News 05.04.2024

Need to Know

AI nurses powered by NVIDIA and Hippocratic AI, Emily Rhodes' Foresight Friday and why Gen Z are embracing AI on dating apps.

Nvidia partners with Hippocratic AI to develop AI-powered healthcare agents

Nvidia, US

US – Nvidia has joined forces with Hippocratic AI to introduce AI-powered healthcare agents and address the critical issue of workforce shortages in the healthcare sector.

The AI service is designed to provide real-time support for various healthcare tasks such as pre-operation check-ins and assisted living services, including a loneliness companion, a development we forecast in 2023 in our AI Companionship Market report.

Hippocratic AI claims that its AI nurses perform better than human nurses when it comes to bedside manner (such as empathy, trust, rapport) and education. The cost of operating Hippocratic's agents is £7 ($9, €8) an hour. In comparison, the median hourly pay for nurses in 2022 was £30 ($39, €35), according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Kimberly Powell, vice-president of healthcare at Nvidia, emphasised the importance of human-like engagement in these interactions: 'Voice-based digital agents powered by generative AI can usher in an age of abundance in healthcare, but only if the technology responds to patients as a human would,' she said in a statement.

While AI agents offer cost-effective solutions, questions remain about their ability to fully replace human caregivers and provide the same level of support. Ethics will also play a huge role in this market, as explained by Open AI policy team member Ashyana-Jasmine Kachra in The Future of Responsible AI.

Strategic opportunity

The care sector should consider investing in AI-powered humanoid and animal-like robots to assist with tasks, provide companionship and improve the wellbeing of patients, particularly in assisted living facilities and for individuals needing support at home

Nicki Minaj debuts luxurious press-on nail brand Pink Friday Nails

US – Rapper Nicki Minaj has ventured into the beauty industry once again (she previously worked with MAC Cosmetics) with the launch of her glamorous press-on nail brand Pink Friday Nails. Teaming up with her longtime nail artist Yvett Garcia, Minaj aims to revolutionise the press-on market with high-quality designs inspired by her iconic style.

Featuring 11 dynamic designs in various colourways, including matte and chrome bases, Pink Friday Nails offers a range of options for bold statements or subtle elegance. 'I told my team when we started Pink Friday Nails that if I don't want to wear them, I'm not going to even ATTEMPT to sell them because our customers aren't stupid,' Minaj said in a press release.

Minaj's personal experience as a mother led to the creation of Pink Friday Nails, addressing the need for convenient yet stylish nail solutions. With shapes moulded for all nail sizes and lengths, the brand promises a salon-quality look in minutes. Priced between £16 ($20, €18) and £20 ($25, €23) the collection caters to diverse tastes while maintaining accessibility.

To celebrate the launch, Minaj plans to integrate a Pink Friday Nails press-on station into her world tour, offering fans VIP experiences and giveaways.

For more insights on what's next for the business of fame, head to our analysis of the Entre-Celebrity.

Pink Friday Nails, US

Strategic opportunity

Explore opportunities to create immersive brand experiences, such as integrating product stations into events or tours, to engage with consumers directly and foster brand loyalty

Foresight Friday: Emily Rhodes, creative foresight analyst

ALDImania by ALDI, Australia ALDImania by ALDI, Australia

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, creative foresight analyst Emily Rhodes digs into the dyke renaissance, ALDI’s diversion to streetwear and the future of TikTok.

: From London to Hollywood, queer womxn are finally moving to the front of the queue. In the US, after decades of decline, lesbian bars are having a resurgence, and in March 2024, London’s newest lesbian bar La Camionera unexpectedly took over the whole street on its launch night. This dyke renaissance is also taking over our screens with the success of lesbian director Emma Seligman's comedy Bottoms and Kristen Stewart’s new thriller Love Lies Bleeding, not to mention Reneé Rapp and Towa Bird hard launching their relationship at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party. This is shaping up to be the year of the dyke

: ALDI Australia is dropping its first-ever streetwear line, ALDImania. The discount food retailer is jumping on the streetwear hype we’ve seen other brands including IKEA and Chipotle previously tap into. Featuring loungewear staples in the brand's iconic colours and all retailing under £10 (AUS$20, $13, €12), the limited-edition collection reflects the brand’s budget-friendly values, a trend we previously analysed in Food’s Fashion Strategy

: After the US passed a bill that could require TikTok owner ByteDance to sell the platform or face a possible state-side ban, the platform's future remains unknown. According to a recent Harvard CAPS Harris Poll, 64% of respondents support action being taken. Unsurprisingly, 18-to-24-year-olds were the only group to oppose the ban, with 57% of them objecting to the proposal. With brands becoming reliant on the platform to reach this demographic, one question remains: where will consumers migrate to if the ban is implemented? Perhaps this is the time for Anti-provocation Platforms to shine

Quote of the week

‘Let’s be honest: we don’t need the future to be female. We need the future to be free’

Them, in a call-to-action for Trans Day of Visibility 2024

Stat: Gen Z are embracing AI in their dating lives

Photography by Shingi Rice, UK Photography by Shingi Rice, UK

US – More than three-quarters of Millennials and 81% of Gen Z would use an AI bot to help them flirt on a dating app, according to a report by Cosmopolitan magazine and dating app Bumble.

The survey polled 5,000 Gen Z and Millennials on how they’re using AI to navigate dating. Published in the March 2024 print issue of Cosmopolitan, the results found that 69% of participants are excited about how AI could make dating easier and more efficient, whilst 86% believe it could help solve dating fatigue.

The survey also points to Gen Z and Millennials’ concerns regarding AI and dating: 71% believe there should be a limit to using AI-generated profile pictures and bios on dating apps and 72% agree that while AI can be helpful in dating apps, there is no replacement for human connection.

For more insights into how technology is shaping the lives and relationships of Gen Z and Millennials, check out our Millennials Now and Next: From Pink to Prime and Gen Z Now and Next: From Vision to Contradiction macrotrend reports.

Strategic opportunity

While Gen Z and Millennials are enthusiastic about AI in dating, dating apps must prioritise safeguarding measures such as profile verification, content moderation and real-time risk assessment to maintain and build trust among customers

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