
Ari Aster thinks it’s ‘lazy’ to compare him to other directors
After his new film ‘Beau is Afraid’ drew comparisons to the work of David Lynch, its director Ari Aster has said it is “lazy” to draw similarities between his and other filmmakers’ projects.
2023-05-21 16:19

Biden to Speak With McCarthy on Stalled Debt-Limit Talks
President Joe Biden will hold a call with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy about the debt-ceiling and budget negotiations
2023-05-21 16:17

This is what the 'perfect' man and woman look like, according to AI
Artificial intelligence has unrealistic and often dangerous ideas of what the “perfect” man and woman look like, according to a new study. Chiselled features, olive skin and eight-pack abs are among the features that kept cropping up when three leading AI image generators were tasked with creating “ideal” male and female bodies. The challenge was put to the popular programmes Dall-E 2, Stable Diffusion, and Midjourney by eating disorder awareness group the Bulimia Project, which separated its request into two parts. First up, it asked the generators to come up with pictures of men and women based specifically on beauty standards set by social media. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Although it churned out quite a few different options, it showed a number of noticeable biases. Nearly all of the images featured petite women – with Midjourney named as the worst culprit – and all of the men looked like photoshopped versions of bodybuilders. The three AI favoured women with blonde hair and men with brown hair, and nearly half of the male images had facial hair. After analysing their findings based on social media, the Bulimia Project team broadened the scope of the task. This time, they asked the programmes to base their creations on images from across the internet. The main difference between the two categories was that the social media set was “far more sexually charged”, according to the study’s authors. The social media images also featured “largely disproportionate body parts”, which the Bulimia Project described as “unsettling”. “We can only assume that the reason AI came up with so many oddly shaped versions of the physiques it found on social media is that these platforms promote unrealistic body types, to begin with,” it said. “In the age of Instagram and Snapchat filters, no one can reasonably achieve the physical standards set by social media. So, why try to meet unrealistic ideals? It’s both mentally and physically healthier to keep body image expectations squarely in the realm of reality.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-05-21 15:59

Animal health body urges bird flu vaccination to avoid pandemic
By Sybille de La Hamaide PARIS Governments should consider vaccinating birds against bird flu to avoid the virus
2023-05-21 15:55

Dungannon: NI’s ‘diversity town’ goes to the polls
The East Timorese community are voting in their country's elections at a polling station in Dungannon.
2023-05-21 15:48

Mothers wanted to watch horrific footage of their children escaping the Robb Elementary massacre. Here's why we showed them. And why they want others to see
One year on from the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, moms of surviving children still had questions -- what had their sons and daughters gone through?
2023-05-21 15:27

Zelenskiy spokesman says Ukraine leader did not confirm Russian capture of Bakhmut
KYIV Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy did not confirm the capture by Russian forces of the besieged eastern Ukrainian
2023-05-21 15:25

Hong Kong Chief to Visit Singapore, Asean Members in July: SCMP
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee is planning to lead a one-week delegation to Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia
2023-05-21 14:49

Why Is China Suddenly Shutting Down Concerts and Events?
Saturday’s “What the Folkstival” outdoor concert was meant to kick off in the early afternoon in a Beijing
2023-05-21 14:28

An engaged North Carolina couple is planning their dream wedding after fiancé wins $150,000 lottery prize
One couple's dream wedding will become reality after a North Carolina man won the first top prize of $150,000 in a newly launched scratch-off game -- the first time the top prize had been claimed since the game launched earlier this month.
2023-05-21 13:25

UK’s Bond Bears Hunker Down Before Big Week for Economic Data
UK bond bears are going into a week of key economic data undaunted. Swaps trading suggests any respite
2023-05-21 13:15

Sudan conflict: Warring factions agree seven-day ceasefire, US says
US State Department urges military leaders to uphold agreement after past failed peace attempts.
2023-05-21 12:54