VOLUME 60

Hope everyone is having a great week! While we do have even more AI stories to talk about this week, we’re not gonna start there (since there’s always AI stories going on all the time now). Anyway, let’s dive in!

— Jacob Pace

MrBeast Acquires Vouch, a Hiring Platform for Creators

What happened: YouTube's most-followed creator, MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson), recently acquired Vouch, a startup focused on hiring in the creator economy. The platform allows influencers and content creators to post job openings, while candidates can showcase their skills and past collaborations, similar to LinkedIn.

For context: Vouch was founded in 2021 by Marty Pesis, who previously worked at Cameo, where he gained insights into the unique hiring needs of the creator economy. The platform was created to streamline hiring by connecting creators with specialized talent, offering tools like AI-powered recommendations and customizable job postings. It has since matched over 35,000 candidates with job openings from popular creators such as Yes Theory and Danny Duncan. MrBeast's acquisition aims to leverage Vouch for his own hiring needs while scaling the platform's services across the industry​.

Meta Unveils 'MovieGen' AI Tool

What happened: Meta launched 'MovieGen,' a text-to-video AI tool that enables users to create short video clips by entering a text description. The AI generates relevant visuals based on the prompt, which could be a game-changer for content creators looking to produce videos quickly.

Why it matters: Meta's launch of 'MovieGen' comes as the race for AI-powered video tools heats up, with companies like OpenAI and RunwayML already releasing similar technology. While Meta isn't the first to enter the text-to-video space, its introduction of 'MovieGen' signals a push to catch up to early adopters and potentially outpace them by leveraging its vast resources and user base.

OpenAI and Hearst Partner for Content Integration

What happened: OpenAI and Hearst Corporation have struck a deal allowing ChatGPT to access and use content from Hearst's print publications. This partnership could include magazines like Cosmopolitan and Harper's Bazaar, potentially making ChatGPT more useful for research and writing assistance.

For context: OpenAI's partnership with Hearst is part of a broader strategy to integrate AI with traditional media, following similar deals like the one with The Associated Press. These collaborations help enrich ChatGPT's data sources while providing publishers with new revenue streams through content licensing. If this pattern continues, OpenAI could target other major media companies, such as Condé Nast or Meredith Corporation, to expand its content access.

YouTube Shorts Extends Length Limit to 3 Minutes

What happened: YouTube recently extended the maximum duration for Shorts from 60 seconds to 3 minutes, allowing creators to produce longer content on the platform's TikTok competitor.

Why it matters: YouTube's extension of Shorts to 3 minutes addresses creator demand for longer content, allowing for more in-depth storytelling without splitting videos into parts. The move aligns YouTube more closely with TikTok and Instagram Reels, which already support longer videos, enhancing its competitiveness in the short-form video space. The update is part of a broader effort to boost engagement with new features like AI tools and improved content recommendations​.

That’s all for today, folks! See you next week.