News

At the start of 2023, Nick Cave got angry. Angry at artificial intelligence for making a mockery of his career. Songwriting has long been associated with the inherent ability to be soulful. But now one Google search will throw up endless AI capable of making lyricism universal: Audoir for song lyrics and poetry, Jarvis for banishing writer’s block, and ChatGPT for anything, everything and more. To put it plainly, the 65-year-old singer had had enough of being simulated.

“With all the love and respect in the world, the track is bulls*** and a grotesque mockery of what it is to be human,” he responded in a blog post to a fan who’d sent him song lyrics “in the style of Nick Cave”, generated by ChatGPT.

“Songs arise out of suffering… as far as I know, algorithms don’t feel,” he added. “Data doesn’t suffer. ChatGPT has no inner being,...

Ava DuVernay’s collective Array keeps on amplifying voices and artists to help push systemic change and representation with the release of W.J. Lofton’s Breonna Taylor-inspired visual poem Would You Kill Go Too? Lofton is the second artist commissioned for Array’s Law Enforcement Accountability Project (Leap), a fund founded in the wake of George Floyd’s murder to catalyze creative expression around police violence.

Lofton’s visual poem questions plainclothes officers Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove of the Louisville Metro Police Department who fatally shot 26-year-old Taylor in her Louisville, Kentucky apartment last year. Lofton’s poem is accompanied by a visual interpretation commissioned by Leap. In the artwork, Lofton describes the oppressive systems which destroyed and disregarded Breonna’s life while allowing her murderers to continue with their lives.

“W.J. Lofton’s powerful visual poem Would You Kill God Too? is a...

Melbourne, Jan 27 (Ians) Cricket Australia on Wednesday confirmed that Indian players were subjected to racial abuse by a section of the Sydney Cricket Ground (Scg) crowd during the third drawn Test of the recently-concluded Border Gavaskar series.

The Indian team had apprised match referee David Boon of racial abuse of players -- Jasprit Bumrah and Siraj -- by a section of the Scg crowd at the end of the third day's play during the Sydney Test. The incident again took place on the next day following which six people were evicted from the stand just before Tea during Australia's second innings on Day Four of the Test match.

Following that incident, Cricket Australia had launched an investigation and the International Cricket Council (Icc) had also asked the Australian cricket board to submit its report.

"Cricket Australia has submitted its report into crowd behaviour at the Scg during the third Test...

Sydney, Jan 10 (Ians) Cricket Australia (CA) has confirmed that they have launched an investigation into the crowd incident that took place on Day Four of the ongoing third Test between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Play was halted for several minutes on Sunday afternoon after the Indian team made a complaint regarding abuse from a section of the crowd in the Brewongle Stand concourse. At least six members of the crowd were then removed from the stands by the New South Wales Police.

"Cricket Australia has launched an investigation in parallel with Nsw Police into a crowd incident at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday at the conclusion of the 86th over of Australia's second innings," said the Australian cricket board in an official statement.

Sunday's incident followed alleged racial abuse of Indian players -- Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj -- by a section of the Scg crowd,...

Sydney, Jan 10 (Ians) Former cricketer Vvs Laxman has slammed crowd racism after concerns were once again raised by the Indian team in the ongoing third Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

At least six members of the Scg crowd were removed from the stands on Sunday after Mohammed Siraj raised concerns on the fourth day when play was stopped for a brief while as the umpires and security officials combined to take action, and removed the spectators concerned.

"Very unfortunate to see what's happening at Scg. There is no place for this rubbish. Never understood the need to yell abuse at players on a sporting field. If you're not here to watch the game and can't be respectful then please don't come and spoil the atmosphere," Laxman said in a tweet.

The incident happened before the start of the 86th over in Australia's second innings on Sunday when Siraj,...

Sydney, Jan 10 (Ians) Play was stopped in the second session on Day Four of the ongoing third Test after Indian players made a complaint to umpires about unsavoury comments being made for Mohammed Siraj by a section of crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground (Scg).

The incident happened before the start of the 86th over in Australia's second innings when Siraj, fielding on the boundary line, went to skipper Ajinkya Rahane and raised the issue that some fans were passing abusive comments directed at him.

Rahane then walked up to the square leg umpire Paul Reiffel and complained about the same. While players huddled in the centre, security personnel entered the stands and a group of six Australian fans were removed from their seats by New South Wales Police.

The incident follows alleged racial abuse of Indian players by a small section of the Scg crowd on Saturday.

"Cricket Australia...

Brisbane, Dec 15 (Ians) Brisbane Heat duo Chris Lynn and Dan Lawrence have been sanctioned by Cricket Australia for breaching Covid-19 protocols put in place for the ongoing Big Bash League (Bbl).

Heat captain Lynn apologised for his and English import Lawrence's transgressions on Saturday that sparked a CA investigation and forced them to physically distance from teammates during Monday's Bbl game against the Sydney Thunder -- a match which Heat lost by four wickets at Canberra's Manuka Oval, according to cricket.com.au.

It is believed that both players and members of the public came in close contact and a selfie of the incident later emerged on social media which prompted CA's investigation.

Brisbane Heat has been fined $50,000, with $20,000 suspended for the remainder of the Bbl season for a breach of sections 1, 3, 4 and 9 of the Covid-19 Directive for State Associations and W/Bbl Teams, CA said in a statement on Tuesday.

Canberra, Dec 14 (Ians) Brisbane Heat captain Chris Lynn and his club teammate Dan Lawrence are being investigated for possible breach of Covid-19 protocols put in place by Cricket Australia for the ongoing Big Bash League (Bbl).

Lynn and Lawrence were allowed to take part in Heat's match against Sydney Thunder played on Monday evening at the Manuka Oval. However, they both had been asked to stay away from their teammates and not take part in any close huddles or celebrations over the course of the game, reports ESPNcricinfo.

CA issued a statement just hours before the Heat-Thunder match and stated that the two Heat players were being investigated for a breach after "coming into close contact with members of the public" on Saturday.

It is believed that both players and members of the public came in close contact and a selfie of the incident later emerged on social media which prompted CA's investigation.

Sydney, Nov 22 (Ians) Wbbl franchise Sydney Sixers have been fined $25,000, of which $15,000 was suspended for a period of 12 months, due to an administration error that saw fast bowler Hayley Silver-Holmes named on the team sheet to play against Melbourne Renegades despite not being part of the primary squad in the ongoing edition of the Women's Big Bash League.

The Sixers had hoped to have Silver-Holmes in their side to face the Renegades after an injury, but her paperwork was not lodged before the match started, meaning she was ineligible for selection. Sixers officials, after realising the error, removed her from the match and she did not bat or take the field during the Renegades' successful run-chase of 167.

Cricket Australia's Senior Conduct Commissioner, Alan Sullivan QC, termed the violation as "serious" but also acknowledged the fact the Sixers had self-reported and moved swiftly to remove the fast bowler from the match after realising the error.