Another Crazy Day in AI: ASAE 2024 Highlights

Hello, AI Enthusiasts.

After a full week, it’s time to unwind and enjoy the weekend ahead. Whether you’re kicking back after a hectic day or gearing up for some well-deserved downtime, we’ve got some interesting updates to share with you!

Fresh from the bustling ASAE 2024 Annual Meeting, Ray van Hilst from Yoko Consulting shares key AI insights. Missed the event? Don’t worry—we’ve summarized all the key points for you!

Also, don’t miss Applied AI’s upcoming event on Gen AI and a new update from Google's Gemini.

Have a fantastic Labor Day weekend and enjoy the read! 🎉

Here's another crazy day in AI:

• AI’s Impact on Associations: Key Learnings from ASAE’s 2024 Meeting

• Applied AI’s First Thursdays Event: Practical Uses of Generative AI

• Gmail Q&A: Gemini AI expands to mobile devices

• Some AI tools to try out

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TODAY'S FEATURED ITEM: Strategic AI for Associations from ASAE 2024

Source: ASAE TV Daily Recap: Day 1 from the 2024 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition

How can associations navigate the complexities of AI while staying true to their mission and values?

At the recent ASAE 2024 Annual Meeting, AI took center stage, sparking both excitement and concern among association leaders. Ray van Hilst, Director of Client Results at Yoko Consulting, offers a comprehensive look at the AI landscape for associations, balancing the promise of innovation with the need for responsible implementation.

Key insights from the conference:

• AI Integration: Like it or not, AI is becoming an integral part of daily operations. From content creation to data analysis, it's already embedded in many tools associations use. The challenge? Leveraging AI to do more with less without losing the human touch.

• Strategic Alignment: Don't fall for the "shiny object syndrome." AI adoption should be tied to your association's strategic objectives. Whether it's increasing content production or optimizing member services, AI should serve your mission, not dictate it.

• Transparency: Be upfront about your AI use. If you're using AI to draft content or summarize meetings, let your members know. Transparency isn't just ethical – it's a trust-builder.

• Ethical Considerations: Associations face unique ethical challenges with AI, including potential misinformation, bias, copyright issues, and data privacy concerns. Staying vigilant and establishing clear guidelines is crucial.

• Evolving Policies: Your AI policies shouldn't collect dust. They need regular updates to keep pace with rapidly evolving technology and changing terms of service. Make them accessible, understandable, and reinforced through ongoing training.

• Managing Shadow IT: Unmanaged AI tool usage can lead to security vulnerabilities and data inconsistencies. Clear policies and oversight are essential to prevent these risks.

• Data and Knowledge Governance: For AI to function effectively, it needs accurate, up-to-date information. Prioritize data and knowledge governance to ensure your AI tools are working with the best possible inputs.

The path forward for associations in the AI era is one of balanced innovation. It's about harnessing the power of AI to enhance operations, improve member services, and drive mission fulfillment, while simultaneously navigating the ethical, legal, and practical challenges it presents.

As AI continues to evolve, associations must stay informed and adaptable. This means investing in ongoing education for staff and leadership, regularly reassessing AI tools and practices, and maintaining a steadfast commitment to ethical AI use. By approaching AI with a mix of enthusiasm and thoughtful consideration, associations can position themselves at the forefront of innovation while staying true to their core values and member-centric missions. The key lies in viewing AI not as a replacement for human expertise and connection, but as a powerful tool to augment and enhance the valuable work associations do. With careful planning, clear policies, and a focus on ethical implementation, associations can leverage AI to better serve their members, advance their missions, and navigate the complexities of an increasingly digital world.

Read the full article here.

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OTHER INTERESTING AI HIGHLIGHTS:

Applied AI’s First Thursdays Event: Practical Uses of Generative AI

/Applied AI

Join Nate Tower from Perrill at the upcoming Applied AI First Thursdays event as he shares how his team overcame initial AI implementation challenges. Discover the strategies he used to build excitement and commitment to AI across his organization. Ideal for those looking to create a culture of AI enthusiasm at work.

Date and Time: Thursday, September 5th, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM CDT

Location: Lab651 | Custom Software Development & Process

(550 Vandalia St 231 Saint Paul, MN 55114)

Read more here.

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Gmail Q&A: Gemini AI expands to mobile devices

/Jay Peters, The Verge

Google’s Gemini AI chatbot is now expanding to mobile, allowing users to interact with Gmail Q&A features. This update lets you ask questions about your inbox, find specific emails, and summarize content. Initially available on Android with iOS coming soon, it requires a Google One AI Premium subscription or certain Google Workspace plans. Keep in mind to verify the accuracy of responses, as AI can sometimes generate incorrect information.

Read more here.

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SOME AI TOOLS TO TRY OUT:

• Podcraftr - effortlessly convert written content into engaging podcasts

• Swatle - all-in-one team collaboration hub with AI-powered project management, instant chat, and task automation

• Clockwise Prism - intelligent calendar that streamlines scheduling by interacting directly with your requests, optimizing your schedule automatically

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That’s a wrap on today’s Almost Daily craziness.

Catch us almost every day—almost! 😉

Leveraging AI for Enhanced Content: As part of our commitment to exploring new technologies, we used AI to help curate and refine our newsletters. This enriches our content and keeps us at the forefront of digital innovation, ensuring you stay informed with the latest trends and developments.

Another Crazy Day in AI: Google Gemini gets a boost

Hello, AI Enthusiasts.

With the week moving along, it’s time to relax and catch up on AI developments. Today’s highlight is Google Gemini’s dual upgrade—find out what’s new and how it could influence the AI landscape as you enjoy your evening.

Enjoy the read and have a great night!

Here's another crazy day in AI:

• Gemini upgrades with custom chatbots and enhanced image generation

• A new AI productivity wearable: Plaud’s NotePin

• AI misses spelling simple words like 'strawberry'

• Some AI tools to try out

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TODAY'S FEATURED ITEM: Gemini Upgrades: Gems & Imagen 3

Image Credit: Google

Tired of generic chatbots and lackluster image generation?

Google’s latest updates to Gemini might just be the game-changer you’ve been waiting for.

Just a few hours ago, Google has just rolled out two groundbreaking updates to Gemini that could transform the way you interact with AI. Dave Citron, Senior Director of Product Management for Gemini Experiences, introduced Custom Gems and the enhanced Imagen 3 image generation model. These features are designed to give users more control and creativity in how they use AI.

Source: Google

Let's dive into what's new:

• Custom Gems: Create personalized AI experts for any topic or task, available to Gemini Advanced, Business, and Enterprise users, with pre-built options like Learning Coach, Brainstormer, and Career Guide.

• Imagen 3 Image Generation: A significant leap in AI-created visuals, accessible across all Gemini Apps and languages, capable of generating diverse styles from photorealistic to fantastical.

• User-Centric Design: Features built-in safeguards and ethical guidelines with easy image refinement through user feedback.

• Human Image Generation: A carefully implemented feature for creating images of people, initially available to Advanced, Business, and Enterprise users, with strict policies against generating identifiable individuals.

• Global Rollout: Custom Gems launching in over 150 countries, and Imagen 3 set for a phased release to a wider audience.

Image Credit: Imagen 3 / Prompt: A vibrant abstract painting with the words "Dream Big”

splashed across the canvas in bold colors.

These updates represent more than just technological advancements; they're a step towards a future where AI adapts to us, not the other way around. As these features roll out globally, we're likely to see a surge in creativity, productivity, and innovation across various fields.

The question is: How will you take advantage of these innovations to transform your approach and results?

Read the full article here.

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OTHER INTERESTING AI HIGHLIGHTS:

A new AI productivity wearable: Plaud’s NotePin

/David Pierce on The Verge

Plaud’s new AI device, NotePin, is designed to help users capture and manage their daily activities. This wearable, which can be worn around the neck, wrist, or clipped to clothing, records conversations and meetings with a simple tap. Unlike other devices, NotePin emphasizes user control and privacy by requiring manual activation for recording. Its AI features include transcription, summarization, and action item extraction, aiming to enhance productivity. The device has a battery life of up to 20 hours and costs $169, with advanced features available via a $79 annual subscription. Plaud’s NotePin offers a fresh approach to wearable technology, focusing on practical applications for organizing and recalling information.

Read more here.

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AI misses spelling simple words like 'strawberry'

/Amanda Silberling on TechCrunch

Despite the impressive capabilities of large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4, they often struggle with seemingly simple tasks, such as accurately counting letters in a word. This challenge stems from the fact that LLMs process text as tokens, which are broader representations of words or concepts, rather than handling individual letters. For instance, when asked about the number of “r”s in “strawberry,” these models may falter because they don’t process text in a manner akin to human cognitive functions. This limitation reveals a significant gap between AI's text processing and human-like understanding. Compounding the issue are complexities with multilingual text and tokenization. Efforts like OpenAI’s upcoming Strawberry model aim to tackle these problems, but the struggle highlights the ongoing limitations in AI’s text comprehension capabilities.

Read more here.

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SOME AI TOOLS TO TRY OUT:

• Kraftful 3.0 - instantly analyze user feedback with AI to refine your product

• Brighterway - AI-driven tool to focus on key medical records, saving you time

• PackPack - one-click browser extension for saving and summarizing web content

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That’s a wrap on today’s Almost Daily craziness.

Catch us almost every day—almost! 😉

Leveraging AI for Enhanced Content: As part of our commitment to exploring new technologies, we used AI to help curate and refine our newsletters. This enriches our content and keeps us at the forefront of digital innovation, ensuring you stay informed with the latest trends and developments.

Another Crazy Day in AI: New contender in creative technology

Hello, AI Enthusiasts.

It’s Thursday night, and the weekend is almost in sight! To help you relax, we’ve got some fresh AI updates.

We tried out a new image generator and put it side-by-side with some of the known tools. Also, check out our latest reads to stay updated with what’s new in the AI world.

Hope you find it all interesting!

Here's another crazy day in AI:

• Can Ideogram 2.0 dethrone the AI image kings?

• Perplexity AI plans to introduce ads by year-end

• Google's controversial newsroom funding deal

• Some AI tools to try out

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TODAY'S FEATURED ITEM: How Ideogram 2.0 is shaking up AI art

Image Credit: Wowza (made with Ideogram 2.0) / Prompt: A realistic kitchen scene with a chalkboard in the center displaying 'Wowza tries Ideogram 2.0.' The chef should be in the background, engaged in cooking or preparing food. Add a note on the refrigerator saying 'A new player in digital creativity.'

Is Ideogram 2.0 the next big thing in AI image generation, or just another player in a crowded field?

Ideogram, a pioneering AI company founded by former Google employees, has just unveiled Ideogram 2.0, their latest text-to-image AI model. Announced on August 20, 2024, this update aims to challenge industry leaders like Flux and Midjourney by offering improved realism, faster processing, and a host of new features. In an article for Decrypt, Jose Antonio Lanz provides an insightful exploration of this significant development in the rapidly evolving field of generative AI.

Here's the lowdown on what makes Ideogram 2.0 tick:

• Ideogram 2.0 offers five different presets: realism, drawing, 3D, anime, and general purpose

• The model claims to outperform competitors in image-text alignment, subjective preference, and text rendering accuracy

• New features include an iOS app and API for developers

• The "Realistic" style produces lifelike images with enhanced textures and human features

• A color palette option gives users more control over aesthetics and composition

• Free version allows 20 images per day, with paid plans starting at $8/month

• Ideogram's natural language processing enables intuitive prompting, similar to ChatGPT with DALL-E 3

• Initial user reactions have been largely positive, particularly for the "Realism" preset

We’ve put Ideogram 2.0 to the test alongside Midjourney 6.1, Flux Schnell, and Grok-2. Check out the collage of images generated by each model to see how their distinctive features and styles stack up against one another.

Images generated by Wowza using Ideogram 2.0, Midjourney 6.1, Flux Schnell, and Grok-2

With Ideogram 2.0, the world of AI image generation is seeing another strong contender enter the fray. It’s not just about the bells and whistles; it’s about offering something that genuinely adds value for creators. Whether or not it will unseat the established leaders remains to be seen, but it’s clear that Ideogram 2.0 is pushing the conversation forward. As with any new tool, the best way to judge its impact is to see what creators do with it.

The potential is there—now it’s up to the community to explore and decide if it lives up to the hype.

Read the article here.

Try Ideogram 2.0 here.

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OTHER INTERESTING AI HIGHLIGHTS:

Perplexity AI plans to introduce ads by year-end

/Published on Yahoo Finance-News, originally by Reuters

Perplexity AI, backed by Nvidia and Jeff Bezos, is preparing to introduce advertising on its AI-powered search platform by the fourth quarter of 2024. This announcement follows the launch of a new program where Perplexity AI partners with major publishers like TIME, Der Spiegel, and Fortune, sharing revenue from content interactions. As AI continues to reshape the search engine landscape, with companies like Microsoft and Google incorporating AI into their platforms, Perplexity AI’s move signals its ambitions to compete in this evolving industry. The startup recently raised $62.7 million, doubling its valuation to over $1 billion, and is seen as a rising contender in the AI-powered search space.

Read more here.

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Google's controversial newsroom funding deal

/Tyler Katzenberger, Jeremy B. White, Lara Korte on POLITICO

Google has reached a landmark agreement with California lawmakers to fund local newsrooms, marking the first such deal in the United States. The $180 million initiative includes a controversial element: a significant portion of the funding is earmarked for developing AI tools, sparking concerns among journalists who fear that AI could eventually replace their jobs. Despite the promise of financial support, the deal has been met with widespread criticism. Many see it as insufficient, with some lawmakers and journalists arguing that it allows Google to maintain its dominance over the media industry. The deal, brokered by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, also faced backlash for the perceived imbalance of power in negotiations, with critics accusing Google of leveraging its influence to secure favorable terms.

Read more here.

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SOME AI TOOLS TO TRY OUT:

• Spinach AI: AI project manager that automates meeting notes, action items, and project board updates

• SimplyPut: AI-powered platform that lets you ask data questions in plain language and get instant answers, no coding needed

• D-ID Video: Automatically translates videos into multiple languages, cloning voices and syncing lip movements

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That’s a wrap on today’s Almost Daily craziness.

Catch us almost every day—almost! 😉

Leveraging AI for Enhanced Content: As part of our commitment to exploring new technologies, we used AI to help curate and refine our newsletters. This enriches our content and keeps us at the forefront of digital innovation, ensuring you stay informed with the latest trends and developments.