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Metaverse News
TechCrunch
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Meta’s V-JEPA 2 model teaches AI to understand its surroundings
- Meta introduced the V-JEPA 2 AI model aimed at helping AI agents comprehend their environment.
- V-JEPA 2 is an evolution of last year's V-JEPA model trained on 1 million hours of video to aid robots in understanding physical world concepts like gravity.
- The model grasps common sense connections seen in small children and animals, enabling predictions of consequences like rebounding a ball or moving cooked eggs with a spatula.
- Meta's V-JEPA 2 outperforms Nvidia's Cosmos model in speed (30 times faster), though evaluation criteria may differ.
- Meta envisions world models revolutionizing robotics by empowering AI agents to execute physical tasks with minimal robotic training data.
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TechCrunch
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After Google, Meta loses public policy head in India
- Shivnath Thukral, the head of public policy at Meta in India, is leaving the company after over seven and a half years, just months after Google's policy head quit.
- Thukral took over as public policy lead for the South Asian market in November 2022, overseeing the company's largest user base, following his predecessor's departure.
- In a LinkedIn post, Thukral acknowledged his team's work and expressed confidence in the policy engagement with stakeholders.
- Meta recently won relief in India over WhatsApp's data-sharing policy, which had faced a potential five-year ban by the antitrust regulator.
- Despite challenges, including facing regulatory hurdles about data privacy rules, Meta remains the largest user base for Facebook and WhatsApp in India.
- Meta has not named a replacement for Thukral as of now, while Google also awaits the appointment of a new policy head following the exit of Sreenivasa Reddy.
- Kevin Martin, Meta's VP and head of global policy, commended Thukral's contributions and leadership during his tenure in the India market.
- Thukral's departure coincides with ongoing regulatory challenges in India and the need to address issues like spam on WhatsApp.
- Meta and Google, as tech giants, are navigating various policy and regulatory landscapes as they maintain a presence in the competitive Indian market.
- Thukral emphasized the strong position of the policy engagement team and the potential for further growth in navigating challenging regulatory environments.
- Google and Meta have both faced antitrust cases in India, with Thukral's exit and Reddy's departure raising questions about the evolving policy landscape.
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Fb
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Our New Model Helps AI Think Before it Acts
- Facebook has introduced V-JEPA 2, a world model trained on video to help AI agents understand the physical world and predict outcomes of actions.
- V-JEPA 2 is a step towards developing advanced machine intelligence (AMI) by enabling AI agents to think before they act.
- Humans predict how the world reacts to actions by observing and internalizing a model of the world.
- V-JEPA 2 mimics human intelligence, helping AI agents become smarter in understanding the physical world.
- World models like V-JEPA 2 provide AI agents with three key capabilities: understanding, predicting, and planning.
- V-JEPA 2 improves upon the previous model, V-JEPA, by enhancing understanding and predicting abilities for robots interacting with new objects and environments.
- The model was trained using video data, learning patterns of interaction and movement in the physical world.
- Robots in labs demonstrated tasks like reaching, picking up objects, and relocating them using V-JEPA 2.
- Facebook also introduced three new benchmarks to help researchers evaluate how well their models understand and reason using video data.
- The goal is to provide researchers with better models and benchmarks to enhance AI systems and positively impact people's lives.
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Massivelyop
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World of Warcraft has a new audio short story and a fan-made preview for its upcoming patch next week
- World of Warcraft has released a new audio short story focusing on Faerin Lothar with a slight animation, resembling an audiobook.
- The official video showcases this new story featuring Faerin Lothar for fans to enjoy as an audiobook format.
- For those interested in upcoming content, a WoW content creator, MrGM, has created a 20-minute video previewing the 11.1.7 “Legacy of Arathor” patch launching on June 18th.
- The new story and the upcoming patch's content are intertwined, offering fans a deeper dive into the world of Arathi in World of Warcraft.
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Guardian
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Meta to announce $15bn investment in bid to achieve computerised ‘superintelligence’
- Meta is set to announce a $15 billion bid to achieve computerised 'superintelligence' in the AI space.
- Metaverse concept's flop has driven Meta to pursue superintelligence with Mark Zuckerberg leading the charge.
- Meta aims to acquire a 49% stake in Scale AI, a startup focused on advancing AI under the leadership of Alexandr Wang and Lucy Guo.
- The desire is to develop AI that surpasses human capabilities across all tasks, moving beyond the limitations of current AI systems.
- Meta's move aims to compete against advancing AI technologies from competitors like OpenAI and Google after the setback in the Metaverse initiative.
- Alexandr Wang, known for developing advanced AI systems, has previously worked on AI projects for the US defense department.
- Calls are made for European governments to engage in transparent AI research akin to CERN for nuclear research, ensuring robust and trustworthy AI development.
- Michael Wooldridge from the University of Oxford suggests collaboration among governments for open AI development to build understanding and trust in AI technology.
- Meta is seen to be regaining momentum in AI exploration post-Metaverse setback through strategic acquisitions and initiatives.
- Andrew Rogoyski highlights the competition for AI talent as companies like Meta look to strengthen their AI capabilities.
- Meta's AI focus differs from other AI firms as it views AI as an enabler for business rather than the main objective.
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Analyticsindiamag
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Shivnath Thukral to Step Down as Meta India’s Public Policy VP
- Shivnath Thukral, Vice President of Public Policy at Meta India, will step down by June end after serving for nearly seven and a half years.
- Thukral described his decision as challenging but expressed confidence in the policy engagement with stakeholders at this juncture.
- He praised his team's contributions and mentioned that it is time to let the engine and team function independently.
- Thukral highlighted his learnings at Meta and his interactions with various leaders during his journey at the company.
- Although Thukral did not reveal his next career move, he shared his plans to focus more on running, health, and family.
- In a recent podcast, Thukral discussed India's AI future being open source with Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary at MeitY.
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Insider
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Mark Zuckerberg has created the saddest place on the internet with Meta AI's public feed
- Mark Zuckerberg's Meta AI has a public feed of chats, which can be disheartening to read as people share personal and intimate information.
- Users seem confused about their chats being public on Meta AI's stand-alone chatbot app launched in late April.
- The public feed includes conversations about grief, child custody, financial distress, and more, with users possibly unaware of their posts being public.
- The 'Discover' feed on Meta AI showcases interactions, prompts, and images from users, resembling a Facebook or Instagram feed solely for Meta AI.
- Some interactions observed on the feed include requests for legal advice, prayers, weight-loss tips, and even personal conversations with deceased loved ones.
- Users can share their chat history or images to the public feed, but it requires explicit action by clicking 'Share' and 'Post.'
- The feed also reveals users' real identities, making it possible to track them on other platforms, leading to some unintentionally shared intimate conversations.
- Although most content on the Discover feed is mundane, the presence of personal and unintentionally shared information raises concerns about privacy and user awareness.
- Meta AI's consumer-facing features appear lackluster compared to their ambitious AI development goals, causing skepticism about the value and utility of the public feed.
- While Meta's intent behind the feed was to showcase AI usage, the experience suggests a mix of mundane, personal, and unintentional interactions that may not align with user expectations.
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TechJuice
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Meta Invests $15B in Scale AI to Regain AI Edge
- Facing frustration over Meta's lagging AI progress, CEO Mark Zuckerberg is investing $14-15 billion in Scale AI, giving Meta a 49% stake in the company.
- Scale AI, valued at $14 billion, is known for its data labeling strength and will have its CEO, Alexandr Wang, co-lead a new AI lab at Meta.
- This strategic investment will not lead to a full acquisition, likely due to ongoing antitrust scrutiny. Meta aims to fast-track progress towards artificial general intelligence (AGI).
- By backing Scale AI, Meta inherits valuable intelligence and positions itself to benefit from Scale's extensive insight into competitors' architectures and data pipelines.
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Siliconangle
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Meta reportedly forming superintelligence lab amid Llama 4 Behemoth delays
- Meta Platforms Inc. is reportedly forming a new lab to develop superintelligence, with Alexandr Wang expected to join as part of a deal that will see Meta invest $14.8 billion in Scale AI for a 49% stake.
- Scale AI, with a valuation of about $30 billion, is known for providing a platform for AI training data sourcing and competes in the AI tooling market, focusing on preventing AI models from hallucinating and equipping them with RAG features.
- Meta has also extended offers to researchers from other AI companies like OpenAI and Google, following challenges in its in-house AI development efforts, including the delay of the Llama 4 Behemoth model release due to concerns about its output quality.
- Similar to recent transactions by other tech giants, Meta's investment in Scale AI is a strategic move to recruit AI talent, in line with the industry trend of large companies acquiring AI startups and bringing in their expertise.
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TechJuice
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WhatsApp to add “Drafts” filter for Unsent Messages
- WhatsApp is introducing a new feature that will allow users to easily locate chats with unfinished drafts.
- A new 'Drafts' filter is being tested in the WhatsApp beta for Android update, which will compile all chats containing unsent messages for easy access.
- The filter will automatically display chats with draft messages without users needing to activate it, offering simplicity and convenience.
- Users will have the option to disable the 'Drafts' filter if they prefer, providing flexibility in managing their conversations.
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Massivelyop
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Massively OP Podcast Episode 521: Switching it up
- This week's episode of the Massively OP Podcast covers topics such as Dune Awakening's head start, the launch of Nintendo Switch 2, Summer Game Fest 2025 news, New World's hardcore server, Chrono Odyssey's scope, and ways MMOs could improve raids and storytelling.
- The podcast features discussions on various MMOs, including WoW, LOTRO, and Palia.
- News highlighted in the episode includes the Nintendo Switch 2 launch, Summer Game Fest 2025, Dune Awakening head start, New World's hardcore server, and updates on Chrono Odyssey.
- The episode ends with a segment on raids and storytelling, followed by the outro.
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Kotaku
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The THPS 3+4 Demo Is Great, And People Are Already Pulling Off More Than 100 Million-Point Combos In It
- The new Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 demo is now live on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, generating excitement for the full game next month.
- THPS 3+4 combines Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and 4, maintaining the classic arcadey skateboarding feel loved since the first game in 1999.
- Developed on the foundation of THPS 1+2, THPS 3+4 has received positive feedback for its gameplay and nostalgic elements.
- Players are already achieving impressive high-score combos in the demo, showcasing the game's faithful recreation of the original experience.
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VentureBeat
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Kinneta shows off VR fitness workouts that take the boredom out of exercise
- Kinneta, an XR company, showcases XR treadmill and bike apps for exciting workouts at AWE in Long Beach.
- The XR fitness apps pair users with top fitness trainers in virtual reality and augmented reality settings.
- Users can exercise with trainers at stunning worldwide sites or have trainers as holograms at home or gym.
- Kinneta's new products include gamified bike workouts and competitive full-body challenges for Xreal AR glasses.
- The company offers trainer-led scenic moving workouts and photorealistic 3D Central Park runs in VR.
- Kinneta aims for gyms to offer their equipment and partner with TrueForm for further advancements.
- CEO Polokhin, along with cofounders Wen and Ahmad, brings extensive VR and XR experience to Kinneta.
- Kinneta's subscription model costs $9.99/month or $99.99/year, offering themed workouts in diverse environments.
- The company has raised $1.5 million, with recent funding from fitness brand Woodway.
- The team at Kinneta focuses on expanding experiences as AR glasses and generative AI gain traction.
- Kinneta's vision is to revolutionize fitness by integrating VR technology with traditional cardio workout equipment.
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Insider
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The AI talent wars are white hot
- Tech startups and industry giants are fiercely competing for the best AI talent, likening the search to finding 'LeBron James' in the AI industry.
- CEOs, including Mark Zuckerberg, are personally involved in recruiting efforts, with Meta offering significant compensation packages to attract top AI candidates.
- Companies are using various strategies, from hackathons to targeting college campuses, to lure AI researchers and engineers with promises of high salaries and generous research funding.
- The intense competition for AI talent has raised concerns about the long-term impact on the job market, leaving top professionals with a plethora of enticing job offers to consider.
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Massivelyop
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MMO Business Roundup: SAG-AFTRA’s victory, Ubisoft’s shame, Embracer’s leadership
- SAG-AFTRA, the voice actor union, has reached a tentative agreement with major video game companies after almost a year-long strike over AI provisions. The agreement is pending ratification.
- The French trial for former Ubisoft executives accused of sexual assault and harassment revealed shocking witness testimonies, including abusive behavior towards female staff members.
- Lars Wingefors is transitioning from CEO to executive chair at Embracer Group after a tumultuous period marked by layoffs, divestments, and critical business decisions that impacted game studios like PWE and Cryptic.
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