Reality Editing is More than VR or AR, Especially with AI

Reality editing is essentially a combination of a spectrum of technologies and approaches aimed at altering or enhancing human perception of reality. Reality editing is more than VR (a headset), AR (a headset) and even mixed reality, which is the visual blend of virtual and real worlds. While VR and AR dominate discussions, these technologies represent only a fraction of what reality editing constitutes. In recent years, especially with the initiation of AI era with the rise of Generative AI, research and development efforts have increasingly focused on synergizing AI with reality editing technologies.

Conventional VR and AR

VR typically involves wearing a head-mounted display to enter a fully immersive virtual environment, while AR overlays digital content onto the user’s view of the real world using devices like smartphones or smart glasses. These technologies have found real-world applications in education, architecture, and many more industries; even healthcare.

Non-VR aspects and future additions to reality editing

Here is a basic overview of non-VR facets of reality editing:

Auditory Reality Editing: Sound plays a crucial role in shaping our perception of reality. Consider noise-canceling headphones—they edit out unwanted sounds, creating a personalized auditory environment. Future applications could involve enhancing natural sounds or even introducing entirely new auditory layers.

Haptic Reality Editing: Haptic feedback is already a well-established VR integration. Our sense of touch profoundly influences how we perceive the world. Haptic feedback in VR controllers or wearables simulates physical sensations. You can feel the texture of a virtual sculpture or sense the warmth of a digital fireplace.

Temporal Reality Editing: Time manipulation is a powerful tool. Think about rewinding a video or fast-forwarding through a lecture. In reality editing, we could alter the perception of time. You could relive cherished moments, and on the other hand, compress hours into minutes during a tedious task.

Emotional Reality Editing: Emotions color our reality. Can we edit emotions? Perhaps. Future technologies might allow us to adjust emotional states. Imagine dialing down anxiety or enhancing feelings of joy.

AI in Reality Editing

The integration of AI into reality editing introduces capabilities beyond VR and AR experiences. AI algorithms can analyze user behavior, adapt content in real-time, generate dynamic narratives, and enhance sensory feedback, thereby creating more engaging and realistic virtual environments.

Recent Advancements in AI-Enhanced Reality Editing

AI-Driven Content Generation: Recent research has focused on large language models, such as OpenAI’s GPT-4, to generate lifelike narratives and dialogue within virtual environments. In fact, there are intelligent NPCs in existence already, like NVIDIA ACE’s characters, Jin and Nova, who recently talked to each other about their digital reality possibly being an “elaborate cybernetic dream”; all based on NVIDIA’s Nemo LLM, generating a new conversation each time. Such AI systems can understand and respond to user input, allowing for more interactive storytelling experiences in VR.

Enhanced Sensory Feedback: AI-powered haptic technology enable more realistic touch sensations in VR environments. The most recent haptic breakthrough, published on Nature Electronics, is this skin-integrated multimodal haptic interface for immersive tactile feedback. By integrating AI algorithms with haptic devices, developers can simulate textures, forces, and vibrations, enhancing the sense of presence and immersion for users.

Neuroadaptive Interfaces: Research into brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) aims to directly interpret neural signals and translate them into actions within virtual environments. BCIs offer the potential for lifelike interaction and control in VR and AR applications by bypassing traditional input devices.

Emotion Recognition: AI algorithms can analyze facial expressions, voice intonations, and physiological signals to infer users’ emotions in real-time. With emotion recognition capabilities, developers can customize user experiences, In fact, even to evoke specific emotional responses and enhance user engagement.

Real-time Adaptation: AI algorithms are being developed to analyze user interactions and adapt virtual scenarios in real-time by tracking user behavior and preferences. This is already being employed in digital conscious characters in “The Matrix awakens“.

Dynamic Object Interactions: Reinforcement learning algorithms allow virtual agents and objects to display behaviors that feel more natural and react intelligently to user input. This makes experiences that are not only more immersive but also more interactive achievable.

Cross-reality Collaboration: AI allows for the collaboration between virtual and physical spaces, enabling applications such as mixed reality and remote assistance. Integrating AI-powered communication and interaction tools, users can interact with virtual objects and remote participants as if they were physically present, like in platforms such as Nvidia’s Omniverse.

Future Directions

The convergence of AI with reality editing is expected to drive further innovation and transformation across various industries. Future research directions may include:

Advancing AI algorithms for more sophisticated content generation and interaction in virtual environments.
Exploring new modalities for immersive sensory feedback, such as olfactory and gustatory stimuli.
Enhancing AI-powered virtual assistants and agents to provide personalized guidance and support within VR and AR applications.
Investigating the potential of AI-driven predictive analytics to anticipate user preferences and adapt virtual experiences proactively.