Xboxs Phil Spencer is very keen on AI (Microsoft)Microsoft has made a major annoucement about using AI in gaming, that they hope will change the way video games are made forever.Last year, when Xbox announced their plans for a next gen console, they promised that it would deliver the largest technical leap youve ever seen in a hardware generation. That seemed like absurd hyperbole at the time, given the increasingly small improvements seen in recent generations, but Microsoft never said anything about a graphical leap.The best guess has always been that theyre talking about something to do with AI, which Microsoft has a natural advantage with when compared to any other company even though Google has also been experimenting with AI game creation.They havent discussed their next gen plans again since, so we cant be sure, but they have just unveiled a new AI-base development tool, which sounds great if you want all your future games to play like artless AI slop.The new Muse AI model is intended to help developers create elements of games, including 3D worlds that have realistic physics. The environments can be generated according to images or controller inputs, similar to how 2D image generation already works.With 2D artwork, and voiceovers, the AI creations are based on sampling existing work, often without the permission of the original owner, although in this case Microsoft claims theyre only using their own first party games as reference.This allows the model to create consistent and diverse gameplay rendered by AI, demonstrating a major step toward generative AI models that can empower game creators, says Fatima Kardar, Microsofts corporate vice president of gaming, on Xbox Wire.What companies are using AI to make video games?Although Microsoft has a head start with AI, due to its size and all its other divisions that are working on similar tech, most other publishers have indicated that they intend to use AI in the future or are already doing so.EA used it extensively in its recent College Football game, to replicate the faces of more obscure athletes, that itd be too time consuming or expensive to have a human do.That sort of work does make sense to automate, given the ever increasing amounts of time and money needed to make modern games, although its unclear how much it actually saves of either.Not every game company is in favour of AI though and Nintendo has made it clear its not interested in using AI for any substantial game creation work, insisting they want to keep their games special.A more surprising sceptic is Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick, who oversees everything from Rockstar Games to NBA 2K, and had some very interesting things to say about AI in a recent discussion with GamesIndustry.biz.Artificial intelligence is an oxymoron, theres no such thing. Machine learning, machines dont learn. Those are convenient ways to explain to human beings what looks like magic, he said.The bottom line is that these are digital tools and weve used digital tools forever. I have no doubt that what is considered AI today will help make our business more efficient and help us do better work, but it wont reduce employment.You can only hope hes right but, as ever, it will be the commerical success of AI games which will be the true determining factor in how much the technology is used in the future.Although its still early, this model research is pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible. We are already using Muse to develop a real-time playable AI model trained on other first party games, and we see potential for this work to one day benefit both players and game creators.One of the demos Microsoft has shown involves generating graphics on the fly that react to each other and the environment realistically. The frame rate and resolution is very low, but its only a matter of time before thats improved.Muse is also intended to help optimise older games for modern hardware in other words remasters and backwards compatibility wont be done by humans anymore but by AI.Somewhat surprisingly, the guinea pig for the technology has been obscure Ninja Theory game Bleeding Edge, with the Hellblade developer collaborating with Microsoft Research, who are also based in Cambridge.We dont intend to use this technology for the creation of content, said Ninja Theory studio head Dom Matthews, via The Verge. I think the interesting aspect for us thats exciting, is how can we use technology like this to make the process of making games quicker and easier for our talented team, so that they can really focus on the thing thats really special about games: the human creativity.More TrendingThat all sounds good in theory but the things the demos are showing certainly seem like content and yet anyone thats played a roguelike with randomly-generated levels will know that a hand-crafted map is always infinitely more interesting.At the end of the day AIs use in video games is the same as any artistic field, in that not only does it remove human creativity from the process, but it can only work by plagiarising existing art made by a human.Its especially worrying as the video games industry continues to shed staff at an alarming rate, with multiple layoffs already this week and over 25,000 jobs lost since 2023.Whether Microsoft is being disingenuous or not, about how it intends to use AI, there are certainly other companies that seem all to eager to replace human creators with generative AI. And with a new generation of hardware on the horizon that is a disturbing thought. Do you want AI making your games? (Nightdive Studios)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

DNA analysis reveals shifting family patterns

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 have soaked up all the oxygen for the big 50-series launch, but for gamers who cant spend $2,000 on a graphics card, the $550 5070 and $750 5070 Ti remain the more enticing buys. After testing the 5070 Ti, I can already tell this is one of those GPUs that sets a new waterline for a 4K, 60 FPS experience on Nvidias GPUs. With few compromises, you can get stable framerates in some of the most demanding games on the highest settings. To take the experience above and beyond to max out that 4K monitor you just bought, multi-frame gen takes care of the rest. After all, Nvidia promised RTX 4090 performance from a 5070 at less than half the price. After tests, the $750 MSRP card is closer to RTX 4080 Super performance without AI frame trickery. That kind of promotion doesnt sound as catchy, but who cares? Getting new graphics for less than last years second-best GPU sounds like an excellent deal. Unfortunately, its not since pernicious pricing has upset Nvidias ecosystem, and PC gamers are getting the short end of the stick. For review, Nvidia sent Gizmodo the Asus Prime RTX 5070 Ti. Its the first time Nvidia has decided to unleash its Titanium edition GPUs alongside the baseline graphics cards. Its like Nvidia is trying to create a new tier in its lineup. If the 5090 is ultra-premium and the 5080 premium, the 5070 Ti should be sub-premium, a step above the $550 RTX 5070, even though Nvidia calls the two cards a family. Nvidia claims the Ti performs at least 500 more TOPS of AI over the base 5070. It has 4 GB more VRAM, 2816 more CUDA cores, and 896 GB/sec memory bandwidth compared to 672. Still, thats more than you can say for last years $800 RTX 4070 Ti Super from 2024. If you compare the cards based on raw year-over-year performance, the 5070 Ti is only a few percentage points superior to the card from last year. In some cases, that performance boost is enough. The Blackwell architecture helps you achieve higher framerates in games with more ray tracing capabilities, like Alan Wake II, and it can make the difference between getting above 60 FPS or below it, such as in Marvels Spider-Man 2. At 4K, the 5070 Ti can barely hit 60 FPS at ultra settings in most games I tested. Honestly, thats beastly, and if you like the idea of multi-frame gen, thats all you need for premium gaming performance without dropping even more cash to join the Blackwell generation. Anybody on an RTX 20- or 30-gen card holding out hope for Nvidias cheaper cards can breathe a sigh of relief. Now suck in a breath because theres a wrench in the works.All the latest cards in Nvidias Blackwell are getting more expensive due to a muddy mix of low supply, high demand, Trump tariffs, and goodold-fashionedgreed from scalpers. With stock being so tenuous, things will get worse before they get better. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is set to launch on Feb. 20 at 9 a.m. ET, and we suggest you dont bother buying this card at the cost of anRTX 5080. Asus Prime GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Is a Subtle Brick Hiding its Potential Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo The Asus Prime RTX 5070 Ti is a 2.5-slot, three-fan GPU with a sleek, relatively minimalist design that wont turn eyeballs from a casual PC gamer. The brushed steel underside will be what you see most once you have it seated in your case. A sloped side runs down to the fans, bearing the GeForce RTX logo, though theres no RGB to see. The card also has a physical switch to launch the card in either quiet or performance BIOS modes, though the GPU is quiet enough at peak I cant imagine you would ever have a need to turn on quiet fans. Why else did you get this GPU if not to get as much performance from it as possible?This is a non-overclocked card with 16 GB of VRAM (compared to the upcoming RTX 5070s 12 GB). There are three DisplayPort 2.1 and one HDMI. The extra benefit of this card is that it will switch off fans when it recognizes that internal temperatures are below 50 degrees Celsius. If you have a case that produces cavernous echoes, the Asus Prime may be a better choice. That being said, it wasnt exactly an easy card to seat. My 12VHPWR connector was an incredibly tight fit, more than on an MSI-brand 4070 Ti and 4080 Super or the RTX 5080 and 5090 FEs. It took a concerning amount of force to get my power cable slotted in correctly. The Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti Hits Just Above the 4070 Ti Super, but Sometimes Thats Enough Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo The PC I used for testing remains consistent across the new RTX 50-series. The desktop includes an Intel Core Ultra 285K CPU and 32 GB of LDDR5X RAM. For cooling, it uses an iCUE H150i Elite liquid cooler, and for power, theres a 1,000 W Corsair RM1000e Plus Gold power supply. The RTX 5070 Ti FE and the Asus Prime require a 750W PSU minimum. The previous 4070 Ti and Ti Super required a 700W PSU. Thats not a major jump, especially compared to the RTX 4090 to 5090 (850 W compared to 1,000 W). The Olympic-level leap in synthetic benchmark performance between the RTX 5080 and 5090 was staggering. The jump from the RTX 5070 Ti to the 5080 is still significant but less dramatic. In 3D Mark Speed Way, the RTX 5080 scores 8,692, while the 5070 Ti does 7,761. I found a 1,435-point difference in 3D Mark Steel Nomad and a 1,700-point difference in Time Spy Extreme.Compared to the RTX 4070 Ti Super, the 5070 Ti managed 13,615 in Time Spy Extreme compared to 11,625 on the older card. In Port Royal, a superior test for real-time ray tracing capabilities, the 5070 Ti scored 4,027 points over its older brother. Thats a wider gulf between the RTX 4080 Super and the 5080. Better yet, those point values are near-equivalent to the 4080 Super. In-game benchmarks were less dramatic. The sub-premium Nvidia GPU, which I found, was the absolute minimum for getting a set 60 FPS at 4K in many games. However, in some of the more intensive titles, youll still need to compromise on some ray tracing settings to get the necessary 60 FPS. Sure, thats the base standard these days for gameplay, but its also what you need to get the most out of Nvidias multi-frame gen.In Cyberpunk 2077, with Ultra settings, balanced DLSS mode, and no path tracing, you can reach about 60 FPS. With path tracing enabled, the game hit closer to 48 in benchmarks. When you enable 4x frame gen on those settings, youll hit closer to 100 FPS. But this isnt a magic trick for turning lead into gold. Actually, playing under those settings doesnt feel as responsive as those frame numbers suggest they should. You need to hit 60 first before enabling frame gen. The generation-on-generation leap wasnt dramatic at all in some games. For Horizon Zero Dawn: Remastered, I benchmarked 117 FPS on the RTX 5070 Ti and 114 FPS on the 4070 Ti Super. In Alan Wake II, the newer GPU averaged around 45 FPS without enabling path tracing effects and DLSS on balanced settings. Thats better than the average of 35 FPS on the 4070 Ti Super. You can finagle some settings to hit the necessary 60 FPS. Add in 4x frame gen, and that game can technically hit close to 160 FPS on an RTX 5070 Ti. I wanted to know if the RTX 5070 Ti was the right card to play some recent big-hit games from last year and today. InDragon Age: The Veilguard, I managed, on average, 77 FPS on balanced DLSS and max settings, practically the same as what I saw on the RTX 4080 Super. It was similartoMarvels Spider-Man 2, though with more dips in framerate, depending on what happens on screen. I did just below 60 FPS with very high ray tracing settings. For a stable framerate, you need to shift the needle higher for routinely smooth gameplay and for frame gen to be most effective.Beyond the most demanding games from the last few years, I wanted to know if the RTX 5070 Ti is a good card for those who may not be coming from the RTX 40 series but from the RTX 20- or 30-series GPUs. When I popped on with Kingdom Come II: Deliverance, a game that isnt yet propped up with multi-frame gen, I could hit 110 FPS in the beginning battle portion of the game with DLSS on balanced mode. The RTX 4070 Ti Super could average, on average, five to 10 frames less in those same scenarios. The RTX 5070 Ti Is an Excellent Card at $750, But Dont Pay 5080 Prices for it Photo: Kyle Barr / Gizmodo I have yet to try overlocking on this card or the RTX 5080. There is reportedly enough headroom for players to get even more from their cards, possibly pushing the 5070 Ti to the edge of the best bang for your buck category. Unfortunately, I simply dont know if youll be able to get one close to the $750 mark. Best Buy currently lists the Asus Prime at $900.Micro Center has it listed for $750 just before the launch date of Feb. 20. I can pray that stocks and prices will remain consistent, but I doubt any deity is listening. I would have an easier time recommending it if it didnt cost $150 more than Nvidias minimum MSRP. Asus has jumped the price of its Blackwell 50-series prices by nearly 20% since the RTX 5090 launch. Whos to blame? Nvidia, Asus, scalpers, President Donald Trumps tariffs? The cards cost what they cost, and its a lose-lose situation for consumers. I want to recommend it for gamers who finally want to upgrade their setup to a 4K standard, but I cant if the card costs between 16 and 20% more than it should. Those with older 20- or 30-series RTX cards in their machines stand to gain a great deal from the RTX 5070 Ti. Its an excellent uplift that does what it needs to for $750 and makes a case for itself among the broadening Blackwell lineup. Pay attention to prices, and if you cant get it for below the cost of an RTX 5080, hum a tune, watch the clouds, and pretend you can be patient for a few months more.

So how, exactly, do you make a new human? No, sicko. We dont mean that. We mean in the context of Bong Joon-hos latest,Mickey 17. In the film, Robert Pattinson plays Mickey, a human expendable who is brought back to life, over and over, after he dies. How does that work? A new book shows you, in more ways than one. Mickey is brought back to life via a human printer, which is exactly what it sounds like. A giant printer that, instead of pieces of paper, prints out humans. Its one of several incredibly beautiful, incredibly weird pieces of technology designed for the film, all of which are part of The Art and Making of Mickey 17, a new book coming out March 11. io9 has eight exclusive pages from the book that focus on its technology: the ship Mickey takes out into the galaxy, the suit he wears in space, and, of course, the human printer. Check those out below. Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster As you can clearly see, lots of care was put into the design and look of the filmwhich youd expect from Bong Joon-ho, but that same level of care was put into the book too, which is written by Simon Ward. Here are a few other details from the official website. NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN IMAGERY:Go behind the scenes ofMickey 17with exclusive photos from the set and gorgeous concept art. INTERVIEWS WITH CREATORS AND CAST:Peel back the layers of this modern sci-fi masterpiece with exclusive interviews with director Bong Joon-ho, stars Robert Pattinson and Mark Ruffalo, and other key creators. EXPERIENCE THE CREATIVE JOURNEY:FollowMickey 17s complete creative processfrom the pages of Edward Ashtons novelMickey7 all the way to the big screenthrough the lens of Bong Joon-ho and his collaborators. For more on the book and to preorder, head to this site. It retails for $65 and is out March 11, right after the March 7 release of the film. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Smart Manufacturing Campus / XDGA ArchitectenSave this picture! Maxime DelvauxArchitects: XDGA ArchitectenAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:7784 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Maxime DelvauxManufacturersBrands with products used in this architecture project Manufacturers: CDM stravitec, Cofrastra arcelor mittal, DeKokstaal, Dott. Gallina, Ergon, Gyproc, Hrmann Tore, Joris Ide, Laukien, Polypane Glasindustrie NV, Reynaers Stability: Bollinger-Grohmann, Bollinger-Grohmann - Kenny Verbeeck, Jens Debroeyer Acustic: DaidalosFacade Construction: HeggeMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. The Smart Manufacturing Campus houses companies and institutions working in the field of smart technology.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The project is conceived as a fully modular, flexible building in which the units of independent companies can be (re)arranged, expanded or reduced.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!On the ground floor of the building are located all the production and storage spaces, easily reachable by heavy machinery and vehicles through a column-free inner street.Save this picture!On the upper level, the offices are housed around patios that not only create outdoor -or indoor- spaces for the staff, yet allow light to enter the deep interiors of the underlying workshops.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Genk, BelgiumLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officeXDGA ArchitectenOfficeMaterialsMaterials and TagsPublished on February 19, 2025Cite: "Smart Manufacturing Campus / XDGA Architecten" 19 Feb 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1026894/smart-manufacturing-campus-xdga-architecten&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Modern Australia is known for its array of wildlife: poisonous snakes and spiders, saltwater crocodiles, koalas, kangaroos, and more. The continent was also once home to dinosaurs, including the giant Australotitan and flying pterosaur Haliskia petersensi.Now, paleontologists have found remains of the worlds oldest known megaraptoridaka the mega raptorand the first evidence of a carcharodontosaurus in Australia. The fossils are described in a study published February 19 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology Get the Popular Science newsletter Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.Gday theropodsThe megaraptorids and carcharodontosaurus were theropod dinosaurs. Theopods were primarily carnivores and walked on two hind legs. They range in size from the small Coelurosaur up to the giant Tyrannosaurs. Several theropod species also had feathers.An illustration of a mega raptor. CREDIT: Artwork by Jonathan Metzger. SourceMuseums Victoria. The mega raptors belonged to a family of large-bodied dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period (about 125 to 66 million years ago) called Megaraptoridae. They were about 20 feet long and have mostly been found in southern continents. Megaraptorids smallbut sharpteeth, air-filled bones, and powerful forelimbs with enormous claws.At roughly 45 feet-long, Carcharodontosaurus was among the largest land-dwelling carnivores in our planets history. It also lived during the Cretaceous and has primarily been found in North Africa until now.An illustration of a Carcharodontosaur. CREDIT: Artwork by Jonathan Metzger. SourceMuseums Victoria The dominant predatorsPaleontologists uncovered these five new theropod fossils along the coastline in the state of Victoria in southeastern Australia. They were unearthed in the upper Strzelecki Group (about 121.4 to 118 million years old) and the Eumeralla Formation (about 113 to 108 million years old). The fossils suggest that modern-Victorias ancient ecosystem was dominated by these powerful theropods.The discovery of carcharodontosaurs in Australia is groundbreaking, Jake Kotevski, a study co-author and Museums Victoria Research Institute and Monash University PhD student, said in a statement. Its fascinating to see how Victorias predator hierarchy diverged from South America, where carcharodontosaurs reached Tyrannosaurus rex-like sizes up to 13 metres [42.6 feet], towering over megaraptorids. Here, the roles were reversed, highlighting the uniqueness of Australias Cretaceous ecosystem.Two of the fossils represent the worlds oldest known mega raptors and expand our understanding of the groups evolutionary history. Australias theropod fauna could have played a pivotal role in the ecosystems of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana.The findings not only expand Australias theropod fossil record but offer compelling evidence of faunal interchange between Australia and South America through Antarctica during the Early Cretaceous, Thomas Rich, a senior curator of vertebrate palaeontology at Museums Victoria Research Institute and study co-author, said in a statement. The findings also challenge previous assumptions about body-size hierarchies in Gondwanan predator ecosystems highlighting Victorias unique Cretaceous fauna.Top row: Two Megaraptoridae. Bottom row: Unenlagiinae Carcharodontosauria and Carcharodontosauria Megaraptoridae. CREDIT: PhotographerNadir Kinani. SourceMuseums Victoria. The volunteer factorThree of the fossils were uncovered between 2022 and 2023 and were first identified by Museums Victoria volunteer Melissa Lowery. According to the team, this discovery highlights how volunteers and community members working alongside seasoned researchers can help uncover the secrets of Australias Cretaceous past.The team will also keep surveying these key fossil sites, including the spots where the large megaraptorid fossils were uncovered.

Nature, Published online: 19 February 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08588-wNutrient-starved tumour cells cooperate by secreting aminopeptidases that digest oligopeptides in the microenvironment, creating a shared pool of free amino acids.

Nature, Published online: 19 February 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-024-08552-0A study identifies public neoantigens generated by tumor-wide aberrant mRNA splicing activity across distinct cancer types.

A winter storm is hitting the U.S. with record-breaking cold and heavy snow. Is the polar vortex to blame?

The nearly 5,000-year-old fortress in Spain has a much more recent burial dating to the Roman era.