The annual Google AI conference focused on the future of artificial intelligence and its impact on Google’s core business of search and advertising. With their ad revenue accounting for a significant portion of their total revenue, Google is seeking to disrupt itself before others disrupt them, potentially emerging as a leader in instant, timely information. Among the major announcements at Google IO were Veo, an AI-powered video generation tool, Augmented Reality Maps, and Android’s response to Apple Vision Pro.
Veo, Google’s new video generation tool, creates one-minute videos from a text prompt and offers high-quality, cinematic video styles. Initially available to selected creators through VideoFX on Google’s AI Test Kitchen website, Google plans to integrate Veo’s capabilities into products like YouTube Shorts in the future. Additionally, Google Maps will now feature augmented reality experiences when users look around particular landmarks or cities, enhancing the overall user experience of the platform.
OpenAI’s new ChatGPT chatbot has been compared to the OS Samantha from the movie “Her,” as it aims to interact with users in a more human-like and intuitive way. The Cannes Film Festival recently embraced extended reality (XR), including VR and AR experiences, as an official category and competition. Similarly, RayNeo’s TV on Your Face glasses, with a dedicated controller and cable TV box, aim to provide a seamless and immersive user experience.
The column “This Week in XR” also exists as a podcast hosted by author Charlie Fink, Ted Schilowitz, and Rony Abovitz, featuring guests Matthew Celia and Robert Watts, producers of Eli Roth’s “Haunted House VR Treat.” Articles such as “AI’s Her Era Has Arrived” by Kevin Roose from the NY Times and “I Am Once Again Asking Our Tech Overlords to Watch the movie ‘Her'” by Brian Barnett from Wired are recommended reads for those interested in the intersection of AI and entertainment. Overall, the future of AI, XR, and AR is shaping up to be an exciting and transformative era for technology and entertainment industries.
