Roblox grows up

Today we are covering…

🔲 Roblox targets age 17+ with TikTok-like experiences

⚖️ OpenAI lands 1st defamation lawsuit

📶 How will mobile networks deliver in the metaverse?

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Roblox targets age 17+ with TikTok-like experiences [Link]

38% of Roblox’s daily active users are over age 17 but the platform yet the platform experience is stil highly focused on children.

In a statement, Roblox provides the following inside details:

• “As a natural evolution, we’re now allowing creators to make content specifically for this audience,” Roblox noted in reference to the age group, although it doesn’t specify a minimum age and thus allows all ages to create and join groups, chat, as well as interact with other users.

• The new experiences will likely feature more mature themes and storylines “like in TV shows or stand-up comedy,” which “may contain more violence, blood, or crude humor.”

• The statement harps on safety, saying it will deploy comprehensive safety and moderation tools namely age verification, parental control and guidance, and moderation and community standards.

Interestingly, TikTok has age 13 set as the required minimum age to use its platform, while it has no similar tools or mechanisms requiring users to prove their age during account registration.

OpenAI lands 1st defamation lawsuit [Link]

Mark Walters, a Georgia radio host, files a 13-page complaint vs ChatGPT for fabricating legal claims against him and distorting facts regarding a cited legal case. Walters alleges all statements regarding him in ChatGPT's summary are false, including an allegedly false case number.

OpenAI’s opening disclaimer:

“While we have safeguards in place, the system may occasionally generate incorrect or misleading information and produce offensive or biased content. It is not intended to give advice.”

A lawsuit was filed against OpenAI alleging libelous matter was disseminated by their chatbot, ChatGPT, which contained false allegations of misappropriation and fraud against Walters and thought to damage his reputation.

While OpenAI has not yet responded to comments on the ongoing lawsuit, it raises questions about the company's responsibility and the need for thorough testing before deploying such AI models.

US senator reveals key goals in AI legislation [Link]

Dubbing the rapid growth of AI tools as a “moment of revolution,” US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urges the government to act quickly to regulate companies developing the technology.

The senator says he is working on bipartisan legislation to help mitigate AI risks while maximizing its benefits, revealing these key goals:

• Protect US elections from AI-generated misinformation or interference

• Shield American workers and intellectual property

• Prevent exploitation by AI algorithms

• Craft new guardrails to ward off bad players

While AI “will reshape how we fight disease, tackle hunger, manage our lives, enrich our minds and ensure peace," Schumer notes “real dangers” presented by the tech, including job displacement, misinformation, a new age of weaponry, and the risk of poor management of AI.

How will mobile networks deliver in the metaverse? [Link]

The ability of operators in the telecom industry to be able to handle the increased demand for services in the metaverse, which will involve some type of AR or VR, remains to be seen.

There’s plenty of work in the sector to get to the metaverse:

• A highly immersive experience may require at least an 8K resolution - versus at least a 2K resolution - per future user.

• A powerful XR device might be unable to handle the necessary processing due to battery and heat constraints, thus requiring some remote processing that entails greater requirements for low latency, split rendering and edge computing.

Seamlessness poses another challenge as today's users experience a drop in connection when moving from Wi-Fi to 5G, for example, potentially influencing user experience in the metaverse more than it does today.

AI and the metaverse supercharge beauty [Link]

The global beauty trade is undergoing a transformative shift as AI and the metaverse merge, offering immersive and personalized experiences for customers.

Shiseido, a leading Japanese beauty brand, is leveraging these advancements through virtual makeup try-on, AI-driven products, and metaverse activations.

Shiseido and Revieve have partnered to create the Skincare Advisor AI, which provides tailored skincare product recommendations and virtual try-on features based on customers' selfies and beauty goals.

Shiseido has leveraged metaverse activations across its brands to tap into the increasing trend. Gen Z's influence is identified as a key factor, due to their knowledge of the metaverse and anticipation for its integration into their lives.

Quick Hits

🎮 Gaming

• Games publisher Super League integrates generative AI into its workflow to enhance its content visualization and production solutions. (Link)

• Chick-fil-A debuts its new digital game Code Moo featuring its signature cows, rewarding members weekly. (Link)

• llumRoblox, a metaverse platform specializing in gaming and events, rolls out its Immersive Ad Partner Program at Cannes Lions. (Link)

• LegendsOfCrypto (LOCGame), backed by the Amsterdam-based RBL Labs, unveils a new roadmap to lead casual web3 gaming. (Link)

• ChatGPT builds the latest release of the AI-powered interrogation game True Crime Episode in AR. (Link)

🕶 Fashion

• Luxury fashion game DREST lands $19.2M (£15M) in fresh funding, enhancing capabilities to style hyper-realistic avatars in the metaverse. (Link)

• At Paris Fashion Week, Jeff Staple and Gmoney drop the 9dcc x Stapleverse baseball cap Pigeon Shit cap collab. (Link)

• Puma’s GutterMelo MB.03 digital sneaker collection will open its mint on OpenSea on June 29. (Link)

• Fashion outlet platform Otrium and climate tech startup Vaayu probe the environmental impact of off-price fashion using AI and machine learning. (Link)

• Fashion brands are increasingly embracing virtual try-on (VTO), which sees more players in the space by the day. (Link)

🏀 Sports

• FIFA files for more metaverse trademarks covering VR gaming, personal training for users, and entertainment services such as laser shows and live performances. (Link)

• Wimbledon says line judges are safe for now - even as Grand Slam embraces AI. (Link)

• The European Broadcasting Union and its European Athletics partner explore practical uses of AI in sports broadcasting, replacing traditionally edited highlights content. (Link)

• A looming TikTok ban would shake up sports’ social media scene as it has changed how sports orgs do business. (Link)

• In the LIV Golf League, Ian Poulter’s team Majesticks GC secures sponsorship with crypto exchange company OKX. (Link)

🎥 Media & Entertainment

• Legendary record label Motown Records strikes a metaverse deal with Second Life and music for games platform STYNGR. (Link)

• Fans are disappointed by the AI-generated images in the 1st episode of Marvel's Disney+ series Secret Invasion. (Link)

• Christopher Nolan is optimistic about the potential benefits of AI in filmmaking, calling them “enormously powerful tools.” (Link)

• Amid ongoing int’l efforts to regulate AI, ChatGPT is urged to pay to use media content in Australia. (Link)

• TikTok launches a new in-stream shopping push with a “trendy beat” showcase. (Link)

🖼 Art

• Slim Jim NFT uses his Discord channel to generate interest in the metaverse. (Link)

• Givenchy Parfums hosts its 1st ephemeral art exhibition on Spatial, a beauty brand's foray into the metaverse. (Link)

• Clever cats make their own AI art to help get adopted. (Link)

• Leonardo D-AI Vinci? Nifty AI tool turns your bad sketches into artwork in seconds – and no need for the internet. (Link)

• The German Intelligence Agency Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) releases an NFT collection to recruit talent through a gamified blockchain treasure hunt. (Link)

🤖 AI

• A Utah firm uses AI to detect cyber-predators on gaming platforms, eavesdropping on online game chats to spot bullying. (Link)

• Toyota is using generative AI to design new EVs. (Link)

• Once and for all, wil AI make you stupid? (Link)

• Glow, China's new AI chatbot, is accused of sexual advances and misogyny. (Link)

• 32% of Japan’s university students use ChatGPT, a new survey reveals. (Link)

• Google develops an AI that can “generate endless selfies.” (Link)

• Otter introduces a meeting-oriented AI chatbot. (Link)

💸 Funding & Partnerships

• CloudWalk joins the $421M series D funding round for ESWIN Computer, which makes Internet of Things (IoT) chips. (Link)

• Dropbox launches Dropbox Ventures, a $50M venture fund focused on AI startups. (Link)

• Voice AI start-up ElevenLabs raises $19M in series A funding to scale voice synthesis business with the help of tech heavyweights. (Link)

• IBM and Adobe join forces to enhance content supply chains using generative AI. (Link)

• AI game maker Versed raises $1.7M (€1.6M) in pre-seed funding to build virtual worlds, dialogue, and combat for anyone that writes on the platform. (Link)

• Embedded finance firm Opnfi partners with actyv.ai to bring B2B embedded finance solutions for businesses in ASEAN, South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. (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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