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This AI Startup Is Making an Anime Series and Giving Away $1 Million to Creators

Morphic, an AI startup, is diving headfirst into anime and it’s not coming quietly. The company is launching DQN, its first original series, and backing it up with a $1 million creator fund to power the next generation of global storytellers.

Founded in 2024 by Jaynti Kanani, the former CEO of blockchain giant Polygon, Morphic is building a next-gen production studio that fuses AI tools with high-end storytelling. With offices in San Jose, New York, Dubai, and Bangalore, the company is now expanding into entertainment, starting with anime.

Their debut project, DQN, is created by Kushagra Kushwaha, a Tokyo-based Indian anime filmmaker whose credits include JoJo’s Stone Ocean (Netflix) and Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest (Amazon, Apple, Crunchyroll, Roku).

About DQN

Set in a gritty cyberpunk future ruled by decentralized networks and AI overlords, DQN follows 12 strangers locked in a deadly race to unlock a hidden vault, one with the power to “rewrite the rules of power.” The series will blend traditional anime storytelling with AI-powered production tools to accelerate development and reach global audiences faster.

  • AI-Powered Production: DQN leverages Morphic’s proprietary AI tech to enhance animation workflows and storytelling speed.
  • $1M Creator Fund: Morphic will invest in up-and-coming talent worldwide to develop new anime, live-action films, games, comics, and manga.
  • Global Reach: The fund is open to creators of all backgrounds, with a focus on untapped markets and underrepresented voices.

Creator’s words

“Kush is an incredibly gifted filmmaker with a deep understanding of anime as an art form,” said Kanani. “We’re proud to make DQN our first series and launch our creator’s fund to support bold, original voices.”

Kushwaha added, “I’m passionate about using cutting-edge tech to bring stories like DQN to life for global audiences. With Morphic, we’re not just telling stories, we’re changing how they’re made.”

The advantage

The anime industry is notoriously difficult to break into. With Morphic’s tech and funding, indie filmmakers now have a chance to scale their visions without traditional studio barriers. Faster production, global distribution, and creative autonomy, all backed by AI.

Morphic isn’t just making content, it’s building a new pipeline for storytelling powered by AI. With DQN and a $1 million fund, the studio is betting on a future where creators have the tools, support, and freedom to lead the next era of anime.

Could AI be anime’s next big evolution? Morphic is betting on it.

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Ferrari Just Launched an AI App That Lets Fans Experience F1 Like Never Before

Scuderia Ferrari HP and IBM just launched a next-gen mobile app powered by AI and it could redefine how 400 million Tifosi experience Formula 1, on and off race weekends.

Debuting during the Miami Grand Prix, the reimagined Scuderia Ferrari app is Ferrari’s boldest digital move yet. Powered by IBM’s watsonx AI platform, it transforms raw race data into instant post-race summaries, strategy breakdowns, and interactive features tailored to each fan.

The features

  • AI-Generated Race Recaps within hours of the checkered flag
  • Post-Race Insights with telemetry visualizations, tire strategy, and driver reflections
  • Interactive Fan Engagement including polls, direct-to-team messages, and historic race highlights
  • Italian Language Support for the first time
  • Personalized Fan Profiles that evolve with user behavior

What Ferrari says

“This app is about bringing all our fans closer to the heart of the racing world,” said Lorenzo Giorgetti, Ferrari’s Chief Racing Revenue Officer. “It’s the beginning of a new dimension of the Ferrari experience.”

The IBM angle

“This is a new blueprint for digital fan engagement,” said IBM’s Jonathan Adashek. The tech giant is applying enterprise-grade AI to build a smarter, more immersive app, the same tools it uses with clients across industries.

Coming soon

Throughout 2025, Ferrari will roll out more features:

  • 3D virtual tours
  • E-commerce integration
  • Gamified fan experiences
  • Expanded content from Ferrari’s Hypercar, GT, and Driver Academy programs

This isn’t just an app, it’s Ferrari’s bet on the future of fandom. With IBM’s AI, Scuderia is turning racing into a 24/7 interactive experience where every fan becomes part of the story.

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AI Influencers Are Winning Brand Deals, Is This the End of Human Influence?

The AI influencers are booming in 2025, racking up millions of followers, securing luxury brand deals, and outpacing many humans on engagement. But emotional trust and authenticity still tip the scales toward human creators.

AI-generated influencers like Lil Miquela, Shudu, and Noonoo Uri are rewriting the rules of influencer marketing. Using generative AI, 3D design, and machine learning, brands can now deploy hyper-realistic avatars to promote products without the drama, delays, or day rates.

Why it matters:

  • Engagement edge: AI influencers can achieve up to 3% engagement, higher than many human creators.
  • 24/7 output: They never sleep, skip deadlines, or go off-brand.
  • Cost savings: No travel, no hotels, no reshoots. Long-term, they’re cheaper.

 

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A post shared by Miquela (@lilmiquela)

The catch

People still trust people.

71% of consumers say they trust human influencers more than AI ones, according to Nielsen. Real stories, vulnerability, and lived experiences can’t be faked, not even by the most lifelike avatars.

  • Gen Z and Gen Alpha are most open to AI influencers, especially in fashion, gaming, and tech.
  • Some users interact with virtual influencers without realizing they’re fake.
  • Ethical concerns include lack of transparency, unrealistic beauty standards, and potential job displacement.

The hybrid future

Brands are experimenting with human-AI hybrids; real influencers using digital twins to scale content and global reach. Fashion, gaming, and music are early adopters of this dual-identity strategy.

AI influencers won’t replace humans. But they’re not going away either.

The smartest brands in 2025 are doing both; mixing the consistency and scalability of AI with the empathy and credibility of real creators.

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Google’s New AI Mode Could Replace How You Search, Shop, and Travel Forever

Google is upgrading Search with AI Mode, a feature that could reshape how you shop, plan, and learn online. It’s now easier to try; no waitlist needed.

Google’s AI Mode blends generative AI with real-time web results. Instead of just giving you a list of links, it understands long, nuanced questions and returns detailed, personalized answers.

What’s new

  • Smarter searches: Ask complex questions like “mid-century modern dressers near me” and get product cards, local store info, and up-to-date prices.
  • Travel planning: Visual cards now help you compare destinations, restaurants, or hotels complete with reviews, hours, and more.
  • Conversation memory: A new sidebar shows your past searches, making it easy to return to research or build on a previous question.

“We’re taking AI Mode and elevating it,” said Soufi Esmaeilzadeh, Director of Search Product Management. “We want to really make it easy… to pick up where they’ve left off.”

U.S. users can now opt in immediately via Google Labs.

A “small percentage” of users will also see a new AI Mode tab in regular Search, no signup required.

Beyond the details

AI Mode is Google’s answer to AI-powered search rivals like Perplexity and ChatGPT. It offers a more intuitive search experience by mixing AI conversation with fresh web data, a step beyond AI Overviews.

Search is evolving. With AI Mode, Google is turning its iconic search bar into a dynamic, interactive research assistant. And now, more users can see it in action.

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Google’s New AI “Little Language Experiments” Teaches You to Talk Like a Local

Google just launched a new AI-powered experiment aimed at helping people learn new languages and it’s coming straight for Duolingo’s turf.

Google Labs debuted a set of tools this week called Little Language Experiments, powered by its Gemini AI model. The goal? Make language learning faster, more natural, and a lot less formal.

The trio of bite-sized tools includes:

  • Tiny Lesson: Teaches phrases for real-life scenarios, like asking for help at the airport or dealing with a lost passport
  • Slang Hang: Generates realistic conversations between native speakers, with hoverable slang and cultural context
  • Word Cam: Uses your phone camera to identify objects and label them in the language you’re learning

All of it runs on Gemini, Google’s multimodal large language model that handles text, images, and more. It’s the same tech powering other Google AI features across Search, Workspace, and Android.

What’s changing

Learning a new language isn’t just about memorizing vocabulary, it’s about sounding like a real human. And that’s exactly what Google is targeting.

Most platforms (yes, including Duolingo) leave learners speaking in overly formal or robotic ways. With tools like Slang Hang, Google wants to bridge the gap between textbook learning and real-life fluency.

In Google’s own words: “These experiments aren’t about replacing traditional study, but about complementing it: helping people build habits, stay engaged, and weave learning into their everyday lives.”

Meanwhile, Duolingo is going full AI:

  • Just announced 148 new AI-generated courses, nearly doubling its library
  • Replacing human contractors with AI “where it makes sense”
  • Using generative AI to support hiring and performance reviews

Duolingo has been leaning on AI since introducing its Max subscription tier in 2023. Now it’s ramping up even further, but not everyone’s happy.

The real question

Google wants Gemini to be your new language coach. Duolingo wants AI to build and run its entire classroom.

As both tech giants bet big on AI, the real question is: Will anyone still want to learn from a human?

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AI Thumbnails Are Ruining Fortnite Discovery, But Epic Doesn’t Care

AI-generated thumbnails are taking over Fortnite’s user-generated Discovery feed, and Epic Games says it won’t be policing them anytime soon.

Fortnite’s main menu is often the first impression millions of players have. Increasingly, that screen is flooded with AI-created art, sometimes generic, sometimes questionable. Despite community backlash, Epic is staying hands-off.

“We don’t really care what tool you use to make your thumbnails,” said Dan Walsh, product management director at Epic. “All we care about is whether or not it’s compliant with our rules.

Quick facts

Epic admits AI detection is becoming “increasingly difficult to the point where it’s probably going to become unenforceable.”

No crackdown planned, even as some AI thumbnails reuse copyrighted content or appear low-quality.

Epic does not use AI to generate its own skins or assets, and says it won’t.

Photo by Oberon Copeland @veryinformed.com on Unsplash

Human-first philosophy

Executive VP Saxs Persson reaffirmed that Epic still believes humans create the best results. “Do we feel like we need to start making Fortnite outfits using AI models? No,” he said.

AI art is evolving fast, and so are debates around quality, originality, and ownership. Epic’s choice to let AI thumbnails flood Discovery could shape how generative content gets moderated across the broader creator economy.

Fortnite’s front page might look messier, but Epic’s focus is rule compliance, not the tools.

That means AI art (like it or not) is here to stay.

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