Point clouds are what 3D scanners create when an object is scanned, and to become useful, those point clouds are usually post-processed into 3D models (specifically, meshes) like an .obj or .stl file.

OpenAI releases Point-E, which is like DALL-E but for 3D modeling Its resolution isn't great but it's up to two magnitudes faster than competing systems.

Laser-scanning technology can create exceptionally detailed 3D models of cultural sites, bringing them to life online—and helping experts restore them if disaster strikes.

OpenAI is the company behind text-to-image generator, DALL-E, which has now turned its attention to translate text prompts into 3D point clouds, which it will call POINT-E.