Severely paralyzed man communicates using brain signals sent to his vocal tract

The USCF system, however, uses an implant that's placed directly on the part of the brain dedicated to speech. That way, the subject can mentally activate the brain patterns they would normally use to say a word, and the system can translate the entire word, rather than single letters, to the screen. 

To make it work, patients with normal speech volunteered to have their brain recordings analyzed for speech related activities. Researchers were then able to analyze those patterns and develop new methods to decode them in real time, using statistical language models to improve accuracy. 

However, the team still wasn't sure if brain signals controlling the vocal tract would still be intact in patients paralyzed for many years. To that end, they enlisted an anonymous participant (known as Bravo1) who worked with researchers to create a 50-word vocabulary that the team could decipher using advanced computer algorithms. That included words like "water," "family" and "good," enough to allow the patient to create hundreds of sentences applicable to their daily life. The team also used an "auto-correct" function similar to those found on consumer speech recognition apps. 

The system was able to decode their speech at up to 18 words per minute with 93 percent accuracy, with a 75 percent median accuracy. That might not sound great compared to the 200 words per minute possible with normal speech, but it's much better than the speeds seen on previous neuroprosthetic systems. 

The team said the trial represents a proof of principal for this new type of "speech neuroprosthesis." Next up, they plan to expand the trial to include more participants, while also working to increase the number of words in the vocabulary and improve the rate of speech.  

See the full story here: https://www.engadget.com/severely-paralyzed-man-communicates-using-brain-signals-sent-to-his-vocal-tract-110524126.html

The Washington Post announces 2021 Tokyo Olympics coverage plans

Augmented reality and experimental video will bring three new Olympic sports – skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing – to life for readers.

See the full story here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/pr/2021/07/14/washington-post-announces-2021-tokyo-olympics-coverage-plans/

NFTs and the Museum Part 1: NFTs 101

A risk that may be unique to a museum participating in this conversation is the weight that we carry. As the largest encyclopedic museum in the western United States, we have to take into consideration that our exhibitions, public programs, publications, and acquisitions have significant impact on the arts and culture space. As a public institution, we also need to be considerate and deliberative about where we invest our staff and financial resources. So while we may not be participating in the record-setting auctions, we are looking toward the horizon to understand what this could mean for the art world, for digital artists, and for the collection and exhibition of these artworks.

See the full story here: https://unframed.lacma.org/2021/07/12/nfts-and-museum-part-1-nfts-101?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MKT%7CArt%2BTechLab2021GranteeAnnouncement&utm_content=version_A&sourceNumber=

Holly+ ? ?️ ?

I'm an artist and composer ?‍? who has been working with machine learning for many years. My last album PROTO(4AD,2019) was the first to utilize singing neural networks, and I completed my Doctorate at Stanford's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics, where my research focus was on the interplay between machine learning and the voice, and the implications of this technology for IP and vocal sovereignty?‍?

...

The recent introduction of projects like DeepMind’s Wavenet, Google’s Tacotron and others have advanced the field of voice generation sufficient to make me confident that generating convincing spoken and sung voices will soon become standard practice for artists and other creatives, as presaged by the popularity of celebrity vocal deep fakes already found all over YouTube.

Not all vocal models are equal. While it may be possible to generate an approximation of a voice by training a neural network from freely available audio found online, the deeper and more detailed the model is, the wider the range of expression available to create with ?️

[PhilNote: NFT justification]... This approach supports the “My Collectible Ass” principle, advocated for by ZORAand originally proposed by theorist McKenzie Wark. This principle states that the more prominent and visible/audible a work of art is, the more valuable the certified original becomes.

OpenLaw Tribute DAO Framework

The Holly+ DAO will make use of the OpenLaw Tribute DAO framework. You can learn more about OpenLaw, and their instrumental role in legally recognizing DAO's in Wyoming, on our Interdependence podcast here.

The ERC-20 VOICE tokens will come to represent voting shares in Holly+ DAO.

Should the DAO approve the work, an NFT will be minted, with 50% of initial and secondary sales shared with the creator of the new work. 40% of profits will be distributed amongst DAO members, and 10% will go to me directly, for rent!

Never Before Heard Sounds, founded by Chris Deaner & Yotam Mann, makes machine learning instruments and expressive audio tools.

See the full story here: https://holly.mirror.xyz/54ds2IiOnvthjGFkokFCoaI4EabytH9xjAYy1irHy94?fbclid=IwAR2MrbTe_l5vLkQFZWWf9XWSnYqv3LcMwEkYekfQ2VKis_Utpksqq75S9EE

Matterport and PTC Enable Customers to Create Augmented Reality Experiences for Large Spaces

Matterport, Inc., the leading spatial data company driving the digital transformation of the built world, which has entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination with Gores Holdings VI (NASDAQ: GHVI, GHVIU, and GHVIW), today announced its platform integration with the PTC(NASDAQ: PTC) Vuforia Engine^™ and Vuforia Studio^™ augmented reality (AR) software offerings available within the Vuforia^® Enterprise Augmented Reality Suite.

Customers can now enrich digital twins captured with the Matterport platform with interactive AR experiences called Area Targets. This new functionality from PTC, combined with Matterport's dimensionally-accurate spatial data, enables customers to drop into an exact location of an immersive 3D environment and access experiences such as wayfinding, virtual training, real-time information retrieval, and more.

Offices, stores, factory floors, apartments, and museums are ideal spaces for Area Targets. Companies in a wide range of industries can realize a wide range of benefits using AR visualizations within 3D digital twins, from the creation of engaging customer experiences to the increase of operational efficiencies and workforce productivity.

See the full story here: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/matterport-ptc-enable-customers-create-201500770.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAANI--xOeKKHk5UBhgIjq6U8X6Ck3ZXCkqcoQr9YQONYxG4pDCyedyCHDoxqyr3Rgb2xiZt7YmOjtZCnc76H8J9jg7vKKVTUfmIbPcJPPd-qFEvxIRKyuhZzFAX1lGzCKNPGj_GbIXAARGPd5eGPuKgtkGYf0gqdgzaSfffuws4WE

AI voice actors sound more human than ever—and they’re ready to hire

But some actors have grown increasingly worried about their livelihoods, says a spokesperson at SAG-AFTRA, the union representing voice actors in the US. If they’re not afraid of being automated away by AI, they’re worried about being compensated unfairly or losing control over their voices, which constitute their brand and reputation.

This is now the subject of a lawsuit against TikTok brought by the Canadian voice actor Bev Standing, who alleges that the app’s built-in voice-over feature uses a synthetic copy of her voice without her permission. Standing’s experience also echoes that of Susan Bennett, the original voice of American Siri, who was paid for her initial recordings but not for the continued use of her vocal likeness on millions of Apple devices.

Several now use a profit-sharing model to pay actors every time a client licenses their specific synthetic voice, which has opened up a new stream of passive income. Others involve the actors in the process of designing their AI likeness and give them veto power over the projects it will be used in. SAG-AFTRA is also pushing for legislation to protect actors from illegitimate replicas of their voice.

But for VocaliD’s Patel, the point of AI voices is ultimately not to replicate human performance or to automate away existing voice-over work. Instead, the promise is that they could open up entirely new possibilities. What if in the future, she says, synthetic voices could be used to rapidly adapt online educational materials to different audiences? “If you’re trying to reach, let’s say, an inner-city group of kids, wouldn’t it be great if that voice actually sounded like it was from their community?”

See the full story here: https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/07/09/1028140/ai-voice-actors-sound-human/

Chinese sci-fi writer Liu Cixin joins AI tech firm SenseTime

Chinese science-fiction writer Liu Cixin, author of The Three-Body Problem, and recipient of Hugo Award, announced at the 2021 World Artificial Intelligence Conference that he is joining artificial intelligence (AI) start-up SenseTime as the director of the Science Fiction Planet Research Center.

The announcement came as SenseTime partnered with The Three-Body Universe, copyright owner of The Three-Body Problem, to explore the new paradigm of "AI + Science Fiction" as well as create an innovative and immersive offline entertainment experience. 

Liu said via video link at the forum that AI is an accelerator track for those with imagination and can promote the development of science and technology, ultimately leading to the advancement of humanity. 

See the full story here: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202107/1228333.shtml

5 Elements of Building an Effective Virtual Influencer Campaign

Based on my experience with a virtual influencer campaign, there are some important and essential factors brand and marketing leaders need to consider when creating such a campaign.

1. Even though the influencer is a virtual being, they have a personal brand. In a medium where activations have never been more customizable, authenticity is still key.

2. Consider the audience you’re trying to reach. Virtual influencers can produce highly engaging campaigns comparable (and sometimes even surpassing) traditional influencer relationships.

3. Digital influencers can create interest and brand awareness for top-of-funnel campaigns. Use benchmarks from traditional influencer campaigns you’ve run to test the efficacy of your brand.

4. Build a narrative. Whether it’s subtle or in your face, you have the opportunity to tell a story in a unique way (your way) and you should take advantage of that.

5. Keep the limitations in mind. For now, virtual influencers primarily appear on screens, so they naturally don’t have real-world connections beyond user engagement. However, you can develop the virtual world around them.

Virtual influencers have the potential to be a cost-effective alternative to working with IRL influencers, giving brands an opportunity to customize campaigns that leverage top-tier talent that most wouldn’t necessarily have had access to without spending big bucks. Keep these elements in mind when crafting a virtual influencer campaign to ensure you’re hitting on the market nuances.

See the full story here: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture-council/articles/building-virtual-influencer-campaign-1192761/

Enabling a Touchable, Wearable Virtual Reality

Researchers at Northwestern University have devised a way to mimic the sensation of human touch with an epidermal VR device. Featuring an array of tiny, vibrating, programmable components called actuators, the device adheres to a user’s skin like a bandage, using a silicone polymer material. The device can be placed anywhere on the body. The number and placement of devices depends on how the technology is used and for what purpose.

Although the battery-free device currently weighs just a few grams per every 10 square centimeters, Rogers says the platform will get thinner and lighter. Ultimately, users can wear the device like a fully programmable second skin. Once it’s ready for mass manufacturing in a couple of years, the device could be tailored to any size and shape and could also even heat and cool the skin to more closely mimic the sensation of warmth from another person’s fingers. 

See the full story here: https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2021/07/enabling-touchable-wearable-virtual-reality

With Hollywood Production in Overdrive, the Soundstage Is a Hot Commodity

The surge in new movies and TV shows has touched off a scramble for places to film. Empty office space, abandoned malls and even a shuttered Sears store—apparently all the world really is a stage.

See the full story here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/with-hollywood-production-in-overdrive-the-soundstage-is-a-hot-commodity-11625833268