This incredible AI is capable of generating ultra-realistic 3D environments with just one image

World Labs, the startup led by the renowned artificial intelligence expert Fei-Fei Li, has unveiled its first project: an innovative system that turns a single image into an interactive 3D environment, similar to a video game. “This [system] allows you to delve into any image and explore it in 3D,” the company explains on its blog. “Beyond the input image, everything is generated automatically.”

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Unlike other tools that transform photos into three-dimensional models, the World Labs system stands out for being interactive and editable. As seen in a demonstration on their website, the generated scenes can be explored with a keyboard and mouse while adjusting parameters such as depth of field, which modifies the blur of background objects. Although the aesthetics are somewhat cartoonish, its real-time performance is impressive, to say the least.

The project falls within the emerging category of “world models,” technology used to simulate 3D environments, such as the case of Oasis, by Decart. However, World Labs claims that their approach surpasses these limitations by maintaining coherence in designs and respecting the basic laws of physics, achieving scenes with solidity and depth. Additionally, their system allows for the addition of interactive effects such as changes in object colors and dynamic lighting adjustments.

Despite its potential, the tool currently presents certain limitations. For example, users can only move in small areas and, occasionally, rendering errors appear, such as objects blending unnaturally. The company acknowledges that this is just an “initial advance” and assures that it is working on expanding interaction possibilities and improving the quality of the scenes.

World Labs plans to expand the applications of its technology beyond video games, with the aim that artists, filmmakers, and developers can use it to transform the way movies, simulators, and interactive digital experiences are created.

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