Episodit

  • In this episode, Shannon and Brett once again explore the rapidly evolving world of AI, this time diving deep into the rise of AI companions, Apple's focus on privacy with its "Apple Intelligence," and the imminent arrival of reasoning AI. (NOTE: This was recorded about a week before OpenAI’s o1 launch). From AI-driven friends designed to reduce loneliness to Apple's strategic privacy innovations, they discuss how these technologies are reshaping relationships, mental health, and our understanding of what it means to be human in a hyperconnected world. This episode also takes a look at the future of reasoning AI and its potential to transform industries with next-level problem-solving capabilities.Thank you so much for listening. Please subscribe via your favorite podcasting platform and (if you feel like it) leave us a review. It really helps our podcast grow!

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Brett’s son, Shannon Leonard, has over 10 years of experience across feature films, advertisements, YouTube, and short-form media. He is focused on integrating AI and VR into creative media workflows.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
  • In a riveting podcast episode, Brett Leonard, the director behind "The Lawnmower Man," proclaims "Hollywood will change radically within the next five years," setting the stage for a deep dive into the transformative technologies of Sora and Apple Vision Pro. Brett draws thought-provoking comparisons between the once unparalleled IMAX experiences to the burgeoning realm of virtual reality—a transition underscored by Sora's advanced AI, which promises a new epoch for content creators. The discussion then shifts to Apple Vision Pro's innovative leap, highlighting how it's reshaping our engagement with digital environments, much like VR reimagined the very concept of immersive experiences.

    Through this intergenerational dialogue, Shannon and Brett Leonard navigate the nuances of these technological marvels, examining their profound implications on traditional media and beyond. They explore how Sora's AI is not just an editing tool but a collaborative partner for creators, while Apple Vision Pro's immersive interface heralds a new standard for user interaction and 3D cinema. Shannon shares insights from launching a newsletter aimed at guiding creatives through the intricate web of emerging AI technologies. The episode invites listeners to explore how these leading-edge technologies are scripting a new future for the entertainment industry.

    Please subscribe via your favorite app/platform and leave us a 5-star review if you enjoyed the podcast. Thank you for listening!

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Brett’s son, Shannon Leonard, has over 10 years of experience across feature films, advertisements, YouTube, and short-form media. He is focused on integrating AI and VR into creative media workflows.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
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  • This episode ventures deep into the tech vortex of 2023, dissecting the trends that have transformed the buzzword 'metaverse' into a tangible digital frontier powered by AI. Hosts Shannon and Brett navigate through the year's pivotal moments, from the rise and fall of tech lingo to the ethical conundrums posed by AI's advance. They examine the intersection where technology meets humanity, pondering the implications of virtual realities and AI in our daily lives.

    With an eye on both the rearview and the road ahead, they offer an intergenerational dialogue on the digital revolution—its potential to innovate and its capacity to disrupt. This is an exploration of not just the technology that's reshaping our world, but also the narratives, skepticism, and speculations surrounding it.

    Topics covered in this episode:

    * Advancements in AI: How artificial intelligence is becoming more integrated into creative industries and everyday applications.

    * Effective Accelerationism: Discussion about the societal and technological changes being expedited by a new movement or “neo-religion” focused on speeding up technological progress.

    * Spatial Computing Developments: The latest in spatial technology, such as the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest.

    * Tab, Humane, and Screen-less AI Computing: A dive into new wearable AI tech and its implications for human-computer interactions.And more as the hosts reflect on 2023!

    Please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a review. Thank you for listening!

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Shannon Leonard is a creative director, YouTube creator and VR early adopter.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
  • AI Acceleration and Tech's New Era! Brett and Shannon dissect the tumultuous events surrounding OpenAI, focusing on the firing and reinstatement of Sam Altman. The discussion also touches on Microsoft's growing influence in OpenAI's direction, highlighting the complexities of corporate interests in the rapidly advancing field of artificial intelligence. The conversation further delves into OpenAI's impressive reach, with over 100 million weekly users, and its impact across various industries. Brett and Shannon provide insights into the ethical and practical implications of AI's accelerated development, discussing the potential benefits and consequences of this technology on society and individual lives.

    This episode offers a unique blend of technical analysis, business dynamics, and philosophical inquiry, presenting a comprehensive overview of the current state and future trajectory of AI and the Metaverse.

    Please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a review. Thank you for listening!

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Shannon Leonard is a creative director, YouTube creator and VR early adopter.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
  • In this wide-ranging conversation, father and son co-hosts compare perspectives across generations and dive deep into how AI is fueling the digital world’s rapid evolution. They discuss innovative technologies like the Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest 3, GPT-4, DALL-E 3, and AlphaFold, reflecting on how quickly these hardware and software tools are transforming fields like medicine, science, and the arts.

    Fundamental questions bubble up around capitalism, privacy, the value of the physical versus digital, and even the nature of death. As communication itself morphs, Brett and Shannon agree the acceleration of change feels unprecedented, perhaps like a "vortex" or a mythic "Promethean moment." More reflections on the blurring lines between physical and virtual are sure to come.

    Please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a review. Thank you for listening!



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
  • Brett discusses artificial intelligence and its impact on filmmaking, technology, and society. Reflecting on his own work, including the film The Lawnmower Man, Leonard discusses the iconic line "I am God" and its significance in illustrating the theme of humans merging with machines. Drawing on inspiration from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, the conversation delves into the idea of humans becoming the gods they have created throughout history, as AI continues to advance and shape our world.

    The discussion also encompasses the broader implications of AI's presence in the realm of cinema and beyond, touching on films like Virtuosity and Hideaway. Brett and Shannon share their own experience in using AI tools for various creative projects, highlighting the importance of a balanced, collaborative approach. They also explore recent developments in AI-generated content, such as video and 3D scene generation, and the impact these advancements may have on the future of the industry.

    This thought-provoking conversation is a must-listen for anyone interested in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI, creative collaboration, and the future of storytelling.

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Shannon Leonard is a creative producer, YouTube creator and VR early adopter.

    Send your questions on Twitter @directorleonard and @shannonleonard. Thanks for listening!



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
  • We explore the impact of GPT-4 on the digital landscape, discuss the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, and examine some wild predictions from Balaji Srinivasan (the former Chief Technology Officer of Coinbase, and former general partner at the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz) about Bitcoin and the future of the banking system. We'll explore how GPT-4 marks a significant leap forward in natural language processing and machine learning, enabling a new era of human-AI collaboration. From content generation to virtual assistants, we'll discuss how GPT-4 is revolutionizing various industries and what it means for the future of work, creativity, and communication.

    Furthermore, we'll delve into the repercussions of the Silicon Valley Bank collapse, examining the ripple effects felt throughout the financial ecosystem and the implications for the global economy. As we sift through the wild conjectures emerging on Twitter, we'll weigh in on the credibility of these predictions and their potential impact on the banking system.

    Lastly, we'll share our thoughts on the digitization of everything, contemplating the evolving relationship between technology, finance, and society. Could this be a positive turning point for humanity, or will new challenges arise in this interconnected digital world? Most likely, both!

    Please subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcasting platform and leave us a review. Thank you for listening!

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Shannon Leonard is a creative director, YouTube creator and VR early adopter.

    Send your questions on Twitter by tagging both @directorleonard and @shannonleonard.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
  • Exploring the Power of AI: Hype or Reality? Welcome to another episode of our intergenerational podcast, where we explore the latest trends and innovations in the Metaverse era. In this episode, we're shifting our focus to the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and asking the question: is AI all hype, or is it the future of computing?

    As AI technology continues to advance at an unprecedented rate, many industries are already benefiting from its capabilities, from healthcare and finance to entertainment and advertising. But is this just a passing trend, or are we truly witnessing the birth of a new era in computing?

    We'll be discussing the latest developments in generative AI, exploring how it works and the incredible potential it holds for creative industries. And, of course, we'll be mentioning the highly popular ChatGPT!

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Shannon Leonard is a creative producer, YouTube creator, and VR early adopter.

    Send your questions on Twitter @directorleonard and @shannonleonard. Thanks for listening!



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
  • We’re back! Today we discuss how the “Metaverse” buzzword lost it’s cool factor, Meta’s stock price crash and layoffs, the collapse of the second largest crypto exchange, and Elon Musk's recent acquisition of Twitter. Plus, we'll delve into the buzz surrounding generative AI and explore the potential of ChatGPT as the future of human-AI interaction.

    This is an intergenerational podcast about all things "Metaverse" between a Hollywood film director and his 'VR early adopter' son.

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Shannon Leonard is a creative director, YouTube creator and VR early adopter.

    Send us your comments and questions on Twitter @directorleonard and @shannonleonard. Thanks for listening!



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
  • Special guest Gregg Leonard joins this episode to discuss the future of digital accessibility and AI content generation. Gregg and his wife Astrid Reed are co-founders of AVA Inclusivity, Inc. The AVA Inclusivity team combines their expertise in audio/visual technology and historic site preservation to create virtual accessibility solutions that allows the highest quality experience for both onsite visitors with disabilities as well as remote exploration. Gregg is also a composer, producer, and sound designer for film and media. In the second half of the podcast, we discuss his thoughts on emerging media generation technologies such as DALL-E and GPT-3.

    Send us your questions on Twitter @directorleonard and @shannonleonard. Thanks for listening!

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Shannon Leonard is a creative director, YouTube creator and VR early adopter. Original theme music by Gregg Leonard.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
  • Ex-Apple engineer Tony Fadell says "f--- the metaverse" and "the metaverse is wrong." - Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg is cutting back on his metaverse-focused AR/VR division. Meta will “slow the pace of some of our investments” due to slower growth than what was forecasted. However, Meta still plans on a 2022 launch of “Project Cambria”, its high-end VR headset focused on mixed reality. Also discussed on this podcast is Google’s I/O event ending with a teaser of its upcoming AR glasses, how tribal rituals could help guide the metaverse, the future of Web3 buzzwords, and more metaverse-related topics!

    Send us your questions on Twitter @directorleonard and @shannonleonard. Thanks for listening!

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Shannon Leonard is a creative director, YouTube creator and VR early adopter. Original theme music by Gregg Leonard.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
  • A variety of topics are discussed including “algospeak”, metaverse interoperability, creating a digital twin of the earth, LEGO’s new metaverse investments in collaboration with Epic Games, centralized vs decentralized moderation, new smart cities integrating the metaverse, how Apple may have an advantage over Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, and more!

    Send us your questions on Twitter @directorleonard and @shannonleonard. Thanks for listening!

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Shannon Leonard is a creative director, YouTube creator and VR early adopter. Original theme music by Gregg Leonard.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
  • This week, Citibank analysts predict that the metaverse economy could be worth $13 trillion by 2030, Wendy's has entered the metaverse, AR/VR has starting consuming reality, and augmented reality glasses startup “Nreal” has raised $60M in funding led by Alibaba. Also, Brett explains the future of linear narrative and "Storyworlding" - these topics and more on this week’s episode!

    Send us your questions on Twitter @directorleonard and @shannonleonard. Thanks for listening! New podcast episodes every week.

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Shannon Leonard is a creative director, YouTube creator and VR early adopter. Original theme music by Gregg Leonard.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
  • On this episode, we discuss how the Oscars could be broadcasted from the metaverse, how the Oscars could utilize advanced AI technology and/or decentralized autonomous organizations, a mind reading tech startup recently acquired by Snap, the latest crypto theft, the development of environmentally friendly cryptocurrencies, and the implications of living forever in the metaverse!

    Send us your questions on Twitter @directorleonard and @shannonleonard. Thanks for listening! New podcast episodes every week.

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Shannon Leonard is a creative director, YouTube creator and VR early adopter. Original theme music by Gregg Leonard.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
  • Big metaverse news this week! We discuss a reported $1 billion investment from Google into an augmented reality startup, Accenture weighing in on the metaverse and even Heineken Beer doing a marketing stunt inside Decentraland. Plus, other metaverse-related topics!

    Send us your questions on Twitter @directorleonard and @shannonleonard. Thanks for listening! New episodes every week.

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Shannon Leonard is a creative director, YouTube creator and VR early adopter. Original theme music by Gregg Leonard.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
  • It’s a metaverse land rush! On this episode of the podcast, top metaverse news is discussed, such as CVS and Red Bull’s recent metaverse trademarks. Father and son also debate the pros and cons of NFT’s, why prominent tech reporters think that the metaverse may never exist, and the health opportunities - and impacts - of metaverse technology. In this wide-ranging conversation, the immersive digital world’s implications relating to government control and even autonomous vehicles are also deliberated!

    Send us your questions on Twitter @directorleonard and @shannonleonard. Thanks for listening! New episodes every week.

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Shannon Leonard is a creative director, YouTube creator and VR early adopter. Original theme music by Gregg Leonard.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
  • Director Brett Leonard celebrates the 30th Anniversary of his film Lawnmower Man with son Shannon in a discussion about its themes, and how it relates to the true nature of the emerging Metaverse. Father and son also unpack Mark Zuckerberg’s recent lengthy interview on Lex Fridman’s podcast, and Brett reveals publicly for the first time how he plans for a democratized Metaverse to be at the center of an innovative A.I.-driven storyworlding process for his follow up to Lawnmower Man, on this special 30th Anniversary of Lawnmower Man episode!

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Shannon Leonard is a creative director, YouTube creator and VR early adopter.

    Original theme music by Gregg Leonard.Send us your questions on Twitter @directorleonard and @shannonleonard. Thanks for listening! New episodes every week.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
  • Putin’s horrific attacks on cities and civilians in Ukraine weighs heavy on the hearts of Brett and Shannon. In this episode, father and son discuss the relevance of the "digital world" during wartime. The conversation leads into AI moderation, the importance of developing ethical frameworks, and how different generations receive news in the “Metaverse” era.

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Shannon Leonard is a video editor, YouTube creator and VR early adopter.

    Original theme music by Gregg Leonard.Send us your questions on Twitter @directorleonard and @shannonleonard. Thanks for listening! New episodes every week.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
  • Disney has announced it is investing in the metaverse, believing it to be the next stage of its nearly 100-year-old storytelling tradition! J.P. Morgan claims that it’s the first bank in the metaverse! In addition to covering the latest metaverse news, father and son co-hosts debate the implications of young children using VR to enter the metaverse.

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Shannon Leonard is a video editor, YouTube creator and VR early adopter.Original theme music by Gregg Leonard.

    Send us your questions on Twitter @directorleonard and @shannonleonard. Thanks for listening! New episodes every week.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com
  • Brett Leonard and his son Shannon discuss YouTube’s announcement of potential “Metaverse” features… and explain what that actually means! Also, father and son share their viewpoints on last week’s huge $450 million investment into Web3 “decentralized technology”.

    Brett Leonard is a veteran Hollywood film director known for introducing the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture with his hit film Lawnmower Man. Apart from directing many other feature films, he is involved with innovating immersive content production for the emerging virtual mediums of the Metaverse era. Shannon Leonard is a video editor, YouTube creator and VR early adopter.

    Original theme music by Gregg Leonard.

    Send your questions on Twitter @directorleonard and @shannonleonard. Thanks for listening! New episodes every week.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatisthemetaverse.substack.com