At the AI Marketing Course, I wanted to do an update on the state of AI in August. August 2024 has been a landmark month in the world of AI, with significant developments across major tech companies, start-ups, and the broader AI research community.
This post will take you through the most notable announcements, releases, and trends that are shaping the AI landscape. These are not just about marketing and AI, but AI in general as well, but many of the developments will, like the AI Marketing Course, help entrepreneurs and small businesses with their marketing too.
1. Grok 2 and Flux.1: A New Era in Image Generation
Grok, owned by Elon Musk and using Twitter data as it’s basis launched Grok 2 in August. This release was particularly noteworthy as it integrated Flux.1, a cutting-edge image generation model developed by Black Forest Labs, the team behind Stable Diffusion. Flux.1 is a 12-billion parameter model that rivals the quality of MidJourney, offering both open-source and commercial options
What this means:
You can now create almost any image in Twitter - for just the cost of a Twitter subscription. This seems to be without any guardrails - so it will be interesting to see what happens next. I talked about this on BBC Radio during the week as well…
2. Anthropic's Prompt Caching API
Anthropic introduced Prompt Caching in their API, significantly enhancing the efficiency and speed of AI model responses. This new feature is expected to reduce latency and improve the user experience for developers integrating AI into their applications.
What this means…
This will completely change the way you use Claude and the like, as this almost becomes like an agent for you if you are a developer. As it remembers the context between API calls and allows developers to avoid repeating prompts.
3. GPT-4o: Dominating the Leaderboards
OpenAI rolled out a new version of GPT-4o in ChatGPT, which quickly rose to the top of the LMSYS Leaderboard. This version boasts improved performance, particularly in language modeling and comprehension, solidifying OpenAI's position as a leader in generative AI.
What this means…
Keep on using GPT4-0 but do check whether it’s worth looking into other models too. And remember to use TypingMind to swap between LLM’s
4. OpenAI's New Software Engineering Benchmark
Continuing its innovation streak, OpenAI released a new software engineering benchmark. This benchmark is designed to evaluate AI models' abilities to assist in code generation, debugging, and software design, providing a standard for comparing different AI models' performance in these critical areas
What this means…
That the world of benchmarking AI is heating up. Remember to try to use leaderboards NOT created by the LLM’s themselves. Like Artificial Analysis.
5. Google’s Gemini Live and Accessibility Push
Google showcased Gemini Live, its new AI-powered voice assistant, which integrates deeply with the latest Pixel devices. This month also saw Google expanding its AI-driven accessibility features on these devices, making technology more inclusive. The updated Pixel Buds, for example, are now optimized for Gemini Live, enabling seamless interaction with Google's AI ecosystem.
What this means…
That Google is back in the game …. See below and that more and more people will be seeing the power of AI. On this note, I just did a keynote talk about the power of AI and the fifth Industrial Revolution at the start of a Samsung presentation about their new AI phones..
6. Google’s AI Overview and Video Search Features
Another highlight from Google was the update to its AI Overview search feature, which now offers even more robust and context-aware search results. Additionally, Google introduced an innovative video search capability, allowing users to search within videos for specific moments or details using natural language queries.
What this means…
That Google is back in the game …. And even changing the game and for business owners the new game of AI optimization is upon us.
7. Runway’s Gen-3 Alpha Turbo
Runway has made waves with the release of Gen-3 Alpha Turbo, a new model in its series of AI tools aimed at creatives. This release promises faster and more efficient content generation, further empowering digital artists and video creators.
What this means…
You can now create your own marketing videos - almost as quickly as you can type the prompt in. This is truly nuts.
8. Legal Developments: MidJourney and Stability AI Lawsuit
In legal news, the copyright lawsuit against MidJourney and Stability AI was allowed to proceed, signaling increasing scrutiny and regulation around AI-generated content and intellectual property. This case could set important precedents for the future of AI in creative industries.
What this means…
With things like Grok around - see above - which can create non copyright considered materials, we all need to be careful around IP and trademarks. Just because it’s possible doesn’t mean you wont get sued for it.
9. SAG-AFTRA AI Deal with Narrativ
The ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike saw a significant development with the union striking a deal with Narrativ, a prominent AI company. This agreement ensures that voice actors will be compensated for the use of their voices in AI-generated content, marking a crucial step towards fair labor practices in the age of AI
What this means…
Very much related to the above. We all need to start thinking about how we compensate people for their work on AI projects and our own creative projects too. The days of freebies might be over…
10. Investment and Industry Trends
Finally, the industry saw substantial investment activity with Groq raising $640 million, underscoring the fierce competition in the AI chip market. Meanwhile, the 2024 Stanford AI Index highlighted the skyrocketing investments in generative AI, reflecting the immense potential and growing reliance on AI across industries.
What this means..
With more and more money going into AI, the competition will drive down the prices, and so there is more and more opportunity for us consumers or creators to save money and redistribute it to different parts of our businesses to be more effective.
It's been a heck of an August...
August 2024 has been a pivotal month for AI, with groundbreaking developments across various sectors. From Groq's ambitious hardware advancements to Google's continued AI integration into consumer products, the industry is moving at a breathtaking pace. As AI continues to evolve, its impact on both technology and society will only deepen, making it an exciting space to watch.
This is not just for us at the AI Marketing Course, and us that work in marketing. But also for everyone that has a job and wants to work in the future.
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