Good morning. After a two-year hiatus, gaming streamer Turner “Tfue” Tenney has returned to Twitch, giving his 11.3 million followers over 15 new hours of content to enjoy.

 How does the saying go? It’s too good to be tfue?

— Hannah Doyle & Syd Cohen

Warner Music Group recently signed a licensing deal with Suno, an AI music platform where users make songs via text prompts. Users reportedly generate 7 million new songs per day on the platform (the equivalent of Spotify’s entire catalog every two weeks). 

Zoom in: The deal allows Suno users to use the voices, likenesses, and compositions of WMG artists who opt into the program. 

WMG, which owns labels representing musicians such as Charli xcx and Dua Lipa, said that artists have “full control” over how their likeness and music are used, but didn’t specify how.

The news has sparked contention among music creators: to embrace AI’s infiltration into the art form, or fight against it? The reality for artists, from DJs to singer-songwriters, is more complicated.

What creators are saying →

Music producer Kato On The Track told us he’s used AI to develop sounds and expects platforms like Suno to become integrated into digital audio workstations (DAWs) similar to loops and samples. 

“I’ve found ways to use it creatively that’s still inclusive of my human collaborators, and not a replacement for them,” Kato said. “If you have taste, vision and a passion for making music, AI can be a partner in helping you build your world. I just hope the industry continues to advocate for transparency and artist rights, rather than exploit them.”

Indie rock musician Elijah Johnston told us he’s less optimistic about artist rights. “The people that are making these sorts of decisions—whether it be at Suno, Warner, or the tech companies that are so insistent on putting AI into creative fields—are viewing artists as an inconvenience. They view songs as assets and marketing tools as things that hold shareholder value, and they don't care about the process of being an artist,” Johnston told us. 

Worth noting: WMG is also dropping out of a lawsuit against Suno (originally filed with Universal Music Group and Sony) alleging Suno illegally ripped their copyrighted works from YouTube. 

The deal marks the latest in a series of moves from major music labels to embrace AI. Last month, “ethical” AI music platform KLAY also struck deals with UMG, Sony, and WMG.

Last Wednesday, the Australian government enforced a social media ban for kids and teens—restricting access to platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, X, and Reddit.

Behind the law: The ban came after the success of two social campaigns in Australia, 36 Months and Let Them Be Kids, which aimed to protect children from social media overconsumption and its psychological impacts. Campaign lobbyists helped pass the Online Safety Amendment last December and gave platforms 12 months notice to enforce age verification.

As a result: Many kids’ accounts have been removed from platforms, leaving behind thousands of followers (and even brand deals)—while others are passing the verification because they look older. Some are even using VPNs and AI to skirt around the new law. Alternative social platforms like Lemon8, Coverstar, and Yope are gaining users, rising in popularity on the Australian app store charts.

Zoom out: Proponents of social media bans say removing social media improves mental health, but it may have an opposite effect for certain groups. Studies show that LGBTQ+ youth find “greater peer support” online versus IRL communities, and teens affected say that banning sites like YouTube will infringe on education opportunities. 

If other countries implement these online safety bans, how would that affect daily internet life around the world? Hit reply with your thoughts.

Dude Perfect just launched a new YouTube channel called Dude Perfect Outdoors—its second new channel in 16 years—focusing on hunting, fishing, and camping content. 

It’s part of the media company’s new growth strategy, which kicked off last year with $100 million in funding from private investment firm Highmount Capital and hiring its first CEO, Andrew Yaffe.

Here’s a look at DP’s new verticals →

Still to come: Its theme park, Dude Perfect World, and growing the DP app. The founders told Colin and Samir they are focused on “stadium, show, shelf”—scaling live experiences, content, and merchandise to grow beyond its founding cast.