Amazon just unveiled Nova Sonic, an AI model that talks and listens like a human. The new system beats both OpenAI and Google on speed and cost, while matching them on quality.
๐ค AI Experts Love the Future. The Rest of Us? Not So Much.
AI experts think artificial intelligence will transform society for the better. The public isn't buying it. A new Pew Research survey reveals a stark divide between AI specialists and average Americans.
The robots-will-save-us crowd faces a reality check. A fresh Pew survey exposes a gulf between AI experts and regular folks. While specialists paint a rosy future, only 17% of Americans share their techno-optimism. ๐คทโโ๏ธ
Even the experts bicker among themselves. Male specialists trumpet AI's potential, while female experts pump the brakes. Corporate types see responsible development ahead. Academia isn't convinced. ๐
Meanwhile, Midjourney storms back into the AI art arena. Their new V7 model promises prettier pictures and fewer mangled hands. The twist? It wants to learn your taste first. Rate 200 images, then create. The price tag might sting, but at least those cursed AI fingers won't haunt your dreams anymore. ๐จ
Stay curious,
Marcus Schuler
New Survey Shows Deep Divide on AI's Impact
AI experts think artificial intelligence will transform society for the better. The public isn't buying it.
A new Pew Research survey reveals a stark divide between AI specialists and average Americans. While 56% of experts believe AI will positively impact the U.S. over the next 20 years, only 17% of the public shares their optimism. The gulf widens on jobs - 73% of experts see AI improving how people work, but just 23% of Americans agree.
Gender splits the experts too. Male specialists bubble with enthusiasm, with 63% predicting positive impacts. Female experts strike a more cautious tone, with only 36% forecasting sunny days ahead. It seems even the robot whisperers can't agree on our automated future.
The academic-industry divide adds another wrinkle. Six in ten university experts doubt companies will develop AI responsibly. Their corporate counterparts are more trusting, with only 39% expressing skepticism. Perhaps proximity to profit centers breeds optimism.
Both groups share some common ground. They worry about AI-powered misinformation and data misuse. About two-thirds of experts and the public fear people will get bad information from AI. They also agree that government oversight looks shaky - roughly 60% think regulators won't do enough to control AI's spread.
Some jobs look particularly vulnerable. Both experts and the public expect AI to shrink opportunities for cashiers, journalists, and factory workers. But they split on transportation - 62% of experts think truck driving jobs will decline, while only 33% of the public agrees. The experts might know something the rest of us don't.
Why this matters:
The people building AI and the people who'll live with it see two very different futures. One group's utopia is another's dystopia.
When even the experts split along gender lines, maybe it's time to ask who's shaping AI's development - and who's being left out.
Midjourney Fires Back at OpenAI with New Image Generator
Midjourney just fired its first shot in the 2024 AI image wars. The timing isn't subtle - it comes just days after OpenAI's viral Ghibli-style generator in ChatGPT.
The new V7 model marks Midjourney's first major update in nearly a year. It brings faster rendering, sharper details, and a curious twist: it learns your taste. Users must rate 200 images to create a "personalization profile" before they can use V7.
CEO David Holz calls it a "totally different architecture." The model excels at handling text prompts and crafting textures. It also fixes a common AI art complaint - those creepy, mangled hands that haunt earlier models.
Speed comes at a price. The "Turbo" mode costs twice as much as V6. But there's a workaround: a new "Draft Mode" renders images 10 times faster at half the cost. Think of it as a sketch pad for ideas.
Some features still run on V6, including upscaling and retexturing. Holz promises updates within two months. The company faces lawsuits over training data, but that hasn't slowed its progress. With no outside funding, Midjourney reportedly earned $200 million in 2023.
Why this matters:
The AI image race isn't just about prettier pictures. It's about who can make AI understand - and match - human taste.
When billion-dollar tech giants compete for your creativity, the real winner might be art itself.
Prompt: The Monkey King๏ผ Golden hair, handsome face, wearing a white Taoist robe, surrounded by a group of people dressed in white, talking happily, standing on the square with an ancient palace in the background. Chinese mythology, Ancient Chin, highly realistic, UhD, 8K, HDR, high definition, high resolution, high detail, high quality.
OpenAI Offers ChatGPT Plus Free to College Students
OpenAI just made a bold play for the future of education. The company is giving millions of U.S. and Canadian college students free access to ChatGPT Plus through May. The timing isn't random - finals are coming.
The move puts OpenAI's premium features in student hands right when they need them most. ChatGPT Plus normally costs $20 per month. It includes GPT-4 (OpenAI's smartest AI), image creation, voice chat, and research tools that dig deep into academic papers.
OpenAI isn't alone in targeting students. Just a day earlier, Anthropic launched "Claude for Education" with a twist - it asks Socratic questions instead of giving answers. The company partnered with schools like Northeastern University to provide campus-wide access.
This feels like the 1990s browser wars, when Netscape and Internet Explorer fought for users by giving away software. Today's prize? Students who might bring their favorite AI tools into future workplaces.
The stakes are huge. Over one-third of young adults already use ChatGPT, with a quarter of queries tied to schoolwork. Market analysts expect educational tech to hit $80.5 billion by 2030.
Universities are scrambling to adapt. Some ban AI outright. Others redesign assignments to focus on uniquely human skills like research design and ethical reasoning. Most land somewhere in between, treating AI as a tool that requires its own expertise.
Why this matters:
The company that shapes how students learn with AI today could dominate workplaces tomorrow
This isn't just about homework help - it's about teaching a generation to work alongside machines
I'm seeking comprehensive feedback on my [proposal/project/article] as if you were an experienced [investor/business owner/magazine editor] in this field.
Please begin with a brief overall assessment and rate it on a scale of 1-10, explaining your reasoning behind the score.
Then provide: - 3-5 specific strengths with examples from the content that demonstrate what worked well
3-5 targeted areas for improvement with actionable suggestions for each
A concise summary of the most impactful change I could make to elevate this work
Feel free to comment on aspects like [relevance to target audience/market viability/narrative structure] and any missed opportunities you notice.
What would make you [invest in/implement/publish] this, and what might hold you back?
AI & Tech News
Intel Seeks TSMC's Help to Save Its Factories
Intel wants to hand TSMC the keys to its struggling factories. The world's top chipmaker might take a 20% stake in Intel's manufacturing business. The deal could save Intel from more pain. The company lost $18.8 billion in 2024 - its first loss since leg warmers were in fashion. Its stock dropped 60% while the market partied. Now the White House is playing matchmaker, pushing both sides toward the altar.
Google Sprints, Safety Reports Stumble
Google wants to catch OpenAI. But it's leaving safety transparency in the dust. The tech giant launched two AI models in three months - but hasn't published safety reports for either. That's awkward for a company that invented these reports back in 2019 and promised governments it would keep releasing them. Google calls this "experimental." Critics call it convenient amnesia.
Amazon's AI Will Now Shop For You
Amazon wants to be your personal shopper. Its new AI will even punch in your credit card details. The company's "Buy for Me" button lets you buy stuff from other websites without leaving the Amazon app. A blend of Amazon's Nova AI and Anthropic's Claude handles the boring parts - like typing your address for the thousandth time. Just don't expect Amazon's customer service if something goes wrong.
Zuckerberg Courts Trump as FTC Showdown Looms
Mark Zuckerberg sprinted to the White House this week. His mission? Charm Trump before the FTC tries to break up his empire. Meta faces a landmark antitrust trial on April 14 that could force it to unwind the Instagram and WhatsApp deals. Trump's new FTC chief Andrew Ferguson shows no signs of backing down, despite Silicon Valley's hopes that Trump 2.0 might play nicer with Big Tech.
US Climate Tech Dreams Meet Trump's Tariffs
Nine major green projects worth $8 billion have stalled since January. VW dialed back its Tennessee EV plant. Battery makers fled Michigan. Meanwhile, China and Europe race ahead in the climate tech gold rush, leaving America to perfect the art of shooting itself in the foot.
Microsoft at 50: Cloud Giant Hits Midlife Crisis
Microsoft turns 50 this week. But instead of champagne, it's swallowing market losses. The tech giant's stock just logged its worst quarter in three years as cloud growth sputters and Trump's tariffs bite. Even Bill Gates showing up to the birthday party couldn't stop shares from dropping another 2.4% Thursday.
Tech Giants Face European Exodus Over Trump Ties
Silicon Valley just learned a painful lesson in European politics. Cozying up to Trump might cost them their second-biggest market.
Meta, Google, and OpenAI raced to court the new president. Zuckerberg and Bezos made their Mar-a-Lago pilgrimages. Musk became Trump's tech whisperer. They hoped for deregulation and protection from Chinese rivals.
Europe watched in horror. Now it's plotting revenge. France wants to target U.S. tech services in response to Trump's tariffs. Other EU nations eye similar moves.
The stakes are massive. Google alone pulls $100 billion from Europe. But Europeans increasingly see U.S. tech as a security threat. Musk's Starlink games in Ukraine didn't help.
EU courts could deliver the knockout punch. Privacy advocates stand ready to challenge U.S. data transfers. Trump's disdain for EU privacy rules gives them ammunition. No judge will trust promises from an administration that treats laws like suggestions.
European tech leaders smell blood. They're building rival clouds and platforms. China circles too, eyeing the vacuum.
U.S. tech giants painted themselves into this corner. They traded European trust for Trump's favor. Now they might lose both markets.
Why this matters:
Silicon Valley bet everything on U.S. dominance just as the world fragments into digital fortresses
Tech's global empire crumbles not with a bang, but with a bureaucrat's signature in Brussels
Sudowrite transforms the lonely writing process into a collaborative dance between human creativity and AI assistance. Founded by writer-entrepreneurs, it's carving a unique niche as the premier AI writing partner for fiction creators.
THE FOUNDERS: Amit Gupta and James Yu launched Sudowrite in 2020 in San Francisco. These writer-engineers (Gupta sold Photojojo in 2014; Yu sold Parse to Facebook in 2013) created the tool after meeting in a sci-fi writing group to combat their own creative blocks. Now employs under 20 people.
THE PRODUCT: AI-powered writing assistant built specifically for fiction authors. Generates plot twists, vivid descriptions, character development, and style variations using multiple AI engines (including GPT-3/4 and fine-tuned Claude). Features "Story Bible" organization, Canvas storyboarding, AI reader feedback, and sharing tools. Acts as a 24/7 brainstorming partner rather than ghostwriter.
THE COMPETITION: Stands apart from marketing-focused tools like Jasper and Copy.ai by zeroing in on storytelling expertise. Faces pressure from general AI chatbots (ChatGPT) and enterprise solutions (Writer.com), but maintains edge through fiction-specific features. Cultivates loyal community of novelists and screenwriters.
FINANCING: Raised $3 million seed funding in 2021. No additional venture rounds announced. Reached $750,000 annual run-rate by early 2023 through subscription model. Valuation remains undisclosed, but likely growing organically from initial investment and revenue.
THE FUTURE: โญโญโญโญ Sudowrite sits at a thrilling crossroads. The team hints at evolving into a full "story engine" that could help anyone monetize their intellectual property across media formats. ๐ Integration partnerships with word processors or publishers could supercharge growth.
