TOGETHER WITH

It’s Wednesday and users can now consult ChatGPT for help ordering Starbucks…but you might need coffee before attempting it.

AI ALERT

The tool: Back in 2024, YouTube announced that it was partnering with talent agency CAA to develop a tool that could combat the rise of deepfakes on social media. Since then, the platform has steadily tested its anti-deepfake tech alongside a small but expanding network of creators, journalists, and celebrities.

Now, YouTube’s battle-tested likeness detection tool is ready for its big moment. 

Google execs told The Hollywood Reporter that anyone “at high risk of having their likeness abused” can take advantage of the AI-powered detector, even if they don’t have an active YouTube channel. That group includes journalists and politicians, as well as entertainers like actors, musicians, creators, and athletes.

According to YouTube Chief Business Officer Mary Ellen Coe, the platform is “working very closely with talent agencies and third-party management companies to make sure that public figures can actually get ahead of this before something negative happens.”

The context: For YouTube, bringing its likeness detection tool to studios serves as a proverbial olive branch. Traditional Hollywood entities are extremely skittish about AI, as evidenced by the SAG and WGA strikes that gripped the industry two years ago.

Those fears have made it difficult for OpenAI to make inroads in Hollywood despite multiple attempts to pitch studios on the industry potential of tools like its now-defunct AI video generation platform, Sora.

In theory, YouTube is just as much of a threat to the traditional Hollywood model as OpenAI. The platform keeps rolling out products that make deepfakes easier to produce, and much of the AI content that steals from filmmakers and actors can be found on YouTube.

Now, however, YouTube seems to hope its likeness detection tool will prove to studios that AI-powered products can actually help Hollywood. And if the Google-owned platform can cement itself as an ally at the same time…well, that certainly wouldn’t hurt its Emmy prospects.

Hosted by entrepreneur Steven Bartlett, The Diary of a CEO is one of the world’s leading podcast brands, with 15M+ subscribers across its main long-form channel. 

But Bartlett didn’t want to stop at long-form success—so the show leveraged OpusClip’s AI clipping tools to launch a dedicated short-form channel, The Diary of a CEO Clips. That channel has since surpassed 2M subscribers.

Why does having a separate clips channel matter?

1. Protecting the Main Channel Experience
When a main channel is optimized for long-form viewing, audiences expect in-depth storytelling. By introducing short-form content through a new channel, the brand can continue to meet existing expectations on its main channel.

2. Turning Clips into a Testing Engine
For The Diary of a CEO, having a dedicated clips channel allowed the team to test new hooks, topics, and formats. OpusClip automated that process by instantly identifying the most engaging moments from long-form content and turning them into ready-to-publish clips. 

3. Expanding Reach
With high-impact content and lower barriers to entry, short-form channels naturally drive increased subscriber conversion on the main channel. 

Add in OpusClip’s cutting-edge AI toolkit, and powering long-term growth becomes automatic.

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

THE BIZ

The acquisition: Fixated is moving its roster of creator partners into four-digit territory. The talent firm, which works with digital stars like Sketch and the Botez Sisters, has acquired the end-to-end creator company Studio71.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Studio71’s previous owner, the German mass media company ProSiebenSat.1, is only selling the company’s North American business to Fixated. Its operations in other territories will remain underneath its umbrella, while the North American network will operate as part of the Fixated platform moving forward.

Originally known as the Collective Digital Network, Studio71 has spent the past 15 years building up clout in the creator world. The company was a key player during the multi-channel network era, when it used creator signings, cross-platform strategies, and original programming initiatives to build one of the most competitive rosters in the business. Its current roster includes Dhar Mann, Joey Graceffa, and Unspeakable, each of whom have picked up billions of views across platforms.

The context: Earlier this year, Fixated co-founders Zach Katz and Jason Wilhelm told Tubefilter that they intend to give the creator economy its “Avengers assemble” moment. By leveraging a $50 million funding round, Katz and Wilhelm are securing the assets that will make their company a must-have partner across all aspects of the creator career.

Previous acquisition targets have included gamer talent firm Ellify and creator subscription business Elevate. Now, with the acquisition of Studio71, Fixated will boast a thousand-strong creator lineup that generates billions of monthly views—plus access to a company that’s well-versed in everything from ad deals to scripted podcasts to merch lines.

The firm isn’t stopping there, either. Fixated says it has more acquisition targets in its sights, so keep an eye out for Katz and Wilhem’s next money moves.

STREAMING BIG

The star: As more and more digital-native creators harbor Hollywood dreams, a bona fide A-lister is taking her talents to Twitch. Two decades after her breakout role in Akeelah and the Bee, Keke Palmer is tackling streaming with a talk show called Keke Live.

With her presence at tech demos and her status as a driving force behind the digital network Key TV, Palmer is no stranger to the creator economy. Now, as live programming like sports dominates TV screens, the star is seeing if her audience—which already includes nearly 15 million Instagram followers—will follow her to Twitch.

The show: The first Keke Live episode, which included a line dance and an “Afro-centric interior decoration history lesson,” showed that Palmer is eager to highlight Black excellence on Twitch.

Creators like Kai Cenat and iShowSpeed have led a wave of Black streaming stars that also includes standouts like YourRAGE, Rakai, and Druski. During the stream, Palmer specifically pointed to creators like Cenat and PlaqueBoyMax, whom she has interacted with on her journey toward Twitch stardom.

Now is an ideal moment for Palmer to be making that cross-platform jump. Recent deals—including a pact between Kylie Jenner and Night—have shown that there are fewer distinctions than ever separating traditional celebrities from digital creators. If anyone can bridge both worlds, it’s Keke Palmer.

WATCH THIS 👀

The collaboration: Disney is leveling up a few fan-favorite musical scenes just in time for Deaf History Month. The House of Mouse has joined forces with Deaf West Theatre to reanimate songs from Frozen 2, Encanto, and Moana 2 in American Sign Language.

According to Cartoon Brew, Songs in Sign Language was directed by Disney animator/director Hyrum Osmond, who worked with Deaf West Theatre artistic director DJ Kurs, sign language reference choreographer Catalene Sacchetti, and over 20 Disney animators.

The project includes Frozen 2’s “The Next Right Thing,” Encanto’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” and Moana 2’s “Beyond.” Check out a trailer for the reimagined songs here before they hit Disney+ on April 27.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen.