The AI Hoff

The AI Hoff, the first dyslexic sperm bank, the 'radical' new M&S ad and why you can't handcuff the wind...

To start, something to get you thinking. "You sell something through tensions with its opposites. To sell something surprising, make it familiar. To sell something familiar, make it surprising," so says Derek Thompson, author of new book Hit Makers.

A computer has written a script. This is the second story the AI computer, named Benjamin, has come up with. This time it's on the topic of the proposed writers' strike. It features The Hoff.

According to the accompanying article, the real Hoff had some nervousness about playing a robot version of himself: "Hasselhoff talked a lot to [director Oscar] Sharp about the divide between himself as an actor and "the Hoff," a caricature whom he described as "created by secretaries 14 years ago in Australia. It’s not who I am." His emotional outburst in that final scene dramatizes the sometimes painful divide between self and commercial creation." OK then.

What to say about the film? It features The Hoff. It's surreal. It features a dance scene. It's diabolical:

Read 40 earnings reports in no time at all thanks to the power of emojis.

One of the names is Under Armour, which came apparently from nowhere, and looks like it might be going back there again thanks to its frankly ugly trainers.

Could you be London's chief digital officer? The post pays more than £100,000 and you'll need to turn the capital into the world's leading 'smart city'.

Facebook is looking for 3,000 people to watch videos. This is no holiday though. The right candidates will be watching material likely to be disturbing or obscene.

Meanwhile, don’t believe what Facebook says about its ads, says a former Facebook executive Antonio Garcia-Martinez. He says Facebook's power and reach are impressive, but, "Converting Facebook data into money is harder than it sounds, mostly because the vast bulk of your user data is worthless. Turns out your blotto-drunk party pics and flirty co-worker messages have no commercial value whatsoever."

Another week, another Uber story. This time it concerns its head of self-driving technologies, Anthony Levandowski who used to lead Google’s self-driving car division. He’s now lost his post.

Levandowski’s tenure at Uber has proved controversial, with Google now suing over alleged copying of technology.

Khloe Kardashian (yes, she’s related to that other one) is also facing legal action for posting a picture of herself on her own Instagram feed. Nothing wrong with that you might say, but the picture was taken by a professional paparazzo, Manual Munoz, who now wants $25,000.

The first dyslexic sperm bank? Look here at a fascinating campaign turning dyslexia from a 'problem' to an advantage:

If you want your OOH on trains to have more impact, then place the on the most crowded trains. It’s not just that more crowded trains mean more eyeballs, but will persuade people to buy from their device.

June 8 will be the second really digital election. It's already spawned a phrase, Smell my Spaniel, we learned that the current PM can't eat chips, and a truly awful interview on police proposals for the Corbyn camp. Expect more. Much more.

Isn’t online shopping great? You can shop at your leaisure and find those things you want at brilliant prices too. Except that this isn’t the case. Algorithmic approaches mean prices can fluctuate and the consumer often comes off worst.

To illustrate, an academic book about flies peaked at almost $24 million due to algorithmic pricing on 18 April 2011.

As The Guardian’s battle with Rubicon Project continues to rumble on, the newspaper has found further evidence to be wary of some adtech, now pulling out of both Facebook’s Instant Articles and Apple News because it can't find the returns.

Accenture has become the latest in a very long line of prophets to proclaim the death of TV, their research showing that preference for TV has dropped from 52% to 23%. But TV is far from dead. However, Adam Crozier has stepped down as CEO of ITV, with a Brexit-based ad slowdown blamed.

Meanwhile audience measurement company Barb has rejected YouTube's proposal to be included in its audience measurement figures because it fails to meet its 'gold standards', notably independent verification.

The new M&S ad, the first by Grey since the split with longterm agency RKCR/Y+R, narrated by Helen McCrory, best known as Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter films. The riff from Bowie's Rebel Rebel forms the bed, and the ad marks a 'radical departure' for the brand:

Writing advice from the Pulitzer-winning Philip Shultz, who runs classes in New York. Of note is tip number two, "escape the shitbird". What is that?, "It tells us we’re not smart or gifted enough to say anything of value. It feeds our fears and undermines our confidence, tells us we can’t possibly stay cooped up in a room alone, that under no circumstance can we render ourselves vulnerable to others by revealing who we really are through our writing."

Jonathan Meades, who many credit as being one of the best writers alive, has written a cookbook, The Plaigarist in the Kitchen.

Five lessons from the world’s second-richest man, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, who will most probably overtake Bill Gates in the coming years.

Tickled by Trump? Bemused by Brexit? Fell about laughing over Fyre Festival fiasco? Is Schadenfreude the defining emotion of our times?

There is a definite balance to be struck between exclusivity and availability using apps and social to get customers onboard and engaged. But it's a difficult tightrope to walk.

Finally, 'Mindhorn' appears to be the best film to be released this year. Evidence? This video for 'You can't handcuff the wind':