Welcome to Volume 11 of the Blacklynx Brief.

Before we dive into the news - some of you might know I’ve been writing this thing 100% in my spare time (of which there is not much).

Because of AI tools and the way I’m organized it’s a hobby that is still under control.

But I want to make sure that what I write brings value.

Here’s a quick poll - just click on one of the items:

Now, onto the actual newsletter.

AI development is progressing at breakneck speed. Not only is the cat out of the bag - upon closer inspection it’s not a cat but a Bengal tiger.

Week after week I write here about the advancements and breakthroughs and it feels like I’m writing fiction.

One year ago ChatGPT was not released to the public yet and now you can draw on a piece of paper what you want your website to look like - take a picture of it and have this “thing” code your entire site for you in under 2 minutes.

But my fascination is tinged with an underlying disquiet. It feels … overwhelming. It’s like you’re watching an incoming tsunami from the shore. In awe of the power of nature but somewhere in your mind you know you need to go look for higher ground.

Our strong, natural instincts for problem-solving and creativity are now facing a challenge. It feels like we're bypassing our old processes by adding AI to our workflows. Is this "cheating"? Or is this just a new evolution of our cognitive toolkit?

Maybe our discomfort is not because AI is an outside force, but because we resist change. We are, after all, creatures of habit. But as with all tools, AI is an extension of our intentions. It doesn’t replace our essence but amplifies our capabilities.

In the dance between man and machine, it's vital to remember that we lead. As we grapple with these feelings, let's not retreat into the shadows of apprehension. Instead, we should view AI as a companion on our journey. It can offer us opportunities while still honoring our humanity. For in this synergy, lies the promise of a brighter, more enlightened future.

Get ready for this week’s tsunami :)

🎨 Adobe AI Innovations🎨

When Midjourney came out last year it looked like Adobe , the developer of Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere looked slightly in trouble. Nothing could be farther from the truth. They have solidly taken control of generative AI in their space.

The Adobe Max event in Los Angeles was a hotbed of AI-related announcements. One of the standout features was the Firefly Image 2 technology, which crafts hyper-realistic images and vector images from text prompts.

Adobe Premiere has also integrated AI, introducing features that allow video editing through text and the automatic removal of filler words.

Additionally, Adobe's speech enhancement promises improved audio quality. But that's not all! Adobe Illustrator now boasts the capability to create vector graphics directly within the application. These graphics, being infinitely scalable and editable, are a game-changer for designers.

Adobe showcased the power of generative AI in design. From creating retro graphic styled postcards to the "Project Fast Fill" that demonstrated the removal of backgrounds from video scenes, the potential is immense.

Another intriguing feature was "Project Draw and Delight," allowing users to sketch their desired image, which the program then brings to life. Adobe also introduced Project Neo, a tool reminiscent of Blender, and Project Scene Change, which merges point cloud data with video footage for more natural scenes.

The video below dives deep on the entire event.

🤖 AI in Action : Real-World Applications 🤖

You can use AI to generate silly dad jokes on the one hand OR you can use it to save the world from extinction on the other.

Google is harnessing AI to combat environmental challenges like floods, wildfires, and extreme heat. Their advanced forecasting and tracking systems promise a safer future. In the healthcare sector, Harvard unveiled an AI tool capable of predicting viral variants, a significant step towards future-proofing vaccines.

Google is diving deep into the world of generative AI - although they seem to be a bit behind on the competition. Their recent introduction of image generation into their search functionality allows users to generate imagery and even draft written content. While Google Bard might not have been the success they hoped for, their new initiatives in AI search are promising. The ability to generate descriptive details and realistic images directly from search results could redefine how we use search engines.

🌐Open-Source AI: The Game Changer 🌐

While commercial companies like OpenAI, Google and Baidu are building models - the open-source community is making significant strides in the AI race.

Models like LLaVA (Large Language and Vision Assistant) are outperforming others in areas like reasoning, mathematics, and code generation. The release of the Show-1 open-source video model, touted as the best of its kind to date, is a testament to the power of collaborative innovation.

With such tools being fully open-source, they come with detailed papers, allowing developers worldwide to understand, utilize, and improve them.

🎭 Entertainment Meets AI 🎭

Hollywood went on strike because of the fear of being replaced by AI. This resulted in the introduction of the No Fakes Act, aiming to protect against unauthorized AI use in audiovisual works.

Meanwhile, Disney unveiled a new robot character trained using reinforcement learning, promising an enhanced experience for visitors at Disneyland's Galaxy's Edge. Major Wall-E vibes ;)

💡 OpenAI’s Strategic Moves💡

OpenAI is gearing up to make AI development more accessible and affordable. With plans to reduce their API prices and introduce new tools like vision capabilities, they're aiming to build a robust AI ecosystem. The potential development of custom AI chips by OpenAI could further revolutionize the AI industry.

🔊 Voice AI: Breaking Language Barriers🔊

11 Labs introduced a groundbreaking AI product that allows content creators to dub their voice into 29 different languages while preserving the original voice's essence. This technology can detect different speakers in a video and dub their voices accurately.

🌌 Other AI News🌌

• Amazon is starting to use AI systems next to human workers at its fulfillment centers

• OpenAI has dropped work on a new language model codenamed “Arrakis” that they were working on because it was underperforming.

• GPT4 is getting faster

AI Project of the Week

If you are a little bit technical and know your way around a code editor - let me blow your mind with this little project: Autogen.

Autogen is a framework released by Microsoft that enables you to create AI agents that are specialised in a certain topic and have them work together to achieve your goals.

You can literally create a team of robots - each with their own specialization and have them work together - talk to each other - with a certain end goal in mind.

You set the end goal - for example : build me a video game and set up a sales structure around it to sell the video game.

And slightly more advanced video from Matthew Berman

Productivity Hack of the Week

This one is courtesy of Rowan Cheung at “The Rundown”.

ChatGPT is extremely powerful, but after you use it for awhile, you’ll realize it’s quite dull and unopinionated.

But, there’s a hack to make ChatGPT an expert in any field, with strong opinions on important topics.

Let’s get into how to do it in 3 easy steps:

Step 1: Training ChatGPT on Your Thoughts

This prompt essentially gives ChatGPT your opinion on topics you know about, to benefit the writing it can do on your behalf.

Make sure to replace the content within the square brackets to your own values.

You are an expert in the [your industry] industry. Please create a numbered list of at least 10 conventional wisdoms commonly communicated to [your target audience, eg. ‘aspiring content creators’] looking to [audience’s goals or frustrations, e.g. ‘break into the industry’]. Then ask which numbers I think are unhelpful for my audience’s goals. Interview me, one question at a time, pausing for my answers, to find and distill my unique perspectives. The final output will be a bullet point list of my contrarian perspectives, the results I achieved from holding them, and how they differ from conventional industry wisdom. Start by showing me 10 conventional wisdoms.

Step 2: Give Your Answers

ChatGPT will give you a list of 10 tips and tricks or opinions on your industry.

Simply respond with the correlating #’s that you believe are valuable.

After you respond, ChatGPT will interview you to better understand why you believe that point to be valuable, and will start to learn your opinions.

Step 3: All done!

If incorporated well, ChatGPT can now capture a piece of writing and make it indistinguishable from your point of view.

Ask deep questions on your industry, and you’ll be shocked with how accurate ChatGPT can predict what you’re thinking!

Closing Thoughts

Thanks for filling in the survey in the beginning of this newsletter. I’ll make sure it will be reflected in next week’s edition.

Until next week, keep exploring and stay curious!