At a Paris building that helped inspire the first Air sneakers 37 years ago, Nike is using the Olympics to show a future where generative AI is helping bring athletes the shoe of their dreams.

Why it matters: Much of the discussion around AI and design focuses on replacing human labor, while Nike's effort demonstrates the technology can also be used to explore and expand creative possibilities.

Driving the news: Nike on Wednesday opened an exhibition titled "Art of Victory," allowing those in Paris to see a range of shoe prototypes designed with and for individual star athletes, with AI playing a key supporting role.

• Among the shoes on display at the Centre Pompidou are models custom-designed for basketball stars A'ja Wilson and Victor Wembanyama, sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson and soccer legends Sam Kerr and Kylian Mbappé.
• In all, Nike created prototypes with 13 of its athletes across four sports: track, soccer, basketball and tennis.
• Along with the final prototype for each athlete, Nike displayed smaller gray versions of other designs that were part of the exploration process for what it is calling A.I.R. (Athlete Imagined Revolution).
• Nike, which also used 3D printing to churn out prototypes of the designs, isn't saying which generative AI tools it used in its process.

Zoom in: Nike used genAI for ideation, including using a variety of prompts to produce images with different textures, materials and color to kick off the design process.

What they're saying: "It's a new way for us to work," Nike lead footwear designer Juliana Sagat told Axios during a media tour of the showcase on Tuesday.

• "We used to sketch a lot by hand ... but I think my world is changing," Sagat said.
• Interestingly, Nike executives have said they had to push the AI systems to be more creative after noticing it was initially generating designs that closely resembled one another.

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Portland is still mourning the loss of award-winning chef and restaurateur Naomi Pomeroy, who died earlier this month in a tragic drowning accident.

In the days following her death, the city showed an outpouring of support for her legacy as a driving force in putting Portland on the culinary map, and her fierce pursuit of excellence and advocacy.

The latest: Cornet Custard, the ice cream shop Pomeroy recently opened with longtime business partner Mika Paredes, has seen lines out the door — and nearly sold out of pints recently.

Context: Pomeroy was a self-taught chef who hosted roving dinner parties in people's homes before she opened Beast in 2007, for which she won a Best Chef Northwest James Beard award.

• Pomeroy wanted to demystify cooking — with Beast's open kitchen in the small, 600-square-foot space, she could be seen on the line tinkering with dishes before delivering them herself.

Joseph's thought bubble: I had brunch at Beast in 2018, and although I don't remember much about the food — lots of meat and runny eggs — I do remember my feelings.

• Being at the communal table was a pleasure because our fellow diners were very friendly and high on the exclusivity factor. Pomeroy made people feel special, and hard-to-get reservations were one way.
• The food was visual art, always presented in a nouvelle cuisine way, with blobs of sauces and edible petals, which felt adventurous. And there wasn't much choice — a vacation for the brain.

Meira's thought bubble

A 47-year-old woman attacked last week by eight dogs from a homeless camp remains in the hospital, according to the Portland Police Bureau.

• Mytoka Petry was walking with her brother near Columbia Boulevard and Upland Drive in North Portland at the time. (The Oregonian)

🎼 Opera in the Park is moving to Peninsula Park after 21 years in Washington Park's Rose Garden Amphitheater. The next show is Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata" on Aug. 4. (Portland Tribune)

👯 The drag club Darcelle XV Showplace is at risk of closing down, according to representatives, who are appealing for people to see a show. (KATU)

Big Ten football is getting even bigger for the 2024 season.

State of play: This is the first season since the conference ditched divisions and expanded to 18 teams with the addition of four programs from the devastated Pac-12.

Why it matters: The new free-for-all format means the two teams with the best records at season's end will earn a ticket to the Big Ten Championship game on Dec. 7.

Driving the news: USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon are the new kids this year.

• Their West Coast inclusion makes the traditionally Midwestern conference a bit more coastal, much like when the Big Ten expanded to add Maryland and Rutgers in 2014.

What they're saying: During this week's Media Days in Indianapolis, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said the expansion is happening "during the most transformative period in college sports."

What comes next

An iconic elm tree that has stood on SW 10th Avenue since about 1870 will be removed by Portland Parks and Recreation because of age and damage from the January ice storm.

Catch up quick: The tree is named in honor of Rosetta F. Burrell, a prominent social reformer of the era, but it is also the first Heritage Tree approved by the City's Historic Landmarks Commission.

What they're saying: It is "likely the oldest elm in Oregon," David-Paul B. Hedberg, a heritage tree historian, said in a press release.

What's next: The Urban Forestry team will remove the tree next month and plant a replacement tree in 2025.