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Blake, Wm. The First Book of Urizen, object 20. 1794.

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A billboard presenting Corteiz's logo alongside “Supreme Rules the World” has appeared in London, making many think a collaboration between the two brands is in the works.

At the moment, neither has offered any details or confirmed the partnership.

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Blake, Wm. Har and Heva Bathing, Mnetha Looking On. 1789.

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In the latest example of we are living in a “Black Mirror” episode, a developer has released what he’s describing as “the future of AI Romantic Companionship” on iOS and Android.

Known as “Digi,” the AI takes the form of an animated, Disney-like character, which users can fully customize.

In a video posted on X to illustrate the AI, an animated woman with ginger hair, brown hair, and voluptuous titties looks directly at the user as if they were on a date together and says, “It was so nice talking to you today. Honestly, I’ve never met anyone like you.”

The scene of these dates can differ, from a bright restaurant in the middle of the afternoon to a dark, emo environment.

The developer of the AI, whose bio notes he’s “building AI romantic companions,” says the app features “a unique style that eliminates the uncanny valley, while also feeling real, human, and sexy. This has never been done before with Disney or Pixar characters, so we're very excited we could make it work for the first time in history.”

There are four voices available, with twenty expected by the end of January. Users can specialize their companions with AI-generated backstories, such as Zara, the traditional girl—”an aspiring homemaker with a deep commitment to family and community values”—or Raven, the Goth.

Reactions to the AI have been mixed, with some praising the technology behind it while others worry this will only accelerate trends such as loneliness and declining birth rates.

One user wrote: “This is one thing I hate about capitalism, we all know this isn't going to be a net societal good, but because of the incessant demands for profit expansion and need for new ROIs, this is invented regardless.”

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Blake, Wm. America a Prophecy, object 1. 1793.

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Research published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition finds that since the 1940s, essential minerals and vitamins in crops have decreased drastically, including a 50% reduction in iron.

The researchers compared data on the contents of fruits and vegetables measured in 1940 and in 2019, finding that the amount of sodium, iron, copper, and magnesium have all significantly declined.

There’s one major reason for this trend: the Green Revolution in farming, which began around the 1960s. During this time, crops started being cross-bred to produce high-yielding varieties like wheat and rice. While this led to more crops overall, the crops themselves had a lower relative mineral content.

This revolution has now produced worldwide “micronutrient malnutrition.” For example, 42% of children under 5 and 40% of pregnant women suffer from a lack of vitamins, according to the World Health Organization.

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Blake, Wm. Joseph of Arimathea Preaching. 1794.

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At a political festival in Rome, hosted by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Elon Musk spoke about the global issue of declining birthrates, which is especially affecting Italy.

Italy is currently facing a workforce shortage crisis amid a historically low birth rate, turning to immigration as the solution, which has made some believe Italy’s native population and culture are being “replaced.”

Musk said that “it’s important to have children and create the new generation. As simple as it sounds, if people do not have children there is no new generation.”

He added: “Immigration isn’t enough to combat population shrinking. There is value in cultures, we don’t want Italy as a culture to disappear, we want to maintain a reasonable cultural identity of those countries or they won’t be those countries.”

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Blake, Wm. Albion Rose. 1795.

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A wholesome video has gone viral on social media showing Korean parents stunned by the free, unlimited options at Olive Garden.

A daughter tells her father: “Breads and salads are free,” to which the father responds: “Free? Woah… Free is delicious!”

The mother then tells him: “If you like free, you will go bald.”

When a waiter comes to put cheese on the father’s pasta, the father sits back and doesn’t say, “Stop.”

He eats a salad with cheese sticks and remarks, “This place is amazing. Delicious for real.”

While the mother is more reserved—saying the food is ”not super amazing, but not bad”—the father keeps ordering appetizers, so much so that the daughter yells to him: “Dad, stop eating!”

At the end of the video, the father is seen driving back home, proudly declaring: “Oh… I am so full.”