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Musk’s X.AI joins fiery AI race

Adidas’ ALTS NFT project, Amazon’s bid for new AI efficiencies, plus more metaverse stories today

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Twitter CEO and billionaire Elon Musk has created a new company dedicated to AI, indicated as incorporated in a Nevada filing last month and called X.AI.

The details so far that surround the new company:

  • Rumors floating around on the new company include Musk buying thousands of graphic processing units (GPUs) to power an upcoming generative AI product.

  • Musk allegedly eyes an AI firm that will compete head on with Microsoft-backed OpenAI, even reportedly seeking funding from SpaceX and Tesla investors to get it started.

  • In company filings, Musk recently changed the name of Twitter to X Corp, the move forming plans to make an “everything app” branded “X.” His business portfolio includes Twitter, Tesla, rocket maker SpaceX, neurotechnology research firm Neuralink, and the tunneling project The Boring Company.

An important context here is Musk’s open criticism of AI, expressing concerns around safety risks and existential threats from AI and even signing a manifesto alongside top researchers to halt AI development.

This week saw Adidas teasing its latest project ALTS by adidas via the Twitter handle of its web3 mouthpiece Bored App #8774.

The third phase in an 18-month roadmap, ALTS forms a hyper-personalized, token-gated web3 loyalty program where a dynamic, evolving NFT will transform over time based on users’ decisions and engagement.

Details are rather sparse as of present, but in a nutshell:

  • ALTS or the avatars will be revealed to their NFT holders in the near future, soon receiving 1 of 8 traits with various rarities.

  • The rarities correspond to different sports or lifestyle-based styles and include strikes (soccer), hoops (basketball), thrills (gaming), amps (music and film), soles (sneakers and skate), and drips (fashion).

  • Note that the last two are the rarest, at 3% of the supply.

A veteran of NFT and blockchain exploration, Adidas in 2019 released the limited-ed sneaker FUTURECRAFT.LOOP. More recently, it launched Into the Metaverse to explore the potential of blockchain and NFTs in fashion and gaming.

Amazon's latest product, Amazon Bedrock, appears to go all in on AI as it offers language models through its AWS cloud platform, including the speedy Titan tool that can whip up a blog post in no time.

The tech giant isn’t shying away from showing off its AI and ML muscles, boasting about how much of its business is already powered by futuristic tech. From its e-commerce recommendations engine to optimizing robotic picking routes in their warehouses, it seems like ML is doing the heavy lifting at the retail behemoth.

Amazon is clear in its intent to make generative AI accessible to developers of all skill levels and organizations of all sizes, so with competitors like Meta, Microsoft, and Google already in the game, the race to the top is only heating up.

Meanwhile, the US government further puts its thinking cap on when it comes to AI, with the commerce department making its first move by asking the public to chime in on creating accountability measures for AI.

Can't make it to Coachella? No sweat - just grab your computer and get on to Fortnite-hosted Coachella Island, a digital paradise of mountains, palm trees, and more. Fans can show their moves in dance competitions, explore the "grounds," and grab some sweet in-game "merch."

With millions of fans expected to attend, this is Fortnite's first festival. Yet if the platform’s record-breaking one-off shows are any indication, there’s a fair level of success to be expected from this collaboration set to offer an immersive music experience to the biggest Coachella fans and spectators.

🏃‍♂️ Quick Hits

🎮 Gaming

  • Look: The Sandbox unveils its all-new LAND roadmap for Q2 2023. (Link)

  • Web3 startup community gaming confirms layoffs amid esports downturn. (Link)

  • Asia could dominate 80% of web3 gaming; discover the free-to-play mobile game with incredible potential in the burgeoning Japanese market. (Link)

  • PSVR 2: future of VR, tethered to the past. (Link)

  • Singapore's Changi Airport opens up to the metaverse via Roblox. (Link)

  • Turn-based battle game Aurory is building a web3 gaming universe. (Link)

🕶 Fashion

  • Gucci and Vans launch their first co-branded Roblox world. (Link)

  • 3 ways fashion ecommerce will evolve through generative AI and ChatGPT. (Link)

  • Featuring 20 pieces, the virtual Rebecca Minkoff SS’23 Collection rocks Roblox. (Link)

  • Apparel brand Jack & Jones launches its metaverse collection in India. (Link)

  • Web3 fashion brand House of Fashion hosts "Unveiling the Future: A Fashion & Art Experience" at indie South Florida-based M3 Studios. (Link)

  • In Pakistan, Soorty debuts AI-generated denim line HumAIn. (Link)

🏀 Sports

  • How the Masters app, developed by Augusta and IBM, dominates the sports app world. (Link)

  • Nike and RTFKT release the Season One lookbook for their Air Force One collaboration, spotlighting limited-edition designs by Takashi Murakami. (Link)

  • Teamworks expands its reach in the sports software space. (Link)

  • By reinventing its data capabilities, the National Hockey League transforms the way players, coaches, and fans interact with data. (Link)

  • Top-tier brands continue to invest in web3 tech, with 40% of projects lasting over one year, according to a new report by sports, entertainment, and art platform NFT Tech. (Link)

🎥 Media & Entertainment

  • Experts call on Meta to scrap its plans to allow minors into its new virtual reality world. (Link)

  • Insider will be exploring ways to use AI in its journalism. (Link)

  • Ice cream brand Magnum's “anti-metaverse” campaign, in partnership with neuroscientists, shares tips for a more fulfilling life in an increasingly digital world. (Link)

  • Twitter taps trading app eToro for crypto and stock trading integration. (Link)

  • The virtual church from Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova and Metajuice will feature NFTs and special events, buoying LGBTQIA+ causes. (Link)

🖼 Art

  • Meet WINK, a web3 women's collective crafting a new narrative of gender power dynamics. (Link)

  • Sotheby's relaunches the Glitch digital art sale post-representation backlash. (Link)

  • Discover Canon’s dedicated NFT photography marketplace Cadabra. (Link)

  • Mastercard’s web3 artist accelerator program offers free Polygon-based NFTs. (Link)

  • Have NFT sellers packed their virtual bags and left the marketplace? (Link)

  • In China, multiple core technologies support the metaverse theater festival. (Link)

🤖 AI

  • New report reveals a 26-fold increase in "incidents and controversies" related to AI over the last decade. (Link)

  • Joe Rogan issues a warning after a fake version of his podcast gets created 100% through AI. (Link)

  • New AI systems might be coming at us so fast and furious, but there’s something regulators can do to prevent tech firms from releasing risky systems. (Link)

  • OpenAI and Google chatbots discuss the age-old question: Can money buy happiness? (Link)

  • Despite the wild success of ChatGPT and other large language models, the artificial neural networks (ANNs) that underpin these systems might be on the wrong track. (Link)

  • Siemens’ new Teamcenter app for Microsoft Teams to use AI, boosting productivity and innovation. (Link)

💸 Funding & Partnerships

  • Helio secures a $3.3M seed funding round to enable blockchain-native payments for the general public. (Link)

  • Solana-based NFT collection Okay Bears partners with global health org (RED) to raise funds for AIDS and other global health issues. (Link)

  • NBA 2K League and Meta initiate a multi-year partnership to offer fans 20 nights of live games in VR on Meta platforms. (Link)

  • Investments in crypto companies fell to $2.4B in Q1 2023, Galaxy Digital Holdings reports. (Link)

  • Horse racing metaverse Game of Silks taps The Jockey Club Information Systems for North American thoroughbreds, including pedigrees, racing statistics and performance analytics, to power the game. (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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