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World Labs Ups The Ante In World Generation

World Labs Ups The Ante In World Generation

Forbes11-06-2025
Red cup Mushroom, Wild Fly Agaric Amanita Muscaria toxic with poison and hallucinogenic properties. ... More Autumn season in the forest with orange, red and brown leaves from the trees and saturated fall nature colors in Stramproy area in the province of Limburg in the Netherlands, near the Belgian borders on October 24, 2020. (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A majestic red and black checkerboard pathway, framed by overgrown shrubbery. A manorial structure with bright red windows, on a craggy cliff at the end of a long and winding road. A close pathway through a proliferation of neon mushrooms.
What does all of this have in common? It's been generated by groundbreaking technology from World Labs, where the model can extrapolate an entire world based on one single image.
It's important that people understand the technology at work here. Just a couple of decades ago, our state-of-the-art technique was to combine thousands of images into a frame-by-frame virtual exploration of a digital space. People used this technology to sell homes with virtual real estate tours, and for other kinds of use cases.
This new thing is quite different. The technology is understanding how light and shadow affect surfaces. It's understanding how structures change when viewed from different angles. And most importantly, it's dreaming up a world of color and light, the likes of which we've never seen!
World Labs, by the way, is a new player in the industry. It was created by Fei-Fei Li of Stanford fame just this year.
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One of the most prominent points of these public demos that I've been looking at online is that they're bright, bold and beautiful. These larger-than-life scenes are rendered capably in 3-D, and you can move around a little bit, although billing it as a digital 'world' is a little bit misleading. It's not hard to generate an out of bounds error, just by taking a few steps forward. On a side note, the page also caused my browser to crash more than once.
Having said all that, this is extremely illuminating, some examples of capability far beyond what we would have thought possible just a few years ago.
The closest thing we have to compare it to is the rendered game environments that were until quite recently mostly hand-coded. A Techcrunch article compares the World Labs project to Minecraft, which might appeal to a ten year old player more than a VC. But the ramifications of this are evident, or at least they should be. This isn't just a kid's game. Recent applications like a 'dress-anybody' garment simulator are just the beginning.
Further down in the same demo page, you have a presentation attributed to Brittani Natali, who apparently put together a short film using different elements of today's new cutting-edge tools. The full stack included the World Labs generator as well as ElevenLabs, presumably for speech, and other tools like Suno and Blender and CapCut.
On another side note, it seems that in addition to a dearth of information for the creator (Brittani Natali) in a google search, ChatGPT was unable to locate any info on this person either. It seems the individual has a pretty thin web footprint!
Anyway, as for the film, the result is striking - the viewer of the film experiences walking through a good number of these digital environments quickly, and then centers in on a dilapidated house that's empty and abandoned.
Our love affair with abandoned spaces has always been there in the human imagination. We love to explore – and see inside something that no one has seen for years. But what if we're seeing inside something that nobody has ever seen in the history of humanity?
These colorful liminal spaces aren't just abandoned – they're brand new. This is the frontier of our world where we set out through uncharted waters to see what lies ahead.
Is it scary? Is it exciting? You decide. But the bottom line is that it's here, and it's going to start popping up in unexpected places.
I've covered a lot of big headlines this month, from corporate strategies pivoting quickly, to hardware wars that are determining who will benefit from the next generation of models. But it's also very interesting to keep an eye on the leapfrogging that AI is doing in multimedia – from Stable Diffusion and Dall-E, to Sora, to this new thing - where pretty soon, metaverse environments are going to create themselves.
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‘World's Most Technologically Advanced Theater For Dance' Is Now Open
‘World's Most Technologically Advanced Theater For Dance' Is Now Open

Forbes

time4 hours ago

  • Forbes

‘World's Most Technologically Advanced Theater For Dance' Is Now Open

Elaini Lalousis rehearses for 'Otmo Live: Interstice,' which connects two dancers in different ... More Jacob's Pillow locations in real time via motion capture technology. One performs in the rebuilt Doris Duke Theatre. Nearly five years after a fire destroyed a theater at the heart of a prestigious hub for dance in the Berkshire mountains, a gleaming new building has risen in its place. This one's not only significantly larger than its predecessor, it's equipped to incorporate all the technology dancers could imagine threading into their work — robots, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, motion capture, interactive video and more. The Doris Duke Theatre at Jacob's Pillow in fact, has staked a claim to an audacious title: 'the world's most technologically advanced theater for dance.' Jacob's Pillow is a 220-acre National Historic Landmark in Becket, Massachusetts, that houses a professional dance training center and hosts a long-running annual international dance festival. The reimagined venue opened on July 9 to coincide with this year's fest, which runs through August 24. The new theater — spanning 20,000 square feet, more than double the footprint of the former Doris Duke Theatre — includes a spatial audio system, infrared cameras to track performers for interactive video content and giant screens that double as kinetic canvases, among other high-tech flourishes. Shamel Pitts' duet 'Touch of Red' is one of the programs from the new theater's first season that ... More will be livestreamed to audiences everywhere. 'It's a play space for artists and a site of discovery for audiences,' Pamela Tatge, Jacob's Pillow executive and artistic director, said in an interview. 'While the building and landscape are deeply grounded in​ the indigenous ​history of the land, it's also future-leaning because of how it's equipped and what it will provide artists moving forward.' If all the technology packed into the new theater suggests a cold, futuristic steel edifice, the reality is quite the opposite. Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo designed a space that accommodates a robust technical infrastructure while remaining rooted in and inspired by the region's natural beauty. The curved building has organic lines and a thermally treated pine facade designed to weather in harmony with the elements. The theater wall's can close to immerse audiences fully in the technology or open to the outside. A veranda offers natural shading. 'We envisioned a magic wooden box which awakens the senses and deepens the connection between performer and audience, movement and space, light and shadow,' Francine Houben, Mecanoo's creative director and founding partner, said in a statement. Dancers rehearse in the new theater, which was designed to integrate with its natural surroundings. Rising From The Ashes The original Doris Duke Theatre opened in 1990, and the fatal fire engulfed it in November 2020. 'It looked like what a bomb must look like when it goes off,' Tatge told The New York Times after the blaze. 'It was just a pile of steel and wood.' This month's reopening, she said, 'was such a collective expression of joy and possibility, particularly in the midst of such a challenging environment for the arts right now.' The new theater opened with an inaugural exhibition, 'Dancing the Algorithm,' which features immersive, interactive installations, including one that invites audiences to engage with a 360-degree film of an iconic solo by dance doyenne Martha Graham. International artists featured in the exhibit underscore how dance doesn't merely adapt to emerging technology, but shapes and challenges it. For example, an updated version of David Wallace Haskins' 'Time Mirror IV' (seen in the video above) uses AI-powered machine vision to detect human movements, then generates multiple real-time repetitions of them that ripple across the screen like a living time lapse. Nora Gibson's film 'Artificial Dances' includes three vignettes created entirely with AI and scored with music created from the artist's own biological data, collected by sensors. 'Being a dancer, I am interested in what synthetic intelligence means without the embodied experience familiar to humans,' Gibson said in an interview. 'I wanted to answer this question through dance, and to also explore what creativity would mean for me when collaborating with artificial intelligence.' The opening season for the new theater features two digital-first works designed to be experienced virtually from anywhere. 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What makes Wiegman so successful?
What makes Wiegman so successful?

Yahoo

time11 hours ago

  • Yahoo

What makes Wiegman so successful?

To reach one major tournament final is special. To reach the final in all five major tournaments at which you have managed is extraordinary. Only Sarina Wiegman has done it. The Dutchwoman will be hoping to lead England to back-to-back European titles when they face Spain in Sunday's Euro 2025 final (17:00 BST). "It says a lot that when the Netherlands are out of a tournament, there are no questions asked that I will stay to follow England - that's how big Wiegman is," says Dutch journalist Rivkah op het Veld. "Everyone wants to know everything about her." Calm, caring and honest - her personality traits Wiegman was born in The Hague - the third largest city in the Netherlands - and was a PE teacher at a secondary school while playing football. She went on to captain her country and made 99 appearances before retiring in 2003 while pregnant with her second child. "From when I first met her, I thought just what a lovely person she was. She was a great communicator. She knew how to talk to individuals," said former England striker Ellen White. "Being Dutch, she's good at being honest. She gave you a sense of belief, love and passion. That's why everyone, as much as they wanted to win for the team, wanted to win for Sarina." Wiegman is known for being direct "but not blunt", as she stresses, and for her calm demeanour on the sidelines. She rarely shows her emotions, although she has been sharp in media conferences following a defeat, and funny in others when she is more relaxed. A new chant by the fans, who replace the word 'tequila' with 'Sarina' in a song by The Champs, has made her blush in Switzerland. With age and experience, Wiegman has loosened and throughout England's chaotic Euro 2025 campaign, has celebrated intensely, even describing it as being "in a movie" and telling players "they nearly killed her at least twice". The 55-year-old even sang a song in Dutch to the players in a post-match huddle last week. "She shows her excitement a little bit more after games than she used to. She's dancing and singing. When she first came in, we didn't see that so much," said midfielder Keira Walsh. "She's probably one of the best managers I've played for in terms of trying to make everyone feel loved. "It's a really, really difficult job when you're in a tournament. She really, really cares about the human side. "Another thing that you notice is how calm she is. It makes a massive difference in the 95th minute when you're losing 1-0." Defender Alex Greenwood says Wiegman has a "range of personalities" but balances them well. She is often described as a "mum" to the team and Wiegman admits that makes the job hard when she has to make difficult decisions. "We know she has our [backs] for every single moment of every single day," said forward Beth Mead. "She will often say that we all feel like her daughters. She's very protective over us. I think that speaks volumes of the person that she is." 'No matter what Sarina says, you listen' Underpinning Wiegman's personality is a ruthless desire to win. She led the Netherlands to the Euro 2017 title and reached the 2019 World Cup final before doing the exact same with England in 2022 and 2023. Netherlands striker Vivianne Miedema was asked to compare current manager Andries Jonker and Wiegman during Euro 2025. "Both of them are crazy about football. I can call them at 3am if I wanted to discuss something," she said. "They both have their own style of training but they both want to see beautiful football." Wiegman's task was clear when she joined England in September 2021. The expectation was to deliver a major trophy. "Absolutely. I am aware. I come here to bring the next level," was her response when she was first asked about this at her unveiling in front of media. She delivered in the space of 10 months. At Euro 2025, the stakes are even higher. Pressure has increased, scrutiny is more intense and England's opposition are better. Wiegman's motivational speeches have become more significant. "We had a good one before the Italy [semi-final victory] that definitely stood out," said midfielder Ella Toone. "Half-time is when you talk tactics but Sarina's speeches before the games have definitely got us motivated. Sometimes we have gone a goal down, but you still remember the words she said before the game. "You really hold on to every word she says. When she has finished talking, you are ready to go and fight for each other. She has definitely upped her game with these motivational speeches. "No matter what Sarina says, you listen." 'Pragmatist' who sticks with her plan Netherlands boss Jonker, who managed Wiegman during her playing career, says organisation is a "signature" of her teams. Former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley believes she is a "pragmatist", while defender Lucy Bronze says she has had to "evolve" throughout her tenure. But on the surface, Wiegman's winning formula has remained. She has instilled a resilience in her squad, and relies heavily on substitutes coming on to change games. She calls them 'finishers' and believes no matter how late, England can find a way back into games if they are trailing. Rarely changing her starting XI, Wiegman's gameplan is gospel. She makes tweaks when needed, but why make a plan if you are not going to stick with it? "She knows what her players are capable of and sets them up in a way that plays to their strengths. She knows her best XI and wants to keep them on the pitch for as long as possible," said Bardsley. "It was interesting that she learned really quickly where Lauren James would be most effective [at Euro 2025], and that Ella Toone had played her way into the team." Tactically, Wiegman has often been questioned. Does she rotate her players enough? Are her substitutions too late? Has she solved the conundrum of teams working out how to mark Keira Walsh out of games? But at Euro 2025, it has paid off. Following defeat by France, she moved James out wide and added Toone to the team. She switched defenders Jess Carter and Alex Greenwood in the group stages, and went to a back three to bring on more attackers in the dramatic win over Italy, replacing captain Leah Williamson with 19-year-old forward Michelle Agyemang who scored to force extra time. "After the Italy game she was like: 'I did [my substitutions] just in time', which I loved," said White. "She watches what is happening. We want something to happen quickly, but she's that calming presence that's like 'no, wait, let's see what happens'." Former England midfielder Fran Kirby says that at some point "it will probably come unstuck" but it's crucial they maintain a structure, like Wiegman has created. "It's to do with momentum, to do with structure. You're not going to get all these chances [against Spain] that they have got in previous games," said Kirby. "Everyone knows their role and that's set in stone. She knows her team and she sticks with it, giving players a chance to grow." The difficult conversations - honest, empathetic or brutal? Wiegman is also ruthless. She dropped former England captain Steph Houghton in 2022, and told goalkeeper Mary Earps she would not be the number one for Euro 2025. Her honesty is appreciated by many, but not all. "Sarina has always been direct, she always says it how it is, whether you like it or not, and it's something you have to take on the chin," said midfielder Georgia Stanway. "Get the people around you that you need and if she gives you some negative feedback then you know that the rest of the staff are going to help you to fix it." Kirby went from being a starter in 2022, to the fringes of the squad before she was told she would not make the cut for 2025. The Brighton midfielder announced her international retirement early as a result but says Wiegman learned quickly what style of feedback people could handle. "If it's not right for the team, she will be direct with you, regardless of what you are feeling," said Kirby. "But she gets to know you, so you have that respect for her when you do have to have that difficult conversation. You know that it's not personal, it's just she needs more from you or she needs you to do more for the team. "She is just consistent with everyone, regardless of whether you've got 80 caps or five. Everyone is treated the same." White says they had regular one-to-one conversations when Wiegman first took over and they often discussed analysis on Zoom away from camp. "She visits clubs as well, and has communication with club managers. She'll always pick up the phone to you no matter what time it is," added White. "She's so approachable. Yes, she is the manager, but she is a human being. She wants what is best for you." Bardsley's injuries meant she had to retire before making an appearance under Wiegman but she had regular contact throughout her attempted comeback. The ex-goalkeeper was given a six-week deadline to return to play and when it was clear she wouldn't make it, she called Wiegman, who was "very empathetic". "She is really emotionally intelligent and could feel I was disappointed. It probably made her selection headache a lot easier but she said lots of nice things about my career. I was just grateful," said Bardsley. "I would have loved to have played under her. She took the time to have a chat and I really appreciated that because she didn't have to do that." But Houghton did not feel she was given the same treatment and has been critical of Wiegman's approach to her. Writing in her book, Houghton said she felt Wiegman was "pretty brutal" in how she communicated that she would not be part of her squad for the 2023 World Cup. "We were told we would know the final World Cup squad on Tuesday," Houghton wrote. "On the Monday, I had an appearance at St George's Park for Nike. When I went back to the changing room, I had a missed call from Sarina. She didn't know I was there, so when I told her, she asked me to go and meet her in the canteen, where she told me she wasn't taking me. "I found myself wondering if this would have been a face-to-face conversation if I hadn't already been at St George's Park. Sarina told me that I probably wouldn't play for England while she was in charge. "She obviously made her mind up, which is fine and I've got to respect that. The problem was more that I think she'd intended to have this conversation over the phone, and she knew she was going to tell me I wasn't in her plans at all. I thought that called for a face-to-face conversation given the career I'd had." 'She thrives under pressure, she loves it' Dealing with adversity is nothing new for Wiegman. She tested positive for Covid during Euro 2022 and missed their final group game against Northern Ireland. Captain Williamson, Euro 2022 top-scorer Beth Mead and regular starter Kirby were all ruled out of the 2023 World Cup with injury. In the build-up to Euro 2025, she had Earps and Kirby retire and World Cup captain Millie Bright withdraw from selection, all within 10 days. Defeat in their tournament opener by France piled on the pressure, and she was tested in a penalty shootout win over Sweden and with extra-time drama in their semi-final victory over Italy. "She has an amazing family behind her so she is able to step away and not think about football. We need it as players, and the staff do as well," said White. "She has that balance. She also has great technical staff around her who can take on responsibilities so that everything isn't on Sarina. "But she thrives under pressure. She loves it. She's so meticulous in her game plans. She doesn't leave a stone unturned." It was a must-win game against the Netherlands in England's second group game but opposing manager Jonker knew Wiegman would not crumble under pressure. "She is very experienced and she knows you cannot always win. She will not panic, she will be quiet in her head and do everything she she has to do," he said. "Her experience will help her in the moment. It is not a problem for her - but more for everyone around her." Having difficult conversations with players is something Wiegman is not afraid to do - but it is the hardest part of the job. She has to face questions in the media about those situations afterwards, most recently the shock retirement of goalkeeper Earps. With rumours circling that Earps had withdrawn after being unhappy at falling down the pecking order, Wiegman refused to give out details. "The way she handles difficult situations, my perception is that she shares her emotion but the key thing is that she has the right conversations with the right people," said Bardsley. "If she's not happy about something, she goes straight to the source. She won't beat around the bush and complain to other people before dealing with it. "She makes sure these things don't become distractions. There was the element of truth in her emotions around Earps - saying she was disappointed because she was in her plans. "Any time from the outside I've seen her in a difficult situation, she says it's tough and she's honest. She isn't deluded. She always addresses it." Bonded in grief and 'missing' her girls Occasionally, Wiegman's composure is broken - often when arguing with the fourth official or celebrating last-minute goals - but White says she is still calm around the hotel and dressing room. "Obviously she raises her voice in training when she wants to express what she's coaching and what she wants from you," added White. "But there are no grey areas. She doesn't run and go crazy, she's not too low, she just keeps that even keel." Wiegman has learned to enjoy things more and make the most of time spent together with players at major tournaments. She laughs, but agrees, when it is put to her that she is the 'mum' of the squad. "You know, sometimes when people say 'the girls' I think, are they meaning my daughters, or are they meaning my team?" said Wiegman. "It's tricky. I care about them but at the same time I'm the coach. I'm making these hard decisions so sometimes you should leave that caring up to them. "They're grown-up women! But a mum should care. I do [miss them] sometimes. Only when it's urgent or when it's really necessary, I get in contact with them." That maternal role has been important in recent years as midfielder Toone's father died from prostate cancer, after forwards Mead and Rachel Daly also lost parents. Wiegman has also experienced grief. Her sister passed away three weeks before the start of Euro 2022. She celebrated in the final by kissing a bracelet worn in tribute. "We obviously have a deeper connection. We lost two people that were very, very close to us in quick succession," said Mead. "Sarina and I have a great understanding. Hopefully everyone feels like that and you're seeing that on the pitch. She's created that culture." Toone added: "Sarina has been amazing. She spoke to me before the tournament and throughout the tournament. If I ever need anything, I know I can go to her. I'm grateful we have such a good squad." Kirby says Wiegman is "very professional" on the pitch and in training - but she also knows how to have a good time. She eats with the players at meals, and joins in on games they play while on camp, alongside assistant Arjan Veurink, who gets very competitive at ping-pong. Miedema once revealed that she brought a teddy bear to Euro 2017 and a coffee cup to the Olympics in Tokyo as they reminded her of home. At the 2019 World Cup, she had her Euros medal. These objects were used as motivation and she invited players to bring their own things. She did the same before the Euro 2025 semi-final but is keeping her cards close to her chest: "You'll probably hear after the tournament." Whatever happens in Sunday's final, Wiegman is going to enjoy it. Not everyone gets the chance to defend their European title - but if one woman can, it is Wiegman.

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