Amazon Studios has signed a first-look TV deal with 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion Serena Williams. Williams will work with Amazon Studios to create scripted and unscripted television projects that will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, beginning with an untitled docuseries that follows her in both her professional and personal life. The untitled docuseries production from Plum Pictures, Goalhanger Films and Amazon Studios is executive produced by Williams, Patrick Mouratoglou, Stuart Cabb, and Tony Pastor.
“I’m very excited to be partnering with Amazon Studios–they are developing some of the most inspiring and important content for a global audience. I have a lot of stories I’m eager to tell, including a continuation of my own, and I look forward to sharing those with the world,” said Williams.
“Serena has transformed her sport and become one of the most inspiring athletes, entrepreneurs and women of her generation, admired not only for her unmatched prowess on the court but for her dedication to advocacy as well,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios. “We’re incredibly excited to share her journey in this new series, and to work with her to create new original content for our Prime Video customers worldwide.”
The greatest athlete and tennis player of the Open Era and most prized WTA player of all time, Williams has overcome insurmountable odds to win a title in all four grand slam tournaments, 73 singles and 23 doubles championships, and Gold-Medals at the 2000 (doubles), 2008 (doubles), and 2012 (singles and doubles) Olympics.
Off the court, Williams has become well-recognized in the business, entertainment and fashion space, adding S by Serena clothing line and Serena Ventures to her brand. Williams is also deeply committed to philanthropic causes, supporting organizations such as the Yetunde Price Resource Center, launching in 2018 in Compton, Calif., honoring the life and memory of her oldest sister, by ensuring those affected by trauma have the necessary resources to persevere. Her greatness on and off the court solidifies her as one of the most iconic names and faces in the world.
Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died
Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.
Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.
"We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.
Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.
His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.
Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.
"Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More