Dissecting the Latest Trends in AI, Science, Transportation, and the Metaverse

Emerging Tech Roundup — January 27

The Quantious team’s top picks for timely trending news in the tech world.

This week in tech: New App Discovers Music for Users, ChatGPT Passes MBA-Level Exam at Wharton, ChatGPT Considers Paid Version, Neopets to Enter Web3, South Korea Launches Metaverse Replica of Seoul, U.S. Agency to Build AI-Powered Digital Twin of Earth’s Atmosphere, and China Reportedly Creates World’s First Hydrogen-Powered Train.

Smores is a Music Discovery App With a TikTok-Like Feed

(Tech Crunch, January 19)

A free iOS app, Smores, has been launched to improve the process of finding and curating new music based on the users’ prior listening history. Developed using both AI and manual curation, Smores connects to the user’s Spotify account and uses built-in controls to change users’ recommendation feeds. Users can further personalize their music recommendations by liking or disliking songs based on a short snippet of the “best” parts.

ChatGPT Just Passed an MBA-Level Exam at Wharton

(Gizmodo, January 24)

Wharton Professor Christian Terwiesch has published his findings, revealing that ChatGPT is able to pass a final exam from a Master of Business Administration course. As ChatGPT gains popularity, researchers continue to explore the implications for education. The implications, according to Professor Terwiesch’s report, include the need for improved exam policies and a new curriculum design focused on collaboration between humans and AI.

ChatGPT’s Paid Version is Close — and it Could Have a Big Impact on Free Users

(Tech Radar, January 23)

ChatGPT users have reported pop-up messages for a ChatGPT Professional upgrade plan. OpenAI has yet to comment on the rumored paid plan or when the $42 subscription plan is set to launch. With big tech companies like Microsoft and Google announcing their investments into the AI space, the move has users considering what the growing chatbot arms race will look like in 2023.

Neopets Metaverse Raises $4 Million to Bring Neopets to Web3

(Mobidictum, January 19)

Neopets Metaverse has raised $4 million in funding after closing an investment round, with participation from big names in gaming and blockchain. Neopets Metaverse plans to bring the popular virtual pet game into the decentralized world with the ability for players to own and monetize their experiences on the blockchain. The funding will assist Neopets in bringing the nostalgic game into a new age of players and into the future.

South Korea Launches Metaverse Replica of Seoul

(Yahoo Finance, January 17)

South Korea is launching a virtual replica of Seoul with the goal to improve its public services. Estimated to be completed by 2026, the virtual world will invite citizens to use avatars to get their tax questions answered, gain access to youth counseling, find support for small businesses, and even read e-books. The nation shared their plans to designate $200 million to fund metaverse projects and expand their technologies, suggesting that this project is the first of many.

U.S. Agency to Build AI-Powered Digital Twin of Earth’s Atmosphere

(Interesting Engineering, January 21)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is working with Colorado-based aerospace company Lockheed Martin to transform the way weather is reported. The new model, called the NOAA Earth Observing Digital Twin, will use advanced artificial intelligence algorithms to collect, integrate, and fuse a large amount of weather data. Their overarching goal is to fuse all the data into one measurement that can represent weather in a visual format, similar to Google Earth.

World’s First Hydrogen-Powered Train Built in China, Reports Claim

(Interesting Engineering, January 23)

The world’s first urban train powered by hydrogen has reportedly been created. A joint venture between the CRRC Changchun Railway Company and Chengdu Rail Transit, this hydrogen-powered train is the first to be specifically designed for an urban environment. China claims they have a bold goal to encourage the growth of the hydrogen energy sector and are on course to produce between 100,000 and 200,000 metric tons of hydrogen from renewable energy in the following years.