Spatial News? #052

This week we're all about the metaverse, AI, Eurovision, and more things you love/hate, plus Spatial News? from Finland!

Welcome to the 52 Pickup of the tech newsletter world- Spatial News?! "Here we go, yo, here we go, yo, So what, so what, so what's the scenario?" - chorus from A Tribe called Quest's "Scenario" from their classic album The Low End Theory

Metaverse, Metaverse, Metaverse:

The Metaverse Version of the Dark Web Could Be Nearly Impenetrable

"The darkverse is a space that will exist within this world [the metaverse] that, like today's Dark Web, will offer a safe space for free speech and expression against oppressive entities and governments. It will equally be a place for illegal and criminal activities with marketplaces that cater to a wide criminal audience.?"

In one of my very first interviews about the #metaverse I mentioned that it will be a "virtual place for people to escape reality plus a place to work, play, and do crime" or something along those lines. It was said tongue in cheek yet everything after the 'plus' part was edited out by the interviewer because it's bad marketing to "associate that word [crime] with my work".

Totally true, but, if and when, a metaverse springs fully formed from Zeus' skullcap everything that I said will also be true. And the 'darkverse' (sheesh) will be the Shadow of the shadow realm.

???"Try, try, try to separate them

It's an illusion

Try, try, try and you will only come

To this conclusion..." ???

Defending the metaverse in the new age of AI

No, Tom Ffiske isn't pulling a Don Quixote defending Dulcinea, the Don's unseen lady love.

"The fundamentals of the spatial internet remain strong, though with large technical challenges that companies are addressing behind closed R&D doors. I expect AI to be integrated into web-based metaverse platforms to help support the creation of worlds, and for that to help spread its development further."?

????

Ay, Ay, Ai

• Geoffrey Hinton, "the Godfather of AI" (or, how I like to call him, the "Godfather of Soulless"), resigned from Google saying "Right now, [#AI chatbots are] not more intelligent than us, as far as I can tell. But I think they soon may be[...] I'm 75, so it's time to retire [before the scat hits the fan]". Well played, sir.
• AI models are here. Can they actually improve fashion representation? As Jade McSorley FRSA , who shared the article rightfully pointed out, what's been lacking in discussion about the topic is the "perspective [of the consumers and models that this affects] instead of just the brands and companies benefitting from this technology." Right on. Besides that though, the question in the title doesn't make sense. Wouldn't artificial beings simulating humans models only represent artificial beings simulating humans models, or did I miss something?
• ChatGPT, AI Technology Is Silicon Valley's Hail Mary to Avoid Collapse "Silicon Valley is hoping and praying that AI hype can keep customers and investors distracted until their balance sheets can bounce back. Sure, rushing out an unproven new technology to distract from the problems of the tech industry and global economy may be a bit ill-advised. But, hey..." Is this the 'scat hitting the fan'? (Thanks to Dr. Jeffrey Funk for sharing.)
• Scientists Use GPT AI and fMRI to Passively Read People's Thoughts in Breakthrough (except that Meta already did it; I wrote about it in SN038) It always brings a tear to my eye when people make St. George of the Clan of Orwell seem more and more like a prophet.

In this emerging age of?AI, our identity needs protecting

"You shouldn't have to register your voice or your face [they aren't your inventions, after all, but] people should have the right to have commercial control over how their likeness or voice is used in kind of the same way that patents allow inventors to block the use of their invention.

If our existing legal apparatus doesn't protect who we are, perhaps it's time for a new legal construct."

Or is this the scat hitting the fan?

(I tried to capture Keir Finlow-Bates' argument in his own words as succinctly as possible. Look, ma, no #GPT4.)

At least the best of (actors and models) will have these opportunities.

Simon Portman , is this something that the folks at Marks & Clerk are looking into?

Upcoming Event Alert!

Xpand Your Reality 2 conference is coming up soon!

The conference will bring together companies, educational institutions, XR experts, technology experts, and pioneers utilizing #emergingtechnologies from Central Finland.

The event will be in Finnish and is organized in cooperation with?JAMK University of Applied Sciences?and?#Spatial8?by the #Xpand: Augmented Reality Competence Development project, funded by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Central Finland from the European Social Fund (ESF).

Put March 16th on your calendar and get ready for one of the most impressive live events of the Finnish spring!

<Your Spatial Ad Here>

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But that's not all! The team at SynergyXR will also share tips and tricks on overcoming implementation challenges based on their previous experiences, and show you how VR training can enhance learning and engagement.

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Visit Gleechi's website for more information.

Sponsored by? Gleechi Technology

Spatial News? 52 isn't done! Head to?Spatial8's blog to read the rest.

Thanks for joining us again this week, Spatialists! And thanks to all the folks who created and shared great content that I could riff off of.

Now, head to our website.

Joh?of?Spatial8, who actually likes when 'scenario' is pronounced 'skenario' by Finns and Spaniards but would never be caught dead saying it that way

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