#ai sales assistant
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Say goodbye to frustrating calls and hello to a smarter, more intuitive way to communicate. Our AI calling software puts intelligent features at your fingertips, making every conversation more efficient and productive. visit us: www.precallai.com
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Decoding The Role of AI In Deep Sales
In the realm of modern sales, the integration of technology has introduced a new era, and at the forefront is Artificial Intelligence (AI). As businesses strive for more effective sales strategies, understanding the pivotal role AI plays in deepening sales processes is essential. In this blog, we'll reveal the layers of AI's impact on deep sales, exploring its applications, benefits, and the transformative potential it holds.
Embracing AI in Sales Dynamics
1. Intelligent Lead Scoring:
AI empowers sales teams to prioritise leads effectively. Through sophisticated algorithms, AI analyses vast datasets to identify patterns and behaviours, enabling more accurate lead scoring. This ensures that sales representatives focus their efforts on leads with the highest probability of conversion.
2. Personalised Customer Interactions:
Deepening connections with potential clients is at the heart of successful sales. AI facilitates personalised interactions by using data to understand customer preferences and behaviours. Tailored recommendations and communications create a more engaging and vibrant experience for prospects.
3. Predictive Analytics for Informed Decision-Making:
Gone are the days of relying solely on historical data. AI introduces predictive analytics, offering insights into future trends and potential opportunities. Sales teams equipped with this foresight can make informed decisions, anticipate customer needs, and stay ahead of market shifts.
4. Streamlining Workflows with Automation:
AI-driven automation simplifies repetitive tasks, allowing sales professionals to invest their time in strategic activities. From email campaigns to data entry, automation enhances efficiency, reduces manual errors, and ensures that the sales team operates at peak productivity.
5. Dynamic Pricing Optimization:
In a competitive market, pricing strategies are critical. AI analyses market conditions, competitor pricing, and customer behaviour to recommend optimal pricing strategies. This dynamic pricing approach ensures that businesses remain competitive while maximising profitability.
6. Virtual Sales Assistants for Enhanced Productivity:
AI-powered virtual assistants provide valuable support to sales teams. They can handle routine inquiries, schedule appointments, and even analyse customer interactions. This allows sales representatives to focus on relationship-building and high-impact tasks.
7. Augmented Decision-Making:
AI serves as a valuable decision support tool, providing insights that complement human intuition. By combining the analytical capabilities of AI with the human touch, sales professionals can make more informed decisions.
8. Continuous Learning and Adaptation:
One of the remarkable features of AI is its ability to learn and adapt continuously. In the context of deep sales, this means staying aligned to changing customer behaviours and market dynamics. An adaptive sales strategy ensures relevance in an ever-evolving landscape.
Looking Ahead: AI's Transformative Potential
As we navigate the evolving landscape of deep sales, the role of Artificial Intelligence emerges as a transformative force. From revolutionising lead prioritisation to enhancing customer interactions, AI has the potential to reshape the sales process fundamentally. Embracing these advancements positions businesses at the forefront of innovation, ensuring they not only meet but exceed customer expectations.
In conclusion, recognizing the significance of Artificial Intelligence in deep sales isn't just a choice; it's a crucial strategic necessity. Embracing AI empowers businesses to enhance their sales strategies, strengthen customer relationships, and navigate a path toward lasting success in the digital age. As we look ahead, the collaboration between human expertise and AI capabilities is prepared to reshape the deep sales landscape.
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Scale 13 Reviews - Looking to Have AI Make Sales Calls?
Technology is moving quickly. Here's how to have AI make your calls…
Your search for the following brought you here:
scale 13 reviews reddit
AI scheduling assistant reddit
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How can you have artificial intelligence make your sales calls?
AI can help you develop targeted sales plays by analyzing past sales data and identifying patterns of success. Many CRM systems have built-in automated sequences that automatically send emails and alert you to tasks. You can also use ChatGPT or other AI software to build each step of your sales play.
What is AI Cold Calling?
Artificial intelligence cold calling or AI-cold calling leverages artificial intelligence to provide sales teams insights into cold calls to launch previously scheduled meetings and deliver top-of-the-funnel results. It can be a massive advantage for sales teams that especially rely on manual methods to make cold calls.
According to McKinsey, sales professionals that have adopted AI have increased leads and appointments by about 50%. But you have to be smart about using it to your best advantage.
More Calls Made
There are predictive or power dialers that help sales reps make way more outbound calls at scale, and then there are automations that will pull in activity or call data without reps having to lift a finger.
How does AI-generated voice work?
AI voice generators use deep learning algorithms and neural networks to create lifelike speech that sounds natural. They are an increasingly popular tool for generating voiceovers in various applications.
With AI, sales reps can also leverage post-call reporting that does not require much manual intervention.
Many marketers have gotten tired of dialing answering machines and paying inefficient appointment setters to "book a call" and deal with dozens of no-shows!
The Bottom Line:
Although some marketers may lead you to believe that AI can actually have a conversation with prospects and close sales calls this is not the case. If you are using the telephone to make sales you, or someone you pay, must still make the sales call and do the closing.
But you can use AI and automation tools to automate tasks such as:
- finding prospects,
- verifying contact information,
- scheduling calls,
- sending follow-up emails,
- and updating your CRM.
Even if you decide to use robots you are still dealing with humans.
And most humans HATE sales calls!
Most Americans don’t answer cellphone calls from unknown numbers.
“Americans just aren’t picking up the phone much anymore. Eight-in-ten Americans say they don’t generally answer their cellphone when an unknown number calls, according to newly released findings from a Pew Research Center web survey of U.S. adults...”
If you are trying to earn a full-time income online consider joining our students working on six-figure incomes part-time. This means you can still keep your job while enjoying your new income stream.
Discover how our students are earning income online without:
- phone calls
- paying for ads
- webinars
- and using AI to make calls
PaidLetter.Com
#family#sales#artificial intelligence#salesforce#scaleAI#scale ai#AI#technology#marketing#scale13#paidletter#success#science#calls#AI interview#interview#AI scheduling assistant reddit#scaleAIinterview#reddit reviews#reddit
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Tips for Combating Writer's Block
Picture this: You sit down at your computer to write a blog or research paper to publish on your website. But instead of typing away, your fingers hover above the keys as you desperately try to develop creative ideas.
Writer's block can be frustrating. When ideas don't flow, you waste time and fail to produce content that inspires. Fortunately, there are many ways to get around this problem.
Improve Your Writing Environment
Where you write can influence what ideas come to mind. Consider creating a dedicated writing environment purpose-built to inspire. Choose a room with doors that allow you to block out the world.
Then, declutter your desk to reduce distractions. If visuals get the creative juices flowing, hang a beautiful piece of art on the wall or get a flower arrangement! Do what you need to do to feel comfortable and ready to write.
Work in Manageable Chunks
Writing for hours on end is challenging, even for professional writers. Don't push yourself past your limit so much that you reach a wall. Instead, try working in smaller chunks.
Many writers say that they reach peak productivity when writing for 25 minutes. Set a timer and walk away for a short break. During your time away from the computer, you can develop new ideas, rethink your writing and keep the creativity flowing.
Use Copywriting Software
Many copywriters struggle to develop exciting new ideas. One way you can get around that hurdle is by using SEO copywriting software. The right platform will do a lot of the heavy lifting for you.
Provide a few keywords and allow the software to generate ideas. Use that as a jumping-off point, and you can have an endless creativity driver that makes writer's block a thing of the past.
Do Writing Exercises
Here's another way that SEO copywriting software comes in handy. Use the software to create unique prompts that help you flex your skills and keep your mind open. Writing exercises don't have to be long. Short 10-minute sessions with unique prompts push you out of your comfort zone, forcing you to explore topics you normally wouldn't write about.
Exercises are powerful, teaching you to go beyond your perceived limits and letting you experiment. What you learn during these exercises easily translates to more inspiration in your core work.
Read a similar article about article writing software here at this page.
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Telesales with Voice Assistants: How to Boost Outbound Sales with Voice AI?
Nowadays, if you want to stay afloat and thrive as a company, you need a robust technology base. Technology breaks old rules and provides new tools for more effective sales. With recent advancements in AI, speech recognition, NLU, and NLG more and more organizations are turning towards conversational AI as a primary means to communicate with their customers. Apart from customer experience, conversational AI is being widely adopted to automate marketing and sales processes as well. Conversational AI typically works as a voice assistant in several use cases such as virtual assistant, agent assistant, and conversational IVR applications.
Combining the power of AI and Machine Learning, organizations can automate voice assistants to take over mundane sales tasks such as outbound sales calls. This is one of the many ways that organizations can use AI to save money and reduce the load on sales teams.
Agent Productivity
Automating outbound telesales with voice AI assistants can bring an organization’s call center costs down tremendously. Instead of hiring staff to run a telesales campaign, outbound calls can be automated to take up repetitive tasks and free up the bandwidth of agents. Reducing such mundane tasks can help boost productivity as well among agents. Apart from this, voice AI is also effective at improving sales using empathy. With human agents, it is difficult to ensure that the agents are empathetic and polite enough while making their outbound calls. With voice AI assistants, every call is made on time, with empathy and enthusiasm, and most importantly without fatigue.
Here’s an elaborate example of how voice AI assistants help in driving sales in the insurance industry while ensuring operational efficiency.
youtube
Additionally, when in need of human intervention, agents also get a unified document of customer details, with the help of voice conversational AI, and let them focus on serving their customers instead of wasting time searching for information.
Cart Abandonment
Card abandonment is a complex issue to solve and voice AI has been proven to be effective at improving conversion rates. Most customers abandon carts when they don’t find answers to their questions at the right time. With voice assistants always available, customers can get their questions answered instantly during their buying journey. After they get answers on time, they make a decision, make the purchase, and do not abandon the product in the cart.
In the case of businesses like dental healthcare and real estate, an abandoned cart could mean making appointments and not showing up in person. In such scenarios, voice AI can help by making automated calls to customers reminding them of their appointments and other important details.
Upselling
Automated outbound calls are a great way to upsell products and services to your customers. Up-selling and cross-selling during a sales cycle are usually up to the sales agent and it is heavily manual. Voice AI removes this obligation from an organization’s sales team and provides them with tools to better manage complex cases. Voice assistants can up-sell or cross-sell seamlessly during a conversation based on the user’s profile and previous interactions with the AI and offer them complementary products or services based on their behavior.
Sales AI assistant can also be equipped with co-browsing technology through which they can follow the customer’s activity on the business application or website and offer real-time guidance. By hand-holding customers through their buying journey in this manner, voice AI can shorten the sales cycle, and assist customers in making decisions by upselling before the customer completes their purchase.Here’s a video on how voice AI assistants can help customers and up-sell products and services through guided web browsing.
youtube
Qualifying Leads
AI-powered voice assistants can speed up the process of qualifying customers and filter them with minimal to no human involvement. By automating in this manner, leads are qualified before they are let into the sales funnel. Apart from this, voice AI can automate communications completely through the entire sales cycle from awareness to point of purchase. After a customer enters their primary details on the website, the voice assistant can connect with the customer through a phone call, understand their requirements through a simple conversation, qualify and instantly push them down the sales funnel.
Conclusion
Automating AI sales calls with the help of voice assistants can definitely save lots of time for sales agents, improve operational efficiency, cut costs, and speed up sales cycles. Outbound calling is a valuable service to offer. When done correctly, it can enhance customer satisfaction and boost revenue. While organizing outbound calling used to be time-consuming, automated outbound calling solutions have made it easier and minimized resources requirement. To leverage voice AI to its fullest potential, all you need to do is find a partner who understands your needs thoroughly.
Get in touch with our experts to learn more about how voice assistants can make your sales processes more effective.
#voice assistants#voice ai#ai sales calls#virtual assistant#outbound telesales#voice conversational ai#Youtube
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Generative AI Policy (February 9, 2024)
As of February 9, 2024, we are updating our Terms of Service to prohibit the following content:
Images created through the use of generative AI programs such as Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, and Dall-E.
This post explains what that means for you. We know it’s impossible to remove all images created by Generative AI on Pillowfort. The goal of this new policy, however, is to send a clear message that we are against the normalization of commercializing and distributing images created by Generative AI. Pillowfort stands in full support of all creatives who make Pillowfort their home.
Disclaimer: The following policy was shaped in collaboration with Pillowfort Staff and international university researchers. We are aware that Artificial Intelligence is a rapidly evolving environment. This policy may require revisions in the future to adapt to the changing landscape of Generative AI.
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Why is Generative AI Banned on Pillowfort?
Our Terms of Service already prohibits copyright violations, which includes reposting other people’s artwork to Pillowfort without the artist’s permission; and because of how Generative AI draws on a database of images and text that were taken without consent from artists or writers, all Generative AI content can be considered in violation of this rule. We also had an overwhelming response from our user base urging us to take action on prohibiting Generative AI on our platform.
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How does Pillowfort define Generative AI?
As of February 9, 2024 we define Generative AI as online tools for producing material based on large data collection that is often gathered without consent or notification from the original creators.
Generative AI tools do not require skill on behalf of the user and effectively replace them in the creative process (ie - little direction or decision making taken directly from the user). Tools that assist creativity don't replace the user. This means the user can still improve their skills and refine over time.
For example: If you ask a Generative AI tool to add a lighthouse to an image, the image of a lighthouse appears in a completed state. Whereas if you used an assistive drawing tool to add a lighthouse to an image, the user decides the tools used to contribute to the creation process and how to apply them.
Examples of Tools Not Allowed on Pillowfort:
Adobe Firefly*
Dall-E
GPT-4
Jasper Chat
Lensa
Midjourney
Stable Diffusion
Synthesia
Example of Tools Still Allowed on Pillowfort:
AI Assistant Tools (ie: Google Translate, Grammarly)
VTuber Tools (ie: Live3D, Restream, VRChat)
Digital Audio Editors (ie: Audacity, Garage Band)
Poser & Reference Tools (ie: Poser, Blender)
Graphic & Image Editors (ie: Canva, Adobe Photoshop*, Procreate, Medibang, automatic filters from phone cameras)
*While Adobe software such as Adobe Photoshop is not considered Generative AI, Adobe Firefly is fully integrated in various Adobe software and falls under our definition of Generative AI. The use of Adobe Photoshop is allowed on Pillowfort. The creation of an image in Adobe Photoshop using Adobe Firefly would be prohibited on Pillowfort.
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Can I use ethical generators?
Due to the evolving nature of Generative AI, ethical generators are not an exception.
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Can I still talk about AI?
Yes! Posts, Comments, and User Communities discussing AI are still allowed on Pillowfort.
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Can I link to or embed websites, articles, or social media posts containing Generative AI?
Yes. We do ask that you properly tag your post as “AI” and “Artificial Intelligence.”
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Can I advertise the sale of digital or virtual goods containing Generative AI?
No. Offsite Advertising of the sale of goods (digital and physical) containing Generative AI on Pillowfort is prohibited.
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How can I tell if a software I use contains Generative AI?
A general rule of thumb as a first step is you can try testing the software by turning off internet access and seeing if the tool still works. If the software says it needs to be online there’s a chance it’s using Generative AI and needs to be explored further.
You are also always welcome to contact us at [email protected] if you’re still unsure.
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How will this policy be enforced/detected?
Our Team has decided we are NOT using AI-based automated detection tools due to how often they provide false positives and other issues. We are applying a suite of methods sourced from international universities responding to moderating material potentially sourced from Generative AI instead.
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How do I report content containing Generative AI Material?
If you are concerned about post(s) featuring Generative AI material, please flag the post for our Site Moderation Team to conduct a thorough investigation. As a reminder, Pillowfort’s existing policy regarding callout posts applies here and harassment / brigading / etc will not be tolerated.
Any questions or clarifications regarding our Generative AI Policy can be sent to [email protected].
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recommendations of visual novels on sale for the steam winter sale 2023
steam's winter sale just started and will run for the next two weeks, so if you're looking for a new visual novel to try (or want to get into them), here's a lot that I've played that are on sale on steam.
umineko when they cry
the ushiromiya family returns to the family head's home on an isolated island for their annual conference with the intention of settling how his vast amount of wealth is divided. instead, though, a letter is left from someone claiming to be a "witch". with the ushiromiyas dropping left and right, the mystery behind everything remains to be solved.
I can't make a recommendation list without mentioning umineko. it's life changing. it might even trans your gender. it's hard to describe umineko, but just know that it's absolutely deserving of the "cult classic" tag.
notes:
kinetic/linear - no choices
VERY long
divided into two games on steam - Questions Arcs is the first 4 episodes and Answers Arcs is the last 4 episodes (8 episodes in total, play Questions Arcs first)
created by Ryukishi07, creator of Higurashi
fantasy mystery
ace attorney
follow phoenix wright as he embarks on his career as a lawyer to help people. meet a variety of clients and prove their innocence by collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and exposing lies in court.
ace attorney is one of the classic mystery visual novels, being a blend of point-and-click elements via investigations and visual novel storytelling. the steam port is a massive collection, combining the first 3 games (the original phoenix wright trilogy) as 1 game.
notes:
investigative gameplay segments, a good chunk of the story is point-and-click parts
VERY long for the whole trilogy- each game is around 20 hours long and the steam edition is 3 games
modern mystery with supernatural elements
ai: the somnium files
play as detective kaname date as he hunts down a serial killer using a cutting-edge technology which allows him to "psync" with a person, diving into the memories of others to solve crimes in a limited amount of time with the help of his AI assistant/eyeball Aiba.
aitsf is a lot. it's probably the raunchiest non-eroge game I've ever played and despite my low tolerance for dirty jokes I found most of it to be laughable and a fun experience, though I did play this with friends. if it's a miss for you, it's gonna miss you by a wide margin, but if it's a hit for you, you're going to be recommending it nonstop. either way you'll want to hit kaname date with a car.
notes:
long, around 25-35 hours
this game heavily relies on going back to prior choices via their branching menu to try other options in order to get the full story (and true ending). there are several endings to this game but you're meant to play through them all, not just one or two.
a lot of gameplay and interactive segments
sci-fi mystery
english voice acting
witch on the holy night
aoko aozaki is a highschooler who has to balance her class president, perfect grades life with her secret afterschool life of being a mage—a secret she has to keep at the risk of death. keeping this balance already isn’t easy but one day she gets a wrench thrown into it with the introduction of a transfer student, soujuurou shizuki, a country boy so out of touch that he’s never seen electricity before.
I love witch on the holy night so, so much. it's one of the most beautifully directed visual novels ever made with so much love and care put into each frame. the cast is wonderful (touko my beloved) and it's a must-read for anyone who likes modern-ish fantasy.
notes:
kinetic / linear - no choices
long, around 25-30 hours
originally written by kinoko nasu, one of the co-founders of type-moon and creators of fate/stay night. has some relation to tsukihime and garden of sinners but you don't need any knowledge of those going in
modern-ish (1980s) fantasy with lots of talking about magic
ghostpia
a snowy town filled with "ghosts" is where the young woman sayako finds herself trapped, feeling like she doesn't belong and wants to leave this town where no one dies.
it's hard to describe ghostpia. it's a surreal-ish story about "ghosts" where every character is quirkier than the last but every part is made with so much heart behind it. you never really know where the story is going, but unfortunately only 1 season is currently out on steam.
notes:
medium length, around 10 hours
very innovative and unique use of visuals and paneling
surreal-ish (sometimes violent) fantasy
please be happy
as a shapeshifting fox called a "gumiho", miho has traveled the world in search for a traveler who showed her kindness many years ago. afraid of sticking around in one place for too long, miho has never stayed anywhere for more than a few nights- but all of that changes when she arrives in wellington, new zealand and meets the barista/writer aspen and the vampire archivist juliet.
okay okay I had to recommend at least one visual novel I worked on. please be happy was a labor of love for our team that took over 3 years to make and is a slice of life story about love, trust, and what it means to be human.
notes:
medium to long, about 20 hours
2 romanceable ladies, aspen and juliet, and a plethora of side characters to meet via a map system
modern slice of life fantasy
english voice acting
WE KNOW THE DEVIL
find yourself back at summer camp with all the queer religious horror of it.
WE KNOW THE DEVIL is a short, atmospheric and slightly surreal story about 3 teens at a religious summer camp waiting for the devil. if you want something that feels familiar and otherworldly at the same time, this is right up your alley.
notes:
very short, about 2 hours
3 endings and 1 true ending
isolation, psychological horror
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this is just a handful of recommendations of visual novels I've played and enjoyed that are on sale right now on steam.
some of these titles, like please be happy and WE KNOW THE DEVIL, are also available on itch.io which is a website for indie games! they're also currently having a winter sale so a lot of indie visual novels are on sale over there too, if you want DRM-free versions of games while also giving a better revenue split to devs.
#visual novel#visual novels#visual novel game#game recommendations#game recs#I wanted to rec more indie stuff but the ones I like either aren't on sale or they're free or they're not on steam at all#so that'll be for another time...#also this didnt end up as giant as i was thinking it would be bc i didnt want to do multiple in a series like higu and dai gyakuten
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'Whisper Me a Love Song' Anime Adaptation Teaser Released; Additional Cast Revealed
On Friday, a teaser promotional video for the upcoming television anime adaptation of Eku Takeshima's Whisper Me a Love Song (Sasayaku You ni Koi o Utau) was uploaded to the anime's official website and YouTube. The teaser features lead voice actresses Hana Shimano and Asami Seta in their roles as Himari and Yori, respectively.
youtube
The anime is set to premiere in January 2024. It is the directorial debut of Xin Ya Cai, who previously directed episodes of The Genius Prince's Guide to Raising a Nation Out of Debt, Lapis Re:LiGHTs and served as assistant director of Starlight Promise. It is animated at studio Cloud Hearts (The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World) with production supervision by Tokohama Animation Lab.
Additional staff includes script supervisor Hiroki Uchida and character designer Minami Yoshida.
On March 17, a post on the anime's website announced other cast members who will appear alongside Hana Shimano and Asami Seta in the anime. They include:
Mikako Komatsu as Aki Mizuguchi
Konomi Kohara as Mari Tsutsui
Ai Kakuma as Kaori Tachibana
Yuna Nemoto as Shiho Izumi
Whisper Me a Love Song is a high school Yuri romance manga following energetic first-year Himari. During the welcoming celebration for new students, Himari hears Yori's band perform and instantly falls in love with her singing. When she has the opportunity to meet Yori, Himari instantly confesses her love, and to her surprise, Yori says she loves her back! But soon, both girls realize they are experiencing different kinds of love and begin to explore their true feelings for each other and what they might mean.
The anime is based on the manga of the same name by Eku Takashima, which has been serialized in Comic Yuri Hime since April 2019. Kodansha USA publishes the manga in English and is set to release the seventh volume this June.
You can and look forward to the anime adaptation of Whisper Me a Love Song next year and check out the original manga today digitally and in paperback: https://amzn.to/3z7D3BT
Reading official releases helps support creators and publishers. YuriMother makes a small affiliate commission from sales to help fund future coverage.
#Yuri#anime#news#whisper me a love song#lgbt#sasakoi#lgbtq#lgbtq+#girls love#gl#gay#manga#wlw#yuri anime#gl anime#gl manga#Youtube
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Antwan’s Assistant–Keys
"He's dead! You hear me? The guy, put him up here. Put him up here on the screen. Put him on the screen. Make me see him. There he is."
I glanced over a Keys as he glanced at me. He shrugged, with a small smirk before looking back at our furious boss.
I've worked here since it was a start-up. Keys and I met when he started working for Soonami in the complaint department. I never understood why he was there. He's an incredible coder with a degree from MIT. What Keys didn't know, or anyone we work with for that matter, was that I graduated from Stanford with a master's in coding.
"Yes," Antwan practically growled. "There he is, the little do-gooder."
"I thought you liked Blue Shirt," Mouser said hesitantly.
"Don't say words to me!" Antwan yelled. "People are so busy watching this loser on Twitch and YouTube. You know what they're not doing, guys? Buying Free City 2. Pre-sales are down 16%."
"60," Jonathan, Antwan's personal assistant corrected.
"60," Antwan whispered. "That's bad. Oh, we are 48 hours from launch."
"Yeah, he's gone viral."
My head snapped towards Keys. I started chewing on the inside of my cheek, nervous. You never spoke out against Antwan. He hated being proven wrong or embarrassed.
"Yeah," Antwan mocked, "a virus that's giving me ass and ball cancer at the same time!"
I internally groaned. Man, I hated this guy.
"Inoperable!" Antwan yelled. He sighed as he glared at Blue Shirt Guy. "You know, this whole good guy routine. . . it is a bad influence, and is bad for the franchise. I want him gone. I don't care who it is, boot him."
"You can't."
"Keys," I whispered even though I knew he couldn't hear me.
"Oh, I'm sorry, what?"
"You can't," Keys repeated.
"Why not?"
"Because he's not a hacker, Antwan. He's an NPC."
"You're tryin' to tell me that all this shit about a self-aware NPC is real?"
"Yeah. I don't know how or why, but he's real."
I rolled my eyes as Antwan started pacing around and, suddenly, sat down on the ground. Keys and I shared a look as Antwan struggled to get up off the ground.
"So we can't kick him out of the game. How do we reset his AI? Ideas, people. Come on. Hit me. Ideas."
"You could just reboot the server."
"Mouser," I said through my teeth. He looked over at me and shrugged.
"Keep talking," Antwan ordered.
"If we reboot the server, then he's just gonna revert back to a regular non-player guy."
"Solution," Antwan smirked.
"Antwan," Keys sighed. "you're talking about terminating the first confirmed artificially intelligent life-form right now, okay?"
"Honey, honey. Shush." I found myself getting angry when he disrespectfully shushed Keys. "He's losing me money. So, I don't care if he's Arnold-Frickin'-Schwarzen-Vader. Terminate him. Reboot."
"On it," Mouser said as he walked back to his desk.
"Mouser," I stopped him. "I know how much you idolize Antwan, but you can't do this."
"Go back to your desk, secretary," he scoffed.
"You can't do that," I heard Keys sigh.
"Reboot!"
* * * * *
My heart sank when I looked over and saw Keys completely defeated. I grabbed my empty coffee cup and walked toward his desk.
As I passed his desk, I whispered, "A reboot doesn't erase Blue Shirt Guy's AI coding."
"What?" He stuttered. I walked into the break room, waiting. I smiled when Keys walked in.
"What did you mean?" He asked. "The reboot doesn't erase his coding?"
"No," I said, glancing behind him. "You would literally have to destroy the servers to do that."
"But. . ."
"Keys," I cut him off, "Guy's AI is still there. It just needs to be accessed."
"Accessed," he said slowly. His eyes widened and so did his smile. My heart sank as he started to walk away. He stopped in the doorway and turned back towards me.
"Thanks, Y/N."
* * * * *
"It didn't work."
I looked up to see Keys walking over to my desk in front of Antwan's office and sitting on the edge.
"What?"
"Millie tried talking to him. He doesn't remember anything," Keys sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. "The first confirmed artificially intelligent life-form and he's dead."
"He's not dead," I said. "It's going to take something big. Think. What made him come to life?"
"Millie," Keys said a little faster than I wish he had.
"Just seeing her?"
"Lovelorn," Keys mumbled.
"Who?"
"He's a character I created in Life Itself. He was someone designed to never meet the right person. But he never stopped hoping that he would meet the. . ."
"The girl of his dreams," I finished for him.
"Exactly," he smiled.
My heart sank as I added, "And I'm guessing you based her off of Millie."
"It made sense to base her off of the person I was sitting next to every day."
He said that like it was so simple, but I couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. It was so obvious that Keys was head over heels in love with his best friend. The only person who didn't know was Millie. Of course.
I only had one question; how? How could she not see how crazy he was about her?
Then again, he didn't know how crazy I was about him. . .
"Y/N," he laughed, "you are a genius!"
I gasped when he stood up, kissed my cheek, and ran out of the office. I spent the rest of the day with my face burning.
"Antwan," Jonathan sighed, "you should see this."
My heart sank as we watched the clip of Blue Shirt Guy and the security guy–I think his name is Buddy– talking to one of the top players, RevenJamin Buttons.
"And you, you tried to steal it from me with that Molotov chick."
"Her name's Millie," Guy said as I snuck out of his office.
"Keys!" I yelled as I ran over to him.
"What's wrong?"
"Antwan knows. . ."
"Got her. Got her! Got you! Got you! Mouser! Put him up on the screen. Now. Put him up. Come on, quicker. That's it. Yes, there he is."
"He's joyriding around Free City with some player called Molotovgirl."
"Wait," Keys said under his breath. "Did he just say. . ."
I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the hallway outside the office. Before Keys could say anything or ask what was going on, I started to explain as quickly as I could.
"Antwan knows that Millie has been helping Guy search for proof that your build is in the game."
"What?"
"He's going to try to kill her in the game," I continued. "But what he doesn't know is that he doesn't have anything."
"Wait, how did you. . ."
"I texted Millie and told her she and Guy needed to get all the other NPCs to go on strike."
"Y/N," he tried to interrupt.
"Which means he also knows where they're going. Now, he doesn't have any military or defense to throw at them, but he's been working on this crazy, advanced version of Guy named, Dude."
"Dude?"
"He's not ready and there are a lot of holes in his code. Honestly, these holes shouldn't even be there. They're small and stupid. I mean, it's not hard to code the guy a brain. I could do it in my sleep."
"Wait," Keys stuttered. "You code?"
"Yes," I said softly.
"How did I not know that?"
"Someone find me Keys!"
I could hear Antwan storming toward us. I grabbed his hand and pulled him through the nearest door. I looked up, my breath getting caught in my throat when I realized how close we were.
"Sorry," I whispered. "If he finds you, he'll fire you and that is literally the last thing I want."
I could barely see the smile on his face. "It's still a good place to work," he whispered.
"Not without you."
My eyes widened when I realized what I said. Keys opened his mouth to say something, but the door was quickly opened.
"Oh," our custodian gasped. "I need the mop."
"Sorry, Henry," Keys laughed. He grabbed my hand, intertwined our fingers, and led me out of the closet.
As we started walking back to the office, his phone went off. I glanced over and instantly let go of his hand when I saw that it was a message from Millie. I wrapped my arms tightly around myself and walked back to my desk.
"Y/N!" Antwan yelled. "You're friends with Keys. . . Sorta. Where is he?"
I glanced over and saw Keys sneaking past the cubicles, heading towards the lobby. For a brief moment, we made eye contact. He sent me a smile that made my heart skip a beat and a wink that made me blush.
"Nope," I said, turning back towards Antwan. "No idea."
* * * * *
I smiled when the game changed and a bridge formed to help Millie and Guy.
"No!" Mouser yelled. "Okay, who did that? Who is doing that? Don't play with me! Seriously! I'm under way too much pressure!"
"Nice coding, Keys," I whispered.
A few minutes later I noticed Antwan and Johnathan rushing through the building.
"I just checked with security," Johnathan said. "Keys hasn't left the building."
"Oh, sounds like you've done everything possible," Antwan said in an overly-sweet voice. "Time to give up? You wanna give up?"
"No," Johnathan stuttered, "I'm sensing you want me to keep looking."
"Go," Antwan barked.
"I'll keep looking."
"I have no idea where these fools are running to," Mouser said angrily.
"I do," Antwan smirked. "Southern shore. Hitman's Beach."
"Well, that's stupid," Mouser snorted. "There's nothing out there but water. Game physics won't even let you get past the shoreline. Unless there is something out there. . . Antwan, is there something out there?"
"Screw it," Antwan said, more to himself. "Art nerds. Time for Dude."
My heart sank into my stomach when security led Keys to Antwan's office. He made eye contact with me and tried to send me a reassuring smile but I saw right through him.
When the door shut, I jumped up and listened to their conversation.
"Come to collect those knives you stabbed in my back, bro?"
I waited for Keys to say something, but he didn't. Instead, Antwan kept talking. "You've been helping Millie Rusk this whole time. She's looking for your build."
"What build, Antwan?" I heard Keys ask. Even though I was scared of what Antwan would do, I couldn't help but smile at his response. "It's not like you used our code anyway, right? And if you didn't use our code, then how can our original build be in the game, right? Or am I missing something?"
"Leave us."
I jumped back from the door as it opened and the security and Johnathan walked out. I wanted to run to Keys, but I held back.
"Okay, Keys, let's have a real talk. If I'd put out your dumb game, it would have bombed."
"Antwan, you don't know it would've failed," Keys instantly responded.
"Yeah, I do know," Antwan said. "I looked at the numbers, the tracking, the focus groups."
"Has it ever occurred to you that some things matter more than numbers?"
"What matters more than numbers? Money? Yo, news flash, bro, money is still numbers. Nothing matters more than numbers! You should be thanking me!"
"I should be thanking you?"
My heart sank when I heard Keys starting to lose his temper.
"What about the profits that you got from our work?"
"You chose your side, little Padawan. And now, it's time for you to take your place next to the Emperor. You get me, bro?"
"Yeah, I get you. . . bro," Keys chuckled. "Which leads me to this."
Just then, something started happening in the game. I watched as a building started turning into a bridge.
"Clever, Keys," I chuckled.
"What the hell was that?" I heard Antwan ask. I looked up when Mouser went running into Antwan's office.
"Hey, Antwan, things are getting hectic."
"Oh, I thought you were smarter than this, Keys."
"He is," I whispered.
"You're obviously fired, you know that."
My heart sank. I thought about working here without Keys and I couldn't let that happen.
"Security, escort this punk out."
"Wait!" I yelled as I barged into the room.
"Y/N," Antwan yelled through his teeth. "I hope you have a good excuse for coming in when I'm in the middle of firing this son of a. . ."
"You're lying."
"Y/N. . ." Keys stuttered.
"What the hell are you doing, little girl?"
"Something I should've done a long time ago," I said slowly turning toward Keys. "This is my fault."
"Your fault?" Keys glanced at Antwan before looking back at me. "Y/N, what are you talking about?"
"I wasn't always Antwan's assistant," I explained. "After he bought your code, he hired me to hide it in his game. When you started working here, he made me his assistant and put it in my NDA that I couldn't say anything. I know I should've told you, especially when Millie filed her lawsuit, but my hands were tied. I couldn't do anything. That's not a good enough explanation to lie to you, I know that but. . . I'm so sorry, Keys."
"Hey," he said as he reached over and grabbed my hand. "It's okay."
"But I lied to you," I said, my voice breaking. "Your amazing code was hidden in this stupid shooter game and I didn't tell you. Your code led to the first AI and now no one will know. What's worse is I'm the one who put it there."
"Y/N," he said gently. "I'm not mad."
"You're not?" I stuttered.
"Of course not," he chuckled. "I could never be mad at you."
The tension between Keys and I broke when Antwan dramatically groaned.
"If you two lovebirds are done. . ."
Keys and I looked at each other, matching blushes when he called us lovebirds. We kept staring at each other, not even bothering to listen to Antwan angrily threaten us.
"I have proof," I said, not looking away from Keys. "I have exactly what Millie needs to win her court case against Antwan and Soonami."
"What proof?" Antwan challenged. I rolled my eyes before grabbing Keys' laptop.
I found the secret backdoor I put into the code and brought down the border at Hitman's Beach. I looked back over at Keys and the look on his face made me smile.
He turned towards me and caused me to gasp when he pulled me into his arms. He picked me up and spun me around. When he put me back on my feet, I gasped at how close we were.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I. . ."
I gasped when Keys leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. I was too shocked to hesitate before kissing him back. We didn't care about Antwan or Mouser in the room as our lips moved in sync. When we finally broke the kiss, I said the dumbest thing possible.
"I thought you had feelings for Millie," I whispered.
"I'll be honest," Keys sighed, "I used to."
"Used to?"
"Yeah," he chuckled, tightening his arms around my waist. "Growing up, I had feelings for Millie, but those went away when I met you."
"Are you saying. . ."
"He's saying he has a crush on you," Mouser laughed. "Even I knew that."
Keys and I laughed, our faces both burning when we remembered we weren't alone.
"Hey," he said, making me turn back towards him. "You wanna get dinner?"
"Shouldn't you talk to Millie about your build?"
"Don't need to," he shrugged making me laugh. "I was streaming the whole thing."
I laughed as I shook my head. I glanced over at Antwan and watched him realize what Keys said.
"Clever boy."
#Walter keys mckeys#keys#keys imagine#free guy#free guy imagine#joe keery#joe keery imagines#joe keery x reader#joe keery POV
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Self-publishers must declare if content sold on Amazon’s site is AI-generated
Retailer announces new rules for its Kindle Direct Publishing forum after complaints about AI-produced works being sold under human writers’ names
by Ella Creamer
Amazon has introduced new rules and guidance for Kindle books generated by artificial intelligence tools, including the requirement that authors inform it when content is AI-generated.
The company announced the new rules on its Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) forum on Wednesday. It said in a statement: “Beginning today, when you publish a new title or make edits to and republish an existing title through KDP, you will be asked whether your content is AI-generated.” KDP allows authors to self-publish their books and put them up for sale on Amazon’s site.
Amazon also added a new section to its content guidelines focused on AI, which now includes definitions of “AI-generated” and “AI-assisted” content and states that sellers are not required to disclose when content is AI-assisted.
READ MORE
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Sales Automation: Streamlining Processes for Efficient Lead Generation
Article by Jonathan Bomser | CEO | AccountSend.com
In today's lightning-paced business ecosystem, the beacon of Sales Automation shines brighter than ever as a transformative force propelling lead generation into a realm of unprecedented efficiency and success. This voyage takes us through seven pivotal strategies that harness the true potential of Sales Automation, ensuring that you harness its power to revolutionize your lead generation journey.
DOWNLOAD THE SALES AUTOMATION INFOGRAPHIC HERE
Implement a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System
Imagine a command center at your fingertips that orchestrates your lead interactions with finesse. This is where the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System, the linchpin of Sales Automation, comes into play. This technological marvel enables you to seamlessly centralize customer data, track interactions, and automate tasks with precision. Picture the possibilities as your sales team focuses on nurturing connections that drive conversions.
Utilize Marketing Automation Tools
Bid farewell to labor-intensive marketing efforts as Sales Automation brings forth the magic of marketing automation tools. These remarkable instruments streamline repetitive marketing tasks, from orchestrating email campaigns to nurturing leads and scheduling social media content. By crafting strategic workflows and triggers, you hold the power to deliver tailor-made messages that resonate with your prospects. The outcome? Engagement and conversion rates that soar to new heights.
Qualify Leads with Lead Scoring
In the labyrinth of potential leads, imagine having a compass that guides you to the most promising ones. Enter lead scoring, a beacon of clarity amidst the complexity. Through meticulous criteria encompassing demographic data, engagement metrics, and behavioral patterns, lead scoring empowers your sales team to prioritize leads ripe for conversion. This orchestration of efficiency elevates your conversion rates while maximizing your team's efforts.
Streamline Sales Processes with Workflow Automation
Embrace the liberation from manual, time-consuming sales processes through the elegance of workflow automation. Bid adieu to the mundane tasks of follow-ups, appointment scheduling, and proposal generation. Workflow automation transforms these into seamless symphonies, gifting your sales team precious time. This temporal freedom translates into a focus on nurturing relationships, cultivating an environment primed for deal closure.
youtube
Integrate Sales and Marketing Efforts
The synergy of sales and marketing isn't a mere concept; it's a dynamic strategy made tangible by Sales Automation. Witness the convergence of these vital forces as silos dissolve, and a harmonious collaboration emerges. Valuable insights flow seamlessly, lead progress is tracked cohesively, and communication flourishes throughout the sales cycle. The result? A seamless alliance that fuels conversions and magnifies results.
Implement Chatbots and AI-powered Assistants
In an era where responsiveness defines success, envision AI-powered chatbots as your digital allies. These innovative assistants redefine customer support and engagement by handling routine inquiries, offering instant responses, and even assisting in lead qualification. The outcome? Your team is unburdened, channeling their expertise into intricate tasks that propel your business forward.
Continuously Analyze and Optimize
Success isn't a static destination; it's an evolving journey. Data analysis becomes your compass in the realm of Sales Automation. Regularly delve into the wealth of insights harvested by your automation tools. Decode lead behavior, unravel conversion rates, and unveil sales performance intricacies. Armed with these insights, fine-tune your lead generation strategies, refine processes, and unearth optimization opportunities.
In essence, Sales Automation stands as the cornerstone of lead generation efficiency. Through adopting a CRM system, harnessing marketing automation tools, embracing lead scoring, automating sales workflows, aligning sales and marketing endeavors, integrating AI-powered support, and ceaselessly optimizing strategies, you can reshape your lead generation narrative. Embrace Sales Automation as the lifeblood of your sales strategy, and witness your lead generation expedition thrive with newfound efficiency and efficacy. The time has come to seize Sales Automation and redefine your lead generation journey.
#Sales Automation#Lead Generation#CRM#Business Owners Database#Verified B2B Emails#B2B Contact Database#CEO Email Addresses#Sales Leads Database#B2B Email List#B2B Leads Database#Verified Business Leads#B2B Leads List#businessgrowth#leadgeneration#b2b#accountsend#youtube#entrepreneurship#b2bleadgeneration#b2bsales#businesstips#sales#Youtube
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Artificial intelligence in real estate industry:
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being utilized in the real estate industry to streamline processes, enhance decision-making, and improve overall efficiency. Here are some ways AI is making an impact in real estate:
1. Property Valuation: AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data including historical sales data, property features, neighborhood characteristics, and market trends to accurately estimate property values. This helps sellers and buyers to make informed decisions about pricing.
2. Predictive Analytics: AI-powered predictive analytics can forecast market trends, identify investment opportunities, and anticipate changes in property values. This information assists investors, developers, and real estate professionals in making strategic decisions.
3. Virtual Assistants and Chatbots: AI-driven virtual assistants and chatbots can handle customer inquiries, schedule property viewings, and provide personalized recommendations to potential buyers or renters. This improves customer service and helps real estate agents manage their workload more efficiently.
4. Property Search and Recommendation: AI algorithms can analyze user preferences, search history, and behavior patterns to provide personalized property recommendations to buyers and renters. This enhances the property search experience and increases the likelihood of finding suitable listings.
5. Property Management: AI-powered tools can automate routine property management tasks such as rent collection, maintenance scheduling, and tenant communication. This reduces administrative overhead and allows property managers to focus on more strategic aspects of their role.
6. Risk Assessment: AI algorithms can analyze factors such as credit history, employment status, and financial stability to assess the risk associated with potential tenants or borrowers. This helps landlords and lenders make informed decisions about leasing or lending.
7. Smart Building Technology: AI-enabled sensors and IoT devices can collect and analyze data on building occupancy, energy consumption, and environmental conditions to optimize building operations, improve energy efficiency, and enhance occupant comfort.
#KhalidAlbeshri#pivot#Holdingcompany#CEO#Realestate#realestatedevelopment#contentmarketing#businessmanagement#businessconsultants#businessstartup#marketingtips#خالدالبشري
#advertising#artificial intelligence#autos#business#developers & startups#edtech#education#futurism#finance#marketing
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Man, I just hate how my little brother is totally GATEKEEPING and flaunting his PRIVILEGE to make a small bus into a fully functioning, beautifully interiored, long-lasting tiny house and is traveling out west enjoying the landscape right now!
I mean, I should be able to do this too! He's constantly flaunting his abilities over me like some elitist. I have great ideas for tiny house buses, I should have the ability to make them at my fingertips at the expense of others without having to leave my chair! Everyone should!
For those unable to pick up the stench of sarcasm oozing off every word of that, I'll spoil it for you, it was rather sarcastic.
I know what you're thinking, "But art is much different than building a tiny house bus!"
Correct! It's usually easier! Which is why I don't understand the notion that it's an elaborate secret being gatekept by artists for centuries. Much easier and quicker to learn, one would argue. Everyone has the ability to make art, and there are simpler ways to do it than mass theft of other's work.
I hate to say it, but sometimes you have to bite the bullet and accept there are things you weren't cut out to do. I had to make peace with the fact that I was not cut out for athletics or sales or technical/mechanical trades. I will never make a small bus into a tiny house with running water, gas, solar powered battery electricity, and luscious wood countertops. And if a gang of robots builds it for me by using other people's house/bus parts at the push of a button, can I still claim to have "made it"?
These "AI assisted programs" don't make it so "ANYONE can make art", they make it so ANYONE can use your nifty program to splice together other people's work into what they've typed and asked for.
There is no point in arguing with these folks at this point really, because they fundamentally don't understand what "Work" or "Learn" mean. They don't understand how or why people create things they want to create, and have never felt the high of making something themselves.
They, like lots of us nowadays, chase the high of instant gratification. Why work when you can see instant results? Problem is, we've got clowns who want respect and validation for these pushbutton heaps of stolen slop. But no matter how advanced they get or how pretty the results, they didn't get to "make" it. And I can't respect anyone who couldn't be bothered to work and enjoy making it.
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Hi I was wondering what your thoughts are about the WGA going on strike? Would like to know what you think the effect that would have on media and what that actually means when writers going strike.
I unequivocally support the strike, anon.
To say that the negotiations between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have broken down would be to imply that they ever got anywhere at all. Pretty much all of WGA’s proposals have been met with rejections and no counter offers, effectively resulting in AMPTP forcing the WGA’s hand. You can read the summary of the negotiations here if you’re interested, but in essence, it boils down to five factors:
Increasing wages and base residuals
Establishing viewership-based residuals and transparency around audience
Preserving the writers room through minimum staffing + more secure contracts as opposed to freelancing
Every staffed writer to get pension and healthcare
Regulating use of AI, ensuring AI can’t write or rewrite literary material, can’t be used as source material, and MBA-covered material can’t be used to train AI.
Pretty much all of these were either outright refused by the AMPTP or seriously lowballed, which not only hugely devalues the writing industry as a whole, but is outright insulting when you see the producers and CEOs of these major corporations taking pay packets of between $40-$230million while writing residuals have dropped so much as to not even cover a writer’s monthly rent for an apartment anymore.
For some context on that, and those five factors I summarized above, I’d highly recommend watching this:
youtube
So, how did we get here?
This is partially answered in the above video, but ultimately the erosion of the writers room and writing residuals comes from streaming. The ways in which corporations make money off TV shows and movies has drastically changed, particularly around international sales (which I talked about a bit here) and re-runs, as international streamers have effectively killed both. What this means is that sales which used to lead to backend payments bolstering network profits, advertising sales and residuals for the creatives are all diluted.
This dilution is then obscured by corporations such as Netflix and Amazon Prime being deliberately vague about viewership, subscribers and more, creating a new industry culture that utilizes lack of transparency to ensure corporations make bank, while the creatives involved in various shows see increasingly less of the backend profits of their work.
This devalues creative talent, particularly writers. It’s company over content, it’s brand over story, and it’s profits over people.
A quick note on auteur TV
This is neither here nor there for the strike in particular (and really feels like a whole other post), but I do think that the focus on auteur-driven TV from streamers has also had a huge impact on dividing and conquering writers, and making certain writers complicit in the system that devalues their artform as a whole.
The streaming wars saw a huge uptick in auteur driven shows, as snapping up creative talent effectively took Hollywood back to the old studio system (which is fascinating in and of itself), but while these writers got big deals (The Duffer Brothers reportedly got a nine-figure deal) it saw budget reduce for writers rooms generally. There’s notorious industry gossip about the Duffers’ making their writers assistant redundant and replacing her with an unpaid intern, for instance, a story that’s becoming increasingly less and less surprising with auteur showrunners. The diminishment of junior roles in the writers room has a huge tap-on effect to the industry at large, limiting career pathways, creative experience, and flattening the writing ecosystem.
While it's about snapping up creative talent, I also do think it's about these corporations having something they can point to to show they're not the only ones making serious money, but showrunners like the Duffers' are red herrings, and often not paying it forwards to the industry they're treated as giants in. Again - whole other post though, haha.
So what happens now?
Kind of a lot of things, actually. Late night’s shutting down, as is SNL, and all shows that were still actively writing will cease production. Yelllowjackets, Abbott Elementary, Big Mouth, Good Omens and more have been stopped, and we’ll likely see pretty much everything else stop too in the coming weeks, especially if crews go on strike in solidarity, which is looking like a real possibility. I also imagine AMPTP will probably want the strike to go for 45 days themselves, because that’s when the force majeure parts of existing deals activate, meaning they can cancel development on shows and movies they’d previously greenlit and effectively scrap their development slates and start over.
The Directors Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild are about to go into negotiations with AMPTP as well (the WGA deadline was 1 May, DGA and SAG-AFTRAs is 30 June), and given the hardline the AMPTP took with writers, it seems like the directors and actors are poised to strike too, which would have a lot of implications.
Matthew Belloni, a longstanding, very legit entertainment journalist, posited three potential outcomes in his newsletter this week after talking to industry insiders. He said:
If there is a strike, here are three different scenarios for how it could play out, based on conversations I’ve had this week with labor veterans:
1. The July Scenario: If both the DGA and SAG-AFTRA make deals at the end of June, the writers will find themselves on a lonely island and will likely settle.
2. The September Scenario: The fall broadcast schedule is impacted, the movie pipeline begins to suffer, the Emmys are threatened, and the companies feel they have made their cost cuts over the summer and can justify giving a little to make a deal.
3. The December Scenario: Everyone, including the streamers, begins to run out of scripted programs, the substitutes and unscripted fare aren’t generating equivalent viewership, and people start canceling subscriptions. Both sides panic, get together, and make a deal.
Here’s hoping for either the September or December scenario at this point, as they’re what’s going to give the writers leverage in negotiating, but yeah – it does mean we’re in for the long haul.
In the meantime, I think the media landscape is going to be a lot of unscripted shows and probably a lot of foreign imports. We're just going to have to wait and see.
#wga strike#tv asks#kinda#welcome to my ama#i do think it's going to be a long one#especially since the rumours are the streamers have been banking shows for a while in preparation#so they've got a lead#i hope it blows up in their faces
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Is there a snippet of regulus taunting voldemort??
And the sexual tension is high??
I didn't have one of hand, but I'm happy to provide a more tense interaction they'll have in ays(aml)!
--- -- --- -- ---
"Mr. Riddle," Regulus said, hurriedly covering his surprise, "good afternoon."
"Good afternoon, Lord Black," Riddle replied, pushing to his feet and holding out his hand.
Regulus hesitated, eyeing him for a moment with suspicion. In public he was untouchable. No one would dare to attack him, no one was stupid enough to try, and it was a privilege Regulus was not afraid to abuse if it helped him achieve his goals. But here in the vast, empty halls of Malfoy Manor, with only Narcissa and the house-elves for company, Riddle could very easily get away with anything.
Regulus was arrogant, but not so much to assume the man before him couldn't crush him like a bug if it came to a fight.
His mind rushed to list all the risks - touch-based poisons, curses, monitoring spells, jinxes - and desperately wished he had thought to wear his gloves. He hadn't anticipated this ambush happening so soon, and not from an innocent invitation to have tea with his cousin, but maybe he should have. He knew where Narcissa's loyalty lay.
With a subtle downward curl to his lips, Regulus shook the man's hand. He would have to find a second to cast a diagnosis charm, because there was no way the rising Dark Lord would miss the chance skin-to-skin contact with Regulus could give him.
Riddle gave him a gilded smile, as if he knew precisely what he was thinking and found it funny. "How good to see you again. Come," Riddle continued smoothly, and against all expectation and protocol, he used his grip on Regulus hand to coax him further down the hall.
Regulus was unbalanced enough to allow it. He shot a look at Narcissa, but his cousin was facing forward, ignoring him completely as she followed them. Reduced to the background in her own home. It smarted Regulus' own pride to see her so demure, despite her participation in this farce.
Riddle led him into the nicer sitting room, and guided Regulus right to his seat. Stubbornly, he waited until Riddle was at his own chair before sitting down.
Narcissa took the place beside him, her hands folding atop her lap, and it was only then that she turned to smile at him. "Cousin, how have you been?"
Regulus considered briefly how he wanted to play this. He could pretend this was a normal occurrence, as if Riddle was a usual fixture in these meetings and privy to such intimate talks.
Or he could be more combative.
Logic dictated one but his instincts prompted the other.
"I'm fine, Cissy. Why are you here, Mr. Riddle?"
Riddle appeared delighted to be asked. "Straight to the point, Lord Black?"
"My time is precious," he answered, heavy with implications that wiped some of Riddle's smugness right off. "If there's a reason you orchestrated this entire thing, if there's something you wished to speak to me about, I'd rather know it now."
"Such an accusation. What makes you think I orchestrated this?" Riddle replied, his eyes bright with intrigue as he barely put any effort into the lie. "Perhaps it's a happy coincidence."
Regulus clasped his hands and leaned forward to meet that heavy gaze. "I don't think coincidences happen to a man like you, Mr. Riddle."
There was a moment when they just smiled at each other, both aware how close to the edge they were walking, before Riddle finally broke the stalemate. "It's about the latest bill -"
"I'm not changing my stance," Regulus cut in, voice hardening. "And forgive me for saying it, Mr. Riddle, but you seem far too interested in politics for a man whose most notable achievement outside of graduating Hogwarts was being a sales assistant."
Oh ho ho, Regulus thought with vicious amusement, that one got him.
And Riddle couldn't say anything to counter that, because at this point in the time, Regulus wasn't supposed to know he was the rumoured Dark Lord.
#anonymous#HP#all your secrets (all my lies)#regulus black#tom riddle#regulus x voldemort#its less a romantic scene and more just them poking at each other#but this is pretty much the beginning scene of all their clashes#remember kids#if youre going to insult someone#aim for their weak points#you know riddle is *burning* at that jab#prideful dickhead that he is
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