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X, the company formerly known as Twitter, may not be labeling its ads properly, putting it at risk of — once again — running afoul of the FTC. There have been numerous reports over the last several days of ads appearing in users’ timelines without being labeled as such, according toTechCrunch, which was first to report on the stealth ads.

According to their reporting, as well as reports from industry groups, users have identified numerous ads that leave off the typical “Ad” label that identifies the post as paid advertising rather than a native post. It’s apparent that the posts are, in fact, ads when clicking into the “…” menu in the tweet, which indicates the tweet is a paid promotion.

While the unlabeled ads have irked users, who may mistakenly believe the platform is showing posts from accounts they don’t follow in their following timeline, the issue also risks stirring up more regulatory trouble with the FTC. Nandini Jammi, co-founder of watchdog group Check My Ads, has been sharingexamples on her Twitter account over the past couple days. The nonprofit group is tracking the issue and encouraging X users to report any examples they find.

It’s unclear if the unlabeled ads are the result of a bug or an intentional change by the company. X, which no longer has a functioning communications department, didn’t respond to a request for comment.

But it’s no secret the company’s advertising business has collapsed over the last year since Elon Musk took over the company. Musk recently said ad revenue is down 60 percent, a drop he has blamed on activists. The company also recently losttwo top executives overseeing brand safety, an issue advertisers have cited as a major concern and reason for pulling back from the platform.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/x-seems-to-be-slipping-unlabeled-ads-into-peoples-feeds-204234161.html?src=rss 

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. is setting the record straight. After Variety reported earlier this week that an AI-generated track echoing the voices of Drake and The Weeknd would be considered for a Grammy Award, Mason is insisting that’s not the case. The track, Heart on My Sleeve, was created and submitted for consideration by someone using the pseudonym “Ghostwriter.” The song features lyrics written by Ghostwriter but imitates the voices of the rappers without consent.

Despite that, in an interview with The New York Times, Mason suggested the track would technically be eligible in songwriter categories because of the lyrics. “As far as the creative side, it’s absolutely eligible because it was written by a human,” he said.

However, it seems things have changed. In a recent Instagram post, first spotted by Deadline, Mason offered some clarity. The CEO made it clear the song “is not eligible for Grammy consideration.”

“Let me be extra, extra clear: Even though it was written by a human creator, the vocals were not legally obtained, the vocals were not cleared by the label or the artists and the song is not commercially available and because of that, it’s not eligible,” he said.

Based on Mason’s statement, it appears the problem isn’t with the fact that the track was generated using AI, but thorny issues around consent. This could possibly mean that The Grammys would consider tracks that were created by AI as long as the necessary permissions were granted and it was distributed through the proper channels. But while Mason believes the industry will have to evolve and adjust to AI, copyright issues remain complicated. And Heart on My Sleeve was recently pulled from streaming services, including Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and YouTube, after a complaint from Universal Music Group — which represents both Drake and The Weeknd.

“I take this stuff very seriously,” Mason said. “It’s all complicated, and it’s moving, really, really quickly. I’m sure things are going to continue to have to evolve and change.”

As for Ghostwriter, the creator has already released a new song using AI to imitate rappers Travis Scott and 21 Savage. The new song, Whiplash, was posted to social media platforms, including TikTok and X, formerly known as Twitter, instead of Spotify and other streaming services. Ghostwriter also tagged the rappers requesting an official collaboration. While the song seems to be resonating with some fans on the platforms, neither Scott nor 21 Savage have responded.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-ai-generated-fake-drake-and-the-weeknd-track-is-not-eligible-for-a-grammy-200924948.html?src=rss 

Epic Games chief creative officer Donald Mustard is stepping down. The industry veteran, instrumental in guiding Fortnite to immense popularity, said he will retire at the end of September. “I have enjoyed nearly 25 years in the game industry collaborating with some of the most talented people ever and I am so proud of what we have made together,” the 47-year-old wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Mustard co-founded ChAIR Entertainment in 2005 with his brother Geremy Mustard, Ryan Holmes and others. The developer launched the subaqueous shooter Undertow on Xbox Live Arcade in 2007 and the Metroidvania title Shadow Complex two years later. Epic bought ChAIR Entertainment in 2008, and the studio soon unveiled Infinity Blade, a trilogy of iOS games showcasing the growing graphical prowess of Apple’s early mobile devices, using simple dodge-and-attack gameplay reminiscent of the NES classic Punch-Out!!

He was promoted to Epic’s worldwide creative director in 2016. Fortnite launched the following year and quickly became one of gaming’s biggest 21st-century success stories. The title’s Battle Royale mode transformed it into a cultural phenomenon, as it emerged on nearly every platform, including PC, consoles and mobile. Fortnitepassed 350 million registered players in 2020 and remains one of the most ubiquitous games today (especially among younger players) while spawning countless copycats.

“Fortnite will never be ‘finished,’ the creative director posted on Twitter last December. “The whole idea is that it’s a living, breathing PLACE.”

Although Mustard didn’t detail his reasons for retiring now, his X post lavished praise on his years with ChAIR and Epic. “From the ambitious Advent Rising, to the start of ChAIR where we created Undertow, Shadow Complex, and the Infinity Blade trilogy, to the honor of our tiny team becoming part of Epic, each new chapter allowed me to accomplish something new and original,” he posted on X. “I am especially proud of the opportunity I’ve had to help create and shape Fortnite.”

“I am humbled to have been a part of the team that every day tries to bring ‘joy and delight’ to the Fortnite community!” Mustard continued. “We love watching you experience every moment — leaping from the Battle Bus for the very first time, seeing the rocket crack open the sky, dancing with friends after a Victory Royale, being sucked into a black hole or being washed out to sea as The Island flipped over — and on and on! I can’t wait to now share in the future of Fortnite as a player alongside all of you! The teams are in the best hands and they are working on huge, jaw dropping, amazing things!!!”

Mustard added that he plans to enjoy more domestic time for now. “I’m excited to spend time with my wife and family and am forever grateful for @TimSweeneyEpic and the Epic Games family,” the outgoing creative director wrote.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fortnite-creative-lead-donald-mustard-is-retiring-from-epic-games-185543919.html?src=rss 

Online game platform and creation toolset Roblox will finally be available on PlayStation in October, as announced at the 2023 Roblox Developers Conference (RDC) earlier today. The title is coming to the PS5, of course, but also the PS4 for those who have yet to make the leap to next-gen. As always, it’ll be free to download.

Roblox was already available on just about every other platform, including PC, Mac, iOS, Android and Xbox, though it’s still not available for the Switch. CEO David Baszucki did mention the Switch alongside the PlayStation as potential platforms during an August earnings call, as reported by The Verge, so it could eventually launch on Nintendo’s hybrid console. Or, maybe, the company will wait for the long-rumored Switch successor. The company has stated that the VR version of Roblox will officially launch for the Meta Quest platform later this month, after a successful test run.

As for the PlayStation releases, the company promises that Sony fans will be able to access “the full catalog of Roblox experiences”, indicating a robust cross-platform toolset. In other words, you should be able to download it and jump right into your favorite creations. Why did a PlayStation release take so long? It may have been Sony’s doing, as a document surfaced last year indicating that the console maker didn’t want Roblox due to child safety concerns.

The company also used RDC to announce some nifty innovations for the service, beyond wider availability. It unveiled its own version of video chat that incorporates your Roblox avatars for one-on-one conversations with other users. 

The company also announced a new chatbot called Roblox Assistant that uses generative AI to help plan builds, write code, create virtual assets and more, according to The Verge. In a demo of the feature, the company showed off someone typing in that they wanted a game set in some ancient ruins. The assistant automatically dropped in some stones, moss-covered columns and even broken architecture. Another example had a player asking for some trees to chop down, and the program followed suit. The software pulls assets from its own marketplace or your personal library. This looks to be a fantastic use of generative AI that takes the drudgery out of making your own Roblox builds. Both the chatbot and video call feature should roll out in the next few months.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/roblox-is-finally-coming-to-playstation-in-october-190256770.html?src=rss