Rivals Back Anthropic AI With Billions, AR Contact Lens Is Back, AI Comics

In a lengthy executive order the Biden administration did what the tech giants asked for: put a regulatory framework in place that ensures transparency and safety from algorithmicic bias and worse, criminal misuse of future AI tools to create havoc and disinformation, or even design viruses. The EO is not as powerful or permanent as a law, but Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act, so the executive order carries the force of law, unless the new president decides not to keep it.

It’s hard not to be cynical. Despite its hundred page length, on many issues the EO pretty vague. There’s still not a lot of transparency about how the models are made, and it punts on open-source AI development, which is under no-one’s control once downloaded and running locally. Perhaps the EU meeting on AI this week will find a way to plug some of the holes.

Anthropic Announced Raising $2B from Google, having recently secured $4B investment from Amazon. In this deal, Google will invest $500M now, with a possible addition of $1.5B later. Their Claude chatbot can handle inputs for model building as large as the bible.

XPANCEO Raises $40 Million to Launch Smart Contact Lenses for AR Vision. Taking up the quest just abandoned by Mojo Vision, which pivoted to microdisplays, EXPANCEO has created and successfully tested in the laboratory three separate prototypes to enable night vision and zoom, real-time health monitoring, and the ability to see video and graphic content in AR. The round was led by Hong Kong-based Opportunity Ventures.

Dashtoon Raises $5M For AI-created Comic Books And Graphic Novels. The app uses Generative AI to enable users to create illustrated content and stories. “It’s as if Manga and HBO teamed up to craft spellbinding comics,” says the Korean company. The seed round was led by Matrix Partners India and Stellaris Venture Partners.

We’ll conclude this week’s column with a few Generative AI short social media content, from two leading practicing artists, Paul Trillo, and Douggy Pledger.

This Week in XR is also a podcast hosted by the author of this column, Ted Schilowitz, Futurist, Paramount Global, and Rony Abovitz, founder of Magic Leap. This week our guest is Amy LaMeyer, Managing Director of the Women in XR Fund. We can be found on Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube.

What We’re Reading

AWE EU ’23: Key Takeaways and Announcements (XR Today)