‘Nanomagnetic’ computing can provide low-energy AI

Researchers have shown it is possible to perform artificial intelligence using tiny nanomagnets that interact like neurons in the brain. ...

The researchers showed nanomagnets can be used for 'time-series prediction' tasks, such as predicting and regulating insulin levels in diabetic patients. ...

A lot of the maths used to power neural networks was originally invented by physicists to describe the way magnets interact, but at the time it was too difficult to use magnets directly as researchers didn't know how to put data in and get information out. ...

Nanomagnets can come in various 'states', depending on their direction. Applying a magnetic field to a network of nanomagnets changes the state of the magnets based on the properties of the input field, but also on the states of surrounding magnets. ...

The team will next teach the system using real-world data, such as ECG signals, and hope to make it into a real computing device. Eventually, magnetic systems could be integrated into conventional computers to improve energy efficiency for intense processing tasks. ...

See the full story here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220505114646.htm

Sony AI’s Peter Wurman Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame

Peter Wurman, Director, Sony AI America, has been inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF). During the 2022 National Inventors Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on May 5, 2022, Peter was recognized for his pioneering work in artificial intelligence, specifically the co-development of Kiva Systems' Mobile Robotic Material Handling for Order Fulfillment.

While at Kiva Systems in the early 2000s, Wurman, Mick Mountz and Raffaello D'Andrea developed an entirely new approach for material handling in distribution centers that revolutionized warehouse order fulfillment. The group leveraged thousands of mobile robots and sophisticated control software to bring inventory shelves to workers, significantly improving all areas of fulfillment center operations from safety and productivity to cycle time and throughput. ...

Earlier this year, Wurman was the Project Lead on the new AI breakthrough unveiled by Sony AI: Gran Turismo Sophy (GT Sophy), the first superhuman AI agent to outrace the world's best drivers of the highly realistic PlayStation^®4 racing simulation game, Gran Turismo^TM (GT) Sport. He is recognized as the First Author in the paper, Outracing Champion Gran Turismo Drivers with Deep Reinforcement Learning, published in Nature in February 2022. ...

See the full press release here: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sony-ais-peter-wurman-inducted-into-the-national-inventors-hall-of-fame-301541480.html

Nearly a third of U.S. adults are more ‘scared’ of the metaverse than ‘excited’

According to a recent survey of more than 2,500 U.S. adults, people are currently more likely to fear the metaverse than be excited about it. The survey, which ran from March 23-25 and was conducted by Axios and market research software company Momentive, asked respondents if the idea of the metaverse made them “more excited or scared about the future.”

Only 7% of respondents said the idea of a metaverse ... made them “more excited” about the future. Almost one-third of respondents said it made them “more scared.”

The largest contingent – 58% – answered “neither,” suggesting that the majority of Americans still treat the idea of the metaverse with relative indifference. That matched up closely with another of the poll’s findings: 60% of its respondents were unfamiliar with the idea of the metaverse, in the first place.

See the full story here: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/05/more-americans-are-scared-of-the-metaverse-than-excited-poll.html

The Legal Landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Law

PhilNote: the short article gives some specifics but mostly generalities.

...The application of these product liability principles in the AI context was on display in the recent case Cruz v. Raymond Talmadge d/b/a Calvary Coach. The case featured an AI-driven product that has become a part of our everyday lives: a GPS device. In this case, the plaintiffs were injured when a bus struck an overpass. The plaintiffs’ lawsuit rested on claims of negligence, breach of warranty, and strict liability against the GPS device manufacturer. In particular, the plaintiffs pointed to what they said was a design defect in the GPS device. It routed the bus driver under an overpass. The plaintiffs asserted the GPS device should have been able to discern the overpass was too low for the bus. The parties eventually reached a settlement. ...

See the full story here: https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=d95bfa51-db03-47e0-8c63-d7c7311d84f1

You’ll soon be able to search NYC apartments using augmented reality on StreetEasy

... "We are building StreetScape to marry the digital and physical experience of home shopping in New York, a crucial step toward getting that level of confidence you need to make a move on a new home. Having that information immediately at your fingertips when you’re in front of a building will help home shoppers act fast, which is especially key in today’s competitive market."

Interestingly, a StreetEasy Instagram poll found that 95% of people have walked past an apartment building and wondered if it has an available unit that meets their criteria. At the same time, 77% have had trouble identifying a building’s address to search for later. ...

See the full story here: https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/youll-soon-be-able-to-search-nyc-apartments-using-augmented-reality-on-streeteasy-050422

Former Facebook, WhatsApp Employees Lead New Push to Fix Social Media

... Some startups say product design should be considered as much as the content decisions that generate more headlines. At HalloApp, they believe capping the size of groups will help minimize the potential for abuse. Right-leaning platforms like Parler and Truth Social argue that people need fewer content rules so as to speak freely to the masses without worrying about censorship. Other companies argue for a combination of stronger content policies and design choices so that online political discussions become more civil. ...

See the full story here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/social-media-startups-take-aim-at-facebook-and-elon-musk-11651656600

Second Life Hires Its First CMO to Market The Metaverse

... Social connections and artistic creations are central to Second Life in a different way from the more gaming-centric Roblox and Epic Games. The platform also takes a minimalist approach to collecting user data for ads compared to Meta’s new venture. There is real money on Second Life, too, thanks to its  Tilia virtual payment system and connected market. Content creators can create and sell digital goods through Tilia, which the company claims saw $650 million in transactions last year, $80 million of which went right to the developers. ...

See the full story here: https://voicebot.ai/2022/05/03/second-life-hires-its-first-cmo-to-market-the-metaverse/

Fiverr Debuts Synthetic Voice Tool for Voiceover Auditions

Freelance marketplace Fiverr has unveiled an AI tool for companies to audition voiceover artists before hearing them read a line. The new AI Auditions feature lets the voiceover artist train a synthetic version of their voice that companies can test their scripts on, streamlining the hiring process and enabling the performer to “audition” for far more roles than their time would normally allow. ...

Startups like Lovo and Veritonehave their own voiceover marketplaces with synthetically generated voices that Fiverr’s new service looks like it could take on, with Veritone recently scoring a deal with iHeartMedia to make translated audio content that sounds like the original speaker.  ...

See the full story here: https://voicebot.ai/2022/05/03/fiverr-debuts-synthetic-voice-tool-for-voiceover-auditions/

POAP – Proof of Attendance Protocol

... POAP is a new way of keeping a reliable record of life experiences. 
Each time they take part on an event, POAP collectors get a unique badge that is supported by a cryptographic record. 
These badges are Non Fungible Tokens (NFT) and open a whole new world of possibilities. ...

Why use POAP?

POAP allows event organizers to better engage with their audiences by providing a customized experience. POAPs not only offer special designs but allow for a range of integrated services such as private chat rooms, raffles and more.

See the source here: https://poap.xyz

Virtual Reality: High Tech VR Headsets to Try in 2022

...

Newer headsets have a higher resolution, are less bulky and can be worn while wearing glasses. Some are not headsets at all, but actually place you in the metaverse, using augmented reality technology to take you on a sensory journey into a virtual world.

These are the most exciting VR headsets on the market to date.

XTAL VR Headset

A$11,800

Aimed at the professional use of VR technology by architects, helicopter pilot trainees and sim racers, this headset has a very high resolution, supporting an 8K Ultra High Definition display.

Vuzix M4000 Smart Glasses

A$3,509

... The Vizix M4000 is basically a wearable computer with the addition of a camera and screen, it allows you to merge on-screen instructions with real-world applications in real-time, greatly increasing productivity and precisely relaying instructions. ...

See the full story here: https://themarketherald.com.au/fancy/virtual-reality-high-tech-vr-headsets-to-try-in-2022/