DUBAI: Shahid VIP, the premium, subscription-based service of MBC Group’s streaming platform Shahid, has announced the premiere of a new Arabic-language international production titled “The Eight.”
The suspense thriller tells the story of a dangerous criminal cartel that decides to turn on its biggest member.
The Shahid Original, which was filmed in Cairo, Paris, Lille, and Marrakech, stars Egyptian actors Asser Yassin and Khaled El-Sawy in the lead roles. The supporting cast includes well-known actors from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, Morocco, and the US.
Regional cast members include Mohammed Alaa, Reem Moustafa, Mahmoud El-Bezzawy, Hanan Suliman, Lara Scandar (Iskandar), Sara Abdulrahman, and Ghada Adel, while international names such as Michael Beach, Pasha Lychnikoff, and Richard De Mayo join the lineup.
The show has been written by acclaimed Saudi producer Turki Al-Alshikh and directed by Ahmed Medhat from Egypt who is best known for films such as “The International Player,” “The Hunter,” and “Between Two Worlds.”
“The Eight” premiered on Shahid VIP on June 9.
Shahid VIP premieres new thriller series ‘The Eight’
https://arab.news/mzvwe
Shahid VIP premieres new thriller series ‘The Eight’
- Internationally produced Arabic TV show stars regional, global talent
- The Shahid Original stars Egyptian actors Asser Yassin and Khaled El-Sawy in the lead roles
Musk’s AI bot Grok limits image generation on X to paid users after backlash
- AI tool was used to create sexualized images, sparking widespread criticisms
- The standalone Grok app, which operates separately from X, still allows users to generate images without a subscription
LONDON: Elon Musk’s startup xAI has restricted the image generation function on its Grok chatbot on social media platform X to paid subscribers, after the tool’s use of AI to create sexualized images sparked a widespread backlash.
The chatbot’s image generation had allowed users on X to edit or create sexualized photos, which Reuters found was used to generate images of women and children in minimal clothing, often without the consent of the individuals depicted.
A torrent of semi-nude images on X led to European lawmakers urging legal action, with German media minister Wolfram Weimer describing them as the “industrialization of sexual harassment” and the European Commission calling them illegal.
Grok told X users on Friday that image generation and editing features were now available only to paying subscribers.
The standalone Grok app, which operates separately from X, still allows users to generate images without a subscription.
A Reuters reporter asked Grok on X to convert a picture of himself into one wearing a bikini, echoing what has become a common request over the last week by users. The bot did not do so and posted in reply that the tool was only available to paying subscribers of the social media platform.
In what seemed to be an automated response, xAI replied to an emailed Reuters request for comment by saying “Legacy Media Lies.” X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The European Commission said on Monday such images circulating on X were unlawful and appalling, while Britain’s data regulator said it had asked the platform to explain how it was complying with data protection laws following concerns that Grok was generating sexually abusive images of women.
Musk said last week that anyone using Grok to create illegal content would face the same consequences as uploading such material directly.
