The Spotify translation tool, Shell x Fortnite, X removing headlines and Who Gives A Crap’s brilliant creative

Spotify’s new translation tool

Spotify has announced a new AI-powered feature that can translate podcasts into different languages using the host’s own voice.

The company said the feature relies on OpenAI’s voice generation technology which can create “realistic synthetic voices” from just a few seconds of speech. The audio giant said it will help make the podcast listening experience more authentic and natural by maintaining podcasters’ “distinctive speech characteristics”. 

The company worked with podcasters such as Dax Shepard, Steven Bartlett and Bill Simmons on a select number of past and upcoming episodes. The episodes were initially translated into Spanish, French and German (the most popular languages on the platform after English), and will be available to both free users and paid subscribers as they land. 

Spotify did not share specific details about the cost of the new feature, but a spokesperson added that the company is exploring opportunities to “bring this service to even more podcasters globally.” 

This feels like a brilliant way to use AI for good and help bring content to more people globally in the languages they are most comfortable listening to.

Shell x Fortnite – the collab we really didn’t need

Climate change = bad. And for kids, who have long lives and futures ahead of them, the prospect of the planet turning into a nightmare sphere of extreme weather and chaos is particularly scary. 

But, rather than actually DO something about their impact on the climate, Shell—a massive oil company and one of the many entities directly responsible for destroying our planet—wants you all to know how great its fossil fuel products are, and to prove it, they’ve made a whole Fortnite world for them to enjoy. But to truly enjoy it, you’ll need to use Shell’s V-Power® NiTRO+ Premium Gasoline, of course.

Not only have they created this hellscape, they’ve employed content creators to create big oil propaganda on TikTok and Twitch. 

How is that all going? I hear you ask. As you might expect. I answer. 

Most of the content has received negative comments when they get engagement at all, with lots of users calling out IGN for sponsoring an oil company – this can hardly come as a surprise to the brand. 

This has to be amongst the worst thought out brand partnerships of all time. Not least because it’s hard to sell gasoline and diesel to teenagers who know it’s destroying the planet and their futures. It doesn’t look like some Instagram models and Fortnite videos promoting Shell are going to be enough to change their minds.

X removes news headlines

X, the site formerly known as Twitter, has removed automatically generated headlines from links to external websites, including news articles, the latest change introduced by owner Elon Musk as he seeks to remould the social media company.

Under the new format, posts linking to third-party news stories or websites automatically load those articles’ lead images in preview tiles along with their web domains — but with no headlines, depriving readers of key context from the publishers about their articles. 

The change comes amid a wider push by X to discourage users from clicking on external links, including links leading to news sites. “Our algorithm tries to optimise time spent on X, so links don’t get as much attention, because there is less time spent if people click away,” Musk said in a post. 

But… we’re sceptical. It feels like the new format could be part of a broader attempt by Musk to undermine news organisations’ reach on the social media platform.

Musk has repeatedly framed traditional news media websites as direct competitors to X, a stance that contrasts with the platform’s previous model — where links to news media sites were accompanied by “verified” badges to shore up trust in their content. 

It was unclear on Thursday what the financial impact of X’s latest changes would be to news media sites, which can earn money from ad revenue generated by traffic. But in the dumpster fire that is X, it’s another week, another megalomaniacal decision that makes absolutely no sense. 

The Zero Acre Wood 

Toilet paper brand Who Gives A Crap has unveiled its latest advertising campaign, ‘Winnie-The-Pooh: The Deforested Edition.’ By reimagining A. A. Milne’s children’s classic, it hopes to highlight the impact of deforestation around the world, and sustainably created the reimagined classic with recycled paper from old notebooks and office supplies.

In the re-worked illustrations, Winnie and his friends are surrounded by felled tree stumps that represent the impact of land clears every day to make traditional toilet paper. Simon Griffiths, founder of Who Gives A Crap Founder, said: “Globally we continue to blissfully wipe and ignore the impact large-scale toilet paper production has on the environment around us. Making small changes to your everyday toilet routine can make a big difference.”

Research conducted by the brand has shown that half of UK parents (53%) say their child has raised concerns about environmental issues. Still, a huge 86% of mums and dads of children aged 6-11 admitted that they’re sometimes or often unable to answer their child’s concerns.

This is a brilliant example of a brand talking the talk AND walking the walk in a way that speaks across generations. Not only is their loo paper eco-friendly, they also donate 50% of their profits to ensure everyone has access to sanitary toilet facilities. More of this please!