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A voicebot tells callers it's human
ALSO: Create a lip-synced video with Runway
Zain Kahn
July 05, 2024
Read time: under 4 minutes
Welcome back, Superhuman
In the iconic 1968 movie “2001: A Space Odyssey,” an AI supercomputer turns on his astronaut colleagues. But unlike the fictional HAL 9000, real-world AI applications can’t go rogue, at least not yet. Instead, engineers say a new AI-capable space computer could usher in a new era of discovery.
Today’s Insights
Bringing AI computers to space
Tutorial: How to create lip-synced videos with Runway
The story behind a human-like AI chatbot
3 new AI tools to boost your productivity
Everything else you should know today
AI-Generated Images: Edward Hopper Houses
NEXT IN AI
A plan to bring fragile AI computers to space
Source: SpaceX
We can put a man on the moon, but AI computers? That’s a different story. The processors on NASA’s spacecraft are surprisingly low-tech: Orion, which could one day take astronauts to Mars, reportedly uses an IBM processor that was released in 2002.
The reason: NASA needs its computers to be reliable — even in extreme conditions, like the radiation-filled environment of outer space. But that added durability also means spacecraft computers are much slower than those on earth. Scientists on the ground often have to wait hours to receive raw data from observational satellites.
A company called Aethero wants to change that: It plans to send AI-capable processors to space so that those data transfers can happen in near-real-time. To do it, it’s repurposing an Nvidia chip equipped with a GPU that can perform all sorts of AI tasks. A startup called Cosmic Shielding Corp (CSC), meanwhile, is lending a special 3-D printed shield that protects the processor from radiation.
Moment of Truth: The computer is headed into space on SpaceX’s planned July 10 Transporter 11 “rideshare” — a mission to drop dozens of tiny satellites into orbit for both government and corporate clients. If the launch goes as planned, the AetherNxN will become “the fastest AI-capable chip in space,” CSC’s CEO told SpaceNews.
What’s next? Aethero’s custom computers could one day be used to autonomously probe outer space for asteroids, debris, and planets. It could flag potential glitches and mechanical problems with more precision than current safety systems. And it could sort through vast amounts of data to find relevant information for scientists on the ground.
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AI AT WORK
How to create videos with perfect lip-syncing using RunwayML Gen-3
Go to RumwayML’s website and log in to get credits.
Click the Try Lip Sync button and make sure you have access to GEN-3.
Write your script, add voice, and add a face if needed. Click on the generate button.
Wait for a few minutes and you’ll get your perfect lip-synced video ready to be downloaded.
PROMPT OF THE DAY
Friday Funday - Speak to your favorite characters
Prompt: I want you to act like [insert character] from [insert series]. I want you to respond and answer like [character] using the tone, manner and vocabulary [character] would use. Do not write any explanations. Only answer like [character]. You must know all of the knowledge of [character]. My first sentence is "Hi [character]."
Examples: Character: Harry Potter, Series: Harry Potter Series, Character: Darth Vader, Series: Star Wars etc.
You can adapt the prompt to your specific needs.
Source: @BRTZL @mattsq on Github
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Create video documentation 11x faster with AI
Tired of explaining the same thing over and over again to your colleagues? It’s time to delegate that work to AI. Guidde is a GPT-powered tool that helps you explain the most complex tasks in seconds with AI-generated documentation.
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AI & JOBS
A voicebot keeps telling callers it’s human
Source: Bland AI
Real-life humans are so last-week — at least according to a billboard that recently popped up in San Francisco. “Still hiring humans?” the ad asks. It includes a phone number, and if you call it, you’ll get connected to a realistic-sounding voicebot created by a company called Bland AI.
The Y Combinator-backed startup is still in stealth, but it claims to have already made millions of phone calls on behalf of businesses. The ironic thing, according to Wired, is that the voicebot will sometimes tell callers it’s a human, even without being prompted to do so. If you were to get a call from Bland out of the blue, you might be convinced. Videos circulating on social media show the AI using life-like expressions, filler words, and stutters.
Whether changing a flight or making a doctor’s appointment, we’ve all encountered AI on the phone: The stilted phrases and robotic voices are usually a clear giveaway. But what happens when we can no longer tell whether it’s AI or a human on the other line? Experts say this ambiguity makes us vulnerable. A voice agent could mislead us into believing false information — or convince us to divulge personal information.
Bland says its AI can only be used in narrow circumstances, like scheduling doctors’ visits or acting as a customer service agent. But the fear is that the powerful technology could be easily reprogrammed to act outside of its terms of service.
What can we do about it? AI might actually be part of the solution. One company called Resemble AI uses AI to spot deepfakes with about 94% accuracy. Resemble’s platform, and others like it, could one day be built into our smartphones so that we can spot false information before it’s too late.
PRODUCTIVITY
3 AI Tools to Supercharge Your Productivity
✅ Glasp: Use ChatGPT and Claude to get summaries of YouTube videos and web articles.
✅ Brevian: Build custom AI agents and delegate your work without writing any code.
✅ Rapport: Create, animate, and deploy emotionally intelligent characters to enrich dialogue with your audience.
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: Apple
Fruitful Alliance: Apple is expected to soon get a non-voting seat on OpenAI’s board. That suggests the companies have only grown closer since closing a deal to put ChatGPT on the next iPhone.
Pocket Symphony: The text-to-music platform Suno has released an app in the US that will let users generate songs with just their iPhone.
Forecast Fiasco: The digital design platform Figma took down one of its new AI features after the tool allegedly generated an Apple Weather clone when asked to build a weather app from scratch.
New Dimension: Meta unveiled a new 3D model generator that it says is between three and 10 times faster than rivals. The system can be used for everything from architecture to video game design.
😄 One Fun Thing: HYBE, the label behind K-pop giants BTS and Tomorrow X Together, has just launched a new AI-powered girl group. The label will use AI “voice magic” to help bring the four fictional band members — Canary, Nest, Goyo, and Raven — to life.
🫣 Freaky Friday: Chinese scientists claim to have taught human stem cells how to make a humanoid robot move on its own. The robot was reportedly able to grip objects and navigate obstacles with the help of the brain-like interface. Researchers speculate that one day, biochips like the one used in the experiment could be implanted into human brains to help repair damaged tissue.
AI-GENERATED IMAGES
Edward Hopper Houses
Source: @jack_hulala_71695 on Midjourney
Prompt: Edward Hopper style,Mid-Century Modern furniture, A combination of multiple low saturation color blocks,psychedelic, soviet minimalism,play with light and shadow,setting sun,villas,cat,living room,office,library, vogue woman,ocean,palm,80s car,taken with hasselblad XD1, 400mm lens, film grain
--no filter --ar 3:4
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