The Youth Lab

In this week’s 52INSIGHTS, we share the top topics from global The Love Network & internet conversations this week. The Love Network is our unique global network of 16-35 year olds that we engage with for our work - both strategic and creative. (Learn more by requesting a one-to-one introduction.)

AI ‘HALLUCINATES’
AI is taking over conversation again this week - from its deployment in creating the video for the new Beatles’ song), to its featuring in the Cambridge Dictionary’s word of the year -‘Hallucinate’. The psychological verb gained an extra meaning in 2023 that ‘gets to the heart of why people are talking about artificial intelligence’. The additional meaning relates to when artificial intelligence systems such as ChatGPT, which generates text that mimics human writing, “hallucinates” and produces false information. And as The Guardian reports, this once again reminds us that Generative AI is a “powerful” but “far from perfect” tool, “one we’re all still learning how to interact with safely and effectively – this means being aware of both its potential strengths and its current weaknesses”.

AI FOR DAAAAYYYYS
While we’re on the subject of tech and AI, even more updates are arriving as fast as the machines are learning… Last week OpenAi announced that the knowledge cutoff date for GPT 3.5 and 4 was now January ‘22 and April ‘23 respectively, creating a 15-month info gap between free and paid subscribers to the Chat GPT developers platform. They’ve also made a callout for some fresh meat for its ever-growing model’s brain in the shape of massive datasets that will shape its learning and train it on the go. Also just launched on the paid version is GPTs which can create custom versions of ChatGPT that combine instructions, extra knowledge, and any combination of skills, and a Data Analysis tool that allows you to drop in any spreadsheet and extract data from it - your own individual, trained Chat GPT. Is it our overlord or the greatest assistant we’ll ever know? Remember the Cambridge Dictionary's word of the year….

FOOH TAKING OVER

Noticed a rise in really dramatic stunts that turned out to be fakes? It’s not your imagination, it's just the imagination of the marketing industry. The North Face Jacket on Big Ben is the latest in a string of branding stunts that create a social media spike followed by some admiring ah-has once it’s announced that the stunts were in fact the work of creative technologists working with brands and agencies, (flashbacks to our own work with Lynx and Heineken Ireland this year). What might have initially been deemed a phase in the eyes of some, looks now to be the new evolution of OOH, Faux Out of Home.

GTA: GRAND TRAILER ANNOUNCEMENT

There’s hype, there’s major hype and then there’s the GTA 6 Hype Machine. Last week, Rockstar dropped this video announcing the release date of not the actual game, but the trailer for their long-anticipated next instalment of the gaming series GTA 6. Gamers everywhere are preparing to succumb to Grand Theft Attention as they get absorbed into the open-world action-adventure game that is deemed by some to be the most iconic in the esports world. However, is announcing with a trailer for a trailer asking a bit much of the hype-saturated and attention-depleted gaming population? Some seem to think so.

LEAGUE OF LEGENDS FINALE

As a follow up to last week’s 52INSIGHTS download on esports we can now report that the final of The League of Legends Worlds is happening tomorrow with T1 from South Korea taking on China’s Weibo Gaming. If you’ve yet to venture into the world of esports, why not tune into lolesports.com or Twitch tomorrow - 9:00 CET, 0:00 PST or 17:00 KST.

FROM GIRL MATH TO DOG MATH

“Girl math is essentially the recognition that time, convenience, and money are interchangeable currencies.” Imani Barbarin (disability rights influencer)

We’ve had #GirlMath and #BoyMath - now there’s #DogMath. We’re obsessed.

LEGAL RISK LOOMS LARGE

Communities and government bodies are increasingly coming together to take action on climate and environmental issues by taking legal action against companies. This week it was reported that “The state of New York sued PepsiCo on Wednesday, accusing the snack and soda giant of choking a river running through the city of Buffalo with Gatorade bottles, Cheetos bags and other single-use plastic packaging from the company’s products.”

The latest EarthRise Studio shoot with environmental activists highlights elements of the engaged youth mindset that prevails: “to change everything, we need everyone.”

BRAND TAKEOUTS

Embrace Tech Alongside its Shortcomings: Keep your friends close and your technology closer. Staying on top of the latest developments in AI is a necessity for brands and agencies, who could continue to proceed with caution - Generative AI tools are useful, but should not be trusted to deliver the right and timely answer.

Understand The Evolving ‘Green’ Legal Landscape: Purpose Disruptors will be hosting an online session on Greenwashing and advertising regulation next Tuesday 17.00 - 18.30 GMT. It's with the excellent Johnny White from ClientEarth, who is a world expert on this fast moving topic and is currently leading the case against KLM for their 'Responsible Flying' campaign. Expect an overview of key actions in the legal space and talk about how ClientEarth is ever evolving to hold states and corporations to account. Event details here.

IN OTHER NEWS

NEW #THWORK | PLANET: Spark’ is a new art piece by GOAL NextGen X-Change, a project driven by the international human response agency GOAL and funded by Irish Aid. It brings together seven creatives who collaborated across borders to explore themes of global solidarity, connection and change. ‘Spark’ carries a message that feels acutely important right now, celebrating how a more united global community can nurture love, hope and positivity. The song just launched yesterday and hit number #1 on iTunes in Ireland! Warning - you will be stuck singing it all weekend long. Listen here.