Apple’s AI strategy

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Emerging tech trends like AI, VR, and web3 are disrupting the fashion world at breakneck speeds.

Once a week, the Metaproof team will break down the top stories, feature expert Q&A’s, and serve up the hottest links tracking tech’s impact on the fashion industry.

✨ Top Picks

The Future, today. In just 3 minutes.

1/ Apple CEO Tim Cook gives brief glimpse into the company’s AI stance (Link)

Amid all the ongoing hype and attention around ChatGPT and generative AI, Apple - despite being the world’s largest tech company by revenue with $378B+ in 2022 - maintains a rather understated stance in adopting emerging tech, sitting back without any major related product announcements.

At a recent earnings call, CEO Tim Cook cites AI’s “huge” potential for the industry yet maintains that “it’s very important to be deliberate and thoughtful on how you approach these things.”

In the Q&A, the CEO notes:

"Machine learning and AI systems have already been integrated into a variety of products as utility-based features like fall detection and crash detection."

Rumors have it that Apple’s VR headset could be announced during WWDC, potentially borrowing tech and design language from existing Apple products to suit the current ecosystem.

The likely price tag: as much as $3,000.

2/ European Union set to be trailblazer in global rush to regulate artificial intelligence (Link)

For months now, legislation from the European Union on AI is setting the technology field abuzz, as the EU’s AI Act could become the de facto global standard for AI. This week, the EU’s sweeping regulations are expected to be approved by a European Parliament committee.

What this means: Companies and organizations potentially deciding that the sheer size of this single market would make it easier to comply than develop various products for various regions.

Some facts and consequences:

• The EU is the first region to significantly attempt AI regulation, which can be a substantial challenge to do given the extensive range of systems that the term “AI” covers.

• The 27-nation bloc proposed the Western world’s first AI rules 2 years ago, at which point general-purpose systems like chatbots were barely mentioned - and then ChatGPT exploded into the scene.

• Regulators are growing concerned over AI’s ethical and societal risks, transforming anything from jobs and education to copyright and privacy.

3/ Immutable introduces a payment solution for games and marketplace (Link)

Blockchain gaming company Immutable debuts the payment solution Immutable Checkout to offer a smooth payment experience for games and marketplaces.

This latest development streamlines the payment process for digital goods, eliminating the need for intermediaries like banks and payment processors.

While initially targeted towards the gaming industry, Immutable Checkout is not limited to this sector alone; any digital marketplace or store can possibly leverage the payment solution for their needs.

4/ Businesses around the country utilize robots, AI to help customers (Link)

Robotics and AI have fared separately for many years now, with robots powering manufacturing processes before AI became popular.

The current AI revolution, however, adds a new capability to robots: autonomy. Some businesses already use this potent combination:

• California-based Bear Robotics launched its Servi robot in 2021 and anticipates 10,000 deployments in 44 US states and abroad by year-end.

• China-based Pudu Robotics, founded in 2016, has deployed more than 56,000 robots worldwide.

• Phil Zheng of Richtech Robotics employed robot servers to provide customers at Smashburger in Maple Shade with table-side food delivery.

• Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao in Cherry Hill employs two robots, Bela and Ketty, to deliver food and guide customers to their tables.

• Sprouts Farmers Market in Marlton offers an AI shopping assistant for customers, enabling voice-based queries for recipes, nutrition info, and keto-friendly items.

Walmart expects 65% of stores to utilize automation by 2026. Despite layoffs, industry insiders believe that automation is inevitable.

🏃‍♂️ Quick Hits

🎮 Gaming

• Fortnite’s metaverse community buzzes with the annual Fortnite Champion Series. (Link)

• New game Peridot is Pokémon GO meets Tamagotchi, completely taking place in AR. (Link)

• The EVM blockchain and gaming ecosystem Mythos Chain hosts Mythical Games’ flagship gaming properties like NFL Rivals, Nitro Nation World Tour, and Blankos Block Party. (Link)

• P2earn adds the Microsoft-backed blockchain game StarHeroes to its gaming guild platform. (Link)

• Good Luck Games, the creators of Storybook Brawl - reportedly FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s 2nd-favorite game after League of Legends – took down its servers on May 1. (Link)

🕶 Fashion

• How does AI benefit clothing designers and retailers? (Link)

• Czech supermodel Eva Herzigová becomes the 1st model to have a "digital twin" avatar. (Link)

• Fashion designer and AI artist Marco Rambaldi posts on Instagram some of the most famous designer chairs - reinvented based on iconic sneakers. (Link)

• Fashion illustrator and art director Adriana Krawcewicz pushes digital fashion boundaries via NFTs and AI art. (Link)

• How new tech like AI assists Indian companies in creating a circular fashion economy. (Link)

🏀 Sports

• What happened to the NFL's NFTs? A look at the fall of the Patrick Mahomes-endorsed crypto venture. (Link)

• Electric racing team Veloce banks on web3 for sustainable motorsport and bigger audiences. (Link)

• In the metaverse, virtual stadiums let fans watch a live sports game in real time, with a 360-degree view to boot. (Link)

• UFC star Khabib Nurmagomedov gets trolled for promoting this “haram” metaverse MMA video game. (Link)

• The NOR platform will give gamers anywhere in the world an opportunity to become their own “sports franchise” player. (Link)

🎥 Media & Entertainment

• While a recent UK survey says 37% are optimistic about the metaverse's future, 31% remain pessimistic while 32% stay uncertain. (Link)

• Look inside pop star Jay Chou and China Mobile’s collaboration to develop the metaverse. (Link)

• Nostr gives social media giants like Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit a run for their money with 1M+ users and Bitcoin payments across multiple devices. (Link)

• Twitter is bound to remove inactive accounts to "free up abandoned handles." (Link)

• How is generative AI shaping the metaverse? Industry experts explain. (Link)

🖼 Art

• Cool Cats presents the first NFT balloon at this year’s Macy's Parade. (Link)

• The NFT market stands to benefit from AI to combat forgery and inflation. (Link)

• Renault debuts its second NFT collection, the Racing Shoe5 series. (Link)

• House of Skulls' NFT project makes its mark in NFT. (Link)

• From community building to ideology: How this contemporary Canadian artist gallery ideology shifts to the metaverse. (Link)

• This NFT spinoff from newspaper SCMP gets funded to tokenize historical artifacts. (Link)

🤖 AI

• AI updates at Google I/O are set to be unveiled soon, showing off creative writing and coding capabilities. (Link)

• The Pentagon's AI office is rebooting global trials for its Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2). (Link)

• Teachers incorporate AI into coding classes and boot camps. (Link)

• AI-based population screening can expedite pancreatic cancer diagnosis. (Link)

• The White House challenges OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and more AI firms to evaluate their systems at DEF CON 31 this August. (Link)

💸 Funding & Partnerships

• Karate Combat raises $18M to boost fan engagement with XR and web3. (Link)

• METAz, a player in the sneaker resell market applying web3 NFT, attracts $1 million in pre-series investment. (Link)

• Super League acquires development studio Melon to boost building communities across gaming metaverse platforms. (Link)

• With a new partnership, users can now use Freename domains to send and receive web3 and web2 emails on Ethermail, a leading web3 email provider. (Link)

• Leveraging AI, AICRAFT signs two MOUs to develop and market space solutions with Poland-based Scanway for smart imaging systems and Australian HEX20 for smart satellites. (Link)

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All content on this newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not aim to serve as or replace expert investment advice.

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