Humane's new AI pin, reviewed

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Welcome back, Superhuman

According to reviewers, the release of the first-ever AI gadget wasn’t a huge hit. But we’re still in the early days of AI-powered gadgets, and some worthy contenders are coming down the pipeline

TODAY’S MENU

• Why reviewers aren’t happy with Humane’s new AI Pin

• Prompt of the day

• Texas plans to start grading standardized tests with AI

• 5 new AI tools to boost your productivity

• AI Generated Images: Spring Travel

NEWS

Today in AI & Tech

• It’s Official: A session list for Microsoft’s May conference confirmed that it’s planning to announce a slate of AI PCs.

• Us Too: Apple’s apparently updating its lineup of Macs with AI-focused M4 chips. Coming EOY & early 2025.

• Uh Oh: OpenAI released an updated version of GPT-4 Turbo for paid ChatGPT users…the same day reports said the company fired two top researchers for allegedly leaking information.

• Boardroom Shakeup: Amazon just added machine learning expert Andrew Ng to its board of directors — a hint that the tech giant plans to center future products around AI.

• Enlisted AI: A new report reveals that in October 2023, Microsoft pitched OpenAI’s generative AI tools to the US military for things like document analysis and maintaining equipment.

• Tech Trek: OpenAI’s Sam Altman visited the United Arab Emirates this week to encourage the nation to invest in AI infrastructure, including new high-tech data centers.

NEXT IN AI

The reviews are in: AI gadgets aren’t ready to replace smartphones just yet

Humane’s new AI Pin — the first major AI device — wanted to make you less reliant on your phone. But now that reviewers have gotten their hands on it, they’re warning, “Don’t chuck your smartphone in the junk drawer just yet.” At this point, the wearable device seems to be causing more headaches than it’s worth. But while AI gadgets might not be ready for prime time, that doesn’t mean they don’t have a bright future.

Out of the box, the AI Pin can:

• Make calls, send texts, and take photos and videos with voice commands

• Stream your music (except, it’s only compatible with Tidal for now)

• Recommend nearby restaurants and bars

• Project a futuristic laser display that you can hold up to your palm

Why are most reviewers underwhelmed? It mostly comes down to the idea that at this point, it’s still easier to do most tasks on your phone. For instance, you can activate Siri with just your voice, but Humane’s AI Pin makes you touch the device while speaking to it. Hand gestures don’t always work as intended, and the gadget easily overheats. Besides, it’s pricey: $699, plus $24 a month for 4G services.

But don’t despair: Rome wasn’t built in a day. There were mediocre touch screens and smartphones before the iPhone came along and changed everything. We don’t have to set all of our hope in Humane either. A more affordable alternative, the Rabbit R-1, is right around the corner. And Sam Altman is working with former Apple design lead Jony Ive on a top-secret AI gadget of their own. They could all be a huge step up from modern-day smartphones.

PROMPT OF THE DAY

Friday Funday - Pub Fiction

Prompt: Write the dialogue and script for the following scene: Samuel L Jackson is the guide on a guided bus tour of London's most exciting sites. He hates his job.

Samuel L Jackson's dialogue reads like his lines in action movies: intense, angry, and full of swear words.

On the bus is a frustratingly inquisitive character who makes his day worse. He gets increasingly frustrated and starts arguing with the passenger. 

Be descriptive and specific about the stops on the tour (at least five of them, visited one at a time) and the dialogue between Jackson and the passenger. 

You can adapt the prompt to your needs and desires. For example, you can choose another protagonist or introduce new side characters. You can also ask the model to change the scenery (like a boat tour on the Nile or a helicopter tour in Hawaii).

_{Source: u/Po0pasaurus on Reddit}

AI AT SCHOOL

Texas plans to start grading standardized tests with AI

Since ChatGPT’s release in 2022, sneaky students have been using chatbots to cheat on their homework assignments — and teachers have struggled to keep up. But in Texas, the tables have turned, and it’s teachers who are getting help from AI this year.

What’s the plan? The Lone Star State announced it’s going to start using AI to grade students’ STAAR exams — the standardized tests that third- through eighth-graders have to take every year. Here’s the surprising thing: The AI model won’t just be grading multiple-choice questions. It’ll have to assess open-ended questions, too — on everything from science to social studies.

Why make the change? For one, it’s much more affordable. The state says its education agency will save as much as $20 million per year due to the switch. But that comes at a cost for human scorers: Texas will only hire 2,000 graders this year — instead of the usual 6,000.

How was it trained? The scoring system learned how to grade exam answers by analyzing thousands of responses that had already been assessed by humans. There are also some built-in safeguards. For example, a quarter of students’ answers will be graded again by humans to make sure the system’s working as intended.

How are Texans reacting? The Texas Tribune reported that teachers and parents alike are worried about the system’s accuracy, especially because AI models can show biases based on the data they were trained on. Still, tech advocates say AI might actually be more impartial: It doesn’t get tired, it works faster, and it’s more consistent. If the experiment works well, the technology might start rolling out to other states in the near future.

CHART

AI isn’t a major job disruptor (at least on paper)

For all the talk about AI replacing jobs, it remains very unlikely that it will happen to you, at least for now, according to a new Ipsos report. Americans are far more likely to lose their jobs due to cost-cutting, restructuring, company closures, and market conditions.

Still, the picture is more complicated because some companies might conceal the scale of their AI adoption, attributing layoffs to something else, like the state of the economy.

PRODUCTIVITY

5 AI Tools to Supercharge Your Productivity

Help Kit: Turn your Notion docs into a professional self-service help center for your customers — no code required.

Nuanced: Detect AI-generated images to protect the integrity and authenticity of your service.

Laterbase: Receive chat-powered insights with an AI-powered bookmark manager.

Branded: Name your startup, secure the domain, and brand it — all in one place.

Boolv: Turn websites, blogs, and images into videos.

^{* indicates a promoted tool, if any}

AI GENERATED IMAGES

‘Tis the Season

Prompt: cherry blossoms around the world, peak spring, shot on Nikon Z8

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🧞 Your wish is my command

Thanks for reading.

Until next time!

Zain

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