The Sunday Fix: February 18th

Sora, Navalny, Mexico, HubSpot, and More

Feb 19, 2024

Good evening, everyone! Happy Sunday. Hope you had a nice weekend. Let’s get to it.

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Sunday Selection

News worth knowing about.

Sora

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, revealed another impressive (and scary) AI tool this week. Sora, a new text-to-video generator, can create short videos with incredible detail. The couple of examples that OpenAI has shown are honestly incredible. Check out their release video below

But with all of these AI tools, there is also the scarier side. Many believe that this new tool will be an accelerant in the creation and use of deepfake videos. Additionally, there are some pretty obvious implications for the video-production industry. We’re probably not going to see a major motion picture created by Sora in the near term, but shorter videos that are used in advertisements may be a place that this technology is used.

According to The Verge, Sora is currently “only available to ‘red teamers’ who are assessing the model for potential harms and risks.” OpenAI is also offering access to some visual artists, designers, and filmmakers to get feedback.

Presidential Cognitive Test

President Biden didn’t do himself any favors this week when the White House confirmed publicly that Biden will not undergo a cognitive test during his upcoming physical exam. This comes just a couple of weeks after Special Counsel Robert Hur indicated Biden has significant memory issues.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated that Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, does not believe the president needs a cognitive test and that his daily activities and decision-making demonstrate his capabilities.

Odds are you have doubts about Biden’s age - according to a recent ABC/Ipsos poll, 86% of Americans, including a significant portion of Democrats, expressed doubts about Biden's suitability for a second term due to his age.

Navalny

Alexei Navalny, the well-known critic of Putin and the Kremlin, died at 47 while serving a 30-year sentence in a distant Arctic penal facility. Navalny, a lawyer by trade, gained notoriety through blogging and political activism, most notably after he was arrested for protesting against electoral fraud in Russia’s 2011 parliamentary elections.

Despite a strong showing in the 2013 Moscow mayoral race, legal challenges prevented his 2018 presidential run. Surviving a 2020 poisoning, he boldly returned to Russia, only to be arrested and ultimately remain in custody until his death this past weekend.

HBO did a documentary with Navalny a couple of years ago. I haven’t seen it, but it’s been recommended a couple of times. In it, he is asked what his message would be if he was killed by the Russian government. His answer below:

"We don’t realize how strong we actually are. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. So don’t be inactive.” -Alexei Navalny

Mexico v. US Gun Manufacturers

Mexico is suing US gun makers for $10 billion, claiming they have played a role in facilitating “cross-border gun trafficking that has supercharged violent crime in Mexico".

A Boston federal appeals court ruled the lawsuit can proceed, challenging the gun industry's immunity under the 2005 Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.

Mexico alleges the manufacturers design and market guns to appeal to criminal organizations and knowingly distribute guns through channels facilitating illegal trafficking. The case, now returning to trial court, could set a precedent impacting the gun industry's operations and liability for gun-related violence outside the US.

Data: Guns Recovered in Mexico Come Mostly From U.S. Makers

Full story from The Conversation

The Fix’s Picks

Summarizing and linking to some of my favorite reads, podcasts, photos, and clips from the weekend.

Brian Halligan

I rotate through podcasts like it’s my job. The latest flavor of podcast for me has been 20VC - it’s heavy on startups, tech, investing, and other boring things, but I thought this interview was really solid.

Brian Halligan, co-founder of HubSpot, is full of good life, career, and business advice. Certainly on my recommended list.

Inside the Dallas Homicide Unit

Interesting article from Texas Monthly recounting photographer Richard Sharum’s year with Dallas homicide investigators. Sharum’s book will be published in 2025, but he shared some of his photos with Texas Monthly.

Article here by Bill Shapiro

Capybaras

Did you know that the rodent Capybaras are considered “fish” by the Vatican that can be consumed during the Lenten season? I didn’t either - pretty fun little fact