Big Tech’s big bet on AI robots

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✨ Today in the Metaproof Daily

🤖 Big Tech bets big on AI robotics

💪 Fortnite x LEGO could be bigger than you imagined

✈️ Air Force mulls military uses for ChatGPT-like AI

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Big Tech bets big on AI robotics [Link]

The AI race in tech is getting bolstered every single day, if the following aren’t enough indicators: AWS debuting a $100M program to fund generative AI initiatives, Salesforce’s VC unit planning to pour $500M into generative AI startups, and Accenture investing $3B in AI, to name a few.

In the past week, the following AI robotics investments headlined the news:

• DeepMind’s RoboCat AI controls robots, which can perform a range of tasks across various models of robotic arms. RoboCat - inspired by Gato, a DeepMind AI model that can analyze and act on text, images and events - had been trained on images and actions data amassed from robotics in simulation and IRL.

• Robots trained to learn from YouTube, where CMU Robotics Institute assistant professor Deepak Pathak showcased Vision-Robotics Bridge (VRB), an AI system designed to train robotic systems to perform chores by watching a recording of a human.

• Trained to create synthetic voices: ElevenLabs, the viral AI-powered platform for producing synthetic voices, has raised $19M in a new funding round. ElevenLabs can turn text into speech using synthetic voices, cloned voices, or completely novel “artificial” voices mimicking the sounds of people of different genders, ages, and ethnicities.

Fortnite x LEGO could be bigger than you imagined [Link]

A presentation delivered by Epic Games and LEGO representatives uncover crucial details on the confirmed Fortnite and LEGO collaboration.

Epic Games president Adam Sussman and LEGO Global Chief Product and Marketing Officer Julia Goldin, presenting at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, gave fans a glimpse of their partnership: Digital Twin, which will focus on bringing real-world LEGO creations to Fortnite using Unreal Engine.

Some key guesses and speculations include Fortnite and LEGO joining forces for a crossover event. Building is a common denominator of the two entities, and this matters greatly in the space considering how many gamers enjoy Creative Mode, using the UEFN software, and the infinite possibilities from characters from completely different worlds coming together.

Air Force mulls military uses for ChatGPT-like AI

US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has asked the Scientific Advisory Board to assess the potential use of generative AI, such as ChatGPT, in the military. Though the tech is currently unreliable for this purpose, they recognize its revolutionary potential.

While the Defense Department focuses on AI for pattern recognition, targeting, and intelligence sorting, Kendall also underscores the importance of addressing ethical considerations before deploying AI and ensuring human responsibility in decision-making.

In a separate government exploration of AI potential, the UK government has announced a $26M (£21M) fund to expedite diagnosis of cancers, strokes, and heart conditions via AI imaging and decision support tools in the National Health Service (NHS).

The UK government's commitment to adopting cutting-edge tech aligns with its focus on providing the best care, reducing waiting times, and leveraging AI's capabilities for early detection and more effective treatments.

Hotels tap the metaverse to delight guests [Link]

French hotel giant Accor is dipping its toe in the metaverse to create novel guest experiences, may it be by immersing yourself in a suite before reserving it or trying out a meeting space for your next business event - without leaving the comfort of your home or office.

Powered by 3D, VR, and AR, the “try before you buy” experiences are fast positioning themselves in hotel customers’ future. The Accor Group is testing these out with Ibis Styles, where it invites people to be part of the metaverse to discover what they will enjoy physically when they stay.

Accor isn’t alone in its metaverse explorations. In 2022, Millennium Hotels and Resorts launched its “world-first” hotel, with an avatar guiding guests and online adventures integrating with real-life events.

The metaverse packs value for the energy sector [Link]

The metaverse, once a tech buzzword, has experienced a slump in interest and inflated expectations, allowing for a more realistic assessment of its opportunities.

In the energy sector, metaverse tech such as digital twins and enterprise VR/AR experiences have been providing value long before the hype:

• Digital twins enable remote asset management, predictive maintenance, supply chain management, and facilitating mergers and acquisitions in the energy space.

• AR and VR experiences enhance on-site workforces by providing remote technical support and training in hazardous environments.

• Blockchain has found use cases in the energy sector, such as decentralizing energy transactions within microgrids and tracking energy sources.

Shell and EDF Energy are leading adopters of the metaverse in the oil and gas and power sectors, mainly through partnerships and the development of digital twins for asset management, remote assistance, and training purposes.

Quick Hits

🎮 Gaming

• Web3 trading card game Gods Unchained launches on the Epic Games Store. (Link)

• How NVIDIA’s new AI-powered storytelling tools added to that toolkit are likely to change the game. (Link)

• NFL Rivals of Mythical Games scores 1M downloads in under 2 months since its release. (Link)

• NFTs are “useless” or “scammy,” gaming doesn’t need blockchain, and crypto is “too difficult” to deal with: Will web3 gaming onboard a billion people eventually? (Link)

• A fast-growing American PR agency rolls out its Gaming Practice to support web3 gaming, in-game advertising, esports, and more. Will more follow suit? (Link)

🕶 Fashion

• It’s version 2.0 for Drest as it (cat)walks off with $19M (£15M) to bring its fashion gaming product to the metaverse. (Link)

• In Gucci Visions, the Maison visually narrates its 102 years of vibrant and trailblazing fashion iconography through metaverse exploration online and physical exhibition in Florence, Italy. (Link)

• Fandom-centric fashion brand Her Universe hits San Diego Comic-Con to celebrate Disney’s 100th anniversary with an immersive experience. (Link)

• “Godmother of the metaverse’’ Cathy Hackl on melding technology with fashion. (Link)

• The female and male fashion advice subreddits are protesting Reddit’s API changes and recent actions toward moderators: Now, posts on those subreddits must be about fashion from the 1700s. (Link)

• The Africa Fashion exhibit at Brooklyn Museum concludes with “Global Africa,” which explores how the digital world accelerated the expansion of Africa’s influence in the fashion space. (Link)

🏀 Sports

• Madden NFL 24: referees return, blocking improvements, and AI QB traits. (Link)

• How will Elon Musk vs. Mark Zuckerberg in MMA shake things up in the crypto and metaverse arena? (Link)

• FC Barcelona and World of Women reveal Empowerment soccer NFT auction with real-world perks for the buyer. (Link)

• BIG3 inks an exclusive deal with PrizePicks, North America’s skill-based fantasy sports operator, to become its daily fantasy provider and converge basketball, hip-hop, and fantasy sports. (Link)

• TRON DAO launches its mission "Building a Metaverse Free Port," its concept of an unrestricted digital space. (Link)

🎥 Media & Entertainment

• Engaging the masses: How entertainment is taking web3 mainstream. (Link)

• Paul McCartney clarifies AI use in “new” Beatles song: “Nothing has been artificially created.” (Link)

• LinkedIn unveils a new AI image detector with a 99% success rate in catching fake profiles. (Link)

• The Rise of Blus teaser: Nouns DAO’s animated film enters an exciting new chapter. (Link)

• Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly seeks to unload the rights to “slightly less than half” of its billion-dollar music catalog. (Link)

• TikTok’s former COO: Emerging tech and blockchain seem to be the path forward. (Link)

• Kuwait urges harnessing social media and AI to modernize Arab content and widen its reach. (Link)

🖼 Art

• How does 3D printing and the Metaverse allow artists to reach much larger audiences? (Link)

• Air New Zealand works with National Geographic to bring the country’s largest metaverse virtual photo gallery to life. (Link)

• Toekenz aims to demystify NFTs for kids and kidcos, using licensing deals and parental controls to attract families and investors to NFTs. (Link)

• Loyalty, memberships, and ticketing: How NFTs will bring about mass adoption. (Link)

• admire launches admire.art, toasted as the first NFT marketplace dedicated to internationally renowned artists and galleries. (Link)

• Faroe Islands' national postal service issues NFT-embedded stamps. (Link)

• Flare helps AI digital art platform Atriv to build an NFT ecosystem. (Link)

🤖 AI

• The US-China tech battle entering its "primetime" and generative AI could be the next frontier. (Link)

• Archeologists deploy AI to translate 5,000-year old cuneiform tablets. (Link)

• Aria, Opera's new browser AI, is now available for all users of the Opera browser for Android. (Link)

• Inflection debuts the Inflection-1 model to rival Google and OpenAI LLMs. (Link)

• A US agency will launch a public working group on generative AI to help address the new tech's opportunities while confronting its risks. (Link)

• Hong Kong rolls out the first AI curriculum for junior secondary students, including lessons on ChatGPT and ethics. (Link)

💸 Funding & Partnerships

• AWS launches a $100M Generative AI Innovation Center to connect its ML and data science experts with businesses. (Link)

• Gaming-focused VC firm Lumikai launches its second fund with a total corpus of $50M. (Link)

• AI video creation app Captions bags $25M from top VCs. (Link)

• Victoria VR partners with Chafik Gasmi to expand the $111B fashion and luxury metaverse industry. (Link)

• Madrona Venture Labs raises $11M for fifth fund as studio doubles down on AI startups. (Link)

• Avatar startup Genies launches the $1M Developer Engagement Fund to incentivize developers to build AR experiences. (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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