The focus is no longer just AI-generated worlds, but how those worlds become structured digital products
Updated
February 20, 2026 6:50 PM
The inside of a pair of HTC VR goggles. PHOTO: UNSPLASH
As AI tools improve, creating 3D content is becoming faster and easier. However, building that content into interactive experiences still requires time, structure and technical work. That difference between generation and execution is where HTC VIVERSE and World Labs are focusing their new collaboration.
HTC VIVERSE is a 3D content platform developed by HTC. It provides creators with tools to build, refine and publish interactive virtual environments. Meanwhile, World Labs is an AI startup founded by researcher Fei-Fei Li and a team of machine learning specialists. The company recently introduced Marble, a tool that generates full 3D environments from simple text, image or video prompts.
While Marble can quickly create a digital world, that world on its own is not yet a finished experience. It still needs structure, navigation and interaction. This is where VIVERSE fits in. By combining Marble’s world generation with VIVERSE’s building tools, creators can move from an AI-generated scene to a usable, interactive product.
In practice, the workflow works in two steps. First, Marble produces the base 3D environment. Then, creators bring that environment into VIVERSE, where they add game mechanics, scenes and interactive elements. In this model, AI handles the early visual creation, while the human creator defines how users explore and interact with the world.
To demonstrate this process, the companies developed three example projects. Whiskerhill turns a Marble-generated world into a simple quest-based experience. Whiskerport connects multiple AI-generated scenes into a multi-level environment that users navigate through portals. Clockwork Conspiracy, built by VIVERSE, uses Marble’s generation system to create a more structured, multi-scene game. These projects are not just demos. They serve as proof that AI-generated worlds can evolve beyond static visuals and become interactive environments.
This matters because generative AI is often judged by how quickly it produces content. However, speed alone does not create usable products. Digital experiences still require sequencing, design decisions and user interaction. As a result, the real challenge is not generation, but integration — connecting AI output to tools that make it functional.
Seen in this context, the collaboration is less about a single product and more about workflow. VIVERSE provides a system that allows AI-generated environments to be edited and structured. World Labs provides the engine that creates those environments in the first place. Together, they are testing whether AI can fit directly into a full production pipeline rather than remain a standalone tool.
Ultimately, the collaboration reflects a broader change in creative technology. AI is no longer only producing isolated assets. It is beginning to plug into the larger process of building complete experiences. The key question is no longer how quickly a world can be generated, but how easily that world can be turned into something people can actually use and explore.
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Clinically grounded, game-based and always available — MIRDC’s AI system is redefining how children learn to communicate.
Updated
January 8, 2026 6:32 PM
A child practicing with a speech therapist. PHOTO: FREEPIK
Speech and language delays are common, yet access to therapy remains limited. In Taiwan, only about 2,200 licensed speech-language pathologists serve hundreds of thousands of children who need support—especially those with autism spectrum disorders or significant communication challenges. As a result, many children miss crucial periods of language development simply because help isn’t available soon enough.
MIRDC’s new AI-powered interactive speech therapy system aims to close that gap. Instead of focusing solely on articulation, it targets a wider range of language skills that many children struggle with: oral expression, comprehension, sentence building and conversational ability. This makes it a more complete tool for childhood speech and language development.
The system combines game-based learning, AI-driven guidance and automated language assessment into one platform that can be used both in clinics and at home. This integrated design helps children practice more consistently, providing therapists and parents with clearer insight into their progress.
The interactive game modules are built around clinically validated therapy methods. Imitation exercises, picture cards, storybooks and conversational prompts are turned into structured game levels, each aligned with a specific developmental goal. This step-by-step approach helps children move from simple naming tasks to more complex comprehension and response skills, all within a sequenced curriculum.
A key differentiator is the system’s real-time AI speech interpretation. As the child talks, the AI analyzes the response and generates tailored therapeutic cues—such as imitation, modeling, expansion or extension—based on the conversation. These are the same strategies used by speech-language pathologists, but now children can access them continuously, supporting more effective at-home practice and reducing long gaps between sessions.
After each session, the system automatically conducts a data-driven language assessment using 20 objective indicators across semantics, syntax and pragmatics. This provides clinicians and families with measurable, easy-to-understand reports that show how the child is progressing and which skills need more attention—something many traditional tools do not offer.
By offering a personalized, scalable and clinically grounded solution, MIRDC’s AI therapy system helps address the ongoing shortage of speech-language services. It doesn’t replace therapists; instead, it extends their reach, allows for more consistent practice and helps families support their child’s communication at home.
As an added recognition of its impact, the system recently earned two R&D 100 Awards, including the Silver Award for Corporate Social Responsibility. But at its core, the project remains focused on a simple mission: making high-quality speech therapy accessible to every child who needs a voice.