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Good morning. We’re here to help you get a little better every day. Unbiased, quick daily news and life advice that makes you a little smarter and healthier everyday. Today we're covering Hollywood's first AI copyright case, China's trade deal validation, and why less effort yields better results.

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Tech giants are developing AI tools that automate the entire advertising process, threatening traditional agencies. Meta, Google, Amazon, and Comcast are racing to release platforms allowing brands to create and place ads without human creative teams.

Agency stock prices dropped 3-4% last week following reports of Meta's comprehensive AI ad tools launching by late 2026. CEO Mark Zuckerberg suggested brands would no longer need creative services once the tools mature, though Meta later clarified its position supporting agencies. Generative AI explained here.

The shift challenges agencies' hourly billing models, as AI completes work in minutes versus weeks. Luxury brands like Gucci experiment with AI-generated ads, while L'Oréal partnered with Nvidia for AI advertising. Analysts predict teams could shrink from 1,000 people to three specialists.

See how big brands are already using AI here.

China affirmed the trade agreement announced by President Trump, saying both sides must honor the consensus reached. The deal follows a phone call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping that broke a weeks-long standoff after their preliminary Geneva agreement stalled.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China "always kept its word and delivered results" at Thursday's news conference. The Trump-Xi call was followed by London negotiations that added specifics to the Geneva framework, addressing tariffs, rare earth exports, and Chinese student visas to US universities.

Under the deal, the US will impose 55% total tariffs on Chinese goods while China maintains 10% on American imports. China will supply magnets and rare earth minerals, while the US will allow Chinese students to continue studying at American universities. Implementation details remain unclear despite Trump's optimism about the agreement.

See the tariff war timeline here.

Disney and NBCUniversal filed the first major Hollywood lawsuit against a generative AI company, accusing Midjourney of copyright infringement. The studios claim the AI platform used their intellectual property to train its image generator and creates replicas of protected characters without permission.

The complaint filed in California federal court includes dozens of examples showing Midjourney generating images resembling Disney's Lion King and Aladdin characters, plus NBCU's Minions. The studios say they attempted negotiations before litigation, but Midjourney ignored their demands while releasing improved versions that create even higher quality infringing images. Stormtrooper examples here.

The lawsuit marks a shift for Hollywood studios, which previously focused on protecting actors and writers from AI exploitation by their own industry. Disney's legal officer called it "piracy," while NBCU's counsel said theft is theft regardless of technology. The case targets platforms creating copyrighted content rather than individual users.

One X account using Veo-made stormtroopers went viral in days.

Author Greg McKeown has weaponized strategic focus through "Essentialism:" deliberately saying no to good opportunities to create space for great ones. His philosophy: "For every single thing that you say yes to, you're gonna have to say no to a bunch of other things." He's made famous this practice of ruthless prioritization instead of endless productivity hacking.

The mental edge comes from rejecting society's "do more" signals. "Not all effort is created equal, as there are certain types of effort that yield more results than others." His breakthrough insight: most people fail because they optimize for being busy rather than being effective, spreading thin across mediocre yeses instead of concentrating on transformative opportunities.

The dangerous balance: even essential work can become overwhelming without systematic filters. McKeown's three-part framework — explore, eliminate, and execute — provides structure for finding "the best places to put your effort," but requires constant vigilance against the cultural pressure to say yes to everything that seems reasonable. See this clip. Get the book.

The 10 frameworks every entrepreneur needs to learn. Shaan Puri, known as the "King of Frameworks," reveals his systematic approach to business thinking that transforms how you prioritize tasks, launch projects, and scale ventures. His contrarian insight: most entrepreneurs fail because they work harder, not smarter—but these proven mental models turn chaos into clarity. Full episode here.

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