In late 2017, three entrepreneurs — Abhinav Das, Aditya Bhatia and Akash Bansal — came to the mutual realization that the final steps of building furniture — specifically painting and sanding — were incredibly time-consuming, not to mention costly. Often, painting and sanding will take weeks compared to the mere hours it takes for assembly and, depending on the furniture, can’t be automated with traditional robotics.
So Das, Bhatia and Bansal co-founded Orangewood Labs, a company creating a remotely operated robotic arm designed to paint furniture. A member of Y Combinator’s Winter 2018 cohort, Orangewood recently raised $4.5 million in a funding round tranche led by Y Combinator with participation from 7percent Ventures, Schox Ventures, VentureSouq, KSK Angel Fund and several angel investors. Offline Cnc Controller
Robotics is hardly an easy market to break into. Hardware’s expensive, after all. In 2022 alone, a number of high-profile robotics startups shut down, including buzzy, DoorDash-owned food tech Chowbotics and Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Mellon spinout Fifth Season.
Orangewood, based in San Francisco, aims to take a more sustainable approach than its competition. Das, Bhatia and Bansal explain that the company uses more affordable parts compared to conventional robotic arm manufacturers, enabling Orangewood to drive the price down to a range that’s palatable for small- and medium-sized businesses.
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“We believe that the market is still too huge for most robotics companies to fully tap,” the trio told TechCrunch in an email interview. “Our robots are helping bring power back to the small enterprises.”
Orangewood also touts the broad programmability of its robots, which it sees as another key differentiator. The startup developed RoboGPT, a platform that allows users — think roboticists as well as factory floor workers — to program Orangewood’s robotic arm with text or their voice. RoboGPT, engineered to be adaptive, attempts to account for edge cases, continuously learning from and about its environment.
With the launch of RobotGPT, Orangewood hopes to take its robotics beyond furniture construction and into other use cases, like quality inspection, powder coating and picking and sorting packaged goods.
“Robotic arms have been traditionally hard to program, which is why most small businesses don’t do it,” Das, Bhatia and Bansal said. “Any change in the environment or conditions requires reprogramming. For example, if you wanted to pick a red triangle instead of a blue square, it’d take time to make that change. We’re changing that with RoboGPT.”
Can these innovations help Orangewood stand out in a crowded field (see other robotic arm startups such as Ally) — and, perhaps more importantly, avoid the fate of its less-fortunate predecessors? It’s too early to tell. But the company already has a fairly large team — 50 contract and full-time workers, with plans to grow headcount by 20% by the end of the year — and 500 deployments of its robotic arm. Committed and booked revenue stands at $750,000 — a healthy figure, to be sure.
“For the technical decision maker, it’s simpler to deploy the technology on our flexible financing terms, hence easier to sell the business case to management,” Das, Bhatia and Bansal said. “The pandemic only has made our prospective clients realize the need for automation and move faster on demand, as well as greater localization of competitive supply chains.”
Orangewood says it won’t need to raise working capital for at least a year, thanks to the recent funding round — and a debt financing line. But it’s in the process of securing another equity raise between $6 million and $7 million to fulfill its backorder of robots, build out a service and spare parts network and expand its manufacturing facilities.
U.K.-based startup Yepic AI claims to use “deepfakes for good” and promises to “never reenact someone without their consent.” But the company did exactly what it claimed it never would.<\/p>\n
In an unsolicited email pitch to a TechCrunch reporter, a representative for Yepic AI shared two “deepfaked” videos of the reporter, who had not given consent to having their likeness reproduced. Yepic AI said in the pitch email that it “used a publicly available photo” of the reporter to produce two deepfaked videos of them speaking in different languages.<\/p>\n
The reporter requested that Yepic AI delete the deepfaked videos it created without permission.<\/p>\n
Deepfakes are photos, videos or audio created by generative AI systems that are designed to look or sound like an individual. While not new, the proliferation of generative AI systems allow almost anyone to make convincing deepfaked content of anyone else with relative ease, including without their knowledge or consent.<\/p>\n
On a webpage it titles “Ethics,” Yepic AI said: “Deepfakes and satirical impersonations for political and other purposed [sic] are prohibited.” The company also said in an August blog post: “We refuse to produce custom avatars of people without their express permission.”<\/p>\n
It’s not known if the company generated deepfakes of anyone else without permission, and the company declined to say.<\/p>\n
When reached for comment, Yepic AI chief executive Aaron Jones told TechCrunch that the company is updating its ethics policy to “accommodate exceptions for AI-generated images that are created for artistic and expressive purposes.”<\/p>\n
In explaining how the incident happened, Jones said: “Neither I nor the Yepic team were directly involved in the creation of the videos in question. Our PR team have confirmed that the video was created specifically for the journalist to generate awareness of the incredible technology Yepic has created.”<\/p>\n
Jones said the videos and image used for the creation of the reporter’s image was deleted.<\/p>\n
Predictably, deepfakes have tricked unsuspecting victims into falling for scams<\/a> and unknowingly giving away their crypto<\/a> or personal information by evading some moderation systems. In one case, fraudsters used AI to spoof the voice<\/a> of a company’s chief executive in order to trick staff into making a fraudulent transaction worth hundreds of thousands of euros. Before deepfakes became popular with fraudsters, it’s important to note that people used deepfakes to create nonconsensual porn or sex imagery victimizing women<\/a>, meaning they created realistic-looking porn videos using the likeness of women who had not consented to be part of the video.<\/p>\n\n How an AI deepfake ad of MrBeast ended up on TikTok<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" U.K.-based startup Yepic AI claims to use “deepfakes for good” and promises to “never reenact someone without their consent.” But the company did exactly what it claimed it never would. In an unsolicited email pitch to a TechCrunch reporter, a representative for Yepic AI shared two “deepfaked” videos of the reporter, who had not given […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574210,"featured_media":1975897,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"f17ff73f-9464-38ef-a78f-a41c3e60928d","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T19:05:23Z","apple_news_api_id":"985cc667-9907-41ef-a701-39a7b05b7fd3","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T06:56:32Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AmFzGZ5kHQe-nATmnsFt_0w","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577047203,21587494],"tags":[576604836,577123799,576648833],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nYepic fail: This startup promised not to make deepfakes without consent, but did anyway | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
How an AI deepfake ad of MrBeast ended up on TikTok<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" U.K.-based startup Yepic AI claims to use “deepfakes for good” and promises to “never reenact someone without their consent.” But the company did exactly what it claimed it never would. In an unsolicited email pitch to a TechCrunch reporter, a representative for Yepic AI shared two “deepfaked” videos of the reporter, who had not given […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574210,"featured_media":1975897,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"f17ff73f-9464-38ef-a78f-a41c3e60928d","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T19:05:23Z","apple_news_api_id":"985cc667-9907-41ef-a701-39a7b05b7fd3","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T06:56:32Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AmFzGZ5kHQe-nATmnsFt_0w","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577047203,21587494],"tags":[576604836,577123799,576648833],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nYepic fail: This startup promised not to make deepfakes without consent, but did anyway | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
<\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" U.K.-based startup Yepic AI claims to use “deepfakes for good” and promises to “never reenact someone without their consent.” But the company did exactly what it claimed it never would. In an unsolicited email pitch to a TechCrunch reporter, a representative for Yepic AI shared two “deepfaked” videos of the reporter, who had not given […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574210,"featured_media":1975897,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"f17ff73f-9464-38ef-a78f-a41c3e60928d","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T19:05:23Z","apple_news_api_id":"985cc667-9907-41ef-a701-39a7b05b7fd3","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T06:56:32Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AmFzGZ5kHQe-nATmnsFt_0w","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577047203,21587494],"tags":[576604836,577123799,576648833],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nYepic fail: This startup promised not to make deepfakes without consent, but did anyway | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
U.K.-based startup Yepic AI claims to use “deepfakes for good” and promises to “never reenact someone without their consent.” But the company did exactly what it claimed it never would. In an unsolicited email pitch to a TechCrunch reporter, a representative for Yepic AI shared two “deepfaked” videos of the reporter, who had not given […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574210,"featured_media":1975897,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"f17ff73f-9464-38ef-a78f-a41c3e60928d","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T19:05:23Z","apple_news_api_id":"985cc667-9907-41ef-a701-39a7b05b7fd3","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T06:56:32Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AmFzGZ5kHQe-nATmnsFt_0w","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577047203,21587494],"tags":[576604836,577123799,576648833],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nYepic fail: This startup promised not to make deepfakes without consent, but did anyway | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Zack Whittaker is the security editor at TechCrunch. You can send tips securely via Signal and WhatsApp to +1 646-755-8849. He can also be reached by email at zack.whittaker@techcrunch.com.<\/p> ","cbAvatar":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/zw-profile.jpg","twitter":"zackwhittaker","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users\/133574210"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users"}]}}],"author":[{"id":133574210,"name":"Zack Whittaker","url":"","description":"Zack Whittaker is the security editor at TechCrunch. You can send tips securely via Signal and WhatsApp to +1 646-755-8849. He can also be reached by email at zack.whittaker@techcrunch.com.","link":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/author\/zack-whittaker\/","slug":"zack-whittaker","avatar_urls":{"24":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9c6f2f007a1fadfcf4f9da867130c493?s=24&d=identicon&r=g","48":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9c6f2f007a1fadfcf4f9da867130c493?s=48&d=identicon&r=g","96":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9c6f2f007a1fadfcf4f9da867130c493?s=96&d=identicon&r=g"},"yoast_head":"\nZack Whittaker, Author at TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Zack Whittaker is the security editor at TechCrunch. You can send tips securely via Signal and WhatsApp to +1 646-755-8849. He can also be reached by email at zack.whittaker@techcrunch.com.<\/p> ","cbAvatar":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/zw-profile.jpg","twitter":"zackwhittaker","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users\/133574210"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users"}]}}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"id":1975897,"date":"2020-04-16T09:43:26","slug":"hero-clearview-fakefaces","type":"attachment","link":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2020\/04\/16\/clearview-source-code-lapse\/hero-clearview-fakefaces\/","title":{"rendered":"hero-clearview-fakefaces"},"author":133574210,"license":{"source_key":"other","source":"composition of AI-generated photos","source_url":"https:\/\/thispersondoesnotexist.com\/","person":"TechCrunch"},"authors":[133574210],"caption":{"rendered":" a photo collage of faces that are generated by AI and do not exist, as a demonstration of generative AI’s ability to create deepfakes<\/p>\n"},"alt_text":"a 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coverage on artificial intelligence and machine learning tech, the companies building them, and the ethical issues AI raises today. This encompasses generative AI, including large language models, text-to-image and text-to-video models; speech recognition and generation; and predictive analytics.","link":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/category\/artificial-intelligence\/","name":"AI","slug":"artificial-intelligence","taxonomy":"category","parent":0,"yoast_head":"\nAI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n
a photo collage of faces that are generated by AI and do not exist, as a demonstration of generative AI’s ability to create deepfakes<\/p>\n"},"alt_text":"a photo collage of faces that are generated by AI and do not exist, as a demonstration of generative AI's ability to create deepfakes","media_type":"image","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","media_details":{"width":3600,"height":2000,"file":"2020\/04\/hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg","sizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?resize=150,83","width":150,"height":83,"filesize":1719504,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?w=150"},"medium":{"file":"hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?resize=300,167","width":300,"height":167,"filesize":1719504,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?w=300"},"medium_large":{"file":"hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?resize=768,427","width":768,"height":427,"filesize":1719504,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?w=1024"},"large":{"file":"hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?resize=680,378","width":680,"height":378,"filesize":1719504,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?w=680"},"1536x1536":{"file":"hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?resize=1536,853","width":1536,"height":853,"filesize":1719504,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?w=1536"},"2048x2048":{"file":"hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?resize=2048,1138","width":2048,"height":1138,"filesize":1719504,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?w=2048"},"tc-social-image":{"file":"hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?resize=1200,667","width":1200,"height":667,"filesize":1719504,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?w=1200"},"guest-author-32":{"file":"hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?resize=32,32","width":32,"height":32,"filesize":1719504,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?w=32&h=32&crop=1"},"guest-author-50":{"file":"hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?resize=50,50","width":50,"height":50,"filesize":1719504,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?w=50&h=50&crop=1"},"guest-author-64":{"file":"hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?resize=64,64","width":64,"height":64,"filesize":1719504,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?w=64&h=64&crop=1"},"guest-author-96":{"file":"hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?resize=96,96","width":96,"height":96,"filesize":1719504,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?w=96&h=96&crop=1"},"guest-author-128":{"file":"hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?resize=128,128","width":128,"height":128,"filesize":1719504,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?w=128&h=128&crop=1"},"concierge-thumb":{"file":"hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?resize=50,28","width":50,"height":28,"filesize":1719504,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg?w=50"},"full":{"file":"hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg","width":1024,"height":569,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg"}},"image_meta":{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0","keywords":[]},"filesize":1719504},"source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/hero-clearview-fakefaces.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1975897"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/attachment"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1975897"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users\/133574210"}]}}],"wp:term":[[{"id":577047203,"description":"News coverage on artificial intelligence and machine learning tech, the companies building them, and the ethical issues AI raises today. This encompasses generative AI, including large language models, text-to-image and text-to-video models; speech recognition and generation; and predictive analytics.","link":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/category\/artificial-intelligence\/","name":"AI","slug":"artificial-intelligence","taxonomy":"category","parent":0,"yoast_head":"\nAI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n
This is a camera<\/span> upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren\u2019t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there\u2019s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro (check Darrell’s review to see if the same is true for the Pixel 8<\/a>). The Pixel 8 Pro isn’t a bad phone; it\u2019s more that Google has found itself in the same spot as the rest of the industry.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a very real sense in which the smartphone industry has been a victim of its own success. Much of the past half decade has been spent trying to figure out what\u2019s next for the category. Foldables have offered a little hope (albeit a prohibitively expense one), but on the whole, it\u2019s transformed into a war of inches.<\/p>\n That was once the domain of display resolution, but that battle has increasingly become one of diminishing returns. One thing that has remained top of mind, however, is imaging. Whatever manufacturers may tell you, it\u2019s still very possible to take a bad image with a smartphone. Until that is no longer (or at the very least, seldom) the case, there\u2019s plenty of room to improve on that side.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Uneven lighting conditions, low light, zooming and just plain old bad luck often stand between you and a perfect shot. Don\u2019t get me wrong, things have come a long way in a few short years. The barrier of entry has lowered considerably. You no longer need to be a trained photographer to take a great shot.<\/p>\n Computational photography has been a big piece of that in recent generations. It\u2019s something Google has been a huge proponent of since Pixel, day one. The motivator is clear. Google is a software company first and foremost. It\u2019s an AI company now as well. It believed from the outset that all photo and videographic issues can be fixed with the right combination of algorithms. It\u2019s that notion that has driven the company, Pixel after Pixel.<\/p>\n Google put the cart before the horse in the earliest days of the line, with its insistence that it only needed a single camera sensor to give users the best possible experience. After some pushback, it began to embrace the multi-camera system seen on many of its competitors. Of course, the notion that some held positing that everything could be solved with hardware solutions was equally misguided. The smart companies have met somewhere in the middle.<\/p><\/div>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The earliest Pixel devices were a mixed bag for a number of other reasons as well. Google seemed to be targeting the premium category owned by Samsung and Apple with devices that were more mid-tier. That\u2019s not to say there isn\u2019t a market for all price points, but it\u2019s important to be realistic about the market you\u2019re targeting.<\/p>\n When it arrived in 2021, however, the Pixel 6 breathed new life into the line, by way of a hardware redesign, first-party silicon and, yes, some big camera updates. The effort involved restructuring and a shift in focus. Ultimately, the moves paid off, proving that Google wasn\u2019t going to let itself be lapped by the competition.<\/p>\n The subsequent two releases (including the most recent) were more iterative than transformative. Ultimately, Google has learned the truth that most handset manufacturers have known for years: If you\u2019re building a consumer hardware device for a large audience, you have to be deliberate about the things you choose to change. Consumers hate deviations from the norm almost as much as they crave excitement and innovation. It\u2019s all a delicate balancing act.<\/p>\n Camera improvements aside, there are two marquee new hardware features here: a very<\/em> bright display and the addition of a temperature sensor. Where does one go from here?<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The temperature sensor is one of the odder marquee additions to a big brand handset in recent memory. At first glance, it seems to largely exist for Google to have something \u2014 anything, really \u2014 to tout. Certainly, it\u2019s a standout feature in the sense that we\u2019ve not seen it all that much. My suspicion is plenty of manufacturers have explored the idea (after all, skin temperature sensors have become increasingly prevalent on wearables), only to determine that brings limited value in its current form.<\/p>\n For starters, Google\u2019s new Thermometer app is quick to warn you that it shouldn\u2019t be used to determine body temperature. I don\u2019t know about you, but that\u2019s the primary reason I keep a thermometer around. The thermometer isn\u2019t designed for air temperature, either. It\u2019s specifically for surface temperatures. Not saying there aren\u2019t times when that information is useful, but is this something people were demanding?<\/p>\nThe accompanying Thermometer app arrives with the understandable warning: \u201cAccuracy may vary based on the selected material [and] distance from the object.\u201d Fair enough. Things also start getting hairy at around \u20135\u00b0F and 300\u00b0F. Perfectly reasonable parameters, those.<\/div>\n The app itself is foolproof. You hold the phone up to a surface and tap the giant \u201cTap to measure\u201d button. A small thermometer icon in the left corner sends small animated pulses out, as a reminder of where the sensor is located on the other side (on the camera bar, just below the flash). By default, the system will give its best guess for the material it\u2019s scanning. For a more precise reading, there are 11 different material settings, including things like fabric, ceramic\/glass and food\/organic. The deviation between the default setting and choosing the specific material tended to fall within two degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The Actua display is a nice addition. Screen brightness likely isn\u2019t something most users consider, but if you\u2019ve ever had trouble making out your phone screen in direct sunlight, you\u2019ll understand why it\u2019s useful here. The 8 Pro maxes out at 2,400 nits \u2014 that\u2019s a sizable jump from the 7 Pro\u2019s 1,500. It\u2019s 3x the 6 Pro\u2019s peak brightness. For further comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can hit 2,000 nits, while Samsung\u2019s Galaxy S23 Ultra tops off at 1,750.<\/p>\n At this point, consumers largely expect a new chip with every upgrade. Following in Apple\u2019s footsteps, Google went the first-party silicon route, beginning with the Pixel 6. The Tensor line has yet to blow anyone\u2019s socks off, relative to the kinds of numbers that Qualcomm is routinely tossing up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen platform. The Tensor G3 similarly can\u2019t match the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, though the performance isn\u2019t that far off. It also represents a decent-sized jump over the Tensor G2.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, however, the most important elements of the chip are the features it enables \u2014 specifically AI-based photography and editing. That includes Real Tone, Google\u2019s attempt to offer more accurate images of human skin across the spectrum of shades, which is now baked into video.<\/p>\n Best Take is a cool new feature on the editing side that effectively superimposes facial features, so you can, say, open a subject\u2019s eyes or make them smile, using similar photos, instead of scrapping the entire shot or using a goofy smile filter. Tap on it inside of photos and the app presents you with several alternative faces. Tap through those and you\u2019ll see the primary image adjust. This definitely brushes against the uncanny valley. It\u2019s slightly unsettling at first, but the blending is impressive enough that it\u2019s going to get a lot of play from Pixel owners.<\/p>\n The \u201crealness\u201d of a given digital image is a conversation for another day. Though somehow the question doesn\u2019t feel as pronounced with the updated Magic Editor, which lets you delete unwanted background images and position and resize the subject. The feature\u2019s efficacy varies a good bit, based on factors like the background, but when it works, it\u2019s one of the most impressive photo editing tricks available on mobile.<\/p>\n Google Pixel Family Bundle. Image Credits:<\/strong> Google<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Speaking of mobile, I\u2019ve been housebound, due to an ongoing injury, and didn\u2019t have the time to put the camera through its sufficient paces, so I asked Darrell to do a more thorough review on that side of things<\/a>. I will say, however, that from my relatively limited usage, I still feel comfortable saying that the Pixel camera impresses yet again.<\/p>\n Honestly, that sums up the Pixel 8 Pro pretty well. The device finds Google once again leaning into imaging \u2014 the thing it\u2019s best at here. The device remains top-tier when it comes to taking photos and videos. Beyond that, it\u2019s not an especially big advance over its predecessor. But for most phones in most years, getting a little bit better is good enough.<\/p>\n Of course, it\u2019s worth mentioning that the new device is $100 more than its predecessor. That\u2019s not a huge<\/em> increase relative to the rest of the market, but it\u2019s notable that the Pixel 8 Pro is now a part of the $1,000 flagship club (well, $999). That\u2019s more of a symbolic threshold, but it does find the company losing some of its luster as a more budget-focused alternative. Ultimately Google has to decide how important price is for the end user \u2014 and what sacrifices it might make to get there.<\/p>\n If you forget about upfront pricing for a moment, however, one can make a compelling argument for averages. After all, the company is promising to offer software upgrades for seven years \u2014 far more than most of the competition. There\u2019s a ton of value in being able to hold on to a phone for that long. There\u2019s no guarantee the human race will be sticking around that long, of course, but if we do, your Pixel 8 will be covered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a camera upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren\u2019t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there\u2019s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro (check Darrell’s review to see if the same is true for the Pixel 8). The Pixel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":699688,"featured_media":2609861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9be7b215-8046-3d27-864e-5f6a8a57cfd6","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"9d2bfe91-7574-40c4-9121-a9eaef82afde","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AnSv-kXV0QMSRIanq74Kv3g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577052804,449223024],"tags":[641922,81,449554136,16967,577184616,577196041],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle Pixel 8 Pro: The camera\u2019s still the thing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
There\u2019s a very real sense in which the smartphone industry has been a victim of its own success. Much of the past half decade has been spent trying to figure out what\u2019s next for the category. Foldables have offered a little hope (albeit a prohibitively expense one), but on the whole, it\u2019s transformed into a war of inches.<\/p>\n
That was once the domain of display resolution, but that battle has increasingly become one of diminishing returns. One thing that has remained top of mind, however, is imaging. Whatever manufacturers may tell you, it\u2019s still very possible to take a bad image with a smartphone. Until that is no longer (or at the very least, seldom) the case, there\u2019s plenty of room to improve on that side.<\/p>\n
Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Uneven lighting conditions, low light, zooming and just plain old bad luck often stand between you and a perfect shot. Don\u2019t get me wrong, things have come a long way in a few short years. The barrier of entry has lowered considerably. You no longer need to be a trained photographer to take a great shot.<\/p>\n Computational photography has been a big piece of that in recent generations. It\u2019s something Google has been a huge proponent of since Pixel, day one. The motivator is clear. Google is a software company first and foremost. It\u2019s an AI company now as well. It believed from the outset that all photo and videographic issues can be fixed with the right combination of algorithms. It\u2019s that notion that has driven the company, Pixel after Pixel.<\/p>\n Google put the cart before the horse in the earliest days of the line, with its insistence that it only needed a single camera sensor to give users the best possible experience. After some pushback, it began to embrace the multi-camera system seen on many of its competitors. Of course, the notion that some held positing that everything could be solved with hardware solutions was equally misguided. The smart companies have met somewhere in the middle.<\/p><\/div>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The earliest Pixel devices were a mixed bag for a number of other reasons as well. Google seemed to be targeting the premium category owned by Samsung and Apple with devices that were more mid-tier. That\u2019s not to say there isn\u2019t a market for all price points, but it\u2019s important to be realistic about the market you\u2019re targeting.<\/p>\n When it arrived in 2021, however, the Pixel 6 breathed new life into the line, by way of a hardware redesign, first-party silicon and, yes, some big camera updates. The effort involved restructuring and a shift in focus. Ultimately, the moves paid off, proving that Google wasn\u2019t going to let itself be lapped by the competition.<\/p>\n The subsequent two releases (including the most recent) were more iterative than transformative. Ultimately, Google has learned the truth that most handset manufacturers have known for years: If you\u2019re building a consumer hardware device for a large audience, you have to be deliberate about the things you choose to change. Consumers hate deviations from the norm almost as much as they crave excitement and innovation. It\u2019s all a delicate balancing act.<\/p>\n Camera improvements aside, there are two marquee new hardware features here: a very<\/em> bright display and the addition of a temperature sensor. Where does one go from here?<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The temperature sensor is one of the odder marquee additions to a big brand handset in recent memory. At first glance, it seems to largely exist for Google to have something \u2014 anything, really \u2014 to tout. Certainly, it\u2019s a standout feature in the sense that we\u2019ve not seen it all that much. My suspicion is plenty of manufacturers have explored the idea (after all, skin temperature sensors have become increasingly prevalent on wearables), only to determine that brings limited value in its current form.<\/p>\n For starters, Google\u2019s new Thermometer app is quick to warn you that it shouldn\u2019t be used to determine body temperature. I don\u2019t know about you, but that\u2019s the primary reason I keep a thermometer around. The thermometer isn\u2019t designed for air temperature, either. It\u2019s specifically for surface temperatures. Not saying there aren\u2019t times when that information is useful, but is this something people were demanding?<\/p>\nThe accompanying Thermometer app arrives with the understandable warning: \u201cAccuracy may vary based on the selected material [and] distance from the object.\u201d Fair enough. Things also start getting hairy at around \u20135\u00b0F and 300\u00b0F. Perfectly reasonable parameters, those.<\/div>\n The app itself is foolproof. You hold the phone up to a surface and tap the giant \u201cTap to measure\u201d button. A small thermometer icon in the left corner sends small animated pulses out, as a reminder of where the sensor is located on the other side (on the camera bar, just below the flash). By default, the system will give its best guess for the material it\u2019s scanning. For a more precise reading, there are 11 different material settings, including things like fabric, ceramic\/glass and food\/organic. The deviation between the default setting and choosing the specific material tended to fall within two degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The Actua display is a nice addition. Screen brightness likely isn\u2019t something most users consider, but if you\u2019ve ever had trouble making out your phone screen in direct sunlight, you\u2019ll understand why it\u2019s useful here. The 8 Pro maxes out at 2,400 nits \u2014 that\u2019s a sizable jump from the 7 Pro\u2019s 1,500. It\u2019s 3x the 6 Pro\u2019s peak brightness. For further comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can hit 2,000 nits, while Samsung\u2019s Galaxy S23 Ultra tops off at 1,750.<\/p>\n At this point, consumers largely expect a new chip with every upgrade. Following in Apple\u2019s footsteps, Google went the first-party silicon route, beginning with the Pixel 6. The Tensor line has yet to blow anyone\u2019s socks off, relative to the kinds of numbers that Qualcomm is routinely tossing up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen platform. The Tensor G3 similarly can\u2019t match the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, though the performance isn\u2019t that far off. It also represents a decent-sized jump over the Tensor G2.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, however, the most important elements of the chip are the features it enables \u2014 specifically AI-based photography and editing. That includes Real Tone, Google\u2019s attempt to offer more accurate images of human skin across the spectrum of shades, which is now baked into video.<\/p>\n Best Take is a cool new feature on the editing side that effectively superimposes facial features, so you can, say, open a subject\u2019s eyes or make them smile, using similar photos, instead of scrapping the entire shot or using a goofy smile filter. Tap on it inside of photos and the app presents you with several alternative faces. Tap through those and you\u2019ll see the primary image adjust. This definitely brushes against the uncanny valley. It\u2019s slightly unsettling at first, but the blending is impressive enough that it\u2019s going to get a lot of play from Pixel owners.<\/p>\n The \u201crealness\u201d of a given digital image is a conversation for another day. Though somehow the question doesn\u2019t feel as pronounced with the updated Magic Editor, which lets you delete unwanted background images and position and resize the subject. The feature\u2019s efficacy varies a good bit, based on factors like the background, but when it works, it\u2019s one of the most impressive photo editing tricks available on mobile.<\/p>\n Google Pixel Family Bundle. Image Credits:<\/strong> Google<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Speaking of mobile, I\u2019ve been housebound, due to an ongoing injury, and didn\u2019t have the time to put the camera through its sufficient paces, so I asked Darrell to do a more thorough review on that side of things<\/a>. I will say, however, that from my relatively limited usage, I still feel comfortable saying that the Pixel camera impresses yet again.<\/p>\n Honestly, that sums up the Pixel 8 Pro pretty well. The device finds Google once again leaning into imaging \u2014 the thing it\u2019s best at here. The device remains top-tier when it comes to taking photos and videos. Beyond that, it\u2019s not an especially big advance over its predecessor. But for most phones in most years, getting a little bit better is good enough.<\/p>\n Of course, it\u2019s worth mentioning that the new device is $100 more than its predecessor. That\u2019s not a huge<\/em> increase relative to the rest of the market, but it\u2019s notable that the Pixel 8 Pro is now a part of the $1,000 flagship club (well, $999). That\u2019s more of a symbolic threshold, but it does find the company losing some of its luster as a more budget-focused alternative. Ultimately Google has to decide how important price is for the end user \u2014 and what sacrifices it might make to get there.<\/p>\n If you forget about upfront pricing for a moment, however, one can make a compelling argument for averages. After all, the company is promising to offer software upgrades for seven years \u2014 far more than most of the competition. There\u2019s a ton of value in being able to hold on to a phone for that long. There\u2019s no guarantee the human race will be sticking around that long, of course, but if we do, your Pixel 8 will be covered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a camera upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren\u2019t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there\u2019s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro (check Darrell’s review to see if the same is true for the Pixel 8). The Pixel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":699688,"featured_media":2609861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9be7b215-8046-3d27-864e-5f6a8a57cfd6","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"9d2bfe91-7574-40c4-9121-a9eaef82afde","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AnSv-kXV0QMSRIanq74Kv3g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577052804,449223024],"tags":[641922,81,449554136,16967,577184616,577196041],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle Pixel 8 Pro: The camera\u2019s still the thing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Uneven lighting conditions, low light, zooming and just plain old bad luck often stand between you and a perfect shot. Don\u2019t get me wrong, things have come a long way in a few short years. The barrier of entry has lowered considerably. You no longer need to be a trained photographer to take a great shot.<\/p>\n Computational photography has been a big piece of that in recent generations. It\u2019s something Google has been a huge proponent of since Pixel, day one. The motivator is clear. Google is a software company first and foremost. It\u2019s an AI company now as well. It believed from the outset that all photo and videographic issues can be fixed with the right combination of algorithms. It\u2019s that notion that has driven the company, Pixel after Pixel.<\/p>\n Google put the cart before the horse in the earliest days of the line, with its insistence that it only needed a single camera sensor to give users the best possible experience. After some pushback, it began to embrace the multi-camera system seen on many of its competitors. Of course, the notion that some held positing that everything could be solved with hardware solutions was equally misguided. The smart companies have met somewhere in the middle.<\/p><\/div>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The earliest Pixel devices were a mixed bag for a number of other reasons as well. Google seemed to be targeting the premium category owned by Samsung and Apple with devices that were more mid-tier. That\u2019s not to say there isn\u2019t a market for all price points, but it\u2019s important to be realistic about the market you\u2019re targeting.<\/p>\n When it arrived in 2021, however, the Pixel 6 breathed new life into the line, by way of a hardware redesign, first-party silicon and, yes, some big camera updates. The effort involved restructuring and a shift in focus. Ultimately, the moves paid off, proving that Google wasn\u2019t going to let itself be lapped by the competition.<\/p>\n The subsequent two releases (including the most recent) were more iterative than transformative. Ultimately, Google has learned the truth that most handset manufacturers have known for years: If you\u2019re building a consumer hardware device for a large audience, you have to be deliberate about the things you choose to change. Consumers hate deviations from the norm almost as much as they crave excitement and innovation. It\u2019s all a delicate balancing act.<\/p>\n Camera improvements aside, there are two marquee new hardware features here: a very<\/em> bright display and the addition of a temperature sensor. Where does one go from here?<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The temperature sensor is one of the odder marquee additions to a big brand handset in recent memory. At first glance, it seems to largely exist for Google to have something \u2014 anything, really \u2014 to tout. Certainly, it\u2019s a standout feature in the sense that we\u2019ve not seen it all that much. My suspicion is plenty of manufacturers have explored the idea (after all, skin temperature sensors have become increasingly prevalent on wearables), only to determine that brings limited value in its current form.<\/p>\n For starters, Google\u2019s new Thermometer app is quick to warn you that it shouldn\u2019t be used to determine body temperature. I don\u2019t know about you, but that\u2019s the primary reason I keep a thermometer around. The thermometer isn\u2019t designed for air temperature, either. It\u2019s specifically for surface temperatures. Not saying there aren\u2019t times when that information is useful, but is this something people were demanding?<\/p>\nThe accompanying Thermometer app arrives with the understandable warning: \u201cAccuracy may vary based on the selected material [and] distance from the object.\u201d Fair enough. Things also start getting hairy at around \u20135\u00b0F and 300\u00b0F. Perfectly reasonable parameters, those.<\/div>\n The app itself is foolproof. You hold the phone up to a surface and tap the giant \u201cTap to measure\u201d button. A small thermometer icon in the left corner sends small animated pulses out, as a reminder of where the sensor is located on the other side (on the camera bar, just below the flash). By default, the system will give its best guess for the material it\u2019s scanning. For a more precise reading, there are 11 different material settings, including things like fabric, ceramic\/glass and food\/organic. The deviation between the default setting and choosing the specific material tended to fall within two degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The Actua display is a nice addition. Screen brightness likely isn\u2019t something most users consider, but if you\u2019ve ever had trouble making out your phone screen in direct sunlight, you\u2019ll understand why it\u2019s useful here. The 8 Pro maxes out at 2,400 nits \u2014 that\u2019s a sizable jump from the 7 Pro\u2019s 1,500. It\u2019s 3x the 6 Pro\u2019s peak brightness. For further comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can hit 2,000 nits, while Samsung\u2019s Galaxy S23 Ultra tops off at 1,750.<\/p>\n At this point, consumers largely expect a new chip with every upgrade. Following in Apple\u2019s footsteps, Google went the first-party silicon route, beginning with the Pixel 6. The Tensor line has yet to blow anyone\u2019s socks off, relative to the kinds of numbers that Qualcomm is routinely tossing up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen platform. The Tensor G3 similarly can\u2019t match the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, though the performance isn\u2019t that far off. It also represents a decent-sized jump over the Tensor G2.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, however, the most important elements of the chip are the features it enables \u2014 specifically AI-based photography and editing. That includes Real Tone, Google\u2019s attempt to offer more accurate images of human skin across the spectrum of shades, which is now baked into video.<\/p>\n Best Take is a cool new feature on the editing side that effectively superimposes facial features, so you can, say, open a subject\u2019s eyes or make them smile, using similar photos, instead of scrapping the entire shot or using a goofy smile filter. Tap on it inside of photos and the app presents you with several alternative faces. Tap through those and you\u2019ll see the primary image adjust. This definitely brushes against the uncanny valley. It\u2019s slightly unsettling at first, but the blending is impressive enough that it\u2019s going to get a lot of play from Pixel owners.<\/p>\n The \u201crealness\u201d of a given digital image is a conversation for another day. Though somehow the question doesn\u2019t feel as pronounced with the updated Magic Editor, which lets you delete unwanted background images and position and resize the subject. The feature\u2019s efficacy varies a good bit, based on factors like the background, but when it works, it\u2019s one of the most impressive photo editing tricks available on mobile.<\/p>\n Google Pixel Family Bundle. Image Credits:<\/strong> Google<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Speaking of mobile, I\u2019ve been housebound, due to an ongoing injury, and didn\u2019t have the time to put the camera through its sufficient paces, so I asked Darrell to do a more thorough review on that side of things<\/a>. I will say, however, that from my relatively limited usage, I still feel comfortable saying that the Pixel camera impresses yet again.<\/p>\n Honestly, that sums up the Pixel 8 Pro pretty well. The device finds Google once again leaning into imaging \u2014 the thing it\u2019s best at here. The device remains top-tier when it comes to taking photos and videos. Beyond that, it\u2019s not an especially big advance over its predecessor. But for most phones in most years, getting a little bit better is good enough.<\/p>\n Of course, it\u2019s worth mentioning that the new device is $100 more than its predecessor. That\u2019s not a huge<\/em> increase relative to the rest of the market, but it\u2019s notable that the Pixel 8 Pro is now a part of the $1,000 flagship club (well, $999). That\u2019s more of a symbolic threshold, but it does find the company losing some of its luster as a more budget-focused alternative. Ultimately Google has to decide how important price is for the end user \u2014 and what sacrifices it might make to get there.<\/p>\n If you forget about upfront pricing for a moment, however, one can make a compelling argument for averages. After all, the company is promising to offer software upgrades for seven years \u2014 far more than most of the competition. There\u2019s a ton of value in being able to hold on to a phone for that long. There\u2019s no guarantee the human race will be sticking around that long, of course, but if we do, your Pixel 8 will be covered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a camera upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren\u2019t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there\u2019s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro (check Darrell’s review to see if the same is true for the Pixel 8). The Pixel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":699688,"featured_media":2609861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9be7b215-8046-3d27-864e-5f6a8a57cfd6","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"9d2bfe91-7574-40c4-9121-a9eaef82afde","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AnSv-kXV0QMSRIanq74Kv3g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577052804,449223024],"tags":[641922,81,449554136,16967,577184616,577196041],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle Pixel 8 Pro: The camera\u2019s still the thing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Uneven lighting conditions, low light, zooming and just plain old bad luck often stand between you and a perfect shot. Don\u2019t get me wrong, things have come a long way in a few short years. The barrier of entry has lowered considerably. You no longer need to be a trained photographer to take a great shot.<\/p>\n
Computational photography has been a big piece of that in recent generations. It\u2019s something Google has been a huge proponent of since Pixel, day one. The motivator is clear. Google is a software company first and foremost. It\u2019s an AI company now as well. It believed from the outset that all photo and videographic issues can be fixed with the right combination of algorithms. It\u2019s that notion that has driven the company, Pixel after Pixel.<\/p>\n
Google put the cart before the horse in the earliest days of the line, with its insistence that it only needed a single camera sensor to give users the best possible experience. After some pushback, it began to embrace the multi-camera system seen on many of its competitors. Of course, the notion that some held positing that everything could be solved with hardware solutions was equally misguided. The smart companies have met somewhere in the middle.<\/p><\/div>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The earliest Pixel devices were a mixed bag for a number of other reasons as well. Google seemed to be targeting the premium category owned by Samsung and Apple with devices that were more mid-tier. That\u2019s not to say there isn\u2019t a market for all price points, but it\u2019s important to be realistic about the market you\u2019re targeting.<\/p>\n When it arrived in 2021, however, the Pixel 6 breathed new life into the line, by way of a hardware redesign, first-party silicon and, yes, some big camera updates. The effort involved restructuring and a shift in focus. Ultimately, the moves paid off, proving that Google wasn\u2019t going to let itself be lapped by the competition.<\/p>\n The subsequent two releases (including the most recent) were more iterative than transformative. Ultimately, Google has learned the truth that most handset manufacturers have known for years: If you\u2019re building a consumer hardware device for a large audience, you have to be deliberate about the things you choose to change. Consumers hate deviations from the norm almost as much as they crave excitement and innovation. It\u2019s all a delicate balancing act.<\/p>\n Camera improvements aside, there are two marquee new hardware features here: a very<\/em> bright display and the addition of a temperature sensor. Where does one go from here?<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The temperature sensor is one of the odder marquee additions to a big brand handset in recent memory. At first glance, it seems to largely exist for Google to have something \u2014 anything, really \u2014 to tout. Certainly, it\u2019s a standout feature in the sense that we\u2019ve not seen it all that much. My suspicion is plenty of manufacturers have explored the idea (after all, skin temperature sensors have become increasingly prevalent on wearables), only to determine that brings limited value in its current form.<\/p>\n For starters, Google\u2019s new Thermometer app is quick to warn you that it shouldn\u2019t be used to determine body temperature. I don\u2019t know about you, but that\u2019s the primary reason I keep a thermometer around. The thermometer isn\u2019t designed for air temperature, either. It\u2019s specifically for surface temperatures. Not saying there aren\u2019t times when that information is useful, but is this something people were demanding?<\/p>\nThe accompanying Thermometer app arrives with the understandable warning: \u201cAccuracy may vary based on the selected material [and] distance from the object.\u201d Fair enough. Things also start getting hairy at around \u20135\u00b0F and 300\u00b0F. Perfectly reasonable parameters, those.<\/div>\n The app itself is foolproof. You hold the phone up to a surface and tap the giant \u201cTap to measure\u201d button. A small thermometer icon in the left corner sends small animated pulses out, as a reminder of where the sensor is located on the other side (on the camera bar, just below the flash). By default, the system will give its best guess for the material it\u2019s scanning. For a more precise reading, there are 11 different material settings, including things like fabric, ceramic\/glass and food\/organic. The deviation between the default setting and choosing the specific material tended to fall within two degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The Actua display is a nice addition. Screen brightness likely isn\u2019t something most users consider, but if you\u2019ve ever had trouble making out your phone screen in direct sunlight, you\u2019ll understand why it\u2019s useful here. The 8 Pro maxes out at 2,400 nits \u2014 that\u2019s a sizable jump from the 7 Pro\u2019s 1,500. It\u2019s 3x the 6 Pro\u2019s peak brightness. For further comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can hit 2,000 nits, while Samsung\u2019s Galaxy S23 Ultra tops off at 1,750.<\/p>\n At this point, consumers largely expect a new chip with every upgrade. Following in Apple\u2019s footsteps, Google went the first-party silicon route, beginning with the Pixel 6. The Tensor line has yet to blow anyone\u2019s socks off, relative to the kinds of numbers that Qualcomm is routinely tossing up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen platform. The Tensor G3 similarly can\u2019t match the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, though the performance isn\u2019t that far off. It also represents a decent-sized jump over the Tensor G2.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, however, the most important elements of the chip are the features it enables \u2014 specifically AI-based photography and editing. That includes Real Tone, Google\u2019s attempt to offer more accurate images of human skin across the spectrum of shades, which is now baked into video.<\/p>\n Best Take is a cool new feature on the editing side that effectively superimposes facial features, so you can, say, open a subject\u2019s eyes or make them smile, using similar photos, instead of scrapping the entire shot or using a goofy smile filter. Tap on it inside of photos and the app presents you with several alternative faces. Tap through those and you\u2019ll see the primary image adjust. This definitely brushes against the uncanny valley. It\u2019s slightly unsettling at first, but the blending is impressive enough that it\u2019s going to get a lot of play from Pixel owners.<\/p>\n The \u201crealness\u201d of a given digital image is a conversation for another day. Though somehow the question doesn\u2019t feel as pronounced with the updated Magic Editor, which lets you delete unwanted background images and position and resize the subject. The feature\u2019s efficacy varies a good bit, based on factors like the background, but when it works, it\u2019s one of the most impressive photo editing tricks available on mobile.<\/p>\n Google Pixel Family Bundle. Image Credits:<\/strong> Google<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Speaking of mobile, I\u2019ve been housebound, due to an ongoing injury, and didn\u2019t have the time to put the camera through its sufficient paces, so I asked Darrell to do a more thorough review on that side of things<\/a>. I will say, however, that from my relatively limited usage, I still feel comfortable saying that the Pixel camera impresses yet again.<\/p>\n Honestly, that sums up the Pixel 8 Pro pretty well. The device finds Google once again leaning into imaging \u2014 the thing it\u2019s best at here. The device remains top-tier when it comes to taking photos and videos. Beyond that, it\u2019s not an especially big advance over its predecessor. But for most phones in most years, getting a little bit better is good enough.<\/p>\n Of course, it\u2019s worth mentioning that the new device is $100 more than its predecessor. That\u2019s not a huge<\/em> increase relative to the rest of the market, but it\u2019s notable that the Pixel 8 Pro is now a part of the $1,000 flagship club (well, $999). That\u2019s more of a symbolic threshold, but it does find the company losing some of its luster as a more budget-focused alternative. Ultimately Google has to decide how important price is for the end user \u2014 and what sacrifices it might make to get there.<\/p>\n If you forget about upfront pricing for a moment, however, one can make a compelling argument for averages. After all, the company is promising to offer software upgrades for seven years \u2014 far more than most of the competition. There\u2019s a ton of value in being able to hold on to a phone for that long. There\u2019s no guarantee the human race will be sticking around that long, of course, but if we do, your Pixel 8 will be covered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a camera upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren\u2019t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there\u2019s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro (check Darrell’s review to see if the same is true for the Pixel 8). The Pixel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":699688,"featured_media":2609861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9be7b215-8046-3d27-864e-5f6a8a57cfd6","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"9d2bfe91-7574-40c4-9121-a9eaef82afde","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AnSv-kXV0QMSRIanq74Kv3g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577052804,449223024],"tags":[641922,81,449554136,16967,577184616,577196041],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle Pixel 8 Pro: The camera\u2019s still the thing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The earliest Pixel devices were a mixed bag for a number of other reasons as well. Google seemed to be targeting the premium category owned by Samsung and Apple with devices that were more mid-tier. That\u2019s not to say there isn\u2019t a market for all price points, but it\u2019s important to be realistic about the market you\u2019re targeting.<\/p>\n When it arrived in 2021, however, the Pixel 6 breathed new life into the line, by way of a hardware redesign, first-party silicon and, yes, some big camera updates. The effort involved restructuring and a shift in focus. Ultimately, the moves paid off, proving that Google wasn\u2019t going to let itself be lapped by the competition.<\/p>\n The subsequent two releases (including the most recent) were more iterative than transformative. Ultimately, Google has learned the truth that most handset manufacturers have known for years: If you\u2019re building a consumer hardware device for a large audience, you have to be deliberate about the things you choose to change. Consumers hate deviations from the norm almost as much as they crave excitement and innovation. It\u2019s all a delicate balancing act.<\/p>\n Camera improvements aside, there are two marquee new hardware features here: a very<\/em> bright display and the addition of a temperature sensor. Where does one go from here?<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The temperature sensor is one of the odder marquee additions to a big brand handset in recent memory. At first glance, it seems to largely exist for Google to have something \u2014 anything, really \u2014 to tout. Certainly, it\u2019s a standout feature in the sense that we\u2019ve not seen it all that much. My suspicion is plenty of manufacturers have explored the idea (after all, skin temperature sensors have become increasingly prevalent on wearables), only to determine that brings limited value in its current form.<\/p>\n For starters, Google\u2019s new Thermometer app is quick to warn you that it shouldn\u2019t be used to determine body temperature. I don\u2019t know about you, but that\u2019s the primary reason I keep a thermometer around. The thermometer isn\u2019t designed for air temperature, either. It\u2019s specifically for surface temperatures. Not saying there aren\u2019t times when that information is useful, but is this something people were demanding?<\/p>\nThe accompanying Thermometer app arrives with the understandable warning: \u201cAccuracy may vary based on the selected material [and] distance from the object.\u201d Fair enough. Things also start getting hairy at around \u20135\u00b0F and 300\u00b0F. Perfectly reasonable parameters, those.<\/div>\n The app itself is foolproof. You hold the phone up to a surface and tap the giant \u201cTap to measure\u201d button. A small thermometer icon in the left corner sends small animated pulses out, as a reminder of where the sensor is located on the other side (on the camera bar, just below the flash). By default, the system will give its best guess for the material it\u2019s scanning. For a more precise reading, there are 11 different material settings, including things like fabric, ceramic\/glass and food\/organic. The deviation between the default setting and choosing the specific material tended to fall within two degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The Actua display is a nice addition. Screen brightness likely isn\u2019t something most users consider, but if you\u2019ve ever had trouble making out your phone screen in direct sunlight, you\u2019ll understand why it\u2019s useful here. The 8 Pro maxes out at 2,400 nits \u2014 that\u2019s a sizable jump from the 7 Pro\u2019s 1,500. It\u2019s 3x the 6 Pro\u2019s peak brightness. For further comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can hit 2,000 nits, while Samsung\u2019s Galaxy S23 Ultra tops off at 1,750.<\/p>\n At this point, consumers largely expect a new chip with every upgrade. Following in Apple\u2019s footsteps, Google went the first-party silicon route, beginning with the Pixel 6. The Tensor line has yet to blow anyone\u2019s socks off, relative to the kinds of numbers that Qualcomm is routinely tossing up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen platform. The Tensor G3 similarly can\u2019t match the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, though the performance isn\u2019t that far off. It also represents a decent-sized jump over the Tensor G2.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, however, the most important elements of the chip are the features it enables \u2014 specifically AI-based photography and editing. That includes Real Tone, Google\u2019s attempt to offer more accurate images of human skin across the spectrum of shades, which is now baked into video.<\/p>\n Best Take is a cool new feature on the editing side that effectively superimposes facial features, so you can, say, open a subject\u2019s eyes or make them smile, using similar photos, instead of scrapping the entire shot or using a goofy smile filter. Tap on it inside of photos and the app presents you with several alternative faces. Tap through those and you\u2019ll see the primary image adjust. This definitely brushes against the uncanny valley. It\u2019s slightly unsettling at first, but the blending is impressive enough that it\u2019s going to get a lot of play from Pixel owners.<\/p>\n The \u201crealness\u201d of a given digital image is a conversation for another day. Though somehow the question doesn\u2019t feel as pronounced with the updated Magic Editor, which lets you delete unwanted background images and position and resize the subject. The feature\u2019s efficacy varies a good bit, based on factors like the background, but when it works, it\u2019s one of the most impressive photo editing tricks available on mobile.<\/p>\n Google Pixel Family Bundle. Image Credits:<\/strong> Google<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Speaking of mobile, I\u2019ve been housebound, due to an ongoing injury, and didn\u2019t have the time to put the camera through its sufficient paces, so I asked Darrell to do a more thorough review on that side of things<\/a>. I will say, however, that from my relatively limited usage, I still feel comfortable saying that the Pixel camera impresses yet again.<\/p>\n Honestly, that sums up the Pixel 8 Pro pretty well. The device finds Google once again leaning into imaging \u2014 the thing it\u2019s best at here. The device remains top-tier when it comes to taking photos and videos. Beyond that, it\u2019s not an especially big advance over its predecessor. But for most phones in most years, getting a little bit better is good enough.<\/p>\n Of course, it\u2019s worth mentioning that the new device is $100 more than its predecessor. That\u2019s not a huge<\/em> increase relative to the rest of the market, but it\u2019s notable that the Pixel 8 Pro is now a part of the $1,000 flagship club (well, $999). That\u2019s more of a symbolic threshold, but it does find the company losing some of its luster as a more budget-focused alternative. Ultimately Google has to decide how important price is for the end user \u2014 and what sacrifices it might make to get there.<\/p>\n If you forget about upfront pricing for a moment, however, one can make a compelling argument for averages. After all, the company is promising to offer software upgrades for seven years \u2014 far more than most of the competition. There\u2019s a ton of value in being able to hold on to a phone for that long. There\u2019s no guarantee the human race will be sticking around that long, of course, but if we do, your Pixel 8 will be covered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a camera upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren\u2019t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there\u2019s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro (check Darrell’s review to see if the same is true for the Pixel 8). The Pixel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":699688,"featured_media":2609861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9be7b215-8046-3d27-864e-5f6a8a57cfd6","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"9d2bfe91-7574-40c4-9121-a9eaef82afde","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AnSv-kXV0QMSRIanq74Kv3g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577052804,449223024],"tags":[641922,81,449554136,16967,577184616,577196041],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle Pixel 8 Pro: The camera\u2019s still the thing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The earliest Pixel devices were a mixed bag for a number of other reasons as well. Google seemed to be targeting the premium category owned by Samsung and Apple with devices that were more mid-tier. That\u2019s not to say there isn\u2019t a market for all price points, but it\u2019s important to be realistic about the market you\u2019re targeting.<\/p>\n When it arrived in 2021, however, the Pixel 6 breathed new life into the line, by way of a hardware redesign, first-party silicon and, yes, some big camera updates. The effort involved restructuring and a shift in focus. Ultimately, the moves paid off, proving that Google wasn\u2019t going to let itself be lapped by the competition.<\/p>\n The subsequent two releases (including the most recent) were more iterative than transformative. Ultimately, Google has learned the truth that most handset manufacturers have known for years: If you\u2019re building a consumer hardware device for a large audience, you have to be deliberate about the things you choose to change. Consumers hate deviations from the norm almost as much as they crave excitement and innovation. It\u2019s all a delicate balancing act.<\/p>\n Camera improvements aside, there are two marquee new hardware features here: a very<\/em> bright display and the addition of a temperature sensor. Where does one go from here?<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The temperature sensor is one of the odder marquee additions to a big brand handset in recent memory. At first glance, it seems to largely exist for Google to have something \u2014 anything, really \u2014 to tout. Certainly, it\u2019s a standout feature in the sense that we\u2019ve not seen it all that much. My suspicion is plenty of manufacturers have explored the idea (after all, skin temperature sensors have become increasingly prevalent on wearables), only to determine that brings limited value in its current form.<\/p>\n For starters, Google\u2019s new Thermometer app is quick to warn you that it shouldn\u2019t be used to determine body temperature. I don\u2019t know about you, but that\u2019s the primary reason I keep a thermometer around. The thermometer isn\u2019t designed for air temperature, either. It\u2019s specifically for surface temperatures. Not saying there aren\u2019t times when that information is useful, but is this something people were demanding?<\/p>\nThe accompanying Thermometer app arrives with the understandable warning: \u201cAccuracy may vary based on the selected material [and] distance from the object.\u201d Fair enough. Things also start getting hairy at around \u20135\u00b0F and 300\u00b0F. Perfectly reasonable parameters, those.<\/div>\n The app itself is foolproof. You hold the phone up to a surface and tap the giant \u201cTap to measure\u201d button. A small thermometer icon in the left corner sends small animated pulses out, as a reminder of where the sensor is located on the other side (on the camera bar, just below the flash). By default, the system will give its best guess for the material it\u2019s scanning. For a more precise reading, there are 11 different material settings, including things like fabric, ceramic\/glass and food\/organic. The deviation between the default setting and choosing the specific material tended to fall within two degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The Actua display is a nice addition. Screen brightness likely isn\u2019t something most users consider, but if you\u2019ve ever had trouble making out your phone screen in direct sunlight, you\u2019ll understand why it\u2019s useful here. The 8 Pro maxes out at 2,400 nits \u2014 that\u2019s a sizable jump from the 7 Pro\u2019s 1,500. It\u2019s 3x the 6 Pro\u2019s peak brightness. For further comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can hit 2,000 nits, while Samsung\u2019s Galaxy S23 Ultra tops off at 1,750.<\/p>\n At this point, consumers largely expect a new chip with every upgrade. Following in Apple\u2019s footsteps, Google went the first-party silicon route, beginning with the Pixel 6. The Tensor line has yet to blow anyone\u2019s socks off, relative to the kinds of numbers that Qualcomm is routinely tossing up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen platform. The Tensor G3 similarly can\u2019t match the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, though the performance isn\u2019t that far off. It also represents a decent-sized jump over the Tensor G2.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, however, the most important elements of the chip are the features it enables \u2014 specifically AI-based photography and editing. That includes Real Tone, Google\u2019s attempt to offer more accurate images of human skin across the spectrum of shades, which is now baked into video.<\/p>\n Best Take is a cool new feature on the editing side that effectively superimposes facial features, so you can, say, open a subject\u2019s eyes or make them smile, using similar photos, instead of scrapping the entire shot or using a goofy smile filter. Tap on it inside of photos and the app presents you with several alternative faces. Tap through those and you\u2019ll see the primary image adjust. This definitely brushes against the uncanny valley. It\u2019s slightly unsettling at first, but the blending is impressive enough that it\u2019s going to get a lot of play from Pixel owners.<\/p>\n The \u201crealness\u201d of a given digital image is a conversation for another day. Though somehow the question doesn\u2019t feel as pronounced with the updated Magic Editor, which lets you delete unwanted background images and position and resize the subject. The feature\u2019s efficacy varies a good bit, based on factors like the background, but when it works, it\u2019s one of the most impressive photo editing tricks available on mobile.<\/p>\n Google Pixel Family Bundle. Image Credits:<\/strong> Google<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Speaking of mobile, I\u2019ve been housebound, due to an ongoing injury, and didn\u2019t have the time to put the camera through its sufficient paces, so I asked Darrell to do a more thorough review on that side of things<\/a>. I will say, however, that from my relatively limited usage, I still feel comfortable saying that the Pixel camera impresses yet again.<\/p>\n Honestly, that sums up the Pixel 8 Pro pretty well. The device finds Google once again leaning into imaging \u2014 the thing it\u2019s best at here. The device remains top-tier when it comes to taking photos and videos. Beyond that, it\u2019s not an especially big advance over its predecessor. But for most phones in most years, getting a little bit better is good enough.<\/p>\n Of course, it\u2019s worth mentioning that the new device is $100 more than its predecessor. That\u2019s not a huge<\/em> increase relative to the rest of the market, but it\u2019s notable that the Pixel 8 Pro is now a part of the $1,000 flagship club (well, $999). That\u2019s more of a symbolic threshold, but it does find the company losing some of its luster as a more budget-focused alternative. Ultimately Google has to decide how important price is for the end user \u2014 and what sacrifices it might make to get there.<\/p>\n If you forget about upfront pricing for a moment, however, one can make a compelling argument for averages. After all, the company is promising to offer software upgrades for seven years \u2014 far more than most of the competition. There\u2019s a ton of value in being able to hold on to a phone for that long. There\u2019s no guarantee the human race will be sticking around that long, of course, but if we do, your Pixel 8 will be covered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a camera upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren\u2019t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there\u2019s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro (check Darrell’s review to see if the same is true for the Pixel 8). The Pixel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":699688,"featured_media":2609861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9be7b215-8046-3d27-864e-5f6a8a57cfd6","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"9d2bfe91-7574-40c4-9121-a9eaef82afde","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AnSv-kXV0QMSRIanq74Kv3g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577052804,449223024],"tags":[641922,81,449554136,16967,577184616,577196041],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle Pixel 8 Pro: The camera\u2019s still the thing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
The earliest Pixel devices were a mixed bag for a number of other reasons as well. Google seemed to be targeting the premium category owned by Samsung and Apple with devices that were more mid-tier. That\u2019s not to say there isn\u2019t a market for all price points, but it\u2019s important to be realistic about the market you\u2019re targeting.<\/p>\n
When it arrived in 2021, however, the Pixel 6 breathed new life into the line, by way of a hardware redesign, first-party silicon and, yes, some big camera updates. The effort involved restructuring and a shift in focus. Ultimately, the moves paid off, proving that Google wasn\u2019t going to let itself be lapped by the competition.<\/p>\n
The subsequent two releases (including the most recent) were more iterative than transformative. Ultimately, Google has learned the truth that most handset manufacturers have known for years: If you\u2019re building a consumer hardware device for a large audience, you have to be deliberate about the things you choose to change. Consumers hate deviations from the norm almost as much as they crave excitement and innovation. It\u2019s all a delicate balancing act.<\/p>\n
Camera improvements aside, there are two marquee new hardware features here: a very<\/em> bright display and the addition of a temperature sensor. Where does one go from here?<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The temperature sensor is one of the odder marquee additions to a big brand handset in recent memory. At first glance, it seems to largely exist for Google to have something \u2014 anything, really \u2014 to tout. Certainly, it\u2019s a standout feature in the sense that we\u2019ve not seen it all that much. My suspicion is plenty of manufacturers have explored the idea (after all, skin temperature sensors have become increasingly prevalent on wearables), only to determine that brings limited value in its current form.<\/p>\n For starters, Google\u2019s new Thermometer app is quick to warn you that it shouldn\u2019t be used to determine body temperature. I don\u2019t know about you, but that\u2019s the primary reason I keep a thermometer around. The thermometer isn\u2019t designed for air temperature, either. It\u2019s specifically for surface temperatures. Not saying there aren\u2019t times when that information is useful, but is this something people were demanding?<\/p>\nThe accompanying Thermometer app arrives with the understandable warning: \u201cAccuracy may vary based on the selected material [and] distance from the object.\u201d Fair enough. Things also start getting hairy at around \u20135\u00b0F and 300\u00b0F. Perfectly reasonable parameters, those.<\/div>\n The app itself is foolproof. You hold the phone up to a surface and tap the giant \u201cTap to measure\u201d button. A small thermometer icon in the left corner sends small animated pulses out, as a reminder of where the sensor is located on the other side (on the camera bar, just below the flash). By default, the system will give its best guess for the material it\u2019s scanning. For a more precise reading, there are 11 different material settings, including things like fabric, ceramic\/glass and food\/organic. The deviation between the default setting and choosing the specific material tended to fall within two degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The Actua display is a nice addition. Screen brightness likely isn\u2019t something most users consider, but if you\u2019ve ever had trouble making out your phone screen in direct sunlight, you\u2019ll understand why it\u2019s useful here. The 8 Pro maxes out at 2,400 nits \u2014 that\u2019s a sizable jump from the 7 Pro\u2019s 1,500. It\u2019s 3x the 6 Pro\u2019s peak brightness. For further comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can hit 2,000 nits, while Samsung\u2019s Galaxy S23 Ultra tops off at 1,750.<\/p>\n At this point, consumers largely expect a new chip with every upgrade. Following in Apple\u2019s footsteps, Google went the first-party silicon route, beginning with the Pixel 6. The Tensor line has yet to blow anyone\u2019s socks off, relative to the kinds of numbers that Qualcomm is routinely tossing up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen platform. The Tensor G3 similarly can\u2019t match the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, though the performance isn\u2019t that far off. It also represents a decent-sized jump over the Tensor G2.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, however, the most important elements of the chip are the features it enables \u2014 specifically AI-based photography and editing. That includes Real Tone, Google\u2019s attempt to offer more accurate images of human skin across the spectrum of shades, which is now baked into video.<\/p>\n Best Take is a cool new feature on the editing side that effectively superimposes facial features, so you can, say, open a subject\u2019s eyes or make them smile, using similar photos, instead of scrapping the entire shot or using a goofy smile filter. Tap on it inside of photos and the app presents you with several alternative faces. Tap through those and you\u2019ll see the primary image adjust. This definitely brushes against the uncanny valley. It\u2019s slightly unsettling at first, but the blending is impressive enough that it\u2019s going to get a lot of play from Pixel owners.<\/p>\n The \u201crealness\u201d of a given digital image is a conversation for another day. Though somehow the question doesn\u2019t feel as pronounced with the updated Magic Editor, which lets you delete unwanted background images and position and resize the subject. The feature\u2019s efficacy varies a good bit, based on factors like the background, but when it works, it\u2019s one of the most impressive photo editing tricks available on mobile.<\/p>\n Google Pixel Family Bundle. Image Credits:<\/strong> Google<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Speaking of mobile, I\u2019ve been housebound, due to an ongoing injury, and didn\u2019t have the time to put the camera through its sufficient paces, so I asked Darrell to do a more thorough review on that side of things<\/a>. I will say, however, that from my relatively limited usage, I still feel comfortable saying that the Pixel camera impresses yet again.<\/p>\n Honestly, that sums up the Pixel 8 Pro pretty well. The device finds Google once again leaning into imaging \u2014 the thing it\u2019s best at here. The device remains top-tier when it comes to taking photos and videos. Beyond that, it\u2019s not an especially big advance over its predecessor. But for most phones in most years, getting a little bit better is good enough.<\/p>\n Of course, it\u2019s worth mentioning that the new device is $100 more than its predecessor. That\u2019s not a huge<\/em> increase relative to the rest of the market, but it\u2019s notable that the Pixel 8 Pro is now a part of the $1,000 flagship club (well, $999). That\u2019s more of a symbolic threshold, but it does find the company losing some of its luster as a more budget-focused alternative. Ultimately Google has to decide how important price is for the end user \u2014 and what sacrifices it might make to get there.<\/p>\n If you forget about upfront pricing for a moment, however, one can make a compelling argument for averages. After all, the company is promising to offer software upgrades for seven years \u2014 far more than most of the competition. There\u2019s a ton of value in being able to hold on to a phone for that long. There\u2019s no guarantee the human race will be sticking around that long, of course, but if we do, your Pixel 8 will be covered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a camera upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren\u2019t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there\u2019s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro (check Darrell’s review to see if the same is true for the Pixel 8). The Pixel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":699688,"featured_media":2609861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9be7b215-8046-3d27-864e-5f6a8a57cfd6","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"9d2bfe91-7574-40c4-9121-a9eaef82afde","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AnSv-kXV0QMSRIanq74Kv3g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577052804,449223024],"tags":[641922,81,449554136,16967,577184616,577196041],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle Pixel 8 Pro: The camera\u2019s still the thing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The temperature sensor is one of the odder marquee additions to a big brand handset in recent memory. At first glance, it seems to largely exist for Google to have something \u2014 anything, really \u2014 to tout. Certainly, it\u2019s a standout feature in the sense that we\u2019ve not seen it all that much. My suspicion is plenty of manufacturers have explored the idea (after all, skin temperature sensors have become increasingly prevalent on wearables), only to determine that brings limited value in its current form.<\/p>\n For starters, Google\u2019s new Thermometer app is quick to warn you that it shouldn\u2019t be used to determine body temperature. I don\u2019t know about you, but that\u2019s the primary reason I keep a thermometer around. The thermometer isn\u2019t designed for air temperature, either. It\u2019s specifically for surface temperatures. Not saying there aren\u2019t times when that information is useful, but is this something people were demanding?<\/p>\nThe accompanying Thermometer app arrives with the understandable warning: \u201cAccuracy may vary based on the selected material [and] distance from the object.\u201d Fair enough. Things also start getting hairy at around \u20135\u00b0F and 300\u00b0F. Perfectly reasonable parameters, those.<\/div>\n The app itself is foolproof. You hold the phone up to a surface and tap the giant \u201cTap to measure\u201d button. A small thermometer icon in the left corner sends small animated pulses out, as a reminder of where the sensor is located on the other side (on the camera bar, just below the flash). By default, the system will give its best guess for the material it\u2019s scanning. For a more precise reading, there are 11 different material settings, including things like fabric, ceramic\/glass and food\/organic. The deviation between the default setting and choosing the specific material tended to fall within two degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The Actua display is a nice addition. Screen brightness likely isn\u2019t something most users consider, but if you\u2019ve ever had trouble making out your phone screen in direct sunlight, you\u2019ll understand why it\u2019s useful here. The 8 Pro maxes out at 2,400 nits \u2014 that\u2019s a sizable jump from the 7 Pro\u2019s 1,500. It\u2019s 3x the 6 Pro\u2019s peak brightness. For further comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can hit 2,000 nits, while Samsung\u2019s Galaxy S23 Ultra tops off at 1,750.<\/p>\n At this point, consumers largely expect a new chip with every upgrade. Following in Apple\u2019s footsteps, Google went the first-party silicon route, beginning with the Pixel 6. The Tensor line has yet to blow anyone\u2019s socks off, relative to the kinds of numbers that Qualcomm is routinely tossing up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen platform. The Tensor G3 similarly can\u2019t match the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, though the performance isn\u2019t that far off. It also represents a decent-sized jump over the Tensor G2.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, however, the most important elements of the chip are the features it enables \u2014 specifically AI-based photography and editing. That includes Real Tone, Google\u2019s attempt to offer more accurate images of human skin across the spectrum of shades, which is now baked into video.<\/p>\n Best Take is a cool new feature on the editing side that effectively superimposes facial features, so you can, say, open a subject\u2019s eyes or make them smile, using similar photos, instead of scrapping the entire shot or using a goofy smile filter. Tap on it inside of photos and the app presents you with several alternative faces. Tap through those and you\u2019ll see the primary image adjust. This definitely brushes against the uncanny valley. It\u2019s slightly unsettling at first, but the blending is impressive enough that it\u2019s going to get a lot of play from Pixel owners.<\/p>\n The \u201crealness\u201d of a given digital image is a conversation for another day. Though somehow the question doesn\u2019t feel as pronounced with the updated Magic Editor, which lets you delete unwanted background images and position and resize the subject. The feature\u2019s efficacy varies a good bit, based on factors like the background, but when it works, it\u2019s one of the most impressive photo editing tricks available on mobile.<\/p>\n Google Pixel Family Bundle. Image Credits:<\/strong> Google<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Speaking of mobile, I\u2019ve been housebound, due to an ongoing injury, and didn\u2019t have the time to put the camera through its sufficient paces, so I asked Darrell to do a more thorough review on that side of things<\/a>. I will say, however, that from my relatively limited usage, I still feel comfortable saying that the Pixel camera impresses yet again.<\/p>\n Honestly, that sums up the Pixel 8 Pro pretty well. The device finds Google once again leaning into imaging \u2014 the thing it\u2019s best at here. The device remains top-tier when it comes to taking photos and videos. Beyond that, it\u2019s not an especially big advance over its predecessor. But for most phones in most years, getting a little bit better is good enough.<\/p>\n Of course, it\u2019s worth mentioning that the new device is $100 more than its predecessor. That\u2019s not a huge<\/em> increase relative to the rest of the market, but it\u2019s notable that the Pixel 8 Pro is now a part of the $1,000 flagship club (well, $999). That\u2019s more of a symbolic threshold, but it does find the company losing some of its luster as a more budget-focused alternative. Ultimately Google has to decide how important price is for the end user \u2014 and what sacrifices it might make to get there.<\/p>\n If you forget about upfront pricing for a moment, however, one can make a compelling argument for averages. After all, the company is promising to offer software upgrades for seven years \u2014 far more than most of the competition. There\u2019s a ton of value in being able to hold on to a phone for that long. There\u2019s no guarantee the human race will be sticking around that long, of course, but if we do, your Pixel 8 will be covered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a camera upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren\u2019t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there\u2019s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro (check Darrell’s review to see if the same is true for the Pixel 8). The Pixel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":699688,"featured_media":2609861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9be7b215-8046-3d27-864e-5f6a8a57cfd6","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"9d2bfe91-7574-40c4-9121-a9eaef82afde","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AnSv-kXV0QMSRIanq74Kv3g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577052804,449223024],"tags":[641922,81,449554136,16967,577184616,577196041],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle Pixel 8 Pro: The camera\u2019s still the thing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The temperature sensor is one of the odder marquee additions to a big brand handset in recent memory. At first glance, it seems to largely exist for Google to have something \u2014 anything, really \u2014 to tout. Certainly, it\u2019s a standout feature in the sense that we\u2019ve not seen it all that much. My suspicion is plenty of manufacturers have explored the idea (after all, skin temperature sensors have become increasingly prevalent on wearables), only to determine that brings limited value in its current form.<\/p>\n For starters, Google\u2019s new Thermometer app is quick to warn you that it shouldn\u2019t be used to determine body temperature. I don\u2019t know about you, but that\u2019s the primary reason I keep a thermometer around. The thermometer isn\u2019t designed for air temperature, either. It\u2019s specifically for surface temperatures. Not saying there aren\u2019t times when that information is useful, but is this something people were demanding?<\/p>\nThe accompanying Thermometer app arrives with the understandable warning: \u201cAccuracy may vary based on the selected material [and] distance from the object.\u201d Fair enough. Things also start getting hairy at around \u20135\u00b0F and 300\u00b0F. Perfectly reasonable parameters, those.<\/div>\n The app itself is foolproof. You hold the phone up to a surface and tap the giant \u201cTap to measure\u201d button. A small thermometer icon in the left corner sends small animated pulses out, as a reminder of where the sensor is located on the other side (on the camera bar, just below the flash). By default, the system will give its best guess for the material it\u2019s scanning. For a more precise reading, there are 11 different material settings, including things like fabric, ceramic\/glass and food\/organic. The deviation between the default setting and choosing the specific material tended to fall within two degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The Actua display is a nice addition. Screen brightness likely isn\u2019t something most users consider, but if you\u2019ve ever had trouble making out your phone screen in direct sunlight, you\u2019ll understand why it\u2019s useful here. The 8 Pro maxes out at 2,400 nits \u2014 that\u2019s a sizable jump from the 7 Pro\u2019s 1,500. It\u2019s 3x the 6 Pro\u2019s peak brightness. For further comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can hit 2,000 nits, while Samsung\u2019s Galaxy S23 Ultra tops off at 1,750.<\/p>\n At this point, consumers largely expect a new chip with every upgrade. Following in Apple\u2019s footsteps, Google went the first-party silicon route, beginning with the Pixel 6. The Tensor line has yet to blow anyone\u2019s socks off, relative to the kinds of numbers that Qualcomm is routinely tossing up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen platform. The Tensor G3 similarly can\u2019t match the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, though the performance isn\u2019t that far off. It also represents a decent-sized jump over the Tensor G2.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, however, the most important elements of the chip are the features it enables \u2014 specifically AI-based photography and editing. That includes Real Tone, Google\u2019s attempt to offer more accurate images of human skin across the spectrum of shades, which is now baked into video.<\/p>\n Best Take is a cool new feature on the editing side that effectively superimposes facial features, so you can, say, open a subject\u2019s eyes or make them smile, using similar photos, instead of scrapping the entire shot or using a goofy smile filter. Tap on it inside of photos and the app presents you with several alternative faces. Tap through those and you\u2019ll see the primary image adjust. This definitely brushes against the uncanny valley. It\u2019s slightly unsettling at first, but the blending is impressive enough that it\u2019s going to get a lot of play from Pixel owners.<\/p>\n The \u201crealness\u201d of a given digital image is a conversation for another day. Though somehow the question doesn\u2019t feel as pronounced with the updated Magic Editor, which lets you delete unwanted background images and position and resize the subject. The feature\u2019s efficacy varies a good bit, based on factors like the background, but when it works, it\u2019s one of the most impressive photo editing tricks available on mobile.<\/p>\n Google Pixel Family Bundle. Image Credits:<\/strong> Google<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Speaking of mobile, I\u2019ve been housebound, due to an ongoing injury, and didn\u2019t have the time to put the camera through its sufficient paces, so I asked Darrell to do a more thorough review on that side of things<\/a>. I will say, however, that from my relatively limited usage, I still feel comfortable saying that the Pixel camera impresses yet again.<\/p>\n Honestly, that sums up the Pixel 8 Pro pretty well. The device finds Google once again leaning into imaging \u2014 the thing it\u2019s best at here. The device remains top-tier when it comes to taking photos and videos. Beyond that, it\u2019s not an especially big advance over its predecessor. But for most phones in most years, getting a little bit better is good enough.<\/p>\n Of course, it\u2019s worth mentioning that the new device is $100 more than its predecessor. That\u2019s not a huge<\/em> increase relative to the rest of the market, but it\u2019s notable that the Pixel 8 Pro is now a part of the $1,000 flagship club (well, $999). That\u2019s more of a symbolic threshold, but it does find the company losing some of its luster as a more budget-focused alternative. Ultimately Google has to decide how important price is for the end user \u2014 and what sacrifices it might make to get there.<\/p>\n If you forget about upfront pricing for a moment, however, one can make a compelling argument for averages. After all, the company is promising to offer software upgrades for seven years \u2014 far more than most of the competition. There\u2019s a ton of value in being able to hold on to a phone for that long. There\u2019s no guarantee the human race will be sticking around that long, of course, but if we do, your Pixel 8 will be covered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a camera upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren\u2019t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there\u2019s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro (check Darrell’s review to see if the same is true for the Pixel 8). The Pixel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":699688,"featured_media":2609861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9be7b215-8046-3d27-864e-5f6a8a57cfd6","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"9d2bfe91-7574-40c4-9121-a9eaef82afde","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AnSv-kXV0QMSRIanq74Kv3g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577052804,449223024],"tags":[641922,81,449554136,16967,577184616,577196041],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle Pixel 8 Pro: The camera\u2019s still the thing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
The temperature sensor is one of the odder marquee additions to a big brand handset in recent memory. At first glance, it seems to largely exist for Google to have something \u2014 anything, really \u2014 to tout. Certainly, it\u2019s a standout feature in the sense that we\u2019ve not seen it all that much. My suspicion is plenty of manufacturers have explored the idea (after all, skin temperature sensors have become increasingly prevalent on wearables), only to determine that brings limited value in its current form.<\/p>\n
For starters, Google\u2019s new Thermometer app is quick to warn you that it shouldn\u2019t be used to determine body temperature. I don\u2019t know about you, but that\u2019s the primary reason I keep a thermometer around. The thermometer isn\u2019t designed for air temperature, either. It\u2019s specifically for surface temperatures. Not saying there aren\u2019t times when that information is useful, but is this something people were demanding?<\/p>\nThe accompanying Thermometer app arrives with the understandable warning: \u201cAccuracy may vary based on the selected material [and] distance from the object.\u201d Fair enough. Things also start getting hairy at around \u20135\u00b0F and 300\u00b0F. Perfectly reasonable parameters, those.<\/div>\n The app itself is foolproof. You hold the phone up to a surface and tap the giant \u201cTap to measure\u201d button. A small thermometer icon in the left corner sends small animated pulses out, as a reminder of where the sensor is located on the other side (on the camera bar, just below the flash). By default, the system will give its best guess for the material it\u2019s scanning. For a more precise reading, there are 11 different material settings, including things like fabric, ceramic\/glass and food\/organic. The deviation between the default setting and choosing the specific material tended to fall within two degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The Actua display is a nice addition. Screen brightness likely isn\u2019t something most users consider, but if you\u2019ve ever had trouble making out your phone screen in direct sunlight, you\u2019ll understand why it\u2019s useful here. The 8 Pro maxes out at 2,400 nits \u2014 that\u2019s a sizable jump from the 7 Pro\u2019s 1,500. It\u2019s 3x the 6 Pro\u2019s peak brightness. For further comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can hit 2,000 nits, while Samsung\u2019s Galaxy S23 Ultra tops off at 1,750.<\/p>\n At this point, consumers largely expect a new chip with every upgrade. Following in Apple\u2019s footsteps, Google went the first-party silicon route, beginning with the Pixel 6. The Tensor line has yet to blow anyone\u2019s socks off, relative to the kinds of numbers that Qualcomm is routinely tossing up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen platform. The Tensor G3 similarly can\u2019t match the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, though the performance isn\u2019t that far off. It also represents a decent-sized jump over the Tensor G2.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, however, the most important elements of the chip are the features it enables \u2014 specifically AI-based photography and editing. That includes Real Tone, Google\u2019s attempt to offer more accurate images of human skin across the spectrum of shades, which is now baked into video.<\/p>\n Best Take is a cool new feature on the editing side that effectively superimposes facial features, so you can, say, open a subject\u2019s eyes or make them smile, using similar photos, instead of scrapping the entire shot or using a goofy smile filter. Tap on it inside of photos and the app presents you with several alternative faces. Tap through those and you\u2019ll see the primary image adjust. This definitely brushes against the uncanny valley. It\u2019s slightly unsettling at first, but the blending is impressive enough that it\u2019s going to get a lot of play from Pixel owners.<\/p>\n The \u201crealness\u201d of a given digital image is a conversation for another day. Though somehow the question doesn\u2019t feel as pronounced with the updated Magic Editor, which lets you delete unwanted background images and position and resize the subject. The feature\u2019s efficacy varies a good bit, based on factors like the background, but when it works, it\u2019s one of the most impressive photo editing tricks available on mobile.<\/p>\n Google Pixel Family Bundle. Image Credits:<\/strong> Google<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Speaking of mobile, I\u2019ve been housebound, due to an ongoing injury, and didn\u2019t have the time to put the camera through its sufficient paces, so I asked Darrell to do a more thorough review on that side of things<\/a>. I will say, however, that from my relatively limited usage, I still feel comfortable saying that the Pixel camera impresses yet again.<\/p>\n Honestly, that sums up the Pixel 8 Pro pretty well. The device finds Google once again leaning into imaging \u2014 the thing it\u2019s best at here. The device remains top-tier when it comes to taking photos and videos. Beyond that, it\u2019s not an especially big advance over its predecessor. But for most phones in most years, getting a little bit better is good enough.<\/p>\n Of course, it\u2019s worth mentioning that the new device is $100 more than its predecessor. That\u2019s not a huge<\/em> increase relative to the rest of the market, but it\u2019s notable that the Pixel 8 Pro is now a part of the $1,000 flagship club (well, $999). That\u2019s more of a symbolic threshold, but it does find the company losing some of its luster as a more budget-focused alternative. Ultimately Google has to decide how important price is for the end user \u2014 and what sacrifices it might make to get there.<\/p>\n If you forget about upfront pricing for a moment, however, one can make a compelling argument for averages. After all, the company is promising to offer software upgrades for seven years \u2014 far more than most of the competition. There\u2019s a ton of value in being able to hold on to a phone for that long. There\u2019s no guarantee the human race will be sticking around that long, of course, but if we do, your Pixel 8 will be covered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a camera upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren\u2019t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there\u2019s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro (check Darrell’s review to see if the same is true for the Pixel 8). The Pixel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":699688,"featured_media":2609861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9be7b215-8046-3d27-864e-5f6a8a57cfd6","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"9d2bfe91-7574-40c4-9121-a9eaef82afde","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AnSv-kXV0QMSRIanq74Kv3g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577052804,449223024],"tags":[641922,81,449554136,16967,577184616,577196041],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle Pixel 8 Pro: The camera\u2019s still the thing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
The app itself is foolproof. You hold the phone up to a surface and tap the giant \u201cTap to measure\u201d button. A small thermometer icon in the left corner sends small animated pulses out, as a reminder of where the sensor is located on the other side (on the camera bar, just below the flash). By default, the system will give its best guess for the material it\u2019s scanning. For a more precise reading, there are 11 different material settings, including things like fabric, ceramic\/glass and food\/organic. The deviation between the default setting and choosing the specific material tended to fall within two degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n
Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The Actua display is a nice addition. Screen brightness likely isn\u2019t something most users consider, but if you\u2019ve ever had trouble making out your phone screen in direct sunlight, you\u2019ll understand why it\u2019s useful here. The 8 Pro maxes out at 2,400 nits \u2014 that\u2019s a sizable jump from the 7 Pro\u2019s 1,500. It\u2019s 3x the 6 Pro\u2019s peak brightness. For further comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can hit 2,000 nits, while Samsung\u2019s Galaxy S23 Ultra tops off at 1,750.<\/p>\n At this point, consumers largely expect a new chip with every upgrade. Following in Apple\u2019s footsteps, Google went the first-party silicon route, beginning with the Pixel 6. The Tensor line has yet to blow anyone\u2019s socks off, relative to the kinds of numbers that Qualcomm is routinely tossing up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen platform. The Tensor G3 similarly can\u2019t match the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, though the performance isn\u2019t that far off. It also represents a decent-sized jump over the Tensor G2.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, however, the most important elements of the chip are the features it enables \u2014 specifically AI-based photography and editing. That includes Real Tone, Google\u2019s attempt to offer more accurate images of human skin across the spectrum of shades, which is now baked into video.<\/p>\n Best Take is a cool new feature on the editing side that effectively superimposes facial features, so you can, say, open a subject\u2019s eyes or make them smile, using similar photos, instead of scrapping the entire shot or using a goofy smile filter. Tap on it inside of photos and the app presents you with several alternative faces. Tap through those and you\u2019ll see the primary image adjust. This definitely brushes against the uncanny valley. It\u2019s slightly unsettling at first, but the blending is impressive enough that it\u2019s going to get a lot of play from Pixel owners.<\/p>\n The \u201crealness\u201d of a given digital image is a conversation for another day. Though somehow the question doesn\u2019t feel as pronounced with the updated Magic Editor, which lets you delete unwanted background images and position and resize the subject. The feature\u2019s efficacy varies a good bit, based on factors like the background, but when it works, it\u2019s one of the most impressive photo editing tricks available on mobile.<\/p>\n Google Pixel Family Bundle. Image Credits:<\/strong> Google<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Speaking of mobile, I\u2019ve been housebound, due to an ongoing injury, and didn\u2019t have the time to put the camera through its sufficient paces, so I asked Darrell to do a more thorough review on that side of things<\/a>. I will say, however, that from my relatively limited usage, I still feel comfortable saying that the Pixel camera impresses yet again.<\/p>\n Honestly, that sums up the Pixel 8 Pro pretty well. The device finds Google once again leaning into imaging \u2014 the thing it\u2019s best at here. The device remains top-tier when it comes to taking photos and videos. Beyond that, it\u2019s not an especially big advance over its predecessor. But for most phones in most years, getting a little bit better is good enough.<\/p>\n Of course, it\u2019s worth mentioning that the new device is $100 more than its predecessor. That\u2019s not a huge<\/em> increase relative to the rest of the market, but it\u2019s notable that the Pixel 8 Pro is now a part of the $1,000 flagship club (well, $999). That\u2019s more of a symbolic threshold, but it does find the company losing some of its luster as a more budget-focused alternative. Ultimately Google has to decide how important price is for the end user \u2014 and what sacrifices it might make to get there.<\/p>\n If you forget about upfront pricing for a moment, however, one can make a compelling argument for averages. After all, the company is promising to offer software upgrades for seven years \u2014 far more than most of the competition. There\u2019s a ton of value in being able to hold on to a phone for that long. There\u2019s no guarantee the human race will be sticking around that long, of course, but if we do, your Pixel 8 will be covered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a camera upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren\u2019t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there\u2019s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro (check Darrell’s review to see if the same is true for the Pixel 8). The Pixel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":699688,"featured_media":2609861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9be7b215-8046-3d27-864e-5f6a8a57cfd6","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"9d2bfe91-7574-40c4-9121-a9eaef82afde","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AnSv-kXV0QMSRIanq74Kv3g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577052804,449223024],"tags":[641922,81,449554136,16967,577184616,577196041],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle Pixel 8 Pro: The camera\u2019s still the thing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n The Actua display is a nice addition. Screen brightness likely isn\u2019t something most users consider, but if you\u2019ve ever had trouble making out your phone screen in direct sunlight, you\u2019ll understand why it\u2019s useful here. The 8 Pro maxes out at 2,400 nits \u2014 that\u2019s a sizable jump from the 7 Pro\u2019s 1,500. It\u2019s 3x the 6 Pro\u2019s peak brightness. For further comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can hit 2,000 nits, while Samsung\u2019s Galaxy S23 Ultra tops off at 1,750.<\/p>\n At this point, consumers largely expect a new chip with every upgrade. Following in Apple\u2019s footsteps, Google went the first-party silicon route, beginning with the Pixel 6. The Tensor line has yet to blow anyone\u2019s socks off, relative to the kinds of numbers that Qualcomm is routinely tossing up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen platform. The Tensor G3 similarly can\u2019t match the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, though the performance isn\u2019t that far off. It also represents a decent-sized jump over the Tensor G2.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, however, the most important elements of the chip are the features it enables \u2014 specifically AI-based photography and editing. That includes Real Tone, Google\u2019s attempt to offer more accurate images of human skin across the spectrum of shades, which is now baked into video.<\/p>\n Best Take is a cool new feature on the editing side that effectively superimposes facial features, so you can, say, open a subject\u2019s eyes or make them smile, using similar photos, instead of scrapping the entire shot or using a goofy smile filter. Tap on it inside of photos and the app presents you with several alternative faces. Tap through those and you\u2019ll see the primary image adjust. This definitely brushes against the uncanny valley. It\u2019s slightly unsettling at first, but the blending is impressive enough that it\u2019s going to get a lot of play from Pixel owners.<\/p>\n The \u201crealness\u201d of a given digital image is a conversation for another day. Though somehow the question doesn\u2019t feel as pronounced with the updated Magic Editor, which lets you delete unwanted background images and position and resize the subject. The feature\u2019s efficacy varies a good bit, based on factors like the background, but when it works, it\u2019s one of the most impressive photo editing tricks available on mobile.<\/p>\n Google Pixel Family Bundle. Image Credits:<\/strong> Google<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Speaking of mobile, I\u2019ve been housebound, due to an ongoing injury, and didn\u2019t have the time to put the camera through its sufficient paces, so I asked Darrell to do a more thorough review on that side of things<\/a>. I will say, however, that from my relatively limited usage, I still feel comfortable saying that the Pixel camera impresses yet again.<\/p>\n Honestly, that sums up the Pixel 8 Pro pretty well. The device finds Google once again leaning into imaging \u2014 the thing it\u2019s best at here. The device remains top-tier when it comes to taking photos and videos. Beyond that, it\u2019s not an especially big advance over its predecessor. But for most phones in most years, getting a little bit better is good enough.<\/p>\n Of course, it\u2019s worth mentioning that the new device is $100 more than its predecessor. That\u2019s not a huge<\/em> increase relative to the rest of the market, but it\u2019s notable that the Pixel 8 Pro is now a part of the $1,000 flagship club (well, $999). That\u2019s more of a symbolic threshold, but it does find the company losing some of its luster as a more budget-focused alternative. Ultimately Google has to decide how important price is for the end user \u2014 and what sacrifices it might make to get there.<\/p>\n If you forget about upfront pricing for a moment, however, one can make a compelling argument for averages. After all, the company is promising to offer software upgrades for seven years \u2014 far more than most of the competition. There\u2019s a ton of value in being able to hold on to a phone for that long. There\u2019s no guarantee the human race will be sticking around that long, of course, but if we do, your Pixel 8 will be covered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a camera upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren\u2019t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there\u2019s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro (check Darrell’s review to see if the same is true for the Pixel 8). The Pixel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":699688,"featured_media":2609861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9be7b215-8046-3d27-864e-5f6a8a57cfd6","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"9d2bfe91-7574-40c4-9121-a9eaef82afde","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AnSv-kXV0QMSRIanq74Kv3g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577052804,449223024],"tags":[641922,81,449554136,16967,577184616,577196041],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle Pixel 8 Pro: The camera\u2019s still the thing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
The Actua display is a nice addition. Screen brightness likely isn\u2019t something most users consider, but if you\u2019ve ever had trouble making out your phone screen in direct sunlight, you\u2019ll understand why it\u2019s useful here. The 8 Pro maxes out at 2,400 nits \u2014 that\u2019s a sizable jump from the 7 Pro\u2019s 1,500. It\u2019s 3x the 6 Pro\u2019s peak brightness. For further comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can hit 2,000 nits, while Samsung\u2019s Galaxy S23 Ultra tops off at 1,750.<\/p>\n
At this point, consumers largely expect a new chip with every upgrade. Following in Apple\u2019s footsteps, Google went the first-party silicon route, beginning with the Pixel 6. The Tensor line has yet to blow anyone\u2019s socks off, relative to the kinds of numbers that Qualcomm is routinely tossing up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen platform. The Tensor G3 similarly can\u2019t match the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, though the performance isn\u2019t that far off. It also represents a decent-sized jump over the Tensor G2.<\/p>\n
At the end of the day, however, the most important elements of the chip are the features it enables \u2014 specifically AI-based photography and editing. That includes Real Tone, Google\u2019s attempt to offer more accurate images of human skin across the spectrum of shades, which is now baked into video.<\/p>\n
Best Take is a cool new feature on the editing side that effectively superimposes facial features, so you can, say, open a subject\u2019s eyes or make them smile, using similar photos, instead of scrapping the entire shot or using a goofy smile filter. Tap on it inside of photos and the app presents you with several alternative faces. Tap through those and you\u2019ll see the primary image adjust. This definitely brushes against the uncanny valley. It\u2019s slightly unsettling at first, but the blending is impressive enough that it\u2019s going to get a lot of play from Pixel owners.<\/p>\n
The \u201crealness\u201d of a given digital image is a conversation for another day. Though somehow the question doesn\u2019t feel as pronounced with the updated Magic Editor, which lets you delete unwanted background images and position and resize the subject. The feature\u2019s efficacy varies a good bit, based on factors like the background, but when it works, it\u2019s one of the most impressive photo editing tricks available on mobile.<\/p>\n
Google Pixel Family Bundle. Image Credits:<\/strong> Google<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Speaking of mobile, I\u2019ve been housebound, due to an ongoing injury, and didn\u2019t have the time to put the camera through its sufficient paces, so I asked Darrell to do a more thorough review on that side of things<\/a>. I will say, however, that from my relatively limited usage, I still feel comfortable saying that the Pixel camera impresses yet again.<\/p>\n Honestly, that sums up the Pixel 8 Pro pretty well. The device finds Google once again leaning into imaging \u2014 the thing it\u2019s best at here. The device remains top-tier when it comes to taking photos and videos. Beyond that, it\u2019s not an especially big advance over its predecessor. But for most phones in most years, getting a little bit better is good enough.<\/p>\n Of course, it\u2019s worth mentioning that the new device is $100 more than its predecessor. That\u2019s not a huge<\/em> increase relative to the rest of the market, but it\u2019s notable that the Pixel 8 Pro is now a part of the $1,000 flagship club (well, $999). That\u2019s more of a symbolic threshold, but it does find the company losing some of its luster as a more budget-focused alternative. Ultimately Google has to decide how important price is for the end user \u2014 and what sacrifices it might make to get there.<\/p>\n If you forget about upfront pricing for a moment, however, one can make a compelling argument for averages. After all, the company is promising to offer software upgrades for seven years \u2014 far more than most of the competition. There\u2019s a ton of value in being able to hold on to a phone for that long. There\u2019s no guarantee the human race will be sticking around that long, of course, but if we do, your Pixel 8 will be covered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a camera upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren\u2019t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there\u2019s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro (check Darrell’s review to see if the same is true for the Pixel 8). The Pixel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":699688,"featured_media":2609861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9be7b215-8046-3d27-864e-5f6a8a57cfd6","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"9d2bfe91-7574-40c4-9121-a9eaef82afde","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AnSv-kXV0QMSRIanq74Kv3g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577052804,449223024],"tags":[641922,81,449554136,16967,577184616,577196041],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle Pixel 8 Pro: The camera\u2019s still the thing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Google Pixel Family Bundle. Image Credits:<\/strong> Google<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n Speaking of mobile, I\u2019ve been housebound, due to an ongoing injury, and didn\u2019t have the time to put the camera through its sufficient paces, so I asked Darrell to do a more thorough review on that side of things<\/a>. I will say, however, that from my relatively limited usage, I still feel comfortable saying that the Pixel camera impresses yet again.<\/p>\n Honestly, that sums up the Pixel 8 Pro pretty well. The device finds Google once again leaning into imaging \u2014 the thing it\u2019s best at here. The device remains top-tier when it comes to taking photos and videos. Beyond that, it\u2019s not an especially big advance over its predecessor. But for most phones in most years, getting a little bit better is good enough.<\/p>\n Of course, it\u2019s worth mentioning that the new device is $100 more than its predecessor. That\u2019s not a huge<\/em> increase relative to the rest of the market, but it\u2019s notable that the Pixel 8 Pro is now a part of the $1,000 flagship club (well, $999). That\u2019s more of a symbolic threshold, but it does find the company losing some of its luster as a more budget-focused alternative. Ultimately Google has to decide how important price is for the end user \u2014 and what sacrifices it might make to get there.<\/p>\n If you forget about upfront pricing for a moment, however, one can make a compelling argument for averages. After all, the company is promising to offer software upgrades for seven years \u2014 far more than most of the competition. There\u2019s a ton of value in being able to hold on to a phone for that long. There\u2019s no guarantee the human race will be sticking around that long, of course, but if we do, your Pixel 8 will be covered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a camera upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren\u2019t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there\u2019s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro (check Darrell’s review to see if the same is true for the Pixel 8). The Pixel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":699688,"featured_media":2609861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9be7b215-8046-3d27-864e-5f6a8a57cfd6","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"9d2bfe91-7574-40c4-9121-a9eaef82afde","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AnSv-kXV0QMSRIanq74Kv3g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577052804,449223024],"tags":[641922,81,449554136,16967,577184616,577196041],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle Pixel 8 Pro: The camera\u2019s still the thing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Speaking of mobile, I\u2019ve been housebound, due to an ongoing injury, and didn\u2019t have the time to put the camera through its sufficient paces, so I asked Darrell to do a more thorough review on that side of things<\/a>. I will say, however, that from my relatively limited usage, I still feel comfortable saying that the Pixel camera impresses yet again.<\/p>\n Honestly, that sums up the Pixel 8 Pro pretty well. The device finds Google once again leaning into imaging \u2014 the thing it\u2019s best at here. The device remains top-tier when it comes to taking photos and videos. Beyond that, it\u2019s not an especially big advance over its predecessor. But for most phones in most years, getting a little bit better is good enough.<\/p>\n Of course, it\u2019s worth mentioning that the new device is $100 more than its predecessor. That\u2019s not a huge<\/em> increase relative to the rest of the market, but it\u2019s notable that the Pixel 8 Pro is now a part of the $1,000 flagship club (well, $999). That\u2019s more of a symbolic threshold, but it does find the company losing some of its luster as a more budget-focused alternative. Ultimately Google has to decide how important price is for the end user \u2014 and what sacrifices it might make to get there.<\/p>\n If you forget about upfront pricing for a moment, however, one can make a compelling argument for averages. After all, the company is promising to offer software upgrades for seven years \u2014 far more than most of the competition. There\u2019s a ton of value in being able to hold on to a phone for that long. There\u2019s no guarantee the human race will be sticking around that long, of course, but if we do, your Pixel 8 will be covered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a camera upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren\u2019t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there\u2019s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro (check Darrell’s review to see if the same is true for the Pixel 8). The Pixel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":699688,"featured_media":2609861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9be7b215-8046-3d27-864e-5f6a8a57cfd6","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"9d2bfe91-7574-40c4-9121-a9eaef82afde","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AnSv-kXV0QMSRIanq74Kv3g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577052804,449223024],"tags":[641922,81,449554136,16967,577184616,577196041],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle Pixel 8 Pro: The camera\u2019s still the thing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Honestly, that sums up the Pixel 8 Pro pretty well. The device finds Google once again leaning into imaging \u2014 the thing it\u2019s best at here. The device remains top-tier when it comes to taking photos and videos. Beyond that, it\u2019s not an especially big advance over its predecessor. But for most phones in most years, getting a little bit better is good enough.<\/p>\n
Of course, it\u2019s worth mentioning that the new device is $100 more than its predecessor. That\u2019s not a huge<\/em> increase relative to the rest of the market, but it\u2019s notable that the Pixel 8 Pro is now a part of the $1,000 flagship club (well, $999). That\u2019s more of a symbolic threshold, but it does find the company losing some of its luster as a more budget-focused alternative. Ultimately Google has to decide how important price is for the end user \u2014 and what sacrifices it might make to get there.<\/p>\n If you forget about upfront pricing for a moment, however, one can make a compelling argument for averages. After all, the company is promising to offer software upgrades for seven years \u2014 far more than most of the competition. There\u2019s a ton of value in being able to hold on to a phone for that long. There\u2019s no guarantee the human race will be sticking around that long, of course, but if we do, your Pixel 8 will be covered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a camera upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren\u2019t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there\u2019s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro (check Darrell’s review to see if the same is true for the Pixel 8). The Pixel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":699688,"featured_media":2609861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9be7b215-8046-3d27-864e-5f6a8a57cfd6","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"9d2bfe91-7574-40c4-9121-a9eaef82afde","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AnSv-kXV0QMSRIanq74Kv3g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577052804,449223024],"tags":[641922,81,449554136,16967,577184616,577196041],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle Pixel 8 Pro: The camera\u2019s still the thing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
If you forget about upfront pricing for a moment, however, one can make a compelling argument for averages. After all, the company is promising to offer software upgrades for seven years \u2014 far more than most of the competition. There\u2019s a ton of value in being able to hold on to a phone for that long. There\u2019s no guarantee the human race will be sticking around that long, of course, but if we do, your Pixel 8 will be covered.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This is a camera upgrade. Full stop. If photos and video aren\u2019t your primary concerns when it comes to buying a new smartphone, there\u2019s virtually no reason to upgrade from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro (check Darrell’s review to see if the same is true for the Pixel 8). The Pixel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":699688,"featured_media":2609861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9be7b215-8046-3d27-864e-5f6a8a57cfd6","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_id":"9d2bfe91-7574-40c4-9121-a9eaef82afde","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-11T17:01:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AnSv-kXV0QMSRIanq74Kv3g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577052804,449223024],"tags":[641922,81,449554136,16967,577184616,577196041],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle Pixel 8 Pro: The camera\u2019s still the thing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Brian Heater is the Hardware Editor at TechCrunch. He worked for a number of leading tech publications, including Engadget, PCMag, Laptop, and Tech Times, where he served as the Managing Editor. His writing has appeared in Spin, Wired, Playboy, Entertainment Weekly, The Onion, Boing Boing, Publishers Weekly, The Daily Beast and various other publications. He hosts the weekly Boing Boing interview podcast RiYL, has appeared as a regular NPR contributor and shares his Queens apartment with a rabbit named Lucy.<\/p>","cbAvatar":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/xynitsmpgmmobpekzxkg.jpg.jpg","twitter":"bheater","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users\/699688"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users"}]}}],"author":[{"id":699688,"name":"Brian Heater","url":"http:\/\/bheater","description":"","link":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/author\/brian-heater\/","slug":"brian-heater","avatar_urls":{"24":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/eb77d830ad404e16ee7a4c7000b5f49d?s=24&d=identicon&r=g","48":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/eb77d830ad404e16ee7a4c7000b5f49d?s=48&d=identicon&r=g","96":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/eb77d830ad404e16ee7a4c7000b5f49d?s=96&d=identicon&r=g"},"yoast_head":"\nBrian Heater, Author at TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Brian Heater is the Hardware Editor at TechCrunch. He worked for a number of leading tech publications, including Engadget, PCMag, Laptop, and Tech Times, where he served as the Managing Editor. His writing has appeared in Spin, Wired, Playboy, Entertainment Weekly, The Onion, Boing Boing, Publishers Weekly, The Daily Beast and various other publications. He hosts the weekly Boing Boing interview podcast RiYL, has appeared as a regular NPR contributor and shares his Queens apartment with a rabbit named Lucy.<\/p>","cbAvatar":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/xynitsmpgmmobpekzxkg.jpg.jpg","twitter":"bheater","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users\/699688"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users"}]}}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"id":2609861,"date":"2023-10-04T06:36:58","slug":"pixel-8-pro-camera","type":"attachment","link":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2023\/10\/04\/google-pixel-8-and-pixel-8-pro-camera-specs\/pixel-8-pro-camera\/","title":{"rendered":"Pixel-8-Pro-Camera"},"author":5302483,"license":{"source_key":"other","source":"Darrell Etherington"},"authors":[5302483],"caption":{"rendered":"
Google Pixel 8 Pro camera array on the back of the smartphone<\/p>\n"},"alt_text":"Google Pixel 8 Pro camera array on the back of the smartphone","media_type":"image","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","media_details":{"width":1200,"height":800,"file":"2023\/10\/Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg","filesize":470082,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?resize=150,100","width":150,"height":100,"filesize":470082,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?w=150"},"medium":{"file":"Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?resize=300,200","width":300,"height":200,"filesize":470082,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?w=300"},"medium_large":{"file":"Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?resize=768,512","width":768,"height":512,"filesize":470082,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?w=1024"},"large":{"file":"Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?resize=680,453","width":680,"height":453,"filesize":470082,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?w=680"},"guest-author-32":{"file":"Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?resize=32,32","width":32,"height":32,"filesize":470082,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?w=32&h=32&crop=1"},"guest-author-50":{"file":"Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?resize=50,50","width":50,"height":50,"filesize":470082,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?w=50&h=50&crop=1"},"guest-author-64":{"file":"Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?resize=64,64","width":64,"height":64,"filesize":470082,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?w=64&h=64&crop=1"},"guest-author-96":{"file":"Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?resize=96,96","width":96,"height":96,"filesize":470082,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?w=96&h=96&crop=1"},"guest-author-128":{"file":"Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?resize=128,128","width":128,"height":128,"filesize":470082,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?w=128&h=128&crop=1"},"concierge-thumb":{"file":"Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?resize=50,33","width":50,"height":33,"filesize":470082,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg?w=50"},"full":{"file":"Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg","width":1024,"height":683,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg"}},"image_meta":{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"","camera":"ILCE-1","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1696343320","copyright":"","focal_length":"123","iso":"800","shutter_speed":"0.004","title":"","orientation":"0","keywords":[]}},"source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Pixel-8-Pro-Camera.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2609861"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/attachment"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2609861"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users\/5302483"}]}}],"wp:term":[[{"id":577052804,"description":"Mobile gaming is a behemoth in terms of annual revenue, and our gaming news coverage includes iOS, Android, mobile web and more, including companies like Netflix trying to get a foot in the door. We also report on the AAA gaming studios, which are increasingly a target for acquisitive giants like Microsoft and Sony.","link":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/category\/gaming\/","name":"Gaming","slug":"gaming","taxonomy":"category","parent":0,"yoast_head":"\nGaming News | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n
Kinktober. Whumptober. Kisstober. Flufftober. Goretober. October is a bacchanal of fan fiction, from romantic one-shots about unconventional character pairings to delicious smut that\u2019ll make you reconsider your own sense of morality \u2014 all inspired by the month\u2019s countless themed writing challenges. It\u2019s an especially busy time for the fan fiction site Archive of Our Own<\/a> (AO3).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But this year\u2019s monthlong prompt festival may seem quieter to the casual AO3 reader, with popular writers\u2019 work seemingly wiped from the site altogether. In most cases, the stories still exist, but they aren\u2019t publicly viewable anymore.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In an effort to prevent their writing from being scraped and used to train AI models, many AO3 writers are locking their work, restricting it to readers who have registered AO3 accounts. Though it may curb bot commenters, it also limits traffic from guest users, which can be a blow for newer and less popular writers. Whether it\u2019s effective is questionable, but in the AI paranoia, AO3 writers are taking any measures they can to protect their work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At the time of reporting, over 966,000 of the roughly 11.7 million works on AO3 were accessible only for registered users. It\u2019s just a fraction of AO3\u2019s vast library of content, but it\u2019s worth noting that many authors are only locking new work, since existing fics were likely already scraped.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n Unfortunately within the next 5 days I will be taking the decision to make my fics on AO3 'registered users only' \ud83d\ude14 I refuse to let AI be a thieving little fucker and take my work. <\/p>\n I will be turning all of my fics to registered users only from Sunday xx<\/p>\n Much love, Ada \ud83d\udc95 pic.twitter.com\/asUBySE43h<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n — Ada\ud83d\udc95 (@ada_p_rix) October 3, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
But this year\u2019s monthlong prompt festival may seem quieter to the casual AO3 reader, with popular writers\u2019 work seemingly wiped from the site altogether. In most cases, the stories still exist, but they aren\u2019t publicly viewable anymore.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In an effort to prevent their writing from being scraped and used to train AI models, many AO3 writers are locking their work, restricting it to readers who have registered AO3 accounts. Though it may curb bot commenters, it also limits traffic from guest users, which can be a blow for newer and less popular writers. Whether it\u2019s effective is questionable, but in the AI paranoia, AO3 writers are taking any measures they can to protect their work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At the time of reporting, over 966,000 of the roughly 11.7 million works on AO3 were accessible only for registered users. It\u2019s just a fraction of AO3\u2019s vast library of content, but it\u2019s worth noting that many authors are only locking new work, since existing fics were likely already scraped.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n Unfortunately within the next 5 days I will be taking the decision to make my fics on AO3 'registered users only' \ud83d\ude14 I refuse to let AI be a thieving little fucker and take my work. <\/p>\n I will be turning all of my fics to registered users only from Sunday xx<\/p>\n Much love, Ada \ud83d\udc95 pic.twitter.com\/asUBySE43h<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n — Ada\ud83d\udc95 (@ada_p_rix) October 3, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
In an effort to prevent their writing from being scraped and used to train AI models, many AO3 writers are locking their work, restricting it to readers who have registered AO3 accounts. Though it may curb bot commenters, it also limits traffic from guest users, which can be a blow for newer and less popular writers. Whether it\u2019s effective is questionable, but in the AI paranoia, AO3 writers are taking any measures they can to protect their work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At the time of reporting, over 966,000 of the roughly 11.7 million works on AO3 were accessible only for registered users. It\u2019s just a fraction of AO3\u2019s vast library of content, but it\u2019s worth noting that many authors are only locking new work, since existing fics were likely already scraped.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n Unfortunately within the next 5 days I will be taking the decision to make my fics on AO3 'registered users only' \ud83d\ude14 I refuse to let AI be a thieving little fucker and take my work. <\/p>\n I will be turning all of my fics to registered users only from Sunday xx<\/p>\n Much love, Ada \ud83d\udc95 pic.twitter.com\/asUBySE43h<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n — Ada\ud83d\udc95 (@ada_p_rix) October 3, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
At the time of reporting, over 966,000 of the roughly 11.7 million works on AO3 were accessible only for registered users. It\u2019s just a fraction of AO3\u2019s vast library of content, but it\u2019s worth noting that many authors are only locking new work, since existing fics were likely already scraped.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n Unfortunately within the next 5 days I will be taking the decision to make my fics on AO3 'registered users only' \ud83d\ude14 I refuse to let AI be a thieving little fucker and take my work. <\/p>\n I will be turning all of my fics to registered users only from Sunday xx<\/p>\n Much love, Ada \ud83d\udc95 pic.twitter.com\/asUBySE43h<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n — Ada\ud83d\udc95 (@ada_p_rix) October 3, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Unfortunately within the next 5 days I will be taking the decision to make my fics on AO3 'registered users only' \ud83d\ude14 I refuse to let AI be a thieving little fucker and take my work. <\/p>\n
I will be turning all of my fics to registered users only from Sunday xx<\/p>\n
Much love, Ada \ud83d\udc95 pic.twitter.com\/asUBySE43h<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n — Ada\ud83d\udc95 (@ada_p_rix) October 3, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
— Ada\ud83d\udc95 (@ada_p_rix) October 3, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Some readers took to Tumblr and Twitter to ask their favorite fan fiction authors if they had taken down their writing. One asked AO3 writer takearisk to unrestrict their work so they could read it on Tumblr, where many use RSS feeds to keep up with new chapters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cthanks so much for reading!! but no,\u201d takearisk <\/span>responded<\/span><\/a>on Tumblr last week. \u201ci had some ai bot comments a few months back that really freaked me out and i also found one of my older marvel fics posted to another site without my permission. it\u2019s something that i never wanted to have to do, but i put way too much effort into my fics to be okay with them being stolen. so i am going to keep my account locked for the foreseeable future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The push to lock down AO3 began <\/span>as early as last December<\/span><\/a>, when ChatGPT and other generative AI tools began gaining popularity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It started when a Reddit user and AO3 writer found Omegaverse references in content generated by the controversial AI writing app Sudowrite<\/a>. The <\/span>Omegaverse<\/span><\/a> is a speculative erotic fiction genre popular in fandom circles<\/a> that revolves around wolflike mating dynamics between \u201calphas\u201d (who impregnate others) and \u201comegas\u201d (who are impregnated). The dynamic transcends assigned sex and gender; Omegaverse content often portrays male pregnancy (known as mpreg)<\/a> and same-sex relationships. Breeding is performed through an act known as “knotting.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At the time, Sudowrite used GPT-3 to generate fiction content. Like many AI models, the program was trained using data scraped from the swaths of information available online. As the writer pointed out in a <\/span>Reddit post<\/span><\/a>, AO3 is one of the \u201clargest and most accessible text archives\u201d on the internet. Sudowrite, the writer posted, generated passages that not only mentioned Omegaverse terminology, but also demonstrated an understanding of the trope\u2019s dynamics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fan fiction writers later trolled AI generators by participating in a weeklong Omegaverse-themed writing marathon called Knot in my Name.<\/a> Many writers with locked accounts still keep their Omegaverse content public in hopes of skewing future datasets with breeding references.<\/p>\n\n Fan fiction writers are trolling AIs with Omegaverse stories<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/iframe><\/div>\n AO3 addressed the community\u2019s AI-related concerns in a <\/span>public announcement<\/span><\/a>in May and suggested that writers restrict their work to registered users only in order to avoid data scraping. Doing so won\u2019t block every potential scraper, the announcement said, but it \u201cshould provide some protection against large-scale scraping.\u201d In addition to placing measures to hinder large-scale scraping, such as rate limiting, the site said it also implemented a code to opt out of Common Crawl, the web archive used to train generators like OpenAI\u2019s ChatGPT.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPutting systems in place that attempt to block all scraping would be difficult or impossible without also blocking legitimate uses of the site,\u201d the AO3 announcement said. \u201cWith that said, it is an unfortunate reality that anything that is publicly available online can be used for reasons other than its initial intended purposes.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Writers have been locking their accounts en masse since AO3\u2019s announcement, despite reader requests to keep their work public. Registering for an AO3 account is cumbersome, since users have to wait for an <\/span>invitation code<\/span><\/a>. The site sends out 7,000 invitations a day, and at the time of reporting, there were over 40,000 people on the waiting list. Users may wait over a week to receive a code after they request it. Like Bluesky, the site may distribute invites to registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know this seems like an extra step and maybe you don\u2019t think you need it,\u201d a Tumblr user said in a <\/span>post<\/span><\/a>imploring followers to register for AO3. \u201cIf you enjoy fics and you want to keep them coming, this is how you support your favorite writers! If our stats and comments plummet, I guarantee writing is going to start going down as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many writers are also restricting their accounts to avoid the influx of bot comments, which became more common in the past year. Many are the typical scam comments, promoting porn sites, sketchy AI detection tools or the <\/span>predatory fiction app Webnovel<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s the comments that aren\u2019t obvious scams that are raising AO3 users\u2019 suspicions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The comments are generic, pleasant and don\u2019t mention specific details about the story. They also don\u2019t have a profile attached, which means they aren\u2019t from registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n hi\u2014incredibly scary. turns out A\/I bots are scraping ao3 for material, and receiving comments like this means the bots are trying to \u201clegitimize\u201d their traffic by pretending to be real readers. <\/p>\n PLEASE share, private & download the fics you love; ive put a few on registered only https:\/\/t.co\/iidDyyGn66<\/a><\/p>\n — cher Daigo cruncher \ud83d\ude07 (@shiseigen) August 19, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cthanks so much for reading!! but no,\u201d takearisk <\/span>responded<\/span><\/a>on Tumblr last week. \u201ci had some ai bot comments a few months back that really freaked me out and i also found one of my older marvel fics posted to another site without my permission. it\u2019s something that i never wanted to have to do, but i put way too much effort into my fics to be okay with them being stolen. so i am going to keep my account locked for the foreseeable future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The push to lock down AO3 began <\/span>as early as last December<\/span><\/a>, when ChatGPT and other generative AI tools began gaining popularity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It started when a Reddit user and AO3 writer found Omegaverse references in content generated by the controversial AI writing app Sudowrite<\/a>. The <\/span>Omegaverse<\/span><\/a> is a speculative erotic fiction genre popular in fandom circles<\/a> that revolves around wolflike mating dynamics between \u201calphas\u201d (who impregnate others) and \u201comegas\u201d (who are impregnated). The dynamic transcends assigned sex and gender; Omegaverse content often portrays male pregnancy (known as mpreg)<\/a> and same-sex relationships. Breeding is performed through an act known as “knotting.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At the time, Sudowrite used GPT-3 to generate fiction content. Like many AI models, the program was trained using data scraped from the swaths of information available online. As the writer pointed out in a <\/span>Reddit post<\/span><\/a>, AO3 is one of the \u201clargest and most accessible text archives\u201d on the internet. Sudowrite, the writer posted, generated passages that not only mentioned Omegaverse terminology, but also demonstrated an understanding of the trope\u2019s dynamics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fan fiction writers later trolled AI generators by participating in a weeklong Omegaverse-themed writing marathon called Knot in my Name.<\/a> Many writers with locked accounts still keep their Omegaverse content public in hopes of skewing future datasets with breeding references.<\/p>\n\n Fan fiction writers are trolling AIs with Omegaverse stories<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/iframe><\/div>\n AO3 addressed the community\u2019s AI-related concerns in a <\/span>public announcement<\/span><\/a>in May and suggested that writers restrict their work to registered users only in order to avoid data scraping. Doing so won\u2019t block every potential scraper, the announcement said, but it \u201cshould provide some protection against large-scale scraping.\u201d In addition to placing measures to hinder large-scale scraping, such as rate limiting, the site said it also implemented a code to opt out of Common Crawl, the web archive used to train generators like OpenAI\u2019s ChatGPT.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPutting systems in place that attempt to block all scraping would be difficult or impossible without also blocking legitimate uses of the site,\u201d the AO3 announcement said. \u201cWith that said, it is an unfortunate reality that anything that is publicly available online can be used for reasons other than its initial intended purposes.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Writers have been locking their accounts en masse since AO3\u2019s announcement, despite reader requests to keep their work public. Registering for an AO3 account is cumbersome, since users have to wait for an <\/span>invitation code<\/span><\/a>. The site sends out 7,000 invitations a day, and at the time of reporting, there were over 40,000 people on the waiting list. Users may wait over a week to receive a code after they request it. Like Bluesky, the site may distribute invites to registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know this seems like an extra step and maybe you don\u2019t think you need it,\u201d a Tumblr user said in a <\/span>post<\/span><\/a>imploring followers to register for AO3. \u201cIf you enjoy fics and you want to keep them coming, this is how you support your favorite writers! If our stats and comments plummet, I guarantee writing is going to start going down as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many writers are also restricting their accounts to avoid the influx of bot comments, which became more common in the past year. Many are the typical scam comments, promoting porn sites, sketchy AI detection tools or the <\/span>predatory fiction app Webnovel<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s the comments that aren\u2019t obvious scams that are raising AO3 users\u2019 suspicions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The comments are generic, pleasant and don\u2019t mention specific details about the story. They also don\u2019t have a profile attached, which means they aren\u2019t from registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n hi\u2014incredibly scary. turns out A\/I bots are scraping ao3 for material, and receiving comments like this means the bots are trying to \u201clegitimize\u201d their traffic by pretending to be real readers. <\/p>\n PLEASE share, private & download the fics you love; ive put a few on registered only https:\/\/t.co\/iidDyyGn66<\/a><\/p>\n — cher Daigo cruncher \ud83d\ude07 (@shiseigen) August 19, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The push to lock down AO3 began <\/span>as early as last December<\/span><\/a>, when ChatGPT and other generative AI tools began gaining popularity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It started when a Reddit user and AO3 writer found Omegaverse references in content generated by the controversial AI writing app Sudowrite<\/a>. The <\/span>Omegaverse<\/span><\/a> is a speculative erotic fiction genre popular in fandom circles<\/a> that revolves around wolflike mating dynamics between \u201calphas\u201d (who impregnate others) and \u201comegas\u201d (who are impregnated). The dynamic transcends assigned sex and gender; Omegaverse content often portrays male pregnancy (known as mpreg)<\/a> and same-sex relationships. Breeding is performed through an act known as “knotting.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At the time, Sudowrite used GPT-3 to generate fiction content. Like many AI models, the program was trained using data scraped from the swaths of information available online. As the writer pointed out in a <\/span>Reddit post<\/span><\/a>, AO3 is one of the \u201clargest and most accessible text archives\u201d on the internet. Sudowrite, the writer posted, generated passages that not only mentioned Omegaverse terminology, but also demonstrated an understanding of the trope\u2019s dynamics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fan fiction writers later trolled AI generators by participating in a weeklong Omegaverse-themed writing marathon called Knot in my Name.<\/a> Many writers with locked accounts still keep their Omegaverse content public in hopes of skewing future datasets with breeding references.<\/p>\n\n Fan fiction writers are trolling AIs with Omegaverse stories<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/iframe><\/div>\n AO3 addressed the community\u2019s AI-related concerns in a <\/span>public announcement<\/span><\/a>in May and suggested that writers restrict their work to registered users only in order to avoid data scraping. Doing so won\u2019t block every potential scraper, the announcement said, but it \u201cshould provide some protection against large-scale scraping.\u201d In addition to placing measures to hinder large-scale scraping, such as rate limiting, the site said it also implemented a code to opt out of Common Crawl, the web archive used to train generators like OpenAI\u2019s ChatGPT.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPutting systems in place that attempt to block all scraping would be difficult or impossible without also blocking legitimate uses of the site,\u201d the AO3 announcement said. \u201cWith that said, it is an unfortunate reality that anything that is publicly available online can be used for reasons other than its initial intended purposes.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Writers have been locking their accounts en masse since AO3\u2019s announcement, despite reader requests to keep their work public. Registering for an AO3 account is cumbersome, since users have to wait for an <\/span>invitation code<\/span><\/a>. The site sends out 7,000 invitations a day, and at the time of reporting, there were over 40,000 people on the waiting list. Users may wait over a week to receive a code after they request it. Like Bluesky, the site may distribute invites to registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know this seems like an extra step and maybe you don\u2019t think you need it,\u201d a Tumblr user said in a <\/span>post<\/span><\/a>imploring followers to register for AO3. \u201cIf you enjoy fics and you want to keep them coming, this is how you support your favorite writers! If our stats and comments plummet, I guarantee writing is going to start going down as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many writers are also restricting their accounts to avoid the influx of bot comments, which became more common in the past year. Many are the typical scam comments, promoting porn sites, sketchy AI detection tools or the <\/span>predatory fiction app Webnovel<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s the comments that aren\u2019t obvious scams that are raising AO3 users\u2019 suspicions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The comments are generic, pleasant and don\u2019t mention specific details about the story. They also don\u2019t have a profile attached, which means they aren\u2019t from registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n hi\u2014incredibly scary. turns out A\/I bots are scraping ao3 for material, and receiving comments like this means the bots are trying to \u201clegitimize\u201d their traffic by pretending to be real readers. <\/p>\n PLEASE share, private & download the fics you love; ive put a few on registered only https:\/\/t.co\/iidDyyGn66<\/a><\/p>\n — cher Daigo cruncher \ud83d\ude07 (@shiseigen) August 19, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
It started when a Reddit user and AO3 writer found Omegaverse references in content generated by the controversial AI writing app Sudowrite<\/a>. The <\/span>Omegaverse<\/span><\/a> is a speculative erotic fiction genre popular in fandom circles<\/a> that revolves around wolflike mating dynamics between \u201calphas\u201d (who impregnate others) and \u201comegas\u201d (who are impregnated). The dynamic transcends assigned sex and gender; Omegaverse content often portrays male pregnancy (known as mpreg)<\/a> and same-sex relationships. Breeding is performed through an act known as “knotting.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At the time, Sudowrite used GPT-3 to generate fiction content. Like many AI models, the program was trained using data scraped from the swaths of information available online. As the writer pointed out in a <\/span>Reddit post<\/span><\/a>, AO3 is one of the \u201clargest and most accessible text archives\u201d on the internet. Sudowrite, the writer posted, generated passages that not only mentioned Omegaverse terminology, but also demonstrated an understanding of the trope\u2019s dynamics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fan fiction writers later trolled AI generators by participating in a weeklong Omegaverse-themed writing marathon called Knot in my Name.<\/a> Many writers with locked accounts still keep their Omegaverse content public in hopes of skewing future datasets with breeding references.<\/p>\n\n Fan fiction writers are trolling AIs with Omegaverse stories<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/iframe><\/div>\n AO3 addressed the community\u2019s AI-related concerns in a <\/span>public announcement<\/span><\/a>in May and suggested that writers restrict their work to registered users only in order to avoid data scraping. Doing so won\u2019t block every potential scraper, the announcement said, but it \u201cshould provide some protection against large-scale scraping.\u201d In addition to placing measures to hinder large-scale scraping, such as rate limiting, the site said it also implemented a code to opt out of Common Crawl, the web archive used to train generators like OpenAI\u2019s ChatGPT.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPutting systems in place that attempt to block all scraping would be difficult or impossible without also blocking legitimate uses of the site,\u201d the AO3 announcement said. \u201cWith that said, it is an unfortunate reality that anything that is publicly available online can be used for reasons other than its initial intended purposes.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Writers have been locking their accounts en masse since AO3\u2019s announcement, despite reader requests to keep their work public. Registering for an AO3 account is cumbersome, since users have to wait for an <\/span>invitation code<\/span><\/a>. The site sends out 7,000 invitations a day, and at the time of reporting, there were over 40,000 people on the waiting list. Users may wait over a week to receive a code after they request it. Like Bluesky, the site may distribute invites to registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know this seems like an extra step and maybe you don\u2019t think you need it,\u201d a Tumblr user said in a <\/span>post<\/span><\/a>imploring followers to register for AO3. \u201cIf you enjoy fics and you want to keep them coming, this is how you support your favorite writers! If our stats and comments plummet, I guarantee writing is going to start going down as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many writers are also restricting their accounts to avoid the influx of bot comments, which became more common in the past year. Many are the typical scam comments, promoting porn sites, sketchy AI detection tools or the <\/span>predatory fiction app Webnovel<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s the comments that aren\u2019t obvious scams that are raising AO3 users\u2019 suspicions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The comments are generic, pleasant and don\u2019t mention specific details about the story. They also don\u2019t have a profile attached, which means they aren\u2019t from registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n hi\u2014incredibly scary. turns out A\/I bots are scraping ao3 for material, and receiving comments like this means the bots are trying to \u201clegitimize\u201d their traffic by pretending to be real readers. <\/p>\n PLEASE share, private & download the fics you love; ive put a few on registered only https:\/\/t.co\/iidDyyGn66<\/a><\/p>\n — cher Daigo cruncher \ud83d\ude07 (@shiseigen) August 19, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
At the time, Sudowrite used GPT-3 to generate fiction content. Like many AI models, the program was trained using data scraped from the swaths of information available online. As the writer pointed out in a <\/span>Reddit post<\/span><\/a>, AO3 is one of the \u201clargest and most accessible text archives\u201d on the internet. Sudowrite, the writer posted, generated passages that not only mentioned Omegaverse terminology, but also demonstrated an understanding of the trope\u2019s dynamics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fan fiction writers later trolled AI generators by participating in a weeklong Omegaverse-themed writing marathon called Knot in my Name.<\/a> Many writers with locked accounts still keep their Omegaverse content public in hopes of skewing future datasets with breeding references.<\/p>\n\n Fan fiction writers are trolling AIs with Omegaverse stories<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/iframe><\/div>\n AO3 addressed the community\u2019s AI-related concerns in a <\/span>public announcement<\/span><\/a>in May and suggested that writers restrict their work to registered users only in order to avoid data scraping. Doing so won\u2019t block every potential scraper, the announcement said, but it \u201cshould provide some protection against large-scale scraping.\u201d In addition to placing measures to hinder large-scale scraping, such as rate limiting, the site said it also implemented a code to opt out of Common Crawl, the web archive used to train generators like OpenAI\u2019s ChatGPT.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPutting systems in place that attempt to block all scraping would be difficult or impossible without also blocking legitimate uses of the site,\u201d the AO3 announcement said. \u201cWith that said, it is an unfortunate reality that anything that is publicly available online can be used for reasons other than its initial intended purposes.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Writers have been locking their accounts en masse since AO3\u2019s announcement, despite reader requests to keep their work public. Registering for an AO3 account is cumbersome, since users have to wait for an <\/span>invitation code<\/span><\/a>. The site sends out 7,000 invitations a day, and at the time of reporting, there were over 40,000 people on the waiting list. Users may wait over a week to receive a code after they request it. Like Bluesky, the site may distribute invites to registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know this seems like an extra step and maybe you don\u2019t think you need it,\u201d a Tumblr user said in a <\/span>post<\/span><\/a>imploring followers to register for AO3. \u201cIf you enjoy fics and you want to keep them coming, this is how you support your favorite writers! If our stats and comments plummet, I guarantee writing is going to start going down as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many writers are also restricting their accounts to avoid the influx of bot comments, which became more common in the past year. Many are the typical scam comments, promoting porn sites, sketchy AI detection tools or the <\/span>predatory fiction app Webnovel<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s the comments that aren\u2019t obvious scams that are raising AO3 users\u2019 suspicions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The comments are generic, pleasant and don\u2019t mention specific details about the story. They also don\u2019t have a profile attached, which means they aren\u2019t from registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n hi\u2014incredibly scary. turns out A\/I bots are scraping ao3 for material, and receiving comments like this means the bots are trying to \u201clegitimize\u201d their traffic by pretending to be real readers. <\/p>\n PLEASE share, private & download the fics you love; ive put a few on registered only https:\/\/t.co\/iidDyyGn66<\/a><\/p>\n — cher Daigo cruncher \ud83d\ude07 (@shiseigen) August 19, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Fan fiction writers later trolled AI generators by participating in a weeklong Omegaverse-themed writing marathon called Knot in my Name.<\/a> Many writers with locked accounts still keep their Omegaverse content public in hopes of skewing future datasets with breeding references.<\/p>\n\n Fan fiction writers are trolling AIs with Omegaverse stories<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/iframe><\/div>\n AO3 addressed the community\u2019s AI-related concerns in a <\/span>public announcement<\/span><\/a>in May and suggested that writers restrict their work to registered users only in order to avoid data scraping. Doing so won\u2019t block every potential scraper, the announcement said, but it \u201cshould provide some protection against large-scale scraping.\u201d In addition to placing measures to hinder large-scale scraping, such as rate limiting, the site said it also implemented a code to opt out of Common Crawl, the web archive used to train generators like OpenAI\u2019s ChatGPT.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPutting systems in place that attempt to block all scraping would be difficult or impossible without also blocking legitimate uses of the site,\u201d the AO3 announcement said. \u201cWith that said, it is an unfortunate reality that anything that is publicly available online can be used for reasons other than its initial intended purposes.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Writers have been locking their accounts en masse since AO3\u2019s announcement, despite reader requests to keep their work public. Registering for an AO3 account is cumbersome, since users have to wait for an <\/span>invitation code<\/span><\/a>. The site sends out 7,000 invitations a day, and at the time of reporting, there were over 40,000 people on the waiting list. Users may wait over a week to receive a code after they request it. Like Bluesky, the site may distribute invites to registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know this seems like an extra step and maybe you don\u2019t think you need it,\u201d a Tumblr user said in a <\/span>post<\/span><\/a>imploring followers to register for AO3. \u201cIf you enjoy fics and you want to keep them coming, this is how you support your favorite writers! If our stats and comments plummet, I guarantee writing is going to start going down as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many writers are also restricting their accounts to avoid the influx of bot comments, which became more common in the past year. Many are the typical scam comments, promoting porn sites, sketchy AI detection tools or the <\/span>predatory fiction app Webnovel<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s the comments that aren\u2019t obvious scams that are raising AO3 users\u2019 suspicions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The comments are generic, pleasant and don\u2019t mention specific details about the story. They also don\u2019t have a profile attached, which means they aren\u2019t from registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n hi\u2014incredibly scary. turns out A\/I bots are scraping ao3 for material, and receiving comments like this means the bots are trying to \u201clegitimize\u201d their traffic by pretending to be real readers. <\/p>\n PLEASE share, private & download the fics you love; ive put a few on registered only https:\/\/t.co\/iidDyyGn66<\/a><\/p>\n — cher Daigo cruncher \ud83d\ude07 (@shiseigen) August 19, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Fan fiction writers are trolling AIs with Omegaverse stories<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/iframe><\/div>\n AO3 addressed the community\u2019s AI-related concerns in a <\/span>public announcement<\/span><\/a>in May and suggested that writers restrict their work to registered users only in order to avoid data scraping. Doing so won\u2019t block every potential scraper, the announcement said, but it \u201cshould provide some protection against large-scale scraping.\u201d In addition to placing measures to hinder large-scale scraping, such as rate limiting, the site said it also implemented a code to opt out of Common Crawl, the web archive used to train generators like OpenAI\u2019s ChatGPT.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPutting systems in place that attempt to block all scraping would be difficult or impossible without also blocking legitimate uses of the site,\u201d the AO3 announcement said. \u201cWith that said, it is an unfortunate reality that anything that is publicly available online can be used for reasons other than its initial intended purposes.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Writers have been locking their accounts en masse since AO3\u2019s announcement, despite reader requests to keep their work public. Registering for an AO3 account is cumbersome, since users have to wait for an <\/span>invitation code<\/span><\/a>. The site sends out 7,000 invitations a day, and at the time of reporting, there were over 40,000 people on the waiting list. Users may wait over a week to receive a code after they request it. Like Bluesky, the site may distribute invites to registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know this seems like an extra step and maybe you don\u2019t think you need it,\u201d a Tumblr user said in a <\/span>post<\/span><\/a>imploring followers to register for AO3. \u201cIf you enjoy fics and you want to keep them coming, this is how you support your favorite writers! If our stats and comments plummet, I guarantee writing is going to start going down as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many writers are also restricting their accounts to avoid the influx of bot comments, which became more common in the past year. Many are the typical scam comments, promoting porn sites, sketchy AI detection tools or the <\/span>predatory fiction app Webnovel<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s the comments that aren\u2019t obvious scams that are raising AO3 users\u2019 suspicions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The comments are generic, pleasant and don\u2019t mention specific details about the story. They also don\u2019t have a profile attached, which means they aren\u2019t from registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n hi\u2014incredibly scary. turns out A\/I bots are scraping ao3 for material, and receiving comments like this means the bots are trying to \u201clegitimize\u201d their traffic by pretending to be real readers. <\/p>\n PLEASE share, private & download the fics you love; ive put a few on registered only https:\/\/t.co\/iidDyyGn66<\/a><\/p>\n — cher Daigo cruncher \ud83d\ude07 (@shiseigen) August 19, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
<\/iframe><\/div>\n AO3 addressed the community\u2019s AI-related concerns in a <\/span>public announcement<\/span><\/a>in May and suggested that writers restrict their work to registered users only in order to avoid data scraping. Doing so won\u2019t block every potential scraper, the announcement said, but it \u201cshould provide some protection against large-scale scraping.\u201d In addition to placing measures to hinder large-scale scraping, such as rate limiting, the site said it also implemented a code to opt out of Common Crawl, the web archive used to train generators like OpenAI\u2019s ChatGPT.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPutting systems in place that attempt to block all scraping would be difficult or impossible without also blocking legitimate uses of the site,\u201d the AO3 announcement said. \u201cWith that said, it is an unfortunate reality that anything that is publicly available online can be used for reasons other than its initial intended purposes.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Writers have been locking their accounts en masse since AO3\u2019s announcement, despite reader requests to keep their work public. Registering for an AO3 account is cumbersome, since users have to wait for an <\/span>invitation code<\/span><\/a>. The site sends out 7,000 invitations a day, and at the time of reporting, there were over 40,000 people on the waiting list. Users may wait over a week to receive a code after they request it. Like Bluesky, the site may distribute invites to registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know this seems like an extra step and maybe you don\u2019t think you need it,\u201d a Tumblr user said in a <\/span>post<\/span><\/a>imploring followers to register for AO3. \u201cIf you enjoy fics and you want to keep them coming, this is how you support your favorite writers! If our stats and comments plummet, I guarantee writing is going to start going down as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many writers are also restricting their accounts to avoid the influx of bot comments, which became more common in the past year. Many are the typical scam comments, promoting porn sites, sketchy AI detection tools or the <\/span>predatory fiction app Webnovel<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s the comments that aren\u2019t obvious scams that are raising AO3 users\u2019 suspicions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The comments are generic, pleasant and don\u2019t mention specific details about the story. They also don\u2019t have a profile attached, which means they aren\u2019t from registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n hi\u2014incredibly scary. turns out A\/I bots are scraping ao3 for material, and receiving comments like this means the bots are trying to \u201clegitimize\u201d their traffic by pretending to be real readers. <\/p>\n PLEASE share, private & download the fics you love; ive put a few on registered only https:\/\/t.co\/iidDyyGn66<\/a><\/p>\n — cher Daigo cruncher \ud83d\ude07 (@shiseigen) August 19, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
AO3 addressed the community\u2019s AI-related concerns in a <\/span>public announcement<\/span><\/a>in May and suggested that writers restrict their work to registered users only in order to avoid data scraping. Doing so won\u2019t block every potential scraper, the announcement said, but it \u201cshould provide some protection against large-scale scraping.\u201d In addition to placing measures to hinder large-scale scraping, such as rate limiting, the site said it also implemented a code to opt out of Common Crawl, the web archive used to train generators like OpenAI\u2019s ChatGPT.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPutting systems in place that attempt to block all scraping would be difficult or impossible without also blocking legitimate uses of the site,\u201d the AO3 announcement said. \u201cWith that said, it is an unfortunate reality that anything that is publicly available online can be used for reasons other than its initial intended purposes.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Writers have been locking their accounts en masse since AO3\u2019s announcement, despite reader requests to keep their work public. Registering for an AO3 account is cumbersome, since users have to wait for an <\/span>invitation code<\/span><\/a>. The site sends out 7,000 invitations a day, and at the time of reporting, there were over 40,000 people on the waiting list. Users may wait over a week to receive a code after they request it. Like Bluesky, the site may distribute invites to registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know this seems like an extra step and maybe you don\u2019t think you need it,\u201d a Tumblr user said in a <\/span>post<\/span><\/a>imploring followers to register for AO3. \u201cIf you enjoy fics and you want to keep them coming, this is how you support your favorite writers! If our stats and comments plummet, I guarantee writing is going to start going down as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many writers are also restricting their accounts to avoid the influx of bot comments, which became more common in the past year. Many are the typical scam comments, promoting porn sites, sketchy AI detection tools or the <\/span>predatory fiction app Webnovel<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s the comments that aren\u2019t obvious scams that are raising AO3 users\u2019 suspicions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The comments are generic, pleasant and don\u2019t mention specific details about the story. They also don\u2019t have a profile attached, which means they aren\u2019t from registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n hi\u2014incredibly scary. turns out A\/I bots are scraping ao3 for material, and receiving comments like this means the bots are trying to \u201clegitimize\u201d their traffic by pretending to be real readers. <\/p>\n PLEASE share, private & download the fics you love; ive put a few on registered only https:\/\/t.co\/iidDyyGn66<\/a><\/p>\n — cher Daigo cruncher \ud83d\ude07 (@shiseigen) August 19, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cPutting systems in place that attempt to block all scraping would be difficult or impossible without also blocking legitimate uses of the site,\u201d the AO3 announcement said. \u201cWith that said, it is an unfortunate reality that anything that is publicly available online can be used for reasons other than its initial intended purposes.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Writers have been locking their accounts en masse since AO3\u2019s announcement, despite reader requests to keep their work public. Registering for an AO3 account is cumbersome, since users have to wait for an <\/span>invitation code<\/span><\/a>. The site sends out 7,000 invitations a day, and at the time of reporting, there were over 40,000 people on the waiting list. Users may wait over a week to receive a code after they request it. Like Bluesky, the site may distribute invites to registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know this seems like an extra step and maybe you don\u2019t think you need it,\u201d a Tumblr user said in a <\/span>post<\/span><\/a>imploring followers to register for AO3. \u201cIf you enjoy fics and you want to keep them coming, this is how you support your favorite writers! If our stats and comments plummet, I guarantee writing is going to start going down as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many writers are also restricting their accounts to avoid the influx of bot comments, which became more common in the past year. Many are the typical scam comments, promoting porn sites, sketchy AI detection tools or the <\/span>predatory fiction app Webnovel<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s the comments that aren\u2019t obvious scams that are raising AO3 users\u2019 suspicions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The comments are generic, pleasant and don\u2019t mention specific details about the story. They also don\u2019t have a profile attached, which means they aren\u2019t from registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n hi\u2014incredibly scary. turns out A\/I bots are scraping ao3 for material, and receiving comments like this means the bots are trying to \u201clegitimize\u201d their traffic by pretending to be real readers. <\/p>\n PLEASE share, private & download the fics you love; ive put a few on registered only https:\/\/t.co\/iidDyyGn66<\/a><\/p>\n — cher Daigo cruncher \ud83d\ude07 (@shiseigen) August 19, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Writers have been locking their accounts en masse since AO3\u2019s announcement, despite reader requests to keep their work public. Registering for an AO3 account is cumbersome, since users have to wait for an <\/span>invitation code<\/span><\/a>. The site sends out 7,000 invitations a day, and at the time of reporting, there were over 40,000 people on the waiting list. Users may wait over a week to receive a code after they request it. Like Bluesky, the site may distribute invites to registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know this seems like an extra step and maybe you don\u2019t think you need it,\u201d a Tumblr user said in a <\/span>post<\/span><\/a>imploring followers to register for AO3. \u201cIf you enjoy fics and you want to keep them coming, this is how you support your favorite writers! If our stats and comments plummet, I guarantee writing is going to start going down as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many writers are also restricting their accounts to avoid the influx of bot comments, which became more common in the past year. Many are the typical scam comments, promoting porn sites, sketchy AI detection tools or the <\/span>predatory fiction app Webnovel<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s the comments that aren\u2019t obvious scams that are raising AO3 users\u2019 suspicions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The comments are generic, pleasant and don\u2019t mention specific details about the story. They also don\u2019t have a profile attached, which means they aren\u2019t from registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n hi\u2014incredibly scary. turns out A\/I bots are scraping ao3 for material, and receiving comments like this means the bots are trying to \u201clegitimize\u201d their traffic by pretending to be real readers. <\/p>\n PLEASE share, private & download the fics you love; ive put a few on registered only https:\/\/t.co\/iidDyyGn66<\/a><\/p>\n — cher Daigo cruncher \ud83d\ude07 (@shiseigen) August 19, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cI know this seems like an extra step and maybe you don\u2019t think you need it,\u201d a Tumblr user said in a <\/span>post<\/span><\/a>imploring followers to register for AO3. \u201cIf you enjoy fics and you want to keep them coming, this is how you support your favorite writers! If our stats and comments plummet, I guarantee writing is going to start going down as well.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many writers are also restricting their accounts to avoid the influx of bot comments, which became more common in the past year. Many are the typical scam comments, promoting porn sites, sketchy AI detection tools or the <\/span>predatory fiction app Webnovel<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s the comments that aren\u2019t obvious scams that are raising AO3 users\u2019 suspicions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The comments are generic, pleasant and don\u2019t mention specific details about the story. They also don\u2019t have a profile attached, which means they aren\u2019t from registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n hi\u2014incredibly scary. turns out A\/I bots are scraping ao3 for material, and receiving comments like this means the bots are trying to \u201clegitimize\u201d their traffic by pretending to be real readers. <\/p>\n PLEASE share, private & download the fics you love; ive put a few on registered only https:\/\/t.co\/iidDyyGn66<\/a><\/p>\n — cher Daigo cruncher \ud83d\ude07 (@shiseigen) August 19, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Many writers are also restricting their accounts to avoid the influx of bot comments, which became more common in the past year. Many are the typical scam comments, promoting porn sites, sketchy AI detection tools or the <\/span>predatory fiction app Webnovel<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s the comments that aren\u2019t obvious scams that are raising AO3 users\u2019 suspicions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The comments are generic, pleasant and don\u2019t mention specific details about the story. They also don\u2019t have a profile attached, which means they aren\u2019t from registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n hi\u2014incredibly scary. turns out A\/I bots are scraping ao3 for material, and receiving comments like this means the bots are trying to \u201clegitimize\u201d their traffic by pretending to be real readers. <\/p>\n PLEASE share, private & download the fics you love; ive put a few on registered only https:\/\/t.co\/iidDyyGn66<\/a><\/p>\n — cher Daigo cruncher \ud83d\ude07 (@shiseigen) August 19, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The comments are generic, pleasant and don\u2019t mention specific details about the story. They also don\u2019t have a profile attached, which means they aren\u2019t from registered users.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n hi\u2014incredibly scary. turns out A\/I bots are scraping ao3 for material, and receiving comments like this means the bots are trying to \u201clegitimize\u201d their traffic by pretending to be real readers. <\/p>\n PLEASE share, private & download the fics you love; ive put a few on registered only https:\/\/t.co\/iidDyyGn66<\/a><\/p>\n — cher Daigo cruncher \ud83d\ude07 (@shiseigen) August 19, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
hi\u2014incredibly scary. turns out A\/I bots are scraping ao3 for material, and receiving comments like this means the bots are trying to \u201clegitimize\u201d their traffic by pretending to be real readers. <\/p>\n
PLEASE share, private & download the fics you love; ive put a few on registered only https:\/\/t.co\/iidDyyGn66<\/a><\/p>\n — cher Daigo cruncher \ud83d\ude07 (@shiseigen) August 19, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
— cher Daigo cruncher \ud83d\ude07 (@shiseigen) August 19, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Some users speculate that data scraping tools automatically leave comments to \u201cmake their browsing traffic look legitimate,\u201d according to <\/span>one Tumblr user<\/span><\/a>. AO3 users also speculate that the comments are being used to test AO3\u2019s <\/span>spam detection filters<\/span><\/a>, or that they\u2019re an <\/span>attempt<\/span><\/a> to encourage writers to keep their fics public and scrapable. AO3 authors have been <\/span>accused of posting AI-generated fiction<\/span><\/a>, or have expressed concern that the positive comments they leave on other writers\u2019 fics will be misconstrued as AI spam.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Whatever it is that\u2019s driving the bot comments \u2014 nefarious or not \u2014 it\u2019s fueling the AI panic among fan fiction writers. Some writers are keeping their accounts public, but have started adding disclaimers forbidding the use of their work in AI training. AO3 author notes are starting to include bold text notices like \u201cI do not give permission for my fics to be copied and reposted elsewhere or fed to AI,\u201d or \u201cI do not give any permission for AI technology to copy my writing, or train themselves using my content.\u201d Like the <\/span>ancient Facebook privacy hoax<\/span><\/a> that keeps coming back, public declarations will not ensure digital privacy. Companies like OpenAI are already notorious for <\/span>using people\u2019s personal data<\/span><\/a> without their consent, and they\u2019re unlikely to be stopped by a meager disclaimer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n Lock your fics, folks. This is an un-registered user. They really are ready to just rob you now.<\/a> byu\/Sassinake<\/a> inAO3<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Whatever it is that\u2019s driving the bot comments \u2014 nefarious or not \u2014 it\u2019s fueling the AI panic among fan fiction writers. Some writers are keeping their accounts public, but have started adding disclaimers forbidding the use of their work in AI training. AO3 author notes are starting to include bold text notices like \u201cI do not give permission for my fics to be copied and reposted elsewhere or fed to AI,\u201d or \u201cI do not give any permission for AI technology to copy my writing, or train themselves using my content.\u201d Like the <\/span>ancient Facebook privacy hoax<\/span><\/a> that keeps coming back, public declarations will not ensure digital privacy. Companies like OpenAI are already notorious for <\/span>using people\u2019s personal data<\/span><\/a> without their consent, and they\u2019re unlikely to be stopped by a meager disclaimer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n Lock your fics, folks. This is an un-registered user. They really are ready to just rob you now.<\/a> byu\/Sassinake<\/a> inAO3<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Lock your fics, folks. This is an un-registered user. They really are ready to just rob you now.<\/a> byu\/Sassinake<\/a> inAO3<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Locking AO3 accounts could protect new work from being included in training datasets, but it doesn\u2019t stop the actual AI problem in fan fiction: other humans who use AI tools to generate endings<\/a> for unfinished stories. Users have also posted about using AI tools if they didn\u2019t like a fan fiction\u2019s ending, or if an author took too long to post an update. They\u2019ve also bragged about feeding fics to AI chat companions like <\/span>Character.ai<\/span><\/a>to feel like they\u2019re interacting with their favorite characters.<\/span><\/p>\n “Not to sound like a boomer, but ai fucked how kids navigate the world, including fandom spaces,” Reddit user zoey1bm commented<\/a> on a post warning other authors.<\/p>\n Reddit, TikTok and Tumblr are teeming with discourse over the ethics of feeding existing fics to AI tools. It may be legally fine, since copyright laws pertaining to AI and fan fiction are either nonexistent<\/a> or do not favor writers<\/a>, but the practice is largely considered a dick move because it involves adding someone else\u2019s work to a database without their knowledge or consent.<\/span><\/p>\n By restricting their work to registered users, AO3 writers also sacrifice traffic and encouragement from anonymous guest users. Online, AO3 writers have <\/span>posted<\/span><\/a>about seeing a decline in views and comments since they locked their accounts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For others, the AI fears were short-lived. In recent weeks, Tumblr users have deliberated whether or not it\u2019s \u201csafe\u201d to unlock their accounts, or questioned whether going private was effective in the first place. Others are resigned to whatever scraping is bound to come for them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI, too, have unlocked my fics,\u201d one writer said on <\/span>Tumblr<\/span><\/a>. \u201cI figure at this point, it is what it is, even if I don\u2019t like it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n AO3 was offline a week ago, but there\u2019s still a fandom brewing in the Downdetector comments<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kinktober. Whumptober. Kisstober. Flufftober. Goretober. October is a bacchanal of fan fiction, from romantic one-shots about unconventional character pairings to delicious smut that\u2019ll make you reconsider your own sense of morality \u2014 all inspired by the month\u2019s countless themed writing challenges. It\u2019s an especially busy time for the fan fiction site Archive of Our Own […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574602,"featured_media":2593066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"625102fc-3455-3ba2-900f-22e1f0ec0fd3","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:46:54Z","apple_news_api_id":"65b03c76-abad-4b8b-8347-e4bdf0bcb566","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T00:57:58Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AZbA8dqutS4uDR-S98Ly1Zg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577055593],"tags":[14067,576941162,697773],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[577037509],"yoast_head":"\nFearing AI, fan fiction writers lock their accounts | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
“Not to sound like a boomer, but ai fucked how kids navigate the world, including fandom spaces,” Reddit user zoey1bm commented<\/a> on a post warning other authors.<\/p>\n Reddit, TikTok and Tumblr are teeming with discourse over the ethics of feeding existing fics to AI tools. It may be legally fine, since copyright laws pertaining to AI and fan fiction are either nonexistent<\/a> or do not favor writers<\/a>, but the practice is largely considered a dick move because it involves adding someone else\u2019s work to a database without their knowledge or consent.<\/span><\/p>\n By restricting their work to registered users, AO3 writers also sacrifice traffic and encouragement from anonymous guest users. Online, AO3 writers have <\/span>posted<\/span><\/a>about seeing a decline in views and comments since they locked their accounts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For others, the AI fears were short-lived. In recent weeks, Tumblr users have deliberated whether or not it\u2019s \u201csafe\u201d to unlock their accounts, or questioned whether going private was effective in the first place. Others are resigned to whatever scraping is bound to come for them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI, too, have unlocked my fics,\u201d one writer said on <\/span>Tumblr<\/span><\/a>. \u201cI figure at this point, it is what it is, even if I don\u2019t like it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n AO3 was offline a week ago, but there\u2019s still a fandom brewing in the Downdetector comments<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kinktober. Whumptober. Kisstober. Flufftober. Goretober. October is a bacchanal of fan fiction, from romantic one-shots about unconventional character pairings to delicious smut that\u2019ll make you reconsider your own sense of morality \u2014 all inspired by the month\u2019s countless themed writing challenges. It\u2019s an especially busy time for the fan fiction site Archive of Our Own […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574602,"featured_media":2593066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"625102fc-3455-3ba2-900f-22e1f0ec0fd3","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:46:54Z","apple_news_api_id":"65b03c76-abad-4b8b-8347-e4bdf0bcb566","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T00:57:58Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AZbA8dqutS4uDR-S98Ly1Zg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577055593],"tags":[14067,576941162,697773],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[577037509],"yoast_head":"\nFearing AI, fan fiction writers lock their accounts | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Reddit, TikTok and Tumblr are teeming with discourse over the ethics of feeding existing fics to AI tools. It may be legally fine, since copyright laws pertaining to AI and fan fiction are either nonexistent<\/a> or do not favor writers<\/a>, but the practice is largely considered a dick move because it involves adding someone else\u2019s work to a database without their knowledge or consent.<\/span><\/p>\n By restricting their work to registered users, AO3 writers also sacrifice traffic and encouragement from anonymous guest users. Online, AO3 writers have <\/span>posted<\/span><\/a>about seeing a decline in views and comments since they locked their accounts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For others, the AI fears were short-lived. In recent weeks, Tumblr users have deliberated whether or not it\u2019s \u201csafe\u201d to unlock their accounts, or questioned whether going private was effective in the first place. Others are resigned to whatever scraping is bound to come for them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI, too, have unlocked my fics,\u201d one writer said on <\/span>Tumblr<\/span><\/a>. \u201cI figure at this point, it is what it is, even if I don\u2019t like it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n AO3 was offline a week ago, but there\u2019s still a fandom brewing in the Downdetector comments<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kinktober. Whumptober. Kisstober. Flufftober. Goretober. October is a bacchanal of fan fiction, from romantic one-shots about unconventional character pairings to delicious smut that\u2019ll make you reconsider your own sense of morality \u2014 all inspired by the month\u2019s countless themed writing challenges. It\u2019s an especially busy time for the fan fiction site Archive of Our Own […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574602,"featured_media":2593066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"625102fc-3455-3ba2-900f-22e1f0ec0fd3","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:46:54Z","apple_news_api_id":"65b03c76-abad-4b8b-8347-e4bdf0bcb566","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T00:57:58Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AZbA8dqutS4uDR-S98Ly1Zg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577055593],"tags":[14067,576941162,697773],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[577037509],"yoast_head":"\nFearing AI, fan fiction writers lock their accounts | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
By restricting their work to registered users, AO3 writers also sacrifice traffic and encouragement from anonymous guest users. Online, AO3 writers have <\/span>posted<\/span><\/a>about seeing a decline in views and comments since they locked their accounts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For others, the AI fears were short-lived. In recent weeks, Tumblr users have deliberated whether or not it\u2019s \u201csafe\u201d to unlock their accounts, or questioned whether going private was effective in the first place. Others are resigned to whatever scraping is bound to come for them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI, too, have unlocked my fics,\u201d one writer said on <\/span>Tumblr<\/span><\/a>. \u201cI figure at this point, it is what it is, even if I don\u2019t like it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n AO3 was offline a week ago, but there\u2019s still a fandom brewing in the Downdetector comments<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kinktober. Whumptober. Kisstober. Flufftober. Goretober. October is a bacchanal of fan fiction, from romantic one-shots about unconventional character pairings to delicious smut that\u2019ll make you reconsider your own sense of morality \u2014 all inspired by the month\u2019s countless themed writing challenges. It\u2019s an especially busy time for the fan fiction site Archive of Our Own […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574602,"featured_media":2593066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"625102fc-3455-3ba2-900f-22e1f0ec0fd3","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:46:54Z","apple_news_api_id":"65b03c76-abad-4b8b-8347-e4bdf0bcb566","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T00:57:58Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AZbA8dqutS4uDR-S98Ly1Zg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577055593],"tags":[14067,576941162,697773],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[577037509],"yoast_head":"\nFearing AI, fan fiction writers lock their accounts | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
For others, the AI fears were short-lived. In recent weeks, Tumblr users have deliberated whether or not it\u2019s \u201csafe\u201d to unlock their accounts, or questioned whether going private was effective in the first place. Others are resigned to whatever scraping is bound to come for them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI, too, have unlocked my fics,\u201d one writer said on <\/span>Tumblr<\/span><\/a>. \u201cI figure at this point, it is what it is, even if I don\u2019t like it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n AO3 was offline a week ago, but there\u2019s still a fandom brewing in the Downdetector comments<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kinktober. Whumptober. Kisstober. Flufftober. Goretober. October is a bacchanal of fan fiction, from romantic one-shots about unconventional character pairings to delicious smut that\u2019ll make you reconsider your own sense of morality \u2014 all inspired by the month\u2019s countless themed writing challenges. It\u2019s an especially busy time for the fan fiction site Archive of Our Own […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574602,"featured_media":2593066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"625102fc-3455-3ba2-900f-22e1f0ec0fd3","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:46:54Z","apple_news_api_id":"65b03c76-abad-4b8b-8347-e4bdf0bcb566","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T00:57:58Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AZbA8dqutS4uDR-S98Ly1Zg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577055593],"tags":[14067,576941162,697773],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[577037509],"yoast_head":"\nFearing AI, fan fiction writers lock their accounts | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
\u201cI, too, have unlocked my fics,\u201d one writer said on <\/span>Tumblr<\/span><\/a>. \u201cI figure at this point, it is what it is, even if I don\u2019t like it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n AO3 was offline a week ago, but there\u2019s still a fandom brewing in the Downdetector comments<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kinktober. Whumptober. Kisstober. Flufftober. Goretober. October is a bacchanal of fan fiction, from romantic one-shots about unconventional character pairings to delicious smut that\u2019ll make you reconsider your own sense of morality \u2014 all inspired by the month\u2019s countless themed writing challenges. It\u2019s an especially busy time for the fan fiction site Archive of Our Own […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574602,"featured_media":2593066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"625102fc-3455-3ba2-900f-22e1f0ec0fd3","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:46:54Z","apple_news_api_id":"65b03c76-abad-4b8b-8347-e4bdf0bcb566","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T00:57:58Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AZbA8dqutS4uDR-S98Ly1Zg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577055593],"tags":[14067,576941162,697773],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[577037509],"yoast_head":"\nFearing AI, fan fiction writers lock their accounts | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
AO3 was offline a week ago, but there\u2019s still a fandom brewing in the Downdetector comments<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kinktober. Whumptober. Kisstober. Flufftober. Goretober. October is a bacchanal of fan fiction, from romantic one-shots about unconventional character pairings to delicious smut that\u2019ll make you reconsider your own sense of morality \u2014 all inspired by the month\u2019s countless themed writing challenges. It\u2019s an especially busy time for the fan fiction site Archive of Our Own […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574602,"featured_media":2593066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"625102fc-3455-3ba2-900f-22e1f0ec0fd3","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:46:54Z","apple_news_api_id":"65b03c76-abad-4b8b-8347-e4bdf0bcb566","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T00:57:58Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AZbA8dqutS4uDR-S98Ly1Zg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577055593],"tags":[14067,576941162,697773],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[577037509],"yoast_head":"\nFearing AI, fan fiction writers lock their accounts | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
<\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kinktober. Whumptober. Kisstober. Flufftober. Goretober. October is a bacchanal of fan fiction, from romantic one-shots about unconventional character pairings to delicious smut that\u2019ll make you reconsider your own sense of morality \u2014 all inspired by the month\u2019s countless themed writing challenges. It\u2019s an especially busy time for the fan fiction site Archive of Our Own […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574602,"featured_media":2593066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"625102fc-3455-3ba2-900f-22e1f0ec0fd3","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:46:54Z","apple_news_api_id":"65b03c76-abad-4b8b-8347-e4bdf0bcb566","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T00:57:58Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AZbA8dqutS4uDR-S98Ly1Zg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577055593],"tags":[14067,576941162,697773],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[577037509],"yoast_head":"\nFearing AI, fan fiction writers lock their accounts | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Kinktober. Whumptober. Kisstober. Flufftober. Goretober. October is a bacchanal of fan fiction, from romantic one-shots about unconventional character pairings to delicious smut that\u2019ll make you reconsider your own sense of morality \u2014 all inspired by the month\u2019s countless themed writing challenges. It\u2019s an especially busy time for the fan fiction site Archive of Our Own […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574602,"featured_media":2593066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"625102fc-3455-3ba2-900f-22e1f0ec0fd3","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T17:46:54Z","apple_news_api_id":"65b03c76-abad-4b8b-8347-e4bdf0bcb566","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T00:57:58Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AZbA8dqutS4uDR-S98Ly1Zg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577055593],"tags":[14067,576941162,697773],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[577037509],"yoast_head":"\nFearing AI, fan fiction writers lock their accounts | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Pattern with modern locks on a red background close-up<\/p>\n"},"alt_text":"a pattern of locks on a red background","media_type":"image","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","media_details":{"width":1995,"height":1330,"file":"2023\/08\/getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg","filesize":1621596,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?resize=150,100","width":150,"height":100,"filesize":1621596,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?w=150"},"medium":{"file":"getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?resize=300,200","width":300,"height":200,"filesize":1621596,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?w=300"},"medium_large":{"file":"getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?resize=768,512","width":768,"height":512,"filesize":1621596,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?w=1024"},"large":{"file":"getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?resize=680,453","width":680,"height":453,"filesize":1621596,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?w=680"},"1536x1536":{"file":"getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?resize=1536,1024","width":1536,"height":1024,"filesize":1621596,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?w=1536"},"tc-social-image":{"file":"getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?resize=1200,800","width":1200,"height":800,"filesize":1621596,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?w=1200"},"guest-author-32":{"file":"getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?resize=32,32","width":32,"height":32,"filesize":1621596,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?w=32&h=32&crop=1"},"guest-author-50":{"file":"getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?resize=50,50","width":50,"height":50,"filesize":1621596,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?w=50&h=50&crop=1"},"guest-author-64":{"file":"getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?resize=64,64","width":64,"height":64,"filesize":1621596,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?w=64&h=64&crop=1"},"guest-author-96":{"file":"getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?resize=96,96","width":96,"height":96,"filesize":1621596,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?w=96&h=96&crop=1"},"guest-author-128":{"file":"getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?resize=128,128","width":128,"height":128,"filesize":1621596,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?w=128&h=128&crop=1"},"concierge-thumb":{"file":"getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?resize=50,33","width":50,"height":33,"filesize":1621596,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg?w=50"},"full":{"file":"getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg","width":1024,"height":683,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg"}},"image_meta":{"aperture":"0","credit":"Getty Images","camera":"","caption":"Pattern with modern locks on a red background close-up","created_timestamp":"1582761600","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"Pattern with modern locks on a red background","orientation":"1","keywords":[]}},"source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/getty-keys-red-background-locks.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2593066"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/attachment"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2593066"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users\/133574210"}]}}],"wp:term":[[{"id":577055593,"description":"Social networking shapes society and our news coverage reflects and directs that. We keep tabs on all the biggest social companies, including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Reddit, as well as funding and acquisitions of new social startups.","link":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/category\/social\/","name":"Social","slug":"social","taxonomy":"category","parent":0,"yoast_head":"\nSocial Media News | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n
Character.AI<\/a>, the a16z-backed AI chatbot startup<\/a> from ex-Google AI researchers, is out today with a new feature for its subscribers. The chatbot platform, which offers customizable AI companions with distinct personalities and tools to make your own, is now offering a group chat experience where users and their friends can chat with multiple AI characters at once.<\/p>\n The Character Group Chat feature, as it’s called, allows users to create a group chat with their favorite AI characters only or it can feature a mix of both humans and AI companions, the company says. The idea is that users will be able to create social connections with friends, or share ideas and collaborate in real time, as in any other group chat experience, but with their AI companions now in the mix.<\/p>\n The company suggests users could try out having AI scientists and thinkers chat together, like Albert Einstein<\/a>,\u00a0Marie Curie<\/a>,\u00a0Nikola Tesla<\/a>, and\u00a0Stephen Hawking<\/a>, for example, or create a group chat with mythological gods like\u00a0Zeus<\/a>,\u00a0Hades<\/a>, and\u00a0Poseidon<\/a>.<\/p>\n For more practical use cases, you might start a group chat with friends around a topic or theme — like travel, gaming, book clubs, or role-playing — then invite an AI companion to help facilitate and augment those conversations.<\/p>\n The idea of adding AI chatbots into a group chat is not unique to Character.AI. Snapchat’s My AI<\/a> chatbot can be added into group chats<\/a> with the command @myai, while Meta recently introduced the ability<\/a> to call up a host of new AI-powered bots across its apps, including WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram’s DMs, including those that are based on celebrities<\/a> like MrBeast, Paris Hilton, Tom Brady, Charli D\u2019Amelio, Snoop Dogg, and others. The latter announcement, made at Meta’s Connect conference in late September, was a potential threat to Character.AI, which raised a whopping $150 million<\/a> in Series A funding earlier this year for its concepts around AI companions.<\/p>\n However, Character.AI’s new group chat experience won’t be offered for free. Instead, the feature is first being made available to the c.ai+ subscribers in order to gain feedback and make improvements. C.ai+ is the startup’s $9.99 per month subscription plan<\/a> that offers the ability to skip waiting rooms and access to faster message generation as well as an exclusive community channel for feedback and support, among other things. The company says it will later open up the feature to the general public.<\/p>\n At launch, Character Group Chat is also only available on the Character.AI mobile app on iOS and Android but will later roll out to the web.<\/p><\/div>\n The company’s app initially topped half a million installs in its first six days<\/a> and is said to be catching up with ChatGPT in the U.S.<\/a> Third-party data from market intelligence provider data.ai<\/a> indicates the app has close to 30 million monthly active users globally, and around 7 million in the U.S. The firm also estimates its lifetime gross in-app purchase revenue is $1.3 million, but c.ai+ is sold on the web, so this is not a comprehensive look at its overall revenue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Character.AI, the a16z-backed AI chatbot startup from ex-Google AI researchers, is out today with a new feature for its subscribers. The chatbot platform, which offers customizable AI companions with distinct personalities and tools to make your own, is now offering a group chat experience where users and their friends can chat with multiple AI characters […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2414667,"featured_media":2613462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"0848b485-a130-37b0-9f87-e31100205e98","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T20:24:54Z","apple_news_api_id":"cbdf0446-b895-4a7a-83e0-90eef57d3d1a","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T07:08:33Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Ay98ERriVSnqD4JDu9X09Gg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577047203,577051039,20429],"tags":[14067,576861230,12374,577151780,429083150],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nCharacter.AI introduces group chats where people and multiple AIs can talk to each other | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
The Character Group Chat feature, as it’s called, allows users to create a group chat with their favorite AI characters only or it can feature a mix of both humans and AI companions, the company says. The idea is that users will be able to create social connections with friends, or share ideas and collaborate in real time, as in any other group chat experience, but with their AI companions now in the mix.<\/p>\n
The company suggests users could try out having AI scientists and thinkers chat together, like Albert Einstein<\/a>,\u00a0Marie Curie<\/a>,\u00a0Nikola Tesla<\/a>, and\u00a0Stephen Hawking<\/a>, for example, or create a group chat with mythological gods like\u00a0Zeus<\/a>,\u00a0Hades<\/a>, and\u00a0Poseidon<\/a>.<\/p>\n For more practical use cases, you might start a group chat with friends around a topic or theme — like travel, gaming, book clubs, or role-playing — then invite an AI companion to help facilitate and augment those conversations.<\/p>\n The idea of adding AI chatbots into a group chat is not unique to Character.AI. Snapchat’s My AI<\/a> chatbot can be added into group chats<\/a> with the command @myai, while Meta recently introduced the ability<\/a> to call up a host of new AI-powered bots across its apps, including WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram’s DMs, including those that are based on celebrities<\/a> like MrBeast, Paris Hilton, Tom Brady, Charli D\u2019Amelio, Snoop Dogg, and others. The latter announcement, made at Meta’s Connect conference in late September, was a potential threat to Character.AI, which raised a whopping $150 million<\/a> in Series A funding earlier this year for its concepts around AI companions.<\/p>\n However, Character.AI’s new group chat experience won’t be offered for free. Instead, the feature is first being made available to the c.ai+ subscribers in order to gain feedback and make improvements. C.ai+ is the startup’s $9.99 per month subscription plan<\/a> that offers the ability to skip waiting rooms and access to faster message generation as well as an exclusive community channel for feedback and support, among other things. The company says it will later open up the feature to the general public.<\/p>\n At launch, Character Group Chat is also only available on the Character.AI mobile app on iOS and Android but will later roll out to the web.<\/p><\/div>\n The company’s app initially topped half a million installs in its first six days<\/a> and is said to be catching up with ChatGPT in the U.S.<\/a> Third-party data from market intelligence provider data.ai<\/a> indicates the app has close to 30 million monthly active users globally, and around 7 million in the U.S. The firm also estimates its lifetime gross in-app purchase revenue is $1.3 million, but c.ai+ is sold on the web, so this is not a comprehensive look at its overall revenue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Character.AI, the a16z-backed AI chatbot startup from ex-Google AI researchers, is out today with a new feature for its subscribers. The chatbot platform, which offers customizable AI companions with distinct personalities and tools to make your own, is now offering a group chat experience where users and their friends can chat with multiple AI characters […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2414667,"featured_media":2613462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"0848b485-a130-37b0-9f87-e31100205e98","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T20:24:54Z","apple_news_api_id":"cbdf0446-b895-4a7a-83e0-90eef57d3d1a","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T07:08:33Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Ay98ERriVSnqD4JDu9X09Gg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577047203,577051039,20429],"tags":[14067,576861230,12374,577151780,429083150],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nCharacter.AI introduces group chats where people and multiple AIs can talk to each other | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
For more practical use cases, you might start a group chat with friends around a topic or theme — like travel, gaming, book clubs, or role-playing — then invite an AI companion to help facilitate and augment those conversations.<\/p>\n
The idea of adding AI chatbots into a group chat is not unique to Character.AI. Snapchat’s My AI<\/a> chatbot can be added into group chats<\/a> with the command @myai, while Meta recently introduced the ability<\/a> to call up a host of new AI-powered bots across its apps, including WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram’s DMs, including those that are based on celebrities<\/a> like MrBeast, Paris Hilton, Tom Brady, Charli D\u2019Amelio, Snoop Dogg, and others. The latter announcement, made at Meta’s Connect conference in late September, was a potential threat to Character.AI, which raised a whopping $150 million<\/a> in Series A funding earlier this year for its concepts around AI companions.<\/p>\n However, Character.AI’s new group chat experience won’t be offered for free. Instead, the feature is first being made available to the c.ai+ subscribers in order to gain feedback and make improvements. C.ai+ is the startup’s $9.99 per month subscription plan<\/a> that offers the ability to skip waiting rooms and access to faster message generation as well as an exclusive community channel for feedback and support, among other things. The company says it will later open up the feature to the general public.<\/p>\n At launch, Character Group Chat is also only available on the Character.AI mobile app on iOS and Android but will later roll out to the web.<\/p><\/div>\n The company’s app initially topped half a million installs in its first six days<\/a> and is said to be catching up with ChatGPT in the U.S.<\/a> Third-party data from market intelligence provider data.ai<\/a> indicates the app has close to 30 million monthly active users globally, and around 7 million in the U.S. The firm also estimates its lifetime gross in-app purchase revenue is $1.3 million, but c.ai+ is sold on the web, so this is not a comprehensive look at its overall revenue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Character.AI, the a16z-backed AI chatbot startup from ex-Google AI researchers, is out today with a new feature for its subscribers. The chatbot platform, which offers customizable AI companions with distinct personalities and tools to make your own, is now offering a group chat experience where users and their friends can chat with multiple AI characters […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2414667,"featured_media":2613462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"0848b485-a130-37b0-9f87-e31100205e98","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T20:24:54Z","apple_news_api_id":"cbdf0446-b895-4a7a-83e0-90eef57d3d1a","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T07:08:33Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Ay98ERriVSnqD4JDu9X09Gg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577047203,577051039,20429],"tags":[14067,576861230,12374,577151780,429083150],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nCharacter.AI introduces group chats where people and multiple AIs can talk to each other | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
However, Character.AI’s new group chat experience won’t be offered for free. Instead, the feature is first being made available to the c.ai+ subscribers in order to gain feedback and make improvements. C.ai+ is the startup’s $9.99 per month subscription plan<\/a> that offers the ability to skip waiting rooms and access to faster message generation as well as an exclusive community channel for feedback and support, among other things. The company says it will later open up the feature to the general public.<\/p>\n At launch, Character Group Chat is also only available on the Character.AI mobile app on iOS and Android but will later roll out to the web.<\/p><\/div>\n The company’s app initially topped half a million installs in its first six days<\/a> and is said to be catching up with ChatGPT in the U.S.<\/a> Third-party data from market intelligence provider data.ai<\/a> indicates the app has close to 30 million monthly active users globally, and around 7 million in the U.S. The firm also estimates its lifetime gross in-app purchase revenue is $1.3 million, but c.ai+ is sold on the web, so this is not a comprehensive look at its overall revenue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Character.AI, the a16z-backed AI chatbot startup from ex-Google AI researchers, is out today with a new feature for its subscribers. The chatbot platform, which offers customizable AI companions with distinct personalities and tools to make your own, is now offering a group chat experience where users and their friends can chat with multiple AI characters […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2414667,"featured_media":2613462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"0848b485-a130-37b0-9f87-e31100205e98","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T20:24:54Z","apple_news_api_id":"cbdf0446-b895-4a7a-83e0-90eef57d3d1a","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T07:08:33Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Ay98ERriVSnqD4JDu9X09Gg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577047203,577051039,20429],"tags":[14067,576861230,12374,577151780,429083150],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nCharacter.AI introduces group chats where people and multiple AIs can talk to each other | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
At launch, Character Group Chat is also only available on the Character.AI mobile app on iOS and Android but will later roll out to the web.<\/p><\/div>\n The company’s app initially topped half a million installs in its first six days<\/a> and is said to be catching up with ChatGPT in the U.S.<\/a> Third-party data from market intelligence provider data.ai<\/a> indicates the app has close to 30 million monthly active users globally, and around 7 million in the U.S. The firm also estimates its lifetime gross in-app purchase revenue is $1.3 million, but c.ai+ is sold on the web, so this is not a comprehensive look at its overall revenue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Character.AI, the a16z-backed AI chatbot startup from ex-Google AI researchers, is out today with a new feature for its subscribers. The chatbot platform, which offers customizable AI companions with distinct personalities and tools to make your own, is now offering a group chat experience where users and their friends can chat with multiple AI characters […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2414667,"featured_media":2613462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"0848b485-a130-37b0-9f87-e31100205e98","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T20:24:54Z","apple_news_api_id":"cbdf0446-b895-4a7a-83e0-90eef57d3d1a","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T07:08:33Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Ay98ERriVSnqD4JDu9X09Gg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577047203,577051039,20429],"tags":[14067,576861230,12374,577151780,429083150],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nCharacter.AI introduces group chats where people and multiple AIs can talk to each other | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
The company’s app initially topped half a million installs in its first six days<\/a> and is said to be catching up with ChatGPT in the U.S.<\/a> Third-party data from market intelligence provider data.ai<\/a> indicates the app has close to 30 million monthly active users globally, and around 7 million in the U.S. The firm also estimates its lifetime gross in-app purchase revenue is $1.3 million, but c.ai+ is sold on the web, so this is not a comprehensive look at its overall revenue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Character.AI, the a16z-backed AI chatbot startup from ex-Google AI researchers, is out today with a new feature for its subscribers. The chatbot platform, which offers customizable AI companions with distinct personalities and tools to make your own, is now offering a group chat experience where users and their friends can chat with multiple AI characters […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2414667,"featured_media":2613462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"0848b485-a130-37b0-9f87-e31100205e98","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T20:24:54Z","apple_news_api_id":"cbdf0446-b895-4a7a-83e0-90eef57d3d1a","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T07:08:33Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Ay98ERriVSnqD4JDu9X09Gg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577047203,577051039,20429],"tags":[14067,576861230,12374,577151780,429083150],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nCharacter.AI introduces group chats where people and multiple AIs can talk to each other | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Character.AI, the a16z-backed AI chatbot startup from ex-Google AI researchers, is out today with a new feature for its subscribers. The chatbot platform, which offers customizable AI companions with distinct personalities and tools to make your own, is now offering a group chat experience where users and their friends can chat with multiple AI characters […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2414667,"featured_media":2613462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"0848b485-a130-37b0-9f87-e31100205e98","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-11T20:24:54Z","apple_news_api_id":"cbdf0446-b895-4a7a-83e0-90eef57d3d1a","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-12T07:08:33Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Ay98ERriVSnqD4JDu9X09Gg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577047203,577051039,20429],"tags":[14067,576861230,12374,577151780,429083150],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nCharacter.AI introduces group chats where people and multiple AIs can talk to each other | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Sarah has worked as a reporter for TechCrunch since August 2011. She joined the company after having previously spent over three years at ReadWriteWeb. Prior to her work as a reporter, Sarah worked in I.T. across a number of industries, including banking, retail and software.<\/p>","cbAvatar":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/lwzxxnshgj71bonwbik3.jpg.jpg","twitter":"sarahpereztc","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users\/2414667"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users"}]}}],"author":[{"id":2414667,"name":"Sarah Perez","url":"","description":"","link":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/author\/sarah-perez\/","slug":"sarah-perez","avatar_urls":{"24":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5225bb627e112543aa03bf3b2958be3f?s=24&d=identicon&r=g","48":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5225bb627e112543aa03bf3b2958be3f?s=48&d=identicon&r=g","96":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5225bb627e112543aa03bf3b2958be3f?s=96&d=identicon&r=g"},"yoast_head":"\nSarah Perez, Author at TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Sarah has worked as a reporter for TechCrunch since August 2011. She joined the company after having previously spent over three years at ReadWriteWeb. Prior to her work as a reporter, Sarah worked in I.T. across a number of industries, including banking, retail and software.<\/p>","cbAvatar":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/lwzxxnshgj71bonwbik3.jpg.jpg","twitter":"sarahpereztc","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users\/2414667"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users"}]}}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"id":2613462,"date":"2023-10-11T13:11:40","slug":"characterai-group-chat","type":"attachment","link":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2023\/10\/11\/character-ai-introduces-group-chats-where-people-and-multiple-ais-can-talk-to-each-other\/characterai-group-chat\/","title":{"rendered":"characterai group 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coverage on artificial intelligence and machine learning tech, the companies building them, and the ethical issues AI raises today. This encompasses generative AI, including large language models, text-to-image and text-to-video models; speech recognition and generation; and predictive analytics.","link":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/category\/artificial-intelligence\/","name":"AI","slug":"artificial-intelligence","taxonomy":"category","parent":0,"yoast_head":"\nAI News & Artificial Intelligence | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n
Caroline Ellison\u2019s testimony<\/span> at Sam Bankman-Fried\u2019s trial spread into a second day, digging deep into the state of crypto trading firm Alameda Research\u2019s faulty balance sheets.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were in a bad situation,\u201d Ellison said, referring to the time period between May and June 2022. \u201c[We were] concerned if anyone found out it would all come crashing down.\u201d<\/p>\n At the time, Terra\/LUNA collapsed<\/a>, causing a number of crypto market players to struggle and cryptocurrencies to lose value. The stablecoin\u2019s implosion came months before FTX itself collapsed, an event that was triggered when a balance sheet was leaked by CoinDesk<\/a> that cast doubt on its solvency. Ellison testified that the balance sheet was one shared with lenders, not the accurate one the company used internally. This means that the balance sheet CoinDesk reported on was also “dishonest” and still “understated true risk” of Alameda and FTX.<\/p>\n Ellison testified that Alameda had to repay crypto lenders like Genesis, who were asking for loans to be repaid. She said FTX customer deposits were used to repay lenders, and when lenders requested balance sheets in mid-June 2022, FTX modified them because \u201cAlameda was in a very bad situation\u201d and didn\u2019t want \u201c[Genesis] to know that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n After testifying all day, around 3pm Caroline Ellison began to tear up while describing FTX and Alameda's collapse <\/p>\n "I felt indescribably bad about people who lost money, jobs [and] people we betrayed."<\/p>\n — Jacquelyn Melinek (@jacqmelinek) October 11, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cWe were in a bad situation,\u201d Ellison said, referring to the time period between May and June 2022. \u201c[We were] concerned if anyone found out it would all come crashing down.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the time, Terra\/LUNA collapsed<\/a>, causing a number of crypto market players to struggle and cryptocurrencies to lose value. The stablecoin\u2019s implosion came months before FTX itself collapsed, an event that was triggered when a balance sheet was leaked by CoinDesk<\/a> that cast doubt on its solvency. Ellison testified that the balance sheet was one shared with lenders, not the accurate one the company used internally. This means that the balance sheet CoinDesk reported on was also “dishonest” and still “understated true risk” of Alameda and FTX.<\/p>\n Ellison testified that Alameda had to repay crypto lenders like Genesis, who were asking for loans to be repaid. She said FTX customer deposits were used to repay lenders, and when lenders requested balance sheets in mid-June 2022, FTX modified them because \u201cAlameda was in a very bad situation\u201d and didn\u2019t want \u201c[Genesis] to know that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n After testifying all day, around 3pm Caroline Ellison began to tear up while describing FTX and Alameda's collapse <\/p>\n "I felt indescribably bad about people who lost money, jobs [and] people we betrayed."<\/p>\n — Jacquelyn Melinek (@jacqmelinek) October 11, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Ellison testified that Alameda had to repay crypto lenders like Genesis, who were asking for loans to be repaid. She said FTX customer deposits were used to repay lenders, and when lenders requested balance sheets in mid-June 2022, FTX modified them because \u201cAlameda was in a very bad situation\u201d and didn\u2019t want \u201c[Genesis] to know that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n After testifying all day, around 3pm Caroline Ellison began to tear up while describing FTX and Alameda's collapse <\/p>\n "I felt indescribably bad about people who lost money, jobs [and] people we betrayed."<\/p>\n — Jacquelyn Melinek (@jacqmelinek) October 11, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
After testifying all day, around 3pm Caroline Ellison began to tear up while describing FTX and Alameda's collapse <\/p>\n
"I felt indescribably bad about people who lost money, jobs [and] people we betrayed."<\/p>\n
— Jacquelyn Melinek (@jacqmelinek) October 11, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
But instead of sending truthful balance sheets, showing how much money Alameda \u201cborrowed\u201d\u00a0 from FTX, they modified it to \u201cmake [its] leverage and risk look lower.\u201d This was done at the direction of Bankman-Fried, Ellison said.<\/p>\n
She added that this was done for several reasons, one of which was that Alameda didn\u2019t want Genesis to recall all of Alameda\u2019s loans or for the news to spread because it would add concern about the firm.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t want to be dishonest but also didn\u2019t want to tell the truth,\u201d Ellison said on the stand.<\/p>\n
So she prepared seven balance sheets for Bankman-Fried to review with \u201calternative ways\u201d of presenting their financial situation to \u201cconceal things\u201d that they \u201cboth thought were bad.\u201d These balance sheets were made \u201cto look better to lenders,\u201d Bankman-Fried said at the time, according to Ellison.<\/p>\n\n SBF started a $2 billion venture fund using Alameda loans<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/iframe><\/div>\n At the time in June 2022, Alameda borrowed $9.9 billion from FTX customers, which \u201cmade it clear Alameda was in a risky situation,\u201d Ellison said, and would make FTX \u201clook very bad.\u201d It also had open term loans worth $1.8 billion that would have to be paid back at any time a lender reached out to ask for the money back, as well as $2.9 billion in fixed term loans that were \u201clong-term liabilities,\u201d Ellison said.<\/p>\n The company at the time had around $12 billion in liabilities and $3 liquid billion in assets, per Ellison.<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cWe were in a bad situation,\u201d Ellison said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574533,"featured_media":2613485,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9f63a5bd-6ca9-3294-be99-7398b7981222","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[576601119],"tags":[577196214,51541356,577026652,577083397,577017353],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[576796356],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nFormer Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison explains how FTX hid losses, sandbagged lenders | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
SBF started a $2 billion venture fund using Alameda loans<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/iframe><\/div>\n At the time in June 2022, Alameda borrowed $9.9 billion from FTX customers, which \u201cmade it clear Alameda was in a risky situation,\u201d Ellison said, and would make FTX \u201clook very bad.\u201d It also had open term loans worth $1.8 billion that would have to be paid back at any time a lender reached out to ask for the money back, as well as $2.9 billion in fixed term loans that were \u201clong-term liabilities,\u201d Ellison said.<\/p>\n The company at the time had around $12 billion in liabilities and $3 liquid billion in assets, per Ellison.<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cWe were in a bad situation,\u201d Ellison said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574533,"featured_media":2613485,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9f63a5bd-6ca9-3294-be99-7398b7981222","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[576601119],"tags":[577196214,51541356,577026652,577083397,577017353],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[576796356],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nFormer Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison explains how FTX hid losses, sandbagged lenders | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
<\/iframe><\/div>\n At the time in June 2022, Alameda borrowed $9.9 billion from FTX customers, which \u201cmade it clear Alameda was in a risky situation,\u201d Ellison said, and would make FTX \u201clook very bad.\u201d It also had open term loans worth $1.8 billion that would have to be paid back at any time a lender reached out to ask for the money back, as well as $2.9 billion in fixed term loans that were \u201clong-term liabilities,\u201d Ellison said.<\/p>\n The company at the time had around $12 billion in liabilities and $3 liquid billion in assets, per Ellison.<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cWe were in a bad situation,\u201d Ellison said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574533,"featured_media":2613485,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9f63a5bd-6ca9-3294-be99-7398b7981222","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[576601119],"tags":[577196214,51541356,577026652,577083397,577017353],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[576796356],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nFormer Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison explains how FTX hid losses, sandbagged lenders | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
At the time in June 2022, Alameda borrowed $9.9 billion from FTX customers, which \u201cmade it clear Alameda was in a risky situation,\u201d Ellison said, and would make FTX \u201clook very bad.\u201d It also had open term loans worth $1.8 billion that would have to be paid back at any time a lender reached out to ask for the money back, as well as $2.9 billion in fixed term loans that were \u201clong-term liabilities,\u201d Ellison said.<\/p>\n
The company at the time had around $12 billion in liabilities and $3 liquid billion in assets, per Ellison.<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cWe were in a bad situation,\u201d Ellison said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574533,"featured_media":2613485,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9f63a5bd-6ca9-3294-be99-7398b7981222","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[576601119],"tags":[577196214,51541356,577026652,577083397,577017353],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[576796356],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nFormer Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison explains how FTX hid losses, sandbagged lenders | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
\u201cWe were in a bad situation,\u201d Ellison said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574533,"featured_media":2613485,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"9f63a5bd-6ca9-3294-be99-7398b7981222","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[576601119],"tags":[577196214,51541356,577026652,577083397,577017353],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[576796356],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nFormer Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison explains how FTX hid losses, sandbagged lenders | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Jacquelyn Melinek is a senior cryptocurrency reporter based in New York City. She previously was a crypto reporter for Blockworks covering decentralized finance, DAOs and crypto venture capital funding and prior to that covered energy markets for S&P Global Platts and Bloomberg News. Her articles are published in over 70 news outlets and she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Media and Journalism and a minor in creative writing. Disclosure: Jacquelyn owns various cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin and Ethereum. She does not day trade cryptocurrencies, NFTs or any other crypto-related products. <\/p>","cbAvatar":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Jacquelyn-Melinek-Headshot.jpg","twitter":"jacqmelinek","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users\/133574533"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users"}]}}],"author":[{"id":133574533,"name":"Jacquelyn Melinek","url":"","description":"","link":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/author\/jacquelyn-melinek\/","slug":"jacquelyn-melinek","avatar_urls":{"24":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c684787d526ee25a2a1fb87dd38d2fd9?s=24&d=identicon&r=g","48":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c684787d526ee25a2a1fb87dd38d2fd9?s=48&d=identicon&r=g","96":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c684787d526ee25a2a1fb87dd38d2fd9?s=96&d=identicon&r=g"},"yoast_head":"\nJacquelyn Melinek, Author at TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Jacquelyn Melinek is a senior cryptocurrency reporter based in New York City. She previously was a crypto reporter for Blockworks covering decentralized finance, DAOs and crypto venture capital funding and prior to that covered energy markets for S&P Global Platts and Bloomberg News. Her articles are published in over 70 news outlets and she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Media and Journalism and a minor in creative writing. Disclosure: Jacquelyn owns various cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin and Ethereum. She does not day trade cryptocurrencies, NFTs or any other crypto-related products. <\/p>","cbAvatar":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Jacquelyn-Melinek-Headshot.jpg","twitter":"jacqmelinek","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users\/133574533"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users"}]}}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"id":2613485,"date":"2023-10-11T13:35:54","slug":"ftx-co-founder-sam-bankman-fried-on-trial-for-fraud-2","type":"attachment","link":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2023\/10\/11\/caroline-ellison-ftx-hid-losses\/ftx-co-founder-sam-bankman-fried-on-trial-for-fraud-2\/","title":{"rendered":"FTX Co-Founder Sam Bankman-Fried On Trial For Fraud"},"author":133574598,"license":{"source_key":"getty images","person":"Yuki Iwamura\/Bloomberg via Getty Images"},"authors":[133574598],"caption":{"rendered":"
Caroline Ellison, former chief executive officer of Alameda Research LLC, arrives at court in New York, US, on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. Jurors in the fraud trial of FTX co-founder\u00a0Sam Bankman-Fried\u00a0heard his ex-girlfriend\u00a0Caroline Ellison\u00a0explain how he allegedly arranged for billions of dollars in customer funds to back risky investments that led to the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange. Photographer: Yuki Iwamura\/Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/p>\n"},"alt_text":"","media_type":"image","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","media_details":{"width":3553,"height":2369,"file":"2023\/10\/GettyImages-1719061982.jpg","filesize":3125061,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"file":"GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?resize=150,100","width":150,"height":100,"filesize":3125061,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?w=150"},"medium":{"file":"GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?resize=300,200","width":300,"height":200,"filesize":3125061,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?w=300"},"medium_large":{"file":"GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?resize=768,512","width":768,"height":512,"filesize":3125061,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?w=1024"},"large":{"file":"GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?resize=680,453","width":680,"height":453,"filesize":3125061,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?w=680"},"1536x1536":{"file":"GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?resize=1536,1024","width":1536,"height":1024,"filesize":3125061,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?w=1536"},"2048x2048":{"file":"GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?resize=2048,1366","width":2048,"height":1366,"filesize":3125061,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?w=2048"},"tc-social-image":{"file":"GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?resize=1200,800","width":1200,"height":800,"filesize":3125061,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?w=1200"},"guest-author-32":{"file":"GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?resize=32,32","width":32,"height":32,"filesize":3125061,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?w=32&h=32&crop=1"},"guest-author-50":{"file":"GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?resize=50,50","width":50,"height":50,"filesize":3125061,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?w=50&h=50&crop=1"},"guest-author-64":{"file":"GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?resize=64,64","width":64,"height":64,"filesize":3125061,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?w=64&h=64&crop=1"},"guest-author-96":{"file":"GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?resize=96,96","width":96,"height":96,"filesize":3125061,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?w=96&h=96&crop=1"},"guest-author-128":{"file":"GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?resize=128,128","width":128,"height":128,"filesize":3125061,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?w=128&h=128&crop=1"},"concierge-thumb":{"file":"GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?resize=50,33","width":50,"height":33,"filesize":3125061,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1719061982.jpg?w=50"},"full":{"file":"GettyImages-1719061982.jpg","width":1024,"height":683,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1719061982.jpg"}},"image_meta":{"aperture":"5.6","credit":"Bloomberg via Getty Images","camera":"Canon EOS R6","caption":"Caroline Ellison, former chief executive officer of Alameda Research LLC, arrives at court in New York, US, on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. Jurors in the fraud trial of FTX co-founder\u00a0Sam Bankman-Fried\u00a0heard his ex-girlfriend\u00a0Caroline Ellison\u00a0explain how he allegedly arranged for billions of dollars in customer funds to back risky investments that led to the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange. Photographer: Yuki Iwamura\/Bloomberg via Getty Images","created_timestamp":"1697014413","copyright":"\u00a9 2023 Bloomberg Finance LP","focal_length":"360","iso":"1600","shutter_speed":"0.00125","title":"FTX Co-Founder Sam Bankman-Fried On Trial For Fraud","orientation":"0","keywords":["digitial money","electronic currency","courts","u.s.a.","cryptocurrencies","crypto","digital currencies","americas","us","u.s.","judiciary","cryptography","crypto currencies","crypto-currency","money","electronic money","virtual money","justice","north american","manhattan","finance"," financial","industries","nyc manhattan","united states of america","digital currency markets","business news","american"]}},"source_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1719061982.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2613485"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/attachment"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2613485"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users\/133574598"}]}}],"wp:term":[[{"id":576601119,"description":"Cryptocurrency coverage and news on Bitcoin, Ethereum and the blockchain startups building the future of crypto, web3 using tokens and NFTs.","link":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/category\/cryptocurrency\/","name":"Crypto","slug":"cryptocurrency","taxonomy":"category","parent":0,"yoast_head":"\nCrypto News | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n
In late 2017, three entrepreneurs — Abhinav Das, Aditya Bhatia and Akash Bansal — came to the mutual realization that the final steps of building furniture — specifically painting and sanding — were incredibly time-consuming, not to mention costly. Often, painting and sanding will take weeks compared to the mere hours it takes for assembly and, depending on the furniture, can’t be automated with traditional robotics.<\/p>\n
So Das, Bhatia and Bansal co-founded Orangewood Labs<\/a>, a company creating a remotely operated robotic arm designed to paint furniture. A member of Y Combinator’s Winter 2018 cohort, Orangewood recently raised $4.5 million in a funding round tranche led by Y Combinator with participation from 7percent Ventures, Schox Ventures, VentureSouq, KSK Angel Fund and several angel investors.<\/p>\n Robotics is hardly an easy market to break into<\/a>. Hardware’s expensive, after all. In 2022 alone<\/a>, a number of high-profile robotics startups shut down, including buzzy, DoorDash-owned food tech Chowbotics and Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Mellon spinout Fifth Season.<\/p>\n Orangewood, based in San Francisco, aims to take a more sustainable approach than its competition. Das, Bhatia and Bansal explain that the company uses more affordable parts compared to conventional robotic arm manufacturers, enabling Orangewood to drive the price down to a range that’s palatable for small- and medium-sized businesses.<\/p>\n\n Want the top robotics news in your inbox each week? Sign up for Actuator here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n “We believe that the market is still too huge for most robotics companies to fully tap,” the trio told TechCrunch in an email interview. “Our robots are helping bring power back to the small enterprises.”<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Orangewood Labs<\/p><\/div><\/p><\/div>\n Orangewood also touts the broad programmability of its robots, which it sees as another key differentiator. The startup developed RoboGPT, a platform that allows users — think roboticists as well as factory floor workers — to program Orangewood’s robotic arm with text or their voice. RoboGPT, engineered to be adaptive, attempts to account for edge cases, continuously learning from and about its environment.<\/p>\n With the launch of RobotGPT, Orangewood hopes to take its robotics beyond furniture construction and into other use cases, like quality inspection, powder coating and picking and sorting packaged goods.<\/p>\n “Robotic arms have been traditionally hard to program, which is why most small businesses don’t do it,” Das, Bhatia and Bansal said. “Any change in the environment or conditions requires reprogramming. For example, if you wanted to pick a red triangle instead of a blue square, it’d take time to make that change. We’re changing that with RoboGPT.”<\/p>\n Can these innovations help Orangewood stand out in a crowded field (see other robotic arm startups such as Ally<\/a>) — and, perhaps more importantly, avoid the fate of its less-fortunate predecessors? It’s too early to tell. But the company already has a fairly large team — 50 contract and full-time workers, with plans to grow headcount by 20% by the end of the year — and 500 deployments of its robotic arm. Committed and booked revenue stands at $750,000 — a healthy figure, to be sure.<\/p>\n “For the technical decision maker, it’s simpler to deploy the technology on our flexible financing terms, hence easier to sell the business case to management,” Das, Bhatia and Bansal said. “The pandemic only has made our prospective clients realize the need for automation and move faster on demand, as well as greater localization of competitive supply chains.”<\/p>\n Orangewood says it won’t need to raise working capital for at least a year, thanks to the recent funding round — and a debt financing line. But it’s in the process of securing another equity raise between $6 million and $7 million to fulfill its backorder of robots, build out a service and spare parts network and expand its manufacturing facilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In late 2017, three entrepreneurs — Abhinav Das, Aditya Bhatia and Akash Bansal — came to the mutual realization that the final steps of building furniture — specifically painting and sanding — were incredibly time-consuming, not to mention costly. Often, painting and sanding will take weeks compared to the mere hours it takes for assembly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574536,"featured_media":2577437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"b4de1f4a-5fc8-32b8-846a-ea2a2b4b5cec","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-08-02T14:10:50Z","apple_news_api_id":"bfbf9a48-cbc9-48e9-b3d3-19b7c03c2ab1","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-08-07T13:30:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAw==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Av7-aSMvJSOmz0xm3wDwqsQ","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577047203,449223024,20429],"tags":[14067,20250,79,2492132,13426,4621,66455],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nOrangewood wants to build a cheap, programmable robotic arm for manufacturing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Robotics is hardly an easy market to break into<\/a>. Hardware’s expensive, after all. In 2022 alone<\/a>, a number of high-profile robotics startups shut down, including buzzy, DoorDash-owned food tech Chowbotics and Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Mellon spinout Fifth Season.<\/p>\n Orangewood, based in San Francisco, aims to take a more sustainable approach than its competition. Das, Bhatia and Bansal explain that the company uses more affordable parts compared to conventional robotic arm manufacturers, enabling Orangewood to drive the price down to a range that’s palatable for small- and medium-sized businesses.<\/p>\n\n Want the top robotics news in your inbox each week? Sign up for Actuator here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n “We believe that the market is still too huge for most robotics companies to fully tap,” the trio told TechCrunch in an email interview. “Our robots are helping bring power back to the small enterprises.”<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Orangewood Labs<\/p><\/div><\/p><\/div>\n Orangewood also touts the broad programmability of its robots, which it sees as another key differentiator. The startup developed RoboGPT, a platform that allows users — think roboticists as well as factory floor workers — to program Orangewood’s robotic arm with text or their voice. RoboGPT, engineered to be adaptive, attempts to account for edge cases, continuously learning from and about its environment.<\/p>\n With the launch of RobotGPT, Orangewood hopes to take its robotics beyond furniture construction and into other use cases, like quality inspection, powder coating and picking and sorting packaged goods.<\/p>\n “Robotic arms have been traditionally hard to program, which is why most small businesses don’t do it,” Das, Bhatia and Bansal said. “Any change in the environment or conditions requires reprogramming. For example, if you wanted to pick a red triangle instead of a blue square, it’d take time to make that change. We’re changing that with RoboGPT.”<\/p>\n Can these innovations help Orangewood stand out in a crowded field (see other robotic arm startups such as Ally<\/a>) — and, perhaps more importantly, avoid the fate of its less-fortunate predecessors? It’s too early to tell. But the company already has a fairly large team — 50 contract and full-time workers, with plans to grow headcount by 20% by the end of the year — and 500 deployments of its robotic arm. Committed and booked revenue stands at $750,000 — a healthy figure, to be sure.<\/p>\n “For the technical decision maker, it’s simpler to deploy the technology on our flexible financing terms, hence easier to sell the business case to management,” Das, Bhatia and Bansal said. “The pandemic only has made our prospective clients realize the need for automation and move faster on demand, as well as greater localization of competitive supply chains.”<\/p>\n Orangewood says it won’t need to raise working capital for at least a year, thanks to the recent funding round — and a debt financing line. But it’s in the process of securing another equity raise between $6 million and $7 million to fulfill its backorder of robots, build out a service and spare parts network and expand its manufacturing facilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In late 2017, three entrepreneurs — Abhinav Das, Aditya Bhatia and Akash Bansal — came to the mutual realization that the final steps of building furniture — specifically painting and sanding — were incredibly time-consuming, not to mention costly. Often, painting and sanding will take weeks compared to the mere hours it takes for assembly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574536,"featured_media":2577437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"b4de1f4a-5fc8-32b8-846a-ea2a2b4b5cec","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-08-02T14:10:50Z","apple_news_api_id":"bfbf9a48-cbc9-48e9-b3d3-19b7c03c2ab1","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-08-07T13:30:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAw==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Av7-aSMvJSOmz0xm3wDwqsQ","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577047203,449223024,20429],"tags":[14067,20250,79,2492132,13426,4621,66455],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nOrangewood wants to build a cheap, programmable robotic arm for manufacturing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Orangewood, based in San Francisco, aims to take a more sustainable approach than its competition. Das, Bhatia and Bansal explain that the company uses more affordable parts compared to conventional robotic arm manufacturers, enabling Orangewood to drive the price down to a range that’s palatable for small- and medium-sized businesses.<\/p>\n\n
Want the top robotics news in your inbox each week? Sign up for Actuator here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n “We believe that the market is still too huge for most robotics companies to fully tap,” the trio told TechCrunch in an email interview. “Our robots are helping bring power back to the small enterprises.”<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Orangewood Labs<\/p><\/div><\/p><\/div>\n Orangewood also touts the broad programmability of its robots, which it sees as another key differentiator. The startup developed RoboGPT, a platform that allows users — think roboticists as well as factory floor workers — to program Orangewood’s robotic arm with text or their voice. RoboGPT, engineered to be adaptive, attempts to account for edge cases, continuously learning from and about its environment.<\/p>\n With the launch of RobotGPT, Orangewood hopes to take its robotics beyond furniture construction and into other use cases, like quality inspection, powder coating and picking and sorting packaged goods.<\/p>\n “Robotic arms have been traditionally hard to program, which is why most small businesses don’t do it,” Das, Bhatia and Bansal said. “Any change in the environment or conditions requires reprogramming. For example, if you wanted to pick a red triangle instead of a blue square, it’d take time to make that change. We’re changing that with RoboGPT.”<\/p>\n Can these innovations help Orangewood stand out in a crowded field (see other robotic arm startups such as Ally<\/a>) — and, perhaps more importantly, avoid the fate of its less-fortunate predecessors? It’s too early to tell. But the company already has a fairly large team — 50 contract and full-time workers, with plans to grow headcount by 20% by the end of the year — and 500 deployments of its robotic arm. Committed and booked revenue stands at $750,000 — a healthy figure, to be sure.<\/p>\n “For the technical decision maker, it’s simpler to deploy the technology on our flexible financing terms, hence easier to sell the business case to management,” Das, Bhatia and Bansal said. “The pandemic only has made our prospective clients realize the need for automation and move faster on demand, as well as greater localization of competitive supply chains.”<\/p>\n Orangewood says it won’t need to raise working capital for at least a year, thanks to the recent funding round — and a debt financing line. But it’s in the process of securing another equity raise between $6 million and $7 million to fulfill its backorder of robots, build out a service and spare parts network and expand its manufacturing facilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In late 2017, three entrepreneurs — Abhinav Das, Aditya Bhatia and Akash Bansal — came to the mutual realization that the final steps of building furniture — specifically painting and sanding — were incredibly time-consuming, not to mention costly. Often, painting and sanding will take weeks compared to the mere hours it takes for assembly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574536,"featured_media":2577437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"b4de1f4a-5fc8-32b8-846a-ea2a2b4b5cec","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-08-02T14:10:50Z","apple_news_api_id":"bfbf9a48-cbc9-48e9-b3d3-19b7c03c2ab1","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-08-07T13:30:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAw==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Av7-aSMvJSOmz0xm3wDwqsQ","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577047203,449223024,20429],"tags":[14067,20250,79,2492132,13426,4621,66455],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nOrangewood wants to build a cheap, programmable robotic arm for manufacturing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
“We believe that the market is still too huge for most robotics companies to fully tap,” the trio told TechCrunch in an email interview. “Our robots are helping bring power back to the small enterprises.”<\/p>\n
Image Credits:<\/strong> Orangewood Labs<\/p><\/div><\/p><\/div>\n Orangewood also touts the broad programmability of its robots, which it sees as another key differentiator. The startup developed RoboGPT, a platform that allows users — think roboticists as well as factory floor workers — to program Orangewood’s robotic arm with text or their voice. RoboGPT, engineered to be adaptive, attempts to account for edge cases, continuously learning from and about its environment.<\/p>\n With the launch of RobotGPT, Orangewood hopes to take its robotics beyond furniture construction and into other use cases, like quality inspection, powder coating and picking and sorting packaged goods.<\/p>\n “Robotic arms have been traditionally hard to program, which is why most small businesses don’t do it,” Das, Bhatia and Bansal said. “Any change in the environment or conditions requires reprogramming. For example, if you wanted to pick a red triangle instead of a blue square, it’d take time to make that change. We’re changing that with RoboGPT.”<\/p>\n Can these innovations help Orangewood stand out in a crowded field (see other robotic arm startups such as Ally<\/a>) — and, perhaps more importantly, avoid the fate of its less-fortunate predecessors? It’s too early to tell. But the company already has a fairly large team — 50 contract and full-time workers, with plans to grow headcount by 20% by the end of the year — and 500 deployments of its robotic arm. Committed and booked revenue stands at $750,000 — a healthy figure, to be sure.<\/p>\n “For the technical decision maker, it’s simpler to deploy the technology on our flexible financing terms, hence easier to sell the business case to management,” Das, Bhatia and Bansal said. “The pandemic only has made our prospective clients realize the need for automation and move faster on demand, as well as greater localization of competitive supply chains.”<\/p>\n Orangewood says it won’t need to raise working capital for at least a year, thanks to the recent funding round — and a debt financing line. But it’s in the process of securing another equity raise between $6 million and $7 million to fulfill its backorder of robots, build out a service and spare parts network and expand its manufacturing facilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In late 2017, three entrepreneurs — Abhinav Das, Aditya Bhatia and Akash Bansal — came to the mutual realization that the final steps of building furniture — specifically painting and sanding — were incredibly time-consuming, not to mention costly. Often, painting and sanding will take weeks compared to the mere hours it takes for assembly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574536,"featured_media":2577437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"b4de1f4a-5fc8-32b8-846a-ea2a2b4b5cec","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-08-02T14:10:50Z","apple_news_api_id":"bfbf9a48-cbc9-48e9-b3d3-19b7c03c2ab1","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-08-07T13:30:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAw==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Av7-aSMvJSOmz0xm3wDwqsQ","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577047203,449223024,20429],"tags":[14067,20250,79,2492132,13426,4621,66455],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nOrangewood wants to build a cheap, programmable robotic arm for manufacturing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Image Credits:<\/strong> Orangewood Labs<\/p><\/div><\/p><\/div>\n Orangewood also touts the broad programmability of its robots, which it sees as another key differentiator. The startup developed RoboGPT, a platform that allows users — think roboticists as well as factory floor workers — to program Orangewood’s robotic arm with text or their voice. RoboGPT, engineered to be adaptive, attempts to account for edge cases, continuously learning from and about its environment.<\/p>\n With the launch of RobotGPT, Orangewood hopes to take its robotics beyond furniture construction and into other use cases, like quality inspection, powder coating and picking and sorting packaged goods.<\/p>\n “Robotic arms have been traditionally hard to program, which is why most small businesses don’t do it,” Das, Bhatia and Bansal said. “Any change in the environment or conditions requires reprogramming. For example, if you wanted to pick a red triangle instead of a blue square, it’d take time to make that change. We’re changing that with RoboGPT.”<\/p>\n Can these innovations help Orangewood stand out in a crowded field (see other robotic arm startups such as Ally<\/a>) — and, perhaps more importantly, avoid the fate of its less-fortunate predecessors? It’s too early to tell. But the company already has a fairly large team — 50 contract and full-time workers, with plans to grow headcount by 20% by the end of the year — and 500 deployments of its robotic arm. Committed and booked revenue stands at $750,000 — a healthy figure, to be sure.<\/p>\n “For the technical decision maker, it’s simpler to deploy the technology on our flexible financing terms, hence easier to sell the business case to management,” Das, Bhatia and Bansal said. “The pandemic only has made our prospective clients realize the need for automation and move faster on demand, as well as greater localization of competitive supply chains.”<\/p>\n Orangewood says it won’t need to raise working capital for at least a year, thanks to the recent funding round — and a debt financing line. But it’s in the process of securing another equity raise between $6 million and $7 million to fulfill its backorder of robots, build out a service and spare parts network and expand its manufacturing facilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In late 2017, three entrepreneurs — Abhinav Das, Aditya Bhatia and Akash Bansal — came to the mutual realization that the final steps of building furniture — specifically painting and sanding — were incredibly time-consuming, not to mention costly. Often, painting and sanding will take weeks compared to the mere hours it takes for assembly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574536,"featured_media":2577437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"b4de1f4a-5fc8-32b8-846a-ea2a2b4b5cec","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-08-02T14:10:50Z","apple_news_api_id":"bfbf9a48-cbc9-48e9-b3d3-19b7c03c2ab1","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-08-07T13:30:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAw==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Av7-aSMvJSOmz0xm3wDwqsQ","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577047203,449223024,20429],"tags":[14067,20250,79,2492132,13426,4621,66455],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nOrangewood wants to build a cheap, programmable robotic arm for manufacturing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Orangewood also touts the broad programmability of its robots, which it sees as another key differentiator. The startup developed RoboGPT, a platform that allows users — think roboticists as well as factory floor workers — to program Orangewood’s robotic arm with text or their voice. RoboGPT, engineered to be adaptive, attempts to account for edge cases, continuously learning from and about its environment.<\/p>\n
With the launch of RobotGPT, Orangewood hopes to take its robotics beyond furniture construction and into other use cases, like quality inspection, powder coating and picking and sorting packaged goods.<\/p>\n
“Robotic arms have been traditionally hard to program, which is why most small businesses don’t do it,” Das, Bhatia and Bansal said. “Any change in the environment or conditions requires reprogramming. For example, if you wanted to pick a red triangle instead of a blue square, it’d take time to make that change. We’re changing that with RoboGPT.”<\/p>\n
Can these innovations help Orangewood stand out in a crowded field (see other robotic arm startups such as Ally<\/a>) — and, perhaps more importantly, avoid the fate of its less-fortunate predecessors? It’s too early to tell. But the company already has a fairly large team — 50 contract and full-time workers, with plans to grow headcount by 20% by the end of the year — and 500 deployments of its robotic arm. Committed and booked revenue stands at $750,000 — a healthy figure, to be sure.<\/p>\n “For the technical decision maker, it’s simpler to deploy the technology on our flexible financing terms, hence easier to sell the business case to management,” Das, Bhatia and Bansal said. “The pandemic only has made our prospective clients realize the need for automation and move faster on demand, as well as greater localization of competitive supply chains.”<\/p>\n Orangewood says it won’t need to raise working capital for at least a year, thanks to the recent funding round — and a debt financing line. But it’s in the process of securing another equity raise between $6 million and $7 million to fulfill its backorder of robots, build out a service and spare parts network and expand its manufacturing facilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In late 2017, three entrepreneurs — Abhinav Das, Aditya Bhatia and Akash Bansal — came to the mutual realization that the final steps of building furniture — specifically painting and sanding — were incredibly time-consuming, not to mention costly. Often, painting and sanding will take weeks compared to the mere hours it takes for assembly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574536,"featured_media":2577437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"b4de1f4a-5fc8-32b8-846a-ea2a2b4b5cec","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-08-02T14:10:50Z","apple_news_api_id":"bfbf9a48-cbc9-48e9-b3d3-19b7c03c2ab1","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-08-07T13:30:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAw==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Av7-aSMvJSOmz0xm3wDwqsQ","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577047203,449223024,20429],"tags":[14067,20250,79,2492132,13426,4621,66455],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nOrangewood wants to build a cheap, programmable robotic arm for manufacturing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
“For the technical decision maker, it’s simpler to deploy the technology on our flexible financing terms, hence easier to sell the business case to management,” Das, Bhatia and Bansal said. “The pandemic only has made our prospective clients realize the need for automation and move faster on demand, as well as greater localization of competitive supply chains.”<\/p>\n
Orangewood says it won’t need to raise working capital for at least a year, thanks to the recent funding round — and a debt financing line. But it’s in the process of securing another equity raise between $6 million and $7 million to fulfill its backorder of robots, build out a service and spare parts network and expand its manufacturing facilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In late 2017, three entrepreneurs — Abhinav Das, Aditya Bhatia and Akash Bansal — came to the mutual realization that the final steps of building furniture — specifically painting and sanding — were incredibly time-consuming, not to mention costly. Often, painting and sanding will take weeks compared to the mere hours it takes for assembly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574536,"featured_media":2577437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"amp_status":"","relegenceEntities":[],"relegenceSubjects":[],"carmot_uuid":"b4de1f4a-5fc8-32b8-846a-ea2a2b4b5cec","footnotes":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-08-02T14:10:50Z","apple_news_api_id":"bfbf9a48-cbc9-48e9-b3d3-19b7c03c2ab1","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-08-07T13:30:29Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAw==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Av7-aSMvJSOmz0xm3wDwqsQ","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[577047203,449223024,20429],"tags":[14067,20250,79,2492132,13426,4621,66455],"crunchbase_tag":[],"tc_stories_tax":[],"tc_ec_category":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_regions_tax":[],"yoast_head":"\nOrangewood wants to build a cheap, programmable robotic arm for manufacturing | TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
Palletizing Robot Arm Kyle Wiggers is a senior reporter at TechCrunch with a special interest in artificial intelligence. His writing has appeared in VentureBeat and Digital Trends, as well as a range of gadget blogs including Android Police, Android Authority, Droid-Life, and XDA-Developers. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, a piano educator, and dabbles in piano himself occasionally -- if mostly unsuccessfully.<\/p>","cbAvatar":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Kyle-Wiggers.jpg","twitter":"kyle_l_wiggers","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users\/133574536"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/tc\/v1\/users"}]}}],"author":[{"id":133574536,"name":"Kyle Wiggers","url":"","description":"Kyle Wiggers is a senior reporter at TechCrunch with a special interest in artificial intelligence. His writing has appeared in VentureBeat and Digital Trends, as well as a range of gadget blogs including Android Police, Android Authority, Droid-Life, and XDA-Developers. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, a piano educator, and dabbles in piano himself. occasionally -- if mostly unsuccessfully.","link":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/author\/kyle-wiggers\/","slug":"kyle-wiggers","avatar_urls":{"24":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c444ee74e16b994683cd9c6497173dda?s=24&d=identicon&r=g","48":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c444ee74e16b994683cd9c6497173dda?s=48&d=identicon&r=g","96":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c444ee74e16b994683cd9c6497173dda?s=96&d=identicon&r=g"},"yoast_head":"\nKyle Wiggers, Author at TechCrunch<\/title>\n\n\n\n