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Today’s Menu

• OpenAI Just Got a Hollywood Reality Check

• Trump-Xi Summit Sparks Crypto Recovery

Markets

TODAY IN AI

OpenAI Just Got a Hollywood Reality Check

OpenAI released a joint statement alongside actor Bryan Cranston, major Hollywood agencies, and the SAG-AFTRA union, promising to "strengthen guardrails" on Sora 2 over unauthorized celebrity likenesses and voices.

Cranston found AI videos of himself circulating on Sora 2, including one showing him taking selfies with Michael Jackson - despite never opting in. OpenAI apologized for the "unintentional generations," vowing stronger guardrails through "productive collaboration" with the union and agencies.

The statement rallied support for the NO FAKES Act, calling for protections against unauthorized AI replicas of performers' voices and likenesses. SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin warned that Cranston represents "countless performers" at risk, calling opt-ins "the only way to do business" with AI firms.

Sora has been breaking bad since launch, with action from estates like Martin Luther King Jr. and now Cranston. While celebrities like Mark Cuban have opted in, much of the platform's virality has been built on what now feels like very murky legal territory for AI and digital likenesses.

When Hollywood unions force AI companies to strengthen guardrails, that's the moment regulatory pressure becomes impossible to ignore.

TODAY IN CRYPTO

TD Cowen: Bitcoin's Flash Crash Was Proof of Strength

After the largest liquidation event in crypto history, TD Cowen says the $20 billion flash crash "proved the digital assets ecosystem can survive shocks" - a major test the market passed with "little or no downtime."

Triggered by Trump's 100% China tariff, the sell-off erased over 10% from total crypto market cap. But despite the chaos, underlying infrastructure held.

TD Cowen analyst noted: "While cognisant that the recent episode caused intense financial hardship for many investors, what strikes us is how well the underlying ecosystem functioned... Though it was the largest single-day liquidation ever, most crypto exchanges operated with little or no downtime."

Bitcoin fell 15% intraday but closed down only 8%, while "less-reputable tokens were decimated." TD Cowen remains bullish, forecasting Bitcoin at $141,000 by December, highlighting that global adoption continues rising through volatility.

In Japan alone, registered digital-asset accounts quadrupled to over 7.9 million in five years. Japan's Financial Services Agency is now reconsidering its ban on banks investing in Bitcoin.

Volatility flushed excess, infrastructure held, and adoption keeps climbing. For TD Cowen, the crash wasn't failure - it was proof of strength.

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Until next time,

Damon James