Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GTP-3) is an autoregressive language model that uses deep learning to produce human-like text, released by the research laboratory OpenAI in mid-2020. The language boasts 175 billion parameters. A startup called Copy.ai built a copywriting tool using the language. Essentially, Copy.ai scrapes the internet in a matter of seconds and composes blog posts, social media posts, product descriptions, or whatever else a business owner may need. I was curious how well the tool would perform, so I provided a few parameters and asked it to produce a blog post on the differences between virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality. Not only was the writing pretty sloppy, some of the information it pulled was outright false. Still, I was impressed with its ability to generate full paragraphs with very little input and I expect it to improve over time. Below is what Copy.ai produced for the topic “Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality vs. Mixed Reality,” with minor edits and my own annotations at the bottom. While the post below would not merit publication elsewhere, I am sharing it here as the result of an experiment and my first time co-writing with an artificially intelligent partner.
Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality vs. Mixed Reality
Virtual Reality is a term that refers to content created using a 3D computer model [1]. Virtual Reality is dedicated to the creation and use of interactive environments that completely surround the user and bestow a feeling of “presence,” when in reality it is just a user interacting with a monitor or headset. The term “VR” was coined in 2006 by Oculus founder Palmer Luckey who at the time worked for ZeniMax Media, the company behind the “The Matrix” film series franchise [2].
Augmented Reality is similar to traditional computer graphics; it is images and information overlaid on real-world objects [3]. Mixed reality is what happens when you combine computer graphics with 3D environments and objects [4].
Augmented Reality can create depth information about a real-world object. For example, you can overlay an image of a Thanksgiving turkey on your home to create more festive decorations. The difference between Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality is that the former is typically a solution, while the latter is an entirely new experience to mainstream consumers. Mixed Reality is the combination of two or more existing technologies to create an immersive experience.
Virtual realities are created environments that look real but don’t exist in the physical world. Augmented reality is a type of computer-generated imagery (CGI) that adds additional elements to live video. Mixed reality brings together all aspects of real and virtual environments where physical and digital realities coexist and interact in real time.
Mixed reality combines some aspects of both virtual and augmented realities.
1. The Oxford Dictionary defines “Virtual Reality” as “the computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way by a person using special electronic equipment, such as a helmet with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors.”
2. This assertion that Palmer Luckey coined the term “Virtual Reality” in 2006 is inaccurate. It was coined by computer scientist Jaron Lanier in the late 1980s. ZeniMax sued Oculus in 2017 (ZeniMax Media Inc. et al. v. Oculus VR, Inc. et al.) for theft of intellectual property, resulting in a $200 million settlement.
3. The Oxford Dictionary defines “Augmented Reality” as “a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world, thus providing a composite view.“
4. Microsoft defines “Mixed Reality” in this way: “Mixed Reality is a blend of physical and digital worlds, unlocking the links between human, computer, and environment interaction. This new reality is based on advancements in computer vision, graphical processing power, display technology, and input systems. However, the term Mixed Reality was introduced in a 1994 paper by Paul Milgram and Fumio Kishino, ‘A Taxonomy of Mixed Reality Visual Displays.’ Their paper explored the concept of the virtuality continuum and the categorization of taxonomy applied to displays.”