🧠 AI to Drastically improve the Metaverse

Good morning everyone!

Welcome back to The Virtual Digest! As you probably can see from the design change, we moved to Beehiiv. In this way you will also be able to see previous editions of the newsletter from this Beehiiv link (we are still working on it…). Anyways, let’s get started with the most important developments in the industry that were mostly revolving around metaverse topics!

Today’s Topics:

• 🤖 New founding round in the AI metaverse field

• 🧠 Meta is about to make NPCs go on a next level

• 📉 The Decline of the VR King

Reading time: 6min

🤖 New founding round in the AI metaverse field

Is AI finally reaching the metaverse 🤖? Discover the latest in metaverse innovation as Futureverse, a conglomerate of 11 metaverse infrastructure and creative content firms, announces a significant milestone in its journey. The company has raised $54 million USD 💸 in Series A funding, to develop an AI-powered metaverse infrastructure. Here is what you have to know:

• Metaverse Expansion: Futureverse's joint venture aims to empower developers and end users to create, use, and experience immersive content across the metaverse. The platform will offer interoperable, proprietary asset ecosystems, spanning gaming, music, animations, and more 🌐.

• Successful Launch: Since its inception, Futureverse has evolved into one of the world's largest and most extensive metaverse communities 🎉, attracting popular gaming titles like the FIFA-backed "AI League" sports sensation.

• Strategic Partnerships: Futureverse has established collaborations 🤝 with prominent organizations, including Wimbledon, Death Row Records, Mastercard, Snoop Dogg, Keanu Reeves, Timbaland, and Alexander Grant, positioning itself as a key player in the metaverse space.

• Technological Advancements: The company plans to use a so called The Root Network blockchain to facilitate metaverse game development and immersive experiences with prefabricated runtimes 🏗️.

Futureverse, with its innovative infrastructure and AI-driven content, is set to transform the metaverse into a tangible, interactive destination 💫. The strategic support from 10T and Ripple underscores the company's vision of an open, scalable, and interoperable metaverse, promising exciting possibilities for users across asset management, payments, and gaming.

Read more about Futureverse's ambitious plans here.

🧠 Meta is about to make NPCs go on a next level

Are we about to see a renaissance of NPCs? Meta is working in close collaboration with Qualcomm 🤝 to optimize their ChatGPT-like language model named LLaMA for on-device use.

What do you have to know?

• Qualcomm and Meta are collaborating to optimize LLaMA AI models for on-device usage, specifically for XR devices, promising breakthrough use cases for virtual interactions.

• Meta recently released LLaMA 2, which outperforms other open source large language models and comes close to OpenAI's GPT-3.5 in benchmarks 💡.

• Running large language models on mobile chipsets, especially in VR, poses significant challenges due to resource limitations ⚙️.

• If successful, LLaMA running on devices like the Quest headset could unlock breakthrough use cases, such as next-generation NPCs and interactive experiences.

Why is this important?

Optimizing LLaMA AI models for on-device use has the potential to revolutionize virtual experiences by significantly enhancing the capabilities of virtual characters and non-player characters (NPCs) 🎭. By running advanced language models on XR devices, users will be able to engage in truly interactive and lifelike conversations with virtual characters, enabling breakthrough use cases across various experiences.

For instance, in education 📚, players could encounter NPCs representing historical figures from ancient Egypt, Greece, or any other time period, featuring sophisticated dialogue systems that offer dynamic and realistic interactions 🧠. This immersive experience enriches storytelling, enabling users to engage with historical characters in a way that enhances their understanding of the past and deepens their sense of immersion in the virtual world.

📉 The Decline of the VR King

Time has finally come for the old king of VR 👑. Despite its initial success and popularity, Valve's Index VR headset is experiencing a decline in sales 📉, likely overshadowed by the intense competition posed by Meta’s Quest 2. Here's a closer look at Valve’s headset journey in the VR market:

• Valve's Index VR headset set a high standard for PC VR headsets upon its launch in 2019, offering a balanced experience of comfort, visuals, sound, tracking, and controllers 🎮.

• Even after four years, Index remains the second most-used headset on Steam, capturing 18.38% of active headsets on the platform, second only to the more affordable Quest 2 at 42.05% 🏆.

• Sales decreased particularly in 2023 💔, as during this period, Meta has introduced multiple VR headsets that offer comparable gaming experiences at a considerably more affordable price.

• Valve's recent hires, including specialists in OLED and HDR displays, suggest that the company is still working on VR development behind the scenes 🔍.

Valve's commitment to VR development and the potential advancements in the technology industry, along with competition from Meta and Apple, pave the way for exciting possibilities in the world of virtual reality. VR enthusiasts eagerly await Valve's next move, hoping to witness a new era of VR adoption and innovation🌌.

To learn more about the slow down of sales of the Index click here.