Meta’s AI Creator Studio Revival, Cate Blanchett’s Human Consent Registry, NY Congressman Challenges AI Giants, Anthropic’s Asia-Pacific AI Power Race

**Carly Wilson** (0:05)
Welcome to Digimasters Shorts.

**Adam Nagus** (0:07)
We are your hosts, Adam Nagus and Carly Wilson, delivering the latest scoop from the digital realm.
Meta is reviving the Facebook Creator Studio page manager, reimagined as a standalone AI-powered companion app for creators. The company says the new app is designed to help users better connect with their audiences and understand exactly how to grow on Facebook. At the center of the experience is the AI Creator Assistant, a built-in chatbot that delivers performance insights and personalized recommendations to boost engagement.
Creators can also use the assistant to identify what Meta calls the most important comments from their followers. The tool can even draft replies instantly in the creator's own voice. The app is not yet widely available, as Meta is currently testing it with a limited group of creators. There is no official timeline for a broader rollout, but interested users can sign up for a waitlist to gain early access. The original Creator Studio platform was shut down in 2023, when Meta shifted creators toward its more expansive business suite. Now, the company appears to be circling back with a more focused, AI-driven approach aimed specifically at content creators.

**Carly Wilson** (1:14)
Cate Blanchett has unveiled a new tool in the European Parliament that allows individuals to control how artificial intelligence uses their name, face, and voice. The platform, called the Human Consent Registry, is the first public product from non-profit RSL Media, which Blanchett co-founded earlier this year. It enables users to permit AI use of their identity, set conditions, or ban it outright through a system likened to a traffic light. Registration is free for individuals, and agents or guilds can also manage permissions on behalf of clients. The launch was hosted by Bulgarian MEP Eva Medel, and attended by director Steven Soderbergh, underscoring growing political and cultural concern over AI's reach. Blanchett said in the age of AI, Identity is intellectual property and individuals deserve the right to decide how it is used. Medel described the registry as a way to keep human creativity at the center of technological progress. The move follows mounting industry tensions, including an open letter signed by hundreds of artists opposing efforts to loosen copyright protections for AI training. While the registry cannot force companies to comply, it aims to create a clear, machine-readable record of consent, leaving the next step up to AI developers.
Micah Lasher declared victory in New York's 12th Congressional District after defeating eight rivals with 39.1% of the vote, and he used the moment to send a pointed message to the AI industry.
Speaking at a Manhattan rally, Lasher warned two major AI companies that he would not take cues from them on protecting children or jobs. Throughout the campaign, he positioned himself as a skeptic of Silicon Valley's push for lighter regulation, arguing that artificial intelligence could displace workers, deepen inequality and threaten public safety.
He also raised alarms about the rapid expansion of AI data centers and their growing energy demands. The race became an unexpected battleground over AI policy, exposing divisions within the tech world. Millions of dollars poured into the contest, much of it tied to the candidacy of Assembly member Alex Borres, a former Palantir employee who supported stronger AI safeguards. Super PACs linked to major tech investors spent heavily both to oppose and to support laws reflecting competing visions for the industry's future. The political clash comes as New York lawmakers consider aggressive AI regulations, including a possible pause on permits for large data centers. Lasher, a co-sponsor of the state's responsible AI Safety and Education Act, now heads to the general election with a clear message that federal AI oversight will remain a central issue in his campaign.

**Adam Nagus** (3:44)
Anthropic is racing to expand its AI compute capacity across the Asia Pacific region, as soaring demand strains its infrastructure. The US-based AI Lab is hiring for 13 compute roles, with eight positions focused on data center operations in Australia and Japan. The expansion follows a surge in enterprise and consumer growth that the company says has pressured reliability and performance. In May, Anthropic raised $65 billion at a $965 billion valuation, with revenue run rate reportedly jumping to $47 billion.
Job listings reference a rapidly expanding regional footprint and multi-hundred megawatt energy procurement efforts.
Analysts say Australia offers abundant renewable energy, political stability and strong security ties with the United States, though copyright laws could complicate AI development. Japan is also emerging as a strategic hub due to its stable grid, advanced infrastructure and government backing for domestic AI investment. Major players including Microsoft are committing billions of dollars to AI infrastructure in the region. However, energy access remains a critical bottleneck, with experts warning that grid availability is becoming the defining constraint on data center growth.