Issue #2

For the Week Ending Sep 24

Author

XL 7
September 24, 2023

Issue #2

For the Week Ending Sep 24

It’s been a power packed week in AI! There have been a slew of announcements from every major company. Let’s jump right into the major announcements.

Key annoucements and events

OpenAI DALL-E 3

Over time, OpenAI has continuously refined and improved DALL-E, culminating in the recently unveiled DALL-E 3.

With DALL-E 3, OpenAI aims to make prompt engineering obsolete and enable users to effortlessly create intricate and visually stunning artwork.

Streamlining Prompting with ChatGPT Integration

One of the most significant advancements in DALL-E 3 is its integration with ChatGPT. Users no longer need to spend time crafting detailed prompts; instead, they can rely on ChatGPT's conversational interface to generate prompts on their behalf. By simply engaging in a conversation with the chatbot, users can refine their requests and receive a descriptive paragraph that guides DALL-E 3 in creating the desired image.

Enhancing Image Quality and Accuracy

DALL-E 3 introduces several enhancements to improve the quality and accuracy of the generated images. OpenAI researchers have focused on addressing historical challenges faced by image-generating models, such as accurately rendering complex elements like text and human hands. With these improvements, DALL-E 3 produces images that more faithfully reflect the original prompts, even when dealing with longer and more intricate instructions.

Availability and Future Plans

Initially, OpenAI will roll out DALL-E 3 to subscribers of its premium ChatGPT plans, including ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Enterprise, in October. Research labs and API customers will also gain access to the new version in the fall. While OpenAI has not specified a release date for a free web tool, as they did with previous iterations, their commitment to accessibility suggests that a public version may become available in the future.

Conclusion

OpenAI's DALL-E 3 represents a significant leap forward in AI image generation. By integrating ChatGPT and improving image quality and safety measures, OpenAI has made it easier than ever for users to create stunning and accurate AI-generated artwork. As the generative AI landscape continues to evolve, OpenAI remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what is possible with AI technology. With DALL-E 3, artists and creators can unlock their imaginations and bring their visions to life with unprecedented ease and precision.

Microsoft Co-Pilot announcement

Microsoft recently held an event where they announced several major updates and new features related to their AI companion, Microsoft Copilot. Here are the key highlights:

Microsoft 365 Copilot general availability

Microsoft 365 Copilot will be generally available for enterprise customers on November 1, 2023, alongside Microsoft 365 Chat, a new AI assistant

New Surface devices

Microsoft introduced powerful new Surface devices, including the Surface Laptop Studio 2 and Surface Laptop Go 3, which are designed to bring AI experiences to life

Windows 11 update

The next big Windows 11 update will arrive on September 26, 2023, bringing over 150 new features, including the AI-powered Windows Copilot, a redesigned File Explorer, and native support for RAR and 7-zip

Unified AI experience

Microsoft Copilot will provide a unified AI experience across Windows 11, Microsoft 365, Edge, and Bing, offering a seamless AI-powered experience across applications and devices

Integration with productivity apps

Microsoft 365 Copilot is integrated into popular productivity apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams, providing real-time intelligent assistance

AI capabilities in Windows apps

Windows 11 apps, including Paint, Photos, and Clipchamp, will receive new AI features as part of the update

YouTube announcement

Not to be left behind, YouTube announced a slew of AI tools for creators, 5 to be exact.

Here's a summary of these tools:

Dream Screen

This experimental feature allows creators to add AI-generated image or video backgrounds into YouTube Shorts, enhancing the visual experience.

YouTube Create

A mobile-centric app designed for seamless video polishing, YouTube Create provides creators with a plethora of editing and production tools, enabling high-quality content creation directly from their phones.

AI Insights

This tool offers video ideas and outline suggestions based on what the creator's audience is already watching on YouTube, helping to spark new content ideas.

Aloud

An AI-powered language dubbing tool, Aloud enables creators to easily create content in multiple languages, breaking down language barriers and expanding their reach to global audiences.

Assistive Search in Creator Music

This feature helps creators find the perfect soundtrack for their videos via Creator Music, streamlining the process of adding music to their content.

These new tools aim to open up new forms of creative expression, reduce time-consuming and expensive tasks, and allow creators to reach more viewers.

Amazon Alexa gets an upgrade

Amazon announced release of new Echo devices, the company announced a generative AI upgrade for Alexa, its voice-controlled digital assistant. In a blog post on its site, Amazon said it's "an even smarter, and more conversational Alexa ... that's been custom-built and specifically optimized for voice interactions" while keeping existing functionality like "getting real-time information, efficient smart home control, and maximizing [users] home entertainment."

Customers will soon get a preview of Alexa's new generative AI capabilities by saying, "Alexa, let's chat" using any new or existing Echo smart devices. Amazon revealed that more than "half a billion" Echo devices have been sold, racking up "tens of millions of interactions every hour."

In addition to making Alexa more conversational and less robotic, Amazon fused input from the Echo device sensors to AI models "that can understand non-verbal cues" such as body language, eye contact, and knowledge of the speaker. The company is also working to reduce latency to reduce Alexa's pause time.

Google BARD updates

Google launched Bard Extensions in English, a completely new way to interact and collaborate with Bard. With Extensions, Bard can find and show you relevant information from the Google tools you use every day — like Gmail, Docs, Drive, Google Maps, YouTube, and Google Flights and hotels — even when the information you need is across multiple apps and services.

Some notable tools that came on our radar

Over the past week, several AI tools have been trending. Some of the most notable ones include:

  • ClickUp: A productivity and project management tool

  • Jasper: An AI writing assistant that can create content based on seed words

  • GrammarlyGo: An AI-powered writing assistant for improving grammar, spelling, and style

  • Copy.ai: A platform that uses AI to generate marketing copy and content

  • Wordtune: An AI-powered writing tool that helps users improve their writing

  • Writesonic: An AI content generator for various types of content, including blog posts and social media updates

  • Rytr: Another AI-powered writing assistant

Five fastest-growing AI roles of 2023

AI/ML Engineer

  • Developing machine learning models.

  • Optimising algorithms to solve complex business problems.

Data Scientist

  • Extracting patterns, trends, and predictions from datasets.

  • Applying AI-driven data analytics.

AI Product Manager

  • Translating AI capabilities into actionable product strategies.

  • Understanding AI technologies, market dynamics, and customer requirements.

NLP Specialist

  • Converting unstructured text into valuable insights.

  • Utilising programming languages and NLP libraries and frameworks

Wrap up

As we wrap up this week's newsletter, it's evident that the AI field continues to make significant strides, with numerous advancements and announcements. As seen from the announcements the competition amongst the top players is heating up and the intensity and pace is mind blowing. These advancements showcase the growing impact of AI on various industries, from news aggregation to finance, and demonstrate the potential for AI to revolutionize the way we access and process information. Stay tuned for more exciting updates in the world of artificial intelligence, and thank you for joining us this week.

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