The Santa Teresa festival in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec announced its 2024 lineup this morning, featuring Montreal indie rock vets Karkwa, French rapper Ziak, Belgian rappers Caballero & Jeanjass and renowned Quebec singer-songwriter Daniel Bélanger.

Also on the bill are Montreal acts Bibi Club, les Deuluxes (opening for Daniel Belanger), Robert Robert and old-school rap-Queb act Muzion. Fellow locals Samwoy, Night Lunch and Unessential Oils, a new project by Warren Spicer (the singer from Plants and and Animals), are among the acts playing free shows.

On the comedy front, Montreal comedian Arnaud Soly will host Soly Teresa, a music and comedy show with a number of special guests, while Brick et Brack will record a podcast and Julien Bernatchez, as DJ White Russian, will close out the first night on the main stage.

Four-day festival passes will be available this Saturday, Feb. 24 at 10 a.m.

For more on the Santa Teresa festival, which runs from May 9 to 12 at various venues in Sainte-Thérèse, please visit their website.

For more Montreal music coverage, please visit the Music section.

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Daybreak host Sean Henry speaks with Fernando Belton, the co-founder of the Clinique Juridique Saint-Michel and with Erich Preach, a comedian, actor and YouTuber who will host the comedy event on Saturday.

The Plante administration is facing pressure to deal with the overpopulation of deer in the east island. The Official Opposition at Montreal’s city hall says the longer this draws out, the worse the problem gets.

Season tickets and bundles that include the match that will see Messi's team, Inter Miami, play CF Montreal have already sold out. Now single day tickets are about to go on sale at sky-high prices, with no guarantee the soccer legend will even play.

Wrestlers from Kahnawake Survival School (KSS) took part in the Greater Montreal Athletic Association (GMAA) all-star wrestling meet at John Rennie High School last week, in a preview of the GMAA championships.

“We’re happy to be here. They put on a nice show, and they make it feel special,” said Stalk, KSS wrestling coach.

Brandon Stalk always notices an outpouring of support from the community for the Kahnawake Survival School (KSS) wrestlers. He feels that the whole community gets behind them, and it lifts them up in competition.

“The KSS wrestling team has always been a pretty big deal because of our past success,” he said. “Our community is very proud of our wrestling team, and they’re very supportive. The fans come out and the families come out. It’s pretty cool.”

The meet brings together the best wrestlers in every weight category. But aside from being a fun event, the February 8 meet served as a prelude to the GMAA championships, held at Howard S. Billings High School on February 15.

“A lot of the matches you see here will be the GMAA gold medal matches. Next week, everyone is going to be serious,” said Kahnawa’kehró:non Peter Montour, coach of the wrestling team at Billings.

KSS has had a large lead-up to the all-star meet and championships, having started practice roughly four days a week in mid-September. There are a lot of new wrestlers on the team for whom this was their first-ever appearance at the all-star meet.

“They didn’t know what it was going to be like, but it’s good because you’re competing against people from schools that you don’t normally get to compete against,” Stalk said.

GMAA wrestling is split into on-island and off-island schools. This year, KSS – part of the off-island region – only competed against the four other off-island schools: Howard S. Billings, Heritage Regional High School, Massey-Vanier High School, and École Paul-Germain-Ostiguy. But the all-star meet gives them a chance to compete against on-island schools.

That was the case for wrestler Rakehnhktha Polson Lahache, competing in the 95-pound category. His bout against Nicholas Clark from Royal West Academy went the full four minutes, and Lahache ended up on the wrong end of a 7-5 decision. He said the experience of competing against an on-island athlete was tougher for him, but he was glad to have the opportunity nonetheless.

“It felt very rewarding. It just made me happy to have the chance,” he said.

Stalk had high hopes for Lahache at the all-star meet and going forward to the championships, considering his strong performance of late.

Lia Bear is another KSS wrestler on a roll. Her opponent did not show at the all-star meet, however, so she unfortunately did not get a chance to compete.

“I was pretty disappointed that I couldn’t wrestle,” said Bear, adding it was her first time at the all-star meet. 

But, like Lahache, she was simply happy to get selected as an all-star.

“It was kind of unexpected. But yeah, it feels good,” she said.

One of the biggest believers in KSS wrestling is Montour himself. Having spent 30 years with the school as an athlete and later as a coach. 

Montour had Stalk by his side as an assistant coach at KSS, and now believes that Stalk will bring KSS back to the top.

“It took us eight years to become a championship team in those days,” Montour said. “Brandon’s rebuilding and he’s in year two. Give him time, and he’s going to get there.”

[email protected]

This article was originally published in print on February 16 in issue 33.07 of The Eastern Door.

The Toronto Raptors want to make sure they fight until the end of the NBA season, so they brought in MMA great Georges St-Pierre to give them a pep talk.

The Legault government has decided to apply for leave to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada, the Family Ministry announced Wednesday. The ruling allows asylum seekers spots in the province's publicly subsidized daycares.

The Mitchikanibikok Inik First Nation, also known as the Algonquins of Barriere Lake, says Quebec's mining act breaches the province's duty to consult and is asking the Quebec Superior Court to deem it unconstitutional.

Ever since I discovered the wonders of homemade aioli (why would I mayonnaise ever again?), I’ve developed a newfound appreciation for starting things from scratch.

Not a pro-chef myself, I am lucky enough to have friends in the industry who I can pester for advice. So, sitting at the corner of our beloved Grumpys Bar, I asked chef Louie Deligianis (the culinary brains behind my favourite Montreal restaurant, Bistro la Franquette), “What’s the deal with pasta from scratch?” I asked this question as if it were a challenge, and clarified, “Is it difficult?” Louie dismissed this immediately with a shake of his head. Lifting off his cap, and running his hands through his hair (classic Louie), he said, “Anyone can do it.” 

Okay, so if “anyone” can do it, I can,” I concluded. I’m right up there in the “anyone” category. “How?” I annoyingly persisted. (I don’t know why, given I’ve binged Samin Nosrat’s Salt Fat Acid Heat on Netflix on numerous occasions, and considering I fall asleep most nights watching food Instagram videos, I obviously know how. You take a bunch of flour, make a little well, dump a bunch of eggs etc.

Louie shrugged and suggested I come by the restaurant so he could show me sometime. I said, “Really??” because, again, annoying. He blinked. “You want me to make pasta at Bistro la Franquette?” I asked again. He blinked again. “I want you to want to make pasta.” 

Soon after that conversation, Louie graciously carved 45 minutes out of his busy day for us to do the thing. I wanted to make him proud. I wanted to make the pasta! With this, however, came the combined anxiety and thrill of being handed an official apron and being guided into the kitchen where the magic happens. The poor staff looked at me with confusion and skepticism, and I nervously confirmed, “I’m not new! Louie’s just helping me!” They nodded in realization, and proceeded to laugh both with and at me — including an employee who was literally from Italy. Anxiety, again.

We start weighing the dough, and Louie hands me all the eggs. He asks me if I know how to crack an egg, and you know, I cook often at home, so I say, “Well yeah, of course.” After a few cracks, he says, “Yeah, no, you don’t. You crack at the edge of the table, never on the table itself. That’s how it breaks.” Oops. Then he asks if I can separate whites from yolks, and at this point, I start to realize maybe the safe answer to the easy questions is “No.” At home, I separate the eggs using the shell (carrying the yolk over from one to the other, until one holds the whites and the other holds the yolk), but here it was suggested I use my hands as the sieve instead. Our fingers are natural instruments for this. I’m too precious about it at first, as Louie remarks. He suggests I widen the space between my fingers, and let the viscous whites have a little give to slip through. Chef Louie is very obviously right.

Then the basic steps. The aforementioned well in the mound of flour, the eggs gliding in. The most extraneous and probably the best part of doing this at a fine dining restaurant is the inclusion of a touch of food colouring to really heighten the yellow of a good, fresh, pasta. I use a fork at first to beat the eggs into the flour, and once they’re combined enough, I again switch to using my hand. With a bench scraper, we mix everything together, pack it all in and begin the very not fun act of kneading. I don’t do bread because I don’t knead, so after about 20 minutes of kneading this dough, I call out to Louie, “This isn’t fun anymore!” 

“You’re not even close to done,” he responds.

Yes, it’s annoying, but Louie was right. It was pretty easy. It involves using the heel of your palm, and a push and pull-over technique. Repetition is key, and despite my brattiness, it’s rewarded. Then, after letting it rest, Louie gets ready to turn the dough into pasta. “This is for tonight, right?” he asks, knowing I often host dinners at mine. “…No,” I say, (because I hadn’t thought about it, and had no plans to have guests over). He blinks again. “Then what are we doing here?” “Oh,” I realize. The benefit of fresh pasta is how good it tastes when fresh. This made sense. 

He laughs and places my hard-earned dough in a vacuum sealer machine, labels the date of creation (always a chef), and hands it to me. “Freeze, and use when needed.” Thanks, Louie!

The dough sat in my freezer longer than desired, as it was the holidays, and my pasta machine order was continuously delayed in delivery. I waited impatiently for its arrival and kept oscillating, wondering if I’d opt for noodle cut or ravioli. Finally, it arrived, the day before a flight (cruel joke), and I soon ordered a pasta cutter to boot. My best friend had been gifted a pasta machine for Christmas and wouldn’t stop telling me just how much she would never return to boxed pasta again. I was eager! After defrosting the dough and assembling my machine, I began the process in my very own kitchen. 

I was delighted by the experience. I felt like a little kid playing with Play-Doh. I loved how perfectly thin the dough got after feeding it through my pasta machine. I loved cutting with my pasta dough, and piping the filling with these long horizontal lines (I went for a mushroom ricotta filling). I boiled one little guy as a test — a little al dente, because who doesn’t love texture — and after cooling shortly, I tasted the thing and thought, “What have I been doing with boxed pasta this whole time?” This, in my kitchen, was just pasta, sure, but so much creamier, heavier, so much more savoury — and did I mention the texture? 

I texted chef Louie a picture of my ravioli-esque creation and asked if he was proud.

“Ya done good, kid.” ■

RECIPE 

Pasta dough by Chef Louie Deligianis

• “OO” flour 1.5 kg
• Egg yolk 840 gr (48)
• Water 200 gr
• Citric acid 1 gr

Read our review of Bistro la Franquette here.

This article was originally published in the Feb. 2024 issue of Cult MTL.

For more on the food and drink scene in Montreal, please visit the Food & Drink section.

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Phœnix, a violin concerto, was commissioned by French violinist Marie Cantagrill and the Orchestre de chambre d’Ariège, who premiered it in a chapel in Foix, France, to an intimate audience in 2015. 

That was the only time the work, a creation of Montreal composer Louis Babin, was ever performed, and no recordings of it exist. 

Now, nearly a decade later, Phœnix will be performed in Montreal for its North American premiere, and Kahnawake’s Tara-Louise Montour was selected by the Orchestre Classique de Montreal (OCM) to be the soloist. 

The concert will take place on February 27 at Salle Pierre-Mercure, and the work will finally be recorded the following day. 

Montour has been a full-time member with the OCM for several years now and has been invited as a soloist on several occasions to perform solo violin works. 

But this one presents a unique challenge. 

Because there is no performance of the work to draw from as reference, Montour sees this as an opening to channel her own interpretation of the story. 

“When I’m working on a brand new piece, this is a blank canvas,” she said. “It’s also an opportunity for me to be an explorer, to discover these new passages, these opportunities to communicate my own feelings through this music that nobody has heard before. So it’s really fun.

“I have to discover it,” she said. “It is both a challenge and a gift, really.”

Babin also sees this premiere as a chance to breathe new life into his work and is thrilled to share it with a new audience. 

“When you compose a piece, it’s like children that you have and out it goes in the world, and you have no control over it,” he said.  

“When I do music, it is really to touch people. That’s my way of communicating,” Babin added.

The work tells the story of a phœnix, an immortal bird, whose lifecycle is a rebirth from its own ashes. 

“It’s a creature that has eternal life and yet it has a finite lifespan all at the same time and then has to come back. I just find that whole idea really appealing,” said Montour. “I absolutely can hear the story. I can hear the different stages of the bird’s life.”

One passage will have the orchestra transform into a flock of birds gathering to support and usher the phœnix on its way back home.

“It’s not something that you can really write note by note on the chart, it’s going to be a big surprise,” said Babin. 

For the two days ahead of the show, the orchestra will rehearse the work all together for the first time ever. As professional musicians, working with tight timelines is part of the job, Montour said.

Phœnix was inspired by Cantagrill’s battle with cancer, and she was in remission at the time the piece was written. 

But the meaning behind it goes beyond her particular story – it represents change and adaptability, Babin said, and the ability to overcome life’s challenges. 

“Everybody has a cycle in their lives, where they change, where they transform themselves,” he said. 

Babin’s work is one of four in the program for the evening, alongside Nacht by Arnold Schoenberg, “Ronde villageoise” from the ballet L’Oiseau Phénix by Clermont Pépin, and Suite for String Orchestra by Leoš Janáček.

For Babin, having his work performed alongside Pépin’s, his late teacher at the conservatory, whom he remembers fondly, pulls on the heartstrings.

“I just had chills just thinking about it,” Babin said. “He was such a fine teacher and I’m glad to be on the same bill as him. It’s really nice.”

And having it played in Montreal is even more special for Babin – “because it is home,” he said. He added that as a composer, the opportunity to have your works performed in front of those close to you doesn’t come around often. 

For now, the musicians are all individually preparing for the rehearsal, only less than 10 days away, with the concert following soon after.

“I’m very happy to be able to give this premiere. I’m pretty excited about this piece,” Montour said.

[email protected]

This article was originally published in print on February 16 in issue 33.07 of The Eastern Door.

A proposed national settlement has been reached in a class-action lawsuit about prices advertised and charged by Dollarama for products subject to an Environmental Handling Fee. The settlement still has to be approved before any compensation is paid.

The dead are piled high in the opening sequence of Dune: Part Two. Greying, limp corpses are gathered into piles; a people lost to history. “There were no witnesses…” a voice-over intones, as we, the viewers, become the eyes and ears to a history untold. In the second entry to his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune, Denis Villeneuve leans deeper into the nature of war and man. The fantasy world of spires, worms and deserts suddenly becomes more rooted in the real world. 

Hatred and misplaced hope guide the film. As subterranean, glistening white human monsters refer to their enemies as vermin, other groups bow down to false gods. The film’s structure feels less clumsy than the first, flowing from one sequence to the next like a song. Watching Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides dance in the desert, going on a walkabout, only to later tame a grandfather worm, we’re struck by the horrible crescendo of a man whose destiny seems increasingly unlikely to lead anyone to freedom. The film doesn’t allow the audience to forget that the Prophetic Paul is the subject of fantasies written, and those who write the prophecies are in a position to ensure they are fulfilled.

As Paul’s prophecies come to fruition, the filmmaking undercuts their significance. From his birth, Paul was trained to step up and fulfil this destiny. The idea of hope and prophecy are slowly peeled away as elements for the oppressor to control a populace. While the believers hold onto a liberated future, they ignore that their control over their destiny has been placed in an outsider’s hands. Their autonomy, rebellion and liberation are no longer their own, but a far-off promise that will likely only trade one oppression for another.

The film’s most spectacular sequence comes around the middle point as Feyd-Rautha steps into a coliseum in a rigged coming-of-age performance. On Giedi Prime, everything glistens. The photography is high-contrast and almost silver, as bodies shimmer in the faint light clouded by industrial smog. The Harkonnen clan’s rippling and unnaturally white bodies are almost plastic in their consistency. The neoclassical architecture, out of place amidst oily, black industry, works as a hopeless display of fascistic power and racial supremacy. With images drawn from the works of Leni Riefenstahl, we feel at least the echoes of violent aesthetics. The brutal violence of these sequences, led mainly by Feyd-Rautha, played with delirious, lisping bloodlust by Austin Butler, underscores rather than contrasts with the overwhelming simulated power of the environment. 

As he’s done in his other films, Villeneuve utilizes aesthetics to reflect different value systems. The complexity of Dune is finding ways to collapse different ideological structures that all aim to capture as much power as possible within different aesthetic frameworks. As the film continues, the contrast between the different superpowers within the universe collapses. The Fremen’s battle for liberation, helmed by Paul, is unveiled as merely another opportunity for the powerful to regain or appropriate more power. 

From his first feature film, Un 32 août sur terre, Villeneuve has had a long fascination with the desert, featuring it in nearly every single one of his films. Even the blizzard snow of Polytechnique enveloping the school echoes the sandstorms of Dune, an unforgiving landscape as a mythic nightmare. Compared to the first Dune, though, here the desert is rendered more colourfully, not always stale shades of grey. It becomes rich with fiery reds as filtered skies capture the glittering spice. As Paul grows more familiar with the desert, sand as an evil and penetrating force unveils greater knowledge. As he learns its secrets, it becomes increasingly beautiful and its landscape more specific in its variations. Yet, crucially, as the film barrels towards the end, the unveiling of truth and beauty does not necessarily translate to greater compassion or solidarity. 

Emboldened by the success of the first film, we see hints of the strange in this new movie: a talking fetus, worm piss and the smooth (perhaps even toothless) design of Feyd-Rautha. But it all feels so respectable in a way that limits the possibilities of the universe. Villeneuve, well capable of fully embracing the uncanny as he does with the butchered catfish narrator in Maëlstrom or the spindly arachnids of Enemy, only falters in this adaptation in his inability to draw out the strangest elements of the Dune universe. So, Villeneuve’s filmmaking embraces risk but within a rather calculated, audience-friendly framework. It’s an asset as much as a flaw; his ability to tread that line is one of the reasons for his blockbuster success but also a frustrating limit to his talent. It’s hardly a massive drawback in the experience, but it’s notable in an increasingly risk-averse industry that bold visions seem similarly corralled within narrow, classical ideals.

Yet, overall, Dune: Part Two is astonishing. It’s far more self-contained than the first film. Though a third film has yet to be officially announced, the open ending could easily work as an ominous cliffhanger that manages to stand on its own. The movie is sweeping and rhythmic, demanding attention and embracing the peculiarities of its actors, creating a universe that feels textured and laced with malice. Dune: Part Two feels of the moment, as it captures the mechanizations of power, ambition and political violence with surprising depth and nuance. It’s a film about the falsehoods of hope and the resilience of revolutionaries. ■

Dune: Part Two opens in Montreal theatres on Friday, March 1.

For more film and TV coverage, please visit our Film & TV section.

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Netflix and Montreal film company Attraction have partnered on an upcoming documentary about the city’s long-gone but not forgotten baseball team, the Expos. The as-yet untitled film, to be directed by Jean-François Poisson, “will explore the setbacks that led to the team’s departure, and how it continues to spark debate 20 years later.”

Attraction president Richard Speer expressed “great pride and enthusiasm” about his company’s first project in their partnership with Netflix.

“The Expos were the first MLB team outside of the U.S., and despite their departure from Montreal, they continue to have passionate fans to this day. This film will tell the story of the team through the eyes of those who lived it.”

For more film and TV coverage, please visit our Film & TV section.

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The gambling industry has undergone significant transformations over the past number of decades, from traditional brick-and-mortar casinos to the advent of online gambling sites. However, the latest and perhaps most revolutionary change is the integration of crypto gambling into the industry.

In this article, we will explore the evolution of gambling in the United States, the transition from land-based casinos to online platforms, and the current shift towards cryptocurrency casinos. We will delve into the reasons behind the rising popularity of cryptocurrency casino sites and conclude by examining the potential trends that could shape the future of the crypto-gambling world.

Gambling in the US: A Popular Pastime 

Gambling has long been a popular pastime in the United States, with a rich history dating back to the early days of the country. From the glamorous casinos of Las Vegas to the local bingo halls of Alabama, Americans have always had a penchant for taking risks in the hope of hitting it big.

With the rise of the internet, the gambling landscape was about to undergo a seismic shift as online casinos promised unrivaled entertainment straight from people’s homes. The potential convenience of gambling from the comfort of one’s couch, coupled with a wide array of games, fueled the curiosity of online gambling in the US. As technology continued to advance, the gambling industry was on the brink of yet another transformation.

Land & Space: The Transition of Land-Based Casinos to Cyberspace 

The transition from land-based casinos to online platforms marked a gigantic shift in the gambling industry. Establishments were no longer confined to physical locations and gambling enthusiasts could access their favorite games with just a few clicks of a computer mouse. The convenience and accessibility of online casinos revolutionized the way people interacted with gambling. Virtual slot machines, poker rooms, and live dealer games brought the thrill of the casino directly to players’ device screens, eliminating the need for expensive travel and accommodation. This shift democratized gambling, making it accessible to a much broader audience and developed the idea of the casual gambler.

As the online gambling industry continued to grow, players sought faster, more secure, and more private payment methods. This led to the integration of cryptocurrencies into online casinos, providing a solution to some of the challenges associated with traditional payment methods.

The Chain: How Crypto Became a Game Changer in Gambling 

Cryptocurrency, with its decentralized nature and blockchain technology, has emerged as a game-changer for the online gambling industry. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies offer a level of security and anonymity that traditional payment methods struggle to match. Transactions are processed quickly and without the need for intermediaries, reducing the risk of fraud and ensuring the integrity of financial transactions within the gambling realm. Today, there are hundreds of online sportsbooks accepting crypto due to the high demand for secure sports betting sites. 

The adoption of cryptocurrency in the gambling industry also addresses concerns related to financial privacy. Players can enjoy a degree of anonymity that is often lacking in traditional online casinos, where KYC checks are commonplace and personal and financial information is required for account verification. Crypto gambling sites prioritize user privacy, allowing players to engage in their favorite games without having to part with sensitive information.

Reasons Behind the Popularity of Crypto Casinos 

The rising popularity of crypto gambling sites can be attributed to several key advantages over traditional online casinos. One of the primary benefits is the increased speed of transactions. Cryptocurrency transactions are processed almost instantly, allowing players to deposit and withdraw funds instantaneously. This eliminates the frustrating delays often associated with traditional banking methods.

Furthermore, the decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies ensures that players have greater control over their funds. Traditional online casinos may impose restrictions on withdrawals or charge hefty fees, but crypto gambling entrusts players with the ability to manage their finances more independently. The transparency provided by blockchain technology also contributes to a more trustworthy and secure gambling environment.

Additionally, the global nature of cryptocurrency allows players from diverse regions to participate without the constraints of currency conversion and international transaction fees. This opens up new opportunities for players and operators alike, enabling a more inclusive and expansive gambling community.

The Future of the Crypto Gambling World

Looking ahead, future trends in the world of crypto gambling are exciting. Smart contracts, which automatically execute predefined actions when certain conditions are met, may become a standard feature in crypto casinos, streamlining processes such as payouts and dispute resolution. AI and VR are predicted to offer gamblers a personalized gaming experience which has never been seen before. Furthermore, the development of new and innovative cryptocurrencies tailored specifically for the gambling industry could reshape the landscape even further.

As regulations surrounding cryptocurrencies become more defined, the acceptance and adoption of crypto casinos will likely continue to grow. The future holds the promise of an increasingly seamless and secure gambling experience, with players benefiting from the advantages offered by blockchain technology. As the world of cryptocurrency gambling sites evolves, enthusiasts can expect an exciting journey filled with innovation and opportunities.

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OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT and image generator DALL-E, took another leap forward on Thursday by revealing its next generative artificial intelligence tool. Named Sora, the company’s latest AI model can turn written commands into high-quality short videos. And the realism of what Sora can do is raising as many societal concerns as security fears ahead of a pivotal year in world politics.   

Over a year after releasing an AI conversational tool that attracted 1.7 billion users, OpenAI once again shook the tech world last week when it unveiled the latest revolutionary application in its arsenal. While tech giants like Meta and Google already experimented with the technology, Sora astounded industry analysts with its never-before-seen photorealism. Only a year ago, a bizarre video of Will Smith eating pasta was the best such technology could produce. This nightmare-inducing video showed a distorted Smith gulping giant chunks of pasta in the most unnatural way imaginable. But text-to-video technology has definitely left the uncanny valley territory, and the implications of these rapid advancements are unsettling. 

Sam Altman, the co-founder of OpenAI, took to X to showcase the capabilities of its latest AI system, asking social media users for written prompts to convert into videos, whoselifelikeness came as a shock to even the most tech-savvy of users. From a stylish woman walking down the streets of Tokyo to puppies frolicking in the snow, the Sora AI model nailed down everything from the neon lights reflecting on the pavements to the texture of the dogs’ fur blowing in the mind. An acute observer may still identify strange glitches betrayingthe AI-generated nature of these artificial clips, such as oddwalk patterns and random objects materializing in the frame out of thin air. Still, this demonstration is much more believable and less cartoonish than any previous attempt. As with other ground-breaking techniques, it is bound to improve rapidly, opening up new venues that might be harnessed for creating seemingly undetectable deepfakes.

Combined with technologies like AI-powered voice cloning, a tool such as Sora could be used for nefarious purposes if put into the wrong hands. In an election year that will see over 4 billion people go to the polls in democracies like the US and India, many voters fear that AI could disrupt the electoral process – and destabilize society on the whole. Tech giants are very much aware of this threat. Earlier this month, some of the world’s leading tech firms announced a combined effort to combat the deceptive use of AI. Signed by companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and TikTok, the accord aims at fighting false footage and deepfakes. The twenty signatories agreed to deploy technology to counter such voter-deceiving material.

Despite its shortcomings, the agreement is a step in the right direction to tackle harmful content. OpenAI, which signed the accord, reaffirmed its commitment to public safety by refraining from making Sora publicly available until a group of domain experts in areas like bias and misinformation appraise its potential for misuse. Besides this select “red team,” Sam Altman’s company will also engage with policymakers and artists before releasing Sora to the public.Artificial intelligence is just as contentious among media professionals and creators, indeed.

In the gaming sphere, household names like Ubisoft and Activision Blizzard have openly embraced the technology. Many smaller studios also leverage AI tools to streamline the development process. Meanwhile, the iGaming sector is massively investing in AI to detect and counter fraudulent activity – and keep users safe online. Incidentally, the best online casinos in Canada prioritize security above all other metrics. Players looking to try their luck at poker or machine slots can visit specialized websites to find reliable platforms to sign up on. Industry experts only recommend licensed casinos that comply with strict regulations. Additionally, they assess everything from a website’s payment options to its customer support and bonus policy to help users make an informed choice.

The use of artificial intelligence has many artists fearing for their craft, though. While Hollywood’s actors and screenwriters triumphed over AI in a strike that paralyzed the industry for months, this victory could be short-lived. And the consequences could be yet more dire in fields that tread in truth, not fiction. Courtesy of tools like Sora, realistic-looking fabrications could soon take over the web. Worse still, not all tech companies shall have the scrupulosity of OpenAI regarding disinformation. So, where will AI go next? That lingering question will need to be answered decisively.

The post OpenAI’s ultra-realistic AI video tool raises concerns appeared first on Cult MTL.

Montreal summer music festival Osheaga has unveiled its complete 2024 lineup, adding dozens of names to the already reported list of headliners — Noah Kahan, Green Day and SZA.

Among the artists on today’s Osheaga lineup list are the Smashing Pumpkins, Tyla, T-Pain, Justice, Dominic Fike, Skepta, Sleater-Kinney, Blonde Redhead, Rancid, Romy, Arlo Parks, Denzel Curry, the Linda Lindas, Alvvays, Clay and Friends, Planet Giza, Cadence Weapon, CRi and DVTR.

See the complete Osheaga 2024 lineup below.

The three-day festival is happening at Parc Jean-Drapeau from Aug. 2–4. Single-day tickets (which go on sale this Friday, Feb. 23 at 10 a.m.) cost $165, with three-day passes (already on sale) starting at $395. Gold and Platinum access tickets and passes are also available.

For more on Osheaga 2024, please visit the festival’s website.

For more Montreal music coverage, please visit the Music section.

The post Osheaga 2024 complete lineup features T-Pain, Tyla, Smashing Pumpkins, Justice & more appeared first on Cult MTL.

The city of Laval says it is turning the page on corruption a decade after former mayor Gilles Vaillancourt was convicted of fraud, breach of trust and conspiracy to commit fraud.