Apple will create a Ready Player One like world 🤔 

Hello there!

Your trusted weekly newsletter finds its way to your inbox once again and it has some big news on Apple in the AI landscape. Of course we’ll also discuss some more news and provide you with ideas on using AI beyond chatbots. Let’s dive right in.

Table of contents 📚

• Apple is setting the stage with a new way of tech-usage 🍎

• Your ChatGPT conversation will never be the same

• New rules for AI 😴

• AI is so much more than chatbots 🤖

• An AI centered browser 🧭

• Google maps 🤝 Generative AI

Updates 📬

Apple integrating generative AI this year

Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, announced during the company's quarterly earnings call that they are working on generative AI software features that will be available to customers later this year. This aligns with previous reports that iOS 18 could be the "biggest" update in the operating system's history. Cook's comments suggest that Apple has ambitious plans to integrate AI into its software platforms, including iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. While he did not provide specific details, he emphasized the company's ongoing investment in technologies like artificial intelligence.

This announcement indicates that Apple is looking to capitalize on the potential of generative AI and AI in the near future.

With the Apple Vision Pro launching and Apple working on AI integrations, we can only imagine how crazy the next few years will be in terms of humans interacting with Apple’s tech. You can already download the ChatGPT app in VisionPro App Store.

Your ChatGPT conversation will never be the same

Remember the release of the GPT-store a few weeks ago? Paid ChatGPT users can now easily use these GPT’s in their conversations.

OpenAI has recently enabled ChatGPT users to directly invoke GPTs in conversations. Paid users of ChatGPT can now bring GPTs into a conversation by typing “@” and selecting a GPT from the list. The chosen GPT will have an understanding of the full conversation, and different GPTs can be “tagged in” for different use cases and needs. This move aims to make GPTs more discoverable and follows the launch of the GPT Store, a marketplace for GPTs accessible through the ChatGPT dashboard. The GPTs available in the store can be as simple or complex as a developer wishes, and OpenAI plans to introduce monetization for developers in the future. However, the company is facing challenges related to traffic and moderation, as custom GPTs comprise only about 2.7% of ChatGPT’s worldwide web traffic so far, and the GPT Store was initially flooded with inappropriate chatbot apps. OpenAI is using a combination of human and automated review to flag and remove offending GPTs, but the moderation challenge may become more acute as the volume of GPTs grows.

EU making rules for AI

The European Union's AI Act, a risk-based plan for regulating applications of artificial intelligence, has passed a significant hurdle on the way to adoption. The act sets out a list of prohibited uses of AI, brings in governance rules for high-risk uses, and applies transparency requirements on certain AI applications. The vote affirming the final text has led to a huge sign of relief across much of Brussels. The act is expected to be adopted as law in the coming months, with a tiered implementation period before the new rules apply to in-scope apps and AI models. The Commission has already moved to begin setting up an AI Office that will oversee the compliance of a subset of more powerful foundational models deemed to pose systemic risk.

🤔 Discussion of the week 🧠

Artificial Intelligence is often pigeonholed as merely a tool for enhancing customer service through chatbots, but such a narrow perspective fails to recognize the breadth and depth of AI's capabilities. AI's potential extends far beyond customer interaction, offering significant benefits in workflow automation and data utilization.

Workflow automation, powered by AI, can revolutionize how businesses operate by streamlining processes. By automating routine tasks, AI allows employees to focus on more complex and creative aspects of their work, which makes a perfect human/AI balance possible. Think of managing email communications, preliminary data analysis, custom proposal generation, self-onboarding or having an automated note taker during meetings.

Moreover, AI's capacity to make static data usable is perhaps one of its most transformative capabilities. In an era where data is produced at an unprecedented scale, the challenge lies not just in its collection but in its analysis and interpretation. Most people think of data analyses and AI as something only for the big companies that have tens of thousands or more to spend on machine learning talent or models. And even though that’s probably still the most reliable and best way for complex data use cases, it’s not really something for a small or midsize businesses. Those businesses can really benefit of implementing these large language models like ChatGPT to analyse their data and improve data driven decision-making, predicting trends, and uncovering new opportunities.

In conclusion, using AI only for chatbots is a underestimation of its potential. AI-technology is now more useable than ever and even though the complexer forms of AI like machine learning are not for every business, the large language models are here to help you in a lot of aspects in your business beyond customer service chatbots.

More updates 📬

Browsing the internet with an AI-companion

Opera is set to launch a new AI-powered browser for iOS in Europe following Apple's Digital Markets Act (DMA) changes. The Norway-based company announced the development in response to Apple's decision to allow alternative browser engines to run on iOS, as mandated by the DMA. This change will enable developers to offer browsers not based on the WebKit browser engine, which is currently required by Apple for third-party browsers. The new browser, named Opera One, is expected to provide iPhone users with an AI-powered alternative to Safari and is set to debut in March, coinciding with the implementation of the DMA. The browser is part of Opera's efforts to embrace the DMA changes, foster competition, and offer users a more diverse selection of browsers on iOS. The company also expressed excitement about Apple's plan to implement a browser choice screen for iOS, making it easier for users to choose their preferred browser as the default on their mobile devices. The new browser is a significant investment for Opera, which has been working on AI infrastructure projects, and it is expected to be ready for a "generative AI-based future”.

Google Map X Generative AI

Google Maps is introducing a generative AI feature to enhance the discovery of new places. This feature utilizes large language models to analyze the vast amount of data on Google Maps and suggestions from Local Guides. It aims to provide more conversational and personalized search results. For example, users can search for specific experiences, such as "places with a vintage vibe in SF," and the AI will generate relevant recommendations, including shopping options and restaurants. The early access experiment is initially rolling out in the U.S. and will be available to select Local Guides before becoming accessible to other users. This new feature represents a significant step in Google Maps' evolution from a navigation tool to a platform for discovering new destinations. The company has expressed its commitment to further enhancing Maps with generative AI.