Addressing the Apple in the Room 🍎

⏳ Read time: under 7 minutes

After a wonderful two-week honeymoon and brief hiatus from writing this newsletter and the AI world, I’m back and hitting the ground running! One of the first things I did upon my return was lead a foundational AI training for a Marin-based agricultural nonprofit.

The team was incredibly receptive and eager to integrate AI into their work. They are now poised to strategize and implement an AI policy that will enhance their workflows and processes. A special shoutout to Peter (who reads this newsletter) for recognizing the need to familiarize his company with the AI landscape and bringing me in for the training! Following a dynamic in-person presentation and an enthusiastic Q&A session, this nonprofit is set to become early adopters of this transformative technology.

If you or your team might benefit from an AI orientation, training or workshop, don’t hesitate to reach out for more details.

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TODAY’S SPREAD

•  🍎 Apple’s Highly Anticipated AI Announcements

• 🥣 Quick bites about AI in the news

• 🧘 Find Your Ikigai GPT

• 🎞️ AI-Generated Video of the Week

AI News

 🍎 Apple is Putting AI in the Hands of >1B People

Apple users, listen up! Apple just held its annual conference announcing future updates for its next generation of products. Enthusiasts have been waiting with baited breath to see how the tech giant incorporates AI (which they have rebranded from Artificial Intelligence to Apple Intelligence) into their suite of devices.

Here are the key takeaways:

• Apple will integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its operating systems later this year (likely in September).

• Siri is getting an AI overhaul and will be able to take actions on your behalf in apps. They call this “onscreen awareness”.

• Siri will converse more naturally and remember context across requests.

• You’ll be able to type to the new Siri, not just talk to it. 

• Mail will have new AI tools that can help write/summarize emails.

Some examples of what you will be able to do with Siri:

• Ask Siri to pull up a photo of your driver’s license, automatically grab the number, and paste it directly into a form

• Ask Siri to take a screenshot and send it to a friend

• If a friend texts you their address, you can ask Siri to add it to their contact card

More AI features throughout Apple devices:

• Summarize unread emails or long group chats

• Draft or rewrite email responses

• Transcribe and summarize phone calls, Notes in the Notes app

• Bring time-sensitive messages to the top of your inbox

• Photos get conversational search abilities and new editing tools

If you’re thinking about upgrading your Apple device anytime soon, some things to keep in mind: The AI features (which roll out in the fall) will only work on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPads and Macs with M1 chips or later.

What does this mean for your data if you’re an Apple user?

• Siri will only use ChatGPT if you give it permission to.

• Even if you opt to use ChatGPT, OpenAI is not allowed to store your data.

• For most simple questions that you ask Siri, Apple uses an AI that lives on the device, meaning it does not need to consult ChatGPT or the cloud - your question won’t ever leave the device.

• For more complex questions, Siri consults a AI model that lives on Apple’s servers. Your data is anonymized and is not stored there forever.

Elon Musk has some doubts about Apple’s handling of user data, which is why he’s threatened to prohibit the use of Apple devices at his company. But Tim Cook has stated that Apple will not send any OpenAI data without explicit permission. Critics of Musk say that he’s salty because of his rocky history with OpenAI. Supporters say that he has every reason to be concerned.

Regardless of who is right: our devices are collecting data. Keep that in mind and form your own opinion/ do your own research for how you will interact with technology. There is now an Apple in the room.

AI News

🥣 Quick Bites

• 40% of venture capital funding in the month of May 2024 went to AI companies

• AI Researchers pen a letter wanting “Right to Warn” about AI Risks

• Elon Musk drops his lawsuit against OpenAI

• Google announces AI agents and LLMs focused on personal health

AI Experimentation

🧘 Discover Your Ikigai (Your Reason for Being) with the Help of ChatGPT

Just for fun! Self-reflect and use this CustomGPT to find your ikigai.

This tool is your guide on a journey to discover your Ikigai, the essence of your being, the reason you wake up each morning with a sense of purpose. It will help you uncover the intersection of four profound elements:

1. What you love

2. What you are good at

3. What the world needs

4. What you can be paid for

Through a series of reflective questions, you will delve into each of these realms, exploring your passions, talents, and the ways you can contribute to the world while making a living. By the end of this journey, you will have a clearer understanding of your Ikigai, the harmonious point where your inner desires and outer opportunities align.

AI-Generated Photo Video of the Week

🎞️ OpenAI’s Sora has a New Chinese Competitor called Kling

A new competitor has emerged in the race to build an AI model to generate new videos from text prompts. I linked it below, and it’s worth watching the demos. OpenAI’s Sora promises to create 1 minute videos (it still hasn’t been released), while Kling is capable of producing up to 2 minutes of video content. The model is available to Chinese-based users as a public demo.

Thanks for reading. Your curiosity fuels this journey.

Until next time!

Meg 👩🏻‍💻

p.s. if you want to sign up for this newsletter or share it with a friend or colleague, you can do so here. For questions and feedback, email me at [email protected]