ISPR Presence News

Category Archives: Presence in the News

News stories explicitly or implicitly related to presence from a wide variety of sources

The future of entertaining virtual reality is at gaming arcades

[This essay from TheGamer argues that the entertaining presence experiences provided by virtual reality will be most popular and practical in an updated version of gaming arcades (sadly, a particularly compelling and fun multi-player VR attraction, Dreamscape, just closed its flagship location in Los Angeles after six years). See the original TheGamer story for three more images, and visit the website of the mentioned Two Bit Circus arcade for more information about that venue. –Matthew]

The Future Of Virtual Reality Is Co-operative Experiences

Virtual reality shouldn’t be targeting regular consumers, it should look to revive arcade gaming

By Ben Sledge
March 9, 2024

I don’t use my VR headset that much. I’ve got the original Oculus Quest, back from when it was still called that. It’s the supposedly ‘portable’ version of Meta’s VR device without so many cables. You still need to plug it in to charge if you’re playing for more than a few hours, but it can largely run basic VR games without a more powerful computer or console.… read more. “The future of entertaining virtual reality is at gaming arcades”

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“A little too human-like”: Figure 01 is a multi-tasking conversational robot infused with OpenAI tech

[A new video featuring interactions with the AI-powered robot Figure 01 demonstrates technical advancements likely to new levels of medium-as-social-actor presence. It’s getting lots of attention from the public, press and experts in AI and robotics. Details are in stories below from Mashable and Decrypt; the 2:34 minute video is featured in the original versions of both stories and is available on YouTube. –Matthew]

[Image: Source: Decrypt]

It’s like ChatGPT with a body: Watch creepy demo of OpenAI-powered robot ‘Figure 01’

I prefer my ChatGPT disembodied, thank you very much.

By Kimberly Gedeon
March 14, 2024

A creepy demo of “Figure 01,” a humanoid, conversational robot, has hit the internet — and I can’t believe it’s not a deleted scene from I, Robot.

In the demo, Figure 01, packed with OpenAI-tech, is asked what it can “see.”… read more. ““A little too human-like”: Figure 01 is a multi-tasking conversational robot infused with OpenAI tech”

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VR headsets can be hacked with an Inception-style attack

[The frightening prospect of hackers stealing information and manipulating the presence experiences of virtual reality users without their awareness is described in this story from MIT Technology Review. In the “Twisting Reality” section of the story an expert notes that “There is no way to authenticate what you are seeing once you go into virtual reality, and the immersiveness of the technology makes people trust it more.” –Matthew]

[Image: Art by Dogboy]

VR headsets can be hacked with an Inception-style attack

Researchers managed to crack Meta’s Quest VR system, allowing them to steal sensitive information, and manipulate social interactions.

By Melissa Heikkilä
March 11, 2024

In the Christoper Nolan movie Inception, Leonardo DiCaprio’s character uses technology to enter his targets’ dreams to steal information and insert false details into their subconscious.

A new “inception attack” in virtual reality works in a similar way.… read more. “VR headsets can be hacked with an Inception-style attack”

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AI-generated Marilyn Monroe chatbot can hold an extended conversation with ‘realistic emotions’ and expressions, company claims

[As reported by Variety, Marilyn Monroe is the latest celebrity to be replicated via technology, this time as an interacting, AI-based chatbot said to mimic and engage with users more effectively than previous efforts. Coverage from Decrypt adds these details:

“The idea, Soul Machine explained in a blog post, was fueled by more than nostalgia. Advances in AI tech, the company said, can help honor and reimagine iconic figures in an interactive and engaging way.’From static search to text-based chat to conversational AI, we are witnessing a rapid paradigm shift as we begin to head into conversational chat with multimodal capabilities,’ Soul Machines said in a document shared with Decrypt. …

‘Soul Machines’ vision diverges from current generative AI by prioritizing cognitive modeling, explicitly replicating human brain and body interactions (inspired by neuroscience and cognitive science),’ the company said.… read more. “AI-generated Marilyn Monroe chatbot can hold an extended conversation with ‘realistic emotions’ and expressions, company claims”

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MAGA uses AI to invent pictures of Trump with Black people

[The latest use of generative artificial intelligence to evoke mistaken perceptions about the role of technology in media experiences involves fabricated images of Donald Trump with Black people, as reported in this story from Futurism. For more images and information, see the original version of the story, as well as the mentioned BBC report and broader coverage from AP. –Matthew]

[Image: Source: BBC]

MAGA Uses AI to Invent Pictures of Trump With Black People

“I’m not claiming it’s accurate.”

By Maggie Harrison Dupré
March 4, 2024

MAGA influencers are turning to generative AI to fabricate photos of presidential candidate Donald Trump alongside smiling Black voters, according to a report from the BBC — yet another sign that the threat of AI-driven misinformation to America’s ongoing election cycle is no longer an imminent danger, but one that’s already taking root.… read more. “MAGA uses AI to invent pictures of Trump with Black people”

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Inflection’s Pi AI chatbot aims to provide information and a shoulder to cry on

[An artificially intelligent chatbot called Pi (Personal intelligence) is designed to combine “factual and emotional support,” which seems particularly likely to evoke medium-as-social-actor presence. Some of the details are reported in this story from ZDNet (where the original includes a second image). For more information, see the mentioned May 2023 Inflection blog post; see the links at the end of the story to interact with Pi yourself. –Matthew]

[Image: Credit: Carol Yepes/Getty Images]

Inflection’s Pi AI aims to provide information and a shoulder to cry on

Designed to be empathetic, helpful, and safe, Pi also boasts improved skills in such areas as coding, math, and real-time results via the latest flavor of its large language model.

By Lance Whitney, Contributor
March 7, 2024

You’re likely familiar with ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and even Google Gemini. But how about Pi?… read more. “Inflection’s Pi AI chatbot aims to provide information and a shoulder to cry on”

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L.A. police department survey finds cadets rated VR training ‘excellent,’ want more

[This short story from Police1 reports that Los Angeles Police Department cadets offer overwhelmingly positive assessments of the use of presence-evoking virtual reality in their training. See the V-Armed website for more information about the form and content of the training; the website’s Press page features links to many print and video news reports. –Matthew]

LAPD survey finds cadets rated VR training ‘excellent,’ want more

The V-Armed training has been in use at the department since 2022, and trains cadets in situations surrounding de-escalation, mental health and use of force

By Joanna Putman, Police1
March 7, 2024

LOS ANGELES — The LAPD has announced results from a survey of more than 700 trainees who used its virtual reality training programs, according to a news release from V-Armed.

The results show that 94% of the trainees who completed full- or partial-day virtual reality training in the V-Armed training system at the LAPD Elysian Park Academy marked the training as excellent, leaving 6% who considered it good or average.… read more. “L.A. police department survey finds cadets rated VR training ‘excellent,’ want more”

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Govee adds Dune-themed and other presence-evoking lighting effects to your entertainment center

[The short Gamespot story below describes the latest version of a presence-evoking product that extends the lighting on a television (or other) screen to the viewing environment. A press release from the manufacturer via PR Newswire provides more details, and Yanko Design has a detailed review that features many images and a 30 second video (also on YouTube). Here are a couple key quotes from the review:

“TV backlights were made to help better immerse you in the show or movie you’re watching by making sure that the light behind and around your TV reflects the content that’s on screen.”

“There are two new lighting effects, namely Arrakis and Spice, that will make you feel like you’re actually in that fictional world [of Dune: Part 2]. Even the app itself gets a Dune theme to match. But if you really want to be transported to Arrakis, Govee’s DreamView technology allows you to sync with other Govee lights in the room, bathing you in the warm orange glow of the planet’s environment.… read more. “Govee adds Dune-themed and other presence-evoking lighting effects to your entertainment center”

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Honda combines personal mobility and VR in world’s first extended reality mobility experience to debut at SXSW 2024

[Here’s an interesting idea to enhance entertaining presence experiences. The story is from autoevolution, where it features a 19-image photo gallery and two videos (also available on YouTube here and here). For more information, see the Honda press release via PR Newswire and coverage from Gizmodo and PC Gamer. –Matthew]

Honda Uni-One Coming to SXSW 2024 to Give Americans a First-of-Its-Kind VR Experience

By Daniel Patrascu
February 29, 2024

A little over a year ago the world got to meet something called the Uni-One. Made by Honda, it is not a car, or a motorcycle, but a sort of wheelchair the Japanese carmaker describes as “a hands-free, personal mobility device.”

You could think about the Uni-One as a Segway on steroids, in the sense that it too is self-balancing and moves along thanks to the postural movements of its occupant, but adds to that ability to change the height of riding and, as of now, a seamless interaction with the virtual world.… read more. “Honda combines personal mobility and VR in world’s first extended reality mobility experience to debut at SXSW 2024”

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MIT project provides transcontinental brain surgery training from an avatar

[An impressive and potentially life-saving application of presence-evoking technology is described in this story from MIT News. See the original version for three more images and links to related information. –Matthew]

[Image: Benjamin Warf, the director of neonatal and congenital neurosurgery at Boston Children’s Hospital, uses a virtual reality environment to demonstrate a procedure that he pioneered to treat infant hydrocephalus. As Warf operates his avatar from a distance in real-time, medical residents in Brazil watch, interact, and learn in a 3D environment. Credit: Photo courtesy of the MIT.nano Immersion Lab.]

Brain surgery training from an avatar

MIT.nano Immersion Lab works with AR/VR startup to create transcontinental medical instruction.

By Becky Ham | MIT.nano
February 29, 2024

Benjamin Warf, a renowned neurosurgeon at Boston Children’s Hospital, stands in the MIT.nano Immersion Lab. More than 3,000 miles away, his virtual avatar stands next to Matheus Vasconcelos in Brazil as the resident practices delicate surgery on a doll-like model of a baby’s brain.… read more. “MIT project provides transcontinental brain surgery training from an avatar”

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