Big news from Microsoft: they’ve just rolled out a rebranded-new app called Copilot for both Android and iOS users. It’s like having a mini ChatGPT right on your phone. Here’s the lowdown on what this app’s all about:
Easy Access to AI-Powered Features:
Microsoft’s Copilot app brings AI directly to your Android and iOS devices.
It simplifies access to advanced AI capabilities, no longer requiring the Bing mobile app.
A Suite of Smart Tools:
The app is packed with features like an intuitive chatbot, image generation through DALL-E 3, and text drafting for emails and documents.
It harnesses the power of OpenAI’s latest GPT-4 model, offering cutting-edge AI technology for free.
A Standalone AI Experience:
Designed to be a standalone service, the Copilot app provides a unique experience akin to ChatGPT.
It operates with its dedicated domain, making it a focused and efficient tool.
Image credit: Microsoft
So, there you have it – Microsoft’s Copilot app is here to make your life easier with some serious AI power. If you’re on Android, give it a whirl and see how it changes your game. Stay tuned for any news on an iOS version!
Hey everyone, it’s been a bit of a slow week in AI, but there’s still some cool stuff to talk about. One highlight is the Midjourney version 6 update, which is really pushing the boundaries of AI in image generation. Let’s dive into some key developments, from Apple’s iPhone AI innovations to Google Pixel’s ‘Hold for Me’, H&R Block’s AI chatbot, and of course, the Midjourney update. Each of these shows how AI is becoming an even bigger part of our daily lives.
Apple
Alright, let’s dive into Apple’s latest AI move with “LLM in a Flash.” They’re bringing big AI models, known as LLMs, straight to iPhones, which is a pretty big deal in the AI and tech world.
Here are the three key takeaways:
AI Goes Mobile: Apple’s integrating large AI models into iPhones, making smart tech even smarter.
Privacy and Speed: This approach means your data stays on your phone, offering quick AI responses without relying on the internet.
Setting Trends: Apple’s strategy could start a new trend in smartphone tech, with AI becoming a core feature.
Why’s this important? Well, it means we get faster, on-device AI help without compromising privacy. Plus, Apple’s move might just reshape how we all use our smartphones in the future. Here is more AI stuff Apple’s working on for 2024! 🍏✨
Google
Google Pixel’s “Hold for Me” feature is a game-changer for handling phone calls, especially those lengthy hold times on toll-free numbers. Available in the US, Australia, and Canada for Pixel 3 and newer models, it’s an AI-driven assistant that waits on hold for you.
Key points:
Smart Call Handling: The AI listens to your call and notifies you when a real person returns to the line.
Easy to Use: Just activate it in the Phone by Google app. Plus, it offers live captions so you can see updates like queue status.
Part of a Bigger Picture: It’s part of Google Pixel’s suite of call assist features, adding extra value to your Pixel experience.
The significance? “Hold for Me” frees you from being stuck to your phone while waiting. It’s an exclusive Pixel feature, making it a standout reason to choose or love Google’s phones. It’s like having a personal assistant who handles the waiting, so you can focus on other things. Here’s how it works. 📱✨
For more Google AI related updates, check out Google’s Bard Meets Gemini.
H&R Block
H&R Block has introduced AI Tax Assist, a smart AI chatbot, to their paid DIY tax software. It’s designed to make tax filing simpler and more efficient.
Key Points:
Tax Help at Your Fingertips: The chatbot answers tax-related questions, functioning like a digital tax expert.
Human Expert Backup: It connects users to human tax experts for more personalized advice, blending AI convenience with human expertise.
Reliable and Safe: Trained on H&R Block’s extensive tax law library, it offers trusted advice, with a team monitoring its accuracy.
The significance? This launch signifies a big move in digital tax prep, offering a blend of AI efficiency and human accuracy. It’s part of a growing trend, as seen with Intuit’s TurboTax also adopting AI. With such innovations, managing taxes could become much less daunting for many. 🤖💼📈
Midjourney
Midjourney’s release of version 6 marks a notable advancement in AI-powered image generation. This new version brings enhanced realism and the ability to generate legible text within images, alongside a fresh prompting method.
Key Points:
Improved Realism: V6 steps up the game in creating more lifelike and high-quality images.
Text Generation: A standout feature is its capacity to include readable text in images, expanding its creative possibilities.
New Prompting Method: Users can explore different styles and approaches with an innovative way to guide the AI’s image creation.
While currently in the alpha stage and requiring specific commands to activate, V6’s release is significant in the AI art world. Despite missing some features from its predecessor (which will be added in future updates), it’s seen as a major leap forward, even amidst growing competition and legal challenges in the AI art space. 🎨🤖💻
Final Thoughts
In wrapping up, remember, even in a slow week, AI continues to evolve and surprise us, like with the impressive Midjourney V6. I hope this roundup gives you a good glimpse into the exciting world of AI. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Stay tuned for more AI updates, and keep exploring this amazing tech world. 🎄✨🤖
Midjourney’s newest update, Version 6 (alpha) is creating quite a buzz in the AI image generation scene. Let’s dive into what makes V6 the talk of the town.
Meet Midjourney V6: A New Era of AI Art
Sharper, More Realistic Images: V6 isn’t just an update; it’s a game-changer. It brings to the table enhanced realism in image generation. We’re talking about visuals that blur the lines between AI art and reality.
Text Generation Game Strong: Ever wanted legible text in your AI-generated images? Well, V6 heard you. This feature adds a new layer of creativity, opening doors for more intricate and meaningful artwork.
New Prompting Method: Midjourney knows one size doesn’t fit all. That’s why V6 introduces a fresh way to prompt the AI, giving artists more control and flexibility in their creations.
Navigating V6: The Alpha Adventure
How to Access: V6 still wears its ‘alpha’ badge, which means it’s a work in progress. To get your hands on it, you’ll need to use specific commands. It’s like having an exclusive pass to the future of AI art.
What’s Missing, For Now: Every masterpiece has its initial sketches. V6 is no exception. It currently lacks some features from the previous version, but don’t worry, updates are on their way.
The Road Ahead for Midjourney
Continual Evolution: Midjourney isn’t stopping here. V6 is just the beginning. With ongoing updates and new features in the pipeline, the journey of AI art is set to reach new heights.
Rising Above Challenges: Sure, the road to innovation isn’t without hurdles. V6 steps into a competitive landscape, facing its share of legal challenges. But, it stands as a testament to the relentless evolution of AI art.
In Conclusion
Midjourney’s V6 is more than an update; it’s a statement. It’s about pushing boundaries and redefining what AI can create in the art world. As we witness this significant progression, it’s exciting to imagine what the next chapter of AI art will look like.
Stay tuned to see how Midjourney continues to revolutionize AI art, one pixel at a time! 🎨🤖
Have you heard about Meta’s latest creation? They’ve rolled out a cool tool called ‘Imagine,’ and it’s all about turning text into images. Let’s dive in and see what this new tech treat offers!
‘Imagine’ – Meta’s New AI Tool
What’s ‘Imagine’?: It’s Meta’s standalone image generator. You type in a text prompt, and voila – it creates images from your words!
How It Works: You get four images for each prompt you enter. Plus, each image has a watermark showing it’s crafted by Meta AI.
Watermarks: Visible and Invisible
Visible Watermarks: Every image comes with a clear watermark.
Invisible Watermarking: Meta’s also testing a sneaky watermarking system. It’s designed to stay put even through cropping, color changes, and screenshots.
Accessing ‘Imagine’
Login Requirements: To use ‘Imagine,’ you’ll need to log in with your Facebook or Instagram account. Oh, and also through Meta’s Horizon Worlds.
Why Logins?: This helps keep everything in the Meta ecosystem and probably adds a layer of security and user tracking.
Meta’s Generative AI: More Than Just Images
AI Writing Suggestions: Imagine getting AI help for your Facebook posts or even your dating profile!
AI Replies for Instagram DMs: Creators can use AI-generated responses for their Insta messages.
AI Chatbots for Everyone: If you’re in the US, you can now chat with Meta’s AI bots. They’re even testing a “long-term memory” feature, so you can pick up chats where you left off.
Wrapping Up: Meta’s AI Push
So, there you have it! Meta’s ‘Imagine’ is their latest step in AI. It’s not just about cool images. They’re integrating AI into writing, chatting, and more. It’s all about making digital interaction smoother and more creative. With Meta’s push into generative AI, who knows what they’ll come up with next?
Google’s Instrument Playground and DeepMind’s Lyria represent two distinct approaches to AI-driven music creation, each with its unique features and capabilities.
Google’s Instrument Playground
Music Generation Method: Instrument Playground enables users to create 20-second audio clips by inputting an instrument’s name and an optional adjective. This simple interface aims for ease of use and accessibility, welcoming users of all musical backgrounds.
Instrument Range: It offers a wide range of over 100 instruments, including lesser-known ones like India’s veena, China’s dizi, and Zimbabwe’s mbira. The variety of instruments aims to inspire creativity and exploration.
Customization Options: Users can further personalize their compositions by selecting modes like “Ambient,” “Beat,” and “Pitch.” An advanced mode allows for layering and looping up to four tracks, providing a degree of control over the music creation process.
User Accessibility: The platform is designed to be user-friendly and accessible to anyone with a Google account, emphasizing the experimental and creative aspect of AI music generation.
Google DeepMind’s Lyria
Advanced Musical Capabilities: Lyria handles complex musical elements like lyrics, melodies, rhythms, and vocals. It excels in maintaining musical continuity across phrases and verses. It also provides nuanced control over the music’s style and performance.
This makes it particularly suitable for professional musicians and artists.
Diverse Genre Support: Lyria can generate diverse music genres, from jazz to heavy metal and opera. This showcases its versatility and advanced AI capabilities.
Integration with Dream Track:
Lyria integrates with the Dream Track experiment on YouTube Shorts. This allows creators to produce soundtracks. They can use AI-generated voices and musical styles from various artists.
This experiment is part of a broader initiative to explore how AI can enhance the creative process in music.
Music AI Tools Development: Researchers at Google are working with artists and producers to develop a suite of music AI tools. These tools aim to support the creative process, allowing transformations of audio styles, creation of vocal accompaniments, and more.
SynthID Watermarking Technology: Lyria incorporates SynthID, a watermarking technology, to ensure the authenticity and integrity of AI-generated content. This technology is designed to withstand common modifications like noise additions or MP3 compression.
In summary
Instrument Playground and Lyria, both Google AI music projects, serve different users and purposes. Instrument Playground focuses on broad access with a simple interface and many instruments. Lyria, however, targets professionals with advanced features, detailed control, and industry integration.
Google’s Instrument Playground is an innovative AI experiment allowing users to create unique music pieces. Developed by Simon Doury at Google Arts and Culture Lab, this tool is a part of the larger MusicLM project. It stands out for its ability to generate 20-second audio clips using a variety of instruments from across the globe.
How It Works
Simply type in an instrument’s name and an optional adjective, and the AI crafts a unique sound. From India’s veena to Zimbabwe’s mbira, explore over 100 instruments and styles!
Customization and Modes
The AI offers modes like “Ambient,” “Beat,” and “Pitch” for customization, and an advanced sequencer mode for layering up to four tracks.
Accessibility and User Experience
Accessible via a Google account, this tool invites all to experiment with music creation. Despite being in its experimental phase, Instrument Playground is user-friendly, offering a glimpse into the future of AI-generated music.
Current Limitations
As a pioneering project, Instrument Playground isn’t without its limitations. It’s an ongoing experiment, with some inaccuracies in sound generation and a current limit of 65 instruments, aiming to expand to 100.
The Future of AI Music
Instrument Playground, while still in development, shows immense potential. It currently serves more as a digital toy but promises more sophisticated music creation capabilities in the future.
Visit our blog to explore Google DeepMind’s Lyria in music generation. Discover how it stands apart from Instrument Playground in our detailed comparison.
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.
Google DeepMind is turning up the volume in the AI music world with its latest creation, Lyria. This advanced model is a game-changer, capable of producing high-quality music complete with instrumentals and vocals. Lyria’s prowess in transformation and continuation tasks, coupled with its ability to give users nuanced control over style and performance, marks a significant leap in music generation technology.
Dream Track: Blurring the Lines Between AI and Artistry
In a move blending technology with artistry, DeepMind’s Dream Track experiment invites a select group of creators to collaborate with Lyria. The twist? They’ll be producing unique soundtracks featuring AI-generated voices and styles of popular artists like Alec Benjamin and Charli XCX. This experiment is not just about creating music; it’s about reshaping the boundaries of creativity.
Expanding the Horizons of Music Creation
DeepMind isn’t stopping at Lyria. The company is developing tools that will enable users to create new music or instrumental sections from scratch, transform audio across styles or instruments, and even generate instrumental and vocal accompaniments. This suite of tools aims to democratize music creation, making sophisticated production accessible to more people.
SynthID: Safeguarding Authenticity in AI Music
Amidst these innovations, DeepMind is conscious of the ethical implications. Enter SynthID, a watermarking technology designed to identify synthetically generated content. This technology aims to balance the benefits of generative music with the need for transparency and authenticity, ensuring that the origins of music are always clear.
A Responsible Approach to Music AI
Google DeepMind’s commitment extends beyond technology development. The company is actively engaging with artists and the music industry to ensure these tools are developed responsibly and beneficially. This collaborative approach seeks to maximize the positive impact of AI in music while addressing potential risks.
The Future of Music in the AI Era
The implications of tools like Lyria are profound. They promise to transform music creation and consumption, inspiring artists, songwriters, producers, and fans alike. As AI continues to evolve, it’s set to redefine the music landscape, opening up new realms of creativity and expression.
Have you ever wished you could make pictures with just your imagination? Well, the smart people at MIT made a new AI that can do just that! It’s called Poisson Flow Generative Model ++ or PFGM++ for short. Think of it as a super artist in your computer.
What’s So Special About PFGM++?
PFGM++ is like a wizard that knows two magic spells. One spell is for spreading things around (diffusion), and the other is for making things flow smoothly (Poisson Flow). With these spells, it can create pictures that are even better than the ones from other AIs. It’s not just for pictures; it can help make new medicines and cool music too!
Learning Super Fast!
The MIT team taught this AI super fast learning tricks. It’s like it went to school and learned everything in one day! They figured out a way to teach it about electric fields without spending too much time. Now, PFGM++ knows how to move things in a picture just right.
Why Is PFGM++ Awesome?
PFGM++ is strong and easy to use. It’s like having a friendly giant who can do hard work without getting tired. The MIT team is still making it better, so soon it might be able to turn stories into movies!
Want to See More Cool Stuff?
Curious about what else AI can do? Visit our previous blogon How to Create Images Using Midjourney and for more AI updates, check out our blog! And hey, if you’re thinking, “What can Vease do for my business?” just ask our AI chatbot!
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.
