Razorfish x VICE Media | GenZ Metaverse Report
For a deeper dive into Web3 culture, we conducted a study with VICE Media Group surveying GenZ gamers about their habits, perspectives, and hopes for the future. Several questions focused on how this generation perceives itself, finding:
? Those in the metaverse are six times more likely to describe themselves as introverts vs. extroverts
? 52% feel more like “themselves” in the metaverse than IRL
? 65% believe that their online relationships are just as meaningful as offline ones
? Interestingly, 1 in 2 feels gaming improves their mental health
For a cohort this active in the metaverse, it’s no surprise that they’re willing to fund experiences there. Today, 15% of GenZ’s “fun budget” is spent in the metaverse. In five years, it’s expected to hit 20%.
Disney World Selling Spots on Virtual Cinderella Castle Mural
This Cinderella Castle Mural of Memories product will cost $9.99 and includes:
- A spot of your choosing on available sections on Cinderella Castle to digitally pin your photo, which will be waiting for you and other guests to view again and again during visits to Magic Kingdom throughout the World’s Most Magical Celebration and beyond (for at least three years).
- A special video of your photo flying from the castle that can be downloaded and shared.
- The ability to download a high-resolution version of your pinned photo from your Disney PhotoPass gallery without watermarks (a $16.95 value), both in its original form and an additional version with a special border applied that includes your first name.
- If you’re a Cast Member, Annual Passholder, Disney Vacation Club Member, or Club 33 Member, you’ll even receive a personalized border reflecting your affiliation.
Walt Disney World also indicates that this is one way the company will be continuing its “next-generation storytelling” and “using innovative new technology to engage guests in our theme parks.” The Cinderella Castle Mural of Memories will join other experiences like Disney PhotoPass Lenses and future additions like MagicBand+ at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. ...
The Cinderella Castle Mural of Memories is also notable from my perspective as it sounds like Walt Disney World’s first foray into both the metaverse and NFTs. ... More accurately, it’s them getting into the virtual collectibles game. ...
See the full story here: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/disney-world-selling-spots-on-virtual-cinderella-castle-mural/
Artificial Intelligence is Infringing on Actors’ Image, Likeness Says U.K. Performers’ Union Equity
Performing arts union Equity is launching a campaign around performers’ rights over artificial intelligence (AI).
They hope to persuade the U.K. government to introduce laws that will prevent companies using AI performance synthetisation – based on real performers’ voices and likeness – without their permission. ...
AI technology falls outside the scope of these protections because it “reproduces performances without generating a ‘recording’ or a ‘copy,'” according to the union. ...
See the full story here: https://variety.com/2022/biz/news/artificial-intelligence-actors-rights-equity-1235236945/
Snap’s AR vision is about Spectacles—and a whole lot more
... Last May, Snap unveiled the new, AR-enabled version of Spectacles, which are indeed known simply as “the new Spectacles.” Rather than selling them like previous versions, Snap acknowledges that they’re currently an experiment, not a product. ...
But Snap is also experimenting with the medium on one of the biggest tapestries imaginable: Snapchat itself. ... According to Snap, 200 million people use them a day, racking up six billion daily interactions.
... these Spectacles look more like hip sunglasses than a headset, and weigh less than a third of a pound. ...
None of the AR experiences I tried while wearing the Spectacles were the sort of killer app that would sell a fully commercialized version of these glasses on its own. But they were all reasonably slick and fun to try. ... —a restaurant menu I could peruse with a mid-air swiping gesture— ...
The dual 3D waveguide displays that overlay digital imagery on the real world were bright enough that they didn’t get bleached out by the sun. But they have a field of view that measures 26.3 degrees diagonally, which means that you can’t always see larger elements...
“My team is basically trying to make the Snapchat camera smarter, to understand everything in the world around it,” says Qi Pan, Snap’s director of computer vision engineering. ...
It also introduced another feature called Local Lenses that allows multiple people in the same physical area to engage in shared AR experiences—such as bedecking London’s Carnaby Street shops in virtual paint. ...
Last month, the company released a technology called Custom Landmarkersthat allows users of its Lens Studio AR design software to tie the experiences they create to a specific physical location—from a statue to a storefront—so that they’re visible to people who are actually there. ...
But as Snap’s platform transcends the amusing, chat-enhancing AR special effects it started with, it’s becoming a viable alternative for more ambitious storytelling. ...
See the full story here: https://www.fastcompany.com/90737627/snaps-ar-vision-is-about-spectacles-and-a-whole-lot-more?fbclid=IwAR1MNXVR1DViATZlC216z4yHP0yMPzu803IHKI7Bs-3TwOCCQChmYxA_e2w
Get Ready to be Reborn in Web3 with HALO NFTs!
A leading data network for interactive NFTs, HALO is collaborating with the decentralized 3D artist community to launch virtual humans. The HALO NFTs, which will represent your virtual identity, are what you need to enter the HALO metaverse. Indeed, these are not your average virtual avatars—these are avatars created by 3D modelling. ...
For example, you can use the images on Instagram and TikTok. Alternatively, you can use the virtual humans to host live streams on Discord and Twitter or hold office meetings on Zoom and Google Meet. To be sure, these NFTs bridge the gap between the real and virtual world. ...
Visit the HALO website to learn more about the project. Make sure to also follow HALO on Twitter and join its Discord server for all the latest updates. ...
See the full story here: https://nftevening.com/get-ready-to-be-reborn-in-web3-with-halo-nfts/?fbclid=IwAR0furZXbhh6sGjRYE3Vrb9tEwhPJeEOzVaxiulvZsTh1brrtgYUkl1SpRw
The best way to regulate artificial intelligence? The EU’s AI Act
... As the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee rapporteur, I welcome the European Commission’s proposal on an AI Act. ...
The proposal by the European Commission, however, does not go far enough in helping companies compete in return for the many obligations expected from them. This applies especially to start-ups and SMEs – Europe’s most competitive and desired companies – and therefore undermines the legitimacy and relevance of the AI Act. We need to provide companies with clearer guidelines, simpler tools and more efficient resources to cope with regulation and to innovate.
I therefore will work to enhance measures supporting innovation, especially those helping start-ups and SMEs. I am especially worried that the current state of the regulatory sandboxes is too cumbersome, which defeats the purpose of this highly important tool in developing AI that works “on the ground”.
In addition, I will try to provide a clear and more concise definition of an artificial intelligence system with an emphasis on establishing clear oversight on how to change this definition in the future. Next, I want to set high but realistic standards for cybersecurity and data that allow for the best mix of safety and usability. Finally, I want to future-proof the AI Act. This means better linkages to the other parts of digital policy, to the green transition and to the international stage, as well as anticipating possible changes in the AI industry, AI technology and the power of AI. ...
Finally, we should not make a mistake that the EU has made again and again: writing a law is important but implementing and enforcing it will be key. ...
See the full story here: https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/news/article/the-best-way-to-regulate-artificial-intelligence-the-eus-ai-act
Snap launches augmented reality-powered virtual mall
- The Snap Ramadan Mall will feature brands such as L’Oreal, IKEA, Namshi and Samsung
- Snap’s virtual mall aims to provide retailers with another channel for capturing users’ attention and driving sales
DUBAI: Snap is launching what it claims to be the first-ever augmented reality-led virtual mall in the Middle East and North Africa region, ...
Ramadan is a critical period for retailers, and Snap’s virtual mall aims to provide retailers with another channel for capturing users’ attention and driving sales. Last year, for instance, Ramadan campaigns for retailers running an AR lens on Snapchat delivered a 4.3 times higher average purchase value compared to other formats. ...
See the full story here: https://www.arabnews.com/node/2066556/media
Deconstructing the virtual influencer
PhilNote: this is a good, short breakdown of the success traits for a v-influencer.
... The virtual influencer may be a futuristic being, but, like today's music, it requires old-school techniques to render and manage.
Already there are over 150 virtual influencers in existence, with this figure expected to increase as influencer marketing spending for 2022 grows to a forecasted US$15 billion. From an organisational standpoint, the formula is simple and no different from managing a celebrity or politician: production + social media management = virtual influencer. ...
Virtual influencers should continuously be seen as a production effort, requiring a skilled team of CGI designers, 3D animators, storyboarding artists, copywriters, production and set designers, clothing and wardrobe producers, music producers, photographers, videographers, and—as with every influencer or model in this day and age—a healthy dose of Photoshop. ...
Besides avoiding scandal and controversy, the virtual influencer behaves on an as-needed basis, unlike a physical influencer which has to produce content almost daily. Rather than sharing every meal they eat in a day, the virtual influencer focuses on content that aligns with their point of view and therefore requires a much lower level of storyboarding, copywriting, and content creation compared to traditional influencers. ...
The core feature that will define a good or bad virtual influencer is its own definition of self. ...
The second feature of the so-called ‘golden ratio’ for virtual influencers is self-awareness. ...
Virtual influencers need to be consistently upgraded to uphold their personalities and worldviews. ...
See the full story here: https://www.campaignasia.com/article/deconstructing-the-virtual-influencer/477317
