Exploring Images in 3D: World Labs' New AI Adventure

Stepping into a photo and exploring it like a virtual world. That's what World Labs, a startup led by AI expert Fei-Fei Li, is making possible with their new AI technology. Unlike other systems that turn photos into 3D models, World Labs' scenes are interactive and modifiable. You can walk around, zoom in, and even change the colors and lighting in real-time. It's like turning a simple image into a game you can play in your browser. The tech behind this is called a "world model, " which is a type of AI that can create 3D environments. While other AI models can do this too, World Labs' scenes look more real and obey the rules of physics. This means objects have a sense of solidity and depth, making them feel more like a real place. However, there are still some issues. You can only explore a small area, and sometimes objects blend together strangely. But World Labs is working on fixing these problems. This technology has the potential to change how we make movies, games, and other digital experiences. Instead of just creating 2D content like images or videos, we can now generate interactive 3D worlds. This could make creating virtual worlds much easier and cheaper. World Labs has plans to make tools for professionals like artists and game developers. They hope to have their first product ready by 2025.