Weather delay. Welcome back, Future Party people. You may have noticed we’ve been MIA the past few days, but we’re back and ready to scroll. We hope everyone had a great time celebrating the July 4th holiday and stayed dry… unlike this year’s hot dog eating contest. The popular summer spectacle was suspended yesterday due to severe storms. Luckily, the weather gods wanted to see a bunch of people eat hot dogs as much as we did, and the event resumed a few hours later. |
In other news… AI-powered content spurs corporate adaptation, LinkedIn endorses skills-based hiring, and General Mills brings back the 90s. |
Top Trends |
|
Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe |
|
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |
 | You are what you share // Illustration by Kate Walker |
|
Generative AI spins a new world wide web |
The Future. As generative AI competes with the people and platforms we rely on for information and entertainment, it threatens to damage areas of the internet we find useful (product reviews, blogs, tutorials). If machine-generated content overrides human authorship, some websites could be pushed out of business, possibly leaving AI systems without any new content to repurpose. |
How businesses are adapting
Some companies are benefiting from AI’s scalability, while others are reconsidering their platform openness in response to AI firms scraping their data. |
|
|
|
|
What lies ahead
Though many site moderators say AI output will lower the quality of the internet in general, some execs say it’s worth the risk due to its raw abundance. But this abundance still relies on human beings to create the underlying data. |
While generative AI spins a new web, the old web — and how we’ve traditionally accessed and consumed information online — may be laid to rest. |
SHARE THIS STORY |
|
CULTURE |
 | All the necessary qualifications // Illustration by Kate Walker |
|
LinkedIn endorses skills-based hiring |
The Future. The job-networking platform is wagering that employers will one day focus less on applicants’ degrees and previous job titles and more on their skills. Because LinkedIn is already a trailblazer, having revolutionized what’s “acceptable behavior” in the job market, it could break new ground by expanding economic opportunity for people who didn’t go to college. |
The new currency
While 80% of employers believe they should hire based on skills, 50% say they’re still hiring college graduates because it feels less risky, according to a 2022 survey. |
|
|
License to skill
Employers have leaned heavily on college degrees in the past to verify social skills that are challenging to authenticate. Outside of technical skills, like coding, that are easy to test for, there’s no standard classification system for “soft skills,” like communication and teamwork, which can be just as valuable in a workplace. |
Until we have certification for a wider range of skills, employers may just have to trust the applicant’s word on their job profile. |
SHARE THIS STORY |
|
BUSINESS |
 | So good, you just want more // Courtesy of General Mills |
|
General Mills’ fruit brands enjoy a burst of 90s flavor |
The Future. When General Mills hired the design agency Pearlfisher to rebrand Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit by the Foot, and Gushers, they got a throwback vibe: the bright colors and graphic aesthetic of the 90s (the snacks’ glory days). While nostalgic branding can appear dated, it can tap into positive emotions if done right — and bring back the consumers who grew up with the products. |
Look back to look forward
Pearlfisher’s rebrand was guided by the tastes of young consumers today and by the team’s familiarity with the snacks as kids. Each colloquially dubbed “fruit brand” is marketed toward a different age group. |
|
|
|
Unlock the sweetness
After the pandemic, Hamish Campbell, Pearlfisher’s executive creative director, says people are now craving a freedom of expression seen in the 90s… and hoping a colorful rebrand will help them rediscover the deliciousness of simpler times. |
SHARE THIS STORY |
|
Highlights |
The best curated daily stories from around the web |
Media, Music, & Entertainment |
Despite labor tensions here, US studios have secured a contract extension with Canadian actors, including a 5% wage increase. Read More → deadline WBD and Mattel have joined forces with Save the Children (which connects girls around the world to educational resources) to launch a girls’ empowerment initiative ahead of the Barbie release. Read More → variety Drake's new poetry book, Titles Ruin Everything, sold out online despite haters saying it consists of discarded IG captions. Read More → highsnobiety
|
Fashion & E-Commerce |
H&M appears to be competing with Shein by offering the lowest prices possible: it slashed the cost of a crop top from $4.99 to $1.70. Read More → insider Crocs has crowned Lil Nas X as its latest global ambassador, who also fronts the brand for its new collection of platform shoes. Read More → variety Teen girls’ accessories retailer Claire’s has withdrawn its IPO application after it filed to go public in September 2021, about three years after it emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Read More → forbes
|
Tech, Web3, & AI |
The Italian government has invited Elon Musk to fight Mark Zuckerberg at the Colosseum in Rome. You read that right. Read More → thewrap Self-driving cars could one day make up 20% of Uber trips, said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi at the Aspen Ideas Festival. Read More → fastcompany YouTube is testing ways to limit ad blocker use: prompting users to disable it or buy a premium subscription after three videos. Read More → techcrunch
|
Creator Economy |
As BuzzFeed focuses on profitability, the company is working with more external content creators on a contract basis to increase its short-form video output. Read More → digiday Like long-time faves Apples To Apples and Cards Against Humanity, the new party game, The Audio Game, lets players use popular short-form videos as answers to silly questions. Read More → tubefilter Since its March launch, TikTok’s STEM feed has increased viewership on STEM-related hashtags by more than 30%, and one in four viewers who visited the science hub returned to it the next day. Read More → tubefilter
|
|
Like what you see? Subscribe Now or Partner With Us |
Today's email was brought to you by Kait Cunniff. Editing by Nick Comney. Publishing by Darline Salazar. |
