🤝 The Era of Advanced AI Assistance
Dear curious minds,
I wish you all a happy new year, and I am super excited to see what 2024 brings to us in the AI space. I expect this year to be known as the "Year of AI Assistance," where Large Language Models (LLMs) evolve from being experimental novelties to essential, productivity-enhancing tools. A glimpse of what will likely be the new normal is already available since the end of last year and is known as GPTs, tailored versions of ChatGPT which you can adapt to your needs.
In this week's issue, I bring to you the following topics:
Personalized AI for Everyone: Understanding the Scope of GPTs
AI at Your Fingertips: Introducing Microsoft's Copilot Key
Tech Terms: AI Agent
Growing with Discipline: Insights from Ryan Holiday (podcast)
If nothing sparks your interest, feel free to move on, otherwise, let us dive in!
👥🌐 Personalized AI for Everyone: Understanding the Scope of GPTs
GPTs are custom versions of ChatGPT tailored for specific tasks or topics by combining instructions, knowledge, and capabilities. They range from simple to complex applications, covering areas from language learning to technical support. In our previous coverage, we discussed OpenAI's announcement of GPTs at DevDay in November 2023.
You need to be a ChatGPT Plus or Enterprise subscriber to create, share and use GPTs.
Creating a GPT is accessible to everyone, requiring no coding skills. This means experts in any field or anyone with a passion for a topic can easily craft a GPT. The GPT Builder tool in ChatGPT simplifies this process, allowing creators to add instructions, upload files to the knowledge base, and select capabilities like web searching, image creation, or data analysis. The GPT Builder itself is a custom GPT, designed to aid in building other GPTs, reflecting the iterative development of these tools.
GPTs have been utilized in various fields, including productivity, education, and entertainment. They address both niche needs and everyday tasks, demonstrating their versatility.
The announced GPT Store, a marketplace for GPTs, will offer a platform where creators can feature their custom GPTs and earn money based on community usage. This provides a monetization avenue and fosters a community of creators. After being targeted for November, the launch of the store was postponed to 2024. Today, OpenAI sent out mails which state that the GPT store will be launched next week.
Announcement mail for the GPT Store from 4th of January 2024. A critical aspect of GPTs is their adherence to privacy and safety norms. Creators cannot access user conversations with their GPTs, and OpenAI has systems in place to ensure GPTs adhere to usage policies, preventing harmful content and impersonation. Additionally, for business offerings like ChatGPT Enterprise, OpenAI doesn't use customer-submitted content for model improvement, ensuring data privacy for businesses.
Builders have control over their proprietary data, with options to opt out of training on their data by OpenAI, ensuring the privacy of their creations.
GPTs can be enhanced with APIs for specific actions like flight information lookup or email assistance. However, this involves sharing chat data with the third-party API provider, which is not covered under OpenAI’s privacy commitments.
OpenAI is considering adding features for analytics and feedback mechanisms to help builders improve their GPTs while maintaining user privacy.
My take: GPTs represent a significant stride in the field of AI, offering customizable, accessible, and versatile tools that cater to a wide range of applications. From individual enthusiasts to large enterprises, the potential for GPTs is vast, with continuous improvements and community involvement shaping their future. As we explore these tools further, it's clear that they are not just technological marvels, but also gateways to innovation and creativity in the digital age. If you want to get started in building a tailored chatbot without paying for a ChatGPT Plus subscription, you might want to take a look at the free, but also limited, alternative from Zapier which I covered in this 𝕏 post.
⌨️🤖 AI at Your Fingertips: Introducing Microsoft's Copilot Key
In the latest Windows Experience Blog article, Microsoft introduces the Copilot key, signaling a shift towards AI-integrated computing. The Copilot key, which will soon appear on new Windows 11 PCs from various partners, including Surface devices, is designed to enable seamless interaction with AI features, making it easier for users to engage with Copilot in their daily activities
The Copilot logo (here colored) will be used on various Windows 11 PC keyboards to label a shortcut to the Copilot feature in the operating system. The introduction of the Copilot key is notable as the first major change to the Windows PC keyboard in almost 30 years, joining the iconic Windows key as a fundamental feature.
This initiative is part of Microsoft's broader strategy to redefine PC experiences by integrating AI into the core system, silicon, and hardware, aiming to simplify and amplify computing experiences.
My take: Big story for no real change. The key right to the Alt Gr key is labeled quite inconsistently on physical keyboards. Giving it the Copilot logo is nothing more than a marketing campaign as also without this physical appearance the key functionality can be changed. However, this story shows the increasing emphasis on AI integration in everyday computing and represents Microsoft's strategy to make AI more accessible and intuitive for users.
💻🔍 Tech Terms: AI Agent
An AI agent, in the context of technology and AI, refers to a system or entity that can autonomously perform tasks or achieve goals based on its environment and experiences. These agents are driven by algorithms and can range from simple automated programs to advanced AI systems like chatbots, virtual assistants, or autonomous vehicles. They are characterized by their autonomy, reactivity, pro-activeness, and social ability, allowing them to operate without human intervention, perceive and respond to their environment, take initiative, and interact with other agents, including humans.
Large Language Models (LLMs) like GPT-4 significantly enhance and enable new types of AI agents, primarily through their advanced natural language processing capabilities. The connection between LLMs and AI agents lies in how these models can process, understand, and generate human-like text, making the agents more effective and versatile in their interactions and functionalities.
🎙🌱 Growing with Discipline: Insights from Ryan Holiday (podcast)
In the enlightening episode "You’re Not Lazy: How To Make Discipline Easy" with Ryan Holiday of the Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal podcast, several key insights emerge about discipline, productivity, and personal development. Here's a breakdown of the main points which resonated with me:
The Role of Discipline: Discipline, along with self-imposed deadlines and constraints, is fundamental for productivity and achieving a balance in life.
Goal-Setting and Habits: Achieving productivity is a result of setting clear goals, establishing solid habits, and taking consistent action.
Embracing the Long-Term Perspective: Success requires time and effort. Embracing a long-term view is essential.
Decision-Making and Fear Management: Most life decisions are adjustable, and the stakes are often lower than perceived. Managing fear and worst-case scenarios is crucial in decision-making.
In conclusion, the episode with Ryan Holiday offers a comprehensive guide on balancing discipline and flexibility, emphasizing personal growth, and understanding the nuanced dynamics of professional and personal success. It's a manifesto for those seeking to enhance their productivity, find balance in their lives, and achieve a deeper sense of fulfillment.
Disclaimer: This newsletter is written with the aid of AI. I use AI as an assistant to generate and optimize the text. However, the amount of AI used varies depending on the topic and the content. I always curate and edit the text myself to ensure quality and accuracy. The opinions and views expressed in this newsletter are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of the sources or the AI models.