You turn me on: Explicit AI “girlfriend” chatbot ads are all over Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. At least 29,000 (!) are trying to lure you in with generated images and suggestive text. Meta says it’s “reviewing and removing” the ads. I say they need a better way.
Is Meta's new AI art tool worth checking out?
My artistic skills don’t paint a pretty picture. That’s why I am utterly astounded by AI-generated images. Today’s AI art looks more and more like the real thing, and Meta just unleashed its CM3leon AI art tool.
Listen, we all know Mark Zuckerberg and his Meta corporation have questionable judgment and sell our data to anyone he can, but they might just be onto something here. Let’s break down the hype. By the end, I promise you’ll understand a lot more about AI art.
Karma CM3leon
Meta says CM3leon (How do you think it’s pronounced? I’ll tell you in a bit, so make your best guess now.) is one of the best AI art tools for text-to-image generation. It can also generate captions for images.
It’s all about the process. OpenAI’s DALL-E 2 and Google’s Imagen use “diffusion” to create art. An image starts as “noise” and is refined to make it more of a match for the target prompt.
Say you type in “cat biker with tattoos.” In Imagen, it’ll start as a cloud of dots that morphs into that cool kitty.
Meta’s CM3leon is what’s known as a transformer. Transformers use “attention” (aka complex algorithms) to decide how important the text or image prompts are. Transformers can get better and more accurate over time, plus they’re faster and less expensive than diffusion generators.
To train CM3leon, Meta used a collection of millions of licensed images from stock photography giant Shutterstock. The best version of CM3leon so far has over 7 billion parameters, more than twice as many as DALL-E 2.
Give AI a try
Whether you’re brand new to the world of AI art or want to try a new program on for size, there are plenty of options.
- OpenAI’s DALL-E-2 is still the O.G. when it comes to AI art generation. It’s known for being user-friendly. Get 115 credits for $15.
- If you’re looking to create photo-realistic art, try Midjourney. Plans start at $10 a month.
- On a budget? Check out Craiyon. It’s free to use.
- Want to use AI art for professional projects? Jasper Art might be your best bet. Monthly plans start at $39.
CM3leon is pronounced “chameleon.” I can kinda see how they came up with that.
Google is doubling down on AI across its services
The artificial intelligence (AI) wars are heating up as Google tries to play catch-up with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which is now being used by many tech companies to improve their services.
Judging by the mishaps we’ve already seen, the Alphabet company has a long way to go. Google has had AI capability baked into its products for some time (including better translation quality in Google Translate), but generative AI will take things to a new level.
Be AI aware: Facebook’s new algorithm is filling people’s feeds with AI-generated images, and older adults are falling hard for their tricks. Quick crash course: Look for unnaturally smooth textures, gibberish text, and unusual teeth and fingers. I do a deep dive in tomorrow’s newsletter about spotting election fakes online, so be sure you don’t miss it.