🍜 Apple dodge tariffs..

Apple and Nvidia just dodged a tariff bullet—temporarily...

April 14, 2025

Welcome, Noodle Networkers.

News compensation laws are getting a reboot 📰—and this time, AI’s name is all over the rewrite. As governments scramble to catch up, the real question is: if a chatbot rewrites your headline, who gets paid... and who just gets a polite “thanks for your data”? Apple and Nvidia just dodged some tariffs on tech imports 📱, scoring temporary exemptions. But before you break out the confetti, let’s just say the celebration may be short-lived—especially if new semiconductor tariffs crash the party. And James Cameron wants AI to cut film costs without cutting people 🎬. Bold move for a guy who once blew up half the ocean on camera. But hey, if anyone can direct AI without sparking a robot uprising, it’s probably the Terminator guy.

Is AI making the world more efficient—or just sneakier? Let’s dig in...

In today’s AI digest:

  • Future news compensation laws must consider AI’s role 📰

  • Apple and Nvidia score tariff exemptions on tech imports 📱

  • James Cameron wants AI to cut film costs without layoffs 🎬

Read time: 5 minutes

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WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY

News 📰

(source: CityNews)

The Digest: AI models are gobbling up news stories like it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet—except they’re skipping the bill. Now, lawmakers are waking up to the fact that robots can’t just read the news, learn from it, and then moonwalk out of the room without tossing a coin to their content creators. From Canada to Hollywood, there’s growing pressure to make AI pay up—or at least stop pretending journalism is just free training data.

Key Details:

🇨🇦 Canada: “Stop Stealing Our Stuff” – Lawmakers are being urged to update compensation laws, because AI models have been treating Canadian newsrooms like their personal Wikipedia—but with better punctuation.

📷 Getty Images: "Pay or Get Out" – Getty’s chairman is pushing the UK to not let AI companies loiter in the creative commons section without coughing up some royalties. Think of it as: no data without drama.

🗞️ Publishers Launch Anti-AI Campaign – The New York Times and friends want AI firms to stop scraping their content for free. Their vibe? “If ChatGPT wants to read our work, it can buy a subscription like everyone else.”

🎬 Hollywood’s Not Having It Either – 400 actors (yes, actual humans) are telling AI companies: stop using our voices, faces, and Oscar-worthy eyebrow raises without permission. Nobody asked for AI-generated Fast & Furious 18 starring “Vin Bot Diesel.”

Why It Matters: AI is learning from our articles, art, and awkward Zoom transcripts—but creators aren’t seeing a dime. If we don’t update compensation laws, we risk turning writers and artists into “content-flavored training data.” And that’s not just unfair—it’s bad karma. Even your chatbot should know better.

(source: Bloomberg)

The Digest: Apple and Nvidia just dodged a tariff bullet—temporarily. Thanks to a last-minute exemption from the Trump administration, their tech imports from China are safe (for now), and investors are breathing sighs of relief louder than your MacBook fan during a Zoom call. But don’t pop the champagne yet—those tariffs are just on pause, not deleted.

Key Details:

📱 iPhones and GPUs Survive the Tariffpocalypse – The exemption covers smartphones, laptops, and semiconductor gear. Translation: your next iPhone might still cost less than a studio apartment—and Nvidia won’t have to price their next GPU like a small car (yet).

📈 Markets Went Full Emoji Heart Eyes – Apple’s stock jumped 4%, Nvidia popped 2.5%, and somewhere on Wall Street, a junior analyst high-fived a Bloomberg terminal. Investors love a good “we’re not doomed just yet” moment.

⏳ But Wait—There’s a Catch – Trump made it clear: this is a timeout, not a truce. Tariffs could still slam semiconductors next, meaning tech execs are celebrating with one eye open and a spreadsheet of backup suppliers in hand.

🧾 Reminder: Tariffs Are the Ultimate Plot Twist – One day you’re shipping GPUs like a boss, the next you’re explaining to shareholders why your supply chain now involves three ships, a donkey, and a guy named Steve in Malaysia.

Why It Matters: This is a win for now—but in the world of global trade, relief can turn into whiplash fast. Apple and Nvidia might’ve side-stepped the tariff cliff today, but the tech world’s still nervously eyeing the next policy plot twist like it’s season 8 of a very stressful HBO show.

AI film 🎬

(source: IndieWire)

The Digest: James Cameron wants AI to slash film budgets—but without slashing jobs. Yep, the Avatar and Titanic director is all for using AI to make movies cheaper and faster—as long as no one has to walk the plank. On a recent podcast, Cameron basically said: "Let AI help speed up the visual effects... just don’t let it write the next Avatar script, or I’m out."

Key Details:

🎨 AI: Your New VFX Assistant – Cameron believes AI can double the speed of visual effects without replacing the artists. Think of it as Photoshop on a triple espresso, not a robot uprising in the editing bay.

✍️ But Hands Off the Script – When it comes to storytelling, Cameron said AI writing scripts makes him “nauseated.” Which, honestly, is fair—nobody wants ChatGPT writing Titanic 2: Jack’s Revenge.

🎥 Lights, Camera, Don’t Fire Anyone – Cameron insists AI should help crews, not replace them. Translation: use the tech to shrink budgets, not payrolls. The only thing he wants eliminated is overpriced CGI fog.

🪧 Hollywood is Watching Closely – After last year’s WGA and SAG strikes, the industry is extra touchy about AI. So Cameron’s pitch is basically: "Let’s use the robot, but nobody panic. It’s just here to carry the cables."

Why It Matters: In a time when Hollywood's VFX budgets rival the GDP of small countries, Cameron’s saying: "Let’s use AI as a tool, not a replacement. And no, it’s not directing the next Aliens sequel, thank you very much."

THE NOODLE LAB

AI Hacks & How-Tos

The Digest: Transform yourself into a personalized action figure using ChatGPT's image generation capabilities. By providing a photo and detailed prompt, you can generate a unique, toy-like image of yourself, complete with accessories and packaging. ​

How-to:

  1. Access ChatGPT with Image Capabilities:

    • Ensure you have access to ChatGPT's image generation features, which may require a Plus subscription.​

  2. Upload a Clear Photo:

    • Choose a well-lit, front-facing image of yourself.​

    • Upload the photo within the ChatGPT interface.​

  3. Craft a Detailed Prompt:

    • Compose a prompt instructing ChatGPT to create an action figure based on your photo.​

    • Include details such as outfit, accessories, packaging style, and any text to appear on the box.​

    • Example prompt:​

  4. Generate and Refine:

    • Submit the prompt and wait for ChatGPT to generate the image.​

    • If needed, adjust the prompt to refine details or add new elements.​

  5. Save and Share:

    • Once satisfied, download the image.​

    • Share your custom action figure on social media platforms using hashtags like #AIActionFigure or #ChatGPTToy.

Explore More: Use Follow-up Mode to dive deeper into a specific industry and fine-tune your niche selection. We just covered AI-powered niche discovery in a workshop—access it at the top of this email! 🚀

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