NEWS
► OpenAI admits it's impossible to train generative AI without copyrighted materials. OpenAI and Microsoft are facing several lawsuits accusing them of using other people's copyrighted works without permission in order to train large language models (LLMs). And based on what OpenAI told the House of Lords Communications and Digital Select Committee, we might see more lawsuits against the companies in the future. It would be "impossible to train today's leading AI models without using copyrighted materials," OpenAI wrote in its written evidence (PDF) submission for the committee's inquiry into LLMs.
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Vive XR Elite gets face-tracking add-on with eye & mouth sensing. HTC announced the launch of a new Full-Face Tracker accessory for Vive XR Elite. The device attaches to headset to capture eye and mouth movements which developers can use for a variety of purposes. HTC says the Face-tracking add-on for Vive XR Elite is available starting January 9, priced at $200. The device attaches magnetically to the XR Elite and connects via USB-C. It adds two cameras for eye-tracking and one camera for mouth-tracking.
► OpenAI’s custom GPT store is now open for business. OpenAI’s GPT Store, where users can share their custom chatbots, finally launched on January 10 after a month-long delay. The store brings more potential use cases to ChatGPT and expands OpenAI’s ecosystem beyond what the company builds for customers. The platform lets people who’ve created their own chatbots publicly share their versions of ChatGPT. Since announcing the GPT Builder program in November, OpenAI said more than 3 million bots — called GPTs — have been created by users. The GPT Store will roll out to users of ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise users, along with subscribers to a new tier called Team.
► Apple will host in-store Vision Pro demos on release weekend. Apple quietly announced plans to host in-store demos at the launch of Vision Pro, but it isn’t clear how long they will continue. Alongside its announcement of the forthcoming pre-orders and release of Vision Pro, Apple noted in a marketing email that it plans to host demos in US stores so customers can try Vision Pro themselves.
► Virtual- and augmented-reality training contract signed between U.S. Space Force and Microsoft. The U.S. Space Force signed a deal with Microsoft worth $19.8 million under which the tech giant will develop a virtual and mixed-reality training environment for Space Force personnel. According to reporting from Microsoft, the one-year contract calls for the company to continue work on an augmented-reality space (AR) simulation tool — called the Integrated, Immersive, Intelligent Environment (I3E) — that Microsoft started developing last year for the Space Systems Command in Los Angeles. The system uses Microsoft’s HoloLens headsets, Azure cloud platform, and a mesh framework for sharing AR experiences, which will enable users to see and manipulate interactive models of space with accurately scaled orbital objects.
► Soundscape's VR music platform. Artists including Deadmau5, Slash and Evanescence have partnered with Soundscape to create immersive VR concert experiences built in Unreal Engine 5. Designed to simulate an "interactive audiovisual environment", Soundscape creates a virtual music festival within the metaverse where users can explore, interact and experience VR performances using a personalised avatar.
PERSPECTIVE
► A sneak peek at the most anticipated VR headsets for 2024. VR headsets, AR headsets, and all things mixed reality: what new hardware can you look forward to this year?
► The Global Project To Make A General Robotic Brain. In 2023, the labs at Google and the University of California, Berkeley came together with 32 other robotics laboratories in North America, Europe, and Asia to undertake the RT-X project, with the goal of assembling data, resources, and code to make general-purpose robots a reality.
► Is Hand-tracking the Future of VR? The debate began when Devin Reimer published an editorial on UploadVR predicting a major shift in the VR industry towards hand-tracking. Reimer predicts that hand tracking will become the standard input, and that studios that continue to develop for VR controllers will need to plan accordingly.
► What to Expect From AI in 2024. AI’s rapid technological advancement — and the wild and varied reactions to it — make predicting the future of the field not for the weak of heart. But TIME spoke with five experts, who, undaunted by the task, shared their ideas about the year ahead in AI.