[Press coverage of a video demonstration of Meta’s latest avatar technology seems to be universally positive. In the video, podcaster and MIT researcher Lex Fridman interviews Mark Zuckerberg using the technology, as reported in the story below from Futurism. Fridman introduces the hour-long video in a post to his 3 million X (Twitter) followers this way:

“This was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. It really felt like we were talking in-person, but we were miles apart. It’s hard to put into words how awesome this was for someone like me who values the intimacy of in-person conversation. It gave me a glimpse of an exciting future with many new possibilities and fascinating questions about the nature of reality and human connection.”

BGR adds these observations:

“The reaction from Fridman [during the interview] was evident. The host was quite overwhelmed with how realistic the experience felt.… read more. “Meta’s improved lifelike avatars demo: “It just feels like we’re in the same room””

[A post on the blog of digital product studio Ustwo describes how exploring perceptions of AI characters in popular culture portrayals can help designers make better decisions about the presence-evoking products they create for users. See the original post for a second image. –Matthew]

We can’t erase our pop culture perceptions of AI – let’s build on them

Sci-fi AI characters can help us design better

Alice Piterova, Product Principal
September 24, 2023

When I worked in the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on AI, many of the experts who presented around AI’s potential impact shared a common concern: that because of people’s impressions of AI from movies like the Terminator franchise, they often associate AI with killer robots, not useful computer programmes that can help tackle global problems.

One frequent suggestion was to avoid using Terminator-like humanoid depictions of AI in the media.… read more. “How understanding perceptions of sci-fi AI characters can help us design better”

[The use of teleoperation in police work has been considered before (e.g., see the 2019 ISPR Presence News post “A telepresence robot for police traffic stops” and the 2016 post “The legal and ethical ramifications of letting police kill suspects with robots”), but this essay from Police1 examines the potential benefits and challenges of using holographic police officers to keep both the public and police officers safe. See the original version for a video of the Portl platform. –Matthew]

Could holographic officers improve safety and enhance trust?

The technology could transform interactions with the public and improve responses to dangerous situations

By Commander Jason Grossini, the North County Operations Division Commander for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office in California. He has more than 24 years of experience with the sheriff’s office.
September 2, 2023

Editor’s Note: This article is based on research conducted as a part of the CA POST Command College.… read more. “Could holographic police officers improve safety and enhance trust?”

[Survivors of torture in an infamous Venezuelan prison are using virtual reality and the presence it evokes to bring awareness and empathy regarding the abuse to politicians and the public, and hopefully bring about political action to stop it, as reported in this story from The Washington Post. See the original story for more photos, a 1:27 video, and links to related coverage including a March 2023 story about Venezuela’s use of deepfakes to report false positive news stories. –Matthew]

[Image: A person standing near Times Square wears a VR headset screening an immersive experience of the conditions at El Helicoide, a government detention center for political prisoners in Venezuela, on Tuesday (September 19, 2023) in New York. Credit: Stefan Jeremiah/AP)]

VR transports users to notorious Venezuelan prison: ‘The world needs to know’

The simulation re-creates experiences former prisoners say they faced in El Helicoide

By María Luisa Paúl
September 22, 2023

On Tuesday evening, the hustle and bustle in Times Square was the same as any other day: hectic crowds making their way across streets below towering skyscrapers, with a kaleidoscopic display of billboards shining over them.… read more. “VR transports users to notorious Venezuelan prison: ‘The world needs to know’”

[The NBC Bay Area television station covered the interesting story of teacher, artist, collector and presence illusion creator Joshua Ellingson; see the original story for the station’s 3:02 minute video report, and for much more information and many videos visit Ellingson’s website. –Matthew]

[Image: A Pepper’s Ghost illusion of a goldfish swims beneath a plastic globe in the apartment of San Francisco artist Joshua Ellingson.]

San Francisco artist finds popularity with old-time illusions

By Joe Rosato Jr.
August 28, 2023

Inside his 600-square-foot San Francisco apartment, Joshua Ellingson was outnumbered about 20 to one by vintage television sets, a collection he began amassing during the pandemic.

And yet as strange as that sounds, the stacks of old TVs — as well as the collection of vintage bowling trophies — were not the most stunning visuals in the room. That honor was achieved by the large ghostly goldfish, which appeared to swim on a current of air beneath a plastic dome.… read more. “San Francisco artist finds popularity with old-time illusions”