Looking for your next read at the intersection of art, technology, and our world? The AMT Lab team shares what they have on their bookshelves this season. From the rise of AI in marketing to the urgent need for climate action, our team discusses the books we found most impactful. Read more to find insights on accessibility, the power of music, and the future of culture.
VR Painting Software versus Traditional Painting -- What Wins?
In the last two years, more than a dozen Virtual Reality tools have emerged, offering artists a wide range of mediums to express their creativity. These VR platforms have allowed every type of artist to showcase their talents in the Metaverse. This article delves into an exploration and comparison of VR, 2D painting software applications, comparing their capabilities against traditional oil and acrylic painting techniques. If you are an artist considering investing in a headset for your artistic endeavors or simply choosing an app, this article will provide a comprehensive side-by-side comparison of these programs with their real-life counterparts.
The Future of AI-Generated Videos: Synthesia and D-ID
Platforms like Synthesia and D-ID allow users to create AI-driven videos. These new apps are reshaping video creation, giving users unprecedented tools to create content. This article highlights the unique features and comparisons between Synthesia and D-ID, providing insights into their functionality, user experience, output quality, and cost impact.
What Can We Expect From Non-Player Characters (NPCs) in Gaming?
Traditionally, games’ non-player characters (NPCs) were essentially scripted entities characterized by predetermined actions and restricted interaction capabilities. Nevertheless, the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has injected vitality into these characters, rendering them significantly more dynamic and convincing in their behavior.
Apple Vision Pro: A New Era of Virtual Reality
As VR, AR, and MR technologies continue to advance, art organizations can leverage them to create immersive experiences, enhance collaboration, and engage with audiences in new and exciting ways, revolutionizing the way art is created, experienced, and engaged with. The Apple Vision Pro’s mixed-reality is rising to the top as an optimal contender in comparison to already existing competitors in the field.
Binaural Audio for the Live Arts Audience
Emerging from COVID-19 lockdowns, being able to attend performing arts performances in person has felt like a sensory treat. Feeling the energy of the collective audience, the soft whispering and rustling in seats, the sounds of footsteps as performers take the stage, the low hum of stage lights - being present with art as it is performed heightens the senses in a way that its virtual counterpart simply cannot, in spite of numerous advances in the digital landscape over the last two and a half years.
Enter the Neumann KU 100, or “Michel” as Kevin Noe, Artistic Director of Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble (PNME), affectionately calls the humanoid microphone that sits at the center of ensemble’s 2022 season finale show, literally and figuratively. The microphone is a feat in binaural audio, engineered to replicate how sound travels through the human ear. When heard through headphones, it’s as if the listener’s head is placed right where the microphone is placed. For PNME’s performance, this meant that the audience’s ears were placed on stage between a cello and clarinet, surrounded by an ensemble of musicians.
Fundraising Smarter: Dataro Review
Dataro is the “GiveTech” startup’s propensity modeling software that uses machine learning technology to generate predictions about how donors are likely to behave. Dataro’s AI software aims to maximize income and minimize wasted costs, as well as transform the way that fundraisers stay alert and relevant to how donors are engaging with their organizations. I see Dataro as a revolutionary force in nonprofit fundraising. The technology, if truly effective with the right organization’s data, harnesses the potential to shape how we prioritize our time with donors.
Creative Writers Options with AI: Inferkit vs Sudowrite
Writing is often understood as a form of art that comes directly from soul to page, an intimate reveal of human emotion.This core concept of writing is complicated with the development of AI trained to write and write creatively. It is, of course, “thinking” about the act of writing while writing, and doesn’t really have the capacity to think about what it is writing in Flusser’s sense.
AI writing models present a challenge to our notions of writing, but they may also be an overlooked tool to writers themselves. What do they mean for writers and the craft in the future? Could an AI bot write a New York Times Bestseller? This review explains the process and technologies behind AI writing and compares two low cost programs.
Writing Your Best: Grammarly Review
Grammarly is a free multi-platform writing app that makes suggestions to improve your writing in real-time through grammar, syntax, and tone. It’s available for Windows, macOS, Chrome, and Android, and the premium tier for individuals provides extra features such as one-click sentence rewriting (available for the cost of $30 monthly, $60 quarterly, or $144 annually). Grammarly is available to educational institutions at special rates, and Grammarly Business is available for teams of 3 or more, with monthly rates of $25 per team member and annual rates depending on the size of the team.
Throughline: A Transformative Digital Orchestral Experience
The sudden closure of performance hall doors in March 2020 forced orchestras to rethink the meaning of staying connected with their community. In an instant, all classical music organizations became media production organizations — otherwise, they ran the risk of entirely losing touch with their audiences. The pandemic, which accelerated many long overdue innovations in the orchestral world, provided a not-so-gentle push to those who treated digital media as an afterthought to the sacred pillar of live performance. The discoveries made during this last year and a half has challenged orchestras in their method of artistic production. Throughline serves as an exemplary model of what can be accomplished when orchestras use the digital world in a meaningful and intentional way.