People feel more connected to ‘tweezer-like’ bionic tools that don’t resemble human hands

Summary: Some say the next step in human evolution will be the integration of technology with flesh. Now, researchers have used virtual reality to test whether humans can feel embodiment -- the sense that something is part of one's body -- toward prosthetic 'hands' that resemble a pair of tweezers. They report that participants felt an equal degree of embodiment for the tweezer-hands and were also faster and more accurate in completing motor tasks in virtual reality than when they were equipped with a virtual human hand. ...

See the full story here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/06/240606152145.htm

Big Tech Launches Campaign to Defend AI Use

Chamber of Progress, a tech industry coalition whose members include Amazon, Apple and Meta, is launching a campaign to defend the legality of using copyrighted works to train artificial intelligence systems.

The group says the campaign, called “Generate and Create” and unveiled on Thursday, will aim to highlight “how artists use generative AI to enhance their creative output” and “showcase how AI lowers barriers for producing art” as part of an initiative to “defend the longstanding legal principle of fair use under copyright law.” ...

See the full story here: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/big-tech-lobby-ai-use-1235916540/

Doing Stuff with AI: Opinionated Midyear Edition

Every six months or so, I write a guide to doing stuff with AI. A lot has changed since the last guide, while a few important things have stayed the same. It is time for an update. This is usually a serious endeavor, but, heeding the advice of Allie Miller, I wanted to start with a different entry point into AI: fun.

Experiencing AI through play

I have given talks to thousands of people about AI, and there are lots of things that I can demo that tend to amaze or worry folks, but there is one thing that never fails to delight: making a song.

So, before you do anything else, go to Suno (which you can also access via Microsoft Copilot) or Udio and make a song. Even if you have done it before, the updated models are so much better, that you should try again. Here, for example, is the modern jazz pop rendition of the abstract to Attention is All You Need, the paper that kicked off Large Language Models. It’s surprisingly catchy. Seriously give it 25 seconds, I have been singing the chorus to myself all day. ...

But if you want another playful audio way to experience the same paper, take a listen to the first entry in Google’s Illuminate demo, which turns papers into NPR-style radio interviews. It is worth a few moments of your time to play one to see how realistic it sounds - the little breaths, pauses, and interactions between the virtual hosts all sell the idea. ...

I know this may not seem particularly profound, but “always invite AI to the table” is the principle in my book that people tell me had the biggest impact on them. ...

If you really want to do research, however, a specialized AI model, Perplexity, may be a better choice, as it has a great interface and specialized tools that are optimized for research. ...

Sees video: As the immediate memory, or context window, of AIs grow, they can start to work directly with videos, keeping an entire video in memory at once. Gemini has a startlingly large context window, and I can give it a 30 minute video of a museum walkthrough and ask it to tell me what happens when, and which moments might appeal to kids. A complex task for humans takes less than a minute for AI and suggests why working with video is something that will have large implications. ...

Read the full story here: https://www.oneusefulthing.org/p/doing-stuff-with-ai-opinionated-midyear

Megan Thee Stallion announces virtual reality concert tour

Megan Thee Stallion just shared some exciting news with her fans.

The “Hot Girl Summer” singer announced Monday that her "Enter Thee Hottieverse" virtual reality concert tour will take place in 10 cities between April and July.

Fans will be able to go to their local movie theater and enjoy the VR concert performance featuring a variety of environments and custom wardrobes. The virtual tour begins April 5-10 in Los Angeles, followed by stops in San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., and New York City. ...

"A VR Concert by AmazeVR opens up the possibilities for fans to encounter artists in a completely new way, while knocking down all the barriers to entry that have made it hard to access the amazing experiences VR can provide." ...

See the full story here: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/megan-thee-stallion-announces-virtual-reality-concert-tour-83177540

Web3 Cybersecurity Company GoPlus Raises $10M to Build Permissionless Security Layer

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GoPlus is building a permissionless, modular Web 3 security layer, designed to be integrated with any blockchain network, to help architects enhance user safety and protection from cyber threats.

To supplement the growth of its security layer, GoPlus also plans to introduce a token, which will be used primarily for gas fees and act as an incentive for developers to engage with GoPlus services. ...

See the full short story here: https://www.coindesk.com/business/2024/06/05/web-3-cybersecurity-company-goplus-raises-10m-to-build-permissionless-security-layer/

AI employees warn of technology’s dangers, call for sweeping company 

... The letter, signed by 13 people including current and former employees at Anthropic and Google’s DeepMind, said AI can exacerbate inequality, increase misinformation, and allow AI systems to become autonomous and cause significant death. Though these risks could be mitigated, corporations in control of the software have “strong financial incentives” to limit oversight, they said.

Because AI is only loosely regulated, accountability rests on company insiders, the employees wrote, calling on corporations to lift nondisclosure agreements and give workers protections that allow them to anonymously raise concerns.

The move comes as OpenAI faces a staff exodus. Many critics have seen prominent departures — including of OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever and senior researcher Jan Leike — as a rebuke of company leaders, who some employees argue chase profit at the expense of making OpenAI’s technologies safer. ...

“They and others have bought into the ‘move fast and break things’ approach, and that is the opposite of what is needed for technology this powerful and this poorly understood,” Kokotajlo said. ...

See the full story here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/06/04/openai-employees-ai-whistleblowers/

NOTCOIN vs. UXLINK: A Comparative Study on Mass Adoption Strategies in Web3

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Primarily, there are three key layers within the Web3 framework where the application of ML can offer insightful value:

Intelligent Decentralized Applications (dApps): Decentralized applications, also known as dApps, are expected to be among the most popular Web3 solutions for rapidly integrating features driven by Machine Learning. This trend is already visible in the area of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and is only set to grow further. The next generation of NFTs is expected to progress from static images to artifacts with intelligent behavior. These NFTs might be capable of adapting their behavior according to the mood or preferences of their owners. This is a clear indication of how AI can enhance the user experience in the realm of Web3.

Intelligent Blockchains: The current generation of blockchain platforms primarily focuses on key distributed computing components. These components are designed specifically to facilitate the decentralized processing of financial transactions. However, the future is set to witness the emergence of a new generation of blockchains. These advanced platforms will not merely rely on traditional components but will incorporate the capabilities driven by Machine Learning. For example, in this innovative setup, a blockchain runtime might utilize ML to predict transactions. These predictions, in turn, can be used to create consensus protocols with a scalable design. The application of AI can significantly enhance the security aspects of the blockchain. It can mine data swiftly and predict behavior effectively, thereby detecting fraudulent activities and stopping potential attacks at the earliest.

Intelligent Protocols: Apart from intelligent blockchains, the Web3 stack can incorporate Machine Learning capabilities through the use of smart contracts and protocols. The decentralized finance (DeFi) sector exemplifies this trend with great potential. As we progress into the future, we can expect to see computerized market makers or lending protocols that boast of more intelligent logic based on ML models. For instance, consider a lending protocol that uses an intelligent score for balancing loans originating from different types of wallets. This is just one of the many ways ML can revolutionize the operations of the Web3 stack. ...

See the full article here: https://news.bitcoin.com/notcoin-vs-uxlink-a-comparative-study-on-mass-adoption-strategies-in-web3/

AI steals the limelight at international cartoon and animation festival

... Fifty industrial giants and professional organizations, including Pixar Animation Studio, Asia Content & Entertainment Fair in Gwangju, and The Russian Animated Film Association, attended the extravaganza.

Artificial intelligence was a highlight of the festival. As a leader in digital technology, Hangzhou showcased its innovative integration of animation and AI. Visitors got to see the new results of AI-generated animation produced by domestic giants like Alibaba, NetEase and Bilibili.

To cash in on the AI trend, a digital entertainment game and art space made its debut at this year's CICAF. Visitors experienced immersive virtual reality through interactive installations and devices, such as robotic dog training, AI-generated paintings and augmented reality adventures. ...

With the rise of guofeng – a movement that celebrates Chinese designers' focus on their culture and responsiveness to the changing market, cosplayers showcased performances from popular domestic IPs, including "The Magic Blade," "Ultimate 3," "Dream of Three Ancient Kingdoms 2," and the "Qian Nu You Hun" mobile game. They competed for the opportunity to secure financial support. ...

See the full story here: https://www.shine.cn/feature/art-culture/2406037406/

Marvel’s first immersive story for the Apple Vision Pro is the most fun I’ve had on the device

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But I was very intrigued when Marvel announced What If…? – An Immersive Story– partly because it’s a show that instantly evokes mystery, but also because it promises to tap into the full potential of the Vision Pro. Spatial Audio, check. Eye tracking, check. Hand tracking, check. 

For the last few days, I’ve jumped into the What If...? Universe, complete with the Marvel Studios opening credits flying around me. That was quite the start. From there, I hit start, and I’m greeted by The Watcher, a being who appears larger than life in my living room and quickly gives me the lowdown. ...

As you progress through the chapters and the full experience, which lasts about an hour, you’ll quickly learn that What If…? An Immersive Story feels like a crossover between a movie and a game. You’re presented with a scenario, maybe a villain plotting to steal something, and then the screen will flip, and you’ll be pulled into that universe. ...

For instance, I was in my living room with The Watcher and Sorcerer Supreme Wong before a portal opened, and it switched from augmented reality to virtual reality. I quickly had to work on learning the mystic arts in this location. Here, I got my first taste of the gestures. I was curious how this experience would onboard for gestures, and the trick is a template that appears, and you place your hands, mimicking them. ...

For now, Marvel Studios x Disney Plus x ILM Immersive, What If…? – An Immersive Story, feels like the tip of the iceberg. It’s a free experience that everyone with a Vision Pro should at least give a go; it’s not super long – which also may be by design for comfort and battery life – but it does feel like a compelling experience. ...

See the full story here: https://www.techradar.com/computing/virtual-reality-augmented-reality/marvels-first-immersive-story-for-the-apple-vision-pro-is-the-most-fun-ive-had-on-the-device

AI headphones let wearer listen to a single person in a crowd, by looking at them just once

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A University of Washington team has developed an artificial intelligence system that lets a user wearing headphones look at a person speaking for three to five seconds to “enroll” them. The system, called “Target Speech Hearing,” then cancels all other sounds in the environment and plays just the enrolled speaker’s voice in real time even as the listener moves around in noisy places and no longer faces the speaker.

The team presented its findings May 14 in Honolulu at the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. The code for the proof-of-concept device is available for others to build on. The system is not commercially available. ...

To use the system, a person wearing off-the-shelf headphones fitted with microphones taps a button while directing their head at someone talking. The sound waves from that speaker’s voice then should reach the microphones on both sides of the headset simultaneously; there’s a 16-degree margin of error. The headphones send that signal to an on-board embedded computer, where the team’s machine learning software learns the desired speaker’s vocal patterns. The system latches onto that speaker’s voice and continues to play it back to the listener, even as the pair moves around. The system’s ability to focus on the enrolled voice improves as the speaker keeps talking, giving the system more training data. ...

This work builds on the team’s previous “semantic hearing” research, which allowed users to select specific sound classes — such as birds or voices — that they wanted to hear and canceled other sounds in the environment. ...

See the full story here: https://www.washington.edu/news/2024/05/23/ai-headphones-noise-cancelling-target-speech-hearing