Metaverse Guardians
Each week we look at 10 new uses of technologies from any of the 30+ industries and the 25+ technology domains we watch. Get smart about the tech you bring into your products, your organization and your life.
Metaverse Guardians
| User trust | User safety |
| Web 2.0 | VR |
| Data protection and cybersecurity | Social Media |
Undercover content moderators play a big role in ensuring safety and protecting users within the metaverse. Read more...
- Where does the balance lie between safety and engaging experiences?
- How do online moderators get help when they need it?
- Who's responsible for regulating the safety of users in the metaverse?
AI Image Understanding
| Explainability |
| Artificial Intelligence |
| Other |
Researchers develop CRAFT, an innovative AI tool that reveals how neural networks 'see' images. Read more...
- What commercial problems might this tool address?
- Does this tool allow humans and algorithms to work better together?
- What lessons could 10 years of neural networks give us when looking at transformers?
WhatsApp Farming Collaboration
| Adoption | User goals | Skill decay |
| Agtech and cultured food | Artificial Intelligence | Web 2.0 |
| Agriculture |
WhatsApp voice notes empower illiterate farmers in Senegal to collaborate. Read more...
- What are potential long term effects?
- Would a solution without WhatsApp's current reach take hold?
- What checks could be implemented to prevent errors?
Facial Recognition Retail
| Privacy | Ethics |
| Algorithms | Biometrics |
| Retail |
The use of facial recognition technology by retailers to combat shoplifting is on the rise. Read more...
- What are the ethical considerations for this technology?
- What will happen of false positives?
- What solutions will savvy shoplifters find as a workaround?
Google's GenAI Search Experience
| User goals | Data applicability | Data bias |
| Web 2.0 | Artificial Intelligence |
| Social Media |
Google makes available generative AI-based search enhancements, and bills it as a new experience. Read more...
- What user behaviors already stray from a traditional Google search?
- How will people leverage or abuse this new channel?
- What does this mean for the traditional Search Engine Optimization industry?
Headlight Hijacking
| Cybersecurity | Physical reliability | Coordination neglect |
| Other |
| Consumer goods | Automotive |
Car thieves have found a new method called "headlight hacking" that exploits the vulnerability of a vehicle's CAN bus system. Read more...
- Can we trace the decisions that led to this now obvious exploit being available?
- What does this mean for the Internet Of Things?
- What implications does this have for Over the Air capabilities of automobiles?
/>
Microgrids in Congo
| Incentives | Legacy infrastructure |
| Clean Tech |
| Energy, green tech, utilities |
Nuru closes funding to drive metrogrid scaling projects in Congo, to provide 5 million clients with reliable and sustainable energy access. Read more...
- What other projects could this inspire?
- What does the absence of legacy infrastructure represent?
- Do the incentives of all stakeholders align?
Making Friends Online
| Consumer trends | Social impact |
| Web 2.0 |
| Social Media | Other |
Young adults are embracing online platforms to combat loneliness and make friends. Read more...
- What are the reasons online dating gained traction first?
- What does the transition to friendships in the physical space look like?
- Which offline methods of friend-making are disappearing?
Self-training AI Robot
| Dependability | Lumberjack effect |
| Robotics, drones | Artificial Intelligence |
| eCommerce | Manufacturing |
The company DLRob introduces groundbreaking AI robot controller with self-training technology. Read more...
- Will self-training preclude the robot from receiving programming for tasks by humans?
- What limitations are posed on this robot's environment, if any?
- What will be the impact on the job market in industries that leverage this technology?
AI Nonsense Bestsellers
| Ethics | User goals | User trust |
| Artificial Intelligence |
| Big entertainment, pro sports | eCommerce |
Amazon's bestseller lists are cluttered with AI-generated nonsense books. Read more...
- Will the reputation of online platforms depend on the curation or elimination of AI-created content?
- How does the presence of AI-generated nonsense books affect the discoverability of quality content on platforms like Kindle Unlimited?
- Do humans have a right to know if their book was written by a machine?
The Crossfactors Newsletter
Each week we look at 10 new uses of technologies from any of the 30+ industries and the 25+ technology domains we watch. Get smart about the tech you bring into your products, your organization and your life. Pig hearts | Ethics | Adoption | | Medical and biotech | | Healthcare, Medicine, Digital Health | Company pioneers gene-edited pig heart transplants, conducting trials on baboons as a potential solution for babies with severe heart defects. Read more... How can parents in a position to...
Lots of food content this week. Not sure why. Maybe I was hungry. Review Response | User goals | Incentives | | Web 2.0 | | Food and drink, restaurants, meal delivery | A discussion of how restaurants should approach online reviews. Read more... Is there a better outlet for retaliatory reviews? Is there a growing or diminishing dependence on online reviews? How should a restaurant maintain an online personality? Cultivated Meatballs | Public trust | Consumer trends | | Agtech and cultured...
Each week we look at 10 new uses of technologies from any of the 30+ industries and the 25+ technology domains we watch. Get smart about the tech you bring into your products, your organization and your life. OpenAI's Marketplace | Data applicability | Data bias | User goals | | Artificial Intelligence | | Enterprise software, B2B software, SAAS | Banking and Financial | OpenAI plans to launch an AI marketplace for developers to sell what they've built on top of their technology. Read more......