iWorld
Swastik unveils devotional music with AI-driven art
Mumbai: Swastik Productions bringing Indian history and mythology to life, is set to launch a groundbreaking project that merges traditional devotional music with cutting-edge AI-enhanced art.
Swastik is to announce “Achyutam Keshavam” the popular Bhajan of the Lord created this Janmashtami presented in the most unique form. The AI-elevated art featured in the video resonates with artistic expression, as it seamlessly merges the power of ancient wisdom with cutting-edge technology to create visually stunning, AI-generated art.
The visionary founder of Swastik, Siddharth Kumar Tewary has directed this music video and is all set to offer a vibrant and contemporary take on spiritual experiences, making them accessible and engaging for a new generation.
Music is composed and sung by acclaimed singer Harshit Saxena, who is very popular for his songs for Swastik’s Shrimad Ramayan, and the many Bollywood hits he has to his credit.
The AI visualisation is done by the talented team at Raj VFX under the able guidance of multi-award-winning Chirag Bhuva.
As Swastik takes this bold step forward by integrating AI technology into its creative process, this teaser provides a sneak peek into the stunning visuals that will feature in this soulful and melodious rendition of ‘Achyutam Keshavam.’
Swastik Productions claims that the upcoming song will potentially be the first-ever spiritual music video created using AI. This combination invites listeners to engage with the music on a deeper, more contemplative level, where sight and sound converge to evoke a profound sense of the divine. And is the first in the rollout of content Swastik has planned over the coming months.
The song will be released on YouTube and will be available on all major music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, and JioSaavn, reaching devotees and music lovers worldwide
iWorld
Snapchat parent Snap cuts 16 per cent of workforce in AI-driven restructuring
The Snapchat parent is axing around 1,000 jobs and closing 300 open roles to save $500m, as artificial intelligence makes smaller teams the new normal
CALIFORNIA: Snap is snapping. The Snapchat parent has confirmed plans to cut around 1,000 employees, roughly 16 per cent of its full-time workforce, as it bets that artificial intelligence can do what headcount once required. Shares jumped more than 10 per cent in premarket trading on the news, a brisk vote of confidence from a market that has watched the stock shed about 31 per cent this year.
The restructuring, which also closes more than 300 open roles, follows pressure from activist investor Irenic Capital Management, which holds an economic interest of about 2.5 per cent in the company and has been loudly pushing Snap to tighten its portfolio and lift performance. The firm got what it asked for, and then some.
Chief executive Evan Spiegel told employees the cuts would reduce annualised expenses by more than $500m by the second half of the year. The company expects to incur charges of between $95m and $130m related to the layoffs, mostly severance, with the bulk landing in the second quarter. Staff in Snap’s North America team were asked to work from home on the day of the announcement.
The financial backdrop is not without bright spots. Snap expects first-quarter revenue to rise around 12 per cent to approximately $1.53 billion, broadly in line with analyst estimates. Adjusted core profit for the January to March quarter is forecast at about $233m, comfortably ahead of Wall Street’s expectation of $186.8m.
The harder question surrounds Specs, Snap’s augmented reality smart glasses subsidiary, which Irenic has urged the company to spin off or shut down entirely. The unit has absorbed more than $3.5 billion in investment and burns through approximately $500m in cash annually. Snap is pressing ahead regardless, with a consumer product expected later this year, even as Meta leads the market in the segment.
Spiegel is betting that leaner teams, smarter machines and a consumer AR play can restore Snap’s credibility with investors who have run out of patience. The redundancy notices have gone out. The harder restructuring, the one that requires a hit product rather than a headcount reduction, is still very much pending.
