No ‘metaverse’ at Vision Pro launch

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🤐 No ‘metaverse’ mention at Apple’s Vision Pro launch

🏰 Disney brings immersive content to Vision Pro

🧑‍💼 4,000 jobs lost from AI in May

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No ‘metaverse’ mention at Apple’s Vision Pro launch

At the Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset launch, Apple CEO Tim Cook said in his keynote speech that the new headset would usher in a “new era of spatial computing.”

Yet not once did he mention the metaverse.

A few points that may explain why:

• Apple and Meta differ in their approaches to immersive headsets, with the latter opting for VR and Apple going for AR. From the get go, i.e., ever since Facebook changed its name to Meta, the company has insisted on building the metaverse, the internet’s immersive version powered by VR.

• Apple VP for worldwide marketing, Greg Joswiak, previously told Wall Street Journal that he would never use the word metaverse.

• Cook himself has made fun of the term “metaverse” in previous talks, saying that the metaverse wasn’t the future because people don’t understand it, which some insiders think is a jab taken at Mark Zuckerberg’s full embrace of the word through Facebook’s Meta rebranding.

The race to build the ultimate AR or VR platform is on between Apple and Meta as both tech companies come under great scrutiny from global antitrust regulators and thus find difficulty expanding into new spaces and dominating them.

Disney brings immersive sports and movies to Vision Pro [Link]

Part of the much-anticipated Apple Vision Pro headset announcement was a short trailer of immersive content from Disney, including a digital Mickey Mouse walking through physical space, a kitchen counter filled with virtual elements from Disney World, and an AR experience from Marvel.

Disney CEO Bob Iger himself showed the trailer as he announced that in addition to Apple's own streaming service, Apple TV+, Disney+ will also be available at launch.

Vision Pro offers a cinema feature, which lets users project movies and TV shows onto a giant virtual screen.

The new move raises speculations around Disney reviving its metaverse initiatives and accompanying immersive storytelling, shortly after shutting down its metaverse unit and making massive layoffs in this side of the business.

SEC files 13 charges against Binance & CZ [Link]

The US SEC has brought 13 charges against crypto exchange Binance and its founder, Changpeng Zhao (CZ), for the following accusations:

• Securities violations

• Mishandling customer funds to a private company controlled by Zhao and diverting customer assets for personal gain

• Extensive web of deception

• Conflicts of interest

• Lack of disclosure

• Calculated evasion of the law

• Engaging in "wash trading"

• Artificially increasing the price of its own crypto assets through self-trading

Binance has expressed disappointment over the SEC's decision, stating it had actively cooperated with the investigations. This is the second time this year that Binance has faced accusations from federal regulators regarding consumer protection.

In May, 4,000 jobs lost from AI [Link]

A recent report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. shows that 4,000 jobs were cut in May 2023 due to the increasing use of AI across various sectors, including technology, retail, automotive, financial, and healthcare.

Other industries also remain susceptible to automation and job displacement.

According to a Goldman Sachs report, up to 300M jobs worldwide could be affected by the rapid advancement of AI, primarily in advanced economies.

While the statistics indicate job losses, other research indicates roles in AI development, data analysis, and automation are emerging.

Quick Hits

🎮 Gaming

• Sony plans to leverage AI in its quest for cloud gaming, but CEO Kenichiro Yoshida has concerns. (Link)

• Orange Comet is turning Dinosaurs vs. Aliens into an immersive and cinematic web3 game. (Link)

• Game developer Illuvium partners with GameStop to debut a 20K NFT collection. (Link)

• UVL Studio’s flagship project Axis Mundi launches 72-hour NFT open mint as it rolls out the 1st part of its Bandersnatch-esque NFT narrative game. (Link)

• Left Fielder Media collaborate with Neon to bring characters to life in Shrapnel. (Link)

• Top 10 trends in metaverse gaming initiated by pro gamers. (Link)

• Web3 Gaming Week will be in full gear at Google's Developer Space in SG from June 12-17. (Link)

🕶 Fashion

• Louis Vuitton launches a collection of phygital Treasure Trunks, each priced at €39,000. (Link)

• Swarovski files metaverse trademark applications covering cosmetics, VR glasses, and digital files authenticated by NFTs. (Link)

• 62% of Gen Z prefer to buy sustainably - and luxury brands are on it via blockchain and web3. (Link)

• Platform CALA lets you launch and run a clothing line with a single prompt. (Link)

• Drapers Fashion Tech Week 2023 launches and probes how businesses are innovating for a new fashion retail era. (Link)

• The metaverse is a “natural progression” into the digital transformation going on in the fashion industry. (Link)

🏀 Sports

• Electronic Arts (EA) announces the worldwide launch of Super Mega Baseball 4. (Link)

• As technology makes the viewing experience more immersive, 77% of Gen Z and 75% of millennials say they prefer to watch sports outside of venues. (Link)

• In the UAE, the Sharjah International Marine Sports Club will use AI in marine sports development. (Link)

• As online racist abuse spreads on social media platforms, soccer players turn to AI for protection. (Link)

• Undefeated former UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov cryptically tweets on whom he’s fighting next, but it turns out he’s collaborating with sports metaverse platform Gameplan. (Link)

🎥 Media & Entertainment

• "AI is not a person": Hollywood studios sign a deal with directors as new tech becomes a flashpoint for striking writers. (Link)

• Superman 1978 gets NFT "living movie experience" release from Warner Bros. (Link)

• LA-based record label Nvak Collective partners with singer/songwriter Annika Rose on a new NFT music video game. (Link)

• Could LEXI 3.0 be the ultimate AI-powered automatic captioning solution to the Asian market? (Link)

• The role of Ethereum Name Service (ENS) in decentralized social media. (Link)

• Top creative and media agency heads discuss how AI will impact the advertising biz. (Link)

🖼 Art

• The worldwide opening of the virtual Jerry Garcia Archive Museum showcasing art, photos, interviews and music gets celebrated in the metaverse. (Link)

• Digital art goes A-list: Illuminate.art showcases NFTs of Lady Gaga and Snoop Dogg’s portraits by David Christopher Lee. (Link)

• 67% of newly minted Ethereum NFTs are profitable, according to a Nansen report. (Link)

• AI art wars: Japan says AI model training doesn’t violate copyright. (Link)

• Upcoming drops in the bustling NFT space. (Link)

• In time for Pride month, Florida’s digital art museum MAD Arts hosts Erotika II, a digital artwork and physical performance exhibition curated by feminist collective ClitSplash. (Link)

🤖 AI

• AI-powered news aggregator Artifact unveils Mark as Clickbait and Reactions features to enhance user experience. (Link)

• AI is replacing Windows’ VA Cortana. (Link)

• Researchers discover how AI creates better dental crowns. (Link)

• South Korea releases policy measures to boost exports of digital products such as AI and the metaverse. (Link)

• Zoom’s AI-powered assistant Zoom IQ now allows hosts to generate meeting summaries and send via Zoom Team Chat or email. (Link)

• How AI tools both aid and hinder equity in higher education. (Link)

💸 Funding & Partnerships

• TELUS Esports Series partners with Samsung for the biggest mobile gaming tournament in Canada. (Link)

• Magic Labs secures $52M in funding, signaling the rising importance of web3 tech. (Link)

• Devour forges partnership with Alterverse to bring the world’s first web3 food ordering marketplace to the metaverse. (Link)

• Google Cloud partners with Singapore government’s digital office to launch an AI government cloud cluster. (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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