Customized Shutterstock content trained with NVIDIA Picasso generative AI cloud service to use text prompts to rapidly generate 3D content for industrial digital twins, entertainment and gaming

NEW YORK /PRNewswire/ — Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK), a leading global creative platform for transformative brands and media companies, announced it is partnering with NVIDIA to train custom 3D models to create generative 3D assets from simple text prompts. Through a first of its kind collaboration, 3D models will be trained with Shutterstock assets using NVIDIA Picasso generative AI cloud services to convert text into high-fidelity 3D content, reducing creation time from hours to minutes.

When the models are introduced in the coming months on Shutterstock.com, the new NVIDIA-powered generative AI capabilities will be the latest addition to Creative Flow, an extensive toolkit designed to power the most seamless creative experience possible. The text-to-3D features will also be offered on Turbosquid.com and is planned to be introduced on the NVIDIA Omniverse™ platform for building and operating 3D industrial metaverse applications.

“Our generative 3D partnership with NVIDIA will power the next generation of 3D contributor tools, greatly reducing the time it takes to create beautifully textured and structured 3D models,” said Shutterstock CEO Paul Hennessy. “This first of its kind partnership furthers our strategy of leveraging Shutterstock’s massive pool of metadata to bring new products, tools, and content to market. By combining our 3D content with NVIDIA’s foundation models, and utilizing our respective marketing and distribution platforms, we can capitalize on an extraordinarily large market opportunity.”

With today’s professional software tools, building a high quality, detailed 3D model from scratch is often a challenging and time-consuming task for creators. In the case of a content being created for use as a digital twin, where absolute precision is required, the complexity of the job can take days or even longer depending on the specifics of the model. By creating custom models with the NVIDIA Picasso generative AI cloud service, Shutterstock will help 3D artists create object shapes, assist with object unwrapping, generate textures and materials and, for non-3D users, will even produce complete 3D models ready for use in a wide variety of applications and platforms.

“The transformative capabilities of generative AI make it possible for software makers and enterprises to build tools that use simple text prompts to create 3D assets for digital twins, simulation and design, saving artists enormous amounts of time and effort,” said NVIDIA Vice President of Developer Programs Greg Estes. “Training a custom Shutterstock model with the NVIDIA Picasso generative AI cloud services will give developers a tool that can automate much of the tedious work for artists, freeing them to spend more time exploring new concepts and refining their ideas.”

As part of its responsible AI focus and in correlation with sales of the customized 3D models on Shutterstock’s platform, Shutterstock will compensate artists through its Contributor Fund for the role their IP plays in training the generative technology.

ABOUT NVIDIA
Since its founding in 1993, NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) has been a pioneer in accelerated computing. The company’s invention of the GPU in 1999 sparked the growth of the PC gaming market, redefined computer graphics, ignited the era of modern AI and is fueling the creation of the metaverse. NVIDIA is now a full-stack computing company with data-center-scale offerings that are reshaping industry. More information at https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/.

ABOUT SHUTTERSTOCK
Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK), is a leading global creative platform for transformative brands and media companies. Directly and through its group subsidiaries, Shutterstock’s comprehensive collection includes high-quality licensed photographs, vectors, illustrations, 3D models, videos and music. Working with its growing community of more than 2 million contributors, Shutterstock adds hundreds of thousands of images each week, and currently has more than 600 million images and more than 45 million video clips available.

Headquartered in New York City, Shutterstock has offices around the world and customers in more than 150 countries. The Company also owns Splash News, an entertainment news agency for newsrooms and media companies worldwide; Pond5, one of the world’s largest video-first content marketplaces; TurboSquid, one of the world’s largest 3D content marketplaces; PicMonkey, an online graphic design and image editing platform; Offset, a high-end image collection; Shutterstock Studios, an end-to-end custom creative shop; PremiumBeat, a curated royalty-free music library; Shutterstock Editorial, a premier source of editorial images and videos for the world’s media; and Bigstock, a value-oriented stock media offering.

For more information, please visit www.shutterstock.com and follow Shutterstock on Twitter and on Facebook.

NVIDIA FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, statements as to: the benefits, impact, performance, availability and features of NVIDIA’s partnership with Shutterstock to use images and text prompts to rapidly generate 3D content for industrial digital twins, entertainment, and gaming; and the benefits, impact, performance, features and availability of NVIDIA’s products, and technologies, including NVIDIA Picasso generative AI cloud services, NVIDIA Omniverse, and NVIDIA foundation models are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: global economic conditions; NVIDIA’s reliance on third parties to manufacture, assemble, package and test NVIDIA’s products; the impact of technological development and competition; development of new products and technologies or enhancements to NVIDIA’s existing product and technologies; market acceptance of NVIDIA’s products or NVIDIA’s partners’ products; design, manufacturing or software defects; changes in consumer preferences or demands; changes in industry standards and interfaces; unexpected loss of performance of NVIDIA’s products or technologies when integrated into systems; as well as other factors detailed from time to time in the most recent reports NVIDIA files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on the company’s website and are available from NVIDIA without charge. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by law, NVIDIA disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

SHUTTERSTOCK FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, particularly in the discussion under the caption “2023 Guidance.” All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding guidance, industry prospects, future business, future results of operations or financial condition, new or planned features, products or services, management strategies and our competitive position. You can identify forward-looking statements by words such as “may,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “expect,” “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “potential,” “opportunities” and other similar expressions and the negatives of such expressions. However, not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, those discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as in other documents that the Company may file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result of such risks, uncertainties and factors, Shutterstock’s actual results may differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements discussed in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made only as of this date and Shutterstock assumes no obligation to update the information included in this press release or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law. 

© 2023 NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, and NVIDIA Omniverse are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability, and specifications are subject to change without notice.

SOURCE Shutterstock, Inc.

TAIPEI /PRNewswire/ — A new program hosted by Emmy-nominated journalist Divya Gopalan explores a variety of topics reflecting the rapidly changing world. “Connected with Divya Gopalan,” launched March 6th on global streaming platform TaiwanPlus, brings together voices from Taiwan and around the world on contemporary issues facing the global community.

The fast paced, half hour show covers issues affecting millions around the world, from skyrocketing housing costs to whether AI means the end of art as we know it. Through special features and interviews, the show delves into questions resonating in modern societies. Asking whether women should be conscripted, if Mandarin is ready to go global, and why gaming is for everyone, the show engages voices from different parts of the world. “Connected” invites acclaimed experts and business leaders to share their perspective on these issues, including best-selling semiconductor historian Chris Miller and Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin.

“Connected” host Divya Gopalan says: “Most societies around the world face common issues. We aim to connect perspectives and inform conversations, challenge preconceptions and help the exchange of solutions. The name ‘Connected’ represents the objective of forging connections across borders, between generations, and bringing Taiwan’s voice into global conversations.”

Gopalan is an internationally-acclaimed journalist and anchor who has produced and hosted shows for Al Jazeera, BBC and CNN. She has covered top global news events from nearly 20 countries, including award-winnng stories on Myanmar’s Rohingya refugees. Based in Taipei, Gopalan has been instrumental in growing the international news center at TaiwanPlus.

About TaiwanPlus:

TaiwanPlus is the premier global provider of English-language news and infotainment from Taiwan, one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies. Our diverse team of journalists and producers is committed to delivering independent news and stories that inform, enlighten and inspire audiences worldwide.

With Taiwan at the nexus of global geopolitics and trade, TaiwanPlus offers a unique perspective on everything from cross-Strait relations to Taiwan’s culture, including world-class programming covering food, travel and entertainment. Viewers can watch TaiwanPlus on its website, mobile app, 24/7 live-streaming YouTube channel, and other social media platforms, as it continues to expand access worldwide.

SOURCE TaiwanPlus

• From February 27th to March 3rd, Havana will welcome aficionados, professionals and experts from all over the world
• Montecristo, Bolívar and Partagás will be the main brands featured in this new edition of the Habano Festival
• Live music, gastronomy and the best of Cuban culture will once again flood the Caribbean capital to pay tribute to the world of Habanos

HAVANA /PRNewswire/ — Havana will once again dress up to host the 23rd edition of the Habano Festival and thus become the world capital of this unique product. Between Monday, Feb. 27th and Friday, March 3rd, aficionados, experts, and professionals will gather around what is considered the world’s best tobacco and pay tribute to three of Habanos, S.A.’s most prestigious brands: Montecristo, Bolívar and Partagás, among others.

For this week-long celebration, a host of activities, workshops, lectures and presentations have been prepared with Habanos as the central theme and with the aim of continuing to convey and share knowledge of both its tradition and its entire value chain.

As in previous editions, attendees from more than 110 countries will get a first-hand look at the novelties Habanos, S.A. will be presenting during the Festival.

The 23rd edition of the Habano Festival kicks off with the opening of the Trade Fair, the most important meeting point for professionals in the tobacco sector, manufacturers of premium products and artisans.  This year’s edition brings together more than 270 exhibitors from 10 countries. That same night, Club Habana will host the first of the special evenings with a Welcome Evening, which will revolve around Montecristo and its much-appreciated Línea Open, and during which its latest novelty will be presented.

The Mid-week evening will take place at El Laguito Protocol Room and will feature Bolívar and La Casa del Habano. It will celebrate the brand’s 121 years and the worldwide importance of the international network of franchised specialized stores with the presentation of a new vitola.

The grand finale of this long-awaited Habano Festival will be the Gala evening to be held on Friday, March 3rd, at Pabexpo. This magical evening will be dedicated to Partagás. One of the most important moments of the Festival will be the Habanos Awards Ceremony and the traditional Humidor Auction, whose proceeds will go, as is customary, to the Cuban Public Health System.

A WEEK FULL OF ACTIVITIES

In parallel, the International Seminar will kick off with the Conference “The Partagás brand as seen through Vitolfilia”, presented by Mr. Fernando González García, President of the Cuban Association of Vitolfilia, and Ms. Zoe Nocedo, member of the Association, at the Havana ConventionCenter. Throughout the week, the same venue will host different masterclasses on the Habanos-making process, as well as tastings and pairings with different products.

We will also experience the excitement of a new edition of the Habanos World Challenge in which, in couples, participants will have to demonstrate their knowledge and mastery of the different stages of Habano making and enjoyment. The successors of Tarek Gamayel and Fadi Hammad, winners of the last edition, will be determined through a series of tests competitors will have to pass.

The program of activities at the 23rd Habano Festival will be rounded out by visits to plantations, which this year will take place in in the Vuelta Abajo zone, in the Pinar del Río* region, as well as visits to the Partagás and La Corona factories to gain first-hand knowledge about the whole Habano-making process.

*(P.A.O.) Protected Appellations of Origin.          

SOURCE Habanos, S.A.