Hi tech & AI enthusiasts, this week's highlights:
World Labs Launches Marble World Model
Google's SIMA 2 Thinks and Acts Inside Virtual Worlds
How 6% of Companies Actually Get Returns From AI
The Lab: How to Upscale Interior Design Images With AI
AI Image of the Week: Luxury 1970s penthouse apartment
Let’s get into it.
▲ AI WORLD MODELS
World Labs released Marble, its first commercial world model that generates 3D environments from text, images, videos, or 3D layouts, positioning it ahead of rivals like Google's Genie and Decart.
What you need to know
Create and edit 3D worlds: You can generate virtual environments from text descriptions, images, or videos, then edit and combine them however you like. Unlike other AI tools, these worlds stay permanent and you can download them.
Use in your actual projects: Export your worlds as 3D files or videos to use in games, films, or virtual reality. Pricing starts at $20 a month.
Sketch and refine: The platform includes a tool called Chisel where you draw rough room layouts, then describe what you want and AI fills in the details.
Key Ideas
▲ 2025 = AI Videos. 2026 = AI Worlds: From simulating environments for robotics to designing architecture, building cinematic worlds to creating immersive creative experiences. Like image and video models before them, world models feel like a tool that will appear in workflows across the web in 2026.
▲ AI PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS
Google's SIMA 2 Thinks and Acts Inside Virtual Worlds
Google DeepMind launched SIMA 2, an AI that navigates virtual 3D worlds, talks with you, and teaches itself by playing games.
What you need to know
Teaches itself new games: After learning the basics, SIMA 2 figures out new games on its own without any human help. Google even tested it in completely AI-generated worlds it had never seen before.
2x Better: SIMA 2 completes 65% of tasks successfully, double the original version's 31%. Google trained it by watching people play video games like No Man's Sky and Goat Simulator 3.
Training for real robots: Google's ultimate goal is robots that work in the real world. Virtual games are just the safe training ground before these systems control actual machines.
Key Idea
▲ Virtual games are the training ground for real-world AI & robotics. When agents can teach themselves to navigate unfamiliar 3D environments, solve novel problems, and improve autonomously, the leap to physical robots gets closer.
▲ AI BUSINESS
How 6% of Companies Actually Get Returns From AI
McKinsey's State of AI report shows the real performance gap: whilst 88% of companies use AI, only 6% see significant returns. Here's what the high performers do differently.
What you need to know
Workflow redesign makes the difference: McKinsey tested 25 factors and found workflow redesign has the biggest effect on financial returns from AI. High performers (the 6% seeing 5%+ profit improvement) are 3x more likely to fundamentally rework processes: 55% redesign workflows compared to 18% of other companies.
Plug-in thinking vs rewiring thinking: Most companies use "plug-in thinking" by adding AI tools to old processes. High performers use "rewiring thinking" by redesigning the entire process with AI at the centre. Citigroup's CEO Jane Fraser compared it to the leap from washing dishes by hand to using a dishwasher: same outcome, completely different process.
Six practices drive success: McKinsey found high performers focus on strategy, talent, operating model, technology, data, and scaling. They aggregate data and workflows into AI-ready infrastructure that delivers at scale, not just buy tools and hope for results.
Key Idea
▲ Whilst 88% of companies use AI, only 39% see any profit impact, and most of those see less than 5%. The 6% getting real returns treat AI as a technology to transform their organisations, not just make existing work faster.
▲ EVEN MORE NEWS
Other big ideas from the past week.
Image created with Midjourney
▲ GPT-5.1 Personality Update: OpenAI released GPT-5.1, which thinks longer on hard questions and responds quickly to simple ones. It's more conversational and friendly, with three personality styles you can choose: Professional, Candid, or Quirky.
▲ NotebookLM Deep Research Update: Google added Deep Research to NotebookLM, which searches hundreds of websites for you and writes up what it finds. You can run deep research in the background whilst you work, or quick research for faster results. Now works with Google Sheets, Word documents, and PDFs.
▲ Google's AI Advisors for ads: Google launched two new AI helpers for English-language accounts: Ads Advisor analyses your advertising performance and fixes policy problems, whilst Analytics Advisor explains what's causing traffic changes on your website.
The Lab
▲ AI EDUCATION
How to Upscale Interior Design Images With AI
Turn standard interior design images into ultra-high-resolution visuals, then animate them into realistic videos with AI.
What you'll learn:
How to use Magnific AI to upscale interior design images whilst enhancing details and realism
Techniques for refining AI-generated results to achieve professional quality
How to turn static images into realistic video walkthroughs using VEO 3.1
Applications for interior designers, architects, real estate agents, and property marketers
🔬 Interested in learning about AI for business? Join The Lab waitlist.
▲ AI IMAGE SHOWCASE
Create this type of image with Midjourney
inside of a large luxury expensive and bright light 1970s penthouse apartment living room shot on a 70s film camera --sref 1897112445
inside of a large luxury expensive and bright light 1970s penthouse apartment living room shot on a 70s film camera --sref 1897112445Image Usage Suggestion: Interior design mood boards, retro-themed real estate marketing, or vintage lifestyle magazines
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Thanks for reading, until next time.
Stay curious,
Matt Lok, Editor
Brought to you by Metalabs. Digital marketing consulting specialising in AI.