Summary of Last Week's AI Developments

Last Week in AI

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Welcome to this week’s edition of Last Week in AI! As always, we bring you the latest and most intriguing developments from the world of Artificial Intelligence. From groundbreaking partnerships in AI to advanced AI models transforming various industries, we’ve witnessed some fascinating progress. Let’s dive into these updates to see how AI continues to shape our world in unexpected and innovative ways.

OpenAI

ChatGPT-4, the AI model currently in use, has been observed giving shorter and less complete answers, a behavior not fully understood by OpenAI.

A developer tested this by feeding ChatGPT different dates and found that responses in December were shorter. But another researcher couldn’t replicate this with significance. So, it’s still a bit of a mystery. This whole situation shows just how unpredictable and unusual the world of large language models can be. People are still running tests, and the results aren’t clear yet.

Three key takeaways:

  1. Unexpected Behavior: Users have reported ChatGPT-4 providing brief and incomplete responses.
  2. “Winter Break Hypothesis”: A theory suggesting the AI might mimic human seasonal slowdowns, learning from its training data.
  3. AI Responsiveness: The seriousness given to this hypothesis highlights how AI models like ChatGPT-4 can respond to human-like cues.

This situation with ChatGPT-4 underscores the complexity and unpredictability of AI behavior, opening up discussions about how deeply AI models can mirror human patterns.

OpenAI & Axel Springer Partnership

Axel Springer and OpenAI have formed a partnership to enhance journalism through AI, aiming to improve ChatGPT with up-to-date, reliable news content.

Key points:

  1. Partnership Goals: They plan to use AI to improve user experience and support journalism financially.
  2. Enhanced ChatGPT: The AI will provide news summaries, even from Axel Springer’s paid content, with links to full articles.
  3. Improving Journalism: The objective is to boost the quality and financial sustainability of journalism with AI.

This partnership sounds great, but we’ve got to be cautious. Will it really be unbiased and fair in choosing news sources? And can it truly help journalism’s finances? It’s key to watch out for the balance between cool tech and keeping journalism ethical.

Google

NotebookLM is a new tool in the U.S. for those 18 and older, aimed at enhancing your thinking with AI assistance. It offers features like source-based answers, automatic summaries, and new question ideas.

Its latest update adds a note-taking space and varied formats for writing projects, all while keeping your personal data private. This AI tool is constantly evolving based on user feedback.

Key points:

  1. NotebookLM: A new AI tool for improved thinking and personal aid.
  2. Packed with features: Source grounding, summaries, and more.
  3. Respects privacy: Doesn’t use personal data, grows with user feedback.

NotebookLM’s introduction highlights a growing trend of using AI to augment human cognition, with a strong emphasis on user privacy and interactive development.

Gemini

Google’s new AI model, Gemini, comes in Ultra, Pro, and Nano versions. It’s now in Android and Bard, with Gemini Pro available via an API. This model, which supports 38 languages, is free for limited use, and it’s also on Google Cloud’s Vertex AI for more enterprise options. Developers can use Google AI Studio for easy app development with Gemini.

Key points:

  1. Gemini: Google’s versatile AI in three versions.
  2. Developer access: Free Gemini Pro via API and Google AI Studio.
  3. Enterprise integration: Available on Google Cloud for advanced use.

Gemini’s launch represents Google’s commitment to offering flexible AI solutions, catering to both developers and enterprise-level applications.

AI Test Kitchen

Google’s AI Test Kitchen is a platform where you can try out and give feedback on their newest AI tech. It features insights into generative music and its collaboration with artists in designing the Test Kitchen. There’s also a FAQ section for more on Generative AI and the platform itself.

Key points:

  1. AI Test Kitchen: A space to experience and comment on Google’s latest AI.
  2. Focus on generative music: Insights into its workings and artist collaborations.
  3. Informative: Includes FAQs about Generative AI and the Test Kitchen.

AI Test Kitchen represents Google’s effort to engage users in the development of AI technology, particularly in the creative realm of generative music.

Imagen 2

Google Cloud’s Imagen 2 on Vertex AI brings new text-to-image technology to select customers, powered by Google DeepMind.

Key points:

  1. Advanced Tech: Imagen 2 offers high-resolution, photorealistic image generation.
  2. User Adoption: Used by Snap, Shutterstock, and Canva, demonstrating its utility.
  3. Strategic Focus: Reflects Google Cloud’s commitment to cutting-edge AI and responsible use.
Imagen 2 examples with prompts
(Featured Image: © Google Cloud)

Imagen 2’s introduction on Vertex AI marks a significant advancement in AI-driven image creation, underscoring Google Cloud’s focus on innovative and ethical AI development.

Midjourney

Midjourney, renowned for its AI image generation on Discord, has unveiled an alpha version of its website, midjourney.com, broadening its service beyond Discord. It is only available now for MJ users who have generated more than 10000 images.

Midjourney Alpha in Dark Mode

Key points:

  1. Platform Development: The new site allows select users to create images online, with plans to expand access.
  2. User Interface: It features a minimalistic design and user-friendly functionalities like an “Explore” tab.
  3. Integration Limitations: Images generated on the website don’t sync with the Midjourney Discord Bot chat.

Midjourney’s website launch signifies an important expansion in AI image generation, aiming to enhance user experience and accessibility in digital creativity.

Stability.ai

Stability AI has released Stable Zero123, a new model focused on view-conditioned image generation, designed to create different views of 3D objects, enhancing our understanding of their appearance from various angles.

Key points:

  1. 3D Image Generation: Stable Zero123 excels in generating novel views of 3D objects, based on Stable Diffusion 1.5.
  2. Usage and Accessibility: Released for non-commercial and research purposes, it’s available on Hugging Face for experimentation.
  3. Technical Requirements: The model demands more resources, recommending 24GB VRAM for generating 3D objects.

Stable Zero123’s release represents a significant step in 3D image generation for research, underlining Stability AI’s commitment to advancing AI capabilities in understanding complex visuals.

Anthropic

A comprehensive guide has been released on using the “Claude for Sheets” extension, which integrates Claude AI with Google Sheets, allowing users to interact with Claude directly within spreadsheet cells.

Key points:

  1. Seamless Integration: The guide explains how to enable the Claude for Sheets extension, connect the API key, and use Claude’s functions in Google Sheets.
  2. User Guidance: Includes information on permissions, cell recalculation, and troubleshooting for effective use.
  3. Additional Resources: Provides links to prompt engineering tutorials, examples, and a Claude for Sheets workbook template.

This guide is a valuable resource for users looking to enhance their Google Sheets experience with Claude’s AI capabilities, offering both practical instructions and additional learning tools.

Mistral AI

A Paris-based startup, is making notable advancements in AI with their new model, Mixtral 8x7B, based on the Sparse Mixture of Experts architecture.

Key points:

  1. Mixtral 8x7B Introduction: This model, licensed under Apache 2.0 and available via a magnet link, competes with major models like GPT 3.5 and Llama 2 70B.
  2. Funding and Innovation: Mistral AI is well-funded and has also announced Mistral Medium, performing well on benchmarks.
  3. ‘La Plateforme’ Access: Provides API endpoint access to their models, including Mistral Tiny, Small, and Medium, offering user flexibility.
  4. Open-Source Strategy: Mistral AI’s approach to open-source models and their unique business strategy is a point of interest.
  5. Stance on EU AI Act: The company’s decision not to endorse the EU AI Act highlights its distinct perspective on AI regulation.

Mistral AI stands out in the AI field for its innovative models and strategies, potentially impacting the AI industry significantly with its focus on accessible and powerful AI.

AI News Anchors

In 2024, Channel 1 is set to become the first AI-powered news network, introducing AI-generated digital news anchors.

Key points:

  1. AI-Powered Broadcasting: Channel 1 will feature AI avatars as news anchors, offering a unique, personalized viewing experience.
  2. Sourcing and Integrity: Plans to source news from legacy outlets, freelance journalists, and AI-generated reports, raising questions about journalistic integrity.
  3. Accessibility and Innovation: The network aims for free, ad-supported streaming on various apps, reflecting a significant shift in news reporting with AI integration.

Channel 1’s launch as an AI-driven news network marks a pivotal moment in media, blending technology with journalism and prompting discussions on technology’s responsible use in news.

Tesla Optimus Reveal

Elon Musk revealed “Optimus,” a humanoid robot, at Tesla’s AI Day, positioning it as an affordable, high-volume production unit.

Key points:

  1. Humanoid Robot Development: Optimus, intended to be a useful, high-volume humanoid robot, is priced under $20,000.
  2. Functional Demonstrations: Showcased doing tasks like carrying boxes and assisting in Tesla’s factory, with potential for household and caregiving roles.
  3. Tesla’s Broader Ambitions: Discussions included Tesla’s self-driving technology and the high-speed computer Dojo, crucial for autonomous driving development.

Musk’s unveiling of Optimus underscores Tesla’s bold vision in robotics and self-driving technology, aiming to revolutionize both industries with accessible, multifunctional AI-driven solutions.

Final Thoughts

And that wraps up this week’s journey through the dynamic world of AI. From Google’s new AI model to Tesla’s humanoid robot, it’s clear that AI is not just a part of our future—it’s actively molding our present. Stay tuned for more insights and breakthroughs next week, as we continue to explore how AI is redefining boundaries and creating new possibilities across different sectors. Thanks for joining us at Last Week in AI!

If you missed last week’s update, you can check it out here.

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