Hey Folks!

In our previous newsletter, we delve into a range of exciting AI news. The highlight is OpenAI's response to a lawsuit by The New York Times, which alleges copyright infringement.  OpenAI counters this by emphasizing that ChatGPT relies on statistical word associations, not stored articles.

For the full story and more insights, watch the latest Natural 20 video.

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Today:

🔥OpenAI Launches GPT Store 🔥This is NOT a DRILL!

OpenAI's GPT Store is now live, offering custom ChatGPT versions blending instructions, extra knowledge, and varied skills. In two months since its announcement, users created over 3 million custom ChatGPTs. The store, currently rolling out to ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Enterprise users, features a wide array of GPTs developed by partners and the community. 

Building a GPT requires no coding skills, and OpenAI will soon introduce a GPT Builder Revenue program, rewarding creators based on user engagement. 

Here's a complete guide on how to create a custom GPTs

The GPT Store also supports private and public sharing of GPTs, adhering to usage policies and brand guidelines. 

Additionally, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Team, a new plan offering advanced models and collaborative workspaces for businesses. This move signifies OpenAI's commitment to expanding GPT's accessibility and utility.

WATCH THE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE

Quora raised $75M from a16z to grow Poe, its AI chat bot platform

Quora's making a comeback, scoring a cool $75 million from big-time investor Andreessen Horowitz to boost Poe, their AI chatbot platform. Quora's mixing up the creator game. Instead of making videos for cash, folks can now build AI bots to earn their keep. They rolled out this plan to pay bot builders last October, and it's all about giving creators a slice of the pie.

The cash will attract top developers with the promise of a payday. Poe's not just any playground – it's packed with AI goodies like ChatGPT, DALL-E 3, and more, giving creators a ton of options.

Quora's value took a hit, dropping from $1.8 billion in 2017 to $500 million now, thanks to a rough market. But, they're not sweating it. Quora's buzzing more than ever, with over 400 million monthly visitors and Poe gaining serious traction – over 18.4 million downloads and 1.22 million monthly users.

TECHCRUNCH

Valve opens the door to more Steam games developed with AI

Valve is changing how AI-developed games get onto Steam. They now require game creators to tell if they're using AI, especially for pre-made stuff like art or live content. This move aims to be clear about AI's role in games and to make sure it's not breaking any laws. Players can see if a game uses AI and report any illegal AI stuff they find. 

This update follows complaints about Valve rejecting AI-made game assets, worried about copyright issues. Valve says they're not against AI but need to align with current copyright laws. The gaming world's divided on using AI – it's handy for things like game testing, but some worry it might replace artists. Valve's stance on AI will evolve with the technology and legal changes.

THE VERGE

CES 2024: Everything revealed so far, from Nvidia and Sony to rabbit’s pocket AI and the weirdest reveals

CES 2024 in Vegas is buzzing with tech innovations! Nvidia, LG, Sony, and Samsung kicked things off with big announcements. The event showcases odd gadgets like AI binoculars, silent speech tech, and a router that's easy on the eyes. One standout is Breggz's $2,000 earbuds, offering top-notch sound. Hyundai revealed its eVTOL air taxi, aiming for a 2028 launch. Walmart's bringing AR, drones, and AI to shopping, and OneCourt's tech lets the blind 'see' sports in real-time. Rabbit's R1 AI assistant keeps you phone-free, while Honda, VinFast, and Google Maps focus on electric vehicles. 

Google and Samsung teamed up for easier content sharing across Android and Chromebooks. Health tech is big too, with gadgets for at-home monitoring. Amazon's enhancing its AI offerings, and new EVs, quirky gadgets, and AI innovations are everywhere. Apple's Vision Pro is set to launch, stealing some CES thunder. CES 2024 is a whirlwind of tech wonder!

TECHCRUNCH

🧠RESEARCH

Lightning Attention-2: A Free Lunch for Handling Unlimited Sequence Lengths in Large Language Models

"Lightning Attention-2" is a game-changer in large language models, handling long texts without slowing down. It mixes old-school and new-school attention methods, splitting the work smartly. This technique keeps the speed steady, no matter how lengthy the text is, and it's way faster than older methods. Plus, it's designed to work well with current tech.

MASKED AUDIO GENERATION USING A SINGLE NONAUTOREGRESSIVE TRANSFORMER

The paper introduces MAGNET, a new method for generating audio with a streamlined, single-step process. Unlike older methods, MAGNET uses a unique transformer that works faster and more directly. It improves audio quality by using an external model to refine its predictions. The method mixes traditional and new techniques for the initial audio segment, then speeds up the rest. Tests show MAGNET matches other methods in quality but works seven times faster. It's a game-changer for creating audio from text, balancing speed and quality effectively.

MagicVideo-V2: Multi-Stage High-Aesthetic Video Generation

MagicVideo-V2 is a new tech that turns text into high-quality videos. It blends several cool tools to make smooth, good-looking videos. It's better than other similar systems, like Runway or Pika 1.0, according to big user reviews. This is cutting-edge stuff for video making!

🛠️TOP TOOLS

Waymark - AI-powered solutions for creating professional-looking video advertisements quickly and efficiently.

Kippy - AI-powered language tutor app for practicing speaking various languages, including English, Spanish, German, Italian, French, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Russian. It offers real-life conversation practice, pronunciation improvement, progress tracking, and personalized learning at a fraction of the cost of traditional tutors. 

Sama AI - AI companion app designed to enhance personal growth and memory recall. It records conversations, transforms them into insights, and helps users connect with their past. 

Packback - AI writing assistant for every student and a grading assistant for every instructor.

Trellus - AI-powered sales coaching tool that assists sales representatives during cold calls. It offers real-time analytics and personalized guidance, helping users improve their conversation skills, handle objections, and maintain an effective speaking pace.

📲SOCIAL MEDIA

🗞️MORE NEWS

Siemens and Microsoft really want maunfacturers to start using AI Copilots

Siemens and Microsoft are partnering to introduce generative AI-powered Copilots to the manufacturing industry, aiming to boost productivity amid labor and skills shortages. Siemens' CEO Roland Busch announced this during CES 2024. This initiative aligns with Siemens' goal to create an "industrial metaverse" that enhances production and collaboration. The Microsoft-enabled AI Copilot will be part of Siemens' Xcelerator digital business platform and utilize Microsoft's Azure OpenAI Service. It is expected to improve design processes by using generative AI for more efficient access to virtual prototypes and design simulations, addressing skilled labor shortages and accelerating innovation in the industrial sector. TECHRADAR

Avi Schiffmann’s Tab AI necklace has raised $1.9 million to replace God

Avi Schiffmann, a 21-year-old Harvard dropout known for creating a successful COVID-19 tracking website, has developed a wearable AI microphone called Tab. Tab is designed to be worn as a pendant and listens to conversations, transmits them to a smartphone, and then uses AI models to transcribe and provide insights. Schiffmann envisions Tab as an AI companion that offers insights and support, aiming to create a new type of relationship in people's lives based on radical transparency without judgment. Tab has already sold $100,000 worth of early units at $600 each and raised $1.9 million in funding. FAST COMPANY

Video Game Voice Actors Criticize SAG-AFTRA Over Agreement With AI Company

Voice actors are criticizing SAG-AFTRA, the actors' union, for a recent agreement with AI company Replica Studios. The deal allows video game developers to use digital replicas of actors' voices, leading to concerns about AI replacing human actors. While the union claims it was approved by affected members, many voice actors dispute this, expressing worries about the use of AI in their industry. Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and video game companies, primarily about compensation and AI usage, have been ongoing since 2022, with a strike authorization voted upon in 2023. The situation parallels similar issues in the film industry. FORBES

Microsoft Debates What to Do With A.I. Lab in China

Microsoft is grappling with the fate of its Beijing-based A.I. lab amidst rising U.S.-China tensions. Established in 1998, the lab played a crucial role in Microsoft's A.I. advancements. However, recent concerns about its political viability have led the company's top leaders, including CEO Satya Nadella, to reconsider its future. U.S. officials have raised questions about the lab's operations, prompting Microsoft to impose restrictions on politically sensitive research there. THE NEW YORK TIMES

Humane lays off 4 percent of employees before releasing its AI Pin

Humane recently laid off 4% of its workforce, approximately 10 employees, as a cost-cutting measure ahead of the launch of its AI-powered pin device, priced at $699. Employees were informed of budget reductions prior to the layoffs. The startup, backed by $200 million in funding, including from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is preparing to ship its innovative product in March. CEO Bethany Bongiorno described the layoffs as part of an organizational restructuring to support growth, also announcing the transition of CTO Patrick Gates to an advisory role and the promotion of new heads in various departments. However, some sources claim that the layoffs were indeed communicated as such. THE VERGE

Artificial intelligence frenzy underpins $14bn Juniper deal

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) is set to acquire Juniper Networks for $14 billion, offering a 32% premium on Juniper's previous trading price. This move reflects the tech industry's growing focus on artificial intelligence (AI). HPE aims to integrate Juniper's switches and routers into its corporate computing systems, especially in data centers running AI applications. The combination is expected to yield $450 million in annual cost synergies for HPE, approximately one-tenth of Juniper's revenue. FINANCIAL TIMES

Neuchips Demos Low-Power AI Upgrade for PCs

Taiwanese startup Neuchips has unveiled an Evo PCIe accelerator card at CES 2024 that aims to enhance the AI capabilities of desktop PCs while maintaining power efficiency. The card, powered by Neuchips' Raptor Gen AI accelerator chip, can deliver up to 200 tera operations per second and supports transformer-based models. Its efficiency is highlighted by its low power consumption of just 55 watts, compared to power-hungry GPUs. Neuchips plans to offer varying configurations with different numbers of chips on the card. The product is expected to be released in the second half of 2024, with pricing details yet to be announced. IEEE SPECTRUM

Microsoft’s latest model pushes the bar in AI video with trajectory-based generation

Microsoft has introduced DragNUWA, an AI model for video generation. Unlike traditional approaches relying solely on text or images, DragNUWA combines text, images, and trajectories to offer fine-grained control over video creation. This enables users to define camera movements, object motion, and more. Microsoft has open-sourced the project, but it's still a work in progress. This innovation has the potential to revolutionize creative AI, but its real-world performance remains to be seen. VENTURE BEAT

Not even Notepad is safe from Microsoft’s big AI push in Windows

Microsoft appears to be integrating a new generative AI feature called "Cowriter" into its Notepad application on Windows. This feature is hinted at in the latest Windows 11 test builds. It's likely to have a credit system, similar to other AI features in Microsoft products, with potential future charges once credits are depleted. There are also references to a waitlist and marketing materials, indicating an imminent beta test. Some users may prefer meaningful improvements to Notepad rather than AI upselling. THE VERGE

This App Says It Can Translate Your Baby's Cries Using AI

Cappella, a new company, claims its phone app can translate a baby's cries using AI, determining whether they're hungry, uncomfortable, tired, or need a diaper change. Presented at CES 2024, Cappella's technology boasts about 95% accuracy compared to the 30% accuracy of human guesses. The app costs $10 per month and is expanding its capabilities to include tracking sleep, feedings, diaper changes, and using AI to soothe babies. It's already available on the Apple App Store, with an Android version in development. Cappella distinguishes itself by not requiring a separate device, unlike previous solutions like Qbear+. CNET

Scammy AI-Generated Book Rewrites Are Flooding Amazon

Amazon is facing an influx of low-quality AI-generated ebooks that mimic popular books, posing a challenge to authors and publishers. These AI-generated books are often summaries or imitations of existing works and are rapidly increasing in number on Amazon. Authors and researchers like Melanie Mitchell and Fei-Fei Li have been targeted by this trend, with knock-off versions of their books appearing on the platform. Although Amazon took down some of these AI-generated books when notified, it has not implemented proactive measures to address the issue. The legality of these summaries remains uncertain, but the publishing industry is concerned about the impact on authors and readers. WIRED

TikTok Shop sellers say its AI moderation has gone rogue, doling out 'bogus' violations and freezing products without a clear explanation

TikTok Shop sellers have reported an increase in violation claims from the platform's AI moderation system. Sellers have been accused of setting "spam prices," inadequately displaying items during livestreams, using inaccurate product-listing titles, or incorrectly categorizing their products. These claims have led to product deactivations and penalties. While some sellers have successfully appealed these violations, others have expressed frustration with the appeal process, which involves interacting with TikTok's chat support feature. The increased moderation activity comes as TikTok plans to raise fees for merchants, potentially impacting small businesses operating on the platform. BUSINESS INSIDER

Congress Wants Tech Companies to Pay Up for AI Training Data

At a Senate hearing on AI's impact on journalism, lawmakers from both parties expressed agreement that tech companies, including OpenAI, should pay media outlets for using their work in AI projects. They argued that it is both morally and legally required for these companies to compensate content creators. Media industry leaders at the hearing claimed that AI companies were using their content without compensation, imperiling their industry. They argued that AI companies may be infringing on copyright and urged lawmakers to clarify that using journalistic content without licensing agreements is not protected by fair use.  WIRED

Advanced AI prompt engineering strategies for SEO

This article discusses various prompt engineering strategies for optimizing the output of large language models (LLMs) like GPT. Here's a summary of the key points:

Understanding the Settings:

• Large language models like GPT have settings like Temperature and Top P that can significantly impact the model's output.

• Temperature affects the diversity of word choices, with higher values leading to more creativity and lower values to more predictability.

• Top P controls the range of words considered, with higher values including more words and lower values focusing on the most probable ones.

Tokenization and Word Embeddings:

• LLMs convert words into numerical tokens and then into word embeddings, which capture the meaning and relationships between words.

Attention Mechanism:

• The model evaluates the context and relationships between words using attentional weights, understanding the importance of certain words in a sentence.

Generation of Potential Next Words:

• Based on the context, the model generates a list of potential next words with varying probabilities.

Softmax Stage:

• Settings like Temperature and Top P are applied in the softmax stage to adjust the output probabilities, influencing word selection.

Prompt Engineering Strategies:

• The text outlines several prompt engineering strategies to improve AI model outputs.

• Persona and Audience Pattern: Assigning a persona to the AI in the prompt can convey multiple instructions efficiently.

• Zero Shot, One Shot, and Many Shot Inference Methods: Providing examples in prompts helps guide the model's output, with variations like zero shot, one shot, and many shot inference.

• 'Follow All of My Rules' Pattern: Placing specific instructions at the beginning of the prompt ensures meticulous adherence to guidelines.

• Question Refinement Pattern: Encouraging the AI to generate more refined questions leads to more detailed responses.

• 'Make My Prompt More Precise' Pattern: An iterative process where prompts are refined based on AI-generated suggestions, leading to clearer instructions.

Applications in SEO Contexts:

• The strategies discussed can be applied in various SEO contexts, from creating diverse and creative content to focusing on mainstream SEO strategies.

Broader Recommendations:

• Specific recommendations are given for different scenarios, like technical writing, keyword research, creative content, and computer programming.

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