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Disney forms dedicated AI and XR group to coordinate company-wide use and adoption

Disney is adding another layer to its AI and extended reality strategies. As first reported by Reuters, the company recently formed a dedicated emerging technologies unit. Dubbed the Office of Technology Enablement, the group will coordinate the company’s exploration, adoption and use of artificial intelligence, AR and VR tech.

It has tapped Jamie Voris, previously the CTO of its Studios Technology division, to oversee the effort. Before joining Disney in 2010, Voris was the chief technology officer at the National Football League. More recently, he led the development of the company’s Apple Vision Pro app. Voris will report to Alan Bergman, the co-chairman of Disney Entertainment. Reuters reports the company eventually plans to grow the group to about 100 employees.

“The pace and scope of advances in AI and XR are profound and will continue to impact consumer experiences, creative endeavors, and our business for years to come — making it critical that Disney explore the exciting opportunities and navigate the potential risks,” Bergman wrote in an email Disney shared with Engadget. “The creation of this new group underscores our dedication to doing that and to being a positive force in shaping responsible use and best practices.”

The scientist who tested his revolutionary medicine on his own brain cancer: ‘It seemed worth it to give it a crack’

Richard Scolyer was fully engaged in the business of living when he suddenly received a death sentence. A person more alive would be hard to find. As an endurance athlete competing across the globe, he was in peak physical condition. As one of the world’s leading pathologists on melanoma whose pioneering research has saved thousands of lives, he was in demand. At 56, Prof Richard Scolyer was flying along. His life, he says, was “rich”. And then, on the morning of 20 May 2023, he found himself losing consciousness and convulsing on the floor in a hotel room in Poland, panicking and scared.

After this grand mal seizure, he went for an MRI scan at University hospital in Krakow. It found a mass in his temporal lobe. Scolyer knew immediately it had delivered very bad news.

Related: When I found out about the brain tumour that would kill me, I faced my worst fears – but I chose to take it on.

A definitive atomic structure of the heme crystals made by malaria parasites could lead to better antimalarial drugs

Prof. Leslie Leiserowitz first became intrigued by malaria when he was a young boy in South Africa. His father, who scouted the continent in search of wood for the family business, brought back not only tales of elephants and gorillas but also skin rashes and ringing in his ears, side effects of the quinine he took to prevent malaria.

Fin+AI 2024 Interview | Chris Fronda, Co-Founder and Chief Logic Officer, Logictry on AI & Education

In this interview I speak with Chris Fronda, CEO of Logictry.


In this interview Bruce Burke speaks with Chris Fronda, CEO of Logictry. Scaling the world’s wisdom to help everyone make better decisions faster. Chris is presenting at Fin+AI 2024 Conference, October 2–4, 2024 at Le Meridien in Dania Beach, Florida. Meet Chris and other leaders at Fin+AI.

https://www.finaiconference.com/chris

Chris Fronda is a former Enterprise Product Manager, 4X startup founder, and 15+ year full stack software architect with experience building web apps, native mobile apps, blockchain dapps, scalable cloud architectures, expert systems, and custom large language models.

Chris is a proven expert in technology and innovation having worked with clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 10 companies and helps organizations systematize and scale their business leveraging the latest technological advancements.

Mike Kelly — President & CEO, NervGen Pharma — Innovative Treatments To Enable Nervous System Repair

Mike Kelly is President & Chief Executive Officer of NervGen Pharma Corp. (https://nervgen.com/), a clinical-stage biotech company dedicated to developing innovative treatments to enable nervous system repair in the settings of traumatic injury and disease.

NervGen’s lead drug candidate, NVG-291, is being evaluated in a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial in an initial target indication, spinal cord injury. NervGen has initiated preclinical evaluation of a new development candidate, NVG-300, in models of ischemic stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal cord injury.

Mr. Kelly brings three decades of pharmaceutical experience playing instrumental roles in the creation, development and strengthening of several companies.

Most recently, Mr. Kelly served as President of US Operations for Adapt Pharma, Inc. from March 2016 to June 2019, and played a key leadership role in the development and commercialization of NARCAN (naloxone HCl) Nasal Spray in the US and Canada and in the eventual sale to Emergent BioSolutions for US$735 million.

Prior to his tenure at Adapt Pharma, Inc., Mr. Kelly served as the Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Covis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where, along with its European affiliate, grew and sold the company assets for US$1.2 billion. Mr. Kelly was also a member of the founding management team of Azur Pharma Limited, a specialty pharmaceutical company, and later, following a strategic merger, served as the Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc. Mr. Kelly has also held various commercial and medical roles at Guilford Pharmaceuticals Inc., ViroPharma Incorporated and TAP Pharmaceuticals Inc. and has been a Director of ARS Pharmaceuticals Inc. since May 2019.

Mr. Kelly holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from The College of New Jersey and a Master of Business Administration from Rider University.

Charoen Thani Hotel, Khon Kaen. · 260 Sri Chant Rd, Nai Mueang, Mueang Khon Kaen District, Khon Kaen 40000, Thailand

The name of the conference will be lifeboat foundation conference for polymaths futuristics and visionaries.

The place will be this hotel.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/sdG14SRcrJEJGYGH6

With nice accommodation equipped with fitness swimming pool sauna Jacuzzi and restaurant.

Please help me organise it…

Dear All Polymaths I will arrange the conference for polymaths like all of you.


Slack researcher discusses the fear, loathing and excitement surrounding AI in the workplace

People with AI are going to replace people without AI.


SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Artificial intelligence’s recent rise to the forefront of business has left most office workers wondering how often they should use the technology and whether a computer will eventually replace them.

Those were among the highlights of a recent study conducted by the workplace communications platform Slack. After conducting in-depth interviews with 5,000 desktop workers, Slack concluded there are five types of AI personalities in the workplace: “The Maximalist” who regularly uses AI on their jobs; “The Underground” who covertly uses AI; “The Rebel,” who abhors AI; “The Superfan” who is excited about AI but still hasn’t used it; and “The Observer” who is taking a wait-and-see approach.

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