Instagram's AI 'Friend': Customizable Digital Companions

Pivot 5: 5 stories. 5 minutes a day. 5 days a week.

1. Instagram's AI 'Friend': Customizable Digital Companions

Instagram is reportedly developing a feature that allows users to create customizable AI "friends." These virtual companions could be tailored to exhibit specific races, genders, ages, and distinct personalities—like being reserved, creative, or witty—which would be reflected in the way they communicate. Additionally, users could assign interests, select names, and choose avatars for their AI friends, with the latter possibly being created through image-generating AI technology.

While Meta has yet to officially announce the launch of this feature, the development signals a growing trend among tech companies to leverage AI fto create more personalized and engaging user experiences. Critics have pointed out the potential ethical issues, particularly when AI is designed to replicate sensitive human roles, such as therapists, sparking a debate on the responsible use of AI in simulating human interaction.

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2. Apple Launches M3 Chip Trio for Macs

Apple has announced the release of its M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips. These chips boast a next-generation GPU, offering up to 2.5 times faster rendering than the M1 series, and feature Dynamic Caching, mesh shading, and hardware-accelerated ray tracing. The M3 series promises a 30% faster CPU, a 60% quicker Neural Engine, and up to 128GB of unified memory architecture, enhancing efficiency and performance for MacBooks and iMacs.

The CPU and Neural Engine enhancements, coupled with a new media engine supporting AV1 decode, promise a more efficient and high-quality video experience. Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Technologies, Johny Srouji, emphasizes that every aspect of the M3 architecture is designed for peak performance and power efficiency, setting a new standard for personal computing chips.

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3. UK AI Summit: Sunak's Regulatory Vision

At the recent AI summit hosted in Bletchley Park, Rishi Sunak and Elon Musk aligned on the urgent necessity for global AI governance. The summit culminated in a shared agreement on a regulatory framework aimed at mitigating the risks associated with AI technologies. Despite this progress, some critics voiced concerns that the discussions leaned heavily towards theoretical dangers, overlooking pressing issues such as the impact of AI on employment.

In contrast to the UK's approach, the United States presented a more concrete strategy, with Vice-President Kamala Harris unveiling an executive order to address AI development and regulation. Musk, in his exchange with Sunak, advocated for China's involvement in global AI policy-making. He highlighted the dual nature of AI, acknowledging its capacity to both advance societal progress and pose significant disruptions.

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4. Google's Generative AI: New Era for Product Ads

Google has launched a suite of generative AI tools for product imagery, aimed at U.S. advertisers and merchants. The AI-powered Product Studio allows the creation of new product images through simple text prompts, enabling tasks like background color changes or scene setting without additional photo shoots.

This feature is expected to augment existing product photography, offering businesses the flexibility to repurpose images for various campaigns. Available to all Merchant Center Next users in the U.S., the tools also include a 'small business' attribute for Google Search and Maps, enhancing visibility for smaller brands.

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5. Mural AI: Elevating Teamwork with Microsoft Integration

Mural has introduced Mural AI, integrating with Microsoft 365 Copilot to enhance visual collaboration and teamwork. This evolution in visual work includes three AI roles: assistant, contributor, and coach, each designed to streamline workflows and bolster team productivity.

Features like AI-generated mind maps, action prompts, and clustering of ideas are now available for Enterprise plan customers. Mural's commitment to Responsible AI ensures these tools are secure and compliant, requiring manual activation by company administrators. This strategic partnership with Microsoft aims to facilitate seamless collaboration and efficient work processes through advanced AI capabilities.

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