The Unity for Humanity Summit is back for its third year on Wednesday, November 2, 2022. Join us for a virtual celebration of real-time 3D creators using Unity to change the world – registration is free and open to all.This year’s Summit includes an inspiring keynote conversation with actor and activist Rosario Dawson, who will discuss her sustainable fashion and nonprofit work, why positivity breeds innovation, and how technology can bring us all together around the virtual fire.In addition, you can attend a wealth of sessions led by artists, game developers, educators, nonprofit leaders, activists, and other changemakers across the core themes of sustainability, education, health and wellbeing, and inclusivity. Here are just a few of the exciting sessions on the agenda:Players first: Accessibility insights for creators features Dave Evans, Jazmin Cano, and Lukáš Hosnedl in a conversation about prioritizing accessibility in game development and the future of accessible gaming.From imagining to creating better worlds in RT3D brings together visionary creators Binh Minh Herbst, Katerina Cizek, Kathryn Evans, and Tony Patrick to discuss the process of translating ambitious visions into real-world action and impact.Create with AR Live and Unity Essentials Live showcase hands-on tools and resources for getting started in Unity and developing mobile AR experiences, led by Unity Learn team members Joy Horvath and Thomas Winkley.Activate your players: Nudging sustainable behavior and driving engagement provides insight into how game developers Hunter Bulkeley, Sheila Ndungu, Jude Ower, Galina Fedulova, and Jens Isensee are driving sustainability and empowering players to protect the planet through their games.Leveraging digital twins for sustainability in the built environment spotlights how organizations across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors are using real-time 3D for positive impact, hosted by Dr. Max Mallia-Parfitt, Dr. Sarah Whateley, and Ursula Smolka.Crafting Heroes: Students building the future using HoloLens 2 with Deidre LaCour and Sean Wybrant takes you straight into the inspiring XR work students are creating.Check out the full schedule and register now.Conversations with Creators are unique opportunities to meet fellow creators, ask them your burning questions, and immerse yourself in their stories, projects, and practical advice. Topics for these live Q&A sessions include:Addressing the youth mental health crisis with Cleo Barnett, co-creative director of AmplifierImmersive storytelling and impact with Gone to Water team Cat Ross and Marin VeselyThe world of immersive theater with Ferryman Collective cofounders Deirdre V. Lyons and Stephen ButchkoUnity for Humanity technical support Q&A with Andy Ellis, software development consulting manager at UnityDigital health and wellbeing with Gabriel G. Torres, creator of Haus of DustAR-tivism with Damien McDuffie, creator of Black TerminusPersonal storytelling for impact with Ondřej Moravec, Hana Blaha Šilarová, and Robin Pultera of DarkeningApplications for the Unity for Humanity 2023 Grant will open during the Summit, and we’ll be sharing tips for applying for the $500,000 available to bring your real-time 3D projects to life. Be sure to tune into the Unity for Humanity Grant Q&A session during the Summit to ask our program leads all of your questions, and sign up for the Social Impact mailing list to be notified of future grant announcements.Register now and join us at the Unity for Humanity Summit on November 2 to connect with social impact creators from across the globe and be part of the movement working towards a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable world.

Fighting the stigma against mental illness. Advancing social justice. Protecting forests, oceans, and wildlife. 2022 was an incredible year for real-time 3D (RT3D) creators driving change, and we can’t wait to see what our creator community will produce in 2023. In this post, the Unity Social Impact team reflects on highlights from the past year across the industry.The Game Awards is an annual ceremony that recognizes “creative and technical excellence in the video game industry.” The Games for Impact category highlights games with a “pro-social meaning or message.” In 2022, five of the six games in this category were made with Unity. We're thrilled to see creators who are using games to drive change be recognized for their creativity and vision.And, of course, congrats to the winner: As Dusk Falls by Interior/Night.Last November, creators from around the world joined us to celebrate groundbreaking projects that aim to make the world a more sustainable, inclusive, and better place for all. During the Summit sessions, we heard about the power of digital twins for sustainability, art, activism, and RT3D for social justice, XR for marine conservation, and more.Actor and activist Rosario Dawson also joined us to discuss her vision for the future of tech-led creation. “We used to be all around the fire – the medicine woman, the warrior, the mother, the father, the child, the person who worked with the animals, and the food. Everyone had an equal space around that fire where they came together as a community. And, as industry built up, we started going into that pyramid shape where it was just the few people at the top and all the workers at the bottom,” she shared. “What’s remarkable now, with this technology, is we get to open up that portal, and get that light in our face and be back around the fire again through our watches and our tablets and our phones.”Watch the full keynote below.Throughout the year, we chatted with a number of intrepid creators to learn how they’re using real-time 3D to make the world a better place.SYBO and Subway SurfersTechnical Director Murari Vasudevan explained how the SYBO team wove its social impact mission into Subway Surfers by partnering with Lady Gaga’s Born this Way Foundation to promote daily acts of kindness and hosting a Play 2 Plant in-game event which helped plant over 500,000 trees.Soft Not Weak, Kitfox Games, and Tribe GamesEach of these three studios – Soft Not Weak, Kitfox Games, and Tribe Games – took the stage at GDC to discuss their approach to diversity, interactivity, and accessibility in game design.Changemakers Showcase with Cat Ross and Felix BohatschWe kicked off the Changemakers Showcase interview series with Cat Ross, designer and researcher of Gone to Water / Ido al Agua, an immersive documentary sharing first-hand accounts of environmental injustice in Los Angeles, Tongva Land. In the blog, she shared her vision for the future of real-time 3D as a tool for social justice.“We are hoping to employ VR as both a tool for inciting empathy as well as furthering digital inclusion within virtual spaces.” – Cat Ross, Love Death DesignWe also spoke with Felix Bohatsch, game director of Gibbon: Beyond the Trees, and heard about his motivation for creating a game that raises awareness of the plight of gibbons in Southeast Asia. Read more about Felix and Gibbon: Beyond the Trees.“The power of games is that you can show your players the world, and its problems, from a different viewpoint.” – Felix Bohatsch, Broken RulesIn March, we announced the winners of the 2022 Unity for Humanity Grant and the Imagine Grant. These remarkable creators received funding to support their projects that use real-time 3D to address social issues around the world.Darkening – an immersive virtual reality (VR) film based on creator Ondřej Moravec’s personal experiences with depression – was one of these winners. The creators aim to raise awareness of mental illness and fight the stigma associated with depression.“I imagine a world where people understand that if you have depression, it's not just a sad day. Depression is an illness. Everybody wants to be seen as the one who is simply ‘okay,’ but sometimes we’re not, and that’s not a bad thing.” – Ondřej MoravecThe Unity for Humanity Grant is designed to support and empower social impact creators using real-time 3D to make our world a better place. Judging for the Unity for Humanity Grant 2023 is now underway. If you’re working on a changemaking project and would like to apply next year, pre-register for the Unity for Humanity Grant 2024 to be notified when it’s announced.Virtual reality is changing the future of gaming, social networking, engineering, fashion, and more. As demand for VR development skills increases, we’re on a mission to make VR education more accessible to all.Last year, we released our VR Development Pathway. This six-week online course is completely free, making it easier for anyone to learn how to create effective VR experiences. Throughout the Pathway, you’ll create eight unique projects and learn all of the fundamentals you need to prepare for a job in VR.Start the VR Pathway or learn more about what it takes to get a job in VR.We’re also committed to helping academic institutions train the next generation of VR developers. In 2022, we partnered with Meta to donate $1M in funding and 5,000 Meta Quest 2 VR headsets to schools across the U.S. in an effort to propel immersive learning and diversify the mixed reality (XR) creator workforce.2022 also saw us partner with the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication to investigate global warming knowledge, attitudes, policy preferences, and behavior among video game players in the United States. The study gave us a deeper understanding of gamers’ beliefs about climate change and how we can work toward a more sustainable industry. One key takeaway was that 22% of respondents said they’ve seen global warming content in a game or gaming stream in the last year. As more developers realize the potential of real-time 3D as a tool for driving awareness and change, we’re excited to see even more climate change-themed games in the future.These are just some of our highlights from 2022. Want to hear more about the work Unity creators are doing to make the world a better place? Sign up for our Social Impact mailing list for regular news and updates about this incredible work.

After reviewing almost 500 projects, we’re excited to share the winners of the 2023 Unity for Humanity Grant. All of the social impact creators receiving funding this year are using real-time 3D to drive change in truly innovative ways.Projects were judged based on vision, impact, inclusion, and viability. Winners will receive a bespoke grant from a pool of $500,000 USD, plus mentorship and technical support to help bring their projects to life. If you have a project you’d like to submit in the future, sign up to the Social Impact mailing list for updates about when next year’s grant will open.What’s the project?X-Ray Fashion is a VR documentary by Denmark-based XR studio MANND that uses immersive storytelling to educate audiences about issues within the fashion industry. The project combines virtual reality with corresponding physical elements (for example, when walking through water in the documentary, you walk through shallow water in the real world) to create a truly sensory experience that takes viewers through the various stages of a typical garment’s production process, from the sweat shop all the way to the catwalk.What’s the purpose?The fashion industry is the second-largest polluter in the world. It accounts for 10% of all global carbon emissions, and a huge 60% of textiles are thrown away within one year of being made. On top of that, a single pair of denim jeans requires 10,000 liters of water to make.The creators of X-Ray Fashion recognize that our habit of constantly changing our wardrobes and disposing of clothes we no longer like is having a big impact. Their goal is to use this immersive experience to change consumer behavior by helping viewers understand the impact that their wardrobes have on the environment and people working in the industry. Ultimately, the project encourages lifestyle changes such as buying second-hand garments, taking better care of what we already own, and minimizing our overall fashion consumption.What’s the project?Trying to put how you’re feeling into words when experiencing complex emotions and mental health issues can often be difficult. Sarah Ticho encountered this challenge when trying to describe her grief and mental state to a doctor during a time when she needed help. The experience led her to collaborate with experience designer Niki Smit to develop SoulPaint, a VR project in which participants create artwork on an avatar that expresses their inner world using color, shapes, movement, and imagery.What’s the purpose?According to Harvard Medical School, miscommunication is at the heart of most medical errors. SoulPaint is a unique experience that aims to transform the way we communicate our emotions with others, remove the stigma around mental health, and trigger impactful conversations by creating a shared exhibition experience in public spaces worldwide. It will also ultimately provide a tool that allows patients to improve communication with health care professionals.What’s the project?Quantum’s Pursuit is a game by Limbitless Solutions that lets children with bionic limbs play the limb-different grandchildren of Dr. Quantum, a tech genius and wizard who has developed renewable energy. Dr. Quantum has been kidnapped by evil Galacdorks trying to steal his invention, and it’s the player’s goal to journey through the levels, defeat the boss, and save Dr. Quantum.The game allows hospitals to teach children how to use their new bionic limbs in a fun, engaging, and stress-free way, while also gaining insight into the needs of each child based on their muscle strength – information that is usually difficult to ascertain.What’s the purpose?Limbitless Solutions provides free bionic arms, training, and even covers travel costs for patients and their families. This incredible project can vastly improve the quality of life of children with limb differences and ease the transition to a bionic limb during an otherwise difficult time.What’s the project?Using VR, Follow the Investigation: Inside the ICC shows International Criminal Court (ICC) cases at various stages of the judicial process. The experience provides valuable insight into how the ICC system works to bring those responsible for crimes against humanity – including war crimes and genocide – to justice.Viewers witness testimonies from survivors of past ICC cases, visit field investigation sites, process evidence in ICC forensic labs, and sit in on courtroom proceedings drawn from a variety of infamous global cases.What’s the purpose?This project serves as a somber reminder of and education about the work of the ICC and the process of seeking justice, helping to raise awareness of atrocities and the experiences of survivors to ensure continued global support for their recovery and the work of the ICC. The project also offers an impactful way for victims of horrific crimes to better understand the legal processes that relate to their own cases.What’s the project?In World Reborn, the world’s first activism adventure game, your goal is to save the world after a cataclysmic event fractures it into multiple realities. The mobile game uses AR to combine actions in the real world with choices in the virtual world, encouraging players to make a difference in both. Real-world actions that help you progress through the game include donating money, picking up trash, completing breathing exercises, and more.What’s the purpose?90% of the 72 million teenagers in the U.S. play video games. Having grown up with an awareness of pressing global issues – including climate change, mental health, and racial injustice – they want to make a difference, but often feel powerless to do so. The founders of Wicked Saints, creators of World Reborn, worked for the world’s largest peacebuilding organization and trained young movement leaders all over the world. They saw how many lives were transformed using an approach called Common Ground Activism – attacking the problem, not the person. Now, they’re building World Reborn to empower young people with CGA skills and drive change through incremental steps in the real world. Join their Discord community to get special access and be part of building the game.What’s the project?“What would the children of the future think about the mistakes of our past?” is the question that Team Gramps sought to answer with A Week at Belisamas Lake. This narrative-based mobile fishing game follows young Lotus and their grandmother Pearl as they recover 21st-century trash from a local lake in a future where humanity has overcome the climate crisis – and profoundly changed in the process. Using gyroscopic controls, you fish for items, inspect them, and listen as Pearl sheds light on relics of the past.What’s the purpose?Through a wholesome, optimistic narrative, A Week at Belisamas Lake shines a light on the possibility of a future society in a post-climate change world. Weaving together intergenerational relationships and items of the present day, the story examines just how drastically things might change if we don’t take action now, and how meaningful climate action will ultimately change us.Trigger warning: griefWhat’s the project?Drawing on the 17-year life cycle and symbolism of the Brood X cicadas, this virtual reality experience follows a mother’s journey to find meaning after the loss of her son. Using personal audio files, music, and images, the player is taken on a journey through the mother’s narrative, interacting with the experiences of passing time and grief.What’s the purpose?Year of the Cicadas is a mother’s reflection on the power of finding meaning in the most tragic of stories, and how that meaning transforms over time. The goal of this experience is to provide a window into the life-long journey of meaning-making after child loss for those who may know or work with bereaved parents and family members.Trigger warning: sexual assault, child abuseWhat’s the project?This mobile game is designed for parents who suspect their child may be the victim of sexual abuse or who want to talk to their children about topics like consent. Patito uses minigames to show a young character realizing he is a victim, providing a sensitive approach to educating children and parents on these difficult topics.What’s the purpose?According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), over 4.5 million children are victims of sexual abuse every year in Mexico. Pink Bear Games have created Patito to raise awareness of this issue and help give parents an effective way to communicate about sexual abuse and consent with their children. Their goal is to provide the app for free in an effort to help prevent future cases.Congratulations to all of this year’s winners – we can’t wait to share more of their projects with you. If you’re a social impact creator, join the Unity for Humanity Community Discord to meet like-minded creators.

We believe that the world is a better place with more creators in it. We make tools and services that help creators succeed, from individuals building their first games to professional studios working on the next great franchise.That’s why we continue to be excited by the promise of AI- and ML-driven techniques to reduce complexity, speed up creation, and, most importantly, unlock new ideas. Simply put, we think that this technology’s accessibility will help more people to become creators.We’ve worked for years, both internally and with partners, to explore how AI can be used in simulation, content creation, and game optimization. We see the present moment’s Cambrian explosion of generative AI as an opportunity to go even further.Unity is uniquely positioned to help you succeed while adopting generative AI because of the Unity Editor, runtime, data, and the Unity Network.More people use the Unity Editor to create games and other real-time 3D (RT3D) experiences than any other workflow in the world. Over the last 18 years, the Unity Editor has helped to democratize game development while contributing to a massive proliferation of new games across countless devices.Today, we strongly believe that the power of generative AI will enable Unity creators to be much more productive while ushering in scores of new creators who will face lower barriers to building RT3D games and experiences. We think that these AI tools will complement rather than replace existing tools and workflows. They offer the promise to help creators do more for and by themselves by filling the gaps in skill sets and resources so they can achieve what scarcely seems possible today.Just as a student might use a generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) tool to jumpstart research or even create a first draft before refining and finalizing a paper in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, Unity creators will be able to use natural-language generative tools together with deterministic, non-AI tools to create code, animations, physical effects, or other real-time content. Creators will move back and forth from rough approximations and text to fine-grained controls and code to iterate and refine the experience they envision.What’s better, we’re building the technology in the Unity Editor to better define what AI draws from. This not only means using appropriate and licensable datasets for generating content but also integrating AI techniques that are customized to their specific content (for example, by using Low-Rank Adaptation, or LoRA, language models during asset builds to deliver new content that’s trained on their existing work).The Unity runtime powers the most real-time applications in the world, with billions of downloads on billions of devices every month, in well over 100 countries. This means that Unity is the predominant way that content created with AI tools will come alive for consumers and users, since the output of any generative AI creation tools made available in the Unity Editor get delivered via the Unity runtime. The Unity runtime makes 3D content interactive and available on almost any device, ensuring that it responds to user input, as well as simulating effects like lighting or physics.But we see an even bigger opportunity. We believe that AI is not just the domain of creation tools, but that it offers the opportunity for new forms of interaction by moving inference – the process of feeding data through a machine learning model – to runtime.We’ve been working on this technology – code-named “Barracuda” – for more than five years. What will it mean when designers can build game loops that rely on inference on devices from mobile to console to web and PC? What happens when that AI capability is fast, efficient, scalable, and does not require expensive cloud compute?We have some ideas – NPCs that come to life, diffusion content as a gameplay mechanism, boundaryless user-generated content – but we know that our creators will do far more with this technology than we could ever even dream.Most of the digital content in the world today is 2D and linear – think sprites, photos, a set of film frames, a rendering of a building floor plan, or source code. AI data models train on this information to learn and, in the case of generative AI, to create content.Unity enables the real-time training of models based on unique datasets produced in the creation and operation of RT3D experiences. Through this training, we can build ever-richer services on top of Unity and provide extraordinary capabilities for our partners to leverage Unity as a data creation, simulation, and training engine for their own needs. Natural-language AI models incorporated into the Unity Editor and runtime train on real code and images. That real-usage training data is abstracted from its initial use (it’s not captured or recorded as-is), however this learning enables Unity’s customers to substantially increase their productivity.The Unity Network, whichconsists of our analytics tools, ad networks, publishing systems, and cloud services, reach a combined total of more than 4B users each month. Each of these service fields yields data that we can use to help our customers massively improve how they attract new users, increase engagement, or drive greater revenue from that base. Unity has been using the power of neural networks to help continuously optimize systems to support user acquisition, engagement and monetization for over three years.Generative AI has been used in some form or another for much of the history of video games, and it has tremendous potential as a tool to help developers achieve more with fewer resources. We’ll be sharing more over the coming months about our vision for AI at Unity, what we’re working on, and how this technology can help you achieve your vision.Stay tuned to the blog for more about Unity and AI, and, if you haven’t already, sign up for the AI Beta Program to be the first to hear about new tools and services.