WednesdAI // Week 24

AI Advancements and Anxieties
Artificial Intelligence

/ 2024.06.12 / 6 minutes read

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From tech breakthroughs to AI-assisted espionage, this week’s news is exciting and unsettling.

Welcome to WednesdAI – Pixel Dreams’ weekly update with top stories from the rapidly evolving world of Artificial Intelligence.

 

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Apple’s AI Awakening

 
Apple aims to make AI more accessible and integrated into everyday use, announcing an array of AI integrations, branded “Apple Intelligence”, across its ecosystem of devices​.

At WWDC 2024, Apple unveiled “Apple Intelligence,” its branded suite of AI-powered features designed to enhance various devices and applications. This initiative marks a significant leap in AI integration, particularly with the launch of iOS 18. The focus is on practical, user-friendly AI features that seamlessly integrate into daily tasks. This includes a smarter Siri, custom emojis, advanced photo editing, transcription for voice memos, and health coaching, aimed at bringing AI mainstream without the complexity often associated with such technology.

 

Watch the full keynote:
 

 

Services Getting AI Updates and Their Enhancements

  • Apple Intelligence: A suite of AI features integrated across the OS, including AI-assisted text generation, message summarization, and enhanced Siri capabilities.
  • AI-Powered Photos App: Advanced photo editing tools utilizing AI for improved adjustments and effects.
  • Customizable Home Screen: More flexibility in app icon placement and new customization tools, including Dark Mode and color tinting for icons.
  • Auto-Generated Playlists: Apple Music will now offer AI-generated playlists based on user preferences.
  • Improved Apple Maps: Introduction of topographic maps and custom routes.
  • Enhanced Messages App: Support for RCS, allowing better compatibility with Android devices and new features like cross-platform emoji reactions and read receipts​

The updates and announcements are plenty! Get the full story from Tom’s Guide and Engadget.

 
 

 
 


 

Kling – Better than Sora?

 
Kuaishou, a Chinese tech company known for its social media apps, has launched KLING, a new AI video generation model. KLING can create videos up to two minutes long in 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second, using a 3D space-time attention system to model complex motions and simulate real-world physics for lifelike results. It combines different concepts to produce imaginative scenes, such as a cat driving a car through a city. Currently, KLING is available as a public demo in China and integrated into Kuaishou’s app, enabling users to generate videos from text prompts. Despite its advancements, KLING faces competition from OpenAI’s Sora, known for its realism and semantic depth in generated content.

 

Check out these examples of videos crafted using Kling:


 


 

And a special shoutout to friend of the show Dustin Hollywood who has been granted sneak peek access to Kling, and has been delighting his followers with some amazing creations:

 

“Da Vinci-designed wooden star cruiser launches from medieval spaceport”

 
“first person perspective shot of two hands with guns in a video game, character shooting with revolver at targets at a distance, blasts in distance, Unreal Engine”

 

Get the full rundown at Tom’s Guide.

 
 

 
 


 

Microsoft In Hot Water Over Recall Feature

 
Microsoft is fixing security and privacy issues with its Windows 11 feature, Recall, which takes screenshots of what users do. Instead of being on by default, users will now have to choose to turn it on during setup. They’ve added security steps like requiring Windows Hello login and encrypting data only when needed. These updates come after complaints about privacy risks and the discovery that Recall’s data was not initially secure​​.

Get all the details here from The Verge.

 
 

 
 


 

Two New Humanoid Robots

 
2024 seems to be the year of Humanoid robots, and two have been revealed in just this past week.

 

Meet Xbot-L by Robot Era, the first robot to traverse the Great Wall of China:

 

And Reachy2, a new open-source robot from PollenRobotics and HuggingFace, doing household chores:

 

Read more about Xbot-L and Reachy2.

 
 

 
 


 

Create a Whole Song from any Recording

 
Udio, a platform for AI music creation, now lets users upload their own audio clips to remix with AI-generated music. This feature gives users more creative freedom, mixing various sounds and music with AI elements. Udio’s technology aims for realistic music, attracting investment and positive feedback, but there are copyright concerns. Still, the “Audio Uploads” feature is a big step forward in AI music, giving users new ways to make unique tracks.

Read the full story from No Musica.

 
 

 
 


 

Videos of the Week

 
Lots of incredible Videos this week! Some from friends and favorites, and some from exciting new voices.

StormBreaker by Karim Yourself:


 

Mega Man: 1950’s Super Panavision 70 by Gregory Mandarano:

 

The Last American Action Hero by Ethereal Moon (Le Moon & Ethereal Gwirl:


 

Join us every Wednesday for WednesdAI – a Pixel Dreams production

 

 
 

The images accompanying the news items in this article were generated in Midjourney using the following prompts:

Photorealistic of Apple company release a tons of new AI features. The presenter is standing in a whimsical world with main color is white and with colorful accent colors. The hoster is centered with a big Apple’s company logo behind. The hoster turns his back against the Apple logo, facing the audience. The hoster is standing outside in a meadow with bright sunlight in the morning with shimmering reflections

Cinematic action shot of a cat driving a car, speeding away from a massive explosion, action movie, fast-paced, cute clickable cat photo, 35mm film photography, high-speed chase, intense motion blur, dramatic lighting, film grain effect, vibrant colors, dynamic composition, adrenaline rush, suspenseful atmosphere, night scene, neon city lights, cinematic lens flares, dust and debris flying

Photorealistic scene of an epic battle between Microsoft’s Window and black hat hackers. The Windows logo should be glowing white from Windows 11. A big Windows logo from Microsoft facing some black hat hacker in the middle of nowhere. Two sides have a big juxtaposition in the scene

beautiful cinematic shot of two humanoid robots going for a stroll in Times Square, passers-by pay no attention, beautiful sunny day in June, robot friends, 35mm film photography, Kodak Portra 400, film grain effect, dynamic lighting, vibrant colors, bustling crowds, cityscape backdrop, reflective surfaces, lens flare, intricate robot details, human interaction, candid moments, natural shadows, atmospheric depth

Dynamic digital illustration of Udio’s new “Audio Uploads” feature. A futuristic studio environment with mixing boards and musical instruments. Users are shown uploading their audio clips to remix with AI-generated music. Vibrant, colorful lighting accentuating the creativity. Highlighting Udio’s innovative technology in AI music creation.

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The Author

Sean Ward
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