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Improved AI avatars, Gemini in Gmail & OpenAI's desktop ambitions
A loaded day of news
Jack Shields
June 26, 2024
Welcome back!
I’m currently doing some on the ground reporting at the AWS Summit in Washington, D.C. Over the next couple days, I’ll be bringing you insights from Amazon experts that you won’t find anywhere else. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn for live updates. For now, let’s get into today’s news.
In today’s Daily Update:
🗞️ Synthesia launches improved AI avatars
🤖 Google brings Gemini to Gmail
📸 OpenAI is reportedly building an AI operating system
🚨 AI Roundup: Four quick hits
Read time: 2 minutes
TOP STORY
🗞️ Synthesia launches improved AI avatars
DALL-E 3
Synthesia just dropped a major upgrade to its AI avatar platform, which allows users to create digital clones of themselves.
What you should know:
Users can now create “Personal AI Avatars” using HD cameras, webcams or smartphones.
The new avatars boast improved lip-syncing, more natural voices and the ability to translate into over 30 languages.
Synthesia also plans to launch full-body avatars later this year.
These full-body avatars will be fully controllable, allowing users to create video content through their digital likeness.
Why it matters: Synthesia’s AI avatars are making video content creation more accessible, but the world might not be ready for this technology yet. While having your digital avatar attend a meeting in your place sounds appealing, this opportunity comes with risks of deepfakes, misinformation and job displacement.
WATCH: Personal avatars in action (22s)
AI TOOL OF THE DAY
🤖 Google brings Gemini to Gmail
Source: Google
Google is launching a Gemini side panel in Gmail that can write emails and summarize email threads. The new feature is also coming to Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive.
What it does:
Gemini can draft a new email from scratch or suggest a reply to an email.
You can also ask the chatbot questions to find specific information buried in your inbox or Google Drive.
In Docs and Slides, Gemini can similarly generate and refine new content and summarize information.
These features are currently only available to Google Workspace users with a business or enterprise plan.
Why it matters: Nothing groundbreaking here, but if Google makes the Gemini side panel available to free users it could be a major time saver. Google tends to launch new AI Workspace features to the public after testing them with select users, so you could have access to Gemini in Gmail relatively soon.
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
📸 OpenAI is reportedly building an AI operating system
Source: Multi
OpenAI is reportedly working to integrate its AI technology directly into desktop computers by developing an AI-based operating system.
The details:
OpenAI just acquired Multi, a startup that is exploring how to more deeply integrate AI features into the operating systems of consumer devices.
According to Ben Newhouse, OpenAI is working on an “industry-defining” new product that will leverage its upcoming models.
The company has also posted a lucrative job listing for a software engineer that can help bring ChatGPT to the desktop.
OpenAI ultimately envisions a future where web browsers like Google are obsolete.
Why it matters: OpenAI’s push into desktop has been far from quiet. The company released a desktop version of ChatGPT for MacOS last month, and is actively working on a Windows version. Given OpenAI’s new partnership with Apple and close ties to Microsoft, a fully AI-based operating system could change how billions of people interact with their devices.
MORE TRENDING NEWS
🚨 AI Roundup: Four quick hits
DALL-E 3
Anthropic introduces new features for Claude in an effort to match ChatGPT’s offerings.
OpenAI delays ChatGPT’s upgraded Voice Mode.
Toys “R” Us releases the first commercial generated by OpenAI’s Sora.
Reddit plans to block most automated bots from accessing its public data.
THAT’S ALL FOR TODAY