• Innovation Network Newsletter
  • Posts
  • INN015: Meta’s Orion Glasses | Unity 6 | OpenAI Advanced Voice Model | NotebookLM Update | DomoAI | Explainable AI | Harari's Nexus

INN015: Meta’s Orion Glasses | Unity 6 | OpenAI Advanced Voice Model | NotebookLM Update | DomoAI | Explainable AI | Harari's Nexus

The newsletter to thrive in an exponential world

Ready to dive into the latest tech breakthroughs? This week’s edition is packed with more insights than ever, and we’ve got some serious game-changers to share.

First up: Meta’s Orion AR glasses are redefining innovation with neural interfaces and real-time translations. The future of AI-powered AR is closer than you think.

Next, let’s talk Unity 6—pushing the limits of 3D content creation. From photorealistic environments to new tools for industries beyond gaming, this release is a must-watch.

NotebookLM, Boy oh Boy, wait till you’ve tried this. Turn anything into a Podcast, almost instantly. Boring Scientific Paper? → NotebookLM. Boring work Email thread from colleagues? → NotebookLM, Business Report? → NotebookLM. Youtube Video? → NotebookLM.

Also, don’t miss the shakeups at OpenAI. Leadership changes are shaking up the race to AGI, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

We dive into Explainable AI (XAI) because understanding how AI makes decisions is essential for trusting its impact on our world.

And we wrap up with our thought on Harari’s “Nexus”

Why does all this matter? 
Stick with us and find out. Let’s keep riding this tech wave together, and don’t forget to follow us on socials for more.

Cheers,
Patrick, Nikola & Aragorn 🚀

Meta's Orion Glasses: The AR Revolution is Here

via slate.com

The Zuck is back!

It’s been two years since Facebook became Meta.

It’s been one year since the Metaverse ‘failed’ and Zuck started his Personal Brand transformation.

At Connect 2024, Meta’s Orion AR glasses made jaws drop. Billed as “the most advanced piece of consumer tech ever created,” these $10,000 prototypes are set to rewrite the rules of innovation. With a Neural Interface wristband reading signals from your hand, you control the future — well kinda 😹😹.

In a few years, these glasses could ditch the bulky compute puck and run off your smartphone. Add to that real-time AR translations and gesture-based control, and suddenly, the future is now. Meta’s long game is clear—AR will eventually be the new normal, and Zuckerberg’s ensuring Meta leads the pack.

Why does it matter?
It’s a big leap into a new era of entertainment, work, leisure, and business. Meta’s Orion glasses will likely transform how we shop, interact, and work by blending digital elements seamlessly into our everyday environment. Companies need to start thinking about how they can leverage this AR technology to deliver cutting-edge experiences, paving the way for the future of consumer engagement.

Unity 6: The New Gold Standard for 3D Creation 

via Gaming nerd

Unity 6 has arrived. This powerhouse 3D engine is redefining photorealism, giving creators unprecedented control over high-end environments. While AI might be generating worlds, Unity is where real artists come to craft.

Despite backlash from developers over licensing pricing changes, unity’s dominance in mobile gaming is still unrivaled. But here’s the real story: Unity’s improvements go beyond gaming, providing tools that will impact all industries as long as the metaverse will come roaring back to life. Starbucks and Adidas opened stores on Roblox this year, doubling down, and Roblox itself has integrated Generative Ai.

All of this shows that 3D digital worlds are already developing in an increasingly important channel for businesses. GenZ spends upward of 8 hours a week in virtual worlds, and they care about their digital lives. Spending is going up, as each year more of these youngsters enter the economy as fully-fledged participants, buying and selling digital goods.

Why does it matter?
For non-gaming decision-makers, this is a significant development. Unity’s improvements aren't just for games, its advances in photorealistic 3D environments will allow for applications for dozens of industries and the future of online shopping. The competition between Unity and Unreal ensures the quality bar keeps rising, benefiting all sectors reliant on cutting-edge 3D technology.

ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Model

via techcrunch

Finally! Advanced Voicemode is finally here. After all the waiting, all the Drama with Scarlet Johanson (Red. We still think her demanding the voice change was a massive mistake.) But now it is here, it is genuinely magical and takes conversational AI to the next level.

With natural voice synthesis and real-time dialogue capabilities, this voice model allows users to engage in seamless, lifelike conversations with AI. It's a game-changer for customer service, sales, and even education, offering users an interactive tutor experience.

X.com is already blowing up with crazy applications, like tuning a guitar and providing genuine language education, including accents and pronunciation, and these are just scratching the surface of what it’s capable of.

While North American users are already chatting away with this groundbreaking technology, European Union members are locked out. Thanks to the EU’s stringent AI regulations, including the AI Act, Europeans have to jump through VPN hoops just to test out this revolutionary feature. The act, which aims to curb potential behavioral manipulation by AI, has unintentionally stifled access to what could be one of the most important technological leaps of our time.

But don’t worry! Aragorn has figured out how set it up if you are residing in the European Union.

 Why does it matter?

ChatGPT’s advanced voice model is redefining how businesses and individuals interact with AI. With natural-sounding, real-time conversations, this technology has the potential to transform customer support, sales interactions, and even personalized learning experiences. Whether you're looking to streamline operations or create more engaging user experiences, this is the AI advancement you can’t afford to ignore.

OpenAI Leadership Shakeups: The Race to AGI Heats Up

via TechCrunch

What’s happening inside OpenAI? With Mira Murati and Ilya Sutskever out, the company is facing serious upheaval. Rumors are swirling—was it personal? Professional? Either way, CEO Sam Altman isn’t slowing down. His eyes are still on the prize: Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).

Altman’s playing high-stakes poker. With competitors hot on his heels, he’s doubling down on AGI—even if the odds are 10%. In this race for world-changing tech, there’s no second place. Meanwhile, Europe’s over-regulation is pushing them out of the AI revolution, leaving the U.S. and China in the driver’s seat.

Why does it matter?
Leadership shakeups in one of the world’s most powerful AI companies should concern everyone. AI’s future is being shaped by a select few, and their decisions will likely impact all of us.

Turn anything, anything at all, into a Podcast

via notebookLM

How many emails have you read that contained 90% fluff and 10% of what you needed to know? How many times did you need to know something, found a website, and had to wade through page after page of non-relevant information to find the golden nuggets?

How many work reports have you read that put you to sleep? How much time have you lost catching up on Email threads after the holidays?

Well, that time is OVER. Introducing NotebookLM.

Notebook LM can take anything, transcribe it, and allow you to ask questions directly related to the content. Digest complex long-form content in ways that do not put you to sleep.

Unlike the recent rage of ‘Ai Summaries’ that basically present content in a way that ensures you’ll forget literally everything about it again within days, NotebookLM presents anything you give it, anything at all, in a format that makes it interesting, even exciting and enjoyable, which will allow you to absorb the core learnings or insights much, much better.

Why does it matter?

NotebookLM will make your work life exponentially more enjoyable by turning drudgery into entertainment, and making it far more easily digestible, on your bike, in the train, or when you’re unloading the washing machine.

DISCLAIMER: It’s still an AI model processing data, so be careful in feeding it very sensitive or NDA type of content!

Unleash Your Inner Creator with Domo AI

via SejinAI YouTube

Domo AI isn’t just another tool in the sea of creative platforms—it’s the one with superpowers. Whether you’re a pro wanting to shave hours off your workflow or a rookie just dipping your toes into AI-driven art, Domo’s got your back. It’s the creative revolution you didn’t know you needed, and it’s going to make your next masterpiece faster than you can say “Ctrl + Z.”

Key Features:

  • AI Video Generator: You can now turn your regular ol' videos into cinematic, animated wonders. Pick from 30+ styles—whether you’re in the mood for some anime flair or cyberpunk vibes.

  • Image-to-Video: Ever looked at a static image and thought, "Meh, it needs more oomph”? Well, now you can transform that image into a dynamic, scroll-stopping video. Perfect for your next viral post or high-impact presentation.

  • Text-to-Image: Describe what’s on your mind, and boom—you've got a visual that brings your wildest ideas to life.

  • AI Upscaling: Got a blurry, low-res image? Domo AI can sharpen it up like a charm, giving your images and videos that crispy 4K look without breaking a sweat.

Why does it matter? 
Domo AI lets you pump out high-quality content at scale without burning out your team—or your budget. The integrations with Databricks, OpenAI, and Hugging Face mean it’s not just a toy for creatives. It’s a powerhouse tool for anyone from casual creators to full-blown developers looking to stay ahead of the curve.

Why Explainable AI (XAI) Will Shape the Future of Trust

via unaligned.io

XAI enables transparency in AI-driven decisions, making it easier to detect biases, diagnose errors, and ensure ethical, fair outcomes. Whether in loan approvals, medical diagnoses, or autonomous driving, explainability helps AI developers refine systems while building trust with users, who need confidence that these models work fairly and accurately.

Why does it matter?

In a world where AI calls the shots, trust is everything. XAI ensures we understand how and why AI makes decisions—because in life-or-death scenarios like healthcare, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Nexus: A Not So Brief History of Information Networks

via The Guardian

In this article Patrick explores how networks of information, from ancient times to the digital age, have shaped human civilization. Drawing on Yuval Noah Harari's ideas, he discusses the evolution of networks, from early human societies using gossip to maintain cohesion, to the modern internet's role in global connectivity. He emphasizes the pivotal moments in history when new information networks emerged, such as the printing press, telecommunication, and now AI-driven digital platforms, fundamentally transforming how societies function.

The article also delves into the concept of Homo Nexus, a future stage of human evolution where individuals and AI systems will be interconnected, forming a vast network of intelligence. This shift could revolutionize everything from economics to culture, but it also raises questions about privacy, identity, and control in a world dominated by information flows. Humanity is on the verge of its next significant transformation, driven by the rapid advancement of AI and information networks. Read the whole article 👇️ 

Newsletter full video recording

That’s all for this week 🫢 

Want to get inspired on a daily base? Connect with us on LinkedIn.

Want to get your brand in front of 12k innovators? Send us an email.

How did we do this week?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.