Cannes Featured A Fully AI-Generated Movie

It’s no secret that AI is having a massive effect on jobs in the tech industry, and AI startups are now taking over the film industry as well. This week saw one of the first big shots at that future, when Higgsfield AI, a generative AI platform for video and images, debuted a feature-length film called "Hell Grind" at the Cannes Film Festival. It bills it as the "world’s first 90 minute sci-fi hest feature film produced entirely using Higgsfield AI."

According to Higgsfield AI, the film took two weeks to make and cost about US$ 500,000. The team that created it consisted of 15 directors, DPs and editors, the company says.

"Self-Healing" Material Could Be Good For Cars

Engineers from North Carolina State University and the University of Houston have released a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences detailing a new composite material with a "self-healing" ability not too dissimilar to that of the iconic T-1000 from the "Terminator" movie franchise.

The fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite described in the research paper could make spacecraft, airplanes, automobiles, and wind turbines last centuries on end.

Fans Feel That "Mortal Combat 2" Is Just Like The Game

It’s often said as an excuse for less-than-great initial reviews that something isn’t made for critics, it’s made "for the fans." But there is one franchise where that has been proven true twice now: "Mortal Kombat", where "Mortal Kombat 2" arrives this weekend and is looking to do pretty well at the box office.

This time around, "Mortal Kombat 2" has avoided a "rotten" Rotten Tomatoes score from critics, a 65 oercent, but that’s far below the "verified hot" 89 percent from audiences. It’s almost identical to the split for the original Mortal Kombat, 55 percent to 85 percent. The 1995 version ... had both fans and critics agreeing it wasn’t great (44 percent and 58 percent).

Waymo And Waze Will Help Identify Potholes

Potholes are a common frustration among drivers, causing mid-commute coffee spills or even puncturing tires, and getting a city to fix them can be even more frustrating. But a partnership between Waymo and Waze could help curb these daily encounters that have you apologizing to your car.

This month, Waymo and Waze are piloting a program to deploy autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence to equip cities with improved insights regarding road conditions.

Age-Based Parental Controls Adopted For Roblox

Roblox is overhauling how kids access games on its platform, looking to tackle child safety concerns as it has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years.

The company announced an update coming in June that will introduce two new age-based account levels, restricting access to a limited set of games and features for kids under 9 and gradually opening up for kids between 9 and 15. It’s also introducing some new parental control features that give parents more of a say in what their kids can access.