In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, keeping pace with technological advancements is not just beneficial—it’s essential. Every fortnight, I delve into the latest global developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help small business owners stay ahead of the curve.
TL;DR
Microsoft is shifting its AI strategy by developing its own AI engine, MAI-1, under the leadership of Mustafa Suleyman.
Spatial AI, as discussed by Dr. Fei-Fei Li, is emerging as a critical area of development, enhancing how AI understands and generates visual content.
Apple is enhancing Siri and other AI features within its ecosystem, aiming for more intuitive and efficient user interactions.
The incident with Katy Perry's AI-generated images at the Met Gala highlights the challenges in distinguishing real from AI-generated content, underscoring the need for improved detection tools and critical thinking.
Microsoft’s AI Strategy Shifts Again
This month, my focus is on Microsoft and the seismic shifts in the AI industry that signal a promising horizon for enterprises of all sizes.
To help explain the different AI terms, I often use the analogy of a car manufacturer like Volvo. In this case, OpenAI is the company that makes the AI engines (like GPT-4 Turbo) and the cars that use those engines (such as GPT). They also allow others, like Microsoft, to use their engines in their own vehicles.
Microsoft made a smart play by partnering with OpenAI, leaping ahead of competitors like Alphabet (Google) and Meta. Google had a few missteps with their AI engines, Bard and Gemini, while Meta was a bit slow off the mark but is now quickly catching up with their Llama model.
However, recent news suggests that Microsoft is now training their own in-house AI engine, dubbed MAI-1, which is large enough to compete with those from Google and other tech giants. This effort is being led by Mustafa Suleyman, the co-founder of Google DeepMind and former CEO of AI startup Inflection.
So, why should small businesses in Australia care about this? I believe the battle for the best AI engine is far from over and will likely never end. The diversity in this space is exciting, and I think AI will evolve much like car engines have over time. Just look at Formula 1 racing – the competition drives incredible technological advancements year after year.
Yesterday, I tuned into a keynote from Atlassian's Team'24 conference in Las Vegas called "Unleashing the potential of every team with AI." Dr Fei-Fei Li, often referred to as the inventor of modern-day AI, and Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor-in-chief of The Economist, discussed the potential of AI. While they believe companies that embrace AI will gain a first-mover advantage, they also think it will take longer than expected for AI to reshape the world.
Dr. Li's insights extended beyond the current fascination with language-based AI, hinting at the next leap: spatial AI. This evolution from text to imagery as learning material for AI models opens new horizons for innovation and application, paving the way for a future where AI's capabilities are only bounded by our imagination.
The key takeaways for small businesses are:
AI is here to stay, so it's best to start thinking about how to incorporate it into your business rather than debating its merits.
Stay flexible and don't tie yourself to a single AI engine or provider.
As competition heats up, AI solutions will likely become more affordable over time.
X.ai & Grok’s “Vision”
Dr Li's comments on spatial AI tie in perfectly with the recent announcement of Grok 1.5 Vision. This groundbreaking AI model takes a significant leap forward by incorporating visual understanding capabilities. Grok 1.5 Vision can not only analyze and describe images but also generate, edit, and manipulate them based on user instructions. This development marks a crucial milestone in the evolution of AI, as it begins to bridge the gap between language and visual comprehension.
The implications of spatial AI for businesses are far-reaching. From enhanced product design and virtual prototyping to more engaging marketing content and immersive customer experiences, the ability of AI to understand and generate visual content opens up a world of possibilities. As Dr Li suggested, this shift towards spatial AI represents the next frontier in artificial intelligence, and companies that harness its potential early on may gain a significant competitive advantage.
Where in the AI World is Apple?
Apple users are still eagerly awaiting the company's response to the AI-powered features already available on Samsung and Google devices. However, as the saying goes, good things come to those who wait, and it seems Apple has been quietly working on some exciting AI developments behind the scenes.
According to a recent article from The Verge, Apple has been conducting extensive research on ways to improve Siri and incorporate AI into various aspects of its ecosystem. The article states: "A lot of what we talk about when we talk about AI products is virtual assistants — assistants that know things, that can remind us of things, that can answer questions, and get stuff done on our behalf. So it's not exactly shocking that a lot of Apple's AI research boils down to a single question: what if Siri was really, really, really good?"
This suggests that Apple is focusing its efforts on making Siri a truly exceptional virtual assistant, capable of understanding and responding to user needs in a more natural and efficient manner.
Some of the research areas mentioned in the article include:
Eliminating the need for a trigger phrase like "Hey Siri" by using AI to detect when a user is speaking to the device.
Improving Siri's ability to understand and respond to follow-up questions and context.
Enhancing Siri's performance on-device, making it faster and more efficient.
In addition to these Siri-specific improvements, Apple is also exploring ways to integrate AI into other aspects of its products, such as using machine learning to enhance photo quality and enable new features like post-capture Portrait Mode on the iPhone 15.
Hopefully, it is all worth the wait in the end for Apple enthusiasts however if you can’t wait, here’s the whole article - Apple’s AI research suggests features are coming for Siri, artists, and more. - The Verge
AI Deepfakes at the Met Gala
Katy Perry's AI-generated Met Gala images on Instagram have not only fooled millions of fans but also left her own mother scratching her head. While the absurdity of the situation might make us laugh, it also highlights the growing challenge of distinguishing between what's real and what's AI-generated.
As social media platforms grapple with the task of identifying and labeling AI content, it's clear that there's still a long way to go. Despite promises to tag AI-generated content and require creator disclosures, the Katy Perry incident proves that these measures are falling short. With millions of views on a single AI image before a community note clarified its origins, it's evident that we need more robust solutions.
OpenAI's new tool, which boasts an impressive 98% accuracy in detecting DALL·E 3 images, offers a glimmer of hope. However, even with such high accuracy, the potential for false positives and undetected AI images slipping through the cracks remains a concern.
In the end, the Katy Perry Met Gala mishap serves as a lighthearted reminder of the challenges we face in an AI-driven world. As we continue to develop and refine our detection tools, let's not forget the importance of critical thinking, fact-checking, and a healthy dose of humor when confronted with the unexpected. After all, in a world where even Katy Perry's mom can be fooled by an AI image, a little laughter might just be the best medicine.
As always, I'll keep you posted on the latest developments in the world of AI and how they might impact your business. Until next time, stay curious and keep embracing the future!
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