Odyssey, a startup founded by self-driving pioneers Oliver Cameron and Jeff Hawke, has developed an AI-powered tool that can transform text or an image into a 3D rendering. Dubbed Explorer, the tool is capable of generating interactive, real-time scenes from simple captions, such as "a Japanese garden, with rich, green foliage."

The technology behind Explorer is similar to the world models recently demonstrated by DeepMind, World Labs, and Israeli upstart Decart. However, Odyssey claims that its tool is "particularly tuned" for creating photorealistic scenes, thanks to its technical approach. The AI powering Explorer was trained on real-world landscapes captured by the company's custom-designed, 360-degree, backpack-mounted camera system.

One of the key advantages of Explorer is its ability to seamlessly integrate with popular creative tools such as Unreal Engine, Blender, and Adobe After Effects. This is made possible by the tool's use of gaussian splats, a decades-old volume rendering technique that is widely supported in computer graphics tools. As a result, artists can load scenes generated by Explorer into their preferred software and hand-edit them to achieve the desired level of realism.

Odyssey is excited about the potential of Explorer to revolutionize industries such as live-action film, hyper-realistic gaming, and new forms of entertainment. The company also sees opportunities for generative world motion, which could enable artists to generate and manipulate motion in new and more realistic ways. However, Odyssey acknowledges that Explorer is still in its early stages and has several limitations, including a 10-minute generation time and relatively low resolution.

Despite these limitations, Odyssey has already seeded Explorer to production houses such as Garden Studios in the U.K. and a growing group of independent artists. Those interested in testing Explorer can apply on Odyssey's blog. The company's commitment to collaborating with creative professionals is further underscored by the recent addition of Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar and former president of Disney Animation Studios, to its board of directors and investor roster.

The impact of AI-powered tools like Explorer on the creative industries is a topic of ongoing debate. While some see them as a means to augment human creativity and productivity, others are concerned about the potential for job displacement. A recent Wired investigation found that game studios are using AI to cut corners and compensate for attrition, while a 2024 study commissioned by the Animation Guild estimated that over 100,000 U.S.-based film, television, and animation jobs will be disrupted by AI by 2026.

Odyssey, however, is adamant that its goal is to empower creative professionals, not replace them. The company's vision is to create worlds that build themselves, feel indistinguishable from reality, and enable new stories to be born and remixed. With $27 million in funding from investors including EQT Ventures, GV, and Air Street Capital, Odyssey is well-positioned to continue pushing the boundaries of AI-powered creativity.

In conclusion, Odyssey's Explorer tool represents a significant breakthrough in AI-powered computer graphics, with far-reaching implications for industries such as film, gaming, and entertainment. As the technology continues to evolve and mature, it will be interesting to see how creatives respond to its potential and limitations.