AI x Metaverse

What exactly is the Metaverse? It’s a blurring of the lines between the physical and digital worlds allowing creators of the Metaverse to reimagine end-to-end shared experiences from a technical and user-first standpoint. It’s a simulated virtual environment that leverages artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), machine learning ( ML), blockchain, and a number of other technologies, pulling from the constructs of social media, entertainment, gaming, and e-commerce, to create virtual communities.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to play a significant role in the metaverse. Throughout this virtual universe created through the integration of real-time, three-dimensional graphics and computer technology AI will be used for a variety of purposes, such as:

· Avatars, Digital Twins and Virtual assistants: AI could be used to create more realistic and life like and intelligent avatars, digital twins and virtual assistants that could interact with human users in the metaverse.

· Gaming: AI-powered gaming environment can be used to help users navigate and interact with the metaverse, making it personalized, predictive and informative.

· Digital Fashion: AI could also be used to generate and curate digital fashion within the metaverse, such as virtual clothing and accessories.

Avatars, Digital Twins and Virtual assistants:

In the Metaverse, a digital twin often refers to a hyper-life like avatar. There is some discourse, however, about whether an avatar should be very realistic or if it is better to practice taking advantage of the malleability of virtual worlds to make them more pliable, fanciful, and unreal. Presumably, some factors can restrict the acceptance of digital twins and lifelike avatars, especially the uncanny valley effect.

The uncanny valley effect is the perception caused when a robotic or on-screen character image causes individuals to feel like there is something off or wrong. Often, the viewers will not consciously

notice it, but they may come away from the movie or video games thinking it was somehow wrong. Illustrations and other artwork also walk a similar tightrope — they can be too abstract, ideal, or realistic.

Digital twins and avatars must walk this line carefully to ensure that the images do not alienate consumers due to this type of effect. Note, avatars are not limited to real-life humans. Avatars can also be created for digital entities (known as AI synths) and, because of artificial intelligence and machine learning, they will be treated in many of the same ways that we relate to real people. A company could hire “digital employees” to perform routine tasks, such as filling out spreadsheets. These digital employees would then work alongside physical employees as assistants.

Several platforms and enterprises provision a range of approaches to digital twins, avatars and virtual assistants:

· ObEN. This artificial intelligence (AI) company is creating Personal AI (PAI) to improve digital interactions in virtual worlds. They created an app featuring a 2D PAI avatar, which they named Satoshi. This app acts as a news presenter on subjects including blockchain and cryptocurrency.

· Soul Machines. This technology is an example of using AI and high-definition 3D graphics to create an interactive experience. The business sector can use this technology to create digital twins, avatars, and on-air personalities who can act as entertainers, teachers, customer service representatives, and so on. Using this technology, digital citizens can provide a more lifelike experience for customers than current chatbots, thus reinforcing brands.

· Ready Player Me. This platform enables designers to create 3D characters and avatars, which brands then use to fulfill their Metaverse, gaming, and other platform strategies. They provide the tools for designers to change skin tones, body types, and shapes and to add clothing and other accessories. One of the goals of Ready Player Me is to create cross-game avatars that can be used in any game and the Metaverse.

· Shapify. This device, by Artec3D, allows for the accurate scanning of a person’s entire body, which is scanned from all angles and acquires everything, including the smallest details, from posture to creases in clothing. An entire body can be scanned in just a few seconds.9

· Veeso VR Headset. This headset scans a person’s face in real time, sends that information to a smartphone or mobile device, and then transfers the data to avatars. Subsequently, the avatars will gain the person’s facial expressions and emotions.

Gaming

As game equipment becomes more sophisticated, with better graphics, 3D, artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR), and other technologies, as well as more sophisticated

storylines, game designers find they are reaching a much broader and more rapidly growing audience. These designers can use tools such as Experiential Sampling Methodology (ESM) to understand how the

story, background, and non-player characters (NPCs) change players’ engagement levels. The greater the engagement, the more it indicates that players enjoy and are fulfilled by their gaming experiences. These complex and deep storylines provide opportunities for players to interact with other players, NPCs, multiple storylines, barriers, goals, and rewards. Thus, people can step out of their daily lives to share new and different experiences with their gaming friends.

Over 150 years of innovations have led us to an intersection of stable and fast communications, advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) and augmented reality

(AR)/virtual reality (VR), cloud infrastructures, the internet and web, and development tools. All these (and other) components now lay the foundation of the revolution known as The Metaverse. The stage is

now set for the quintessential transformation in entertainment. From a paradigm of predetermined, predefined, and centrally owned content to a new one consisting of reciprocal immersive that happens

in real time, the result will be unprecedented.

Digital Fashion

Digital clothing, as the name implies, doesn’t exist in the physical universe. Instead, it’s fashion that exists within Metaverse, games, and digital social events. These clothes are not made of cloth, don’t

take up space in your home’s closet, and don’t require a tailor to fix a missing button. Instead, these clothes are made up of pixels and data. Technologies like 3D graphics, artificial intelligence (AI),

augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR), amongst others are these garments’ components.

In digital worlds, clothing shops can be discovered as people browse for clothing. In some shops, people can generate clothing that they add to a picture of themselves. They can even consult with 3D designers (i.e., human or AI bots) who perfectly fit the clothing onto their image. Inside a game, they can buy clothing for their avatar in a theme suitable for that gaming world. An increasing number of games

allow these articles of clothing to move between games operated by or outside the same company.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) will enhance and give the Avatars, Digital Twins and Virtual assistants, Gaming and Digital Fashion a more immersive, interactive and intelligence. By leveraging these AI technologies in the Metverse, designers and implementers can detect patterns to be discerned from the massive sets of data generated within the metaverse. These patterns can be interpreted to better understand user preferences. Artificial intelligence (AI) x the Metaverse will deliver an abundance of opportunities to deliver and sense immersive experiences like never before.