[In this depressing story about the perils of presence, MIT Technology Review reports on the latest developments in the evolution of pornographic deepfake technology. –Matthew] [Image: Animated gif by Pedro Nekoi] A horrifying new AI app swaps women into porn videos with a click Deepfake researchers have long feared the day this would arrive. By Karen Hao September 13, 2021 The website is eye-catching for its simplicity. Against a white backdrop, a giant blue button invites visitors to upload a picture of a face. Below the button, four AI-generated faces allow you to test the service. Above it, the tag…

[The Detroit Bureau reports on the recent demonstration of Mercedes-Benz’ AVTR concept car that features technology designed to evoke multiple forms of presence. See the company’s press release and vehicle profile web page for more information, images and videos. –Matthew] [Image: Source: PC Magazine] Powered by Thought; Mercedes Reveals Update of Vision AVTR Concept Show car explores the use of brain-computer interface applications in cars. By Paul A. Eisenstein, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief September 07, 2021 When the first navigation systems came to market, motorists had to manually type in a destination. Now, they simply have to speak and, in most…

[A new virtual reality experience tells the story of Genelle Guzman-McMillan, who survived 27 hours trapped under the rubble of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001; in this interview from the Oculus Blog the creators describe how they used the technology to create both spatial and social presence, what they’ve learned about storytelling with VR, and how the medium is uniquely suited to preserving historical events. The original blog post includes four more images and a trailer (also available via YouTube). For more about the survivor stories of Ms. Guzman-McMillan and others, see “In the shadow of the…

[In this interview from the Columbia University Climate School, educator and StudioTEKA design firm principal Vanessa Keith describes her vision for the use of virtual reality and presence to help bring awareness and innovative solutions to the serious challenges of climate change. See the original story for two more pictures. –Matthew] [Image: An image of an NYC alley at night from the virtual reality world “2100.” Credit: StudioTEKA] Can Virtual Reality Save the Planet? By Kristen French August 18, 2021 On Aug. 9, the U.N. released a dire climate report, the first since 2018, that warned of accelerated warming of…

[This Reuters story describes a new effort to reduce concussions from playing soccer by training in virtual reality. See the original story for a 2:03 minute video and four more images, and for a first-person review of the previous version of the VR software see Engadget. –Matthew] [Image: Journalist Pete Hall checks the virtual reality headset “Player 22” by Rezzil, used by pro footballers to combat the risks of concussion from heading, in Manchester, Britain, August 24, 2021. Credit: Reuters/Peter Powell] How virtual reality could help reduce brain injuries By Peter Hall September 1, 2021 MANCHESTER, England, Aug 27 (Reuters)…

[In the Forbes story below Bernard Marr considers the implications of the recent announcement that the group ABBA is reuniting after 40 years for a new album and a concert series in which the members’ recorded de-aged digital avatars will perform with a live band. For more about the concert see coverage in VRScout and a segment (beginning at 23:15) in the official announcement video on YouTube, and for more about ABBA and the album and concert see The Independent. –Matthew] [Image: Source: VRScout] ABBA’s Virtual Concert, The Metaverse And The Future Of Entertainment By Bernard Marr September 6, 2021…