The Format #021

With some of the product releases in recent weeks like the Vision Pro and OpenAI’s Sora model, one thing is becoming increasingly evident, the internet and how we interact with it is changing rapidly before our eyes. This presents a whole lot of opportunity, but it is also laced with risk, and one of the major risks is privacy.

With that in mind here are some of the articles we’ve found over the past week that we found particularly interesting:

A New Commerce Layer for the Internet

“We’re moving from closed platforms to open protocols” (or maybe even Open Formats?) and this article explores how that change is going to disrupt and overhaul the e-commerce sector, creating a huge amount of opportunity along the way.

OpenAI’s Sora video-generating model can render video games, too

When digging deep into Sora’s capabilities it really does feel like it’s a different beast compared to OpenAI’s image generating model DALL-E 3. In order to accurately create a realistic video, the model needs to understand physics, meaning that it’s essentially acting as a ‘data-driven physics engine’. An engine that can be used to create videos, but also to simulate digital worlds, and soon potentially even create hyper-personalised photorealistic games on the fly.

Web Renaissance Part 1: The Great Rebundling

The release of ChatGPT initiated a transition in how we access the knowledge of the internet. Moving from browsers and social medias, towards a whole range of different AI interfaces. This shift in how we search is having major implications for the internet as a whole and in many ways seems to be taking us towards a more user-centred web.

AI monitoring employees for ‘thought crimes’ in apps like Slack and Zoom

The extent to which an employer can monitor their employees is and always will be a heavily debated topic. Introducing advanced AI systems to carry out this tracking (across platforms like Teams, Slack and Zoom), makes the stakes for this debate all the more significant. Employees will inevitably move to external channels, and in doing so introduce all sorts of security, data and communication problems.

In order to retain talent and good culture, companies will need to start thinking about ways to engage employees without exploiting their privacy, maybe that looks something like a gamified cross-platform employee engagement system?

It’s Official: Cars Are the Worst Product Category We Have Ever Reviewed for Privacy

‘Privacy Not Included’ have just conducted some research into cars and how they deal with data… it’s mind-blowing. When stepping into a car for your commute into work, privacy probably isn’t the first thing on your mind. There aren’t any annoying cookie pop-ups to make you think about the data that the car is harvesting as you drive it, and I, for one, certainly haven’t read my Renault’s privacy policy. So it’s quite a shock that cars not only collect a HUGE amount of personal data - everything from medical information to the details of your sex life - but that they also sell this information…

OPENFORMAT News

Missions, Quests or Tasks

Missions in video games usually relate to user progression, and helping to direct the player to a certain goal or win condition. In this article Mark explains how, when you take these mechanics ‘out of the video game’, they can be used for much more than just progression. They can be used for everything from ethically getting data from users, to creating a referral flywheel or giving the user the choice of being monetised (and rewarded for it).

Judging at BIMA 100 Tech Pioneers 2024

Our CEO, Sarah, will be on the judging panel for the BIMA 100’s Tech Pioneers category, helping to celebrate the innovators, CTO’s and developers who aren’t getting the spotlight they deserve.

And that’s all for this week.

Have a great weekend, Dan and the OPENFORMAT team 👋🏽

Prompt (generated using DALL-E 3): “A comical and exaggerated scene where a bright red car, decked out in an oversized detective's hat and a giant magnifying glass, is "sneaking" up on an unsuspecting person. The car has cartoonish eyes on the windshield, giving it a mischievous expression. It's parked behind a thin lamppost, humorously attempting to hide, despite its conspicuous appearance. The person, walking with headphones on and completely oblivious to their surroundings, is dramatically lit by a streetlight, casting a long shadow. The background features a whimsical cityscape at night, enhancing the playful and surreal nature of the scene.”