☀️ Week of July 1

🤔 HMM, THAT’S INTERESTING - PART 1
AI News

📰 Here we go, this week’s Buzz in AI: LLMs, GenAI, and More!

👨🏽‍🍳 ChatGPT Gets a Job (Sort Of)
OpenAI’s ChatGPT has started moonlighting as a personal assistant for businesses. With the new “custom instructions” feature, businesses can now tailor ChatGPT’s responses to align with their unique brand voice. Imagine having an AI that not only answers questions but also nails your quirky, irreverent company tone.

👩🏼‍🏫 Google’s Gemini Seeks Enlightenment
Google’s Gemini, the spiritual competitor to ChatGPT, is learning new tricks. Gemini’s latest update allows it to summarize complex documents in plain English, making it a hit among students and professionals alike. It’s like having a really smart friend who’s always available to explain things—minus the judgmental looks when you ask what blockchain is for the tenth time.

🛫 Microsoft’s Co-Pilot: Not Just for Excel Anymore
Microsoft’s AI Co-Pilot is spreading its wings beyond Excel. It now helps with drafting emails, creating presentations, and even generating ideas for your next big project. It’s like having an intern who never needs coffee breaks and always gets the grammar right. If only it could also fetch your coffee. Read more here.

🎓 GenAI and Your GPA
Adobe's generative AI in higher education fosters personalized learning and creativity, making education more engaging and efficient. AI tools streamline administrative tasks, allowing educators to focus more on teaching. Some things to worry about with AI in education are concerns about data privacy and the potential for over-reliance on technology, which could impact the development of critical thinking skills in students. Check out Adobe’s Firefly.

🎩 Claude Gets Smarter
Anthropic’s Claude AI just got an upgrade to version 3.5, making it even more powerful and user-friendly. The latest Claude 3.5 Sonnet offers improved language understanding and faster response times. This update also introduces Artifacts, a feature that allows users to generate and edit content in a dynamic workspace. Now, Claude’s not just chatting—it’s basically your new project manager, without asking how your weekend was!

📦 Amazon’s GenAI Takes the Stage
Amazon is stepping up its game in the generative AI space with new features for its AWS platform. These include enhanced AI-driven analytics and automation tools that promise to make business operations smoother and more efficient. Giving your business a turbo boost, turning routine tasks into automated, insightful actions. Read more about Amazon’s GenAI.

👶🏻 Perplexity AI: The New Kid on the Block
Perplexity AI, a new player in the AI landscape, is making waves with its innovative approach to conversational AI. It focuses on creating more natural and engaging interactions, making it a strong contender in the customer service and virtual assistant markets. Check out Perplexity AI.

㈮ Meta’s LLaMA Makes Headlines
Meta, Hugging Face, and Scaleway have announced a new AI accelerator program aimed at European startups. This initiative will provide selected startups with access to cutting-edge AI tools, mentorship, and cloud infrastructure, supporting innovation and growth in the AI sector across Europe. Giving European startups a VIP pass to the AI theme park—minus the lines and overpriced snacks!

🤔 HMM, THAT’S INTERESTING - PART 2
AI Views

🍟 Generative AI is cooking up a storm in the restaurant world. From AI-crafted menus that adapt to local tastes to chatbots handling reservations, local restaurateurs are weighing whether to dive into this digital buffet or stick to their tried-and-true recipes. "In Palm Springs, we're used to mirages, but a robot sommelier? That's a digital hallucination I've got to see!". Keep scrolling to get a deep dive into AI and the foodservice biz, as presented by US Foods.

🌳 Bill Gates is optimistic that AI will advance green technologies to offset its own emissions. While it's cute to think AI can single-handedly save the planet, let’s not forget it’s also a voracious energy guzzler. Sure, AI might optimize energy use and push renewables forward, but let’s hope it doesn’t just end up like another tech buzzword promising to fix everything while adding to the problem. Green tech savior or just another smoke-and-mirrors trick? Only time will tell. More here.

🎙️ AI might be great at crunching numbers and automating tasks, but it still can't replace human creativity, empathy, and the ability to navigate complex social interactions. While AI can handle repetitive tasks, it's still clueless when it comes to understanding context and making ethical decisions. So, while your job might get a high-tech helper, it looks like your irreplaceable human touch is safe...for now. According to a faculty dude at Wharton.

📚 Small businesses are eyeing AI to boost their game, but they’re hitting a wall of obstacles, says a new study. High costs, a shortage of expertise, and tricky integration are major hurdles. While AI promises efficiency and competitiveness, the initial investment and operational changes are a tough pill to swallow for many SMBs. It’s clear that more accessible AI solutions and better support are needed to help small businesses harness this tech without breaking the bank. Article here.

✈️ And finally, AI is revolutionizing travel planning for Americans, offering a mix of convenience and potential pitfalls. While it promises personalized itineraries and bargain-hunting prowess, it might leave travel agents feeling like obsolete road maps. The digital concierge can whip up trip plans faster than you can say "bon voyage," but it lacks the human touch that can turn a good vacation into a great one. As AI takes the wheel, travelers must navigate the fine line between efficiency and authenticity, all while keeping their personal data from taking an unplanned detour. More here.

STORY OF THE WEEK
Is AI the Future of Local News? Let’s Dive In

🤓 TL;DR: AI can help local news by automating repetitive tasks and providing data-driven insights, allowing journalists to focus on deeper stories. However, the human touch—context, empathy, and community engagement—remains irreplaceable. The future of local news lies in a partnership where AI enhances, but doesn't replace, the crucial human elements of journalism.

AI in Local News: The Future or Just Hype?

The AI revolution is knocking on the doors of local newsrooms, promising to transform the industry. But will it be a knight in shining armor or just another tech fad? Let's unpack this with a dose of wit and a splash of skepticism.

The Reality Check: AI’s Role in Local News

AI can certainly streamline operations by automating mundane tasks like data collection, initial report drafting, and even fact-checking. This leaves journalists free to do what they do best—digging deep into stories that matter. However, the heart and soul of local news lie in its human touch. AI might generate a report on a city council meeting, but it can’t replace the nuanced understanding a seasoned reporter brings from years of living and breathing the community’s air.

The Human Touch: Irreplaceable and Essential

Local news is all about context, empathy, and community engagement. It’s not just about what happened, but why it matters to the people living there. Can AI attend a town hall meeting and ask the tough questions? Can it sense the underlying tension in a community debate or share a knowing glance with a source over a cup of coffee? Not quite. Local news requires the kind of human intuition and connection that AI, despite all its advancements, simply can't replicate.

Making Local News Sustainable with AI

Here’s where AI can actually make a difference—making local news sustainable and even profitable. By automating repetitive tasks, AI allows journalists to focus on in-depth, meaningful stories. AI-driven analytics can identify trending topics and audience preferences, tailoring content to boost engagement. Imagine a local news website that dynamically adjusts its homepage based on what’s trending in your neighborhood, thanks to AI.

Monetizing the AI Advantage

AI can also revolutionize advertising for local news outlets. With AI’s ability to analyze reader data, it can deliver highly targeted ads, increasing ad revenue. Local businesses can reach their ideal customers more effectively, and news outlets can enjoy a new stream of income. Think of it as the digital equivalent of knowing exactly where to place the “Lost Cat” flyer in your local coffee shop.

The Future: A Symbiotic Relationship

In the end, the future of local news lies in a symbiotic relationship between AI and human journalists. AI can handle the grunt work and provide valuable insights, while humans bring the heart, intuition, and critical thinking that are essential for quality journalism. It’s not about AI replacing journalists but enhancing their ability to deliver stories that resonate with their audience.

Final Thoughts

AI might be the future of local news, but it’s not a replacement for the human touch. By leveraging AI to handle the mundane tasks, local news outlets can focus on what really matters—telling stories that make a difference in their communities. So, here’s to a future where AI and humans work together to keep the spirit of local journalism alive and kicking.

Here’s a local news story from the UK that might help spark some neurons. And don’t forget to subscribe to CV Independent.

🎱 What are your thought on local news? Are you looking forward to having AI in the mix? If you’re a publisher or program manager for local news, let’s talk about it.

AI IN RESTAURANTS
Algorithms and Appetizers: AI-Powered Dining

With over 1,500 restaurants and foodservice spots in our valley, we’ll need to figure out how AI impacts the industry and if AI results in job loss or job creation. Some ideas and reporting from the front-lines:

7 Ways Generative AI is Transforming Restaurants in 2024

Palm Springs Coachella, our beloved desert oasis, is known for blending mid-century modern charm with cutting-edge trends. As Generative AI makes waves in the restaurant industry, let's explore how this technology could potentially spice up our local culinary scene.

What is Generative AI for Restaurants?

Generative AI for restaurants refers to artificial intelligence systems that can create new content, from menu items to marketing campaigns. Unlike traditional AI, which follows pre-programmed rules, Generative AI can innovate and adapt, making it a powerful tool for the dynamic food service industry.

Potential features of Generative AI in restaurants include:

• Menu creation and optimization
• Personalized customer interactions
• Predictive inventory management
• Customized marketing content generation
• Real-time adaptation to trends and customer preferences

Let’s run through a few of these scenarios:

AI-Crafted Menus: A New Culinary Inspiration

Imagine a local eatery using Generative AI to create unique daily specials. The AI could analyze local tastes, seasonal ingredients, and food trends to suggest innovative dishes. Picture a "Cactus Pad Thai with Sunset-Hued Mango Salsa" – a fusion of local ingredients and global cuisines that could become a hit with locals and tourists alike. You’d think this analyzing was already happening, but it’s not. Let’s see who tackles this low-hanging fruit.

Chatbot Hosts: 24/7 Customer Service

AI-powered, human-sounding chatbots could handle reservations, answer questions, and even throw in the occasional desert-dry quip. A hypothetical food truck might use a chatbot that suggests pairings based on the weather. "Scorching Tuesday? How about our 'Cool as a Cucumber' gazpacho?" These are not your parent’s chatbots. The key is personality, trained on your own set of data and active listening.

Personalized Marketing: AI-Powered Customer Engagement

The holy grail for marketers. Generative AI could craft personalized email campaigns and social media posts with impressive speed and relevance. We’re heading into a world where AI-generated content resonates so well with their audience, it's hard to distinguish from human-created posts. #DeepFriedFake, anyone?

Predictive Inventory Management: Reducing Waste, Maximizing Profits

AI systems could analyze historical data, local events, and even weather forecasts to optimize inventory. Imagine a taco joint using AI to predict margarita demand during Modernism Week, ensuring they're always stocked for the rush without over-preparing. This is happening in the world of fashion already, it’s only a matter of time it happens in dining.

AI-Enhanced Recipe Development: Fusion Cuisine 2.0

Generative AI could become a creative sous chef, suggesting unexpected ingredient combinations. Picture a Palm Springs grill where AI proposes pairing date syrup with seared ahi tuna, creating a unique dish that perfectly balances local flavors with innovative cuisine. Fun to experiment with, but worrisome if extremely successful. Perhaps the Executive Chef decides to reduce the workforce, but perhaps the owner decides to remove the highest paid employee in the kitchen. Both are real possibilities.

Virtual Restaurant Critics: AI Analysis of Customer Feedback

Advanced natural language processing could allow AI to analyze customer reviews and social media mentions, providing invaluable insights to restaurant owners. A local spot might use AI to analyze their reviews, discovering that customers love their breakfast but find dinner lacking, leading to a menu revamp. Isn’t this being done already?

Sustainability Optimization: AI for Eco-Friendly Dining

In eco-conscious Palm Springs Coachella, Generative AI could help restaurants reduce their carbon footprint. AI systems might optimize energy use, reduce food waste, and suggest sustainable sourcing options. Imagine a cafe using AI to manage their kitchen, potentially reducing food waste and energy consumption by significant margins. Food waste is a major issue in foodservice, and this aspect alone should be powerful enough to look into AI.

Challenges and Considerations

While the benefits are tantalizing, valley restaurateurs would face several challenges in implementing these technologies:

• Balancing high-tech solutions with the high-touch service our cities are known for
• High initial costs of implementing AI systems
• Training AI on local preferences and desert-specific cuisine
• Potential technical glitches during peak tourist seasons
• Privacy, Security, Hallucinations

The Future of Local Dining

As local restaurants consider experimenting with Generative AI, the future of dining in our desert paradise looks intriguing. The key will be finding the perfect blend of AI efficiency and human charm – much like crafting the perfect cocktail.

In a destination that seamlessly melds mid-century modern with cutting-edge cool, there's potential for both high-tech innovations and traditional hospitality. The secret ingredient for success isn't just AI or tradition, but a carefully balanced fusion of both.

So, the next time you're dining out in Palm Springs Coachella and your experience feels exceptionally smooth, your meal surprisingly innovative, or the ambiance perfectly tailored to the season, you might wonder: is this the result of exceptional human intuition, or have you just experienced a touch of Generative AI magic?

AI IN HOLLYWOOD
Hollywood’s Latest Showdown with AI - Part 2

With so many creatives working in Hollywood and living in Palm Springs Coachella, it’s important to keep tabs on AI in Tinsel Town.

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🎬 Hollywood's AI Flirtation: A Blockbuster Mistake in the Making?

Lights, camera, algorithm? As AI video generators like Showrunner and Sora take center stage, Hollywood is eyeing this technology with a mix of excitement and trepidation. But before Tinseltown rolls out the red carpet for its silicon-based collaborators, it might want to consider the cautionary tales of other industries that jumped on the tech bandwagon, only to find themselves in the sequel nobody wanted: "Regrets: The Aftermath."

The Siren Song of AI in Filmmaking

AI video generators promise a revolution in content creation. Imagine cranking out high-quality visuals faster than you can say "Action!" These digital dreamweavers use advanced algorithms to analyze scripts, generate visuals, and even personalize content for individual viewers. It's like having a tireless team of Spielbergs on call, ready to bring any story to life at the click of a button.

For an industry always chasing the next big thing, AI seems like a dream come true. Reduced production costs, lightning-fast content creation, and the ability to tailor movies to audience preferences? It's enough to make any studio exec's eyes turn into dollar signs.

Learning from History: The Remix Nobody Asked For

Before Hollywood gets too starry-eyed, let's roll the credits on some other industries that embraced disruptive tech, only to find themselves in a plot twist they didn't see coming:

1. Newspapers and Facebook: Remember when newspapers thought social media was their ticket to the digital age? Fast forward, and they're struggling to get their stories seen without paying the platforms they helped build.

2. Record Labels and Spotify: The music industry saw streaming as the solution to piracy. Now, artists are singing the blues about pennies per stream while platforms call the tune.

3. Book Publishers and Amazon: E-books were supposed to be a new chapter for publishing. Instead, many publishers found themselves in a bind, with Amazon writing most of the story.

In each case, industries embraced new technology as a savior, only to find it had invited in a competitor that would ultimately challenge their very existence.

The Potential Plot Holes in Hollywood's AI Strategy

As Hollywood flirts with AI, here are some twists it might not see coming:

1. Creative Control Conundrum: When AI can generate entire scenes or even movies, who owns the creative rights? The studio, the AI company, or some digital demigod yet to be named?

2. The Homogenization of Storytelling: If everyone uses the same AI tools, we might end up with a sea of content that's as diverse as a CloneWars casting call.

3. Job Displacement Drama: From writers to visual effects artists, AI could rewrite the credits of who's necessary on set, leading to a workforce uprising that's anything but scripted.

4. Audience Alienation: As content becomes more AI-driven, will audiences feel the lack of human touch, leading to a box office boycott of bot-produced blockbusters?

5. Data Dependency Dilemma: Studios might find themselves reliant on tech companies for audience insights and content creation, losing the plot of their own industry.

The Twist Ending Hollywood Needs to Write

Instead of handing over the director's chair to AI, Hollywood could craft a different narrative:

1. Collaborative Creativity: Use AI as a tool to enhance human creativity, not replace it. Let AI handle the mundane, freeing humans to push creative boundaries.

2. Maintain Ownership: Develop in-house AI capabilities or ensure contracts with AI companies don't sign away the future of filmmaking.

3. Prioritize the Human Element: Remember that stories connect on an emotional level. Use AI to support storytelling, not to replace the heart of it.

4. Ethical Storytelling: Lead the way in developing ethical guidelines for AI use in content creation, addressing issues like deepfakes and content authenticity.

5. Empower the Workforce: Invest in training programs to help the current workforce adapt to and leverage AI tools, ensuring a smoother transition and maintaining industry expertise.

The Final Scene

As the credits roll on this cautionary tale, Hollywood stands at a crossroads. Will it embrace AI as a co-star, carefully managing its role, or allow it to become the prima donna that steals the show? The power to write this next chapter remains in human hands – for now.

Let's hope Tinseltown learns from the plot twists that blindsided other industries and crafts a future where AI amplifies the magic of movies rather than diminishing the very spark that makes storytelling an art. After all, in the greatest stories, technology serves humanity, not the other way around. It's time for Hollywood to ensure it's writing that script, rather than becoming a cautionary tale in someone else's dystopian drama.

LOCAL
Good Citizens & AI as a Force for Good

Just a reminder to be a good citizen when it comes to using GenAI.

👒 AI is great at sifting through mountains of data and delivering it with a conversational flair. That's why we’re all hooked on its ease and versatility. But let’s not forget, generative AI like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini can sometimes conjure up pure nonsense—what the pros call “hallucinations.” So, when it comes to crucial info like city council minutes and budgets, we need to be extra cautious.

I've tested countless AI tools, and while perfection is elusive, presenting essential info in an accessible format—even at 92.51% accuracy—can be worthwhile.

Look for city council summaries in our upcoming newsletters.