Lifeboat Foundation

In a paper published in Nature on 28th January 2016, we describe a new approach to computer Go. This is the first time ever that a computer program “AlphaGo” has defeated a human professional player.

The game of Go is widely viewed as an unsolved “grand challenge” for artificial intelligence. Games are a great testing ground for inventing smarter, more flexible algorithms that have the ability to tackle problems in ways similar to humans. The first classic game mastered by a computer was noughts and crosses (also known as tic-tac-toe) in 1952. But until now, one game has thwarted A.I. researchers: the ancient game of Go.

Continue reading “Google DeepMind: Ground-breaking AlphaGo masters the game of Go” »

As recently as this month, top AI experts outside Google questioned whether such a victory could be achieved anytime soon.

Read more

Disney and Lucasfilm have more films beyond the next five in the works.

Read more

Now this is impressive! Game Revenue could hit in less than 4 yrs $115 billion.

Virtual reality games could see revenue start in the millions and end in the billions by 2020.

Read more

We have Disney & Universal; and China has Transformers.

Hasbro’s iconic “Transformers” are poised to become a major live entertainment attraction in China from next year.

A custom-built theater seating 4,500 will host a live show combining shape-shifting robots, aerial stunts and large-scale special effects.

Continue reading “Transformers theme park set to open in China” »

VR Movie Studios

Now, that’s a story! Samsung VR Movie Studios; nice ring to it. Instead of “hello Hollywood” we’re now hearing “Hello New York”.

The company behind the Gear VR virtual-reality headset partners with the Sundance film festival to foster new immersive experiences.

Read more

These headphones have a hidden display that projects movies right into your eyes.

Read more

Glad to see The Martian get some Academy Award action; as much as I liked the novel, I found the film to be as good or better, which is rare. And I also found it to be personally inspiring in a way that few science fiction films are. But the point I’m trying to make here is that; we aren’t that far from Hermes-type spacecraft for interplanetary transfer. It’s not out of the realm of possibilities. I wonder if any of you feel the same way.

With six Academy Award nominations, the celebrated film adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel “The Martian” has been the perfect tonic for rousing interest in human missions to Mars.

But as good as the book truly is, the film transcends its source material about a stranded Mars astronaut with some practical takeaways that are as inspiring as any out there. They include:

Continue reading “5 Down-To-Earth Takeaways From ‘The Martian’” »

Interesting; especially how AI is leveraged for enhancing games which does make perfect sense from a pattern recognition and improvement standpoint.

As Central Florida’s video game community enters the virtual reality era, specialists and artists who can create fantasy worlds will be in higher demand here.

Video games often try to transport players to a virtual world, whether it’s a land of wooden zombies or a virtual representation of the Amway Center.

Continue reading “Realistic artificial intelligence can make games – or break them” »