Companies
Optus marketing boss departs
The Australian’s Danielle Long writes that Optus’ marketing boss Cameron Luby is leaving the telco for fresh pet food start-up Lyka, taking on the company’s first chief marketing officer role.
The move comes soon after Optus’ network outage and scrapped brand campaign, though Luby was reportedly in talks with Lyka for some time.
CBS News cuts hit global and streaming teams
Paramount’s latest round of layoffs has swept through CBS News, trimming teams across the board.
As The Hollywood Reporter’s Alex Weprin details CBS Mornings Plus and CBS Evening News Plus are among the biggest casualties, along with the network’s streaming spinoffs, which were both axed as part of the shake-up.
YouTube drives Alphabet past $100 billion milestone
As Dade Hayes writes in Deadline, YouTube has delivered another monster quarter for Alphabet, raking in more than $10 billion in ad revenue for the first time.
The result helped the tech giant sail past Wall Street expectations, with total revenue climbing to $102.3 billion for the September quarter.
Media
Marr and Hedges clash over Gaza coverage
The global debate about “objectivity” in Gaza reporting has officially landed in Australia, sparking tension between two media heavyweights
As Crikey’s Christopher Warren reports, the stoush first started at the National Press Club, then carried on to ABC’s late-night radio.
Both became unexpected stages for a sharp exchange on the ethics of war journalism.
The Daily Aus launches youth strategy arm Futureproof
As John Buckley details in Capital Brief, The Daily Aus is expanding beyond publishing, launching a new advisory arm called Futureproof to help brands better connect with young Australians.
The move comes as big corporates – think Optus and Nike – seek insight into what actually engages Gen Z audiences.
AI
Adobe doubles down on safe AI for business
The Australian Financial Review’s Amelia McGuire writes that Adobe is rolling out a suite of new AI tools it claims are “commercially safe,” designed to help businesses create without worrying about copyright blowback.
The launch sharpens its rivalry with Australian favourite Canva, as both race to define the next era of design powered by AI.
Character.ai bans teen chats with AI bots
The platform will block under-18s from chatting with its AI companions from 25 November, limiting them to creating content like videos instead.
As Liv McMahon and Imran Rahman-Jones write on the BBC, The change follows lawsuits and mounting criticism over how teens were engaging with virtual characters.
AFP builds AI to crack Gen Z slang in online crime fight
The Australian Federal Police are building an AI tool to interpret Gen Z and Alpha slang, emojis and memes to better track online exploitation and “crimefluencers.”
As The Guardian’s Sarah Basford Canales reports, AFP commissioner Krissy Barrett told the National Press Club that young men are using coded language to groom and abuse vulnerable girls online, calling it a growing and deeply disturbing trend.
Entertainment
The White Lotus sets sights on France for season four
All signs point to France as the next stop for The White Lotus, with production scouts eyeing Paris and the French Riviera for season four.
While HBO hasn’t officially confirmed, Variety’s Elsa Keslassy reports the search is already on for suitably luxe backdrops.