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Source: RICCARDO MILANI / Getty / Deepseek
The arrival of Deepseek, a Chinese AI app, rocked the tech world and currently has US tech bros shaking in their boots.
First things first: What the hell is Deepseek? Per CNN, Deepseek is a year-old Chinese start-up offering an open-source AI model, R1, that is close to or better than the advanced models from American tech giants. But get this: It was built for a fraction of the cost, runs on less advanced chips, and uses far less data center power.
This is a big deal because the common belief is that US tech companies would spend billions to stay ahead of the AI game, but with Deepseek, China is proving that to be not the case, and Wall Street is looking at them like, oh, word?
Deepseek’s arrival was so alarming that it scared big tech investors, with some of the biggest tech stocks taking a hit.
Per The New York Times:
The Chinese AI company DeepSeek has said it can match the abilities of cutting-edge chatbots while using a fraction of the specialized computer chips that leading AI companies rely on. That’s prompted investors to rethink the heady valuations of companies like Nvidia, whose equipment powers the most advanced AI systems, as well as the enormous investments that companies like Alphabet, Meta and OpenAI are making to build their businesses.
On Monday, the S&P 500 index fell 1.5 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 3.1 percent. Nvidia was hit hard, plunging 16.9 percent and losing roughly $600 billion in market value. Falling tech stocks also dented market indexes in Europe and Japan.
Hilariously, Donald Trump recently announced a $500 billion investment in AI infrastructure called the Stargate initiative, who thinks of these names?
OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle will lead it. No one put it together at the time, but it would seem this announcement could have been made in anticipation of Deepseek’s arrival. Trump’s buddy, Elon Musk, also slammed it.
Deepseek isn’t being warmly welcomed stateside; the US Navy has already banned its use due to ethical and security concerns.
Welp.
It will be interesting to see how Deepseek continues to shake things up. The gallery below shows social media reactions to the AI model’s arrival.
2. Pretty much
3. Pretty much
4. Another explainer
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Source: Justin Sullivan / Getty / Google Maps / Gulf of America
Donald Trump’s presidency is wasting no time with absurdity, and sadly, people are bending their knees to please his ridiculousness.
Google is capitulating to Orange Mussolini and will show US Google Map users the Gulf of America on maps after Trump signed an executive order rebranding the body of water we all know as the Gulf of Mexico.
Google Maps users in Mexico will still see the Gulf of Mexico when they open the app. International users will see both names when they use Google Maps.
Google’s decision comes after Trump went on a renaming spree because he’s a petulant child in a grown man’s body.
“As directed by the President, the Gulf of Mexico will now officially be known as the Gulf of America,” the Interior Department said in a statement.
To justify the decision, the EO claims the area is an “integral asset” to the United States because it produces 14% of US crude oil, has “vibrant American fisheries,” and is “a favorite destination of American tourism.”
The tech giant, which donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration and saw Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai attend the celebration of America’s downfall, said it was following its longstanding policy of aligning map labeling with updates in official government databases.
The Gulf of Mexico Was Not The Only Thing Renamed By A Trump Executive Order
The Gulf of Mexico being stupidly renamed to the Gulf of America isn’t the only thing the Orange Menace renamed via an executive order. Trump reverted the Denali, North America’s tallest peak, back to Mount McKinley, reversing the move by Barack Obama in 2015 as a symbolic gesture to Alaska Natives.
We all know Trump changed the name because he can’t stand Barack Obama because he’s a very petty man.
Buckle up; this is going to be a LONG 4 years.
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Rakim is responsible for changing the way rappers approach rhyming in the 1980s and is regarded as the greatest living MC of all time. Now, Rakim is moving into the fintech space via his new AI-powered Notes platform.
The God MC’s new platform, Notes, combines “music, money, and knowledge” aimed at empowering independent musicians and aiding them in their quest for financial freedom. Further, Notes exists to provide its users with financial literacy, music business education, and more to help them in their creative aims.
Among the features of the Notes platform are connections to find loans or credit providers to raise capital, AI-powered financial literacy, and entrepreneurial education content, membership-focused access, and an “Ask RA” feature, which is an AI-powered vocal rendering of Rakim that serves as your online assistant within the Notes community.
“Independent urban music artists and creators often struggle to gain financial stability despite their market impact,” Rakim shared in a statement. “With Notes, we’re building a community- and lifestyle-driven platform that combines cultural connection, technology, and empowerment to give them the tools they need to thrive.”
The Notes platform is headed up by Rakim and his longtime associate Divine, who also offered a statement of his own.
“The opportunity to partner with Rakim and build a platform like Notes, to empower and support artists and creators in the urban community who have been underserved and exploited for so long, is unprecedented,” Divine says.
While still in its early stages, Notes will continue to develop the platform to include business banking, debit cards, peer-to-peer payment services, and more.
Those interested can learn more about Notes by clicking here. At the bottom of the Notes landing page is a tab for all their socials to follow.
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Photo: Getty
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Source: 2K / Visual Concepts / WWE 2K25
WWE Superstar Roman Reigns gets all the acknowledgment on the cover star of WWE 2K25.
Visual Concepts’ WWE 2K video game franchise has become the undisputed champion of wrestling video games since returning from its hiatus to clean up the once extremely buggy game franchise.
With WWE 2K25, the franchise looks to continue its dominance in the virtual ring. Last night’s edition of Monday Night Raw on Netflix was the perfect time for 2 K to announce that Roman Reigns, The Original Tribal Chief and still the Head of the Table, is this year’s cover star.
The One & Only Tribal Chief Speaks On Grabbing The WWE 2K25 Cover
Reigns, looking like the real-life superhero he is, strikes a heroic pose on the cover of WWE 2K25’s Standard Edition ($69.99), which arrives on March 14. Along with his longtime manager and WWE Legend, his “Wiseman” Paul Heyman admires the true Tribal Chief.
“I am personally and professionally excited that the Original and Only Tribal Chief and the extended Anoa’i family are the focus of WWE 2K25,” said Roman Reigns. “We’ve been building toward this moment for generations, and I challenge players everywhere to show me and my Wiseman, Paul Heyman, what they’ve got, and prove they’re worthy of the attention of their Tribal Chief.”
WWE 2K25 is available for pre-order now.
Source: 2K / Visual Concepts / WWE 2K25
The Undertaker Graces The Deadman Edition of WWE 2K25
Celebrating 35 years of WWE dominance, The Undertaker takes centerstage on the cover of WWE 2K25’s Deadman Edition ($99.99), striking his signature pose that has stoked fear in many of his opponents during his decorated professional wrestling career.
The Deadman Edition includes the Standard Edition and Wyatt Sicks Pack, plus the Deadman Edition Bonus Pack, which includes thew Mattel Elite “Greatest Hits” Undertaker and Original Undertaker (’90) Persona Cards and playable Superstars, a useable Urn object, Undertaker ’95 Mask cosmetic item for The Island on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S only, and Brother Love Manager, plus a Season Pass to all five post-launch DLC character packs and 15,000 VC.
This version of the game also launches seven days before the Standard Edition.
Source: 2K / Visual Concepts / WWE 2K25
The Bloodline Gets A Cover Too
Roman Reigns also covers the game’s Bloodline Edition ($129.99). This edition features Reigns’ Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline factions, including Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Paul Heyman, Sami Zayn, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, and Tonga Loa, interwoven into the roots and branches of the iconic Bloodline family tree. This is one of the dopest WWE 2K covers to date.
Per 2K, the Bloodline Edition will feature the Standard Edition and all bonus content included in the Deadman Edition, The Bloodline Edition includes the Ringside Pass (Season Pass plus Superstar Mega-Boost), The Rock Nation of Domination Pack, which features a Rock Nation of Domination Persona card and playable Superstar and will only be available as part of The Bloodline Edition, plus The Bloodline Edition Bonus Pack, which features Mattel Elite Series 114 Jey Uso and Mattel Elite “Greatest Hits” Roman Reigns Persona cards and playable Superstars.
For Xbox Series X|S and PS5 only, this pack includes a Family Above All Hoodie, OTC Shirt, Yeet tank Top, and Yeet Sunglasses cosmetic items for The Island, while for Steam only, it includes an additional 32,500 VC. Also included is the WrestleMania 41 Pack, which features the WrestleMania 41 Arena, two WrestleMania 41 Main Event Superstars Persona cards and playable Superstars, and a new Superstar Persona Card (TBA), which will all be available in Summer 2025.
Source: 2K / Visual Concepts / WWE 2K25
What’s New In WWE 2K25?
If you thought WWE 2K25 would be a rehash of last year’s game, think again. There are many new modes players can look forward to, like 2K Showcase: The Bloodline’s Dynasty and The Island.
Source: 2K / Visual Concepts / WWE 2K25
Per 2K:
2K Showcase: The Bloodline’s Dynasty: The all-new 2K Showcase, hosted by “The Wiseman” Paul Heyman, celebrates one of the most iconic wrestling family dynasties – The Bloodline and the extended Anoa’i family. Featuring Roman Reigns, The Rock, Yokozuna, Jacob Fatu, and more, players can relive historic showdowns or flip the script and change the outcome of select match-ups. Dream matches between members of The Bloodline and WWE Superstars and Legends offer a “what if?’ fantasy element to settle fan debates and start fresh feuds, in addition to some surprises in store.
The Island: An interactive world made up of a series of areas built around different WWE themes, The Island offers players the opportunity to explore and challenge other players, while vying to earn a WWE contract by impressing “The Original Tribal Chief” Roman Reigns. By completing quests, taking on challenges, competing in live events, earning unlockables, and upgrading and customizing MySUPERSTARS through multiple storyline chapters, The Island allows players to step outside the ropes and “Rule Beyond the Ring.” Available only on PS5® and Xbox Series X|S.
New Match Types and Improvements on Gameplay: Intergender wrestling makes its long-awaited debut in the WWE 2K franchise! WWE or player-created Superstars from the men’s and women’s divisions can now compete against each other to set up limitless matchups across all game modes. Additional features include the return of Chain Wrestling, Bloodline Rules Match, Underground Match, and new barricade diving! More details on each new match type will be shared soon.
Returning Game Modes
MyGM Online Multiplayer: Intrepid GMs can take their show on the road and challenge general managers worldwide in the enhanced MyGM for WWE 2K25, now with online multiplayer for up to four players. Players draft WWE Superstars and Legends to their weekly show’s roster and lead their brand through multiple-week seasons with a bigger selection of General Managers, cross-brand Premium Live Events, and more;
MyFACTION: The collectible, card-battle mode is back with updated features, new content, and more ways to play. Faction Wars now features new node types, and 50 new stages. World Tour replaces Proving Grounds, enabling players to travel to different locations in a non-linear approach, while additional match-type support for live events and online matches, and new community events offer enhanced replayability. New themed card packs and goals will continue to roll out regularly throughout the year with seasonal content refreshes*;
MyRISE: Players guide their MySUPERSTAR from the women’s or men’s division in a singular, multi-gender MyRISE storyline where Bayley, Kevin Owens, and other Superstars infiltrate NXT in an attempt to take control of the entire WWE. Featuring new personality choices that lead to specific storylines, as well as brawl environments, unlockable arenas, characters, useable objects, and more, plus new ally storylines involving Jey Uso, Bianca Belair, Seth Rollins, and other WWE Superstars;
Universe: WWE 2 K’s sandbox mode receives new upgrades to give players greater control over their Universe experience, including the long-awaited return of Promos! The new system includes multiple promo types and outcomes with new cutscenes and branching choices;
Creation Suite: The hallmark of the WWE 2K franchise, the best-in-class, most detailed and robust creation suite remains one of the driving forces behind players’ self-expression as they design their own custom Superstars, GMs, referees, arenas, entrances, move sets, championships, crowd signs, and more.
1. WWE 2K25
Source:WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 wwe,roman reigns,wwe 2k25,the undertaker
2. WWE 2K25
Source:WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 wwe,roman reigns,wwe 2k25,the undertaker
3. WWE 2K25
Source:WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 wwe,roman reigns,wwe 2k25,the undertaker
4. WWE 2K25
Source:WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 wwe,roman reigns,wwe 2k25,the undertaker
5. WWE 2K25
Source:WWE 2K25
WWE 2K25 wwe,roman reigns,wwe 2k25,the undertaker
AXS, AEG’s ticketing and event access platform, is launching a new global biometric authentication feature for its mobile app across all smart phone devices. The technology marks the first time a ticketing smart phone app utilizes biometric security features, such as fingerprint or facial recognition, to provide users with a secure way to access their […]
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Source: Charley Gallay / Getty / Elon Musk
Elon Musk couldn’t be the fake gamer allegations and admitted to cheating. Now, understandably, real gamers are BIG MAD with Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2 developers for not banning Phony Stark for his egregious gaming behavior.
Spotted on IGN, Blizzard Entertainment, and Grinding Gear Games, quietness on the matter of whether action will be taken against Musk has been deafening.
Gamers are now lashing out at the studio’s hesitation to ban Elon Musk’s accounts, leading some to believe that the developers are undermining the integrity of their games, IGN reports.
Rolling Stone shared screenshots of a private conversation between the world’s richest loser and a YouTuber where he openly admitted to paying for account boosting in Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2.
“Have you level boosted (had someone else play your accounts) and/or purchased gear/resources for PoE2 [Path of Exile 2] and Diablo 4?” YouTuber NikoWrex asked. Musk replied with a 100% emoji, adding, “It’s impossible to beat the players in Asia if you don’t, as they do!”
“But when I post a video of a game or am streaming, that’s 100% me,” Musk continued. He was then asked if he would take credit for his high-level Path of Exile 2 character. “No. Never claimed that. The top accounts in Diablo or PoE require multiple people playing the account to win a leveling race.”
What Is Account Boosting?
For those who don’t know, account boosting occurs when a player logs into another player’s account to boost their rank. This directly violates every live service game’s terms of service. Account boosting or power-leveling, in exchange for payment, is prohibited per Blizzard’s end-user license agreement.
So it’s no surprise folks are mad that Musk has yet to be punished for his actions, and they are sounding off on the devs and the X/Twitter owner.
Per IGN:
Following Musk’s admission this week, Diablo 4 developer Blizzard Entertainment and Path of Exile 2 developer Grinding Gear Games have faced questions about whether they will now take action and ban Musk’s accounts for cheating.
“So now billionaires can buy their way to the top of the HC ladder as a vanity project like owning a football club. Are the TOS not being enforced even when openly broken?” asked one Path of Exile player in a post on the game’s official forum.
“Are there any comments from GGG regarding this? Maybe in [Early Access] it’s not a high priority, or it’s garnering too much free press, but as a longtime supporter, this is a massive blow to the credibility of RMT [real money trading] enforcement.
“I’m not trying to shitpost or troll with this, I’m just extremely disappointed that GGG isn’t getting out the ban hammer.
“Anyone else feel this is undermining the integrity of the game?”
Both Grinding Gear Games and Blizzard Entertainment declined to comment on the matter, with Blizzard telling IGN, “it does not comment on individual player account behaviors or enforcements.”
Again, this behavior from Elon Musk isn’t surprising.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. We call him Phony Stark within good reason
2. Sh*t’s crazy
6. Exactly
13. Expeditiously
14. A very loud one
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Source: Koei Tecmo / Team Ninja / Platinum Games / Ninja Gaiden 4
Xbox kicked January off with a banger Developer_Direct presentation, and an iconic video game franchise is back!
Thursday, January 23, Xbox said oh, we got some things to show you, showcasing some titles coming to the Xbox Series X/S and whatever device that is now considered an Xbox console.
Ahead of the direct, Xbox revealed that we would hear from the developers behind upcoming titles South of Midnight, Doom: The Dark Ages, and Clair Obscure: Expedition 33.
Ninja Gaiden Is Back!
A mystery game from a mystery studio was also teased. In the presentation, we quickly learned that we are getting a new entry in the Ninja Gaiden franchise, Ninja Gaiden 4, which has a feel reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.
Team Ninja and Platinum Games are collaborating on Ninja Gaiden 4, which continues the style of the other titles in the 3D reboot trilogy that dropped between 2004 and 2012.
This time around, you will be able to play as two protagonists: Ryu Hayabusa and a new character named Yakumo, who is following in the footsteps of Ryu and wants to become a master ninja.
Source: Koei Tecmo / Team Ninja / Platinum Games / Ninja Gaiden 4
Based on the trailer, Platinum Games is the perfect studio for this game because the action looks much faster and even more stylish, and if it keeps the same energy as the other Ninja Gaiden games, being extremely difficult.
Ninja Gaiden 4 has no release date, but it will be available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Game Pass.
But wait, that’s not all. Xbox had another big Ninja Gaiden announcement and provided extensive looks into other games were made. Hit the gallery for those announcements.
1. NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black Official Launch Trailer
The legendary high-speed ninja action game returns graphically remastered!
Using Unreal Engine 5 to significantly enhance graphic expression, this is the definitive version of “NINJA GAIDEN 2,” featuring additional playable characters and enhanced battle support functions.
Play Today with Game Pass: https://www.xbox.com/games/store/prod…
2. South of Midnight
When a hurricane rips through Prospero, Hazel is pulled into a Southern Gothic world where reality and fantasy are interwoven, and ancient creatures from folklore emerge.
Coming to Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series XIS, and Windows PC on April 8, 2025.
Play it day one with Game Pass or Pre-Order South of Midnight today! https://www.xbox.com/games/south-of-m…
3. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Release Date Trailer
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the debut title from Sandfall Interactive, launches on Xbox Series X|S on April 24, 2025, and will be available Day One with Game Pass. With turn-based combat enhanced by real-time mechanics, you’ll face the Paintress to end her cursed countdown and save the future of Lumière.
Explore a Belle Époque-inspired fantasy world using the expansive World Map, uncovering secrets, side quests, and challenges.
Set up camp to reinforce weapons, bond with your Expedition teammates, and plan your next steps. Join Monoco (voiced by Rich Keeble), a shape-shifting Gestral, and Esquie (voiced by Maxence Cazorla), a towering ally who helps you swim, soar, and explore new paths.
Play it day one with Game Pass or Pre-order now: https://www.xbox.com/games/expedition-33
4. Doom: The Dark Ages
Join Marty, Hugo and the team at id Software as we journey into our first gameplay deep dive for DOOM: The Dark Ages!
Developed by id Software, DOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells an epic cinematic story of the DOOM Slayer’s rage.
In this third installment of the modern DOOM series, players will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, in this never-before-seen dark and sinister medieval war against Hell. Coming May 15, 2025. Pre-order on Xbox Series X|S, PC or PlayStation 5.
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Source: JIM WATSON / Getty / Donald Trump / Ross Ulbricht
It didn’t take long, but Donald Trump is up in the White House doing absolutely abhorrent nonsense. Along with pardoning all of the traitors who took part in the January 6 Insurrection, Orange Mussolini also handed out a pardon to Ross Ulbricht, a notorious drug dealer.
So much for being tough on crime.
Felon 47 has been on a pardon spree, and his latest one for Ulbricht, who ran the dark web marketplace Silk Road under the pseudonym “Dread Pirate Roberts,” is a doozy.
Before he got his get-out-of-jail-free card from Trump, Ulbricht was serving a life sentence in prison without parole since 2015 after he was convicted of multiple charges, including the distribution of narcotics.
The Silk Road marketplace, which was only accessible through the Tor network, became a popular destination for early Bitcoin users for commercial use. Buyers and sellers traded in illicit drugs and forged documents, such as passports.
Like any white crook nowadays, Ulbricht’s case became a cause for Right Wing crypto bros who are now in favor of Donald Trump, who is now into the cryptocurrency market all of a sudden after dropping a meme coin.
Supporters of Ulbricht feel his life sentence was unfair, go figure, and have been screaming for him to be free,e pointing to others similar offenses that didn’t receive the same punishment.
Per The Verge:
Ulbricht’s life sentence is unusually punitive. Similar offenses have garnered much more lenient sentences — for instance, Blake Benthall, who operated Silk Road 2.0, was sentenced to time served and three years of probation. Ulbricht’s lieutenant, Thomas Clark, also known as “Variety Jones,” was sentenced to 20 years in prison last year.
Anyway, although Ulbricht’s crimes were nonviolent, the judge who slapped Dread Pirates Roberts with the life sentence took into account the multiple deaths that were a direct result of the drugs sold on Silk Road.
During his trial, Ulbricht maintained his innocence, but when he was arrested, his laptop was in his possession. It had been unlocked, giving law enforcement access to all his files, the website code, private messages between himself and Silk Road employees, and a diary with entries matching messages on OKCupid, exposing his real identity.
Now, he’s a free man, and it’s pretty rich for Trump to pardon a drug dealer because he is the same guy calling for the death penalty for drug dealers, but we guess he means the Black and Brown ones.
Social media has been reacting to this latest pardon, especially in the wake of former President Joe Biden issuing pardons to his son Hunter Biden, other family members, Dr. Fauci, and members of the January 6 committee to protect them from Trump and his cronies.
You can see those reactions in the gallery below.
1. Listen to this breakdown of what is the most ridiculous pardon ever
2. Exactly
3. Mmmmhhhmmmm
4. Donald Trump is a sick man
6. Make it make sense
7. Tim Kaine with a great observation
8. You know the answer to this question
Artists such as Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, Megan Thee Stallion and Conan Gray helped Weverse, HYBE’s social media/fandom platform, grow its users by 16% in both the U.S. and Canada in 2024, the company announced Wednesday (Jan. 22). Weverse users also saw strong growth elsewhere, rising 21% in Brazil, 14% in Mexico, 22% in Japan and 54% in Taiwan. Originally a platform for K-pop groups, the platform has grown along with HYBE’s global expansion and posted 19% user growth across all territories.
Those statistics and more come from the new 2024 Weverse Fandom Trend Report, a recap of the platform’s tremendous growth and a testament to fans’ interest in their favorite artists. Joon Choi, president of Weverse Company, called 2024 “a transformative year” that expanded the platform’s artist communities, fan engagement and commerce activities. “Weverse remains committed to innovating its services to meet the evolving needs of artists and fans, solidifying its position as the center of global fandom culture,” he said in a statement.
Trending on Billboard
As much of the music industry begins to focus on better serving superfans, Weverse has already established itself as a money-making destination for fans of a select group of artists. The platform launched in 2019 and last year introduced a subscription tier that provides ad-free viewing, video downloads for offline access, high-quality streaming and language translation. “Digital membership, we believe, is the very first cornerstone of the future evolution [of Weverse],” Choi told Billboard in December.
Like a typical social network, Weverse allows artists to publish messages and content and gives fans an opportunity to leave comments. In 2024, Weverse Artists on the Weverse platform shared approximately 206,000 posts and fans generated 370 million posts. SEVENTEEN had the highest number of posts while ENHYPEN had the most comments. The platform also allows fans to send direct messages to artists — a perk for subscribers. Last year, artists sent 698,000 direct messages to fans and fans sent 96.36 million messages to artists. More than half (55%) of artists on Weverse send direct messages to fans at least every two days. Fans also sent 4.88 million personally decorated digital letters. Jung Kook received the most fan letters while LEEHAN of BOYNEXTDOOR responded to the most fan letters.
Weverse also hosted 5,787 live broadcasts on Weverse Live, the platform’s live streaming feature, totaling 4,779 hours of content in 2024 (artists don’t only live stream concert performances on Weverse Live and in fact usually opt for casual interactions and Q&A sessions with fans). Weverse Live videos were viewed 426 million times by 11.25 million unique Weverse users in 2024, while the top live stream of the year was “Missed You a Lot” by Jung Kook, which amassed 23 million real-time views.
E-commerce separates Weverse from a typical social network. Through Weverse Shop, Weverse sold 20.6 million pieces, a 13% increase from 2023. Physical merchandise such as albums and collectibles improved 10%, while Weverse Shop also sold 3.4 million pieces of digital merchandise, including artist memberships and online content, a 24% increase. Other than Weverse’s home market of South Korea, the United States and Japan were the top markets for merchandise. The top-selling digital items were artist memberships: BTS ARMY memberships were most popular in Oceania, Latin America and Europe while SEVENTEEN’s CARAT memberships were most popular in North America.
Music AI, a developer of artificial intelligence for music and audio, announced Wednesday it raised $40 million in a funding round led by Connect Ventures, a partnership between CAA and venture capital firm NEA, and Brazilian investor monashees, which also participated in Music AI’s seed around.
Other participants in the funding round include Kickstart, Samsung Next, Toba Capital, Valutia, Pelion and such music industry professionals as songwriter/producer Freddy Wexler, DJ/producer 3LAU and singer/songwriter Alexander23.
“Securing this Series A funding underscores the real-world impact our technologies have on the creative industry,” Geraldo Ramos, CEO of Music AI, said in a statement. “We’re ready to advance our mission of making music innovation accessible to all, and we’re eager to explore new possibilities with a focus on practical applications.” Founded by Ramos, Eddie Hsu, and Jardson Almeida, Music AI has a team of over 90 collaborators in the U.S., Brazil and Europe.
Trending on Billboard
Some AI companies have run into legal problems from music rights owners intent on preventing unauthorized use of their recordings and musical works to train generative AI models. Suno and Udio, for instance, were sued in the U.S. by the major labels for copyright infringement in June 2024, and Suno was sued on Monday by German performing rights organization GEMA in a Munich regional court. Music AI distances itself from those controversies, calling its products “ethical AI solutions” for the creative process such as stem separation, voice transfers, lyric transcription and mixing and mastering. The company’s technologies, including Music.ai and Moises.ai, have over 50 million users.
“We are deeply committed to partnering with ethically led AI companies that appropriately credit and compensate creators for usage of their work,” Michael Blank, managing partner at Connect Ventures, said in a statement. “Music AI’s talent-friendly approach and unparalleled technology is helping them become the trusted and premier AI platform of the music industry. Beyond empowering artists, Moises enhances the creative process for musicians, producers, and content creators worldwide for practice, creation, and collaboration.”
Samsung Next is interested in Music AI’s models’ ability “to run directly on hardware for faster performance, reduced latency and reduced cloud dependency,” said Carlos Castellanos, investor at Samsung Next. “Their proprietary models, third-party integrations, and on-device AI capabilities ensure reliability, security, and scalability across smartphones, smart TVs, and other connected devices—all while elevating the end-user experience with cutting-edge features.”