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Disney is adding another layer to its AI and extended reality strategies. As first reported by Reuters, the company recently formed a dedicated emerging technologies unit. Dubbed the Office of Technology Enablement, the group will coordinate the companys exploration, adoption and use of artificial intelligence, AR and VR tech. It has tapped Jamie Voris, previously the CTO of its Studios Technology division, to oversee the effort. Before joining Disney in 2010, Voris was the chief technology officer at the National Football League. More recently, he led the development of the companys Apple Vision Pro app. Voris will report to Alan Bergman, the co-chairman of Disney Entertainment. Reuters reports the company eventually plans to grow the group to about 100 employees. The pace and scope of advances in AI and XR are profound and will continue to impact consumer experiences, creative endeavors, and our business for years to come making it critical that Disney explore the exciting opportunities and navigate the potential risks, Bergman wrote in an email Disney shared with Engadget. The creation of this new group underscores our dedication to doing that and to being a positive force in shaping responsible use and best practices. A Disney spokesperson told Engadget the Office of Technology Enablement wont take over any existing AI and XR projects at the company. Instead, it will support Disneys other teams, many of which are already working on products that involve those technologies, to ensure their work fits into the companys broader strategic goals. It is about bringing added focus, alignment, and velocity to those efforts, and about reinforcing our commitment being a positive force in shaping responsible use and best practices, the spokesperson said. Its safe to say Disney has probably navigated the last two decades of technological change better than most of Hollywood. For instance, the companys use of the Unreal Engine in conjunction with a digital set known as The Volume has streamlined the production of VFX-heavy shows like The Mandalorian. With extended reality and AI in particular promising tidal changes to how humans work and play, it makes sense to add some additional oversight to how those technologies are used at the company.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/disney-forms-dedicated-ai-and-xr-group-to-coordinate-company-wide-use-and-adoption-205011787.html?src=rss
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One of fantasy and sci-fis all-time greats has passed away. Artist Greg Hildebrandt, known for his iconic work on Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Marvel and Magic: The Gathering, died on Thursday at 85. He and his twin brother Tim, who died in 2006, were a powerhouse duo the Brothers Hildebrandt until they decided to pursue solo careers in 1981. The duo was perhaps best known for their Style B poster (above) for the original Star Wars in 1977. Released in the UK (Tom Jungs Style A was the original US poster), the art shows Luke Skywalker heroically hoisting his lightsaber high above his head like King Arthur wielded Excalibur. Hes flanked by a blaster-toting Princess Leia, with C-3PO and R2-D2 looking on from behind. Darth Vaders imposing mask peers down on them in the background among a sea of stars, the Death Star and starfighters. As for Luke and Leias noteworthy lack of resemblance to Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, neither the Brothers Hildebrandt nor Jung had access to the actors photos. So, they made do with generic hero images that could have been ripped from 1970s fantasy book covers. (Still rad, if not screen-accurate.) The Hildebrandt poster was used in the UK until January 1978, when it was replaced by Tom Chantrells Style C poster, which depicted the actual cast. Greg Hildebrandt / X The brothers were also strongly associated with a series of The Lord of the Rings calendars. Decades before Peter Jackson brought the films to live action (and even before the 1978 animated version), their art which drew on their influence from classic Disney films was the most prominent visualization of Tolkiens epic for many a 1970s fantasy reader. Among Hildebrandts many other projects were comics for Marvel and DC, illustrations for Wizards of the Coast (Magic: The Gathering and Harry Potter), magazines Omni, Heavy Metal and Amazing Stories, album art for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Black Sabbath and a long list of book covers. Hildebrandt also fought for freedom with his artistic gifts. After Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine, he contributed illustrations for Operation USAs benefit anthology comic book series. Profits were donated to Ukrainian refugee relief efforts. Explaining his decision, he wrote, Any project that I can lend my art to that will thwart Putin is a project I will join with all my heart, soul and mind.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/greg-hildebrandt-iconic-star-wars-and-lord-of-the-rings-artist-has-died-at-85-193026772.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
A new update for Instagram posted earlier today could fix one of the most frustrating problems for creators. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, announced a new filtering update on Instagram for creators inboxes. Instagram users with a creator-designated account can now filter message requests in their inbox based on its sender in a similar way to Gmails labels. Creators can still sort their messages by the most recent received and by the number of followers" but they can now filter out certain messages. The new filters include requests and messages from verified accounts, businesses, creators and subscribers. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) The update also includes a way to sort all of your story replies on Instagram. If you go to the top of your inbox, you can also sort and filter your story replies in case you just wanna get to these requests really quickly and easily, Mosseri says. Now theres a lot more to do to improve the inbox for creators and requests but hopefully this is one step in the right direction, Mosseri adds in his video. He also said this feature was one a lot of creators were asking for, so hopefully Instagram will be adding more inbox tools in the near future to make that part of the app a bit cleaner. Instagram has been toying with new ways to update its platform for higher profile users and creators for a long time now. The company started testing its creator account concept in 2018 that allowed celebrities and more famous social media stars to filter their direct messages and track stats of their followers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-reorganizes-message-requests-for-creators-191802121.html?src=rss
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