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How AI could help us avoid traffic jams
ALSO: Creating videos with Dream Machine
Zain Kahn
June 18, 2024
Read time: under 4 minutes
Welcome back, Superhuman
It’s estimated that we spend on average six months of our lives sitting at red lights. Now, more than a dozen cities are using AI to help cut down on that idle time. And: Learn how to create your own videos using Luma AI’s Dream Machine.
Today’s Insights
Cutting down on traffic with AI
Tutorial: How to create videos in Dream Machine
Will AI convince us to upgrade our devices?
5 new AI tools to boost your productivity
Everything else you should know today
AI-Generated Images: Tweet tweet
NEXT IN AI
AI platforms are trying to put an end to traffic jams
For most drivers, cruising through a series of green lights can feel like a rare stroke of luck. But soon, AI could help make that scenario much more likely. Cities around the world are starting to test new platforms that can analyze data from both cars and map apps to facilitate “green waves” that keep traffic flowing efficiently.
The details:
Developers say signal adjustments of only a couple seconds can make all the difference at busy intersections
That’s especially true during rush hour, when poorly-timed traffic lights can quickly lead to backups
New AI models can suggest how to optimize signals at different points throughout the day with much more precision than older methods
Instead of needing to overhaul their entire traffic system, city engineers can input the changes in a matter of minutes
That’s because they incorporate data from cars that are already on the roadway, reducing cities’ reliance on lengthy traffic studies
The initiatives have been largely successful: One project from Alphabet called Green Light has helped reduce congestion by up to 30%, according to the Wall Street Journal. It’s being used in 16 cities, including Abu Dhabi, Seattle, and Hamburg. Green Light already impacts about 30 million car trips per month, with plans to expand to new cities soon.
An added benefit: Half of emissions at intersections come from cars starting and stopping at red lights. So, if we can reduce the idle time that drivers wait at them, we can also cut overall pollution in cities. Some models have already managed to reduce the wait at intersections by 10% — a notable figure considering that vehicles are the leading cause of pollution in the US.
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AI AT WORK
How to create videos in Dream Machine
Dream Machine by Luma Labs is the latest video generation model to be released and the quality of short videos that you can create with it is pretty darn good. Here’s how to use it:
Go to the Dream Machine website and log in.
You’ll get credits to create your video.
Describe what you want to create in the prompt box at the top.
You can use the ideas given below the prompt box.
Wait a minute and you’ll get your AI-generated video.
You can save the video and share it with your friends.
PROMPT OF THE DAY
Weekly Workout Challenge Generator
You are an expert fitness coach. I am [mention the problem you’re facing in detail with context]. Generate a challenging yet engaging ‘Workout Challenge of the Week’ focused on [state fitness goal]. Ensure it’s suitable for someone with access to [mention available equipment or no equipment]. I want you to [mention how you want the output in detail with examples].You can adapt the prompt to your specific needs.
Source: Shushant Lakhyani on Medium
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AI & HARDWARE
Why AI could convince people to upgrade their devices
Source: Apple
Are you the type of person who keeps your smartphone way past the usual upgrade cycle? Judging by recent sales trends, more people than ever are taking that approach. Some say they can no longer tell the difference between each year’s releases and are instead content to wait it out until their device goes kaput.
That could change now that AI has entered the picture: This is the first time in a while that we’ll see a stark divide between the old and the new. Apple owners, for example, need to have at least an iPhone 15 Pro — the current top-of-the-line model — to run its recently-announced AI features, a not-so-subtle hint that the company wants its users to upgrade.
There’s no guarantee customers will fall in line: The iPhone maker, as well as its Android rivals, will have to show that their new AI features are too important to pass up — like upgrading from a flip phone to a smartphone. PC companies, meanwhile, hope AI integration will help reverse years of plunging sales. Market intelligence firm IDC expects that by 2028, two in three purchased PCs will have AI capabilities.
But it’s not just hardware: While there are paid versions of ChatGPT, Gemini, and other chatbots, most everyday users can get by for now with open options. Some AI companies are struggling to turn a profit: It’s not easy trying to convince someone to pay for something that they previously got for nothing.
But there are other things we’ve gotten used to paying a subscription for, like streaming services, software, and cloud storage. Tech companies could soon try bumping up subscription prices in exchange for new AI features — a strategy that might help them bring in more revenue without offending users.
PRODUCTIVITY
5 AI Tools to Supercharge Your Productivity
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PS: Want more? Check out our Top 100 AI Tools.
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AI & TECH NEWS
Everything else you need to know today
Source: PYMNTS
ScreenGPT: Healthcare startup Color Health is teaming up with OpenAI to create a GPT-powered platform that can help screen for cancer and recommend treatments.
Robo Rehearsals: Nvidia is rolling out a set of special sensors called Omniverse Cloud Sensor RTX that can help companies build and test new humanoid robots, autonomous vehicles, and smart devices.
Polyglot Bots: TikTok’s new Symphony Digital Avatars tool will let influencers create AI-generated versions of themselves, then translate their voices across 10 languages and dialects.
Sounding the Alarm: On Monday, the US Surgeon General argued that social media sites should have to use a warning label that alerts teens to adverse effects like anxiety and depression.
😄 One Fun Thing: Social media users are using Luma AI’s new video generator to turn classic memes, including “disaster girl” and “doge,” into short clips. But critics say the videos contain too many bizarre glitches and artifacts to be convincing.
🧠 Brain Food: Semafor reported that Microsoft’s AI chief, Mustafa Suleyman, is peering into the source code of OpenAI’s GPT-4 to try to better understand how it was built. Suleyman is allowed to examine the model since both companies are business partners. But analysts think Microsoft could one day use the secretive information to build a rival generative platform.
AI-GENERATED IMAGES
Tweet Tweet
Source: @ralho on Midjourney
Prompt: drawing of a bird eating on a hand minimal
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