Joining Clark on the AI 75 list are prominent figures such as Mark Cuban, being recognized for his Intro to AI Bootcamp, Dave Copps, recognized for his company’s development of Large World Models (LWMs), and Naveena Allampalli, recognized for her advisor work for startup companies within the AI field. These honorees, among dozens of others, represent the diverse spectrum of talent driving AI innovation in the dynamic DFW ecosystem which underscores the region’s commitment to pioneering cutting-edge technology. Leaders, like Clark at BALANCED, drive advancements that redefine industry standards and address societal challenges. With diverse talent and collaboration, DFW’s AI innovation promises significant progress ahead.

To see the full list of honorees in the AI 75, check out the following link:

To see the full podcast, you can listen to it below:

Atkins emphasized BALANCED’s mission to inspire innovative technology design, promote compassionate capitalism, and establish community entertainment brands with genuine purpose. The podcast shed light on Atkins’ contributions beyond gaming, including his role in tabletop gaming with the co-founding of Green Eye Games and his position as an Adjunct Professor at SMU Guildhall, where he taught game design, professional development, focused study, and industry ethics.

The episode provides valuable insights into Atkins’ vision and how it aligns with BALANCED Media | Technology’s commitment to empowering communities, providing purposeful entertainment, and making a positive global impact. The discussion underscores the intersection of Atkins’ legacy and the company’s strategic goals in navigating the evolving landscape of technology and entertainment.

Listen to both episodes of the Demystifying IT

Robert Atkins shared insights into the groundbreaking work undertaken by BALANCED at the CG Infinity panel. Atkins expressed optimism about BALANCED leading the way in harnessing the power of gaming to address educational challenges and solve real-world industry problems. Drawing attention to the unique skill set of gamers, honed by decades of virtual heroism, he envisioned a future where gamers actively contribute to solving tangible issues.

Additionally, Atkins reflected on the early stages of AI, emphasizing the ongoing exploration of its capabilities and the transformative potential it holds for industries. He highlighted the current phase as one of innovation, with companies leveraging accumulated data to drive advancements in problem-solving, experience enhancement, and cost reduction through AI applications. 

The full talk centered around the evolving landscape of AI, emphasizing the pivotal role that gaming and innovative organizations like BALANCED play in shaping a positive and impactful future.

Watch the full video of the discussion:

[Original Article]

Robert Atkins, CEO of BALANCED, will speak at CG Infinity’s panel “The AI Creative: Gaming, Toys & Business”. The talk will cover the current uses of artificial intelligence for creativity, the governance of AI, and the future state of AI in creativity.

BALANCED has developed solutions around leveraging AI in videogames and interactives to solve real-world problems, including in the areas of medicine and health care and Robert is expected to bring this unique perspective to the conversation.

The talk will occur on November 15, 2023, at 12:00 PM CST.

In a recent Tech Legacy podcast, host Fanny Denigan sat down with Robert Atkins, the CEO and Co-Founder of BALANCED Media | Technology. The conversation revolved around how this innovative company is using the world of gaming to make a profound impact on cancer research and more.

With over 30 years of experience in creating interactive entertainment, Atkins recognized the vast potential of gaming in our lives, which goes beyond simply entertainment, encompassing education and even aiding scientific research. The company’s unique approach integrates data and machine learning models into gameplay, allowing players to contribute to medical research while they enjoy their favorite games. This gamified approach not only transforms the gaming experience but also empowers players to be a part of something meaningful. It’s not just an escape from reality; it’s actively contributing to building a better one.

Atkins emphasizes the importance of believing in one’s vision, surrounding oneself with the right team, and maintaining a relentless commitment to a mission that goes beyond personal gain. His ultimate legacy is one of empowering people and enabling advancements in various fields through technology. 

To see even more of the Tech Legacies Podcast, you can find their videos here.

https://www.youtube.com/@techlegacies/videos

CBS News Texas featured BALANCED Chief Technology Officer, Corey Clark, PhD in its nightly news broadcast in a segment titled The I-Team- Video game helps researchers fight sex trafficking. In that segment, Dr. Clark is interviewed about a project he heads at SMU where they have created a game that utilizes human-in-the-loop AI, a technique that BALANCED Media | Technology pioneered and holds several patents on, to help train a large language model search engine to help investigators find information that can assist them in solving crimes involving human sex trafficking.

The project features a computer game created by SMU postdoctoral researcher Stephanie Buongiorno called “Dark Shadows”, which was inspired in part by a game created by BALANCED CEO Robert M. Atkins and features technical input from BALANCED‘s development team. In the game, players teach an AI to improve its accuracy and efficiency in identifying and connecting data points from different sources. This approach saves time and resources for law enforcement and anti-trafficking organizations, as well as provides new insights into the patterns and trends of human trafficking in the U.S.

SMU has also created a data warehouse that aims to centralize and analyze nationwide human trafficking data, as well as a cost analysis of the economic impact of this crime.

The collaboration recognizes the gaming industry’s vast reach, with an estimated three billion gamers worldwide. By engaging this community, doctors and scientists can collect standardized data for accurate identification of ocular diseases, providing faster solutions to patients.

BALANCED, Retina Foundation, and SMU aim to leverage gaming technologies to treat ocular diseases more efficiently, minimizing costs for medical staff and patients. This approach has the potential to revolutionize ocular healthcare and inspire innovation in other medical domains. BALANCED has already showcased the potential with Eye in the Sky: Defender, a gaming system using retinal scans for diagnosing and tracking age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Through this collaboration, BALANCED is at the forefront of merging gaming and healthcare, driving advancements in ocular research. The Eye on Innovation – The Series serves as a platform to showcase the possibilities that arise from combining gaming industry expertise with medical innovation. Together with Retina Foundation and SMU, BALANCED is dedicated to finding innovative solutions that transform how ocular diseases are approached, improving patient outcomes and shaping the future of healthcare.

If you are interested, you can find more information here: https://retinafoundation.org/lecture-series/

The Project

The project, centered at SMU and generously funded by a non-competitive grant of more than $1,000,000, aims to address the glaring deficiencies in human trafficking data. While the need for robust, high-quality data in the domain of human trafficking is well recognized, acquiring it remains a challenge. With Dr. Corey Clark bringing his expertise and dedication to the project, SMU’s Human Trafficking Project seeks to combine a plethora of expertise to enhance the efficacy of data collection and analysis.

BALANCED Media|Technology’s Role in the Initiative

As experts in constructing human-in-the-loop interactive engines, BALANCED specializes in creating interfaces that connect players to real-world scientific data, thus helping train AI models. The collaboration with SMU, further strengthened by Dr. Clark’s insights, is poised to take this expertise to the next level. By engaging players in meaningful tasks related to real-world data, BALANCED’s systems offer an effective and efficient way to refine and train AI models, allowing them to recognize patterns and draw insights that can be transformative in areas such as human trafficking research.

Enter ‘Dark Shadows’

A novel game titled “Dark Shadows” stands as the centerpiece of this initiative. Set in a noir, detective milieu, where players delve into a “whodunit” mystery to uncover the circumstances surrounding a character’s missing brother. However, “Dark Shadows” isn’t just any game with a captivating storyline. The ingenuity of “Dark Shadows” is that it doubles up as a tool for a process known as Human Computation Gaming (HCG), wherein players contribute to training of a Machine Learning System or AI Model. Co-developed by Steph Buongiorno (who won the computer science category at SMU’s Graduate Poster Session for the game), and with key contributions from Dr. Corey Clark and BALANCED’s Interactive Media team, Players navigate through a mystery, sorting through DOJ press releases to tag entities. As they progress in the game, they’re essentially feeding the underlying AI model with invaluable data. This unique model of merging gameplay with crowdsourced AI training data exemplifies the future of interactive gaming with tangible real-world impacts.

The Potential Impact

Once enough data is collected and analyzed through this system, the AI, fed by crowdsourced AI training data, can potentially identify patterns and hotspots related to human trafficking incidents. Dr. Corey Clark’s involvement ensures that the research’s potential is maximized, empowering law enforcement agencies, policymakers, and other stakeholders to act more decisively and effectively.

Collaboration at Its Best

This initiative underscores the power of collaboration. SMU offers research depth, Dr. Corey Clark provides invaluable expertise, Steph Buongiorno lends creativity and vision, the DOJ provides real-world case files, and BALANCED brings in the platform and technological prowess to bind everything together. By fusing academia, technology, and social responsibility, this collaborative effort symbolizes hope and promise in the global fight against human trafficking.

Conclusion

The blend of gaming, technology, and human intelligence offers a fresh perspective on tackling pressing societal issues. With the dedication of institutions like SMU, innovators like Steph Buongiorno, visionaries like Dr. Corey Clark, and tech leaders like BALANCED Media|Technology, there’s renewed hope that the darkness of hum

🔗 Read more about this effort at the SMU website

🔗 This project was also featured in an article by Dallas Innovates

🔗 Read about the grant at National Institute of Justice website

“Chris’ unparalleled dedication to technological innovation, strategic vision, and leadership skills make him the ideal fit for the position,” said Robert M. Atkins, CEO of BALANCED Media|Technology. “His contributions have already played a significant role in shaping our direction, and we’re excited to see how his new role as Interactive Media Director will further elevate our mission.”

Chris joined BALANCED in 2016 as a Lead Gameplay Programmer. Since then, he has climbed the ranks through a combination of talent, grit, and a consistent demonstration of industry knowledge. His background includes notable tenures at leading companies such as Ensemble Studios, Microsoft Game Studios, and Bally’s Technologies. Furthermore, his successful engineering stints at Getty Images and Jack Henry and Associates (JHA), and his role at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL), showcase his broad technical prowess. His accomplishments underscore his dedication to creating impactful and user-centered solutions, a quality he brings to his new role at BALANCED.

As Interactive Media Director, Chris will utilize his extensive experience to drive BALANCED’s strategic direction in creating immersive, technology-driven solutions that bring real-world impact. BALANCED is confident that his vision and leadership will contribute significantly to the company’s innovative projects and its commitment to transforming the interactive media landscape.