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Designers do Futuro

Some software products are built for a dream. Others are built for a need. definitely falls into the latter category. Bugfender Bugfender is a log storage service for application developers that collects everything that’s happening in the application, even if it doesn’t crash. So, devs can reproduce and resolve bugs more effectively and provide accurate customer support without needing to contact the user or take a look under the hood. The product solves the ‘but it works fine on my machine’ problem, whereby bugs surface in our applications but don’t appear on our own devices. It respects users’ privacy, it’s battery and network-efficient, and, crucially, it keeps logging even if the device is offline. The Nuts and Bolts of Bugfender is an SDK that can be added to our apps during development. When a user downloads our app, the device’s NSlog or Logcat files can be sent automatically to our servers. Bugfender The logs are stored in the cloud, with a web-based management tool to view them. This is really the core of the product: we built our web console with powerful filters so we can narrow our search down to very specific groups of devices when fixing problems. We can even focus on one individual user if the problem is limited to them. This is impossible with tools like Crashlytics and Instabug because they only gather information when there’s an exception or a crash. The Origin of Bugfender We built as an offshoot of our mobile design agency, which produced a range of apps from military-grade IoT to sports and healthcare. Bugfender Before we started Bugfender, the only way to fix bugs in our apps was to get physical access to an affected device or call an impacted user and ask them to describe the problem. However, the user base for our apps was typically spread across entire continents and comprised hundreds of different devices. Getting direct access to the problem was usually impractical, not to mention intrusive. So, we decided to build an internal remote logging tool that would feed the information straight to us. This wasn’t a play to create the next Facebook or Google. It was a response to the problems we faced on a daily basis as devs. The Growth of Bugfender Bugfender started out as a garage project. We were running code sprints on our own time so we wouldn’t have to dig into the company savings. But we soon realized this could be much more than an internal experiment. In fact, it could benefit the entire software industry. Since then, we’ve built Bugfender into a viable business with its own team and roadmap. We’ve secured a full range of customers all over the world, from indie and freelance developers to multinationals with dozens of devs. Our co-founder in March 2017, at a time when Bugfender’s revenue stood at $6,500 per month. That number has now more than trebled to half a million dollars on an annual recurring basis. did an interview with Indie Hackers Bootstrapping Seed and early-stage funding were booming when we launched Bugfender, and the software was extremely sexy due to the evolution of smartphone technology. Around the time Bugfender launched, we saw the launch of sophisticated features like mobile payments, fitness trackers, and high-quality cameras, all of which made crash reporting more important than ever. However, we decided to stay small rather than pursue the big money, primarily for lifestyle reasons. Both Bugfender and our parent company were already committed to remote, flexible working. We used early versions of today’s async technologies, we all worked our own hours, and we committed to maintaining a good work-life balance. So, after lengthy internal discussions, we decided to stay bootstrapped. While we wanted to create an amazingly successful project, we didn’t want to do so at the expense of our personal lives. Customer Support It was clear from the outset that customer support would be crucial to Bugfender. The product exists to provide a fast, clear, and constant flow of information. Our relationships with clients must reflect this. Right from the outset, we decided that engineers and designers—the people who create and maintain our product--would be the ones responding to customer questions. Even the Bugender CEO still handles some of the support by himself. He actively pings and prods customers into asking questions, suggesting things, and basically contacting us for anything they might need. What’s more, the devs write all articles and blog posts themselves (including this one). We retain a copywriter to proofread our material, as many of our team are not native English speakers, but the core content is always written by devs and framed by the issues that our users are reporting. By engaging with our customers directly, we’ve been able to understand what they need, what works and what doesn’t, what they love, and what frustrates them. A great deal of the changes we’ve made to Bugfender came directly from user feedback. Analytics tools can provide a certain level of insight, but direct customer feedback is even more beneficial. We’ve found that if the question is relevant and quick to answer, customers are always happy to answer you. And as a “small” bootstrapped company, we try to give the best support to our customers. Other software agencies spend fortunes on SEO to game the Google rankings, but we prioritize word of mouth and long-term loyalty. We might not be able to compete against big brands in certain areas, but we are proud of the customer support we provide, and our approach means we are more flexible and open to adapt the product to our customer needs. What’s next for us? Here are a few things we’ve got in the pipeline: Improve statistics to provide better insights to our customers about their app usage; Automatic network request logging; Integration with backend logging… …and any other feature that our customers request. Bugfender is a product shaped by requirement rather than aspiration, and it will continue to be so.

We Are Bugfender: Shaping the Future of App Development Through Remote Logging Solutions

আমরা বাগফেন্ডার: রিমোট লগিং সলিউশনের মাধ্যমে অ্যাপ ডেভেলপমেন্টের ভবিষ্যত গঠন করছি

Wir sind Bugfender: Gestalten Sie die Zukunft der App-Entwicklung durch Remote-Logging-Lösungen

Somos Bugfender: dando forma al futuro del desarrollo de aplicaciones mediante soluciones de registro remoto

Nous sommes Bugfender : façonner l'avenir du développement d'applications grâce à des solutions de journalisation à distance

हम बगफेंडर हैं: रिमोट लॉगिंग सॉल्यूशंस के माध्यम से ऐप डेवलपमेंट के भविष्य को आकार दे रहे हैं

私たちは Bugfender: リモート ロギング ソリューションを通じてアプリ開発の未来を形作る

우리는 Bugfender입니다: 원격 로깅 솔루션을 통해 앱 개발의 미래를 만들어갑니다.

Somos Bugfender: moldando o futuro do desenvolvimento de aplicativos por meio de soluções de registro remoto

Мы — Bugfender: формируем будущее разработки приложений с помощью решений для удаленного ведения журналов

Biz Bugfender'ız: Uzaktan Günlük Kaydı Çözümleriyle Uygulama Geliştirmenin Geleceğini Şekillendiriyoruz

Chúng tôi là Bugfender: Định hình tương lai của việc phát triển ứng dụng thông qua các giải pháp ghi nhật ký từ xa

我们是 Bugfender：通过远程日志记录解决方案塑造应用程序开发的未来

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital technology, innovations in mobile UX ave emerged as a driving force behind the way we interact with our digital surroundings. Mobile devices, once limited to basic functionality, have now become indispensable extensions of our daily lives. , and I invite you to embark on a journey through the landscape of mobile user experience with me. During my career, I've witnessed the remarkable evolution of mobile UX and how it has fundamentally transformed the way we interact with technology. This article explores the world of Mobile UX innovations, covering pivotal moments, emerging technologies, and design principles shaping the future of user experience on mobile devices. , we delve into this dynamic field that redefines how we connect and engage in a mobile-driven world. I'm Liza, a product designer From the mobile-first revolution to AI-driven personalization and the integration of augmented reality It's hard to imagine now🫢, but a few years ago, it was a significant achievement for me to advocate for the idea of creating a mobile-first website for a healthcare project. Understanding that many users rely on smartphones to access health-related information, I ensured that the app's interface was optimized for mobile screens. This approach led to increased user engagement, especially among patients who needed quick access to medical resources on their mobile devices. In essence, the mobile-first revolution has also . Users now demand seamless and engaging mobile interactions, and the mobile-first approach is instrumental in meeting these demands. This shift marks a pivotal innovation in Mobile UX, setting the stage for further advancements in the field. raised the bar for mobile user expectations I've honed my skills in adapting designs to accommodate the ever-expanding array of mobile devices, ensuring that users have a seamless experience regardless of the device they use. But it's not just about ; it's also about . have become essential elements in creating immersive mobile experiences, and I've been at the forefront of implementing these  features. Moreover, I've been fortunate to explore the integration of into mobile apps, offering users experiences that bridge the gap between the real and digital worlds. As I share my insights and experiences with you, my goal is to inspire fellow designers and enthusiasts to think creatively and . adapting to various screens embracing multi-sensory interactions Gesture-based controls, voice commands, and tactile feedback AR technologies push the boundaries of mobile UX The Mobile Device Ecosystem The striking diversity of available mobile devices fosters creativity and design innovation. Designers must ensure that their creations and devices, employing responsive design techniques to . Furthermore, optimizing interactions for touch, gestures, voice commands, and stylus inputs becomes imperative, varying according to the specific device. adapt seamlessly to different screens maintain functionality and visual appeal When it comes to development, the mobile device ecosystem necessitates a strategic approach. Teams often and tools. These solutions enable them to create applications that can run on multiple operating systems with a , streamlining the development process and reducing time-to-market. This approach ensures that users across different devices and platforms have access to a consistent and reliable experience. Furthermore, testing across a variety of devices and operating systems is paramount. This quality assurance process helps identify and rectify issues specific to certain devices or platforms, ensuring that the user experience remains top-notch regardless of the chosen device. adopt cross-platform development frameworks single codebase Multi-Sensory Interactions Innovations in Mobile UX are not limited to the visual aspect; they also encompass the way users interact with their mobile devices. The advent of multi-sensory interactions has brought about a paradigm shift in the way we engage with technology, than ever before. making mobile experiences more intuitive and immersive Traditionally, interacting with mobile devices was primarily a visual and tactile affair. Users tapped, swiped, and pinched their way through interfaces. However, the contemporary landscape of Mobile UX introduces a multitude of novel interaction methods that engage multiple senses . simultaneously have emerged as a prominent means of interacting with mobile devices. Users can perform a variety of gestures, such as swiping, pinching, or shaking, to trigger specific actions within applications. This intuitive approach allows for more direct manipulation of content and navigation, enhancing the user experience. Gestures is another significant advancement in multi-sensory interactions. With the integration of natural language processing and voice recognition technologies, users can now command their devices verbally. Whether it's asking virtual assistants for information, setting reminders, or dictating messages, voice control adds a layer of convenience and accessibility to mobile interactions. Voice control plays a crucial role in providing users with a sense of touch in digital experiences. Haptic feedback, such as vibrations and force feedback, allows users to feel responses to their actions. This sensory input enhances the perception of realism in games and simulations, making the mobile experience more engaging. Tactile feedback Moreover, the can create holistic and immersive experiences. For instance, augmented reality (AR) applications utilize gestures, voice commands, and tactile feedback to enable users to interact with digital objects seamlessly within their physical environment. combination of these multi-sensory interactions Augmented Reality (AR) Integration AR integration in mobile apps involves overlaying digital information, such as 3D objects, animations, or contextual data, onto the real-world environment visible through the device's camera. This technology enables users to interact with digital content seamlessly within their physical surroundings. Mobile AR is made possible by . combining the device's camera, sensors, and processing power to create immersive experiences I want to remind you of several AR examples that we've seen and tried for a while now and offer ideas on how to incorporate AR into our products. 👾 The game uses AR to blend the virtual world of Pokémon with the player's real-world surroundings. Players must physically explore their environment to find and capture virtual creatures, making it a global phenomenon and a prime example of how AR can enhance gameplay and engagement. Pokémon GO. 📷 AR lenses have also been a hit among users. These interactive filters overlay animated elements onto users' faces, allowing for playful and creative self-expression. This feature has not only driven user engagement but has also been used by brands for innovative marketing campaigns. Snapchat's 🩸 In healthcare, AR apps like help medical professionals locate veins for injections or intravenous procedures. The app uses AR to project a map of veins onto the patient's skin, making the process more accurate and less painful. AccuVein What might inspire you : We can develop AR applications that allow users to visualize furniture and decor in their homes before making a purchase. This enhances the online shopping experience for furniture retailers and helps users make informed decisions. 🛋️ Virtual Furniture Placement : AR can improve the way users navigate physical spaces. Consider creating AR navigation apps that provide , information, and points of interest overlaid on the user's view through their mobile device or AR glasses. 🧭 Enhanced Navigation real-time directions : Explore the use of AR in educational and training apps. By superimposing interactive 3D models, historical reconstructions, or informative onto the real world, we can make learning more engaging and effective. ✏️ Learning and Training visual cues : Encourage users to express their creativity with AR art and design apps. These tools can enable individuals to , offering a new level of artistic expression. 🎨 Interactive Art and Creativity paint, sculpt, or design in a three-dimensional space : Fashion brands can benefit from AR by allowing customers to virtually try on clothing and accessories. This , enhances the online shopping experience, and reduces returns. 👚 Virtual Try-Ons for Fashion reduces the need for physical fitting rooms Artificial Intelligence and Personalization Innovations in Mobile UX are increasingly driven by the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI), revolutionizing how users engage with mobile applications. AI has ushered in an era of hyper-personalization, tailoring mobile experiences to individual preferences and behaviors. Using AI in your projects has become surprisingly accessible nowadays, thanks to the availability of various AI tools and pre-trained models. You can easily adapt these AI systems to your specific needs, allowing for a high degree of personalization. For instance, in a recent fitness app project, I incorporated AI-driven personalization to provide users with . This approach considered each user's fitness goals and past activities, resulting in increased user engagement and more effective progress toward individual fitness objectives. customized workout routines and nutrition plans AI plays a pivotal role in enhancing user personalization by analyzing vast amounts of data and providing tailored recommendations and experiences. Machine learning algorithms enable mobile apps to understand user behavior, preferences, and context, allowing for dynamic adjustments in real time. One notable example of AI-driven personalization is evident in content recommendation algorithms used by streaming platforms like Netflix and music streaming services like Spotify. These platforms analyze . As a result, users are more likely to discover content that aligns with their interests, keeping them engaged and satisfied. users' viewing or listening history, likes, and dislikes to curate personalized content suggestions Another instance is seen in e-commerce applications, where AI-driven product recommendations are prevalent. Mobile shopping apps like Amazon leverage AI to suggest products based on a user's past purchases, browsing history, and even demographics. This level of personalization not only enhances the shopping experience but also contributes to increased sales and customer loyalty. AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants are transforming customer support within mobile applications. These intelligent bots can queries and provide relevant responses, guiding users through troubleshooting processes or answering inquiries promptly. This not only improves user satisfaction but also reduces support costs for businesses. understand natural language Furthermore, AI enhances mobile security by analyzing user behavior patterns to detect anomalies and potential security threats. When unusual activity is detected, such as a different typing pattern or location, the AI system can trigger additional authentication measures, ensuring the safety of user data and accounts. Ethical obligation of UX design Mobile apps today collect an abundance of data, ranging from personal identifiers to location information and behavioral patterns. Users are increasingly cautious about how their data is handled, shared, and protected. Privacy regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) have placed stringent requirements on mobile app developers emphasizing transparency in data collection, obtaining user consent, and providing mechanisms for users to control their data. Best security practices has become a standard practice for securing user communications and data storage. This ensures that even if a security breach occurs, the data remains unintelligible to unauthorized parties. End-to-end encryption authentication methods, such as fingerprint recognition and facial scanning, have added an extra layer of security to mobile devices. Users can be confident that their devices and apps are accessible only to them. Biometric Innovations like allow mobile apps to gather insights from aggregated user data without compromising individual privacy. This technique adds noise to the data, making it statistically anonymous while still providing valuable information for app improvement. differential privacy Decentralized technologies like are being explored to give users greater control over their data. Users can selectively share data with apps, knowing that their information remains under their ownership and is not stored in centralized databases. blockchain Mobile app developers are also implementing , where privacy is considered at every stage of app development. This approach ensures that data protection is not an afterthought but an integral part of the user experience. privacy-by-design principles By embracing these, mobile apps can establish trust with users, enhance their reputation, and create a more secure and user-friendly environment. Data privacy and security are no longer optional features but fundamental pillars of mobile UX in the digital age. Emerging Trends and Future Outlook AR-enhanced mobile experiences will become more immersive and context-aware, with AI-driven personalization making interactions smoother and more tailored to individual users. Imagine an app that understands your preferences and surroundings, providing real-time information and assistance seamlessly. (VUIs) will continue to gain prominence, offering users a hands-free and natural way to interact with their mobile devices. With advancements in natural language processing and voice recognition technology, VUIs will become more accurate and versatile. We can expect voice-activated mobile applications for a wide range of tasks, from controlling smart home devices to conducting complex searches. Voice user interfaces We anticipate a shift towards even , where mobile apps will adapt to users' emotional states, preferences, and intentions. AI algorithms will not only predict user needs but also empathize with their feelings, leading to more emotionally intelligent mobile experiences. greater personalization will remain at the forefront, with stricter regulations and innovative technologies ensuring that user data is handled responsibly and securely. User consent and control over data will become more robust, giving individuals unprecedented authority over their information. Data privacy and security will continue to improve, making mobile apps more usable for individuals with disabilities. This trend is not only driven by legal requirements but also by a growing awareness of the importance of making technology accessible to everyone. Accessibility and inclusivity Overall, the future of mobile UX is filled with exciting possibilities and challenges. UX designers and developers will need to adapt to these changes, staying at the forefront of innovation to craft mobile experiences that delight and empower users. By embracing these emerging trends, the world of mobile UX is set to offer than ever before. more immersive, intuitive, and user-centric interactions 🤓 Feel free to share in the comments what AI or AR tools you use in products. Lets make trends easy to adapt 🚀

Crafting the Future of Mobile UX

মোবাইল UX এর ভবিষ্যত তৈরি করা

Die Zukunft von Mobile UX gestalten

Creando el futuro de la UX móvil

Façonner l’avenir de l’UX mobile

मोबाइल यूएक्स का भविष्य तैयार करना

モバイル UX の未来を創造する

모바일 UX의 미래 만들기

Criando o futuro da experiência do usuário móvel

Создавая будущее мобильного UX

Mobil Kullanıcı Deneyiminin Geleceğini Tasarlamak

Tạo dựng tương lai của UX di động

打造移动用户体验的未来

Having invested over 20 hours engrossed in the 2023 WWDC sessions and tinkering with the innovative tools Apple has , I've emerged more excited than ever about the future of iOS app user experience. introduced Let's embark on a journey to explore the transformative features and design philosophies emerging this year. Bringing Apps to Life, A Paradigm Shift in App Dynamics Developers and designers are handed the reins to manipulate and control animations with a granularity unseen. Apple's of the new animations API at the 2023 WWDC encapsulates the essence of this transformation. This APIs empowers designers with the tools to craft animations that feel organic and alive, seamlessly integrating motion into the fabric of the user experience. To understand the potential of these tools, just take a look at this demo animation. recent introduction https://twitter.com/bcardarella/status/1666547490353557504?embedable=true A brief glance at this demos offers a tantalizing preview of a world where apps pulsate with energy and life. The promise of crafting such fluid, lively interfaces is set to reshape our expectations of app interactivity and design. Widgets 2.0: Beyond Static Icons The home screen has been a static interface for years. With Apple's novel of interactive widgets, that’s all set to change. Now, each widget serves not just as a window, but a dynamic portal into apps, offering real-time interactions without even launching the app. The immediate implications are clear: faster user workflows, richer at-a-glance information. For a clearer picture, demos Lee Kah Seng and theapplehub a hands-on experience of this shift. introduction from provide https://twitter.com/theapplehub/status/1665840765250179072?embedable=true SwiftUI's Evolution: Crafting Emotion-Driven Interfaces SwiftUI's updates, as in the 2023 WWDC, always remind us that the framework is more than just a set of tools – it is a new philosophy. The new features emphasize crafting interfaces that don't just respond but resonate. With its enhanced capabilities, designers can create UIs that not only serve functions but evoke emotions. These enhancements, showcased by UI maestros like , and promise an era where app designs will be as emotionally impactful as they are functionally robust. highlighted marcus_eckert DLX Kavsoft https://twitter.com/_Kavsoft/status/1702745510766059535?embedable=true The Third Dimension: visionOS and Immersive Experience One of the standout features of 2023's WWDC has been the introduction of the 3D fluid experience in visionOS. Depth and immersion have been infused into the OS design, setting a benchmark for how we perceive and interact with digital interfaces. This architectural design promises a more tactile, real-world user experience, particularly evident in the UI of Vision Pro. Catch a glimpse of this paradigm shift with this illustrative tweet. https://twitter.com/alexwidua/status/1667204921190391810?embedable=true The Vision Pro's UI is set to redefine our perception of interfaces, heralding a gradual yet transformative adoption in mobile applications. In Conclusion Apple's 2023 WWDC presentations have clearly highlighted their commitment to pushing the boundaries of user experience. The digital design terrain of this year is marked by emotion, depth, dynamism, and interactivity. As we stand on the precipice of this new wave of UI design, one thing is clear: our digital experiences will soon be as rich and multi-dimensional as our real-world interactions. The future of UI design is not just about pixels and code; it's about feelings, immersion, and life. The future is now.

iOS 17: Unveiling the Future of User Experience — A Developer's Perspective

iOS 17: ব্যবহারকারীর অভিজ্ঞতার ভবিষ্যত উন্মোচন - একটি বিকাশকারীর দৃষ্টিকোণ

iOS 17: Enthüllung der Zukunft der Benutzererfahrung – aus der Perspektive eines Entwicklers

iOS 17: Revelando el futuro de la experiencia del usuario: la perspectiva de un desarrollador

iOS 17 : dévoiler l'avenir de l'expérience utilisateur – le point de vue d'un développeur

iOS 17: उपयोगकर्ता अनुभव के भविष्य का अनावरण - एक डेवलपर का परिप्रेक्ष्य

iOS 17: ユーザーエクスペリエンスの未来を明らかにする — 開発者の視点

iOS 17: 사용자 경험의 미래 공개 — 개발자의 관점

iOS 17: revelando o futuro da experiência do usuário – a perspectiva de um desenvolvedor

iOS 17: будущее пользовательского опыта — взгляд разработчика

iOS 17: Kullanıcı Deneyiminin Geleceğini Ortaya Çıkarmak — Bir Geliştiricinin Perspektifi

iOS 17: Hé lộ tương lai của trải nghiệm người dùng - Góc nhìn của nhà phát triển

iOS 17：揭示用户体验的未来——开发者的视角

Obviously, no job family is going to disappear overnight; change takes time. But looking ahead helps orient everyone’s energy and steer careers away from the doom and gloom of job decline. Reading AI job impact reports can give you vertigo: 85 million jobs will be displaced globally due to AI ( ) Oliver Wyman Forum There are predictions that software developers ?! might be extinct by 2040 : “In the next five years, 83 million jobs will be lost and 69 million are projected to be created” World Economic Forum 40% of the global workforce - 1.4 billion people - will need to reskill. ( ) IBM study As a product manager, I ask the question of whether there’s a future for my career in the post-AI world. naturally These numbers sound bad enough to throw in the towel and say “Well, I’ll just give up I guess, look the other way, and see what happens”. But is that: can my whole claim disruptive trends are visible far in advance if you’re looking the right way and can sift through some noise, getting to a level of operational expertise in any emerging tech is relatively simple. There are jobs that will probably, within the next several years, be displaced almost completely (my one bet is on frontline customer support), and then there are jobs that will go through a boom cycle. For those, the traditional market won’t be able to provide enough supply, and we will see similar qualifications rebranding as we did with coding boot camps over the last 10-15 years. Most of us in tech will likely land somewhere in the middle: even if the changes come quickly, we have the choice and the luxury of iterating towards new skills (and opportunities) rather than needing a complete pivot. Designers, Devs, and PMs: AI Will Kill Some & Create Some By 2027 ( ): World Economic Forum Demand for designers will increase some; Depending on the type of developer, the jobs might see up to a 25% increase (blockchain developers being one of the leaders of the pack!) Roughly ~10% of PM jobs are going to die, and roughly ~10% will be added, so net zero. Product management is actually . But the experience of an AI PM vs. a random PM is not fungible, so the key advantage is to be as close to the growing tech (whether it’s AI or other) as possible. one of the top AI talent demands Macro Trends That Will Influence Our Individual Experience: Engel’s Pause & Solow’s Paradox It will take more than just job opportunities that will determine we experience progress, our own relevance, and careers of the next decade or two; it will be influenced by macro trends too. how The Mid-Term Impact Might Be Just Bad in General, but Hopefully, We’ll Live to See the Turnaround: Engels’ Pause Engels’ Pause describes the British industrial revolution in the early 1800s when working-class wages stagnated while GDP grew quickly. There are several theories, the bottom line being that the owners and investors of the booming businesses pocketed the gains and kept wages relatively flat. If it sounds familiar - argues that advanced economies are now in a new, “post-1980 Computer Revolution” Engels' Pause. Carl Benedikt Frey He explains that early labor-replacing technologies tend to decrease wages; once more sophisticated labor-augmenting technologies show up, wages and demand for talent tend to increase: "If technology replaces labor in existing tasks, wages and the share of national income accruing to labor may fall. If, in contrast, technological change is augmenting labor, it will make workers more productive in existing tasks or create entirely new labor-intensive activities, thereby increasing the demand for labor. (…) The growing capital share of income meant that the gains from technological progress were very unequally distributed: corporate profits were captured by industrialists, who reinvested them in factories and machines.” This is an optimistic sign! And aligned with what the enterprises expect: 87% of executives surveyed believe employees are more likely to be augmented than replaced by generative AI. IBM From : OWF “As some experts look at how employeesʹ current tasks will be affected by generative AI and automation, they divide the work into three types: transactional, relational, and expertise-related. Much of our transactional work will be substituted by a combination of robotic process automation, machine learning, and generative AI, while work requiring deep expertise or human collaboration will increasingly be augmented.” Waiting for the Immediate Signs of AI Revolution Might Be a Snoozefest: Solow’s Paradox and the Productivity J-Curve Solow’s Paradox and talk about a similar phenomenon: that as we (we, as in economies, companies, CEOs, and investors) pour money into a “groundbreaking” technology, the effects of it don’t seem to show up for a while: Erik Brynjolffsen’s Productivity J-Curve A similar question was raised in 1987, when economist Robert Solow observed a disconnect between the burgeoning computer age and the anticipated productivity gains — an observation now known as “Solow’s paradox.” Businesses and governments poured money into IT infrastructure, yet the expected leap in productivity was conspicuously absent. This paradox left many wondering if the problem lay not with the capacity of the technology but rather with the manner of its implementation. ( ) OWF Erik Brynjolffsen explains why that might be happening: General purpose technologies enable and require significant complementary investments, including co-invention of new processes, products, business models and human capital. These complementary investments are often intangible and poorly measured in the national accounts, even when they create valuable assets for the firm. He , and why it took a while for the electric motors’ revolutionary effects to materialize: the first generation of factory managers took out the steam engine - out of a factory that was and organized around the limitations of the steam engine - and plopped the electric engine in its place. gives an example of the steam engine being replaced with electric motors specifically built for It wasn’t until the new wave of managers redesigned the systems and workflows for the affordances of the electric engine that the expected innovation and productivity could be seen. Nobody Should Count on Employers to be the Drivers of Effective Re-Skilling One might say “OK, so if AI is so important, and there is not enough talent out there to hire, then surely the companies will invest money to train people.” And sure, they will; there are plenty of statistics that confirm that. But there’s already a significant and growing mismatch between what (and how quickly) companies are able to provide and what people need for their jobs - let alone what employees will need to be competitive in the job market vs. just slightly better at their existing, narrowly defined jobs. From : OWF Ok, So What’s the Recipe for Staying Afloat Here? On an individual level, there’s a discouraging disconnect between: The vague promises of what AI is supposed to be able to do, or how it be revolutionizing our work, versus what the existing products can do in practice right now; should between what the demand for AI talent is looking for, and where the supply market is (i.e., where we, the employees, are) today. But both of these trends are moving pieces; the key is to be one of the pieces moving along, not staying behind. The antidote is to use something, build something, and learn something (which I cover in my next post) until, inevitably, each of us starts to notice the applications and opportunities that actually bring progress: PS. If you liked this post - you might like my future takes at , where I write pragmatic takes on disruptive tech & its opportunities, with a sprinkle of deep dives into data and market insights. hypegeist.substack.com Also published here

Product Managers, Designers, and Devs: What Does Their Future Look Like in a World Filled With AI?

প্রোডাক্ট ম্যানেজার, ডিজাইনার এবং ডেভস: এআই দিয়ে ভরা বিশ্বে তাদের ভবিষ্যত কেমন দেখায়?

Produktmanager, Designer und Entwickler: Wie sieht ihre Zukunft in einer Welt voller KI aus?

Gerentes de producto, diseñadores y desarrolladores: ¿cómo será su futuro en un mundo lleno de inteligencia artificial?

Chefs de produit, concepteurs et développeurs : à quoi ressemble leur avenir dans un monde rempli d'IA ?

उत्पाद प्रबंधक, डिज़ाइनर और डेवलपर: AI से भरी दुनिया में उनका भविष्य कैसा दिखता है?

プロダクト マネージャー、デザイナー、開発者: AI で満たされた世界における彼らの未来はどのようなものになるでしょうか?

제품 관리자, 디자이너, 개발자: AI로 가득 찬 세상에서 그들의 미래는 어떤 모습일까요?

Gerentes de produto, designers e desenvolvedores: como será o futuro deles em um mundo repleto de IA?

Менеджеры по продуктам, дизайнеры и разработчики: как выглядит их будущее в мире, наполненном искусственным интеллектом?

Ürün Yöneticileri, Tasarımcılar ve Geliştiriciler: Yapay Zekayla Dolu Bir Dünyada Gelecekleri Nasıl Görünüyor?

Giám đốc sản phẩm, nhà thiết kế và nhà phát triển: Tương lai của họ sẽ như thế nào trong một thế giới tràn ngập AI?

产品经理、设计师和开发人员：在充满人工智能的世界中，他们的未来是什么样子？

(AI) is at the forefront, reshaping our digital world and one fascinating aspect is AI-generated 3D models. In this article, we’ll explore this cool tech in simple terms, from what it is to the magic of the "render farm. Artificial intelligence What is an AI-generated 3D Model? Imagine a digital sculptor with an uncanny ability to create intricate 3D designs effortlessly. This digital artist is none other than artificial intelligence. AI-generated 3D models are three-dimensional representations of objects, environments, or characters crafted by intelligent algorithms rather than human hands. These models range from architectural designs to characters in video games, and they're not just static images—they're dynamic, allowing for realistic movements and interactions. The Magic of the Render Farm The Birth of the Model: Rendering Explained Before we delve into the wonders of AI-generated 3D models, let's introduce a crucial player in this digital orchestra—the render farms like the one from . Think of it as a powerhouse of computation, where the magic of rendering takes place. Rendering is the process of turning a 3D model into a 2D image or video. This transformation involves complex calculations of light, shadows, and textures to create the final visual masterpiece. GarageFarm Render Farm: Fueling the Creative Engine The render farm is a network of high-performance computers working together to process the immense amount of data required for rendering. It's like having a team of tireless workers assembling each pixel of an image or frame of a video. This collaborative effort not only accelerates the rendering process but also enables the creation of high-quality visuals that would be impractical for a single machine to handle. AI in Action: Transforming 3D Modeling How AI Enhances 3D Modeling Traditional involves skilled artists meticulously crafting each detail. However, AI injects a dose of automation into this process. Using advanced algorithms, AI can analyze vast datasets and learn to generate 3D models autonomously. This not only speeds up the production pipeline but also opens the doors to new levels of creativity. 3D modeling Infinite Creativity: Endless Possibilities AI-generated 3D models bring forth a new era of creativity. Whether it's designing futuristic cityscapes, otherworldly creatures, or realistic product prototypes, the possibilities are limitless. The ability of AI to understand patterns and aesthetics allows it to create designs that may surprise even the most seasoned human artists. Applications Across Industries From Entertainment to Architecture: Where AI Shines The impact of AI-generated 3D models extends across various industries. In the realm of entertainment, video game developers leverage AI to populate their virtual worlds with diverse and realistic characters. Architects use AI-generated models to visualize and refine their designs, offering clients an immersive preview of their projects. The medical field benefits, too, as AI aids in creating detailed 3D representations for surgical planning and training. The Marriage of AI and Human Creativity A Collaborative Symphony While AI takes the lead in generating 3D models, human creativity remains an indispensable part of the process. Artists and designers work alongside AI algorithms, guiding the system and infusing their unique touch into the creations. This collaborative approach results in a harmonious blend of artificial intelligence and human ingenuity. Challenges and Future Horizons Navigating Challenges As with any technological leap, there are challenges to overcome. Ensuring ethical AI use, addressing biases in algorithms, and refining the balance between automation and human touch are ongoing considerations. However, the dynamic nature of AI means these challenges are met with continuous innovation. The Future: AI-Generated 3D Models Evolving Looking ahead, the evolution of AI-generated 3D models holds great promise. As algorithms become more sophisticated, the realism and diversity of generated models will continue to advance. This not only transforms industries but also democratizes creativity, offering tools for expression to a broader audience. Final Thoughts AI-generated 3D models stand as a testament to the fusion of innovation and creativity. The render farm, a silent hero in this narrative, powers the transformation of algorithms into visual marvels. From entertainment to healthcare, AI's impact is profound, reshaping how we visualize the virtual realm. As we navigate the challenges and embrace the collaborative potential of AI and human creativity, the future promises a digital renaissance where the boundaries of imagination are pushed further than ever before. GIF source:  Art Fire by PurzBeats

Unlocking the Future: AI-Generated 3D Models

ভবিষ্যৎ আনলক করা: এআই-জেনারেটেড 3D মডেল

Die Zukunft erschließen: KI-generierte 3D-Modelle

Liberando el futuro: modelos 3D generados por IA

Ouvrir l'avenir : modèles 3D générés par l'IA

भविष्य को खोलना: एआई-जनरेटेड 3डी मॉडल

未来の扉を開く: AI 生成の 3D モデル

미래를 열다: AI가 생성한 3D 모델

Desbloqueando o futuro: modelos 3D gerados por IA

Открывая будущее: 3D-модели, созданные искусственным интеллектом

Geleceğin Kilidini Açmak: Yapay Zeka Tarafından Oluşturulan 3D Modeller

Mở khóa tương lai: Mô hình 3D do AI tạo ra

解锁未来：AI 生成的 3D 模型

Predictions, dreams, and fortune-telling about the day after tomorrow in IT and beyond. Winter is the traditional time to try to predict in which direction technology will move and develop during the coming year. But why limit ourselves to such a short period of time? Let's try to go into “futurology and short-range sci-fi mode” and attempt to decipher the signals that our present is sending to the future. We’ll focus on, let's say, the next five to ten years. Particularly since we, thanks to breakthroughs in the practical application of artificial intelligence, have once again entered a fascinating "Spring of Technology" period. People love mobile devices. The all-knowing statisticians say that by early 2023, the number of mobile users had reached 5.44 billion (68% of the world's population), demonstrating an increase of 168 million users over 12 months. In 2023, around 1.45 billion smartphones were sold, with that figure expected to reach 1.78 billion units in 2028. To put it simply, the day is not far off when every person on the planet will have their own mobile IT device. Even infants. It is not so difficult to imagine some gadget, like a bracelet, which will not only report an infant’s various physiological data but utilize AI to interpret the babble of a child who has not yet learned to speak “adult” language. We think that this simple prediction serves us well as a bridge to our next question, "What will mobile devices be like in the near future?” It is worth remembering that humans are nomadic hunter-gatherers by origin. And somewhere in our subconscious, we are still haunted by the idea of a universal personal assistant that is always with us. We are sure that many of our readers still remember the last spring of technology, during which button cellphones developed explosively. They were created to fulfill a single purpose - to provide mobile voice communication. However, with incredible speed, they then acquired additional functions. And, for the most part, these new functions had nothing to do with telephony. It is interesting that often, new innovations were not developed by mobile phone designers but by amateurs who rewrote existing cellphone software. Cellphone designers discovered that there was a demand for phones to do more than just make calls and store contact information. People wanted to use their mobile devices to listen to music, look at pictures, read news and books, play games, check email, and so on and so forth. Catching the wave, mobile manufacturers rushed to satisfy the market’s desires. How did it turn out? Everything possible was squeezed out of button cellphone technology, and after several years of stagnation the current reigning technology, the ubiquitous smartphone as we know it today was born. A computer with a touch screen interface that occupies almost the entire surface of the device’s front side. Interestingly, the appearance of something similar was predicted ten to fifteen years before the first iPhone. At the time, in the 1990s, many people thought that the realization of this prediction was far off in a very distant future. A crewed flight to Mars seemed to be a much less fantastic proposal. Today, we observe approximately the same cellphone environment as seen at the beginning of the century. For a long time, smartphone creators have not offered us anything fundamentally new, instead focusing on solving horizontal tasks, like a little better camera, a little more powerful processor, and a little more memory... At the same time, attempts to push the envelope have often looked like a return to the past. Yes, you guessed it, we're talking about foldable smartphones. As far as we can judge, the solution to the problem of vertical progress in mobile devices has nothing to do with the search for a new form factor. Why? Look at your hand. That is the main limitation of imaginative design. So, it is quite possible that current designers and developers are not so wrong, mostly focusing on improving the standard smartphone’s stuffing. This does not change the fact that this stuffing must, at some point, become fundamentally different. And this evolution will definitely occur. In order for this to happen, it is necessary to change our very idea of what a smartphone is. What is a modern mobile device from the point of view of most people - both users and IT specialists? That's right - a desktop’s younger sibling. Most websites and software products are first created for desktops and then adapted into a mobile version. As a rule, mobile versions are simplified and with trimmed functionality compared to their desktop counterparts. But, there is a feeling of change in the air, and the idea of focusing on smartphones is not as counterintuitive as it first seems. Have you noticed that the classic desktop, by and large, has lost its competition with the laptop, which is essentially a mobile device as well? Turning most users’ smartphones into their primary computers looks like a logical next step. What Will It Look Like? The smartphone itself will not change much in appearance. However, its functionality will increase dramatically, both through peripherals and, of course, through software. Smartphones will play the role of the main unit of the computer. Instead of a desktop, there will be a base for the smartphone on a table, to which a monitor and keyboard will be connected. In the future, all of this will be unnecessary - the screen and keyboard will both be projected as a holographic image. The next step will then be to abandon the base - the smartphone itself will be able to project a large holo screen and full-size keyboard. Surely, in time, the above-mentioned abilities will also be acquired by smartwatches. Admit it, haven't you dreamed of talking to a hologram of your interlocutor in the style of Star Wars? However, much more important than these technical improvements will be fundamentally new software. It will bring smartphones to a qualitatively different level, transforming the device into a universal personal assistant, which people have been dreaming about since the first cellphone appeared. You must have already guessed what we are going to say. Yes, you're right. This software will be based on artificial intelligence. In fact, it will be an AI assistant, or rather a team of AI assistants for all occasions, freely supporting voice and text dialog. Such smartphones will search the Internet, answer any question, perform simultaneous multilingual translation from any language, make regular payments, monitor health, plot routes, assist with driving (or driving independently), warn of dangers, and so on and so forth. Believe us - we are not making this prediction because of our professional connection to the topic of artificial intelligence. The fact that we have the honor of belonging to the Pitch Avatar team does not prevent us from seeing AI rapidly penetrating into all spheres of life. Of course, for a full-fledged real-time interaction between a smartphone and its user, you will need an additional device that simultaneously outputs audio and visual information and, at the same time, leaves your hands free. Something like glasses with earbuds. Of course, it won't be something bulky like current virtual reality helmets and goggles. Designers (and modelers, where would we be without them?) will strive to create something compact and sleek. Like regular glasses - sunglasses or for vision correction. And with the help of this hypothetical device, it will be possible to experience augmented reality and dive into virtual reality. But, for more about this, you will have to wait for the next chapter of our future fantasy. The article was created in collaboration with Andriy Tkachenko Predictions, dreams, and fortune-telling about the day after tomorrow in IT and beyond. Predictions, dreams, and fortune-telling about the day after tomorrow in IT and beyond. Predictions, dreams, and fortune-telling about the day after tomorrow in IT and beyond. Winter is the traditional time to try to predict in which direction technology will move and develop during the coming year. But why limit ourselves to such a short period of time? Let's try to go into “futurology and short-range sci-fi mode” and attempt to decipher the signals that our present is sending to the future. We’ll focus on, let's say, the next five to ten years. Particularly since we, thanks to breakthroughs in the practical application of artificial intelligence, have once again entered a fascinating "Spring of Technology" period. People love mobile devices. The all-knowing statisticians say that by early 2023, the number of mobile users had reached 5.44 billion (68% of the world's population), demonstrating an increase of 168 million users over 12 months. In 2023, around 1.45 billion smartphones were sold, with that figure expected to reach 1.78 billion units in 2028. 5.44 billion 5.44 billion 1.45 billion smartphones 1.45 billion smartphones 1.78 billion 1.78 billion To put it simply, the day is not far off when every person on the planet will have their own mobile IT device. Even infants. It is not so difficult to imagine some gadget, like a bracelet, which will not only report an infant’s various physiological data but utilize AI to interpret the babble of a child who has not yet learned to speak “adult” language. We think that this simple prediction serves us well as a bridge to our next question, "What will mobile devices be like in the near future?” It is worth remembering that humans are nomadic hunter-gatherers by origin. And somewhere in our subconscious, we are still haunted by the idea of a universal personal assistant that is always with us. We are sure that many of our readers still remember the last spring of technology, during which button cellphones developed explosively. They were created to fulfill a single purpose - to provide mobile voice communication. However, with incredible speed, they then acquired additional functions. And, for the most part, these new functions had nothing to do with telephony. It is interesting that often, new innovations were not developed by mobile phone designers but by amateurs who rewrote existing cellphone software. Cellphone designers discovered that there was a demand for phones to do more than just make calls and store contact information. People wanted to use their mobile devices to listen to music, look at pictures, read news and books, play games, check email, and so on and so forth. Catching the wave, mobile manufacturers rushed to satisfy the market’s desires. How did it turn out? Everything possible was squeezed out of button cellphone technology, and after several years of stagnation the current reigning technology, the ubiquitous smartphone as we know it today was born. A computer with a touch screen interface that occupies almost the entire surface of the device’s front side. Interestingly, the appearance of something similar was predicted ten to fifteen years before the first iPhone. At the time, in the 1990s, many people thought that the realization of this prediction was far off in a very distant future. A crewed flight to Mars seemed to be a much less fantastic proposal. Today, we observe approximately the same cellphone environment as seen at the beginning of the century. For a long time, smartphone creators have not offered us anything fundamentally new, instead focusing on solving horizontal tasks, like a little better camera, a little more powerful processor, and a little more memory... At the same time, attempts to push the envelope have often looked like a return to the past. Yes, you guessed it, we're talking about foldable smartphones. As far as we can judge, the solution to the problem of vertical progress in mobile devices has nothing to do with the search for a new form factor. Why? Look at your hand. That is the main limitation of imaginative design. So, it is quite possible that current designers and developers are not so wrong, mostly focusing on improving the standard smartphone’s stuffing. This does not change the fact that this stuffing must, at some point, become fundamentally different. And this evolution will definitely occur. In order for this to happen, it is necessary to change our very idea of what a smartphone is. What is a modern mobile device from the point of view of most people - both users and IT specialists? That's right - a desktop’s younger sibling. Most websites and software products are first created for desktops and then adapted into a mobile version. As a rule, mobile versions are simplified and with trimmed functionality compared to their desktop counterparts. But, there is a feeling of change in the air, and the idea of focusing on smartphones is not as counterintuitive as it first seems. Have you noticed that the classic desktop, by and large, has lost its competition with the laptop, which is essentially a mobile device as well? Turning most users’ smartphones into their primary computers looks like a logical next step. What Will It Look Like? The smartphone itself will not change much in appearance. However, its functionality will increase dramatically, both through peripherals and, of course, through software. Smartphones will play the role of the main unit of the computer. Instead of a desktop, there will be a base for the smartphone on a table, to which a monitor and keyboard will be connected. In the future, all of this will be unnecessary - the screen and keyboard will both be projected as a holographic image. The next step will then be to abandon the base - the smartphone itself will be able to project a large holo screen and full-size keyboard. Surely, in time, the above-mentioned abilities will also be acquired by smartwatches. Admit it, haven't you dreamed of talking to a hologram of your interlocutor in the style of Star Wars? However, much more important than these technical improvements will be fundamentally new software. It will bring smartphones to a qualitatively different level, transforming the device into a universal personal assistant, which people have been dreaming about since the first cellphone appeared. You must have already guessed what we are going to say. Yes, you're right. This software will be based on artificial intelligence. In fact, it will be an AI assistant, or rather a team of AI assistants for all occasions, freely supporting voice and text dialog. Such smartphones will search the Internet, answer any question, perform simultaneous multilingual translation from any language, make regular payments, monitor health, plot routes, assist with driving (or driving independently), warn of dangers, and so on and so forth. Believe us - we are not making this prediction because of our professional connection to the topic of artificial intelligence. The fact that we have the honor of belonging to the Pitch Avatar team does not prevent us from seeing AI rapidly penetrating into all spheres of life. Pitch Avatar Pitch Avatar Of course, for a full-fledged real-time interaction between a smartphone and its user, you will need an additional device that simultaneously outputs audio and visual information and, at the same time, leaves your hands free. Something like glasses with earbuds. Of course, it won't be something bulky like current virtual reality helmets and goggles. Designers (and modelers, where would we be without them?) will strive to create something compact and sleek. Like regular glasses - sunglasses or for vision correction. And with the help of this hypothetical device, it will be possible to experience augmented reality and dive into virtual reality. But, for more about this, you will have to wait for the next chapter of our future fantasy. The article was created in collaboration with Andriy Tkachenko The article was created in collaboration with Andriy Tkachenko

What Will the Spring of Technology Bring? Part 1. Mobile Man

In the first part of this article, we tried to find an answer to the question, "What have we learned about ourselves thanks to artificial intelligence?" Now it's time to ponder the next question: What will we learn about ourselves through AI? Sooner or later (and perhaps sooner rather than later), Artificial Intelligence will become a full-fledged neighbor of humankind, possessing free will and aspirations. More precisely, most will recognize it as such. In all likelihood, there will always be a minority that believes that even the most complex machine or program can only imitate reasonableness and believes that intelligence and self-consciousness are the prerogatives of biological beings or even human beings exclusively. This inclusivity, however, is not currently widespread. The majority now believes that at their current level, are nothing more than an imitation of intelligence, and only a small minority sees them as real intelligence. AI systems However, we have no idea about the true state of affairs in this sphere because we do not know what developers have "on their table" or what is already in the possession of organizations that operate with various degrees of secrecy. It is quite possible that "real" AI is already among us, but that we do not know about it. However, we will leave our thoughts on this matter to the tinfoil hat crowd and return to our topic. Have we retained our adventurous spirit and pioneering genes? Tell me honestly, when reading and watching science fiction in which intelligent robots are flying through the galaxy right along with humans, have you ever asked yourself: "Why do people in these stories risk their lives? Why don't they just sit safely on Earth and leave the exploration of outer space to intelligent machines?" If so, you're not alone. Among space technology designers, there are quite a few proponents of maximizing the automation of space exploration. One of the expressions of this point of view was the famous space engineer Konstantin Feoktistov, who, among other things, made a flight on the ship Voskhod-1. According to his rather sharp assessment, crewed spaceflight is of no scientific benefit and, apart from the fact that people can fly into space and work in it, has given nothing to mankind. Proponents of this point of view often point out that a person on a spaceship or another planet is needed only to repair the equipment, which, in fact, does most of the work. What if we create AI and robots equipped with it, which would be able to control spaceships and repair them? Would humans still fly into space? Not as tourists, but for dangerous and difficult work like exploring asteroids and other planets? Even now, when AI is still far from perfect, we prefer to use automatons. After the Apollo program was shut down, robots became the mainstay of space exploration. They explore deep space, land on the Moon and Mars, fly near asteroids, and photograph gas giants up close. Humans, on the other hand, don't even make an attempt to leave low Earth orbit. This is true even though, at least technically, we could have long ago built a permanent settlement on the Moon and landed on Mars. Or, at least, we could have made the attempt. People prefer not to take risks. No, not astronauts, but those who make the decisions for them and are constantly tightening safety regulations. Yes, there are plans to return humans to the Moon and . But wouldn't they be reconsidered if a robot, equipped with AI and able to do what humans can, could be sent there? land on Mars A good example is ocean exploration. The majority of all work and research at great depths is carried out with the help of unmanned vehicles. And this is despite the fact that we learned how to make crewed vehicles capable of diving to great depths a half-century ago. Do we still have the desire to step into the unknown, the same desire that, thanks to which we have become a planetary species after emerging from Africa? Will humanity retain its pioneer status, or will it surrender this title to intelligent machines? The emergence of full-fledged artificial intelligence will certainly answer this question. What do we really want to do? The development of AI systems will inevitably lead to complete or almost complete automation of most work processes. Smart machines will replace humans, and not only in factories and plants. They will surely dominate transportation, services, and multiple branches of intellectual activity. AI will also certainly become prominent in the management of economic processes, development and design of buildings and machinery according to set parameters, programming, creation of drugs and other chemical compounds, and medical diagnostics (at least as far as analysis and hardware examination are concerned). AI’s active participation is predicted even in such purely human activities as lawmaking and court proceedings. Indeed, and identifying all the contradictions, gaps, and loopholes in legislation. And in the role of a judge, AI will be able to take into account all the circumstances and precedents that are available in its database. In short, in the future, we will have a society built in such a way that most of the work will be reduced to inventing tasks for AI. People of art, of course, will not go anywhere. Perhaps some of them will even defiantly refuse to help AI. But most of humanity will be out of work. At least the way we're used to doing it. AI is quite capable of analyzing Now, don't be alarmed. We're not trying to describe another cyberpunk post-apocalypse in which billions of unemployed people stand in line for Great Depression-style chowder. Surely, with the help of AI, a new socio-economic system will be devised in which everyone will be guaranteed some kind of Universal Basic Income that will keep them on their feet. Perhaps this system will even provide more than what most people today receive through hard work. The question is: What are we going to do? It is unlikely that coming up with tasks for AI will require a great deal of specialists. And it's not going to take much time. So what are we going to spend that time on? Sport? Will we occupy ourselves with the endless invention of entertainment, hedonistic pleasures, and ways to consume them? Shallow, don't you think? How will humanity respond to this challenge? The authors would like to believe that most people will use their new opportunities to explore the universe and themselves; that people will strive to discover new facets of their intelligence and learn as much as possible about the world we live in. That they will improve themselves and persistently seek out other intelligent beings beyond Earth. In other words - it would be great if we became a civilization of scientists, explorers, creators, and philosophers. But something tells us that on the way to this ideal, we will face a lot of obstacles and thorns, which will not be created by AI but by us... How will we meet another mind? This question is one of the oldest and most asked. Every person has wondered about it at least once in their life, and thousands of philosophers, futurologists, and fantasists have been, and still are, searching for the answer. These searches have led to a multitude of scenarios and concepts on this topic. Some of these ideas include gods and demons, minotaurs and mermaids, fairies and elves, inhabitants of other planets, and aliens from other dimensions. In the hope of detecting another mind, we try to pick up ordered signals from space, and we also send them into space ourselves. But our attempts at interstellar conversation have failed so far. Either there's no one to talk to, or we don't understand the language. It is quite possible that no one has taken any notice of us - we live on the very outskirts of our Galaxy. What do we need this communication for? First of all, we probably want someone to look at us from the outside and tell us who we are. It seems that the first non-human mind with which we will truly interact will be born through our own efforts. In any case, the emergence of a seems much more likely than a flying saucer landing in front of the UN building or a portal from another dimension opening at the top of the Cheops pyramid. Actually, the "human-AI" plot thread has been developed in quite a lot of detail. Therefore, we will limit ourselves to enumerating humankind’s possible reactions when it realizes that a full-fledged artificial intelligence, self-aware and with a will of its own, exists alongside it: full-fledged AI in the foreseeable future We will try to subdue AI and not let it out of our control. We recognize AI as an equal species and will interact with it as partners. We will antagonize AI. We will distance ourselves from AI and ask it to develop separately from us without interfering in our lives. Which of these options humanity will choose, we do not undertake to predict. Those who have read our previous texts probably have guessed that the hearts of the text’s authors lie in the interaction of humans and AI as equal, mutually complementary partners. One way or another, the appearance of full-fledged AI will reveal to us exactly who we are. There is a high probability that our interaction with such an AI will mirror how and in what role we will act when we meet, for example, with an alien civilization. What is greatest in us? The desire for domination, xenophobia, and aggression? Or the desire to cooperate, learn, and communicate? If a self-aware AI appears, we will get answers to these questions very quickly. I would like to believe that these answers will show us in a good light. The article was created in collaboration with Andriy Tkachenko

AI: A Mirror on Humanity (Part 2)

Hello! I’m Vladimir Popov, Client Developer on the War Robots Project. At the time of writing, War Robots have been around for several years, and dozens of new mechs have appeared in the game during this time. Naturally, the varied abilities of the robots are important, because, without them, the robots lose their uniqueness which makes the game more interesting. In this post, I’ll share how the works in our game – and how it has evolved. And, to make things more accessible, I’ll explain things in simple terms and without too much technical detail. gameplay ability system How abilities used to be implemented First, let's dive into the project history and look at an older implementation that’s no longer being used. Previously, abilities were designed in a very trivial way: they had one component that was attached to the robot. This was a construction where the programmer fully described how the ability works: both its flow and how it interacts with other abilities. All the logic is described inside one component, and the game designer could simply attach this to the robot and configure the parameters as needed. It’s worth mentioning that it was not possible to change the flow of abilities – the game designers could only change parameters and timings. An old ability could only exist in two states: active and inactive, and each state could have its action assigned to it. Let's look at an example of the “Jammer” ability, which the robot “Stalker” previously possessed; it worked like this: If the ability is active, an animation is displayed and the robot enters the Jammer state; in this state, others cannot aim at the robot activating the ability. If the ability is inactive, nothing happens. When trying to activate an ability, we checked whether more than seconds had passed since the last activation. n Deactivation automatically occurred after seconds. m For a long while, this functionality was enough for us, but over time both the game designers and the programmers were no longer satisfied with this approach: it was difficult for the programmers to support these abilities because the code had become monstrous; this involved a very long legacy chain, where every situation had to be described. Additionally, game designers lacked flexibility – to make any change to an ability, they had to order modifications from the programmers, even if an adjacent ability had the same functionality. Enter the new ability system So, we realized that something needed to change. Therefore, we developed a new system, where each ability was represented as a set of several related objects. The functionality was divided into state abilities and state components. How does it work? Every ability has a main object. This central object connects other ability objects with the outside world, and vice versa; it also makes all the main decisions. There can be any number of states. Essentially, the state in this iteration isn’t much different from the active/inactive states in the old version, but now there can be any number of them, and their purpose has become more abstract. We’ll note that an ability can only have one state active at a time. The main innovation compared to the old system was the components: a component describes some action, and each state can have any number of components. How do the new abilities work? An ability can only be in one of the states; the main object is responsible for switching them. The components that link to a state react to the activation/deactivation of the state and, depending on this, can either begin to perform some action or stop performing it. All objects have become customizable; a game designer can mix states and components as they’d like, thus composing a new ability from pre-installed blocks. Now, programmers only need to enter the picture to create a new component or state, which makes writing code much easier: they work with small entities, describe some simple elements, and no longer build the ability themselves – the game designers do this now. The flow has become like this: The main object activates the first state The state activates all its components The state determines the moment the ability is switched to another state The main object deactivates the previous state The previous state deactivates its components The main object activates a new state The new state activates its components Subsequently, this procedure is repeated again and again. For ease of use, a state not only serves as a component container, it also determines when to switch to another state and requests the main object to make the switch. Over time, this still turned out not to be enough for us, and the ability diagram was transformed into the following: The main object, state, and components remained in their places, but new elements were also added. The first thing that catches your eye is that we added conditions to each state and component: for states, these define additional requirements for leaving the state; for components, they determine whether the component can perform its action. The charge container contains charges, recharges them, stops recharging if necessary, and provides charges for states to use. A timer is used when several states must have a common execution time, but their own execution time is not defined. It is important to note that all ability objects are optional. Technically, for an ability to work, only a main object and one state are needed. Now, while there aren’t actually that many abilities entirely built without the involvement of programmers, development in general has become noticeably cheaper, because programmers now only need to write very small things: for example, one new state or two components – the rest is reused. Let's summarize the components of our abilities: The performs the functions of a state machine. It provides states and components with information about the world and provides the world with information about abilities. The main object serves as a link between states, components, and service parts of the ability: charges and external timers. main object The listens to activation and deactivation commands from the main object and, accordingly, activates and deactivates components, and also requests the main object to switch to another state. State determines when it needs to switch to the next one; to do this, it uses its internal condition: whether the player clicked on the ability button, whether a certain time has passed since the activation of the state, and so on, and external conditions linked to the state. state The listens to activation and deactivation commands from the state and performs some action: discrete or long-term. Actions can be completely different: they might cause damage, heal an ally, turn on an animation, and so forth. component The checks what state the desired element is in and reports this to the state or component. Conditions can be complex. A state doesn’t request a transition to another state if the condition is not met. The component also doesn’t perform an action if the condition isn’t met. Conditions are an optional entity; not every ability has them. condition The holds charges, recharges them, stops recharging when necessary, and provides charges to states. It’s used in multi-charge abilities, when you need to allow the player to use it several times, but no more than times in a row. charge container n The is used when several states have a common duration, but it’s not known how long each of them will last. Any state can start a timer for seconds. All relevant states subscribe to the timer end event and do something when it ends. timer n Now let's return to the ability diagram. How did its functionality change? At the start of the game, the main object selects the first state and activates it The state activates all its components The component checks whether the condition has been met and only then performs an action The state begins to check the condition for a transition to another state If the condition is met and the additional condition linked to it is satisfied, the state requests the main object to move to another state The main object deactivates this state and activates another The entire procedure is repeated States can use charges as an additional transition condition. If such a transition occurs, the number of charges decreases. States can also use a common timer. In this case, the total time for their execution will be determined by a timer, and each state individually can last any time. Ability UIs We didn't completely reinvent the wheel for the new ability UIs. The main object has its own UI. It defines some elements that should always be in the UI and which do not depend on the currently active state. Each state has its own pair in the UI, and the state UI is displayed only when its state is active. It receives data about its state and can display it in one way or another. For example, duration states usually have a bar and text in their UI that displays the remaining time. In a case where the state is waiting for an external command to continue an ability, its UI displays a button, and pressing it sends the command to the state. Examples of abilities We’ll look at how the abilities work using specific examples; first, let's look at a robot called “Inquisitor”. We have four states that follow each other – above the states you can see their display in the UI. For two of them, we also see the components that belong to them; the other two states simply don’t have components. Here’s the flow of the ability: It all starts with the “WaitForClick” state. At this time, the ability does nothing; it just waits for commands. As soon as such a command is received, the main object switches states. The next active state is “WaitForGrounded”. This state has some components, and therefore, when activated, the robot jumps and plays a sound and animation. Among other things, while the state is active, the robot is affected by the Jammer effect, which prohibits aiming at the robot. When the robot lands, its ability moves to the next state. This state has three components: the already familiar Sound and Jammer, as well as Shake, which causes the camera to shake for all players within a radius of . n Since this state has , it works for seconds, then the ability moves to the next state. Duration n The last state also comes with a Duration, but it doesn’t have any components: it’s on a regular cooldown. Upon completion, the ability returns to the first state. Another example is “Phantom”. It’s a lot like Inquisitor, but there are some nuances: We start with WaitForClick. Then, Duration, in which the teleport is installed, the stats of the mech are changed, and sound and animation are played. After this: DurationOrClick, in which the mech's stats are changed, animation and FX are played. If a click was made, we go to another Duration, in which the mech teleports, stats change, and animation, FX, and sounds are played. After this state (or after the time expires for DurationOrClick), we move to Duration. The main difference here is that we see states with branching: DurationOrClick goes to state A if the specified time has passed, or to state B if the player has previously pressed the ability button. Conclusions While it would seem that our system has evolved from something simple to something quite complex, this change has simplified the lives of both programmers and game designers. Assistance from the programmers is now needed mostly when adding small components, while the latter group of team members have gained greater autonomy and can now independently assemble new abilities from existing states and components. As another bonus, at the same time, the players also received a profit in the form of more diverse and complex abilities of the mechs.

A More Complex Ability System, but a Smoother Gamedev Workflow – How?

একটি আরো জটিল ক্ষমতা সিস্টেম, কিন্তু একটি মসৃণ Gamedev ওয়ার্কফ্লো - কিভাবে?

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Un système de capacités plus complexe, mais un flux de travail Gamedev plus fluide – Comment ?

एक अधिक जटिल क्षमता प्रणाली, लेकिन एक आसान गेमडेव वर्कफ़्लो - कैसे?

より複雑な能力システム、しかしよりスムーズなゲーム開発ワークフロー - どのようにして?

더 복잡한 능력 시스템이지만 더 원활한 Gamedev 작업 흐름 – 어떻게?

Um sistema de habilidades mais complexo, mas um fluxo de trabalho de desenvolvimento de jogo mais suave – como?

Более сложная система способностей, но более плавный рабочий процесс разработки игр – как?

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Hệ thống khả năng phức tạp hơn nhưng quy trình làm việc của Gamedev mượt mà hơn – Bằng cách nào?

更复杂的能力系统，但更流畅的游戏开发工作流程——如何实现？

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