From gaming with friends to investing in real estate, there are a lot of things you can do in the metaverse. Now, there is yoga and meditation, too, after lifestyle and activewear company Alo Yoga set up a virtual sanctuary on the Roblox gaming platform.
"Alo will jump at any opportunity to share wellness, mindfulness, and movement with people wherever they are," said Alyson Wilson, Alo vice president of brand and innovation.
The sanctuary, where users can participate in classes through Alo's on-demand fitness platform Alo Moves and earn virtual apparel, has been popular. More than 15 million people have visited since its launch in February.
Brand partnerships are nothing new for Roblox, which has teamed up with brands like Gucci, McLaren, and Vans among others. Monetization of brand experiences can mean big bucks — Roblox paid out its developer community more than $538 million in 2021. But for brands like Alo that choose not to monetize, there are other benefits.
"Brands are seeing an engagement on our platform that they haven't seen anywhere else. You can really have this two-way conversation with your audience," said Christina Wootton, vice president of global brand partnerships at Roblox.
An estimated 50 million people per day come to Roblox worldwide. Over half of users are over 13 years old, with the fastest-growing demographic being 17 to 24-year-olds.
"What's really neat about Roblox is we're able to reach out to people who maybe haven't been able to find us on their own, maybe people who aren't in yoga studios, who aren't in their own practice, and maybe haven't even discovered meditation yet," Wilson said.
OpenAI has announced that ChatGPT will soon engage in "erotica for verified adults." CEO Sam Altman says the company aims to allow more user freedom for adults while setting limits for teens. OpenAI isn't the first to explore sexualized AI, but previous attempts have faced legal and societal challenges. Altman believes OpenAI isn't the "moral police" and wants to differentiate content similar to how Hollywood differentiates R-rated movies. This move could help OpenAI, which is losing money, turn a profit. However, experts express concerns about the impact on real-world relationships and the potential for misuse.
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