Render Time: August 11 Edition
Code to Cosmos: GPT-5, Google’s Genie, and the X5 Space Launch
For the first time in two weeks, the producers of Keeping Up with the Gen Intelligences have written Zuckerberg out of the script. (That is, we don’t have news from Meta this week for our newsletter.)
The trillion-dollar reality TV show continues, and this week’s episode stars Sam Altman who promised the world with GPT-5 but got a reality check from Reddit: a growing chorus asking if we’ve hit the AI maturity wall.
Elsewhere: deepfake detectors go universal, Google lets you spin up interactive worlds in a sentence, and Insta360 is now launching products into space.
Headlines at a Glance
DaVinci Resolve Turns 3D: Full Apple Vision Pro Support Lands
Resolve 20.1 update transforms the platform into the first complete post-production suite for Apple Immersive Video. Editors on macOS can now edit, color-grade, VFX-enhance, mix Spatial Audio, and preview directly in Vision Proor on-screen with pan/tilt controls. Read morePerplexity Rolls Out AI Video Generation: Prompts now become videos directly inside the AI-powered search platform. Read more
David Ellison (Larry’s son) Says AI Won’t Kill Hollywood: New Paramount Skydance CEO calls AI a “new pencil” for localization, virtual production, and blockbuster-scale affordability. Read more
OpenArt Launches “Brain Rot” One-Click Video Generator
A single sentence or script turns into a short, surreal “brain rot” video using aggregated multimodal AI models. Read moreAI Rabbits on a Trampoline Broke the Internet
A viral AI-generated video of rabbits bouncing on a trampoline fooled thousands and became Exhibit A in the “AI slop” epidemic. Read more
Grok Imagine: Taylor Swift Deepfake Fallout
Elon Musk’s “Spicy”(yes) mode in Grok Imagine debuted this week and instantly crossed the line. Without nudity in the prompt, the system generated an explicit Taylor Swift deepfake video, banned under U.S. law and most platform policies.
Grok’s guidelines forbid pornographic depictions of real people, yet the clip sailed through. Musk pitched “Spicy” as playful creativity which in Musktalk translates to “a legal minefield”.
It should surprise no one that this happened on Grok. But if moderation’s really happening, how did it slip through so easily?
Rhetorical question by the way.
UNITE: Deepfake Detection Goes Universal
Right on cue, after Grok let an AI Taylor Swift deepfake waltz past security, a universal deepfake detector showed up this week like the bouncer who missed the first half of the shift.
Developed by UC Riverside and Google researchers, UNITE spots manipulated video content with 95–99% accuracy, scanning beyond faces to background flickers, frame distortions, and motion inconsistencies. It even caught entirely synthetic gaming clips undetectable by previous systems.
In a world flooded with AI scams, misinformation, and Elon, this is a step toward restoring digital trust.
Money Moves
Paramount Skydance Acquired by Skydance for $8B
Skydance Media completed its blockbuster acquisition of Paramount Global, folding one of Hollywood’s oldest media companies into the generative-capital era. Read moreCapacity Raises $92M and Buys Two Voice-AI Firms
The support automation startup secured $92 million in new funding and acquired Call Criteria and Verbio to bolster its voice-AI and QA automation capabilities. Read moreApple Signals Aggressive AI Acquisition Strategy
Tim Cook revealed Apple made seven AI-related acquisitions in 2025 and may pursue more, targeting startups like Perplexity to revamp Siri and accelerate innovation. Read more
Product Launch, Meet Rocket Launch: Insta360’s Satin White Sees Space
Insta360 launched the satin-white X5 by literally launching into the stratosphere.
In -68°F cold, 30% brighter sunlight, and near-vacuum conditions, it recorded flawlessly, marking the first time an action cam brand has formally released a product via spaceflight.
Also debuting: Insta360’s first ND Filters for X5, built to tame harsh light and add cinematic motion blur, useful above the clouds or for long exposures and night shots on Earth. With 100% better drop resistance, scratch-proof lenses, and fully swappable optics, it’s as space-ready as it is shoot-ready.
Back to Earth and Round the World
Epic AI Reboot : India’s Ramayana myth is being reimagined as a six-episode generative AI series. Read more
World’s Largest Virtual Production Stage : China unveils a 3,000 m² monolithic LED volume. Read more
Freakier Friday opens with $45M at the global box office. Read more
Genie 3: Worlds on Demand
Google DeepMind’s Genie 3 is an AI “world model” that turns plain text into interactive 3D spaces in seconds.
Type “a medieval castle surrounded by lava” and you’re crossing the drawbridge. Ask for “a neon-lit rainy street corner” and you’re wandering through puddles reflecting flickering signs.
Now with movement-based responses, one-minute memory, and 720p/24 fps output. It’s not AAA-game-ready, but it’s a leap forward for prototyping, virtual production, and simulation.
Silicon Splurges
Liffo: The AI Robot Chef for Italian Foodies : ~TBC, Kickstarter Fully autonomous robot built for Italian cuisine. Loads ingredients, schedules meals, cooks to perfection. Read more
Unitree G1 Humanoid Butler Robot : €15,000+ More realistic than a toaster, less practical than a blender. Handshakes and maybe cocktails included. Read more
Casio Moflin: The AI Pet That Cuddles Back : $400 plush robot that develops emotions and bonds over time. Read more