AR/VR & The Metaverse

This article explores the potential impact machine coworkers like robots, low-code tools and plug-and-play automation systems are just beginning to have on jobs.

The EU is participating in an international data ethics process as it proposes new bills that would "allow consumers to sue companies for damages—if they can prove that a company’s AI harmed them." This could cause a stifling impact on innovation—but it also could be a major tool to prevent algorithmic bias and other downsides of poor AI.

When self-driving cars cause harm, who is responsible? This problem exploration looks into the ethics, data and complexity of manufacturing AI.

Uploading one's mind to a computer, also known as whole brain emulation or brain uploading, is a theoretical concept in transhumanism and futurism that proposes to transfer the entirety of a person's consciousness, memories, and personality into a digital substrate, such as a computer or a robotic body. What could go right? What could go wrong? Kurzgesagt's thinkers and animators help us conceive of what some see as nirvana and others see as insanity.

In their prescient TED talk "We Are All Cyborgs Now," Amber Case, a cyborg anthropologist, argues that integration of technology into our daily lives has made us all cyborgs. She defines a cyborg as an organic being that uses technology to extend its physical and mental capabilities, and believes that our smartphones, computers, and other devices have become integral parts of our identity.

As AI becomes integrated into society, there is growing concern about how these technologies may affect individual and human privacy, human rights, and societal values. But what about the rights of the machines? This rich visual journey explores various facets of the idea.

Nanotechnology is often heralded as the answer to scarcity. Nanotech could mean abundant food, shelter, water, and the like. Diamond Age explores how old mental models of hierarchy and scarcity could still shape a world of abundant resources like AI and nanotech—and how tech could be appropriated by the poor to turn the tables.

In A.I., we see what might happen if humanoid robots (androids) were to encounter a lost child in need of help. What would their initial programming guide them to do—and how might they evolve in response to the very human experiences they are all having?

What if your Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa became sentient—and became your friend? What if you fell in love with them—and they with you? If they had the ability to become exponentially intelligent, and you didn't, what might happen? This film explores what happens when an everyday person and an AI develop feelings for each other.

What if you were already a cyborg - a combination of human and machine? The Cyborg Manifesto explores the interlocking relationships between technology, power, and culture and is considered a fundamental text in futurist literature. (Note: dense academic text).

What would it mean if we could project a simulacrum of our dead loved ones? A new tech field is emerging, with major implications for how we process grief, retain generational knowledge, and ethically navigate our concept of those who have passed.

Technology shapes, and is shaped by us. Developing ethical frameworks for the use and development of technologies is critical in establishing futures that are equitable, and kind, and thwart fascism.

Before you begin a journey to "unlearn racism" you must first learn about it's history and development as a concept and a tool of political oppression. This article explores these histories while also examining the mindsets and motivations why individuals and groups would take on this task.

Want to go to the river, but unsure if you'll be swarmed by a cloud of mosquitos? Fear not, friend—data scientists and the bug repellant brand Off have come together to provide a tool that predicts mosquito populations via machine algorithm and live weather data.

AR/VR technology can transform the practice of surgery and medical care. Fraunhofer's suite of software serve as machine coworkers to provide data-backed decision support about the best strategies for surgical interventions and risk reduction.

Is it the new Marvel movie with heroic doctors? No, it's real-world AR/VR technology giving surgeons superpowers.

Getting your lab tests done shouldn't be painful or frustrating. AccuVein is an augmented reality tool that uses near-infrared technology to help practitioners find a vein with ease.

Figs captured the attention of the healthcare industry by offering scrubs as a lifestyle brand with more in common with fashion than with stiff and scratchy uniforms. Figs see the value in self-expression and empower their customers to be "Awesome Humans" who take pride in their profession and appearance.

A new device, the "iLet," is a diabetes-focused implant that uses sensors and algorithms to compute the exact amount of insulin to release into the bloodstream—removing the burdensome (and sometimes impossible) task of requiring patients to compute the carbohydrate content of their meals.

Woebot Health has created an AI chatbot that applies a combination of clinically tested psychological techniques alongside AI and NLP technologies—aiming to challenge users' thinking and assist them in shifting their mindsets for the better.

Precision medicine and genome sequencing have massive potential to revolutionize health and medicine—but are only as good as our data capabilities. This slightly older article is still relevant—It articulates the complexity and importance of managing data in medical innovation.

What if you went for a surgical consultation and learned your surgeon was, at least in part, a highly skilled robot? Da Vinci Surgical Systems is providing the technology to revolutionize the operating room by pairing humans and machines.

The impact of bias in AI systems is significant. Source data can have sample bias, such as under-representing people of color. When AI-derived strategies are based on datasets with these embedded biases, they then reinforce the biases present in the original sample. Chris Hemphill, a healthcare AI expert, explains how to make more equitable health strategies.

To help small business owners see the ways they can incorporate AI into their processes, Small Business Computing asked experts and business leaders for suggestions. From automating billing tasks to curating optimal user experiences, this is a great collection of use cases that could spark some new thinking for you about how to leverage digital coworkers.

Machine Coworkers are a concept that goes beyond robotics and industrial applications. Bots or 'software robots', also known as 'digital workers' can be built to "Think>Act>Analyze" in many job roles. These machine coworkers work alongside human employees to augment business processes.

When we think about AI and business, we tend to think of automated production lines and robots taking jobs away from humans. However, if we shift our thinking and consider how we can redesign business processes to work with machines, the future gets much more exciting. Collaboration, not competition, is key.

When considering the concept of Machine Coworkers one of the first topics that comes up is AI (Artificial Intelligence) and its impact, both current and potential, on our global economic workforce and social cultures. This whitepaper dives into the history of AI and example use cases by specific industry. It's a deep dive, but worth a scan to get a full sense of how many ways AI is already working in all kinds of contexts.

To see opportunities for machine coworkers, it's important to have some understanding of excellent and not-good use cases for Machine Coworkers based on where tech is at now. This requires understanding how machines think and what they can and cannot do on their own. This diagram is a cool resource or cheat sheet to assist in deciding if this is a job a machine could do. For a deeper dive, click through to their PDF report for a more thorough understanding of roles and future use cases of AI.

Explore use cases for quantum spanning from electronic vehicles to complex energy challenges, along with explainers of key quantum concepts.

This white paper by Accenture details their perspective on the future of quantum computing with compare and contrasts to analog computing, foresight into business use cases and steps you can take to apply this to your business.

Want to get nerdy and experiment with quantum circuits? IBM built an interactive tool for you to experiment with—all you need is a browser.

Our virtual experience impacts our physical well-being. Online harassment has real-world consequences. Read this article to see how the personal space boundary was developed to curb the virtual harassment of avatars—our virtual extensions of self.

Microsoft Azure provides a simple and direct set of definitions, explanations and examples of quantum computing.

Learn about quantum computing as it's explained to a child, a teen, an undergrad, a graduate student, and an expert to see the concept at various levels of complexity and gain language to communicate it to others.

Acura is the first automaker to open a digital showroom in the metaverse. This digital showroom offers a look at the company's newest model coupled with a limited edition NFT and digital clothing line by artist Andreas Wannerstedt. Acura is differentiating itself from other competitors by meeting customers in virtual worlds.

Horizon Worlds is a virtual world powered by Meta's Oculus technology. Meta is the rebranded name for the Facebook corporation, and their rebrand emphasizes the mainstream importance of metaverses. Given Meta's considerable financial resources and popularity, as well as VR hardware technology, Horizon Worlds will likely be a prominent metaverse over the next few years.

The Sandbox is a metaverse that was initially a mobile phone game and has pivoted to become a decentralized immersive 3D world-builder. It has over two million users. To join in, you will need a cryptocurrency wallet that enables you to buy and sell NFTs on its marketplace, backed by the Ethereum blockchain. A unique aspect of The Sandbox is the ability to buy, sell and rent out virtual land, sometimes for a profit.

Decentraland is a metaverse where users have the agency to develop and profit from their content. It was the first metaverse to be backed by the Ethereum cryptocurrency. Its blockchain-based software allows users to purchase and own virtual land as a recorded digital asset.

Virtual worlds lack physical boundaries and are by nature immersive and deeply expansive. Currently, the most coveted metric for any online experience is user engagement. The metaverse can host millions of users simultaneously, revolutionizing event production. Pop star Ariana Grande's massively attended and immersive online concert shows us the potential for future music and entertainment platform events.

In an open and immersive virtual world, data, currencies, and transactions are core aspects of a digitally native experience. Use this article to get to know how these ideas are entangled with the economic fabric of virtual reality.

Roblox is a gaming platform that has several virtual worlds contained within it. Wildly popular first among young people, Roblox has an active user base exceeding 150 million. What sets this platform apart from its competitors is its concern for the safety of its (often young) user base while connecting them in real-time. Their success proves a critical aspect of a developing metaverse is real-time interaction with engaging activities in a welcoming environment.

Ikea shortens the gap between designing your space and purchasing their products by developing an AR app that helps you improve your furniture buying experience.

Virtual reality and the technologies that power it are not only changing the way we think about work but also how and where we work together. This technology opens up opportunities for business and innovation on a global scale.

MetaverseDAO is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) that creates value through "yield-farming" across different networks. This site is not a metaverse but a financial organization that uses its profits to build VR/AR gaming. Using blockchain technology, the user's who have invested in this process collectively vote and authorize projects.

New technologies can have overlapping capabilities while taking up the same conceptual space. Use this article to understand the basics of VR, AR, MR, and XR and how they relate to each other.

There is a profound opportunity to develop AR/VR technology that uplifts marginalized and disabled communities. Read this post as it is a powerful primer on future action and innovation toward an accessible and equitable Metaverse.

Use this article to familiarize yourself with the basic concepts of the Metaverse. It contains an interesting take on how VR headsets will need to become a lot more user-friendly before GenZ mass adopts the hardware.

Curious about the market potential for VR and AR? Introduce yourself to three reasons why VR and AR might be considered "slow to take off".

Learn why some of the biggest banks are investing in quantum computing and how simulations are used to forecast market effects. Could the race to this new faster technology redefine the banking industry?

This fun-to-watch introduction to quantum computing introduces fundamentals such as the definition of a qubit, quantum entanglement, and some potential use cases for this type of computing.

People bring behaviors like creativity, joy and care into the metaverse. They also bring bad ones, like harassment and abuse. The metaverse as an idea requires moderating not just content but attending to behavior. Some moments of harassment lead to innovation of features like a personal boundary function around an avatar. Also there is a lot of opportunity for skillful upgrades of AI and content moderation—especially in 'context-aware' recognition of potential harms.

Online video games are a rallying point for entertainment and world-building. The need to play, explore and create is a shared value between games and metaverses because gaming is often an entry point into new ideas and technology. The metaverse takes the world-building of gaming a step further and releases us from any single programmed narrative, and allows the user to explore and define their own experience.

Several issues are important to solve in the creation of metaverses, such as hyper-reality that causes VR sickness and privacy. Users are willing to engage in an exchange of data as long as they have agency over it. If technology starts to catalog thought through Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) or biometric data larger ethical issues can arise.

Take a deep dive into the definitions of the metaverse and their financial and market implications with this white paper written by Citibank.

If you still don't quite get what the Metaverse is, this article will help you with some basic definitions, relationships, and applications.

The term 'metaverse' isn't a single place. It is a collection of technologies that produce virtual worlds where users interact with broad (and often speculative) shifts in perspective, use, and engagement with technology.

APIs are becoming very popular, and many companies are experiencing API-related cybersecurity incidents. Techradar breaks down the facts about API security risks and links them to a report that can help enterprises make informed decisions about their data.

By meeting in virtual space teams create a space for relationships to grow regardless of physical proximity. Oculus by Meta looks to promote an immersive and global remote working culture using VR technology.

A quick read focusing on how brand management teams can access the marketing and community potential of the metaverse. Becoming an early adopter in this new digital landscape sets brands apart from their competitors.

This whitepaper from ONYX by J.P Morgan promotes a "buy-in early" mentality alongside a valuation of the metaverse being a $1 trillion market opportunity.

A patch of virtual real-estate in the metaverse Decentraland sold for the equivalent of 2.4 million USD using MANA (Decentraland's unique cryptocurrency). These digital "land grabs" show a building interest and act as a legitimizing signal for innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital business.

A CNBC video reporting on the speculative value of virtual real-estate while also explaining some fundamentals of the potential metaverse.