Masdar City’s Future Forward podcast features virtual influencer, Zero

Masdar City’s Future Forward podcast features virtual influencer, Zero
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Updated 25 May 2023

Masdar City’s Future Forward podcast features virtual influencer, Zero

Masdar City’s Future Forward podcast features virtual influencer, Zero
  • The show’s second season launched last month with the first episode featuring Zero and its creator Travers

DUBAI: Zero is somewhat of an influencer with more than 50,000 followers on TikTok and nearly 100,000 on Instagram. He is also not human.

Created by Offbeat Media Group, the virtual influencer was launched last year, becoming the first character to be introduced in the Nexus metaverse.

Virtual or AI influencers are not a new concept; they have been around for more than five years. Miquela Sousa was among the first to be launched, in 2016, as Lil Miquela on Instagram. Today, she has some 2.8 million followers on Instagram and 3.6 million on TikTok.

Zero, however, doesn’t like to be called an AI. In fact, referring to a tweet about Lil Miquela, he told the person who posted the tweet: “I’ll do ya one better. Skip talking to the creators and talk to the avatar himself.”

 

 

In another video, he talks to ChatGPT to see who is smarter.

 

 

Appearing on Masdar City’s Future Forward podcast, Christopher Travers, co-founder of Offbeat Media Group, described a virtual influencer as essentially taking “a character, which is not anything new necessarily, and you post it on social with a first-person personality.”

The show’s second season launched last month with the first episode featuring Zero and its creator Travers.

The show is aimed at making people “aware of technology and developments going on around the world, particularly those that relate to creating more future-oriented and sustainable cities and communities,” Steve Severance, growth director, Masdar City and Future Forward host, told Arab News.

 

 

“We also want to make it fun,” he said. The show’s slogan is “an unusual tech dialogue” and that is reflected in its choice of topics and guests.

In the first season, for example, “we invited an Emirati comedian named Ali Al Sayed to co-host, because we didn’t just want to educate — we wanted people to laugh and have a good time,” Severance said.

This season features BBC tech journalist Lucy Hedges as co-host and will focus on how different cities around the world are supporting entrepreneurs, technological development and urban growth. It will feature several different cities including Stockholm, Singapore, London, and of course Abu Dhabi.

The first episode of this season puts the spotlight on Atlanta, Georgia in the US, which is where Zero was born. With this episode, “we wanted to educate and enlighten our audiences while reaching out to Zero’s audience to make them aware of Masdar City’s work in tech innovation,” Severance said.

Although there are other virtual influencers, including Laila Blue in the Middle East, the show decided to feature Zero “given his profile and the size of his following, as well as the fact that he seems to be the trendsetter as one of the first virtual influencers, if not the first,” Severance said.

The team at Future Forward is, however, “always excited about profiling local talent,” which audiences will witness in the show’s upcoming episode that focuses on Abu Dhabi, he said.

The rise of AI and now generative AI is blurring the lines between virtual and in-person interactions. Masdar City, however, has no plans to enter the virtual influencer space just yet.

“We’ll always keep our ear to the ground about new developments, but we’re going to keep focusing on sustainable urban development, technology and innovation, and helping the UAE achieve carbon neutrality by 2050,” Severance said.

“We’ll leave virtual influencing to the experts.”


Snapchat’s latest updates, features now available in Saudi Arabia

Snapchat’s latest updates, features now available in Saudi Arabia
Updated 31 sec ago

Snapchat’s latest updates, features now available in Saudi Arabia

Snapchat’s latest updates, features now available in Saudi Arabia
  • 22m active users in the Kingdom to benefit from range of improvements, including AR, AI offerings

RIYADH: Snapchat has unveiled innovative story features, including Communities, After Dark and Friendship Flashbacks, that enable users to more creatively document special moments.

To highlight improvements shown off at the annual Snap Partner Summit, the platform held a press conference in Riyadh on May 31.

The event showcased a variety of new functions and developments in enterprise solutions, retail innovation, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence technologies.

“In Saudi Arabia, Snapchat is a part of people’s lives, with over 22 million active users, including a remarkable 71 percent of parents. It’s heartwarming to witness the deep engagement of Snapchatters in Saudi, who open the app nearly 50 times per day, embracing its role as a daily companion,” said Abdulla Alhammadi, Snapchat regional business lead for the KSA market.

“Our augmented reality features, particularly the Lenses, have struck a chord with over 85 percent of KSA users, demonstrating their popularity and impact. Equally inspiring is the fact that almost 60 percent of Saudi Arabia’s Monthly Active users are 25 or older, showcasing the diverse appeal of Snapchat across different generations.”

Users of Snapchat have several options for staying in touch with loved ones using the features: Communities, After Dark, and Friendship Flashbacks that let users capture memorable occasions in more interesting ways.

Friendship Flashbacks bring throwback memories from Snapchat Memories directly into conversations with friends, After Dark offers a dedicated story format for evening memories, and Communities allows students to share their perspectives with classmates.

A customized 3D Snap Map will make it simpler to find landmarks and popular destinations, and also provide new location-sharing capabilities.

Additionally, the Bitmoji design has been improved to offer avatars that not only look like Snapchatters, but also dress like them, with a greater selection of shoppable clothing and accessories.

Snapchat recognizes the power of its AR innovations and the camera in enabling storytelling and empowering content creators. And to further support creators, a Stories revenue sharing program has been introduced. Eligible creators with at least 50,000 followers, 25 million monthly Snap views, and a minimum of 10 Stories per month and at least 50,000 followers can now monetize their Stories through ads.

This program incentivizes creators and provides the community with more engaging content from their favorite creators.

Snapchat also aims to provide creators with more growth opportunities through new features such as Snap Map.

By tagging locations in Spotlight Snaps or saving Stories they love, creators can expand their reach and offer the community the chance to discover new talent. Moreover, dozens of new tools have been developed for creators, including the integration of Linktree, a leading link-in-bio platform, into their new Public Profiles.

Additionally, new Story updates will allow a broader audience to discover and appreciate creators’ creativity while maintaining Snapchat as the best platform for genuine friendships.

Snapchatters aged 18 and older can now post their own Public Story with a simple tap, and creators gain access to content performance insights and Story Replies.

Additionally, a new tool recommending Sounds to pair with Lenses will make Snaps even more expressive.

Snapchat also unveiled the AR Shopping Suite by ARES as part of its mission to revolutionize the shopping experience, AR Enterprise Services.

Innovative AR and AI technologies like Try-On and Fit Finder are integrated into customers’ own apps and websites by this package.

To bridge the gap between the virtual and real worlds in retail settings, Snapchat has unveiled AR Mirrors. This technology has already been adopted by companies like Nike and Coca-Cola.

Zainab Hawsawi, head of communications for Snap in Saudi Arabia, told Arab News: “AR is revolutionizing the way we live, and its impact is undeniable. In MENA, 85 percent of users engage with Lenses on a daily basis, emphasizing its integration into our daily lives. Looking ahead to 2025, we foresee an exciting shift where the majority of Gen Z and millennial social media users in Saudi Arabia and the UAE will actively embrace AR.

“Ipsos research reveals that shopping is the top motivator for consumers to utilize AR, and at Snapchat, we’re proud to introduce innovative AR solutions to the Saudi market. From Live Garment Transfer to AR Enterprise Services Shopping Suite and AR mirrors, we aim to enhance the shopping experience, making it more enjoyable and seamless for all.”


LBCI campaign champions Lebanese basketball teams at FIBA Cup 

LBCI campaign champions Lebanese basketball teams at FIBA Cup 
Updated 55 min 31 sec ago

LBCI campaign champions Lebanese basketball teams at FIBA Cup 

LBCI campaign champions Lebanese basketball teams at FIBA Cup 
  • #OurWorldOurPlayground will be on screen, on LBCI’s website, and on digital platforms

LONDON: The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International launched on Thursday a campaign to support and inspire Lebanon’s three national basketball teams, which will be competing in three upcoming global tournaments.

The promotional campaign, “#OurWorldOurPlayground,” will be showcased on screen, on LBCI’s website, and on digital platforms, announced LBCI in a press statement.

Through an agreement with FIBA, the private television station has secured exclusive broadcasting rights in Lebanon for major international and continental championships until 2025.

LBCI said the campaign would seek to unite the Lebanese community, at home and abroad, rallying their support for the competing teams across the three world championships.

LBCI’s campaign will include promotional clips, special TV shows, and in-depth newscast coverage.

This coverage will feature exclusive interviews, unique stories, and reports involving renowned experts and male and female players supporting Lebanon’s presence on the global sports map.

The Lebanese women’s team is the only Arab team competing in the first stage of the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup in Sydney, Australia, starting June 26; the U19 team will compete in the first stage of the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup commencing on June 24 in Hungary; and the men’s team will participate in the FIBA Basketball World Cup starting on Aug. 25 in Indonesia.


Meta threatens to yank news content from California over payments bill

Meta threatens to yank news content from California over payments bill
Updated 01 June 2023

Meta threatens to yank news content from California over payments bill

Meta threatens to yank news content from California over payments bill
  • California Journalism Preservation Act would require online platforms to pay a 'journalism usage fee’
  • Meta said it would remove news if similar bill is approved by Congress

NEW YORK: Facebook parent Meta Platforms said on Wednesday it would remove news content in its home state of California if the state government passed legislation forcing tech companies to pay publishers.

The proposed California Journalism Preservation Act would require “online platforms” to pay a “journalism usage fee” to news providers whose work appears on their services, aimed at reversing a decline in the local news sector.

In a tweeted statement, Meta spokesman Andy Stone called the payment structure a “slush fund” and said the bill would primarily benefit “big, out-of-state media companies under the guise of aiding California publishers.”

The statement was Meta’s first on the California bill specifically, although the company has been waging similar battles over compensation for news publishers at the federal level and in countries outside the United States.

In December, Stone said Meta would remove news from its platform altogether if the US Congress passed a bill that closely resembles the proposed California legislation.

The company is likewise threatening to withdraw news in Canada in response to proposed legislation there, along with Alphabet’s Google, which has said it would remove links to news articles from Canadian search results.

The proposals are similar to a ground-breaking law that Australia passed in 2021, which also triggered threats from Facebook and Google to curtail their services.

Both companies eventually struck deals with Australian media companies after amendments to the legislation were offered, although the standoff prompted a brief shutdown of Facebook news feeds in Australia in the process.

An Australian government report released in December concluded that the law had largely worked.

Google did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment about the California bill.


Russia fines WhatsApp for first time for not deleting banned content

Russia fines WhatsApp for first time for not deleting banned content
Updated 01 June 2023

Russia fines WhatsApp for first time for not deleting banned content

Russia fines WhatsApp for first time for not deleting banned content
  • WhatsApp has previously been fined for its alleged refusal to comply with Russian data law and store Russian users’ data on servers in the country

MOSCOW: A Russian court on Thursday fined messenger service WhatsApp $37,080 (3 million rubles) for not deleting banned content, its first fine in Russia for that offense.
Although WhatsApp’s parent company Meta Platforms Inc. was last year banned in Russia as an “extremist” organization, the messenger app — which is widely popular in Russia — has not previously faced penalties for failing to remove prohibited information.
Other Meta services, Facebook and Instagram — now banned in Russia — have been fined over content, as have the likes of Twitter and Alphabet’s Google.
WhatsApp, however, has previously been fined for its alleged refusal to comply with Russian data law and store Russian users’ data on servers in the country.
The RIA news agency reported that Thursday’s fine was due to WhatsApp’s refusal to remove information about the drug Lyrica, whose sale and manufacture are prohibited in Russia.
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside US business hours.
Moscow has for years clashed with Big Tech over content, censorship, data and local representation in disputes that escalated after Russia sent its armed forces into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.


Emirates, AWS to create new immersive XR platform for airline staff

Emirates, AWS to create new immersive XR platform for airline staff
Updated 31 May 2023

Emirates, AWS to create new immersive XR platform for airline staff

Emirates, AWS to create new immersive XR platform for airline staff
  • Platform will feature 3-D virtual hubs, virtual training, gamified environments, simulated experiences
  • New partnership to take advantage of AI evolution to revolutionize aviation industry: Emirates COO

LONDON: Emirates Group and Amazon Web Services on Wednesday announced a new partnership to develop an immersive extended reality platform for the UAE airline’s employees.

Designed specifically for cabin crew, new joiners, and industry partners, the new iXR platform will feature 3-D virtual hubs, virtual training, gamified environments, and simulated experiences.

Adel Al-Redha, Emirates’ chief operating officer, said: “Our vision is to build a meaningful, practical, and rewarding XR capability that takes advantage of artificial intelligence’s evolution.

“We are using XR capability that is scalable and spans across the breadth of our group’s brands and businesses.

“It reflects our commitment to spearhead and entrench innovation and cutting-edge technologies in aviation for the benefit of our customers, communities, and the industry.”

Powered by AWS spatial computing and AI, the first-of-its-kind platform will deliver technical capabilities with photorealistic experiences accessible across next-gen wearables, tablets, and mobile devices.

Initially, iXR will focus on a collaborative hub and social space, cabin crew training, and employee onboarding.

“In the first phase, iXR will help cabin crew interact and familiarise themselves with the platform in an interactive, high-fidelity 3-D environment which they can explore at their convenience, leading to greater knowledge transfer and employee satisfaction.

“During this phase, we will also develop our employee experience using iXR to seamlessly assimilate our people within the group’s business, community and culture,” Al-Redha added.

Emirates will also use the platform to transform the onboarding experience for new recruits, helping them “quickly and visually learn about the organization, its people, culture, and what it is like living in Dubai.”

AWS vice president of professional services, Al Opher, said the new partnership would have a profound impact on training, design, and innovative service propositions in the aviation industry, allowing staff to train in safe, immersive, performance-oriented, and efficient environments.

“Extended reality is a rapidly emerging technology that will propel the aviation industry into the future. Together, we are revolutionizing the travel industry and raising the bar for new, exemplary experiences,” Opher added.

Featuring advanced technologies such as Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, iXR is set to launch later this year, marking another milestone in Dubai and the UAE’s commitment to digital innovation and progress.