Technologies

Roblox and its Generative AI: How Game Creation, and the Metaverse, May Be Changing

Two new creative tools are the start of possibly a lot more.

The world’s biggest metaverse may, arguably, be Roblox. The platform my kids play almost daily is a continuous playground of increasingly evolving experiences with a vast marketplace. It’s also going to become a space where generative AI emerges. Roblox released two new AI tools in the past week, but both are only showing up in the creator-focused Roblox Studio: a coding tool that lets anyone use conversational AI to generate code on the fly; and a way to create material designs just by describing what you want.

I watched demos of the new Roblox tools in action, and they’re very much in line with what generative AI tools like Midjourney, DALL-E 2 and ChatGPT can already do, as Microsoft and Google have expanded these tools elsewhere. In the case of Roblox, however, these tools are focused on particular uses. Both of the tools are also, for the moment, separate from each other and trained differently.

Beyond conversational AI and rapidly evolving art tools, it’s the way AI is moving into being a copilot for coding that grabs me the most. I don’t know how to code, and I’ve often found game creation tools, even ones like Sony’s Dreams on PlayStation, to be intimidating. It looks very much like this emerging wave of AI is turning into a coding assistant… I’d hesitate to say complete coding tool, because it sounds like you’d very much want to see what errors and results come from whatever you think you’ve discussed into being. But much more so than in any other capacity, it looks like a way to quickly enable complicated creations.

Stefano Corazza, former VP of Adobe’s Augmented Reality division and now head of Roblox Studio, says Roblox’s new AI features are targeted at «someone who is familiar with coding, and we just want to make them more productive.» But another initiative is coming for complete creative newcomers, too.

«We also have a parallel effort to help people that are completely new to coding,» Corazza says. «But if you are targeting people that are completely new to coding, we may need a different type of interface like ChatGPT that are a little bit more useful, because they explain to you what the code does, and then they write the code, and then they help you debug things. So I think we will have to think about an approach where the goal is learning, as opposed to writing a bunch of code.»

I’m curious about when these tools will emerge in the everyday Roblox app. There are already developers hooking in ChatGPT into Roblox now, but Roblox aims to eventually have some of these creative tools come outside of Studio.

«I think generative AI is really easier onboarding in the game development space overall, where people are less sophisticated in terms of, ‘Hey, I need something that gives me like, the Absolute Truth,’ right? It’s more of an iterative process,» Corazza says.

A hole in a brick wall and a building seen through it, in the video game platform Roblox — Is Roblox readying its platform to be able to more spontaneously generate worlds?

Roblox

Someday, players may have these generative AI tools right inside Roblox. And along with that future possibility comes parental guidance concerns.

«In the future as this becomes a superpower of players, we will have to implement more real-time moderation. It also needs to be not only age appropriate, but also context appropriate. Things that you may say with your close group of friends may not be OK in a public setting, for example, or during a concert on Roblox. We are trying to develop a more contextual type of moderation because we think that will be a big deal in the future,» Corazza adds.

Coding and creation is the focus now, but what I see after that is how these quick AI assistants can generate environments on the fly for metaverse environments. The «build and someone will come» idea behind large social VR worlds like Meta’s Horizon Worlds and AltSpace VR haven’t worked. Will more instantaneous AI-driven invocations be a way to make future AR and VR feel like an instant holodeck?

«I think what we have seen is a transformation where a lot of the strictly technical skills will be picked up by AI, and then it will leave creators more high-level controls,» Corazza says. «We will enable a lot more people to just manifest their ideas in the metaverse.»

Corazza refers to Roblox’s own metaverse, and its hundreds of millions of users, as an example. «Until now, just the scale of content that was needed was not met,» Corazza says, referring to metaverse platforms. «Very few companies in the world could actually afford it. If we lower the barrier, and now everybody can generate a city by just saying ‘create the city of San Francisco, it’s sunset and it’s raining,’ and poof, you see the city in front of you, the cost of creation gets really low, then people can start doing really fun things and can experiment.»

Roblox isn’t actively in VR and AR yet, although Corazza says the company’s exploring many different types of platforms. But it’s pretty clear that these beginning steps for generative AI in 3D worlds are going to make a big impact on the metaverse, VR and AR soon enough.

«VR was always starving for content, right? It was like, a great game was made, and then it’s like, ‘OK, try to make an experience, you know, good luck.’ That has been a very difficult process. There was one inflection with user-generated content that was really powerful, and then the second inflection point, now that we are seeing with generative AI, is going to be another order of magnitude of how much content is available,» Corazza adds. «Even things like VR and AR will flourish, will really have like a second wave. Because now people can do stuff in those worlds and they can be much faster. I think that’s going to be a big game-changer.»

Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to create some personal finance explainers that are edited and fact-checked by our editors. For more, see this post.

Technologies

Amazon’s Alexa Plus Confounds Chris Hemsworth in Super Bowl Ad as the AI Tool Launches

Alexa Plus is aiming higher with a new superhero Super Bowl spot and a US-wide launch, including a free version for any app user.

The Alexa Plus AI has been in early access for over a year, but this week all that changes, starting with a Thursday preview at Amazon’s upcoming Super Bowl ad featuring Chris Hemsworth. Let’s look at how our phones and smart speakers are getting this smart voice assistant upgrade.

I’ve been reviewing beta Alexa Plus over the past year and found the AI upgrade to be highly conversational and more capable than the old Alexa, bringing new ties to third-party apps like Uber and Ticketmaster. Starting on Tuesday, Amazon has completed its rollout and made Alexa Plus available to anyone who wants to try it in the US.

It’s no wonder Hemsworth got worried at just how responsive the voice assistant could be. The rogue AI scenarios in the Super Bowl ad playfully acknowledge people’s fears over inviting generative artificial intelligence into their private lives as the Australian actor gets hacked by a garage door, drowned in his pool and mauled by an Alexa-ordered bear.

Amazon makes it clear that no damage was ultimately done.

«By casting Chris Hemsworth, the last guy on the planet you’d expect to be scared of anything, we were able to lean into the conversation and put people at ease through humor,» said Jo Shoesmith, Amazon’s global chief creative officer.

Alexa Plus arrives with a free version and more

So, what does this new Alexa Plus expansion — available now — include? The most interesting part is several tiers of the AI’s service, starting with a free version that anyone can use as long as they have the Alexa app downloaded or visit the web portal Alexa.com (which we’ve also tried).

You won’t get any advanced Amazon Echo capabilities that way, but you will be able to test out Alexa’s conversational AI and see how similar it is to talking to a human. Alexa Plus errs on the side of chatty, but its ability to summarize answers, stop in mid-conversation and answer follow-up questions is welcome. As I’ve said before, it feels like what voice assistants were always supposed to be like.

«Alexa Plus is built to make customers’ lives meaningfully easier — and that starts with conversation. Because Alexa Plus lives in the middle of everyday life, it has to be natural and trustworthy,» Panos Panay, senior vice president at Amazon Devices & Services, tells CNET. «The Super Bowl is the perfect moment to introduce this evolution at scale.»

Two other Alexa AI tiers exist. The first comes when you subscribe to Amazon Prime for $15 per month. That unlocks not only Prime’s own content but also all Alexa Plus capabilities across all compatible devices. This includes Echo smart speakers and AI video summaries for Ring security cameras, among other tricks. You can try telling your Echo device to «Upgrade to Alexa Plus» to get started.

The final option is paying $20 per month to unlock all Alexa Plus capabilities across all devices, independent of an Amazon Prime subscription. Alexa won’t be able to interact with Prime content like videos or Amazon Music, but it can connect with everything else the AI upgrade offers. Since you need an Amazon account either way, this tier is for specific people who want to avoid Prime content.

Is the new Alexa AI worth your time?

If you’re wondering whether Alexa Plus is worth it compared to alternatives like Gemini for Home or whatever Apple is cooking up with Siri, I found my experience with the voice assistant to be the most positive I’ve had overall. Sometimes a little too positive — as we’ve seen with chatbots, Alexa Plus can be very willing to agree with you and promise to do anything, even if it can’t.

Also, if you use an Echo, it will send your voice recordings to Amazon for automatic analysis; there’s no getting around that privacy concession if you want Alexa on a smart device.

Those issues aside, Alexa Plus as part of Amazon Prime for $15 is an excellent deal, especially if you already use Prime for ordering, catching up on Fallout, etc. If you’re not sure how talking to the new and vivacious Alexa feels like, all you need is an Amazon account to try it out online.

Technologies

Snag a Rare Discount on the Amazing Beats Powerbeats Fit Earbuds With This Limited-Time Deal

Get yourself these amazing earbuds while they’re back down to their lowest-ever price.

The 2025 Beats Powerbeats Fit is on our list of the best workout earbuds and headphones, and right now you can get yourself these powerful Beats Powerbeats Fit earbuds for $180. That’s a $20 discount and brings them back down to their all-time low price. They’re worth it at full price, so if you want them, now’s a fantastic chance to pick them up for less. The only issue is that Amazon’s limited-time deals don’t last long, so you’ll need to be quick if you want to secure them at this price.

The upgrades on the Powerbeats Fit are mostly cosmetic and concern ear fit, so they’re a better fit for people who don’t currently own another pair of Beats in the Powerbeats family. In his review, CNET’s audio expert David Carnoy said, «The design upgrades to the wingtips and case do improve the buds, which remain quite appealing for those looking for secure-fitting earbuds for workouts and everyday use.»

The Powerbeats Fit includes ear tips in four sizes, including extra small, so that everyone can find a secure fit. They can last up to 30 hours when carrying around their charging case, and they offer active noise cancellation that comes in handy when you’re getting your reps in. Both the earbuds and the case are IPX4 water and sweatproof, which means your workout won’t get in the way of your music or audiobooks.

Need more ideas for your next pair of earbuds upgrade? We’ve got a list of the best wireless earbuds you can check out so you can make the most of your holiday cash gifts.

HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones (Black):

$248 (save $152)
Beats Studio Pro Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (Black):

$170 (save $181)
Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones:

$398 (save $62)
Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (Twilight Blue):

$179 (save $170)
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless ANC Over-Ear Headphones (Black):

$200 (save $250)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

Like other audio gear from Beats, the Powerbeats Fit earbuds offer excellent sound, a comfortable fit and decent noise cancellation. However, they usually command a price of $200. This modest Amazon discount of $20 brings them down to $180 for a limited time, their best price to date across several colors.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Feb. 5, #970

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Feb. 5 #970.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is kind of tough. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Star-spangled signs.

Green group hint: Smash into.

Blue group hint: Not green or red.

Purple group hint: Same surname.