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Registration Opens for 2024 Robotics Summit & Expo

Retrieved on: 
Friday, January 19, 2024
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The Robotics Summit & Expo brings together the brightest minds in robotics to share their commercial robotics development experiences.

Key Points: 
  • The Robotics Summit & Expo brings together the brightest minds in robotics to share their commercial robotics development experiences.
  • The expo hall at the Robotics Summit will include over 150 exhibitors showcasing their latest enabling technologies, products and services to help robotics engineers throughout their development journey.
  • We’ve added a welcome reception on April 30 from 5-7 PM at the convention center to kick off the Robotics Summit & Expo.
  • The Robotics Summit & Expo will be co-located with DeviceTalks Boston, the premier industry event for medical technology professionals.

Fueling Creativity in the Digital World SIGGRAPH 2023 Technical Papers research showcases innovation in further advancing the field of character animation

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Wednesday, July 26, 2023
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This year, computer scientists, artists, developers, and industry experts around the world will convene 6–10 August in Los Angeles for SIGGRAPH 2023.

Key Points: 
  • This year, computer scientists, artists, developers, and industry experts around the world will convene 6–10 August in Los Angeles for SIGGRAPH 2023.
  • As a preview of the popular Technical Papers program, here is a spotlight of three unique approaches that showcase innovation in advancing the character animation field even further.
  • Each year, the SIGGRAPH Technical Papers program spans research areas from animation, simulation, and imaging to geometry, modeling, human-computer interaction, fabrication, robotics, and more.
  • Get a glimpse of this year's content by watching the SIGGRAPH 2023 Technical Papers trailer , and view the full program for even more detail.

Actors are really worried about the use of AI by movie studios – they may have a point

Retrieved on: 
Monday, July 24, 2023
Pinewood Studios, Technology, Deepfake, Intellectual property, Conversation, University, Disney Research, Contract, Fear, The Conversation, The Walt Disney Company, Television, Human, Research, Lawyer, Language, Amazon, Deadpool 2, Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, Motion, Time, Machine learning, Ethicist, Income, Film, VFX, AMPTP, Artificial intelligence, Ethics, AI, R, Remuneration, Netflix, Female, Film industry, Medical device, Equity, Industry

Film and television actors in the US came out on strike on July 14, causing Hollywood productions to shut down.

Key Points: 
  • Film and television actors in the US came out on strike on July 14, causing Hollywood productions to shut down.
  • The dispute is about remuneration for actors, very few of whom enjoy the high income of Hollywood stars.
  • But an additional argument between the union, SAG-AFTRA, and film producers is about the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

‘Synthetic media’

    • This covers processes such as deepfakes, voice cloning, visual effects (VFX) created using AI, and completely synthetic image and video generation.
    • I have written before about deepfakes for The Conversation, pointing out the benefits as well as dangers.
    • This is a major gender-based issue: it’s almost always female actors whose images are manipulated and used in this way.

Background actors

    • The actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, is particularly concerned about background actors – or “extras” – being exploited by producers using AI manipulation.
    • In the union’s special agreement for background actors, which lists the additional payments that they should receive, there is currently nothing stated about the AI use of recorded footage – the arrival of new technology necessitates a negotiated deal with the producers.

Ethical dimension

    • The current situation is that actors feel obliged to sign away their rights “in all media” and “in perpetuity”.
    • Last week, the union also held rallies in Manchester and London in support of their striking counterparts in the US.
    • But fear is the stronger emotion here: AI is a new technology that sparks deep and legitimate fears for screen actors.
    • Unless they can be reassured about their future, American actors will not be returning to the studios soon.