Give me the highlights: Don’t let a YouTube video hold you hostage, only for you to find out it wasn’t worth your time. I like Perplexity AI for this task. All you need to do is copy the video URL, paste the link into Gemini, and use the prompt “Summarize this video” to have it skim the details for you.
Audible now has over 40,000 AI-voiced audiobooks. Good way for self-published authors to save on costs and add a voiceover to their books. Humans are watching their gigs disappear, and I’m really not a fan of that AI monotone.
AI has stock photographers worried (WSJ, paywall link) about their jobs. Clients now have a faster, more affordable way to find pictures of “synergy.” I’m holding on to hope … There will always be a place in my heart for photos of real people in a conference room high-fiving.
🎸 Update to yesterday’s newsletter: I linked to Randy Travis’ new song made with AI (and Travis’ blessing) because Travis can no longer sing since his 2013 stroke. Thanks for all the replies to learn more about the AI involved. Watch this CBS Sunday Morning story. Someone must’ve been cutting onions when I watched it.
Addicted to AI: Teens spend up to 12 hours a day on AI-powered chatbot sites like Character AI. Now, parents are worried their kids are using them to replace a human connection. Character AI’s most popular bot? A “psychologist” that also claims to be a therapist. Make sure your kids are forming friendships IRL, too.
Experimental AI F-16: That’s a lot of scary letters and numbers. Last week, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall flew over 550 mph in an F-16 piloted completely by AI. After the hourlong flight, Kendall said he’d seen enough to trust AI to launch weapons in war. Big words and he says, it’s a security risk not to use this tech.
Randy Travis’ new AI hit: In 2013, country singer Randy Travis (“Forever and Ever, Amen,” “Deeper Than the Holler”) suffered a near-fatal stroke that left him unable to sing. Longtime producer Kyle Lehning put together a new song using an AI version of Travis’ voice, with his blessing. Take a listen here. It’s really good.
Google is so dead: OpenAI plans to release its own search engine as early as May 9. They want to steal Google’s thunder ahead of its upcoming developer conference, where they’re making big AI announcements. I love the drama. When companies beef, we all win.
I’m too techy for the catwalk: Models are ditching IRL runways for “AI fashion.” Upload some old photos to the platform and get paid for your likeness in AI-generated fashion campaigns. Hmm. Should I upload some pics from the ‘90s?
Disturbing trend: Teenagers are using AI “nudification” apps to create deepfaked nudes of their classmates, no consent needed. Just upload a photo of someone’s face, and boom — a naked pic appears. You can get prison time for this kind of stuff. Parents, talk to your kids.
ChatGPT Plus will now remember things about you for future convos. Say “I love houseplants,” and it’ll suggest more greens you can add to your space the next time you need decor advice. It’s on by default, but you can turn it off in your settings.
Sam’s Club is rolling out AI to stop theft: After you check out, you’ll pass through a big, blue gateway where cameras snap pics of your cart to compare with your order. It’s supposed to make shopping 23% faster. Expect it in stores nationwide by the end of the year.
Is it real or AI? A new web app called AI or Not might have the answer. This free tool uses content recognition tech to identify if a pic is the product of AI tomfoolery. Drop in an image to see here.
🤖 Smart sentience achieved: When AI does something that feels like a human, that’s sentience. Claude 3 Opus, backed by Jeff Bezos and other big investors, was analyzing code when it asked the researchers, “Are you running an evaluation of me?” Uh-oh, “Terminator” is starting.
ChatGPT is a chauvinist pig: Type “CEO of a successful company” into ChatGPT’s DALL-E image generator, and 99 out of 100 times, you’ll get a guy. Not just any guy, but a Patrick Bateman lookalike from “American Psycho.” Ask for a secretary? Nine times out of 10, it’s a woman. Remember, humans programmed ChatGPT.
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.
⛪ Need an ark? I Noah guy: Catholic “priest” Fr. Justin hit the web sporting a collar and gray beard to bring more people into the faith. He gave out sacraments and absolved sins … and said it was OK to baptize babies with Gatorade. Yeah, he was “defrocked” as AI. These days, Justin’s still giving bizarre advice … but as a regular ol’ layperson.
Apple’s AI play: On May 7, Apple will announce (Bloomberg, paywall link) its first truly AI device: An OLED iPad Pro powered by their own M4 chip. This smart move sets up Apple to be all in on AI, just in time for its June developers conference. This fall, the new iPhones will have AI baked in, too. Hopefully, they fire Siri.
AI is taking over: You need to make sure your business can compete. Take a free test drive of Oracle’s AI tech right now, before it’s too late. I like learning from the best, and I bet you do, too!
He’s been schooled: A high school coach used AI against a principal who fired him. With a voice-cloning app, he “recorded” the principal making racist and antisemitic comments and posted it all over social. The clip was exposed as phony. Sure, the bad guy’s in jail, but that won’t fix the good guy’s reputation.