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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.