The Digital Snapshot 11.02.2025

I'm starting the month feeling extra enthused, as we saw out a never ending January with our Let's Get Real conference and then kicked off February with our company away day. The conference was a blast and then two days spent collaboratively working, discussing and socialising was incredible. Sometimes you forget that you work with so many awesome people when our work is spread across multiple projects and services.

I thought I'd share the company picture we took as the header image for this month's Snapshot, (minus a couple of colleagues who sadly couldn't join us), as a reminder that there's a whole host of lovely people who work here at TAA .

During our awayday, I made a flippant comment about the quality of certain confectionaries and then promised my colleague Samira that I'd share a poll, so here it is. Wine Gums are just shit Fruit Pastilles - agree or disagree?

• The Let's Get Real conference was an absolute blast. It was wonderful seeing so many people in one place, enthused about digital value and intrigued about AI in our sector. We launched the report at the conference, which outlines a number of insights recommendations around understanding digital value for the arts and culture sector. Give it a read.
• We have also launched the expression of interest for the next Let's Get Real cohort. This year, we're tackling AI. You can find out more about the programme on our website. I'm really excited about this one and I think it's going to be popular - so don't miss out! You can express your interest through our online form.
• China launched DeepSeek as a competitor to OpenAI's ChatGPT. Early reviews suggest that it's a better tool, but it's worth considering what data you're giving it and where it's being processed (though the same goes for any AI tool).
• The sale of TikTok's US operation is still up in the air and, unsurprisingly, it's about much more than just TikTok. The platform appears to be being used as a bargaining chip to iron out other political matters, like tariffs and tech policy.  

• This is a really interesting report from the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre and DCMS, on measuring the economic value of digital culture through a case study focusing on the Art UK platform.
• Here are some useful data-driven ideas for your Facebook strategy.
• Here's a great issue of Content of the Week focusing on tone of voice, with some great examples from different organisations and creators.
• A report by the US Copyright Office suggests that artists can copyright pieces they created using AI, but only “where AI merely assists an author in the creative process". Obviously this in the US, but it could help to set a precedent elsewhere.

• This is an interesting post detailing how The Tank Museum was demonetised on Meta.
• This is some really interesting research into the impact of the LibraryOn's £1.5m grant programme. In particular, the overview of the case studies is very interesting - showing the range of what was funded and how.
• Lots of people are using AI in their workplace without their employer's knowledge. That's not necessarily always a bad thing, but you need to be aware of how you and your colleagues are using these tools and what data you're giving them.
• I thought this was really cool - 'A badly burnt scroll from the Roman town of Herculaneum has been digitally "unwrapped", providing the first look inside for 2,000 years'.

• The Digital Culture Network have announced the shortlist for their 2025 Digital Culture Awards - lots of fantastic organisations and individuals up for the awards!
• Some colleagues introduced me to Better Images of AI, which aims to create a repository of AI images that anyone can use which avoid the usual tropes and challenges of most AI generated images. It's worth a browse.

And that’s all for this edition.

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You can find all past editions of the Digital Snapshot here.

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