US colonel’s rogue AI story

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🪖Rogue AI in the military

🎮 $500 Meta Quest 3 headset

🏀 Nike and EA Sports collab

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Air Force colonel’s rogue AI story is ‘hypothetical’ [Link]

The “killer AI” narrative made headlines late last week as an Air Force colonel overseeing AI testing described at a professional conference in London a military AI going rogue and killing its human operator in a simulation.

Now Col. Tucker “Cinco” Hamilton, head of the AI Test and Operations at the US Air Force, says that the simulation was instead a “thought experiment” that never happened.

The inside details:

• Based on a summary posted by the conference host Royal Aeronautical Society, Tucker warned that AI tech can behave in unpredictable, dangerous ways. He cited a simulation where an AI-driven drone is programmed to spot an enemy’s surface-to-air missiles (SAM), whose strikes are supposed to be signed off by a human.

• Tucker’s predicament: AI would blow up stuff and “refuse” to listen to its operator in order to accomplish its goal.

• A Friday update from the conference host, though, declared that Tucker “misspoke” at the presentation, and the rogue AI story was instead a “thought experiment” coming from outside the military, not any actual occurrence.

• US Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek denied that any actual simulation had taken place, saying the colonel’s comments were anecdotal and even potentially taken out of context.

AI’s potential dangers in warfare have been widely reported, yet it’s worth noting that the US military has also seen the good come out of its AI testing, such as the successful 1st real-world test flight of an AI-piloted F-16 as part of efforts to develop autonomous aircraft by the end of 2023.

$500 Meta Quest 3 launching in the fall

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg drops elusive news on the Meta Quest 3, a new VR headset arriving this fall with a $500 price tag.

A major technical upgrade from the previous generation with high-res color mixed reality (Meta Quest 2 had B&W passthrough and Meta Quest Pro has color passthrough), the Meta Quest will be 40% thinner, more comfortable, and offer better displays and resolutions.

Meta Quest 3’s intro video sums it up:

“Quest 3 combines our highest resolution display and pancake optics to make content look better than ever. To power those extra pixels, this will be the first headset to feature a next-generation Snapdragon chipset developed in collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies. That next-gen Snapdragon chipset delivers more than twice the graphical performance as the previous generation Snapdragon GPU in Quest 2 — meaning you’ll get smoother performance and incredibly crisp details in immersive games.”

Why Zuckerberg dropped the news: Apple is anticipated to announce its own mixed reality glasses Monday.

Nike and EA Sports collaboration on .SWOOSH virtual creations [Link]

Nike and EA SPORTS have joined forces to enhance and personalize gameplay for virtual sports for fans worldwide.

Further details on the integration of the.SWOOSH community with future EA SPORTS experiences will be unveiled in the coming months, yet immersive experiences and unlocking unprecedented levels of customization within the EA SPORTS ecosystem are already anticipated.

The Nike digital community .SWOOSH is currently in a closed beta phase to ensure security and efficiency in the platform, yet interested users can register to become members at welcome.swoosh.nike.

The metaverse can ‘move the needle’ on DE&I [Link]

Global Big Four firm EY's 2023 Metaverse Readiness Survey suggests the metaverse can aid diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives for UK executives.

As adoption grows and use cases become clearer, early prioritization of DE&I best practices can help UK businesses maximize metaverse potential, noted the study.

By the numbers:

• 64% believe the metaverse offers an opportunity to transform their approach to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, while 65% say their companies recognize the DE&I implications and are actively looking at how to manage risks.

• 47% of executives are already investing in or using the metaverse in some way and 61% feel they must be present.

• 45% of those already investing in the technology are doing so in customer support, therefore applying DE&I best practices proves mission-critical.

Quick Hits

🎮 Gaming

• Pokemon GO creator Niantic launches Wol, a mixed-reality game powered by AI and a metaverse deployment and taking players through Redwood forest. (Link)

• Hyper-casual gaming is alive and well. (Link)

• In a new web3 gaming team-up, the Telos blockchain can now access game distribution through GameStop Playr, the company’s planned web3 game launcher. (Link)

• Google triples the bounty for hunters who report sandbox escape chain exploits targeting its Chrome web browser. (Link)

• The 1st major adjustment to its updated payouts system, Epic now rewards Fortnite creators for how long people play their experiences. (Link)

🕶 Fashion

• Fashion startup Seamm uses Snapchat’s AR try-on to reduce online returns. (Link)

• Prada releases its 42nd NFT collection, another milestone for its groundbreaking web3 initiative Timecapsule. (Link)

• London-based fashion designer Charli Cohen collaborates with Blizzard Entertainment for the much-anticipated game Diablo IV. (Link)

• eBay embarks on streetwear authentication. (Link)

• Fashion needs to stay on the pulse with new tech and automation on offer such as AI and ChatGPT, urges the PI Apparel Supply Chain Forum 2023. (Link)

• The Swedish Textile Machinery Association drives sustainability through digitalization. (Link)

🏀 Sports

• The NFL Players Union reportedly misses out on tens of millions in sponsorship and licensing revenue tied to the burgeoning crypto industry in 2022. (Link)

• American football org European League of Football (ELF) taps WSC Sports for AI-powered coverage. (Link)

• Could AI be the future of injury prevention in soccer? (Link)

• Neal Stephenson’s Lamina1 partners with 5 tech companies: What this means for XR/sports experiences. (Link)

• Denver Nuggets' Zeke Nnaji invests in science-based learning in Nigeria, focusing on subjects like AI and virtual reality. (Link)

🎥 Media & Entertainment

• iHeartMedia prohibits the use of OpenAI's ChatGPT on company devices, following similar restrictions by Apple, Spotify, and Verizon. (Link)

• Spotify launches its AI DJ for Premium users in the US and select countries. (Link)

• AI streaming tech Moveme.tv launches a free platform combining AI and neuroscience with an emotion-led approach to streaming categorization. (Link)

• Apple's AR headset can make digital content omnipresent around us in a “mixed reality” setting. (Link)

• China’s web3 gambit leans heavily on the metaverse, not on crypto. (Link)

• Reality Pro’s library of Apple Music VR concerts is a decade in the making. (Link)

• VR experiences could transform your sense of self and self-expression. (Link)

🖼 Art

• Ninjalerts drops V3 update for a more seamless, transparent platform for NFT/crypto traders. (Link)

• Navigating the web3 art world: MakersPlace launches Artist Launchpad Program to empower digital artists. (Link)

• Zaha Hadid explores the future of architecture in the metaverse. (Link)

• Fingerprints DAO, artist Harm van den Dorpel, and Mercedes Benz collaborate on a collection of innovative, car-driven NFTs. (Link)

• Amsterdam-based Danish artist Bjørn Karmann develops a camera that takes AI-generated images based on location. (Link)

🤖 AI

• Microsoft inks a deal with CoreWeave to meet OpenAI cloud demand. (Link)

• Designer, Microsoft’s AI-powered art-generating tool, is coming to the free version of Teams. (Link)

• This 36-year-old woman marries her AI-powered virtual husband Eren. (Link)

• The AI revolution is about to take over your web browser. (Link)

• 10 of the best AI courses you can take online for free. (Link)

• This AI app promises greater safety for women walking and running alone. (Link)

• 3D scanning app Polycam launches an AI-based 360 capture affording iPhone users free 360 panoramas. (Link)

💸 Funding & Partnerships

• GetYourGuide raises $194M to capitalize on increased demand for travel services, expand into the US, and invest in AI tools. (Link)

• Lightmatter’s photonic AI hardware shines brighter with $154M in new funding. (Link)

• Emerge partners with Disney to bring multi-sensory communication to homes. (Link)

• BitMart partners with MetaEra to further accelerate crypto adoption and education. (Link)

• 8Flow.ai raises $6.6M to automate customer support workflows. (Link)

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