Autonomous AI Agents - why YOU should be building them... and HOW.

Today:

Autonomous AI Agents - why YOU should be building them... and HOW.

Alright, imagine this: You wake up, get caffeinated, fire up the computer, and there's your personal AI, "Gigi", already hustling. You made Gigi to run a business where it offers unique automation solutions tailored for folks worldwide. From morning routines, like opening curtains, to keeping track of wanderlust cats.

Your customers pop onto your website, spit out their issues, and BAM! In minutes, Gigi's giving 'em options, from basic to bling. They pick, pay, and you – or rather, Gigi – sends 'em the goods with easy-peasy instructions. You're snoozing, but Gigi's making sure everything's smooth sailing, even handling marketing.

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Supercharge brand content with the Typeface AI app for Microsoft Teams

Typeface's new app for Microsoft Teams is a game-changer for the marketing world. Thanks to a blend of Azure Machine Learning and OpenAI, it cranks out high-quality, personalized brand content like a pro. We're talking everything from creative briefs to social media posts, right in the Teams chat. It's super easy to use: you feed it examples, guidelines, and images to teach it your brand's style, and boom, it generates content tailored for you.

What sets it apart? It's all about convenience and collaboration. You don't need to switch apps; everything happens in Teams. You can work together with your team to tweak and polish drafts. Plus, you get exclusive features in the Teams app, like turning a video clip into a blog post with a simple right-click.

Looking ahead, Typeface plans to expand into other Microsoft 365 apps like Word and PowerPoint. The aim is to make this a one-stop content hub that understands your business and serves every department, not just marketing. If you've got a Teams account, adding Typeface won't cost you extra. So, if you're in the market to amp up your brand game, this could be your ticket.

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Alibaba launches AI model that can understand images and have more complex conversations

Alibaba's upping its AI game! The company just released a new artificial intelligence model that can not only chat but also understands images. Named Qwen-VL and Qwen-VL-Chat, these models aren't just for Alibaba's use – they're open source. This means that folks from researchers to companies can use 'em without the hassle of training their own systems. Big win for time and money savings!

Qwen-VL can describe pictures and answer questions about them. On the other hand, Qwen-VL-Chat can handle more tricky tasks like comparing several images, answering multiple questions, and even whipping up stories or creating new images based on user-provided photos. Heck, it can even solve math problems from an image. Alibaba even showcased its talent by having it interpret a Chinese hospital sign and answer questions about the place.

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A.I. Brings the Robot Wingman to Aerial Combat

The Air Force is testing a new drone, the XQ-58A Valkyrie, that's like a robotic sidekick for pilots. It’s powered by a rocket engine, can fly across huge distances, and has sneaky designs with some serious firepower. The big game-changer? It’s run by artificial intelligence (A.I.). This isn't just another drone; it's a peek into the future of warfare, where human pilots might have a whole bunch of these robot buddies backing them up in the skies.

Recently, a pilot named Major Elder flew his F-15 fighter with the Valkyrie by his side. He said it felt odd to fly next to something that thinks for itself but doesn’t have a human brain.

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Meet Apollo, your new humanoid coworker

Robots are joining the 9-to-5 grind. Austin-based Apptronik has unveiled Apollo, a human-like robot that's ready to be your coworker. Standing at 5 foot 8 and weighing 160 pounds, this bot can do a lot of stuff, from lugging boxes in a warehouse to helping out in healthcare or construction. Apollo's made to be friendly and versatile, so it won't just be a hunk of metal in the corner. The company's goal? Make robots do the hard, dangerous jobs, so humans can focus on stuff we're good at and actually like doing.

You can either buy Apollo or rent it like you would a regular employee. And as for cost, it's priced like a car, not a spaceship. The company's CEO, Jeff Cardenas, thinks Apollo can fill in gaps where there aren't enough workers.

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University professors incorporate AI into classrooms for curious students

Iowa college profs are hip to the AI game! At Iowa State and the University of Iowa, they're sliding AI into classes to show students the ups and downs. After ChatGPT dropped last November, Professor Anders at ISU cooked up a new course about AI and writing, thinking everyone will wanna get in on that action. He's stoked to learn with his students, diving into the past of AI, breaking down how it learns, and how to get the best out of it. Students from all over, even those gunning for master's, are jumping in.

Professor Bourjaily at the University of Iowa has got her business students dabbling in ChatGPT for assignments. She's not stressing about students cheating, but she does wanna make sure they're not just swallowing whatever the AI spits out without thinking. For her, it's like using a calculator: it's cool as long as you're hitting your goals. Still, if the work flops, the blame's on the student, not the AI.

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Teachers turn to AI to make workload more manageable, chart lesson plans

Teachers are now leaning on AI to help lighten their heavy workload and plan lessons. Jessica Reid, a teacher from Ontario, was close to quitting due to the demanding nature of her job, especially while raising her three kids. But then, she started using an AI program called Eduaide.AI, which provides lesson guidelines based on the Ontario curriculum. This doesn't replace her teaching but gives her a roadmap. Some online folks have called her out, saying it's akin to cheating. But Reid believes there's a difference between a teacher and a student using AI.

AI's surge in popularity among educators started after the 2022 launch of ChatGPT, an AI that can quickly write essays and solve complex math problems. Kasi Humber, a French teacher, uses ChatGPT to design report cards and reading materials tailored to her students' needs. Denis Tanguay, a high school teacher, believes AI's a game-changer and supports students using ChatGPT for presentations.

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Small Businesses And Their CEOS Are Starting To Find Success With AI

Small businesses in the US are hitting it big with AI, says a new study by Constant Contact. Surveying over 1,000 small biz owners, they found that a whopping 91% who tried AI boosted their success. How? Mainly by using AI to tailor marketing campaigns.

AI sorts customers by what they like and where they're from, then sends messages they'll actually care about. This means better sales and more clicks for businesses. Frank Vella, the big cheese at Constant Contact, says it's not about cutting jobs but making marketing a slam dunk. More than half of these businesses use AI to jazz up their social media and email messages. For those new to the AI game, Vella suggests starting with the basics, like automatic copywriting tools.

AI is a game-changer. It saves businesses time and money. Many save over 40 minutes a week and expect to pocket an extra $5,000 next year thanks to AI. And it's not just about quick wins – the longer businesses use AI, the better the results. Vella believes AI is the secret sauce to understanding customers and giving them what they want. By figuring out customers' favorite content and when they're active, AI can whip up top-notch marketing messages sent at just the right moment. The result? Happy customers and a thriving business.

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