Disney is uniquely poised to integrate AI into its operations, as one of the most diversified and data-intensive entertainment companies on earth, producing countless models and collecting tons of data about everything from the way that guests of its theme parks spend their money (and time) to what you’re watching on Disney+, the company’s direct-to-consumer streaming platform.
An imminent announcement of an AI partnership will surely produce blowback from the creative community, especially if the initiative will mean cuts to creative departments that are already feeling the pinch. The company eliminated more than 4,000 staff members (“cast members” in Disney-speak) in the spring of 2023 and increased its target to 8,000. (It ended up with about 7,000 layoffs by the end of the year.) The last round of layoffs happened in September and impacted roughly 300 people.
While AI is commonly utilized in Disney productions – everything from calculating the way that Ember’s fire moved in “Elemental” to creating a more lifelike young Luke Skywalker in “The Mandalorian” – a concerted effort from Disney to use the technology in all aspects of production is significant shift.
Imagine a tiny, soft robot that could change the way medicine is delivered to targeted areas in the body.
A team of scientists at NTU has developed grain-sized soft robots that can be controlled using magnetic fields for targeted drug delivery, paving the way to possible improved therapies in future.
The new soft robot developed by engineers at NTU’s School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) was reported in a paper published in the journal Advanced Materials.
The study is believed to be the first reported instance of miniature robots that can transport up to four different drugs and release them in reprogrammable orders and doses.
Virtual worlds, ChatGPT, and AI seem to be all the rage in 2024, with all sorts of developments shaking up not just the technology space, but having wider implications for medicine, politics, and even the judicial system. Now, researchers from Swiss startup FinalSpark have combined a virtual world with tiny human mini brains and built a two-way con…
1GITEX Global 2024 and IROS 2024 became true gateways to the future of technology, bringing together the most advanced innovations in artificial intelligence, robotics, and transportation under one roof. At the forefront of GITEX was the unique Nissan Hyperforce concept, an electric vehicle with an incredible 1,360 horsepower, capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2 seconds. This electric supercar not only stunned with its speed but also with its futuristic design, reminiscent of the iconic Batmobile. With its advanced driving modes, R and GT, drivers can switch between a sporty and comfortable driving experience.
0:00 Exhibitions in the United Arab Emirates. 0:34 GITEX GLOBAL 2024 0:47 Nissan Hyper Force supercar. 1:43 Italdesign’s Quintessenza concept car. 2:39 Ameca robot. 3:15 Robot bartender. 3:38 Airscooter by Zapata. 4:13 Autonomous Patrol of the Future by Dubai Police. 5:09 Tesla Cybertruck. 6:01 All-terrain delivery vehicles from Mobinn. 6:20 Cadillac Electric Flyer. 7:03 Drones by Multi Level Group. 7:32 Xpeng Aeroht Flying Car. 8:18 New humanoid robot Kepler. 8:42 ZainTECH Drones. 9:04 Robo-charging electric cars. 9:43 Odigo robot with AI 10:26 IROS 2024 11:02 Obstacle course for four-legged robots. 11:41 Robofootball on IROS 2024 12:32 High Torque Robotics. 13:03 Unitree robots. 13:39 Nimble Direct Drive Robots. 14:16 Elephant Robotics. 14:47 Humanoid robots on display. 15:14 DexNex teleoperated system. 15:47 Hubot robot.
In addition, GITEX 2024 showcased the latest flying car concepts. Among them was a model capable of unfolding its blades and taking off in just two minutes, making it the perfect vehicle for fast, seamless travel both on the road and in the sky. The exhibition also featured other cutting-edge innovations, such as autonomous patrol cars equipped with drones and robotic bartenders that serve drinks without lines or fuss.
IROS 2024, held in Abu Dhabi, was equally impressive, giving a glimpse into the future of robotics. Highlights included thrilling competitions between robot dogs and humanoid robots, as well as demonstrations of new robots capable of running, jumping, and even performing complex acrobatic tricks. Autonomous robots designed for patrolling and delivery, capable of navigating routes and recognizing objects in the toughest conditions, also drew significant attention.
Both exhibitions revealed how robotics and AI are increasingly influencing our everyday lives, offering solutions for safety, transportation, and even entertainment. Unique projects, such as autonomous drones for agriculture and firefighting, and robotic systems for smart cities, are already reshaping urban spaces. With the technologies presented at GITEX and IROS, the future is closer than ever. Subscribe to our channel to stay updated on the latest innovations and events in the world of high-tech.
Soon humanity may reach out to the galaxy and spread ourselves to every world in it, but in the billions and billions of years to come on those billions and billions of worlds, humanity shall surely diverge down many roads and posthuman pathways.
Credits: Posthuman Pathways. Episode 470; October 24, 2024 Editor: Tim Lusko. Produced, Narrated \& Written: Isaac Arthur. Graphics: Jeremy Jozwik. Ken York YD Visual. Udo Schroeter. Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images. Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator
OpenAI’s researcher in charge of making sure the company (and the world) is prepared for the advent of artificial general intelligence (AGI) has resigned — and is warning that nobody is ready for what’s coming next.
In a post on his personal Substack, the firm’s newly-resigned AGI readiness czar Miles Brundage said quitting his “dream job” after six years has been difficult. He says he’s doing so because he feels a great responsibility regarding the purportedly human-level artificial intelligence he believes OpenAI is ushering into existence.
“I decided,” Brundage wrote, “that I want to impact and influence AI’s development from outside the industry rather than inside.”
The Turing Award recipient told ET that the path to achieving AGI (artificial general intelligence) is through AI systems being conscious of the physical world, having persistent memory and being able to reason. This may take 6–10 years and still have the intelligence of a cat, he said on the sidelines of Meta’s Build with AI Summit in Bengaluru.
“I don’t like the phrase AGI. I prefer human-level intelligence because human intelligence is not general. Internally, we call this AMI-advanced machine intelligence. We have a pretty good plan on how to get there,” said LeCun is often referred to as a ‘Godfather of AI’
In a remarkable encounter off the coast of Alaska, human scientists had what they describe as a “conversation” with a humpback whale named Twain. Dr. Brenda McCowan from the University of California Davis was at the heart of this unexpected exchange.
Dr. McCowan and her team, known as Whale-SETI, have been studying how humpback whales communicate. They’re aiming to understand whale communication systems to help in the search for life beyond Earth.
Using an underwater speaker, the team played a recorded humpback “contact” call into the ocean. To their astonishment, Twain approached their boat and began responding.
Researchers at Monash University have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that significantly improves the accuracy of four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D STEM) images.
Called unsupervised deep denoising, this model could be a game-changer for studying materials that are easily damaged during imaging, like those used in batteries and solar cells.
The research from Monash University’s School of Physics and Astronomy, and the Monash Center of Electron Microscopy, presents a novel machine learning method for denoising large electron microscopy datasets. The study was published in npj Computational Materials.
