💰 $1.1 Billion Generated on Howl

Howl has quietly become a big name in the creator economy. And it didn’t get there by sticking to beauty tutorials or endless fashion hauls. Since 2022, more than 20,000 creators have pushed $1.1 billion in sales. We’re talking Sony cameras, Nike sneakers, and even Pokémon cards. Gotta catch ’em all…especially if it’s billions.

The cool thing is that it’s built to actually work for creators and brands. There’s live data on what’s selling, transparent commission rates, and tools that don’t feel like homework. Brands get a platform that’s not a total pain to use and creators rack up their earnings, already surpassing over $100 million 🤯.

Now that retail media networks are booming, Howl is right in the mix. It blends creator content into ad formats that brands already know how to buy. No awkward learning curves. CEO Haslett Chen sees it as a shift toward a brand-creator dynamic that is much, much better than what we’ve been used to over the last decade.

^{For the full article from Yola Robert at Forbes, click here.}

🛑 MrBeast's AI Backlash

@dailymail

World's biggest YouTuber, MrBeast, u-turned and has removed a set of AI tools that allowed users to create thumbnails for videos. After th... See more

MrBeast, YouTube’s most-subscribed creator and the undisputed Da Vinci of thumbnail design, recently launched an AI tool to help smaller creators boost their visuals. The tool, part of his Viewstats platform, lets users remix popular thumbnails and insert themselves into the designs. Sounds helpful, but only in theory.

Turns out, some of those “popular” thumbnails were lifted straight from other creators…without permission. The backlash was swift. People weren’t thrilled about their hard work getting cloned by AI.

MrBeast responded quickly. He apologized, called the tool a swing and a miss, and removed it. Instead of generating thumbnails with AI, Viewstats will now offer links to commission real human artists. Old-school, but with more soul.

This happening against the backdrop of the first major federal court ruling in favor of Anthropic (and some of the backlash online) underscores how much visibility AI firms have when serving the creative community - and how anticipating blowback is a key consideration for their go-to-market.

Why this matters to digital creators:

• Copyright and ethics matter: AI tools trained on existing creator content can cross legal and moral lines.

• Community feedback shapes tech: Calls from creators like Jacksepticeye and PointCrow forced a change within five days.

• Humans still win: Even in the AI age, human artists bring soul that machines just can’t replicate.

Copying thumbnails? Not cool. Paying artists? Much better.

^{For the full article from Riyah Collins at BBC, click here.}

👾 Twitch CEO Gets Real About Social Media

In a world where tech execs usually speak fluently in buzzwords, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy is refreshingly real. During a recent episode of The CEO Series, he talked AI, livestreaming, and the actual social toll of being online.

Clancy believes Twitch should feel less like an algorithm factory and more like a living, breathing community. Turns out, it already does. Two-thirds of Twitch’s revenue comes from fan support, not ads. It shows people come for creators, not commercials.

He’s also not anti-AI. He sees it as a tool, not a threat. But he’s clear on how we need to all ask: who’s training the AI, and for what purpose? He wants platforms to work for creators, not squeeze them for engagement.

^{For the full article from William Salvi at Entrepreneur, click here.}

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👋 Happy Networking!

~ Brian F.

Content We Referenced Today

1. Twitch CEO Dan Clancy Offers a Refreshing Take on the Future of Social Media, Live Streaming, AI and the Creator Economy - Entrepreneur

2. MrBeast removes YouTube AI tool after backlash - BBC

3. Inside Howl’s $1.1 Billion Creator Economy Expansion Play - Forbes