tesla in recent sales figures.
