OpenAI vs. Google

Good morning! This week’s newsletters have been overflowing with delicious goodness, and today is no different. 😁

🤯 MYSTERY AI LINK 🤯

(The mystery link can lead to ANYTHING AI related. Tools, memes, articles, videos, and more…)

🔨 AI TOOLS OF THE DAY

😎 Polycam: Create realistic 3D textures simply by typing a text prompt. → check it out

🗣️ Promptordle: Wordle with an AI twist. → check it out

🎵 Strofe: Create and edit a musical track based on your mood. → check it out

OPENAI VS. GOOGLE 🦾

Two greats are on the world’s biggest stage, battling it out for the tech crown! 👑

What’s going on? OpenAI and Google both made major announcements this week at highly-anticipated events. In the aftermath, there is a lot to unpack.

What’s so interesting? Last week, many thought OpenAI was going to release a new ChatGPT-powered search engine to compete with Google. However, OpenAI ended up releasing GPT-4o, making the most advanced technology with enhanced vocal and image recognition freely available to the public. Nonetheless, many still found the announcement quite disappointing. The features themselves are not too different from the capabilities GPT-4 has had since its release, so those who have already been paying for these services are left wondering what’s next. The very next day, Google released what many desired from OpenAI—advanced internet search capabilities, both in the form of AI Overviews and Video Search. But Google spoiled everyone with much more than that, releasing tools such as Veo text-to-video generation, which draws comparisons with OpenAI’s Sora. Additionally, the Google presentation was energetic and dynamic, while the OpenAI presentation was quiet and a bit reserved.

What’s the significance? Google bested OpenAI this week. It’s as simple as that. Although some of the public is excited about GPT-4o, Google showcased a commitment to feverous technological development, releasing a suite of AI features and tools to impress everyone. But don’t think OpenAI will go down without a fight. They surely understand how their GPT-4o release was overshadowed by Google’s release of everything under the sun, and we should expect something big in the works to punch back.

CONFUSED SENATORS THROW $32 BILLION AT AI 💸

Where is all this money going? Nobody is really sure. 🙃

What’s up? A new bipartisan proposal from a group of senators recommends allocating a minimum of $32 billion over three years to AI development and implementing safeguards.

Why? The group, consisting of two Democrats and two Republicans, emphasizes the urgency of addressing both the opportunities and risks posed by AI’s rapid advancement. The senators recognize that legislation surrounding AI will be incredibly difficult given its rapid development and the reality of the election year, but they want to start making small moves. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “We’re not going to wait on legislation that addresses every aspect of AI and society ... In other words, if some areas are ready earlier than others, they should go forward."

What’s the significance? This is business as usual. Huge AI announcements are happening left and right, and the government is doing what the government does when they don’t know what to do: making announcements and pledging money.

META SHUTS DOWN WORKPLACE TO FOCUS ON AI 👁️

️If it doesn’t use AI, it’s becoming irrelevant. 🤷‍♀️

What happened? Meta has announced the shutdown of Workplace, a tool tailored for businesses which blends social networking with productivity features.

What is Workplace? Workplace, originally launched as Facebook at Work in 2016, garnered 7 million paid subscribers by 2021. However, with Meta streamlining its product portfolio, Workplace has found itself on the back burner. Customers will be able to access Workplace until September 2025, after which it will only be available for data retrieval, ultimately ceasing operation in 2026.

Why? This move is an effort to reallocate resources towards AI-driven projects, marking the death of platforms which don’t utilize AI technology. A Meta statement announced, “We are discontinuing Workplace from Meta so we can focus on building AI and metaverse technologies that we believe will fundamentally reshape the way we work.”

TASTE-TEST THURSDAY 🍽️

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