61. Klarna Final Final Financials. UTA Shoots For AI Relevance.

Skyreels will kill your weekend.

Apr 03, 2025

We’re back from Spring break, March Madness, and how are you doing? There’s a ton of noise out there. Here are some items that caught my eye.

Klarna - It’s the Final Countdown

Regular readers here have joined me in tracking the internal AI implementations by Klarna’s CMO David Sandström.

I stumbled over some numbers from “The Information” that paints a picture more of efficiency than opulence.

(BTW - The new Klarna + Uber Eats deal is a new dangerous combo).

Klarna, the Swedish fintech company, has reported annual savings of $10 million attributed to its AI-powered marketing initiatives. While this figure is notable, it represents a modest portion of the company's overall financials. In 2024, Klarna achieved a net profit of $21 million, marking its first profitable year after a series of losses following its U.S. expansion. Despite the $10 million savings from AI, these reductions constitute only a small fraction of Klarna's total expenses. For context, the company's operating expenses in 2023 were significantly higher, indicating that while AI contributes to cost efficiency, its impact on the broader financial landscape remains limited.

Sources: The Information

And speaking of The Final Countdown

United Talent Agency (UTA) is actively integrating artificial intelligence (AI) across various facets of its operations to enhance efficiency and decision-making.

A notable development is the testing of an AI-powered mobile application designed to provide agents with real-time access to critical data, such as film and TV viewership metrics. This tool leverages platforms like Microsoft Azure, OpenAI, and Meta’s Llama to aggregate information from multiple sources, enabling agents to make informed decisions swiftly during negotiations and client interactions.

UTA's commitment to data-driven strategies is further exemplified by its division, UTA IQ, which offers research, analytics, and digital strategy advisory services. This division utilizes AI to assess clients' positions in the marketplace, providing valuable insights that inform representation and deal-making processes.

Beyond internal applications, UTA is exploring AI's potential to revolutionize creative processes. A study conducted by UTA IQ revealed that a significant portion of creatives in marketing and entertainment are utilizing AI tools for tasks such as idea generation and content creation. While many express optimism about AI's role in enhancing creativity, there are also concerns regarding its impact on employment and the authenticity of human expression.

In summary, UTA is proactively incorporating AI to enhance its services and operations, while also addressing the ethical considerations associated with its adoption in the entertainment industry.

Sources: Fast Company, UTA, The Future Party

Skyreels.ai is (yet another) Shiney New Object

A fun way to flush an entire weekend.

SkyReels.ai is an AI-powered video creation platform that streamlines the production of high-quality, cinematic videos by integrating various AI-driven tools into a unified workflow. Developed by Kunlun Tech, it combines script generation, character customization, storyboarding, plot development, dialogue/BGM, and film synthesis into a single seamless experience, allowing creators to easily generate high-quality AI reels and videos.

Key features of SkyReels.ai include:

AI Video Generation: Transforms text prompts, images, or animations into engaging video content.
AI Character Creation: Enables users to design unique characters with customizable appearances and voices for consistent integration across projects.
Lip Syncing: Automatically generates accurately lip-synced videos by uploading a video or image and inputting audio or text, breathing life into static visuals.
Text-to-Speech: Converts text into lifelike speech using a diverse library of emotive voices.
AI Sound Effects and Music Generation: Creates custom sound effects and music tracks that align with the video's mood and energy.
Video Editing Tools: Offers functionalities such as trimming, splitting, rotating, cropping, compressing, and resizing videos.

SkyReels.ai is accessible via web and mobile applications, providing flexibility for users to manage their projects across devices. The platform caters to content creators, marketers, educators, and storytellers, offering both free and subscription-based plans to accommodate various needs.

Sources: Vadoo AI, PR Newswire, Skyreels

For more information https://www.skyreels.ai/home

Next Week: Tariffs? AI? Advertising? Any touch points here?

If you find this edition of value please feel free to leave a note in the comments. And if you’re so inclined, you can now even buy me a cup of coffee.☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️

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