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It’s been a big past week in AI, filled with announcements (like Microsoft’s Recall), controversies (such as the disbandment of OpenAI’s Superalignment team and Scarlett Johansson’s voice in ChatGPT), and more. So, I am taking a quick break from seeing the sights on my honeymoon in Europe to send out this newsletter and stay on the pulse. Don’t worry, my husband doesn’t mind as he is busy getting his 4th slice of pizza of the day here in Rome. 🍕

Here are a few of the ways I’ve been using AI (all ChatGPT) on this trip:

• Optimizing our itinerary: I shared a Google Sheets spreadsheet with all of our logistics info, and it was able to recommend things to do/see/eat based on our specific tastes and preferences.

• Using the ChatGPT app to take photos of monuments: Getting a summary of the history and quick facts in real-time, plus asking follow-up questions as they come up. “What’s the population of Oviedo, Spain?” “How old are the street cobblestones in Rome?”

• Discovering new card games: “What card games can 4 players play with a Spanish deck of cards?” We learned Brisca!

• Book recommendations: Based on authors and books I have enjoyed previously. “I enjoy reading books by Ruth Reichl. What other books would I like to read that are similar?”

I’ve been noticing the Memory feature on ChatGPT picking up on a lot of info that I’ve provided in previous conversations. This has been useful for the most part, yet also a bit alarming and unsettling.

Try the following prompt in ChatGPT to see how much info it has about you:

Based on the info you have about me, describe me. 

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TODAY’S SPREAD

•  📰 AI News Bites: Call Moderation, Reddit x OpenAI, Europe’s AI Act

• 💸 The Hidden Cost of Free AI: Why OpenAI’s GPT-4o Model Is Available for Free and What It Means for Your Data Security

• 🥣 AI Tools to Try Out

• 💥 How AI Searches Are Upending the Online Economy

• 📊 Analyze your data, create charts, and edit spreadsheets directly within ChatGPT-4

• 👩🏻‍💻 AI-Generated Images of the Week

Before we get into it, a word from this week’s sponsor:

AI News

 📰 Quick Bites

• Softening Customer Tone: SoftBank, a Japanese investment firm, is experimenting with AI technology designed to moderate the tone of irate customers, aiming to protect the mental health of their call center staff.

• Reddit and OpenAI Partnership: Reddit has completed an agreement allowing OpenAI to use its content for training purposes. In return, Reddit gains the capability to leverage ChatGPT for developing new AI functionalities.

  Speaking of Reddit, here’s a thread I enjoyed on “the coolest things people have done with ChatGPT 4o”, which provides many case studies/ examples of how users are leveraging ChatGPT for their everyday life.

• Europe's AI Act Approved: The EU has given the green light to Europe's groundbreaking AI Act, which will introduce extensive regulations, impose stringent fines, and set new limitations on high-risk AI applications.

• AI Teacher: Microsoft and Khan Academy are teaming up to offer a free AI teaching assistant that can help create lesson plans and test questions.

AI Musings

💸 The Hidden Cost of Free AI: Why OpenAI’s GPT-4o Model Is Available for Free and What It Means for Your Data Security

Why did OpenAI make their latest GPT-4o model available for free, potentially undermining existing ChatGPT Plus subscriptions? It's not just out of generosity (though that was my first thought). The real reason (and the hidden cost you might incur) is straightforward: developing the next generation of AI models demands an immense amount of data.

It turns out that the internet’s data alone no longer suffices: the available data has already been fed to the model to train from. One of OpenAI's most significant assets is the real-world interaction data from ChatGPT users. By using ChatGPT's free plan, you consent to OpenAI utilizing your conversations to train their models (unless you opt out, which few users do). This data is invaluable for OpenAI to enhance their AI and potentially gain an edge over competitors.

No wonder OpenAI and News Corp (owner of Wall Street Journal, Barorn’s, MarketWatch & more) just signed a deal worth up to $250M to integrate its news content into ChatGPT.

So, the cost of using "free" ChatGPT is your data. This might be acceptable for casual conversations, but not for business use. Sharing sensitive business data could lead to confidentiality breaches, risks, and legal issues.

You can still use ChatGPT for business, but it's wise to upgrade to a paid tier, ideally the ChatGPT Team or Enterprise plans. These options offer higher levels of privacy and default training opt-out. As you integrate AI into more business workflows, prioritize data security—regardless of which AI service you use.

Know someone who has expressed concern about using ChatGPT across their business? Share this newsletter by forwarding it to them.

As a friendly reminder, I offer intro to AI workshops (both virtual and in-person) for businesses, which includes explaining best practices such as the one described above to protect proprietary information and sensitive data. If your company is interested, please get in touch.

AI Tools

🥣 AI Tools to Try Out: Granola

Previously, I recommended the AI meeting notetaking tool Fathom, which I still use regularly. However, I understand that many people are still uneasy about AI, particularly the idea of a meeting bot joining the call and recording everything (which Fathom does).

Recently, I discovered a new software called Granola. It takes your raw meeting notes and enhances them based on the audio transcription of the call. This used to be a manual process for me, involving Otter.Ai and ChatGPT, but now Granola simplifies everything into a single step.

Remember, there are thousands of AI tools out there, with dozens more being released every day. To avoid burnout or tool fatigue, it's wise to choose a small, manageable tech stack. As AI advances, many of these micro-tools will become redundant.

With that said, I appreciate Granola’s subtle “AI enhancement” approach and look forward to integrating it into my workflows. I've experienced the awkwardness of having my Fathom meeting bot join calls, and I've even heard stories from colleagues where attendees requested it be turned off. Granola offers a more seamless solution without the discomfort of a visible AI presence in meetings.

The AI Effect

💥 How AI Searches Are Upending the Online Economy

The Decline of Traditional Search Engines

Search engines were once like a massive library, a central hub where people came to find information and discover various resources.. However, their relevance is waning as AI becomes more powerful, with fewer visitors and digital cobwebs forming. Meanwhile, a new platform is emerging that promises instantaneous desired information, eliminating the need for lengthy searches.

The Rise of AI-Generated Summaries

By the end of the year, billions will have access to Google’s AI-generated summaries. Additionally, other companies, including OpenAI, are developing their own AI-powered search platforms. Personally, I have been using an app called Perplexity in lieu of Google. My friend in Spain even used it to complete research for her thesis!

Benefits for Internet Users

Proponents of AI argue that this shift benefits internet users by providing specific, detailed answers directly within the search engine, bypassing the need to sift through multiple pages of results.

The Hidden Cost for Websites

However, this change poses a challenge: websites depend on clicks and engagement to drive traffic. If users no longer visit these sites because they get their answers directly, these sites may struggle to stay afloat. This reduction in traffic could lead to fewer sources for AI search engines to pull information from, creating a potential content scarcity.

End of SEO?

The era of SEO, where experts optimized websites to rank higher in search algorithms, may be coming to an end. If AI-driven platforms replace traditional search engines, these roles might become obsolete. (I used to do SEO professionally, and this news comes as a relief).

Potential Solutions

Finding a solution is complex. Search engines might need to share some financial responsibility. Similar to how AI companies partner with newspapers to train new models, search engines could pay a small fee each time they use an external source. Alternatively, AI search companies might establish their own news organizations to supply the content needed for their platforms. Google just announced that they will be placing ads in the AI Overview feature.

ChatGPT Feature of the Week

📊 Analyze your data, create charts, and edit spreadsheets directly within ChatGPT-4

OpenAI has introduced a new feature that allows you to edit spreadsheets, tables, and charts directly within ChatGPT-4 by simply instructing it on what to do. You can even add files directly from Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive!

Previously, the process involved downloading an Excel file, converting it to CSV, uploading it to ChatGPT for edits, and then downloading the edited CSV to reopen it. Now, you can upload an Excel or Google Sheet directly to ChatGPT, and it will handle data analysis tasks just like an intern would.

With this feature, you can:

• Analyze large datasets to identify trends, key statistics, results, and more.

• Edit spreadsheets by combining datasets, cleaning data, and creating pivot tables.

• Generate, edit, and customize various types of charts.

• Prepare financial statements, including balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow reports.

Simply upload a file, click “Expand View,” and start directing ChatGPT. This feature will be available to Plus, Team, and Enterprise users in the coming weeks. See it in action here. 

While it’s not perfect and important figures should always be double-checked, it significantly improves basic spreadsheet modifications and data insights.

Microsoft and Google have announced similar features that will be integrated natively into Excel and Google Sheets, but ChatGPT-4 is a great solution in the meantime.

AI-Generated Photo of the Week

As I mentioned earlier, I'm currently on my honeymoon in Europe and, guess what, I forgot my laptop charger! It's a good sign, though—I didn't even notice until a week into the trip because we've been having such a good time. I ventured to the Apple Store in Rome, which is casually housed in a 16th-century monastery. Scroll down for the photo.

Can you imagine if all Apple Stores were in locations like this? Disclaimer: I don't actually want this to happen (keep nature natural), but it's fun to let our imaginations run wild!

👩🏻‍💻 Apple Stores in Remote Locales

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]