A giant corporation is preparing to let loose an army of walking and talking A.I. characters called "hosts," [which might have you questioning the nature of your reality.](http://pcmag.com/feature/360323/inside-sumerian-amazon-s-big-bet-on-augmented-and-virtual-re)
No, it's not the plot of season two of "Westworld."
Amazon is expected to launch Sumerian, its augmented and virtual reality development platform, next month. [Unlike Microsoft, Sony, and Google before it, the e-commerce giant's A.I. plans do not include any headsets or special devices.]((https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2496299,00.asp)
Built on the Amazon Web Services cloud, Sumerian is a web-based drag-and-drop interface designed to make AR and VR app development easy for experienced developers and those with no coding experience. It's also platform-agnostic, allowing creators to make AR apps for Android and iOS, and to create VR programs that can be integrated with the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive.
"If they're going to make a big bet on AR/VR this is definitely a safer way to do it," said Rob Marvin, the associate features editor at PCMag. He recently got an exclusive look at the platform ahead of its wide release.
Marvin was able to demo two apps built on the platform: a virtual meteorologist's weather forecast from WeatherBug and a new program from Electronic Caregiver that helps elderly patients assess their risk of falling. Both examples make use of Sumerian's A.I.-enabled hosts. The characters are meant to add a human-ish element to the virtual and augmented reality scenes.
Marvin said Amazon also sees great potential in Sumerian for the Internet of Things, interactive display advertising, online retail, and virtual training.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/amazons-vr-ar-strategy-throws-out-the-headset).
Adtalem CEO Steve Beard addresses a report from Safkhet Capital taking the short position on the for-profit education giant, plus why he believes there should be financial recourse for student loan borrowers misled by their institutions.
CEO of Americares Christine Squires shares how the organization is helping provide medical assistance in a time of increasing instability, war, and climate-related disaster.
Doug Clinton, Deepwater Asset Management managing partner, shares tips for investors looking to take advantage of the massive boom in artificial intelligence beyond Microsoft and Nvidia.
Jason Moser, analyst and adviser at the Motley Fool, shares thoughts on recent tech earnings, including what’s behind Google’s share price drop and why A.I. could be Microsoft’s ‘iPhone moment.’
CEOs of social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and more meet with lawmakers Wednesday about how they are protecting children from sexual exploitation.
San Francisco 49ers president Al Guido discusses what goes into preparing for Super Bowl LVIII, building a championship-ready team, and how Taylor Swift and streaming are both bringing new fans to the NFL.
A $1 billion loss from a six-week strike did not crash GM's net income last year, which instead rose 12% — and the automaker expects improvement in 2024, too.
Accrue CEO and founder Michael Hershfield explains why Americans' credit card delinquencies are on the rise, advice on what can help, and the key difference between Boomers and Gen Z when it comes to money.
Senior Economist at Morning Consult Kayla Bruun shares thoughts on what to expect from the Fed's January meeting and where monetary policy is headed, as well as how consumers are faring.
