Towards Artificial General Intelligence
... Recent work conducted in my own lab [7] with colleagues in Belgium has suggested that a new approach of functional contextualism (which differs from current forms of cognitivism — e.g., of memory, attention, and reasoning through logic) may be the solution to progress AI into the generalized form of AGI, where the system learns and understands concepts and how these relate to other concepts (through something called relational frames), and the context in which cues within the environment influence functions and the meaning or uses of such concepts. For example, the function of a chair is to sit on in the context of a classroom, and maybe very different in another context, such as an art exhibition in the context of when it is broken — i.e., it is the environmental context which defines the function of the concept at any one point in time, and not some predefined definition one may have stored in memory.
This functional contextual approach allows for concepts to be understood through a relational network, for instance an equivalence class can be established within this relational network, whereby, for example, knife and fork are contained within the equivalence class (or category) of cutlery. ...
Perhaps the greatest chances of producing ethical AI would mean that the AGI would be able to derive relations of empathy towards others, and the functional contextual approach allows for these relations to emerge (called perspective-taking relations) as one relationally frames themselves (‘I’) in the context of the perspective of the other ('YOU'). Therefore, this functional contextual approach will also likely bring about more ethically orientated AI agents. These are both exciting and thought-provoking times.
See the full story here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychology-in-society/202203/towards-artificial-general-intelligence-agi
Bendy robotic arm twisted into shape with help of augmented reality
Instead of being constrained by rigid limbs and firm joints, the versatile arm is readily bendable into a wide variety of shapes. In practice, people working alongside the robot would manually bend the arm into the precise shape needed for each task, a level of flexibility made possible by the slippery layers of mylar sheets inside, which slide over one another and can lock into place. However, configuring the robot into specific shapes without guidance has proven to be difficult for users.
To enhance the robot’s user-friendliness, researchers at Imperial’s REDS (Robotic manipulation: Engineering, Design, and Science) Lab have designed a system for users to see in AR how to configure their robot. Wearing mixed reality smart glasses and through motion tracking cameras, users see templates and designs in front of them superimposed onto their real-world environment. They then adjust the robotic arm until it matches the template, which turns green on successful configuration so that the robot can be locked into place. ...
See the full story here: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/234362/bendy-robotic-twisted-into-shape-with/
British Museum to offer visitors augmented-reality games
The British Museum is to offer visitors a tablet-based games app featuring augmented reality to help tell the story of some its most significant exhibits.
The program, which will run on a set of Samsung devices owned by the museum, is intended for use by children aged 7-14 who are visiting the museum on school trips. Pupils will use the app in groups of two or three, the museum said.
The technology will provide guided tours of between 30 and 45 minutes – featuring “tasks and minigames incorporated within a wider overarching story” – and covering three of the attraction’s most popular galleries dedicated to: the Parthenon; the Roman Empire; and the Sutton Hoo archaeological site. ...
See the full story here: https://www.publictechnology.net/articles/news/british-museum-offer-visitors-augmented-reality-games
Marketers Explore Metaverse Worlds
... Decentraland said it has about 600,000 users a month. In October, it hosted the Metaverse Festival, a four-day music event with performances by Deadmau5 and Paris Hilton. ...
... “Decentraland’s open standards means that anyone can build an experience with no need for permission, and companies own their [intellectual property] on our platform,” said Sam Hamilton, creative director of the nonprofit Decentraland Foundation, which builds tools for the platform and handles its marketing. ...
The Sandbox, which is a subsidiary of Animoca Brands Corp., is still in a testing phase, scheduled to open to the public for six temporary stretches this year, the company said. Its first temporary opening, held last year from Nov. 29 to Dec. 20, drew more than 200,000 users, the company said. The Sandbox said it raised $93 million in November in a Series B funding round led by SoftBank GroupCorp.
The Sandbox is popular with celebrities and entertainment brands, with musical artists Snoop Dogg and Deadmau5 owning parcels of land there. Other landowners include Gucci and the organization behind Bored Ape Yacht Club, a popular NFT depicting cartoon apes. ...
See the full story here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/marketers-explore-metaverse-worlds-11646218800
Europe Is in Danger of Using the Wrong Definition of AI
Some intelligent systems are at risk of being excluded from oversight in the EU's proposed legislation. This is bad for both businesses and citizens.
... we should only be particularly worried about “self-learning” systems, because they are harder to predict due to their “self-optimizing” nature. Therefore, all regulatory and enforcement resources should be thrown at them. ...
For the purposes of digital governance instruments like the AIA, it makes more sense to use a well-established definition of intelligence, dating back to scientists’ first explorations of the evolutionary origins of the human trait by looking at other species: the capacity to act effectively in response to changing contexts. Rocks aren’t intelligent at all, plants are a little intelligent, bees more so, monkeys more so again. Intelligence by this definition is evidently a computational process: the conversion of information about the world into some action. This definition is generally useful because it reminds (or explains to) people that intelligence is not some supernatural property, or just “human-likeness,” but rather a physical process we find throughout nature to varying degrees. It reminds us that AI requires physical as well as legal infrastructure. ...
The challenge is that a single mistake made in development may be repeated millions of times by automation without further thought. This is what happened with the British Post Office system. Twenty years ago, Fujitsu wrote new software for the British Post Office; immediately, bugs were reported. But those reports were ignored, not least because the British had passed a law saying that software is reliable. Therefore, the software accounts were believed and the post office workers were not. Even if they had years of good service, post office workers were forced to privately make up enormous “financial discrepancies.” Lives were ruined, families were bankrupted, people were jailed, deaths, including suicides, occurred. Twenty years later the case of these workers is only now being heard. This is why we need good oversight for any “high risk” digital system—the systems that change lives.
Yet the opportunity of digitizing government services is that we can have a wider-spread understanding and more open discussions of government procedures that were previously obscure. We can now, with minimal cost, make government and other processes like banking or real estate more transparent and more accessible. ...
If we choose the simple, broad definition of intelligence I’m advocating here, then we motivate people to use the clearest, most explainable and maintainable version of AI they can, or even just ordinary software. That benefits everyone—corporations and developers just as much as citizens, residents, and activists. ...
See the full story here: https://www.wired.com/story/artificial-intelligence-regulation-european-union/
‘Walkabout Mini Golf’ is Getting First Licensed Course, Based on ’80s Classic ‘LABYRINTH’
Walkabout Mini Golf (2020) consistently ranks among the top games on Quest for good reason. Now developers Mighty Coconut announced they’ve lined up the game’s first licensed DLC for release later this year which is set to bring the world of Jim Henson’s ’80s classic fantasy film LABYRINTH (1986) to life.
Mighty Coconut announced the studio has signed a deal with The Jim Henson Company to develop a 36-hole course based on LABYRINTH, which will be released in Summer 2022.
There’s no trailer out yet, but we’re hoping to see more than a few of our favorite characters. Granted, David Bowie has already been officially immortalized in VR, but never before as Jareth the Goblin King—glam metal hair and all.
How virtual reality is being implemented in the travel industry
... users are increasingly interested in experiencing digital forms of in-person activities, which can include virtual tours, streaming, digital concerts, and even online gambling. For instance, users can now access online casinos where they can play live blackjack, which has been developed to be as immersive as possible. ...
... several platforms offer VR experiences that can take you around the globe and inside some of the most famous landmarks. One of these platforms is Superworld, which mixes the tourism and real estate sector, and lets users not only virtually visit landmarks across the world, but also purchase and sell historical monuments and iconic structures inside the metaverse. ...
Additionally, some cultural institutions, such as museums, feature exclusive online collections and VR tours inside their galleries. One of the best examples is Louvre’s virtual tours which feature immersive and user-friendly digital cultural experiences. It is also possible to use Google Earth VR to access more than 18,000 artworks for free. ...
See the full story here: https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/how-virtual-reality-is-being-implemented-in-the-travel-industry
ETC Examines Realities of Multiverse at Digital Town Square
“Preparing for the Multiverse” was the subject of ETC@USC’s latest virtual Digital Town Square event. As the culture, art and commerce spaces rebalance to incorporate blended physical and virtual options, it is clearly important that we understand early on how changes will impact our business and creative endeavors.
All of the presentation videos, along with information about the speakers and 2-minute previews of their talks, are available on the ETCentric site. In keeping with ETC’s mandate to be an educational resource for the community, we encourage you to share this information with co-workers, friends and colleagues.
See the full story here: https://www.etcentric.org/etc-examines-realities-of-multiverse-at-digital-town-square/
