The Poison Book Project, Times New Bastard and the Future of Sound | Non-Obvious Insights #374

Dear Newsletterest,

How might augmented reality headsets transform everything from entertainment to advertising? What if old books manufactured with arsenic are still poisonous today? Can Mark Zuckerburg ever be convinced to prioritize the algorithmic changes that could protect us all? How will sonic trends change the way we experience the world? Is there finally a remedy for baldness? What really goes on in Cannes jury rooms? Would you eat at a restaurant serving dishes inspired by Netflix shows? Get all the answers in this week's non-obvious stories. Enjoy!

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The One Thing We Should Be Afraid of With AI: Undermining Democracy

I'm not prone to doomsday prophecies. Most criticism of AI is overblown, but one danger that does need more attention is the role AI will play in exponentially spreading misinformation and undermining democracy itself by making it impossible to separate fact from fiction.

An article on Gizmodo this week described it as the "clogocracy" - where language models are used to personalize and weaponize media to change voting behavior and polarize citizens even further. In this scenario, the candidate with the most unscrupulous and manipulative AI machine is the one that will win. So how do we prevent this from happening? Better privacy protection, for one thing. Media literacy training is another. As the article notes: "every bit of that information that companies or policymakers deny the machine would make it less effective." Other proposed solutions include requiring disclaimers for content generated by AI or banning so-called "replicant speech."

The one thing that seems certain is that the 2024 US Presidential election will present a global test case in algorithmically accelerated manipulation versus our individual abilities to seek out and find the real truth for ourselves amidst the lies.

Apple's Vision Pro Headset Doesn't Matter. Augmented Reality Does.

The coverage of Apple's newly announced $3499 Vision Pro Augmented Reality (AR) Headset is mixed, ranging from lazy observations of the obvious (it won't replace TV!) to a perfect summary from YouTuber Marques Brownlee, who described it as essentially "a rich person's toy and a developer's muse." The headset itself is far less interesting than the growing trend of "experiential hyperlocalism" enabled by AR.

Consider the example of animated British rock band Gorillaz, who created a virtual concert in the middle of Times Square last year featuring animated projections, full screen takeovers and an immersive experience enabled by AR. All of it could be experienced just with a mobile device and the idea has wide ranging implications and questions.

What happens to all the Times Square advertisers whose ads are hidden by virtual content? How will our experience of any place be transformed by the virtual overlaid experiences that can augment it? Will the ability to recreate nostalgic moments in any location (such as this band's geotagged single release) transform the way we remember them? These are the futuristic questions that AR is raising and they are much bigger than whether a three thousand dollar headset is worth the money.

The Poison Book Project

Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.

That line sets the stage for the story in The Lost Apothecary, a novel about a secret society of women from eighteenth-century London who used "well-disguised poisons against the oppressive men in their lives." Though (probably) fictional, the story came to mind for me this week as I read about the very real Poison Book Project - an effort to identify old books with green covers that may have been made with toxic levels of arsenic.

Before you panic, the risk of death would require constant handling of the books so it's limited to researchers, historians or librarians ... but the entire project seems ready made to inspire the plot of a murder mystery yet to be written. Death by toxic media. Literally.

Trends In The Future of Sound

This trend report has a soundtrack. That makes sense, since it is a report on the future of sound developed in a partnership between Spotify Advertising and Wunderman Thompson. The free download features many interesting predictions for how "sonic branding and brand soundscapes can build seamless narratives, journeys, and experiences in both screen-based and screenless environments."

The report opens by focusing on the synergy between gaming and music, a shift that even inspired the 2023 Grammy Awards to add a category for video game music. The next trend focuses on the bridge between the physical and digital, spotlighting the many artists who are experimenting with virtual presences and creating "phydigital" (physical and digital) experiences for their fans.

Other trends featured include "sonic serendipity" (all about music discovery), "audio techcessibility" (sonic tools to help people with disabilities), "adaptive audio health" (the therapeutic application of sound), "architectural soundscapes" (the integration of sound into spaces) and "contextual storytelling" (using audio to create immersive experiences). The full report is available for download here (after filling out a lead gen form).

Does Mark Zuckerburg Need To Be Saved From Himself, In Order To Save The Rest of Us?

Francis Haugen might be the closest thing to a hero in the world of social media that you're likely to find. She burst onto the world's stage as the Facebook whistleblower and since then has consistently spoken out about how Facebook has failed over and over again to make the changes that could keep people safer from misinformation, predators, social media addiction and many other ills of the digital world. Here's one quote from her recent interview with WIRED magazine about her latest book:

"He [Zuckerburg] always says things like, 'We have an inherent tension between freedom of speech and safety.' He never says, 'We could change our algorithms.' There were a huge number of people [inside Facebook] who were developing ways to address these problems, but they require changing the system of management. Facebook has a culture that devalues humans. It’s tragic."

Over and over again, the failures of social media seem to come down to priorities. Profit, free speech, open access and growth all seem to consistently be more important than upholding truth or focusing on user safety. Until that ranking shifts, it's hard to imagine any social media platform truly changing for the better.

Even More Non-Obvious Stories ...

Every week I always curate more stories than I'm able to explore in detail. Instead of skipping those stories, I started to share them in this section so you can skim the headlines and click on any that spark your interest:

How are these stories curated?

Every week I spend hours going through hundreds of stories in order to curate this email. Looking for a speaker inspire your team to become non-obvious thinkers through a keynote or workshop? Watch my new 2023 speaking reel on YouTube >>

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The Poison Book Project, Times New Bastard and the Future of Sound | Non-Obvious Insights #374

The One Thing We Should Be Afraid of With AI: Undermining Democracy

Apple's Vision Pro Headset Doesn't Matter. Augmented Reality Does.

The Poison Book Project

Trends In The Future of Sound

Does Mark Zuckerburg Need To Be Saved From Himself, In Order To Save The Rest of Us?

Even More Non-Obvious Stories ...

Older messages

Why Subtitles Are So Popular, the Couch That Folds and Japan's Earthquake Vending Machines

Vegas Casinos Fix the Odds, Adding Humanity to Gig Work and My Big Publishing Announcement | Non-Obvious Insights #372

Life Saving Radio, the "Motel Patels" and Why Americans Think They Are Better Than They Are | Non-Obvious Insights #371

The Boot Girls, How AI Will Save Education and Why Spoilers Aren't As Bad As You Think | Non-Obvious Insights #370

A $400 Million Gold Coffin, Spotify's Big Mistake and Guilt Tipping the Automated Self Checkout | Non-Obvious Insights #369

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