Artificial intelligence is becoming a coworker of sorts for all kinds of employees. And as breakthroughs in generative machine learning have spawned a flurry of cutting-edge AI tools, a new report finds that workers at higher levels of companies are starting to see the effects.

• The survey, from automation platform Kizen, found that nine in 10 workers who made at least $100,000 a year reported using AI in their work lives.

One weird trick: Meanwhile, just 15% of those making between $50,000 and $99,000 per year reported using the technology, while a quarter of respondents who made less than $50,000 per year said the same. The company said it surveyed around 1,500 workers overall.

“People who are perceiving AI are either younger [or] likely getting more exposure to what it is through their regular channels,” Kizen CEO John Winner said. “Or they’re more in white-collar positions, where they’re probably being involved in conversations about how this is going to be helping increase efficiency.”

Keep reading here.—PK

Artificial intelligence is being used to create Balenciaga-fied versions of movies and TV shows—a lucky hit of positive publicity for the high-fashion brand that was wrapped up in scandals last year.

A timeline for those of you out touching grass:

• YouTube channel demonflyingfox posted “Harry Potter by Balenciaga” three weeks ago (it now has over four million views). Since then, demonflyingfox and a similar channel called Abandoned Films that started posting content at the same time have continued posting Balenciaga crossovers. Popular videos include takes on Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.
• Separately, about two weeks ago, an AI-generated photo of Pope Francis in a Balenciaga coat made by a man in Chicago went mega-viral on Twitter after first being posted on Reddit and Facebook.

How do they do it? By using AI image generators such as Midjourney and AI voice generators like Eleven Labs—which Abandoned Films tagged in the LOTR video where a snatched Boromir says, “One does not simply walk into a Balenciaga fashion show.”

Balenciaga could use the hype: The brand was boycotted by customers after its 2022 holiday campaign featured child models holding bags shaped like teddy bears wearing bondage gear. These AI crossover videos could distract from the scandals, judging by praiseful comments on the videos like “This is better than any actual commercial for Balenciaga.”—JW

Coworking is a weekly segment where we spotlight Emerging Tech Brew readers who work with emerging technologies. Click here if you’d like a chance to be featured.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in tech?

I assist global enterprise organizations with the identification and delivery of scalable IT technical, vendor, and soft-skills training.

What’s your favorite emerging tech project you’ve worked on?

I have worked on many emerging tech projects in my career, but the top three are cybersecurity, robotics, and artificial intelligence.

What emerging tech are you most optimistic about? Least? And why?

I am most optimistic about artificial intelligence because data speaks. AI data is produced by human action. That data is then tailored to influence future human behavior. Artificial intelligence is very powerful and shapes people’s personal and professional decisions. This impacts the global economy and how organizations and the government strategically position themselves for success. I am least optimistic about cybersecurity, because too many companies are complacent and do not realize the costs associated with breaches until after they have occurred. Security awareness training is the key to prevention, since most breaches are driven by human action (or inaction). Prevention over forced reaction is always the better path.

One thing we can’t guess from your LinkedIn profile?

That I have six children!

What do you think about when you’re not thinking about tech?

Other than my family, I think about how I can support others who are less fortunate. I am frequently called upon in a life-coach capacity to assist colleagues, friends, and clients on ways to excel in their personal and professional lives.

Stat: Tesla has lowered US prices five times thus far in 2023, per Reuters.

Quote: “From the very first moment we started talking about this bill, Amazon started organizing against it.”—Oregon Rep. Pam Marsh to CNBC about failed legislation that proposed limiting carbon emissions created by “high energy use” facilities, such as those mining cryptocurrency and processing data, in the state

Read: Some brand marketers are investing big bucks for a long-term play in the metaverse, despite cool consumer interest in the present.

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• What businesses can learn from this year’s Stanford AI Index
• Consumers aren’t connecting their smart appliances to the internet
• Virgin Orbit’s bankruptcy may offer lessons for other launch companies