The one with the general on the hill
I cannot help but have mixed feelings about reading online or hearing that ‘The Metaverse and Blockchain technologies are dead — long live AI”.
If we, as individuals, can only pay attention and be enthusiastic about the currently trending technology everyone is talking about, we are radically missing the bigger picture of what is being drawn before our very eyes.
Hype comes and goes, nowadays tremendously faster than in any other era — but it is crucial for the technophile to understand that these hype wagons do not mean that technologies exist one after the other: they coexist, feed off of one another.
Especially when it comes to practical applications of technologies, it is imperative to consider them as what they are in their purest form — a tool.
“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you will start treating all your problems like a nail.”
One can only do so much with one tool, and greatness only starts coming into focus when you combine the tools you have at hand.
Generative AI has been making a lot of noise these past years, with services that are made available to the public to explore on the internet, first with pictures, audio, and now very recently with text, language and a “spark of intelligence” with the colossal success of OpenAI and their chatbot — the dearly beloved ChatGPT.
A few months into this wild ride, it is fair to say that AI has sucked most of the oxygen out of the room — to the point where it becomes hard for other emerging technologies to share the world stage with it.
Therefore, as innovators, it becomes more important than ever to not get caught-up in the ferocious hype and tunneling down our vision.
By combining the power of Large Language Models with Robotics, we can vastly improve the capacity of any humanoid robot that boasts speakers and a microphone to communicate with a human to great extents.
These Large Language Models will make Non Playing Characters in video games have seemingly endless depth to them through their speech, making gaming more immersive than ever.
Like the general on the hill, we must keep a watchful eye on the broader landscape.
We must have a holistic view of technologies — both emerging and adopted.
While Generative AI may be the current focus of attention, it’s important to remember that it is just one tool in our arsenal.
Our victorious future resides at the intersection of these technologies, not down any of their single path.
But enough of this, let’s see what has been moving the AIE Nordics on their hill this week !
The E in AIE
The E in AIE stands for Exchange — and while it may not be the centrepiece of this clever acronym, it is not to be undervalued.
We have kicked-off our project in collaboration with a French aviation company alongside the Toulouse based AIE.
This project stemmed from a RIOT Labs asset that we have been developing earlier this year which sparked interest into using Generative AI to suggest ideas for refreshments, media content or even destination activities for customers.
We are very much looking forward to bringing this further and incorporate this Generative AI component to life among the other components of the project, a fine example of inter-AIE collaboration.
Riot Labs AR-sembly push
Last week, we have briefly introduced another RIOT Labs initiative to a team working in a large flat-package furniture retailer (https://riotlabs-aie.web.app/ for more info!) about using 3D to assist customers in assembling their product.
Surprisingly enough, the initiative was very well perceived, and sparked an extensive discussion about the place of 3D technologies amidst the aftermath of buying a product you need to assemble yourself.
Way to go, RIOT Labs !
IGNITE Inspiration
This week, Meghan also inspired our Ignite colleagues from Denmark with her remarkable way to make an online session both captivating and entertaining.
We are very much looking forward to collaborating more with our colleagues from this awesome batch!
EON takes their room in our floor
Finally, we are eager to be hosting a cheerful team from E-ON on our floor for a month.
In addition to some nice chats, I am looking forward to meeting them at the ping pong table for a friendly (right?!) best of 3, in 11 s’il vous plait!
That is it for this week at the AIE, and in the meanwhile, keep innovating!
Arthur
