Steph Laberis - Available for Work!

I find what's being unsaid here disturbing: the reason removing em-dashes from ChatGPT responses is a "win" that is worthy of an announcement is that em-dashes are primarily used to sniff out if a published work was written by ChatGPT. What purpose does this serve except to more covertly pass off AI writing as human writing? If people didn't care that an article etc was AI generated, why would this sort of thing be worthy of a dedicated announcement? An argument I've seen is that writers who frequently use em-dashes in their work are wrongly being accused of using ChatGPT, and this is a step toward mitigating that. But this is a smokescreen that functions on the assumption that people are only upset when they can see the cracks and are otherwise indifferent to AI writing if they can't tell the difference. The truth of this sneakily insidious announcement is that it is a declaration not only that ChatGPT's designers are aware that people do not want to read things written by AI, but also that ChatGPT functions better as a product when it deceptively hides its fingerprints. Were AI designers fine with laws or industry standards requiring disclosure around the use of AI, this seemingly innocuous fix wouldn't have even crossed Mr. Altman's mind to announce. In fact, if disclosure was a standard, writers would not be accused of using AI in the first place; the simple omission of "written using AI" from their work would be enough.

Coco can cuddle, but lots of other dogs are presented for the awesome things they can do: herding, acting, rescue, sniffing, agility, etc. but cuddling actually is an important talent! @StephLaberis @DISD_Libraries #bookaday

‘POO-DUNIT? A FOREST FLOOR MYSTERY’ has won the 2025 Nevada Young Readers Award! THANK YOU #NYRA ! POO-RAY for this hilarious, rhyming #STEM mystery, chosen by the children! 🙌 And POO-RAY for silly, stinky science!🐭💩 @Candlewick @McIntoshAndOtis @pbpros #poodunit #poodunnit

The end credits of BAD GUYS 2 said “screw AI. Try stealing our work! It’ll be a crime to your artless ass.” All I must say to this is SAY THAT SHIT WITH YOUR WHOLE CHEST DREAMWORKS ANIMATION! SPEAK ON IT!

I don't think people realize how incredible it is that a movie rendered in nearly real-time in free software on a single computer just won the Oscar for best animated film. If there was ever any proof you don't need AI, this is it.

About the only news I can handle these days is found in the Daily Carrot

It's a big day for animated films at the Oscars. ‘The Wild Robot’ has earned three Oscar nominations, while ‘Flow’ is nominated twice. cartoonbrew.com/awards/the-wil…

任天堂からの新しいお知らせです。 こちらの映像をご覧ください。 nintendo.com/successor/ja-j…

Our heart goes out to everyone impacted by the devastating fires in Los Angeles. Many of our employees and friends have lost their homes and could use your help recovering and rebuilding. Here is a comprehensive list of GoFundMe pages to consider donating to: airtable.com/appugwkqKAVGDd… Every dollar helps. The animation community truly appreciates all of your kindness, generosity, and support ❤️

I don't post here anymore but this is important: @wakandapunk lost his disabled father, disabled brother and his house while hospitalized for something unrelated to the Eaton Fire in LA. Please d*nate to his g*fundme + share everywhere. Anything helps. gofund.me/2256dfa3

everyone talking about how LA is all rich people need to watch this. we're talking about real people with families and communities, that have built up a home over decades filled with love. these fires have destroyed so many homes just like this.

Something that is getting left out of a lot of these conversations about the devastation of these fires is that many people in LA have been out of consistent work for years at this point. The pandemic, then the strikes, then a huge contraction in production, now this.

Sorry for tweeting so much, but Twitter throttles out-bound links, so I'm trying this again. SoCal animal shelters are overwhelmed with people dropping off injured animals they can't take with them as they flee. Many are in need of volunteers, money, and foster homes 🧵

Animation community impacted by fires: airtable.com/appugwkqKAVGDd…

This SHOULD be a signal to the industry that original/unique/risky projects are worth every penny… there is an audience for things other than sequels… but we’ll see

I don’t really use this site much anymore but I thought I’d let everyone know I just did a massive portfolio update! Check it out if you’re looking to hire someone to make some pictures next year!

2024 was actually a pretty spectacular year for animation. An absolute boat load of money was made across multiple successful movies and shows. Who didn't have a great year? The entire labor force making those movies and shows.