🧙🏼 Real-time AI generated games

Howdy, wizards.

Off-topic but one of the coolest projects on the web right now is Pieter Levels’ personal website – the most retro thing you’ve ever seen. He’s got a live Windows 3.11 emulator running in a browser. How about a game of Jazz Jackrabbit to start your day? Enjoy.

Here’s what’s brewing in AI today.

DARIO’S PICKS

1. An AI model that generates games in real-time

We might’ve just gotten an early look into how AI-powered gaming will look like. The AI labs Decart and Etched released Oasis, an AI model that generates games on the fly – at 20 frames per second. They have a demo out that looks quite similar to Minecraft, but with the big difference that there’s no game engine behind it – it’s purely AI responding to keyboard inputs in real time. That’s pretty wild when you think about the best video generation models like Sora, which take 10-20 seconds to generate one second of video.

They’re making the 500M parameter model open-source and it’s possible to run it locally on your computer. Etched is launching their own chip (Sohu) and they're claiming it'll run in 4K and handle models 100x larger.

‎ Why it matters‎ ‎ While AI-generated video gets the headlines, real-time game generation might be the real frontier.

TOGETHER WITH VISIBLE BY VERIZON

It's time to switch phone plans.

Let me guess: you've been putting up with spotty service and those sneaky rate hikes from your current wireless provider for years, right? Well, guess what? You deserve way better than that.

With Visible, you can get unlimited data, talk, text, and hotspot starting at just $275/year. Enjoy dependable 5G and 4G network coverage with no contracts and no hidden fees— so you can enjoy reliable wireless without the long-term commitment.

Switch to Visible today and experience the freedom of great service at an unbeatable price. What’s brewing in AI readers save up to $145 on an annual plan, no code required. But it’s for a limited time so don’t wait to make the switch.

Try Visible

DARIO’S PICKS

2. Apple will let users upgrade to ChatGPT Plus right from Settings

Apple’s iOS 18.2 beta reveals that you’ll be able to upgrade to ChatGPT Plus right from your iPhone’s Settings menu – which will also show you how close you are to reaching the free plan limits. This will be part of the broader integration of AI features for iOS coming in December, including ChatGPT within Siri and Writing tools, plus Genmoji and Image Playground.

It's rumoured that Apple is also talking to Google about integrating Gemini – which tracks with how they’ve previously framed the ChatGPT integration as just one of several advanced AI models they plan to give users access to.

‎ Why it matters‎ ‎ With 1.5 billion active iPhone users, this could be a big deal for OpenAI’s revenues from the consumer market. Apple hasn't disclosed if they're taking a cut of the ChatGPT subscriptions, but it’s pretty clear that this integration will give ChatGPT massive distribution with easy paid conversion – an approach that could potentially make Apple an important middleman for AI subscriptions.

DARIO’S PICKS

3. Meta’s nuclear plans derailed by bees

As I wrote about previously, leading AI companies are racing to nuclear power for their data centers; Google’s efficient new reactors, Microsoft’s Three Mile Island plant and Amazon’s $650 million project in Pennsylvania.

Meta was about to join the party. The were close to a deal with a nuclear power plant operator, which would have made them the first company with nuclear-powered AI, but their plans got derailed by an unexpected player: a rare species of bees found at their chosen site.

Meta is now reportedly exploring other options.

‎ Why it matters‎ ‎ Environment > Tech. We can live without Meta, but not without bees 🐝

FROM OUR PARTNERS

Fall Into a New Language with Babbel

Start speaking a new language this fall with Babbel: the language learning app for real conversation. With award-winning lessons, immersive podcasts, addictive games, and bonus content, you can start speaking a new language in as little as three weeks. What’s brewing in AI readers can use this exclusive link to get up to 55% off today!

Try Babbel

THAT’S ALL FOLKS!

Affiliate disclosure: To cover the cost of my email software and the time I spend writing this newsletter, I sometimes link to products and other newsletters. Please assume these are affiliate links. If you choose to subscribe to a newsletter or buy a product through any of my links then THANK YOU – it will make it possible for me to continue to do this.