The Latest Big XR News: Recap on Highlights from 2023

Summary

The video script provides an engaging roundup of the XR industry in 2023, featuring insights from prominent figures like Kevin O'Donovan, Jay L, Amy Pet, Samantha Tabber, Leticia Bashu, and Rory Greener. They discuss the year's highlights, including the rise of generative AI, advancements in AR and XR headsets, a renewed focus on the industrial metaverse and digital twins, and the growing adoption of immersive technologies across various sectors. The conversation touches on intellectual property challenges, the evolution of business models, and the potential impact of emerging technologies on creativity, education, and spirituality. As the host bids farewell, the guests express excitement for 2024 and the transformative developments anticipated in the XR landscape.

Takeaways

• 😄 The year 2023 saw significant progress in the XR industry, including increased adoption and understanding of concepts like the industrial metaverse and digital twins.
• 🎮 New XR hardware releases, such as the Quest 3 and Lego's Brick Tales, showcased the potential for immersive experiences and applications in various industries.
• 📈 Generative AI and its integration into creative workflows emerged as a significant trend, alongside a growing appreciation for human-made creativity.
• 🌐 Interoperability, standards, and file formats gained importance as major players in the industry began collaborating and working towards a more unified ecosystem.
• 🏭 Industrial applications, such as digital twins and simulations, became more prevalent, offering businesses valuable insights and opportunities for modeling future operations.
• 💻 Advancements in AR, virtual production, and mixed reality technologies opened up new possibilities for entertainment, marketing, and communication sectors.
• 🌍 Globally, regions like Europe, China, and India witnessed notable developments and adoption in different aspects of the XR industry, with unique use cases emerging.
• 🎓 Education and training remained significant areas of focus, with XR solutions being explored for enhanced learning experiences and skill development.
• 🧘‍♀️ Spirituality and cultural experiences emerged as compelling use cases, particularly in regions like India, demonstrating the technology's versatility.
• 🔮 The industry is poised for further growth and transformation in 2024, with major events like CES and new product releases expected to shape the landscape.

Q & A

What was the purpose of this discussion?

This was a panel discussion wrapping up the year 2023 for the XR (virtual reality, augmented reality, and extended reality) industry, featuring experts and journalists sharing their perspectives on the highlights and notable moments of the year.

Who were the panelists involved in the discussion?

The panelists included Kevin O'Donovan (co-chair of industrial metaverse and digital twin committee for VAR), Jay L (founder and speaker of The Fusionist), Amy Pet (founder and CEO of Endeavor XR), Samantha Tabber (founder and chief executive of Vinci), Leticia Bashu (director of Virtual Switzerland and chair of the board of directors for XR4 Europe), Satar (project manager and metaverse expert at Sumaru Digital Solutions), and Rory Greener (technology journalist for XR Today).

What were some of the notable highlights mentioned for the XR industry in 2023?

Some of the highlights mentioned included the rise of generative AI and its integration into creative workflows, advancements in AR technology and its use in live performances, the Apple Vision Pro announcement, progress in XR standards and interoperability, the growing adoption of the industrial metaverse and digital twins, and the emergence of location-based entertainment experiences.

What were the perspectives shared on the future of intellectual property (IP) in the XR space?

Amy Pet suggested a shift towards a more open and collaborative approach to IP, where creators release their IP into the world and build an economic construct that allows everyone to participate, rather than hoarding and restricting access. This could inspire others and create new revenue streams.

What were some of the notable use cases for XR in India mentioned by Satar?

Satar mentioned that spirituality and the education/training sectors were two significant use cases for XR in India. He highlighted a project he worked on for the Art of Living organization, creating a metaverse experience for their worldwide members, and the interest from colleges and schools in utilizing XR for training purposes.

What was Leticia Bashu's perspective on the European Commission's initiative on virtual worlds and Web 4.0?

Leticia Bashu expressed excitement about the European Commission's initiative, as it would help democratize the technology, aid in interoperability across Europe's fragmented legal systems, and contribute to public policymaking in the XR space.

What were some of the expectations or predictions for 2024 in the XR industry?

Several panelists expected 2024 to be a transformative year for XR, with major technology companies like Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and Meta launching new XR products and experiences. They anticipated further advancements in areas like mixed reality, spatial computing, and the industrial metaverse.

What was the overall sentiment regarding the future of the metaverse concept?

While acknowledging that the initial hype around the metaverse may have subsided, the panelists generally agreed that the underlying technologies and use cases, such as the industrial metaverse and digital twins, are more valuable than ever and will continue to evolve and gain adoption.

What were some of the challenges or areas for improvement mentioned in the XR industry?

Challenges mentioned included the need for better legal frameworks and knowledgeable professionals to tackle intellectual property issues, the adoption of XR headsets as medical devices for healthcare applications, and the continued development of affordable and accessible XR hardware for mass consumer adoption.

What was the significance of this being the host Deon Kieron's final episode with XR Today?

This episode marked Deon Kieron's final episode as the host of XR Today, after serving as a passionate advocate and platform for the XR industry. He expressed plans to continue being involved in the industry and attending future events, while passing the torch to others.

Outlines

00:00

👋 Welcome and Introductions

The host, Deon Kieron, welcomes everyone to the Christmas edition of the XR Today show. He introduces the guests: Kevin O'Donovan, Jay L, Amy Pet, Samantha Tabber, Leticia Bashu, and Satar. Deon expresses his appreciation for the guests and mentions that this will be his last episode before moving on to new endeavors in the XR industry.

05:01

🎆 Best Moments and Highlights of 2023

Kevin, Jay, and Samantha share their perspectives on the best moments and highlights of the XR industry in 2023. Key points include the rise of the industrial metaverse, the value of immersive experiences, the impact of generative AI, the growth of AR, and the potential of spatial computing and virtual production. The guests also discuss the upcoming Apple Vision Pro and the importance of collaboration and open standards.

10:01

🌐 The Evolution of XR and the Metaverse

Roy Greener shares his thoughts on the uptick and improvement in consumer and enterprise perception of XR in 2023. He highlights the renewed interest in the industrial metaverse, mixed reality headsets, and the involvement of major tech companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon. Roy believes that 2024 will be transformative, with an acceleration in the evolution of XR and a potential shift towards spatial computing.

15:03

🤖 AI, IP, and the Future of XR

Amy Pet discusses the impact of generative AI on the creative industry and the importance of appreciating human-made creativity alongside AI-generated content. She also highlights the need for new economic constructs around intellectual property (IP) and the sharing of creativity in the digital age. Amy emphasizes the role of digital twins as an anchor technology for businesses and the convergence of various technologies in the XR space.

20:04

🇪🇺 European Perspectives on XR and Policy

Leticia Bashu shares insights from the European perspective, including the European Commission's initiative on virtual worlds and Web 4.0, the growth of location-based entertainment experiences, and the challenges surrounding intellectual property and legal frameworks. She also discusses the adoption of XR in healthcare, the potential of European hardware like Lynx and Varjo, and the research contributions from China in computer graphics and vision.

25:06

🇮🇳 XR in India: Spirituality and Education

Satar shares his experiences with XR projects in India, highlighting the successful use cases in the spirituality and education sectors. He discusses the metaverse project for Art of Living, an organization present in 180 countries, and the positive impact of introducing VR headsets to remote villages. Satar also notes the potential for industrial metaverse and digital twins in India as the technology becomes more affordable and accessible.

30:06

🚀 Looking Ahead to 2024 and Beyond

Deon shares his excitement about the positive press and recognition for XR solutions in 2023, attributing it to the industry's focus on pragmatic use cases and showcasing the best offerings from different headset manufacturers. He expresses optimism for the future of XR, drawing parallels to the adoption of smartphones. Kevin O'Donovan and others also share their expectations for major events like CES in 2024.

35:07

🎄 Closing Remarks and Holiday Wishes

Deon concludes the episode by thanking all the guests for their participation and wishing everyone a happy holiday season. He expresses his appreciation for the opportunity to host the show and looks forward to future endeavors in the XR industry.

Keywords

💡XR

XR stands for Extended Reality, an umbrella term that encompasses Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) technologies. This keyword is central to the video's theme, as it discusses the latest developments, trends, and applications of these immersive technologies across various industries. The term 'XR' is used throughout the script when referring to the broader ecosystem of these technologies.

💡Metaverse

The metaverse is a concept of a virtual shared space, created by converging virtually enhanced physical and digital reality. It is a major topic of discussion in the video, with participants sharing their perspectives on the evolution of the metaverse, its adoption across industries, and its potential impact. The script mentions the 'industrial metaverse' and 'digital twins' as key enabling technologies for the metaverse in industries like energy and manufacturing.

💡Industrial Metaverse

The industrial metaverse refers to the application of metaverse technologies in industrial and manufacturing contexts. It involves the use of digital twins, simulations, and extended reality (XR) to create virtual representations of physical assets, processes, and environments for applications like training, design, and operational optimization. The script highlights the increasing adoption of the industrial metaverse concept across various industries in 2023.

💡Digital Twins

Digital twins are virtual replicas of physical assets, processes, or systems that can be used for simulation, monitoring, and optimization purposes. They are mentioned in the script as a key enabling technology for the industrial metaverse, allowing companies to create virtual representations of their physical infrastructure and operations. The script emphasizes the growing recognition of digital twins as an 'anchor technology' for businesses across industries.

💡Generative AI

Generative AI refers to artificial intelligence models that can generate new content, such as text, images, or audio, based on the data they are trained on. The script highlights the rise of generative AI in 2023 and its impact on the creative industries, enabling new workflows and collaborations between human creators and AI systems. It also mentions the philosophical discussions around the role of human creativity in an era of advanced generative AI.

💡Augmented Reality (AR)

Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that overlays digital information, such as text, graphics, or 3D models, onto the real-world environment through a device's camera view. The script mentions the significant progress in AR technology in 2023, particularly in the context of social AR experiences, live performances, and marketing campaigns. The Apple Vision Pro announcement is also highlighted as a major development in AR hardware.

💡Mixed Reality (MR)

Mixed Reality (MR) is a technology that combines elements of both virtual and augmented reality, allowing for the seamless integration of digital content with the physical world. The script discusses the advancements in MR headsets, such as the Meta Quest 3 and the potential of MR for applications like industrial training, design, and entertainment. The convergence of MR with other technologies like Unreal Engine and motion capture is also mentioned.

💡Intellectual Property (IP)

Intellectual Property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, and symbols, that are protected by law. The script addresses the challenges and opportunities surrounding IP in the digital age, particularly with the rise of generative AI and the ability to easily create and distribute content. It highlights the need for new economic models and legal frameworks to encourage collaboration and sharing of IP while also protecting the rights of creators.

💡Virtual Production

Virtual production is a filmmaking technique that combines live-action footage with computer-generated environments and visual effects in real-time. The script mentions the growing adoption of virtual production stages, particularly in the context of the video's participant visiting one of the largest virtual production stages in the world in South Korea. Virtual production is seen as a transformative technology for the entertainment industry, enabling new levels of creativity and immersion.

💡Extended Reality (XR) Solutions

Extended Reality (XR) Solutions refer to the products, services, and applications that leverage XR technologies (VR, AR, and MR) to solve specific problems or enhance experiences across various industries. The script emphasizes the need to highlight the pragmatic and practical use cases of XR solutions in order to drive broader adoption and understanding of the technology's value. Examples of XR solutions mentioned in the script include training simulations, digital twins, and immersive entertainment experiences.

Highlights

Kevin O'Donovan's excitement about the concept of the industrial metaverse and the enabling technologies like simulation, digital twins, and XR gadgets gaining traction in the industry in 2023.

Kevin's amazement with the Lego Brick Tales game on the Quest 3, showcasing the art of the possible with XR technology for industrial applications.

Jay's observation of the widespread use of XR and immersive technologies across various fields like architecture, science, and mythology in 2023, exemplified by the event in Athens.

Jay's realization that the term 'metaverse' might be contentious, but the underlying technology is essential, especially in the transition towards software-defined systems and industrial metaverse.

Samantha's highlight of the rise of generative AI in the creative industry and the aspiration to appreciate human-made creativity alongside AI-assisted creativity.

Samantha's excitement about AR and social AR being implemented in live music performances, as well as the potential of the Apple Vision Pro for her creative projects.

Amy's observation of the importance of standards and interoperability, with big players starting to work together and the metaverse evolving into a broader digital landscape.

Amy's emphasis on digital twins as an anchor technology for every business, and the need to start simple and build out from there.

Amy's advocacy for a new economic construct around IP and creativity, where IP is released into the world, and everyone can participate and share in the royalties.

Leticia's highlight of the European Commission's initiative on virtual worlds and Web 4.0, aimed at democratizing the technology and addressing interoperability challenges.

Leticia's observation of the growth of location-based entertainment experiences becoming profitable in Europe.

Leticia's emphasis on the importance of XR in healthcare and the challenge of having more countries adopt headsets as medical devices.

Satar's observation of the successful use cases of metaverse in the spirituality and education sectors in India.

Satar's project of building a metaverse for the Art of Living organization, allowing people from around the world to experience a spiritual environment.

Deon's recognition of the industry's efforts in showcasing pragmatic use cases, transforming the narrative around XR, and creating excitement for new headsets like the Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro.

Transcripts

hello everyone welcome back we're here

for a Christmas edition of the XR today

big news show my name is Deon kieron

senior journalist XR today bringing you

the latest and greatest from the VR AR

and XR industry and today we've got a

amazing cast amazing group of people

that we're going to be speaking to to

wrap up

2023 so we have on today Kevin o Donovan

he is co-chair of industrial metaverse

and digital twin committee for VAR we

have Jay L founder and speaker of the

fusionist we also have Amy pet founder

and CEO of endeavor XR we also have

joining us Samantha tabber founder and

chief executive of

Vinci uh we also we're going to be

having on a new guest today Leticia

bashu she is the director of virtual

Switzerland and the chair of the board

of directors for xr4 Europe thanks for

joining us today uh Miss vud and then we

have

satar uh he is the project manager and

metaverse expert sumaru digital

Solutions and finally joining me is Rory

Greener technology journalist for XR

today lean the ship so thanks everyone

for joining it's been a pleasure and so

this will be the last episode for with

me um and you know as I always wanted to

say you know it's been a pleasure having

you guys on and um you know wishing you

guys all the best and I'm sure I'm going

to be haunting the annals of the um of

the our industry very very soon so it's

going to be fun anyways we're kicking it

off we're going to start with some of

the best moments in XR history for 2023

we're wrapping up the season and thanks

for joining with your ugly Christmas

sweaters now um so starting off with

Kevin Kevin can you tell us some of the

things that you found were amazing for

2023 in the

industry sry supp very very quickly

there's two things one would be kind of

let's say structurally across the

industry um in the world I live in I

think it's been a very good year around

you know more and more people in the

industry in energy getting their heads

around the concept of well what is this

industrial metaverse and what can we do

and you look at all the you know event

after event over the year announcement

after announcement of more and more

people looking at some of the enabling

Technologies you know whether that's

simulation with digital twins

uh XR VR new gadgets just getting their

heads around the the the art of the

possible so I think that's been an

excellent year and I suppose personally

a standout moment for me in terms of the

art of the possible um I recently got a

quest three I've spent the last two day

playing Lego's brick Tales nice it is

incredible now for folks that know me a

bit of a child right but but in terms of

the art of the possible the graphics the

mixed reality you know all I can think

of the the capabilities you could use

this kind of technology for in industry

is you know mind-blowing so there'd be

mine and if I may um Demond you know not

only have you been an excellent host of

the show over the year you're one of the

biggest advocates for this industry out

there so I wish you all the best for

2024 I'm gonna hop in and say that my

least favorite uh thing that happened

this year is that we're not going to get

to do this with uh with you in

2024 no ways no ways I mean yeah like I

said um I'll have some things in store

definitely for everyone because I am

like I said I'm going to take it a step

further with the industry so I'm

definitely going to keep you guys posted

um you know with my whereabouts so we

had Kevin in there and we're gonna also

take it over to Jay um Jay I know you've

had a lot to say about the industry and

I'm really really appreciated your

commentary on the show so um tellas what

did you think was the best part of 2023

for

you um the best moment in

2023 was to see how um XR anything in

the immersive is being used um we've

been with Amy um in in Athens um in May

and simply to see how the people oh yes

of course far more people were have been

there um so um to to to to see how this

is being used from uh from architecture

from science from the whole mythology so

there is really uh to to to Showcase how

valuable this technology is the second

best moment was to realize after several

uh talks with Cavin that metaverse is

not that maybe the term is that but the

technology is living on it's in very

essential part especially when we are

transitioning towards software defined

everything towards uh uh building uh

industrial metaverse all of these

digital Twins and so so the technology

itself is not de just a few loud mouths

are claiming that it's that um I'm

personally happy that all of this nft

is is gone that it collapsed um

one set moment for me was to realize

after an accident that uh I'm currently

not able to CD in 3D so for me anything

about uh this immersive stuff is Hard As

soon your um eyesight drops on on on on

one side so this is really something

I've not been thinking about before um

so really this kind of how helpful it is

how you miss it when you can't use it

anymore and that's simply the whole

metaverse even if it might be named in a

slightly different way it's not that

it's there it's it's more valuable than

ever and I personally hopefully when

when this here will be resolved I'm

looking forward to the Vision

Pro and of of course

Damon this show without you yeah you are

breaking my like I said there will be

more in cont there'll be more

incarnations later on so I definitely I

said definitely appreciate um the

positive feedback and everything you

know the show has been like a very good

vessel for us to kind of bring together

some of the best Minds you know of the

industry and um get a platform for them

to you know speak their mind about

what's taking place and it's all in real

time so you know I definitely appreciate

everyone's commentary know over the last

God it's been two and a half years

almost well two and a half years more

than two and a half years for at least

you know us getting people on and

speaking to them directly and then

forming the show maybe about a year or

so ago so thank you uh yeah we're gonna

jump down I'm gonna actually get in uh

Sammy um as far as your commentary for

2023 what would you say was a highlight

because you've been there in the

metaverse industry especially in the

music and um create a Content

side well first of all I just want to

thank you for having me on the show and

for all your all your support this year

like it's an honor to be with all these

really incredible people here um in the

show and you know all the diverse

commentary about the industry the

industry is very exciting you know um so

I'm feel a privileged to be a part of it

um I think a highlight moment for just

in general was obviously the rise in

generative AI in the world of creativity

and um that opened up a whole you know

Pandora's Box let's say for creatives to

be able to implement AI in their

workflows but I think uh the cherry on

top of that is like I do a lot of

speaking as well at conferences and

there's been this movement to appreciate

more human-made creativity not just AI

creativity and also this aspiration to

just be better as a creative you know

use AI not only as a sping partner but

also be reflective and think about you

know more from a philosophical angle

what can um human creativity bring to

the table that AI cannot so it's an

interesting you know weighing up of the

whole thing um but in terms of specific

Technologies this year besides

generative AI um AR has been huge

obviously uh social AR and seeing

musicians as well uh Implement that in

their live performances like it wasn't

really live but gorillas they did a AR

activation you know at Time Square and

they did it at Picadilly that was kind

of before 2023 but then we've seen so

many campaigns since then because they

were leading the way uh with their

collaboration with Google uh the Apple

Vision Pro announcement was huge um as a

creative it's very exciting because I'm

trying to build a franchise it's beyond

just the the superheroin character of

Vinci there's a very cool cast of

characters it's a Space Opera story uh

based 500 years in the future and I've

got this novel it's like the blueprint

but then it becomes this whole open

world you know World building thing and

you know it's just incredible what you

can do with spatial content uh with

Unreal Engine virtual production and uh

as a live performer personal highlight

for me was we're talking about Athens

earlier Jay mentioned it uh the Exile

Summit bringing you know the iteration

of the BCI show at that time uh to

Athens and uh thinking about how to

bring immersive uh theater basically and

what's really exciting about uh disguise

as well as a as a technology is its

collaboration with unroll engine with

move AI for markless motion capture and

uh there's really cool projects such as

like met arenas being developed um in

major capital cities in the world and I

think the first one will be in London

for next year and that would be you know

one of those venues that are not just

for music performances but for all

different Industries and having this

sort of realtime presence whether you're

actually in the venue or not so it's

really groundbreaking from an

entertainment perspective and uh thank

you once again for having me on the show

no my pleasure my pleasure yeah and

thanks for sharing those insights with

us um we're now actually jump all the

way down to we're going to jump to Roy

Greener now we've been covering a lot of

the news taking place across the

industry um and you know there's been so

much going on and I think this is

actually been kind of a bit of an uptake

or an upswing uh compared to 2022 uh Roy

what would you say about the last few

moments um of

2023 yeah of course um I just want to

firstly also Echo the comment the

opening comments of everyone else as

well which is you know highly appreciate

the work you know on this show and the

conversations of which we've had on this

show and then obviously you know the

past near three years before you know

around that too um I want to make that

of note but going with what you're

saying 2023 I think was a very very

important year um mainly because of as

you say the uptick then also the

Improvement I think in consumer and

Enterprise Optics of XR I I say it quite

a lot but I do think at the start of the

year um there was maybe a bit of

uncertainty and a bit of um patchy

nature perhaps to the um performance and

perhaps to the um impression that set

things like the metaverse um and head

via headsets the promises and the

marketing kind of you know maybe muddy

that water muddy the Optics a bit but

how I feel however now coming into 2024

you know we got such a big renewed

interest in things like the industrial

metaverse Mr headsets thanks to

companies like Microsoft and Apple Etc

um I think we're going to see some of

these really big General digital

technology providers we're going to see

those in see those companies enter the

market now with with experience and then

also a strong product out there too um

it's I do feel like we're going to sort

of see some fail and some succeed but I

think now we're getting such big names

in the XR space again for Consumer and

Enterprise such big names of like Amazon

as well Amazon Microsoft meta um there's

just so many big names now involved in

the XR space I think 2024 is going to be

uh transformative and I think it's going

to have the same effect that this year

has had but tenfold which is seeing um

our standards of EX are whether it be

gener people generally using VR headsets

but that changed to Mr headsets this

year that changed it went from the

metaverse to Industrial metaverse it

might go industrial metaverse to spatial

Computing next year we're going to see

that Evolution grow um we're not going

to see a Tipping Point of full ubiquity

but the evolution is going to be again

tenfold next year I think that's very

exciting just basing the developments

this year as mentioned generative AI is

another big part of that as

well right right yeah we've seen a lot

going on with the headsets especially

with the Met class 3 we've got vario xr4

we've had so many things happen also

with the Apple Vision Pro which we're

set to see you know coming into 2024

hopefully q1 and yeah so there's going

to be a lot taking place in there I

think it's going to be a Quantum like a

qualitative leap a massive so yeah we're

GNA go over to Amy pet thanks for

joining us all the way from where you uh

San Francisco today uh I'm actually in

Santa Monica I'm close to the beach

Beach uh warm I think uh everyone might

be getting some chilly weather um so I'm

not going to brag about that but I'm

pretty happy about

it uh and I did realize that I that I

spent um less than a hundred days in in

my home so and I'm here for almost three

full weeks so that it is it is blissful

I have to say um so you know this has

been a really interesting year I think

there there have been a lot of you know

kind of pivotal moments and you know I

think as as we've already heard you know

Apple Vision Pro announcement I think

you know it it's not the end all Beall

but it's it's an important marker in the

evolution of the technology and and and

really bringing the hardware into the

hands of consumers because they largely

don't care you know now but I think

they're going to start to care more uh I

think you know you know meta's new

device is phenomenal and I think it's

it's another step towards true you know

mixed reality and and and kind of the

magic wayf fars I see a lot happening

with standards it's not sexy but we're

starting to see um you know the the big

players start to get behind um you know

file formats and thinking about

interoperability and actually you know

working together and all playing nicely

in the sandbox and that's a really

really important component um and I and

I agree with Jay although um you know on

the metaverse not being dead although

uh if you if you look on my LinkedIn

post of a couple of days ago uh there's

a very big slide that says the metaverse

is dead long live the M which was part

of my my talk at at websummit um and and

and and it was I I sort of prefaced that

by saying that yes it is dead in its

initial iteration but now we're starting

to to look through and what this digital

landscape can really mean for us um and

then riffing a little bit on what Sammy

said you know Jenner ative AI Behind

These virtual environments and this

technology and and and it's kind of why

I think all of us have always been

talking about the convergence of

Technology as opposed to these

individual

Technologies they are going to now

combine and be fundamental in every

business and I'll and I'll say that

digital twin is you know in my mind an

anchor technology for every single

business in the world today uh and and

it's not like you have to build a level

five fully functional you know fully

Federated you know online always on

digital twin you know the the level of

compute and complexity of that is

significant but starting now wherever

you need to plug in and wherever you can

find the most

value and then and then build out from

there and then you know it is a build it

once and deploy across multiple business

units type of Technology

that allows you to have insights not

only into your physical space but then

to model out how we're going to do

business in the future and the last

thing I'll talk about which I think is

really important is starting to change

the way we think about IP there's too

much talk about ownership and mine mine

mine and it's not about that and I love

what Grimes did she put her voice out

there on the blockchain she said

creators go for it make great music

don't be sorry I hate to swear

but I I I get inspired by Jay this early

in the morning I've had some caffeine so

I'm a little

FY and and it it's just on a smart

contract and you split the royalties

5050 and I said that at an event filled

with Hollywood people and a lot of

lawyers and agents in Hollywood a couple

of months ago and then the room fell

silent and I said I know you're not

gonna like this but instead of you know

kind of hoarding everything and having

this you know towards me motion what

happens if you have an

expansive motion looking outward and

releasing IP into the world and building

an economic construct that allows

everybody to participate you as the base

owner of that kind of you

know IP and the originator of the IP

that everyone's kind of building

on there is frankly it's like a

multi-level marketing scheme but there

is an opportunity to build a new kind of

economic construct around IP and

creativity where you're inspiring others

and inviting people in as opposed to

keeping people out because the digital

age isn't going to really allow for that

and in fact it's going to make it easier

than ever to steal

content absolutely yeah one of the the

landscape of um you know intellectual

property especially like legal

ramifications for using things like AI

uh using things like creative and

generative AI it's just going to prompt

an entire new industry to you know

interact with XR I think we're going to

see a lot of that um thanks so much for

sharing that so yeah we're going to jump

over to latia bash um what would you say

you know coming from um XR for Europe

and from your experience working with um

the immersive world what would you say

was some of the biggest you know

highlights for

2023

um thank you first for having me I

haven't seen this folk since Athens and

I'm so thrilled and I I hope we see each

other again next year so um for me here

in in in Europe in general there was one

big month it was July 23 because the

European commission

actually voted and started um working on

the virtual worlds and web 4.0

initiative and I has been huge because

we're going to be part of it we've been

you know um in discussion for public

policymaking and this is really

something that will not only help people

um understand the technology democratize

the technology but also help with the

interoperability of it and that's really

a a Big Thrill here especially because

we're so fragmented as you know in in

legal system

Etc and then um there is also this

business model that I really like that

is the location based um entertainment

experiences that I've seen making

profits for the first perhaps or the

second year in a row and that is really

becoming something that we see grow in

in in Europe I I I've been in SE three

weeks and I've seen the same there and I

have the impression it's the same across

the pond um on the American side in SE I

wanted to um bounce back on what you

said Emmy the IP really amazed me how

much into IP they are and how little we

know about this here you know first we

don't have the not only the legal

framework but also we don't have the the

knowledgeable people to tackle these

challenges um you have very few law

firms that are actually able

to well when we try you know when we

deposit a project or we submit um an ID

you you need to find these Niche lawyers

to help you out so it's it's it's

something that will be expanding and I

wish that blockchain could help toward

what you were saying ammy and then I

I've also noticed that um not only XR is

merging toward Mr obviously in every

context and mainly in Industry 5.0 but

also it's been hugely and widely um a

health care year like XR for medical

purpose year and I think also that one

of the challenges of next year is to

have as many countries

adopting headsets as medical device and

that will be really something that could

help us not only with a reimbursement

from insurances but also with making it

Global and impacting those who cannot

normally get the training or the care

they need and also the recovery perhaps

or a help they need so yes that was for

me um I think also that it's been very

helpful the MRN XR in general with the

cadaster we see that a lot with

architecture

and personally I'm super psyched about

links and vario um new headsets coming

up those are the European Hardware

headsets so I try to you know I put a

little bit of a European um yeah into

into this and I know here in Switzerland

there are a lot lot of um research

projects on Optics so everything

computer

vision and um I was also told because

the computer Graphics in in um

International that conference will

happen next July in Geneva I've I've

heard from one of the chairs of that

conference that actually China

is super thriving because most of the

research papers so peer-to-peer reviewed

papers come from China around 60% and

that China has the most universities per

capita in the world so this is also

something to you know when thinking Pico

for you know like there there is a lot

to think about and on my side I've been

super super ecstatic over my stay my

three weeks stay in in Su in South Korea

um I've visited the virtual production

stage one of the biggest in the world

and this is also mindblowing what it can

change and do in the commun

communication marketing area so that's

for me sorry it was a bit long no no no

no you mentioned also soul that used to

be my old Stomp and ground when I used

to live there I think I was there for

about nearly four years I saw a lot of

the stuff that was coming out of the

Samsung Experience Center that was based

in yeah gangam if I'm not mistaken so

you know just imagine what they're going

to be able to create when they release

you know the Samsung VR headset I think

that's going to be phenomenal as well

apparently they're not on it no not oh

no yeah

interesting okay yeah they I I mean I

for me LG and or Samsung they should get

into the competition but apparently

perhaps they their you know their NDA is

very very strong but

uh do you have insights there do you

have like because we've been there we've

talked to Engineers but Samsung is

rumored to be working with um with

Hollow lens and they they were at one

point talking about bringing a consumer

version of of hollow lens

too and that's what I would expect but

you

know cool cool now so like last but not

least but certainly not least we have

Sam rut satam R I need to make sure I'm

pronouncing that correctly um now for

you um what would you say would be the

highlight of 2023 for you uh based on

your research

yeah um first of all thank you demon for

uh you know enough enthusiasm to um make

us in one team and discussing all these

things you know I for the first time

here so maybe from from I'll just tell

the story from India side is a little

bit different here you know in India and

I have worked on different projects so

two things I have realized like apart

from the whole world what metaverse is

going on uh in terms of Indian market uh

two things like which have worked which

is which uh one is spirituality and and

the training and education sector in

India is huge you know people come for

uh spiritual revisit here and there lot

of it's a young country a lot of young

people so there are lot of talents who

there are lot of uh opportunity in the

education sector I mean uh people

schools and

colleges there are lot of other projects

but in these two sectors what I've seen

in last year

they have worked the best the met the

use cases of the metaverse what I can

say earlier we had many use cases in

when meta started I mean it was always

there but when the hike came and a lot

of people started to develop projects

but now we have slowly find fine tuning

to a particular use cases which is

working well like Ro said like metaverse

is going to be industrial metaverse

digital twins they going to move to and

also in entertainment like Sammy said

like it is more of

it's we are moving towards the best use

cases over the time so in India what I

found two use cases one is spirituality

because people go to lot of temples here

a lot of people if you see India if you

come to India all welcome to India there

lot of people's going to Temples if you

see the videos You'll Be Amazed how

people go you know and we have built

like I personally I have La a project of

building a metaverse for an organization

called Art of Living which is there in

180 countries and uh so there there are

a lot of people from everywhere they

wanted to come and to be in one place so

we had done metaverse project for them

and it was really phenomenal because

people cannot come from all of the world

to a place to but they but they want to

have that Scenic and Beauty and the

ambience of how the uh the you know

spiritual India will look like so we had

done a project for them and it worked

well so I mean to say all the temples

and metaverse it can be it can be like

it is it is one of the biggest use case

one of the second one is education

sector where people want to get trained

in Colleges and Schools uh what I have

realized I am I have gone to different

colleges also to give training on this

topics on the VR and AR and metaverse

and they have really quite felt the need

of metaverse in this space education

space the training space and in these

two sectors uh in terms of projects in

terms of metaverse these are the two big

fields in India which has a a great it

because India is a great market and

people are young and smart and they can

they want to really do big things and

you know even the one of the best mov in

my life I we went to a remote Village

you know where it's it's a northern part

of India where where there are no like

you know much into uh much scope of

Internet we we took our Quest headset we

went on a tracking and we made them uh

wear this headset and we made them

realize they were oh they were this

little like little girls were enjoying

oh I would fall from this hill by here

so that was one of the best you know by

uh like you know showing them something

they didn't imagine even in their city

or in the village that was one of the

best moment for us and in terms of in

terms of projects I did this project I

found these are the two top projects

like which India is like India has lot

of potential to do it and apart from

industrial uh industrial metaverse it is

slowly it has a time it is slowly

catching like you know it has to like it

is taking time to realize to make the

use of the digital tning in India it

will take time I think it will still

because what in my vision what I feel

when mobile and VR device is a

competitor when we have like maybe it

will take time when we have this VR

headset like my specs and it is very

easy it is very cheap I think then maybe

more people will use metaverse

seamlessly yeah because right now we

have lot of devices in terms of device

development it is being developed and

the time will come when it is as easy as

mobile or as more dependent on less

dependent on mobile rather than my our

VR headset I think that space that time

or VR all this projects whatever think

whatever we we have the vision it will

take it will take a Le Bri thanks so

much for sharing that and yeah uh

looking at some of the reports from the

you know the Indian XR industry we found

that the geog glass has been a major

success and I think that they're going

to use that as kind of a pilot for what

they can do as far as developing an

ecosystem within the you know the Indian

subcontinent so thanks so much for

sharing that um I'm going to share you

actually a quick thing here I guess my

uh number one thing for 2023 so this is

in the Charlotte Observer Today so

whoever reads that we found that

we have some good news about meta

finally for the first time in quite a

bit of time you know since the whole

metaverse um you know the started um

last year where there was a lot of ups

and downs both in um you know XR as well

as web 3 and you know a lot of

decentralized finance and things of that

nature so finally we're actually seeing

an environment as as far as press um is

concerned where you know XR Solutions

are finally being hailed and louded for

you know the hard work that they're

doing so it's about turning that

narrative around and getting people to

understand the value of XR and using

kind of the transformation that we had

in 2022 you know that big challenge

actually come back even stronger in 2023

so what I think a lot of the industry

did is they focused more towards the the

um the pragmatic and I think that you

know by exercising and highlighting

those different pragmatic uses cases we

created kind of like a boiling frog you

know vantage point for the XR industry

and that allowed us to showcase the best

bits from each different you know

headset manufacturer you know Kevin and

Jay you were you know heavily involved

in the industrial metaverse which has

pretty much transformed the way people

are talking about the XR industry uh

because now we see the real return on

investment so by highlighting that and

then of course you know with Meta Meta

was always kind of the litmus test since

they were the first to emerge and talk

about you know creating these XR

Solutions which would ultimately lead to

the metaverse 10 years down the road but

um due to a lot of the kind of negative

press that we saw a lot of the

misconstrued um you know context that

was placed in it I think that we were

able to actually kind of pull that back

and through all of our Collective

efforts we're able to kind of show

exactly how to conceptualize the

metaverse how to conceptualize XR I like

the use cases then finally you know when

these new headsets started to emerge we

saw that people were actually wow this

is exciting stuff how do I get involved

where do I go pick up my quest three

where when can I play with the Apple

Vision Pro uh Pro and things of that

nature so we're going to see a lot more

of that I feel in 2024 where people can

actually start to really incorporate XR

into their everyday lives the same way

the smartphone emerge oh smartphone how

are we going to use that can't I just

use my computer and now we see everyone

has got a smartphone on their watch

they've got a smartphone in their pocket

and I'm speaking to you on a smartphone

right now so you know there's a lot of

things we'll see there but yeah that is

my take on it and I just wanted to say

to everyone once again you know as far

as um the future I will still be very

very much involved in the XR industry

getting some things together and you

know I will definitely see you guys at

some of the new events taking place

hopefully in 2024 and you know like I

said this is one of my passions you know

if I used XR today as kind of a vehicle

for you know kind of giving those

passions and expressing them using them

whether or not in writing or in video so

that will continue I can definitely

tell well I was going to say you know I

know Amy and myself and maybe a few

others we're going to be at CES after

Christmas um we have um the the jarro

Pico Samsung you name it uh Sony they're

all announcing things Seamans are doing

the opening keynote on redefining

reality um so let's let's see what what

what how 2024 kicks off with all the new

headsets and all the things and I I

still think we have a long way to go but

2024 as many of you said I think it's

going to be an interesting year I think

that's very well said Kevin I think CES

is one to keep half an eye on I think

next month and sou by who is going to

South by for f semi I think so that's

the

plan you okay trying to go trying to

meet the ladies there all right okay

well let me know let me know every year

wonderful everyone thanks so much once

again my name is Kon senior General sexr

today we've had on Kevin o Donovan Jay L

Amy pet Samantha tabber latia

Bashar but I got it there you go and R

it's been a pleasure and everyone have a

lovely happy holiday season whatever you

celebrate even if it's just lounging

around watching TV with the family have

a wonderful time and see you around soon

bye

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