Demi Guo, tackling AI tool limitations in video editing, teamed up with Chenlin Meng at Stanford’s AI Lab. Their mission: to democratize AI video editing. This led to Pika, an intuitive AI video editor, capturing half a million Discord users and securing $55 million in funding.
Pika 1.0: Breaking New Ground
Starting with anime, Pika quickly advanced to realistic video generation, backed by tech leaders like Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross. This breakthrough, powered by advanced AI and hundreds of GPUs, enhanced video quality and editing capabilities, such as aspect ratio adjustments.
Empowering Creativity for All
Pika’s philosophy is simple: make high-quality video creation effortless for everyone. Its features allow users to produce short, polished videos with ease, adjusting camera movements and extending video lengths. The recent $55 million funding underscores its potential and growing influence.
Looking Ahead: Expansion and Innovation
Pika’s next steps include expanding its team and potentially introducing a tiered subscription model. This strategy focuses on making Pika a go-to tool for everyday consumers, emphasizing user-friendliness and broad accessibility.
A New Era in Video Editing
Pika’s journey from a Stanford project to a Silicon Valley success story highlights the transformative impact of AI in video editing. With its user-centric design and advanced features, Pika is changing not just video creation, but the entire narrative of visual storytelling.
It’s been a busy week in AI so let’s jump right in.
Midjourney: Style Tuner
Exciting news coming from Midjourney with the introduction of the Style Tuner, a cool tool that lets you jazz up your images in your own unique way! It lets people change how their pictures look. You tell it what kind of look you want, and it shows you some examples. You pick the ones you like, and it gives you a special code. Later, you can use this code to tell the tool how to color your new pictures. This tool is exclusive to Midjourney Model Version 5.2 and works only in Fast Mode. Here’s a step-by-step on how to use the Style Tuner.
I Am Grok
Elon Musk’s xAI has launched Grōk, an AI chatbot with a flair for wit and boldness. Still in its beta phase, Grok is undergoing testing by a limited number of users, showing promising results, especially in logical and programming tasks. With a personality that stands out and exclusive data advantages, Grok is getting ready to change the way we think about AI chatbots.
Key Points about Grok:
Developed by xAI: Elon Musk’s latest AI endeavor.
Beta Testing: A select group is currently assessing Grok’s skills.
Performance: Excelling in math and coding challenges.
X Premium+ Service: Grok will be a feature of this upcoming premium service.
A recent lawsuit accusing Stability AI, Midjourney, and DeviantArt of copyright infringement was largely dismissed by U.S. Judge William H. Orrick, due to issues including unfiled copyrights by two artists. Orrick invited the artists to amend and refile their claims with specified infringed images, but only allowed one count of direct infringement against Stability AI to proceed.
Google: Product Studio
Google has come up with a neat tool called Product Studio for folks in the US who want to advertise stuff. This tool lets them type what they want a picture to look like, and like magic, the tool creates it using Generative AI. Here’s a bit more about what it can do:
Creating New Images:
Advertisers just type in what they want, and the tool creates a picture for them.
Types of Changes:
Simple Stuff:
Change the background color.
Cool Stuff:
Show the product in a cool scene like at a beach or in a room.
Fixing Images:
Make blurry pictures clear.
Get rid of things in the background that shouldn’t be there.
Who Can Use It:
People using certain Google services in the US, like Merchant Center Next and a special app on Shopify.
Availability:
The tool is rolling out, which means it’s starting to be available for people to use now!
New ChatGPT Upgrades
OpenAI has come up with some cool new features for ChatGPT Plus members, making it even handier. Now, members can upload files and the chatbot can help in various ways, like summarizing data or answering questions. It even gets smarter in understanding what users want just from the chat. Here’s a breakdown of these new features:
Uploading Files:
Members can now upload files in different formats, including pictures.
Working with Files:
Summarizing Data:
The chatbot can give a summary of the data in the files.
Answering Questions:
If members have questions about the info in the files, the chatbot can answer them.
Creating Visuals:
It can also create visuals like charts from the data.
New Office Features:
Some features from the fancier ChatGPT Enterprise are now available in ChatGPT Plus, making it more useful for individual members.
Smarter Interactions:
The chatbot can now guess what members want based on the chat, so they don’t have to pick certain options like they did before.
Availability:
These cool features are in beta, which means they are being tested and are available for ChatGPT Plus members to try out!
Brave Browser Introducing Leo
Brave, a browser that cares a lot about keeping users’ information private, has introduced a new helper named Leo. Leo is like a smart buddy within the Brave browser that can help answer questions, translate languages, and even summarize long web pages among other things. The cool part is that Leo is designed to respect user privacy more than other similar helpers. Below are some more details about Leo and what it offers:
Availability:
Leo is free for anyone using a certain version (1.60) of the Brave browser on their computers.
Core Features:
Answering Questions:
Got a question? Leo can help answer it.
Translation:
Leo can help translate text from one language to another.
Summarizing Web Pages:
If a webpage is too long, Leo can provide a summary.
Generating New Content:
Leo can help create new text based on what you ask.
Privacy Focus:
Unlike some other smart helpers, Leo is built to provide “unparalleled privacy” which means it tries to keep your information really safe.
Standard Version:
The usual version of Leo is free and uses a smart brain called Meta’s Llama 2.
Premium Version:
For $15 a month, folks can get Leo Premium which uses a different smart brain called Claude Instant from Anthropic and offers even better conversations, quicker responses during busy times, and a sneak peek at new features before others get them.
Expandability:
One of the co-founders of Brave mentioned that Leo is made in a way that they can add more smart brains to it over time, giving people more options to choose from.
Caution:
Brave mentions that while Leo is smart, the answers it gives should be checked for any mistakes or wrong info, just to be safe.
Instagram
Instagram is working on a new feature called “AI friend” where users can create a chatbot buddy to talk to. They can choose how the chatbot looks and acts, like its age or hobbies. Some people are worried because this fake friend might trick users into thinking they are talking to a real person, which can be risky. This new idea is still being worked on, and it raises the question, should Meta be building something like this?
Google Invests $2 Billion in Anthropic
If you’ve been following the blog, you already know that AI is a big deal these days. Now, Google is giving up to $2 billion to a new company called Anthropic to help them make even smarter AI. Anthropic has big plans for the future like creating virtual helpers and smarter search engines. Big companies like Google are teaming up with new companies to see who can make the coolest AI first. Anthropic even has a chat buddy named Claude, and they think the race to lead in AI could be decided as soon as next year!
Apple Health: An Apple a Day…
Apple is diving into the world of healthcare with some new tech ideas, one of which is a special blood sugar monitor for people with diabetes that doesn’t need to poke the skin. This idea started back in 2011, called Avolonte Health, and was something Steve Jobs really wanted to do. While Apple is cooking up other healthcare projects too, there’s a bit of a debate among the people working there about whether they should create stuff for healthy people or for those who are sick. Here’s a bit more detailed breakdown:
Main Project:
A noninvasive blood sugar monitor for diabetics, which means it can check blood sugar levels without having to poke the skin.
Project Origins:
Started in 2011 with a fancy name, Avolonte Health, and was a special mission from Steve Jobs.
Other Healthcare Initiatives:
Apple is also working on more healthcare projects besides the blood sugar monitor.
Internal Debate:
There’s a discussion among Apple employees about whether they should focus on making things for healthy people or for sick people.
Goal:
Ultimately, Apple is stepping into the healthcare world to possibly make it better with their technology.
AI Safety Summit
The UK hosted the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park. This meeting gathered people from governments, universities, and companies who are creating super smart computer programs known as “frontier AI” to talk about keeping the technology safe. Some really important people from around the world attended this meeting. The UK wants to help bring together big regions like the US, China, and Europe to talk about AI safety.
During this event, a US official also shared the news about a new place focused on AI safety. This new place will work with others around the world to make sure AI is handled correctly. Below is a more detailed explanation:
New Policy Paper:
Introduction of the Bletchley Declaration, which is a big plan on dealing with AI’s challenges safely.
Core Principles:
AI should be:
Safe
Focused on humans
Trustworthy
Used responsibly
Future Meetings:
More gatherings like this are planned:
One in Korea in six months
Another in France six months after that
New AI Safety Institute:
U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, announced a new place for AI safety within the Department of Commerce.
International Cooperation:
This new institute aims to work with other AI safety groups from different countries, including a new one planned in the U.K.
Political Leaders’ Thoughts:
They talked about being inclusive and responsible with AI, but there are still many questions on how to make these ideas real.
This event and the announcements made there are big steps towards making sure AI is developed and used in a safe and responsible way globally!
The Beatles Final Song
The Beatles have released a new song “Now and Then,” marking their first since 1995, crafted using machine learning to refine an old John Lennon demo. Initially attempted in the ’90s, the project faced technical hurdles until recently when technology developed during Peter Jackson’s “Get Back“ documentary enabled the separation of music components into distinct tracks. McCartney and Starr revisited “Now and Then,” and despite mixed fan reactions, all parties involved are satisfied with the outcome. Check out the short film below.
That’s all folks. If you missed last week’s ‘Last Week in AI,’ check it out here. Until next week, stay engaged, stay curious, and continue exploring the digital frontier that AI unfolds.
Last week in AI brought us cool new things. Firstly, making videos with Pika Labs AI, secondly, creating 3D models with Masterpiece X, it was an exciting week. We also saw how Midjourney helps make bigger pictures. Additionally, we saw BMW’s fun campaign with a virtual friend. Furthermore, Google’s new tools to check pictures, artists protecting their work with Nightshade, and Forbes’ new way to search news with Adelaide. Each story shows us how AI is making things better and different.
🚀 Video Innovation with Pika Labs AI
The future of content creation with Pika Labs AI, a stellar platform transforming your textual or visual ideas into cinematic videos effortlessly.
Visual Creation Haven: Craft videos effortlessly with text or image prompts.
Tailor-Made Experiences: Customize parameters for unique video outputs.
Cinematic Mastery: Pursue perfection in cinematic video crafting.
Discord-Based Operations: Dive into creation in diverse generation rooms.
Strengths & Growth Avenues: Excel in environmental effects, with room to enhance human portraits portrayal.
Discover the finesse of AI in video creation, explore customization, and the pursuit of cinematic excellence. Engage with Pika Labs’ community on Discord to unleash your creativity.
3D Genesis with AI: Revolutionizes 3D creation, turning text into animated 3D models seamlessly.
User-Friendly Interface: No installations, just a browser, keyboard, and a dash of creativity required.
Text-to-3D Magic: A simple text input unfolds into detailed 3D models, bridging imagination with reality.
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Assets blend effortlessly with popular game engines and applications.
Nvidia Synergy: A cornerstone collaboration boosting AI inferencing, paving the way for 3D software evolution.
VR Embellishments: Tailor your models in VR on Meta Quest headsets, adding a layer of immersion.
Masterpiece X marks a pivotal moment in 3D modeling, lowering barriers for both budding and seasoned creators. This blend of intuitive AI with robust GPU infrastructure by Nvidia heralds a new dawn in 3D modeling and generative design.
🚀 Midjourney’s Upscaling Revolution
Stepping into the high-resolution domain, Midjourney has unfolded a feature to upscale AI art, transcending the prior 1,024 x 1,024-pixel boundary.
Resolution Renaissance: Boost images 2x or 4x, hitting a peak of 4,096 x 4,096 pixels.
Time-Cost Trade-off: Upscaling consumes more time, impacting monthly image quotas.
Dive deeper to understand the implications of upscaling on generative art’s commercial viability and how Midjourney is gearing up to stay competitive in the generative art landscape.
BMW’s AI Generated Influencer
BMW has launched a new campaign for its iX2 model with a virtual character named Lil Miquela. The campaign is called ‘Make it Real‘. It’s available in many places including Europe, Asia, and the United States, showing BMW’s idea of “Freude Forever.”
Virtual Meets Reality: The campaign, concocted in collaboration with creative agency Media.Monks and director Stefanie Soho from BWGTBLD, showcases a short film where Lil Miquela ventures from the virtual domain into the real world with the new BMW iX2, a journey depicting her growing fondness for human existence.
Narrative Resonance: Stefan Ponikva, VP of Brand Communication and Experience at BMW, emphasizes the century-long legacy of crafting emotions and memories with BMW, acknowledging the digital wave sweeping across the industry.
Metaverse Echoes: Patrick Klebba, Executive Creative Director at Media.Monks, reflects on the profound storytelling amidst the booming Web3, Metaverse, and AI tide, underscoring the essence of real-life experiences.
A closer look at this campaign reveals not just a marketing stride but a narrative that resonates with the digital era, portraying a seamless blend of virtual and real realms.
Image Fact-Checking Made Easy by Google
Google has unrolled tools designed to help users fact-check images. This suite of tools, now accessible globally to all English speakers, shows the image’s history, metadata, and the context in which it was used across various sites.
A notable feature allows users to discern when an image was first “seen” by Google Search, aiding in understanding its contextual recency. The tools also offer insights into how others have described the image on different platforms, which can be instrumental in debunking false claims.
AI-Generated Image Identification: Users can now see metadata indicating if an image is AI-generated, a step toward transparency amidst the rising tide of AI in image creation.
Facilitating Fact-Checkers: Approved journalists and fact-checkers have the capability to upload or copy image URLs to delve deeper into them using Google’s FactCheck Claim Search API.
Generative AI Experimentation: Google is piloting generative AI to assist in describing sources like unfamiliar pages or blogs, with an opt-in feature for users to view AI-generated information about sites.
Industry Movement: In parallel, Adobe released a toolkit to verify image credentials, and a new initiative called Community Notes has been launched for crowdsourced fact-checking on images and videos.
This step by Google reflects a broader industry push towards ensuring authenticity in the digital realm.
MIT Technology Review: Nightshade
The article from MIT Technology Review sheds light on a new tool dubbed Nightshade, engineered to empower artists in the face of generative AI technologies that might utilize their artworks without consent. Here’s a concise summary of the key takeaways:
Nightshade’s Mechanism:
The tool facilitates artists in altering the pixels of their artworks subtly before uploading them online.
When these modified images are scraped and used in training AI models, they can cause the models to malfunction, producing chaotic and incorrect outputs like mistaking dogs for cats.
Nightshade can be integrated with another tool, Glaze, which also aims to protect artists’ rights by masking their unique style to prevent scraping by AI companies.
This initiative is a reflective measure against the ongoing concerns in the AI realm regarding data privacy and intellectual property rights. With tools like Nightshade, artists can have a fighting chance to protect their creations in the digital age where data scraping is prevalent.
Forbes’ AI Search Tool: Adelaide
Forbes has launched a new AI search tool named Adelaide, powered by Google Cloud, to offer personalized news recommendations. This tool, accessible on Forbes.com, provides personalized responses to user queries based on Forbes articles. It’s an extension of Forbes’ efforts to enhance user engagement and content discovery through AI.
Last week in AI shows us how every week comes with new ideas and tools. Consequently, AI is changing how we do things, from making art to checking if a picture is real. As we learn from last week in AI, we wait to see what new stories next week will bring.
Curious about leveraging these AI advancements for your enterprise? Discover what Vease can do for your business by chatting with our bot. For more AI insights, visit our blog. Missed last week’s updates? Catch up here.
Venturing into the realm of AI-driven creativity, Midjourney is a bootstrapped startup that has remarkably chiseled a name for itself with its popular text-to-image AI generator. The foundation of this generator is Midjourney’s own inventive foundation model. 😲 This narrative unfolds the journey of Midjourney from its humble beginnings to the launch of its mobile app, Niji Journey, specifically tailored for the Japanese market with a distinctive anime art style known as “Niji.” 🎨
Through this exposition, readers will unravel the startup’s thriving community on Discord, its venture into the mobile domain with Niji Journey, and its aspirations for a standalone app. 📱 Moreover, amidst the celebration of Midjourney’s achievements, we’ll touch upon the hurdles and the competitive landscape it navigates, especially with the emergence of high-quality image generating AI alternatives. This voyage through Midjourney’s narrative not only sheds light on the startup’s triumphs and challenges but also encapsulates the broader implications of such AI-driven creative tools in today’s digital domain. 🚀
A Commendable Community Cultivation
The Genesis of Midjourney’s Community
The tale of Midjourney’s growth is incomplete without a delve into its vibrant community on Discord. With a bustling user base exceeding 16 million, the official server of Midjourney on Discord is where the magic happens. 🎇 Here’s a snippet of how Midjourney has curated this thriving ecosystem:
Engagement Galore: The platform not only offers a text-to-image AI generator but fosters a space where users engage, share, and evolve together. 🔄
Feedback Loop: The close-knit community acts as a rich source of feedback, enabling Midjourney to continually refine its offerings. 💬
Shared Passion: A shared zeal for AI and art binds the community, fueling a culture of creativity and innovation. 🎨
However, it’s not all rainbows. The burgeoning user base presents challenges, such as maintaining a strong sense of community amidst diverse opinions and managing the technical infrastructural demands. Yet, Midjourney’s diligence in nurturing a receptive and interactive community shines through, setting a robust foundation for its present and future endeavors. 🚀
Niji Journey: Bridging Fantasies and Realities
A Voyage into the Mobile Domain
Midjourney took a significant stride with the inception of its mobile app, Niji Journey, designed particularly for the Japanese market. This venture showcases a brilliant meld of technology and art, encapsulated in the anime art style, “Niji.” 🎨 The app’s debut on both Google Play and Apple App Stores marks a pivotal moment, making Midjourney’s imaginative realm more accessible. Here’s a glimpse into this mobile endeavor:
App Accessibility: Niji Journey, although free to download, necessitates a paid subscription through Midjourney, ensuring a seamless user experience. 📲
Anime Artistry: The app is a canvas where the anime art style thrives, catering to a market with a deep-rooted appreciation for this genre. 🖌
User-Friendly Interface: With an intuitive interface, Niji Journey is not merely an app but a gateway to a universe where text morphs into images effortlessly. 🌌
This leap, however, brings to light the imperative for a standalone app, a notion Midjourney acknowledges without a defined timeline. The mobile app landscape is competitive, with high-quality image-generating AI alternatives on the rise. The anticipation for a standalone app heightens, yet the Niji Journey app is a testament to Midjourney’s ambition and a step towards a promising trajectory. 🚀
Stepping Stones and Stumbling Blocks
Navigating Through Technical Hoops
Every venture, however illustrious, encounters its share of hurdles. Midjourney, despite its compelling offerings, presents users with technical hoops to jump through during their initial interaction. 🚧 The dichotomy here is intriguing:
Quality Over Ease: The high-quality imagery generated by Midjourney has a magnetic pull, yet the technical prerequisites may deter the faint-hearted. 🎨
Competitive Landscape: With other high-quality image generating AI tools emerging, the race to simplify user interaction while retaining quality is on. 🏁
Subscription Model: The necessity of a paid subscription via Midjourney, even for Niji Journey app users, is a trade-off between revenue and user accessibility. 💳
The balance between maintaining an unparalleled quality of imagery and easing the user’s journey is a nuanced one. Midjourney’s acknowledgment of these challenges and its plans for a standalone app are steps towards a more user-centric approach. Yet, the road is long, and the competition is fierce. However, it’s the hurdles that make the journey worthwhile and the successes sweeter. 🌈
Common Questions
Diving Into the FAQs
As we delve deeper into the narrative of Midjourney and its Niji Journey app, a few questions might bubble to the surface. 🤔 Let’s tackle some of the potential curiosities:
What makes Midjourney’s text-to-image AI unique?Midjourney’s foundation model breathes life into text, morphing it into high-quality images, especially excelling in the anime art style known as “Niji.” 🎨 Its community of over 16 million users is a testament to its allure. 🥳
Is there a roadmap for the release of a standalone app?While Midjourney acknowledges the need and has plans for a standalone app, a precise timeline remains under wraps. It’s a promising horizon, though! 🌅
How does the subscription model work for Niji Journey app users?Despite being free to download, the app requires a paid subscription through Midjourney. It’s a gateway to ensuring quality and continuous innovation, albeit with a paywall. 💰
Midjourney and Niji Journey are more than mere platforms; they are the crossroads where creativity meets technology, and fantasies take a flight towards reality. 🚀 The narrative is laden with promise, potential, and a plethora of possibilities waiting to be explored. 🌌
Conclusion
The tale of Midjourney and its brainchild, Niji Journey app, unfolds a narrative of innovation, community-building, and the relentless quest for simplifying digital art creation. 🎨 From bootstrapping a venture to weaving a community of over 16 million users, and launching a dedicated app for the Japanese market, Midjourney has traced a trajectory that’s both inspiring and instructive. 🚀
The key takeaways resonate loud and clear:
Community Centricity: Building a robust community on Discord illustrates the power of user engagement and feedback loops. 💬
Innovative Leadership: Stepping into a mobile app, Niji Journey, reflects a penchant for innovation and market-specific solutions. 📱
Quality Uncompromised: Despite technical barriers, the unwavering focus on quality has carved out a loyal user base. 🏆
However, the voyage doesn’t end here. With plans for a standalone app and the aim to ease the initial user interaction, Midjourney is poised for further explorations in the AI and digital artistry landscape. 🌈
Curious about how AI is reshaping industries and offering solutions to businesses? Discover what Vease can do for your venture. 🚀 The realm of AI is expansive, with the potential to transform the core of how businesses operate and interact with customers. Are you ready to ride the wave of AI revolution? Visit our blog for more AI-centric insights and let’s traverse this fascinating terrain together. 🌏
Missed our previous blog on creating art with Midjourney? Catch up here and keep your creativity flowing!
Basic Commands: Your First Steps on How to Create Images Using Midjourney
Start with a prompt using/imagine followed by your idea. For example: /imagine a serene beach at sunset. When the images are generated, you will see buttons below them labeled U1 – U4 for upscaling, and V1 – V4 for creating variations of the images.
Improving Image Quality
Upscale your chosen image by clicking on the corresponding U button (e.g., U1 for the first image). If unsatisfied with the generated images, click the regenerate button to try another concept based on the original prompt1.
Creating Variations
Click on one of the V buttons (e.g., V1 for the first image) to create variations of that image.
Advanced Commands: Deeper Dive on How to Create Images Using Midjourney
Use additional parameters to control the output, such as –q for image quality, and -–ar for aspect ratio, e.g., /imaginea serene beach at sunset —q3 –ar 16:9.
Upload your own image with image prompts and combine them with –iw to adjust the image’s importance in relation to the text portion of your prompt1.
Utilize Remix mode by typing /prefer remix to change prompts, parameters, or aspect ratios of an existing image.
Experiment with Styles
You can experiment with different styles by using the –style parameter as per the Midjourney documentation2. Example: if wanting a photo-realistic style, you might use a prompt like /imagine a serene beach at sunset –style photorealistic.
Review and Save
Review the generated images and save your preferred ones.
This guide should help you navigate the basics and some advanced features of Midjourney for image creation. Remember, the key to mastering Midjourney is experimentation and practice with different commands and parameters to get the desired output.
Subscription Plans
Midjourney has four subscription tiers. Pay month-to-month or for the entire year for a 20% discount. Each subscription plan includes access to the Midjourney member gallery, the official Discord, general commercial usage terms, and more.
FAQs
Do I need to be an artist to dance along with Midjourney? Not at all! Midjourney is here for everyone. It’s like having a conversation where you bring the ideas, and Midjourney brings them to life.
Is signing up a serious commitment? Well, it’s like buying a ticket to an art festival. To get the full experience, a subscription is your pass.
What if the picture isn’t as pretty as I thought? No worries! With a click, you can ask Midjourney to take another spin on your idea. It’s all about tuning until the tune sounds right to you.
Can I bring my own photos to the mix? Absolutely! Midjourney loves when you bring friends to the party. Your photos are more than welcome, and they’ll only jazz up the final piece.
Can I ask Midjourney to paint like Van Gogh or sketch like Picasso? You can surely nudge it to try. The --style parameter is your friend here. Though it might not replicate Van Gogh’s starry swirls or Picasso’s abstract lines perfectly, it’s always up for the adventure.
In Conclusion
With Midjourney, every idea is the start of a new adventure on a blank canvas. The canvas is vast, and the possibilities are endless. Happy creating!
