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(SILICON VALLEY) Metaverse Report: Facebook says it is shutting down facial recognition software which automatically recognises, and suggests tags, for more than one billion people …..BUT TAKE A LOOK BELOW #AceNewsDesk report

#AceNewsReport – Nov.15: In a massive shift for the technology industry, the social media giant said on Wednesday morning it would be making changes amid growing community concern over security.

#AceSocialDesk says according to Metaverse Newsroom Report: But in the The New Daily Report: Jerome Pesenti, vice president of artificial intelligence at Facebook, said the company still believes facial recognition is a “powerful tool” and that it will keep working on the technology: Regulators are still in the process of providing a clear set of rules governing its use,” Mr Pesenti wrote in a blog post.

An Update On Our Use of Face Recognition | Meta

  • We’re shutting down the Face Recognition system on Facebook. People who’ve opted in will no longer be automatically recognized in photos and videos and we will delete more than a billion people’s individual facial recognition templates.
  • This change will also impact Automatic Alt Text (AAT), which creates image descriptions for blind and visually-impaired people. After this change, AAT descriptions will no longer include the names of people recognized in photos but will function normally otherwise. 
  • We need to weigh the positive use cases for facial recognition against growing societal concerns, especially as regulators have yet to provide clear rules.

In the coming weeks, Meta will shut down the Face Recognition systemon Facebook as part of a company-wide move to limit the use of facial recognition in our products. As part of this change, people who have opted in to our Face Recognition setting will no longer be automatically recognized in photos and videos, and we will delete the facial recognition template used to identify them.  

This change will represent one of the largest shifts in facial recognition usage in the technology’s history. More than a third of Facebook’s daily active users have opted in to our Face Recognition setting and are able to be recognized, and its removal will result in the deletion of more than a billion people’s individual facial recognition templates. 

Making this change required careful consideration, because we have seen a number of places where face recognition can be highly valued by people using platforms.  For example, our award-winning automatic alt text system, that uses advanced AI to generate descriptions of images for people who are blind and visually impaired, uses the Face Recognition system to tell them when they or one of their friends is in an image. 

For many years, Facebook has also given people the option to be automatically notified when they appear in photos or videos posted by others, and provided recommendations for who to tag in photos. These features are also powered by the Face Recognition system which we are shutting down. 

Looking ahead, we still see facial recognition technology as a powerful tool, for example, for people needing to verify their identity, or to prevent fraud and impersonation. We believe facial recognition can help for products like these with privacy, transparency and control in place, so you decide if and how your face is used. We will continue working on these technologies and engaging outside experts. 

But the many specific instances where facial recognition can be helpful need to be weighed against growing concerns about the use of this technology as a whole. There are many concerns about the place of facial recognition technology in society, and regulators are still in the process of providing a clear set of rules governing its use. Amid this ongoing uncertainty, we believe that limiting the use of facial recognition to a narrow set of use cases is appropriate. 

This includes services that help people gain access to a locked account, verify their identity in financial products or unlock a personal device. These are places where facial recognition is both broadly valuable to people and socially acceptable, when deployed with care. While we will continue working on use cases like these, we will ensure people have transparency and control over whether they are automatically recognized. 

But like most challenges involving complex social issues, we know the approach we’ve chosen involves some difficult tradeoffs. For example, the ability to tell a blind or visually impaired user that the person in a photo on their News Feed is their high school friend, or former colleague, is a valuable feature that makes our platforms more accessible. But it also depends on an underlying technology that attempts to evaluate the faces in a photo to match them with those kept in a database of people who opted-in. The changes we’re announcing today involve a company-wide move away from this kind of broad identification, and toward narrower forms of personal authentication. 

Facial recognition can be particularly valuable when the technology operates privately on a person’s own devices. This method of on-device facial recognition, requiring no communication of face data with an external server, is most commonly deployed today in the systems used to unlock smartphones. 

We believe this has the potential to enable positive use cases in the future that maintain privacy, control and transparency, and it’s an approach we’ll continue to explore as we consider how our future computing platforms and devices can best serve people’s needs. For potential future applications of technologies like this, we’ll continue to be public about intended use, how people can have control over these systems and their personal data, and how we’re living up to our responsible innovation framework

Ending the use of our existing Face Recognition system means the services it enables will be removed over the coming weeks, as will the setting allowing people to opt into the system. 

This will lead to a number of changes:

  • Our technology will no longer automatically recognize if people’s faces appear in Memories, photos or videos.
  • People will no longer be able to turn on face recognition for suggested tagging or see a suggested tag with their name in photos and videos they may appear in. We’ll still encourage people to tag posts manually, to help you and your friends know who is in a photo or video. 
  • This change will also impact Automatic Alt Text (AAT), a technology used to create image descriptions for people who are blind or visually impaired. AAT currently identifies people in about 4% of photos. After the change, AAT will still be able to recognize how many people are in a photo, but will no longer attempt to identify who each person is using facial recognition. Otherwise, AAT will continue to function normally, and we’ll work closely with the blind and visually impaired community on technologies to continually improve AAT. You can learn more about what these changes mean for people who use AAT on the Facebook Accessibility page. 
  • If you have opted into our Face Recognition setting, we will delete the template used to identify you. If you have the face recognition setting turned off, there is no template to delete and there will be no change. 

Every new technology brings with it potential for both benefit and concern, and we want to find the right balance. In the case of facial recognition, its long-term role in society needs to be debated in the open, and among those who will be most impacted by it. We will continue engaging in that conversation and working with the civil society groups and regulators who are leading this discussion.

#AceNewsDesk report ……………Published: Nov.15: 2021:

Editor says …Sterling Publishing & Media Service Agency is not responsible for the content of external site or from any reports, posts or links, and can also be found here on Telegram: https://t.me/acenewsdaily all of our posts fromTwitter can be found here:  https://acetwitternews.wordpress.com/ and all wordpress and live posts and links here: https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com

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(SILICON VALLEY) Facebook ‘Metaverse’ 3D Virtual Reality Report: New Zealand film director Sir Peter Jackson on Wednesday announced the sale of his Oscar-winning Weta Digital special effects business to a US software firm intent on using it to develop the virtual-reality “metaverse” #AceNewsDesk report

#AceNewsReport – Nov.12: San Francisco-based Unity Software said the $US1.6 billion ($2.1 billion) acquisition would “shape the future of the metaverse”, an immersive 3D version of the internet tipped to transform workplaces and online interactions.

#AceSocialDesk says according to AFP News Report: Peter Jackson’s special effects firm Weta Digital sells for $US1.6 billion in ‘metaverse’ deal

A man with long grey hair with beard points towards a camera
Peter Jackson called the aquisition of his company a “game changer.”(AP: Photo/Francois Mori, File)

The firm said Weta’s technology — used in blockbusters such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Avatar — would allow its subscribers to create their own ultra-realistic corner of a virtual world.

Unity president John Riccitiello said the deal would open up new opportunities for creatives. 

“We are thrilled to democratise these industry-leading tools and bring the genius of Sir Peter Jackson and Weta’s amazing engineering talent to life for artists everywhere,” he said. 

A man with bright blue eyes and dark curly hair reaching desperately for a gold ring.
Weta Digital has been used in blockbusters like The Lord of the Rings and Avatar. (Supplied: New Line Cinema)

Under the deal, Unity takes over Wellington-based Weta Digital’s technology and engineering assets while Sir Peter retains majority ownership of a standalone film effects company called WetaFX.

Sir Peter said the opportunity to use Weta’s ground-breaking programs was a “game-changer” for those working in creative industries.

“Together, Unity and Weta Digital can create a pathway for any artist, from any industry, to be able to leverage these incredibly creative and powerful tools,” he said.

The so-called metaverse is expected to develop into an online platform that makes virtual experiences — such as chatting with a friend or attending a concert — feel face-to-face.

It grabbed headlines last month when Facebook changed its parent company name to “Meta” to reflect founder Mark Zuckerberg’s commitment to the concept.

People in a cinema wearing glasses with blue lights reflecting on their faces from a screen
Weta Digital will be used to make online interactions feel more realistic. (Reuters: Mario Anzuoni )

Zuckerberg’s firm has announced plans to hire 10,000 people in the European Union to build the metaverse, but other tech players are also scrambling to stake a claim in the online world.

The technology might allow someone to don virtual reality glasses that make it feel as though they’re face-to-face with a friend when in fact they are thousands of miles apart and connected via the internet.

“The metaverse has the potential to help unlock access to new creative, social, and economic opportunities. And Europeans will be shaping it right from the start,” Facebook said in a blog post.

Zuckerberg predicted in July that Facebook will transition from “primarily being a social media company to being a metaverse company” over the next five years.

Facebook bought Oculus, a company that makes virtual reality headsets, for $US2 billion in 2014 and has since been developing Horizon, a digital world where people can interact using VR technology.

Play Video. Duration: 7 minutes 3 seconds
As Facebook goes ‘Meta’, we ask what is a metaverse?

#AceNewsDesk report ……………Published: Nov.12: 2021:

Editor says …Sterling Publishing & Media Service Agency is not responsible for the content of external site or from any reports, posts or links, and can also be found here on Telegram: https://t.me/acenewsdaily all of our posts fromTwitter can be found here: https://acetwitternews.wordpress.com/ and all wordpress and live posts and links here: https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com

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(SILICON VALLEY) Facebook Connect 2021 Report: CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced Meta, which brings together our apps and technologies under one new company brand. Meta’s focus will be to bring the metaverse to life and help people connect, find communities and grow businesses #AceNewsDesk report

#AceNewsReport – Nov.02: Our annual Connect conference brings together augmented and virtual reality developers, content creators, marketers and others to celebrate the industry’s momentum and growth. This year’s virtual event explored what experiences in the metaverse could feel like over the next decade — from social connection, to entertainment, gaming, fitness, work, education and commerce. We also announced new tools to help people build for the metaverse, including Presence Platform, which will enable new mixed reality experiences on Quest 2, and a $150-million investment in immersive learning to train the next generation of creators.

#AceSocialDesk says according to Facebook Newsroom Report: The New Name For Facebook Company Is Now Metaverse and it will bring a ‘virtual internet experience to build Zuckerberg Business Model but using YOUR date to make him RICHER …

Mark shared more about this vision in a founder’s letter.

Kindness & Love❤️ Post earlier says Facebook’s new corporate name is ‘Meta’ as it prepares for a virtual-reality future: I used to think anyone doing anything weird was weird. Now I know that it is the people that call others weird that are weird.

The metaverse will feel like a hybrid of today’s online social experiences, sometimes expanded into three dimensions or projected into the physical world. It will let you share immersive experiences with other people even when you can’t be together — and do things together you couldn’t do in the physical world. It’s the next evolution in a long line of social technologies, and it’s ushering in a new chapter for our company.

You can watch the full Connect keynote and learn more about how the metaverse will unlock new opportunities at meta.com. You can also learn more about our work over the past several months to develop the Meta brand on our design blog. Read all our news in the posts below:

Our corporate structure is not changing, however, how we report on our financials will. Starting with our results for the fourth quarter of 2021, we plan to report on two operating segments: Family of Apps and Reality Labs. We also intend to start trading under the new stock ticker we have reserved, MVRS, on December 1. Today’s announcement does not affect how we use or share data.

Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology.

Ace says See also: Building the Metaverse Responsibly, Expanding Horizon: New Funding to Support Creators, Introducing Our New Company Brand (2019)

#AceNewsDesk report …………..Published: Nov.02: 2021:

Editor says …Sterling Publishing & Media Service Agency is not responsible for the content of external site or from any reports, posts or links, and can also be found here on Telegram: https://t.me/acenewsdaily all of our posts fromTwitter can be found here: https://acetwitternews.wordpress.com/ and all wordpress and live posts and links here: https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com

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(SILICON VALLEY) Facebook Metaverse Report: Planning to hire 10,000 people in the European Union to develop a so-called metaverse virtual network using VR headsets #AceNewsDesk report

#AceNewsReport – Oct.19: Facebook is at the start of a journey to help build the next computing platform. Working with others, we’re developing what is often referred to as the metaverse — a new phase of interconnected virtual experiences using technologies like virtual and augmented reality: At its heart is the idea that by creating a greater sense of “virtual presence”, interacting online can become much closer to the experience of interacting in person. The metaverse has the potential to help unlock access to new creative, social and economic opportunities. And Europeans will be shaping it right from the start.

#AceSocialDesk reports that Facebook is to hire 10,000 in EU to work on metaverse to create a virtual network of people that he has chosen for his own environment…….

WHAT IS THE METAVERSE: A metaverse is an online world where people can game, work and communicate in a virtual environment, often using VR headsets: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been a leading voice on the concept: The announcement comes as Facebook deals with the fallout of a damaging scandal and faces increased calls for regulation to curb its influence: The metaverse has the potential to help unlock access to new creative, social, and economic opportunities. And Europeans will be shaping it right from the start,” Facebook said in a blog post: The new jobs being created over the next five years will include “highly specialised engineers”………Investing in the EU offered many advantages, including access to a large consumer market, first-class universities and high-quality talent, Facebook said: Facebook has made building the metaverse one of its big priorities: Despite its history of buying up rivals, Facebook claims the metaverse “won’t be built overnight by a single company” and has promised to collaborate: It recently invested $50m (£36.3m) in funding non-profit groups to help “build the metaverse responsibly”…………..But it thinks the true metaverse idea will take another 10 to 15 years….

Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg has been a leading voice on the metaverse

Investing in European Talent to Help Build the Metaverse – About Facebook

  • Creating 10,000 new jobs at Facebook across the EU
  • Building on our long standing European presence and putting the region at the heart of our plans to help build the metaverse

No one company will own and operate the metaverse. Like the internet, its key feature will be its openness and interoperability. Bringing this to life will take collaboration and cooperation across companies, developers, creators and policymakers. For Facebook, it will also require continued investment in product and tech talent, as well as growth across the business.

So today, we’re announcing a plan to create 10,000 new high-skilled jobs within the European Union (EU) over the next five years. This investment is a vote of confidence in the strength of the European tech industry and the potential of European tech talent.

Europe is hugely important to Facebook. From the thousands of employees in the EU to the millions of businesses using our apps and tools every day, Europe is a big part of our success, as Facebook is invested in the success of European companies and the wider economy. 

This is an exciting time for European tech. The EU has a number of advantages that make it a great place for tech companies to invest — a large consumer market, first class universities and, crucially, top-quality talent. European companies are at the cutting edge of several fields, whether it’s the German biotech helping to develop the first-ever MRNA vaccine or the coalition of European neo-banks leading the future of finance. Spain is seeing record levels of investment into startups solving everything from online grocery delivery to neuroelectronics, while Sweden is on its way to becoming the world’s first cashless society by 2023.

We have long believed that European talent is world-leading, which is why we have invested in it so heavily over the years — from funding grants at the Technical University of Munich, to opening our first major European AI research lab and FAIR accelerator programme in France and Facebook Reality Labs office in Cork. 

Beyond emerging tech talent, the EU also has an important role to play in shaping the new rules of the internet. European policymakers are leading the way in helping to embed European values like free expression, privacy, transparency and the rights of individuals into the day-to-day workings of the internet. Facebook shares these values and we have taken considerable action over the years to uphold them. We hope to see the completion of the Digital Single Market to support Europe’s existing advantages, as well as stability on international data flows, which are essential to a flourishing digital economy. 

As we begin the journey of bringing the metaverse to life, the need for highly specialized engineers is one of Facebook’s most pressing priorities. We look forward to working with governments across the EU to find the right people and the right markets to take this forward, as part of an upcoming recruitment drive across the region. And as Facebook continues to grow in Europe, we hope to invest more in its talent and continue to innovate in Europe, for Europe and the world.

This included revelations from whistleblower Frances Haugen, who worked as a product manager on the civic integrity team at Facebook.

#AceNewsDesk report …………..Published: Oct.19: 2021:

Editor says …Sterling Publishing & Media Service Agency is not responsible for the content of external site or from any reports, posts or links, and can also be found here on Telegram: https://t.me/acenewsdaily all of our posts fromTwitter can be found here: https://acetwitternews.wordpress.com/ and all wordpress and live posts and links here: https://acenewsroom.wordpress.com/and thanks for following as always appreciate every like, reblog or retweet and free help and guidance tips on your PC software or need help & guidance from our experts AcePCHelp.WordPress.Com