Character.AI’s New Group Chats

Create group chats with legendary AI personalities like Einstein and Tesla!

Author

Wes Roth
October 12, 2023

Today:

Character.AI introduces group chats where people and multiple AIs can talk to each other

Character.AI, backed by big names and made by ex-Google brainiacs, just added a cool new thing. Now, you and your buddies can have a group chat with multiple AI characters. So, you can mix it up with famous brains like Einstein or chat with gods like Zeus. And if you're looking for a more chill vibe, add an AI pal to your group chat about travel or games.

Sure, other apps have AI chat features, but Character.AI is making waves, especially since they raised a massive $150 million earlier. But heads up, this isn't free. First, they're giving it to their paid members to test it out, but it'll be open for everyone soon. Right now, it's only on their mobile app, but they'll put it online later. Word on the street is they're growing fast, with millions using the app, and they're giving ChatGPT a run for its money in the U.S.

Microsoft’s new AI Copilot arrives in OneNote in November

Microsoft’s dropping a new helper, the AI Copilot, into OneNote this November, and it’s got some neat tricks up its sleeve. This tool, which will be available for some business and enterprise users, can whip up lists, sketch out plans, spruce up your notes, and a whole lot more, making your digital note-taking game strong. It's gonna be positioned right there on the home ribbon, ready to summarize your notes, cook up to-do lists, and plan your meetings.

However, snagging these features comes with a hefty price tag - 30 bucks a month per user. And if you're a regular Joe using Microsoft 365, keep your eyes peeled next year – the AI Copilot might be making a landing in your consumer version, giving students and everyday users a taste of its capabilities.

Adobe created a symbol to encourage tagging AI-generated content

Adobe and some other big-name companies have whipped up a new badge to slap on pictures, videos, and documents. This little badge will let folks know if the content was made using AI tools. They’re calling it an “icon of transparency.” When you see a pic with this badge online and hover over it, a little box will pop up giving you the 411 on who made it, what AI was used, and other behind-the-scenes info.

What’s cool is, even if someone tries to tweak the picture, they can't just erase this badge. It's stuck in the deep details (metadata) of the content. Not all companies have to use this new badge, but Adobe thinks a lot will jump on the bandwagon soon. In fact, Microsoft is ditching its own special watermark to use this new badge.

Dropbox redesigns its web interface and releases AI-powered Dash in open beta

Dropbox is spicing things up! They've given their web interface a fresh look, making it snappier and cleaner. If you're on Dropbox, you'll soon see a nifty bar for easy-peasy actions like screen recording and file uploads.

They're also test-driving Dash, a smarty-pants AI search thing that acts like your personal Google, helping you track down your stuff across the web. And there’s another AI trick up their sleeve – it can summarize and answer questions about your files. They're rolling out Dropbox Studio too, a cool tool for video folks to edit, comment, and share their creations.

Klarna takes aim at Google and Amazon with AI image recognition tool for shopping

Klarna, the Swedish "buy now, pay later" champ, is throwing its hat in the ring against big dogs like Google and Amazon with a nifty new feature: an AI-powered image recognition tool for shopping. Simply put, you point your phone at, say, a snazzy jacket or a must-have gadget, and boom – Klarna’s app will show you similar items you might want to buy.

Unlike Google Lens, Klarna is keeping its eyes on the prize with a laser focus on shopping, not just chucking users into the vast sea of general web search results. They’re leveraging AI to enhance user experience, hoping it gives them an edge in the competitive e-commerce market.

This Startup’s AI Is Used By Billion Dollar Companies To Hire Top Talent

Moonhub, a peppy startup out of San Francisco, has turbocharged the hiring game with a smarty-pants AI chatbot, nabbing top-tier talent for big-dollar companies without breaking a sweat. Tony Zavala, an AI language pro, wasn’t even job-hunting when Moonhub’s AI sleuthed him out for unicorn startup Inflection, thanks to his snazzy resume and skills that matched what they were hollerin’ for.

This bot isn’t your average job-finder. It’s got the scoop on over 1 billion profiles, yanked from LinkedIn, Upwork, and other hangouts, and it's brainy enough to pinpoint those "hidden talents" that CEO Nancy Xu says might just be up for a chinwag about a new job if the right one tickles their fancy.

Moonhub ain’t just for the tech giants. They’re helping a mishmash of companies, from elder care to electric boats, hook the big fish in a sea of potential employees. They recently bagged a cool $10 million in seed funding to amp up their AI and widen their crew.

RIAA wants AI voice cloning sites on government piracy watchlist

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) thinks AI voice cloning is a way folks might break copyright rules, and they're asking the US government to watch out for it. They want this voice cloning stuff on the list that points out where people might be copying things they shouldn't.

In the past, places like AliExpress and The Pirate Bay got flagged on this list. The RIAA is particularly worried about a company called Voicify.AI, which lets users mess with songs using famous artists' voices. The big deal? This year, a bunch of services popped up letting people use AI copies of artist voices, and it's causing a stir.

But the tricky thing is, the rules about using someone's voice (or face or name) vary across the US, so it's a big gray area. Some folks say going after these AI voice tools might shake things up too much in the music world. The government will decide next year if they'll flag AI voice cloning on their watchlist.

US Space Force pauses use of AI tools like ChatGPT over data security risks

The U.S. Space Force hit the pause button on using artificial intelligence tools, like ChatGPT, over worries about keeping data safe and sound. This AI tech, which can whip up text, images, or videos in a snap, has been a real game-changer, but it's now on the bench until the big tech heads in the force give it the green light.

The chief tech whiz, Lisa Costa, thinks this tech could revolutionize how the Guardians (that’s what they call Space Force folks) get things done. But for now, they’re taking a breather to figure out how to roll with it without playing fast and loose with important data. The pause is only a pit stop—they’re planning on bringing AI back into the game in a smart and secure way down the line.

How AlphaFold and other AI tools could help us prepare for the next pandemic

There's this new virus, Langya henipavirus, popping up in China that's got researchers on edge. It's related to some nasty viruses, but thankfully no one's died from it yet. Problem was, scientists couldn't figure out how to make a vaccine for it because of some tricky protein. But with a little AI magic, like a tool called AlphaFold, they're making progress. This ain't just about one virus; big brains are throwing cash at AI tools to get ready for future health crises.

During the COVID-19 mess, we got lucky. Previous research on similar viruses gave scientists a leg up. But for other potential nightmare viruses, we don't have that advantage. That's where AI is stepping up, helping design new meds and vaccines. Some folks are even trying to predict how viruses might change in the future using these techy tools.

AI revolutionizing MRI scans — a Munich startup banked $32M to scan eggs, and says humans are next

Orbem, a startup that spun out from some brainy PhD work, is turbo-charging the way we look inside eggs with some clever AI and MRI mashup. Why eggs, you ask? A bunch of European countries, including Germany and France, put the kibosh on offing baby male chicks right after they hatch, nudging tech folks to find a slick way to figure out a chick’s gender before breaking shell. In comes Orbem, with a gizmo that can peek inside an egg in a snap (we’re talking one second) and tell if it’s a future he or she in there, all without a crack.

After scanning a whopping 20 million eggs and not just staying afloat but actually making some dough, Orbem raked in a cool $32M to take this tech to the next level. Beyond eggs, these folks see a future where their gadget can look inside all sorts of stuff, like checking nuts for creepy crawlies or ensuring that plants are healthy, and even peeking inside us humans to keep our bodies in check.

Antibiotic identified by AI

Scientists have found a cool new way to find antibiotics using smart computer programs, or what they call artificial intelligence (AI). Instead of the old-school way of digging through dirt and checking out tiny life forms for potential medicine-making goodies, they're now letting computers do the heavy lifting.

The computer can sorta "predict" which molecules might be good at fighting nasty bugs, like the Acinetobacter baumannii, which is a germ that can cause some tough infections in hospitals. They discovered a promising antibiotic called abaucin this way, speeding up a process that used to be kinda like finding a needle in a haystack. All of this cool stuff was shared in a scientific journal, but you need a subscription to get all the nitty-gritty details.

New A.I. Tool Diagnoses Brain Tumors on the Operating Table

Dutch scientists are breaking new ground with a savvy A.I., named Sturgeon, that’s tossing docs a major assist in the operating room when it comes to brain tumors. This high-tech helper takes a peek at the tumor's DNA during surgery, spotting crucial details that help docs decide just how tough to get with their scalpel.

Typically, surgeons play a nerve-wracking guessing game: snip extra healthy tissue just to be safe, or stay conservative and risk leaving behind bad cells? The Sturgeon system gives them a fresh angle by identifying the type of tumor, and even its specific variant, during the surgery.

Initially, it nailed the diagnosis in 45 out of 50 frozen samples in under 40 minutes. And in real-time surgeries? It delivered 18 correct diagnoses out of 25, staying mum in uncertain scenarios, and wrapping up its analysis in less than 90 minutes. The hope is this swift tool can lead to more targeted treatments down the line.

How an 'AI whisperer' and content creator made $500K in 11 months selling courses and memberships

Rob Lennon, a savvy "AI whisperer" and entrepreneur, banked a cool $500K in just 11 months by selling AI courses and memberships using the platform Kajabi, despite having a sizable following on major social media platforms.

While maintaining his popularity on X (a platform previously known as Twitter) and LinkedIn, Rob shifted gears to monetize his expertise, converting about 3,000 of his followers into paying customers for his "Lennon Labs" membership.

Though his initial burst of earnings was like catching lightning in a bottle, thanks to early adoption of ChatGPT, Lennon's navigating towards a subscription model, aiming to net a consistent cash flow while fostering a learning and sharing community on Discord. This blend of course-selling and cozy community space might just be the golden ticket for content creators looking to turn their know-how into a steady paycheck.

Chief AI officers in demand as IT leaders expect Gen AI productivity boost

Big companies are diving deep into AI, leaving smaller ones in the dust. Most of the big players (with 1,000+ employees) are dropping serious cash on AI, while smaller businesses are struggling to keep pace. In the big leagues, 38% have already hired data scientists for generative AI, while only 17% of small businesses have done the same. You see this gap in other roles too. For example, AI chatbot creators are in 20% of big companies, but only 8% of small ones. There's a new role popping up too: Chief AI officers. They're at 15% in large businesses and just 6% in small ones.

In the coding world, 37% of organizations have programmers getting a hand from generative AI. Larger businesses are the trendsetters here, with 41% using this tech, compared to 33% of small businesses. Of those who haven't jumped on this bandwagon, a whopping 81% plan to, though only 34% are gearing up to do it within the next year.

This info comes from a survey of 965 IT decision-makers. Most of them are from North America, but there's a good chunk from Asia-Pacific and some from Europe, Middle East, or Africa. The tech industry dominated the responses, but there was also input from fields like manufacturing, services, and education.

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