📰Trace Lab Newsletter #6

🌍 Hello Tracers! 🌟 

As summer heats up and Euro 2024 excitement fills the air, we're also witnessing a sizzling wave of AI breakthroughs that are set to redefine our digital experiences! In today's newsletter, we're diving into the latest AI innovations that are making headlines and shaping our industry.

From revolutionary AI tools transforming video creation to major announcements from Apple’s WWDC, the world of AI is buzzing with groundbreaking developments. Plus, we’ve got some fantastic new productivity tools to boost your creativity and efficiency. Stay ahead of the curve with Trace AI insights!

LATEST NEWS

KLING AI & LUMA LABS
🎬 The Rise of Text-to-Video AI: From Kling AI to Luma Labs' Dream Machine

The AI video generation landscape is rapidly evolving with significant advancements from companies like Kling AI in China and Luma Labs. Luma Labs has just launched Dream Machine, a cutting-edge AI model that can generate high-quality, realistic 5-second video clips from text and image prompts, now publicly available unlike OpenAI’s anticipated Sora.

• Video Generation: Dream Machine generates 5-second clips from text prompts or a reference image with impressive smoothness, consistency, and camera movements.

• Transformer Model: The model is trained on video content, allowing for more coherent outputs that better mimic real-world interactions and physics.

• Efficiency: Luma Labs claims the model can produce 120 frames of video in 120 seconds, though initial release saw longer wait times due to high demand.

• Access: The tool launched with a free plan offering 30 video generations, with a paid tier extending to 2,000 outputs per month.

Watch the Demo here 

Why it matters for Trace: As AI video generation tools advance, they present exciting opportunities for Trace's content creation and marketing strategies. Dream Machine’s capabilities can significantly enhance our ability to produce engaging, high-quality video content quickly and efficiently. By leveraging such innovative tools, Trace can stay ahead of the curve, offering unique and dynamic media experiences to our audience. Exploring partnerships or adopting these technologies can also streamline our workflows, saving time and boosting overall creativity.

APPLE x OPENAI
🔥 Apple and OpenAI Partner for iOS 18 AI Integration

In a groundbreaking move, Apple is revisiting talks with OpenAI to integrate their AI technology into the upcoming iPhone iOS 18, iPadOS, and macOS 15 update. The partnership could revolutionize how AI is used on Apple devices.

Siri Upgrades

• Enhanced Conversations: Siri will converse more naturally and remember context across requests.

• Onscreen Awareness: Siri can take actions and use on-device info to better tailor responses.

New AI Features

• AI Writing Tools: Built into Mail, Messages, and Notes for auto-generating and editing text.

• Organized Mail: AI helps organize inbox content.

• Genmojis and Image Playground: Create personalized emojis and images from prompts.

OpenAI Integration

• Siri and ChatGPT: Siri will use ChatGPT/GPT-4o for complex queries.

• Additional Tools: Includes image generation and document understanding.

Read the full article

Why it matters for Trace: For Trace employees who own an iPhone, this partnership means access to cutting-edge AI features that can significantly boost productivity and creativity. By integrating advanced AI tools directly into iOS 18, employees can streamline their workflows, enhance content creation, and personalize their tasks more effectively. It's essential to take advantage of these new features as soon as they're released to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

THE SIMULATION
🎬 The Simulation Unveils SHOWRUNNER: The ‘Netflix of AI’

AI entertainment startup The Simulation (formerly Fable Studio) has launched Showrunner, a revolutionary platform that allows users to generate and watch AI-powered TV shows set in virtual simulated worlds. This innovation merges the worlds of AI, gaming, and traditional entertainment, creating new possibilities for interactive content.

Key Points:

• Multi-Agent Simulations: Showrunner combines multi-agent simulations with large language models (LLMs) to create interactive content within specific virtual worlds.

• User Interaction: Users can watch, direct, and star in shows set in virtual environments populated by AI characters, and craft episodes from prompts.

• Original Content: The platform is launching with 10 original shows, with users able to generate new episodes and delve deeper into scripts, shots, and voices.

• Alpha Launch: Showrunner is opening in alpha to a limited number of users, with select user-created episodes receiving payment, revenue share, and IMDB credits.

• Previous Success: The studio gained viral attention last year with its South Park episode demos and research on its SHOW-1 model.

Learn more about Showrunner

Why it matters for Trace: Showrunner offers Trace a unique opportunity to create for example compelling docu-series or mini-series about inspiring young African people who dream of achieving their goals. This platform could allow our audience to engage directly with the stories, providing feedback and shaping the narrative. By leveraging Showrunner, Trace can enrich its content catalog on TRACE+ with innovative, audience-driven storytelling, making our media offerings more interactive and engaging than ever before.

CANVA
🚀 Canva Launches New AI Features

Canva has just introduced a range of new AI features to its creative platform, further empowering users to create stunning visuals with ease. These updates include text-to-graphic capabilities, an AI-powered photo editor, and advanced video editing tools.

Key Points:

• Magic Media: A text-to-graphic tool that allows users to create images, icons, and illustrations from simple text prompts.

• Magic Switch: Transforms and generates alternative media forms in seconds, such as converting a presentation into a website.

• Magic Write: A copywriting assistant that crafts text unique to the user’s voice from a short writing sample.

• AI Video-Editing Tools: Include streamlined clipping with ‘Highlights’ and ‘Enhance Voice’ to improve audio quality.

Read the full article

Why it matters for Trace: Several team members at Trace already use Canva, and these new AI features will significantly enhance their creative capabilities. With tools like Magic Media and Magic Write, employees can save time while producing high-quality content that aligns with their unique voices. The AI video-editing tools will streamline the production of engaging multimedia content, boosting overall productivity and creativity. By leveraging these new features, Trace can stay ahead in content creation and design.

TRAINING

TRAINING
📱 Explain images in real-time with GPT-4o

This hack lets you access GPT-4o directly from an iPhone via a custom shortcut, allowing you to analyze and explain images in real time.

Step-by-step:

1. Head over to OpenAI’s platform to obtain an API key. Make sure you have some credits in your account.

2. Go to your iPhone Shortcuts and click the “+” button.

3. Add different actions before your OpenAI API call, e.g., your desired prompt as “Text”, your API key as “Text”, and “Take a screenshot”.

4. Call GPT-4o by using “*https://api.openai.com/v1/chat/completions”* and obtain a description of what you are seeing!

NEW PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS

GPTs and AI Tools Spotlight

• 🎨 Shuffll: A powerful tool designed to streamline and automate video production workflows. Shuffll enables users to quickly generate and customize video content using AI-driven features, making it easier to create high-quality videos in less time.

• 📸 Adobe Photoshop Lightroom: Adobe Lightroom is an essential tool for photographers, offering powerful photo editing and organizing capabilities. With AI-enhanced features, users can make precise adjustments, enhance images, and manage large photo collections effortlessly.

• 🗣️ UserEvaluation: This tool uses AI to curate and conduct interviews, helping organizations gather valuable user feedback efficiently. It streamlines the interview process, providing insights and data to improve products and services based on real user experiences.

• ⚖️ Lawformer: Lawformer leverages AI to provide legal professionals with advanced document analysis, research tools, and contract management. It simplifies complex legal workflows, offering precise insights and enhancing productivity in legal practices.

UNTIL NEXT TIME…

AI Paving the Future: Embracing Change Together

That's it for this edition of the Trace Lab Newsletter! We hope you found these insights into the latest AI developments both exciting and informative. Staying informed and embracing new technologies is crucial for enhancing our workflows and creative processes.

As we continue to explore the vast possibilities AI offers, we encourage you to delve deeper into how these tools can benefit your work. Whether it's using AI to streamline video production, enhance photo editing, or conduct user interviews, there's a world of potential waiting to be tapped.

We love hearing from you! If you have any questions, ideas, or feedback on how we can improve our working habits with AI, don't hesitate to reach out to Trace Lab. We're here to support you in making the most of these innovative tools.

Stay curious and keep learning!

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Thank you for staying informed with us, and keep an eye out for the next edition where we'll continue to bring you the latest and greatest in AI innovation. Together, let's keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible in media and beyond!