Good morning. The CEO of popular design app Procreate pledged on Monday that his company will never introduce any generative AI tools into its products. “We don’t exactly know where this story’s gonna go or how it ends, but we believe that we’re on the right path supporting human creativity,” he said. What do you think—is this a smart strategy?

— Hannah Doyle & Nate Graber-Lipperman

Why Tech Creators Are Leaving Google’s #TeamPixel

Tech creators are speaking out against Google’s invite-only Team Pixel program, alleging that the company crossed a line by telling partner creators they can’t give competing tech products preferential treatment—and they might get kicked out of the program if they do.

“I’m formally removing myself from Team Pixel…the program is no longer in line with my ethics or in the best interest of my channel,” tech reviewer Adam Matlock tweeted last week.

Catch up quick: Google doesn’t run Team Pixel—it partners with PR agency 1000heads to orchestrate the program and send new products to participants ahead of launch days.

The brand ambassador program is popular among smaller creators who aren’t yet established enough to qualify for Google’s official review program.

Ahead of its Pixel 9 smartphone release, Team Pixel asked participants to fill out a Google Form. The form featured language indicating that creators were “expected to feature the Google Pixel device in place of any competitor mobile devices.”

Google has since responded: “We missed the mark with this new language that appeared in the #TeamPixel form yesterday, and it has been removed,” Google communications manager Kayla Geier told The Verge.

Big picture: Tech creators often walk a fine line between giving honest product reviews and managing relationships with brands. But veteran creators like Marques Brownlee say they’ve been able to build careers within the niche because they’ve prioritized credibility with their audiences.

“Trust is like the ultimate leverage I have as a product reviewer,” Brownlee told us in April. “If I’m the only one saying it’s great, then everyone else [says] this thing is bad…well, there goes trust.”

Formula 1 Creators Distance Themselves from the F1 Franchise

In the last week, Formula 1 creators like F1R the Girls and shelovesf1 have changed their handles to remove “F1.” Though none have said explicitly why, they’ve hinted at an ask from F1 itself.

Culture and tech creator Toni Cowan-Brown told us that the changes are likely part of F1’s latest wave of crackdowns on creators who might capitalize on F1’s brand and IP.

“I understand IP rights, I understand the need to protect your trademark but I think there's also a gray zone,” Cowan-Brown said. 

Context: F1 has long been quick to strike on copyright issues, from driver Lewis Hamilton getting asked to take down F1 sports highlights to Dax Shephard receiving a cease and desist for his “Eff Won” podcast. 

“This is part of a growing trend with Formula 1 to own the full stack,” Cowan-Brown said. Though F1 has previously worked with creators (including Cowan-Brown), the organization looks eager to keep marketing and content coming from the brand itself, which includes new projects like the F1 Exhibition and Museum and F1 Arcades.

Looking ahead: Since its rise in popularity in 2020 following Netflix’s Drive to Survive, the pandemic, and the creator economy boom, F1 views and ticket sales have plateaued.

“A lot of my audience isn’t there for Formula 1, they’re there for my opinion and take on Formula 1, and if I decide tomorrow that I want to go after another subject I do think there’s at least 50% of their audience that would follow me,” Cowan-Brown said. “F1 has done nothing for these creators for them to continue talking about it.”

Alex Cooper Inks $125M SiriusXM Deal

Last month, Alex Cooper told the WSJ that she wanted her next podcast deal to be worth $100 million. She got her wish and then some.

This week, Cooper signed a multi-year, $125 million deal with SiriusXM that will give SiriusXM exclusive advertising and distribution rights for Call Her Daddy (CHD) and podcast shows under Cooper’s Unwell Network. CHD and Unwell pods will still be available to stream on all podcast platforms.

Looking ahead: Cooper teased new content from the CHD brand, including full episodes of CHD on YouTube. The SiriusXM deal will last about three years, the same amount of time as her record-breaking $60 million Spotify deal in 2021.

🔥 Press Worthy

• YouTube TV introduces a new custom fantasy football viewing option for NFL games.

• Twitch offers its version of the YouTube Play Button, with a “Bleed Purple Statue.”

• Hot Ones releases a menu item at Panda Express.

• Theorist Media signs with Night for talent management.

• Nearly half of TikTok users under 30 use the app to keep up with politics, according to a new study.

• Meta faces a new lawsuit that argues for giving users more control over what they see on their timelines.

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