🤝 The Role of AI in Crafting My Marriage Proposal
Dear curious minds,
A special moment in my life is covered in this issue and, believe it or not, ChatGPT was my thought partner to prepare for it.
In this week’s issue, I bring to you the following topics:
Office Reimagined: Microsoft's AI Copilot Pro for Everyday Users
Powered by Google's Gemini Nano: The AI-Driven Samsung Galaxy S24
ChatGPT's Role in Crafting My Marriage Proposal
Tech Terms: NPU
If nothing sparks your interest, move on, otherwise, let us dive in!
📊👩💻 Office Reimagined: Microsoft's AI Copilot Pro for Everyday Users
Microsoft has launched Copilot Pro, a new version of its AI-powered Office features targeted at consumers, as stated in an article from The Verge.
Copilot Pro requires an additional $20 per month on top of the existing Microsoft 365 subscription, which starts at $6.99 per month for private users.
The service offers advanced AI capabilities, enhancing productivity in various Microsoft Office applications. It integrates seamlessly with apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Key features include drafting emails in Outlook, creating complex Excel formulas, generating PowerPoint presentations, and writing documents in Word using AI assistance.
Feature comparison between the free version of Copilot and Copilot Pro. Biggest drawback is that we lose the free GPT-4 access in peak times [source] Initially Copilot Pro will be available in Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, France, United Kingdom, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and the United States. Microsoft plans to make Copilot Pro available in more markets soon.
My take: Microsoft aims to make advanced AI tools accessible to everyday consumers, not just business clients. The move reflects a trend in the tech industry towards integrating AI more deeply into everyday software. Accessing Copilot in the widely used Office applications from Microsoft is the outstanding feature compared to ChatGPT Plus which has the same price tag.
🤖📱 Powered by Google's Gemini Nano: The AI-Driven Samsung Galaxy S24
Samsung announced their new flagship phones in the Samsung Galaxy S24, which will be shipped in three different variants: S24, S24 Plus and S24 Ultra
The three variants of the S24 in the online exclusive colors. The prices are stated in Canadian Dollars and vary for other regions. [source] Google published their own announcement, stating that Gemini, the new AI from Google, will be used on the new Samsung Galaxy S24 series. This includes the local (Gemini Nano) as well as the cloud-based variants (Gemini Pro and Gemini Ultra). So far, the local AI support was exclusively possible on the Google Pixel 8 Pro.
Highlighted AI features of the Samsung Galaxy S24 devices:
Live translation in calls and in split-screen view for face-to-face conversations (local).
Audio transcription: Convert voice recording to text (local).
Magic Compose Craft unique messages in various styles like excited or formal (local).
Image editing: Expand images and fill in, move and remove objects (cloud-based).
Android Auto: Message summaries (cloud-based).
Note Assist: AI-generated summaries, translations and restructuring in Samsung Notes (cloud-based).
Circle to Search: Seamless visual search without switching apps (cloud-based).
Circle to Search allows you to create easily a question using the context you currently see on your phone. [source]
On PCs, the memory size is often the limiting factor to running LLMs locally. Therefore, it likely also make sense to go for the largest memory option on your phone if you have the intention to run AI models locally. The S24 brings only 8 GB, in contrast to 12 GB on the S24 Plus and S24 Ultra, which is also the same amount as on the Google Pixel 8 Pro.
Depending on the region, Samsung will either integrate their own Exynos 2400 or the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in the S24 and S24 Plus. The S24 Ulta will always be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
Samsung’s latest flagship processor [Exynos 2400] ships inside the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus in several regions, including Europe, the UK, India, and South Africa. However, these phones are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor in the likes of the US. (source)
Both processors integrate powerful NPUs (Neural Processing Units), but it is impossible to judge without real tests which one performs better.
The Exynos 2400 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 are from raw specs closer than you might expect. [source]
In comparison to the Google Tensor G3 processor, which powers the Google Pixel 8 Pro, both processor options of the Galaxy S24 are way faster in raw speed. However, there is no clear judgement of the better processor for generative AI tasks possible. Google might optimize the execution of Gemini Nano with the Tensor G3 and at the same time Qualcomm highlights the capability to run LLMs like Meta’s Llama on the device.
Samsung states that there will be the possibility to disable all cloud-based AI processing.
My take: I am thrilled about the latest advancement in smartphone technology as seen in the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, especially its local AI features powered by Google's Gemini Nano. The inclusion of these features marks a significant leap forward, bringing the power of AI directly into the hands of users. These local features of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series represent a significant step towards a more integrated and intuitive AI experience in our daily lives. The focus on local processing not only ensures faster and more reliable performance but also addresses privacy concerns by minimizing the need for cloud-based data processing.
💑💍 ChatGPT's Role in Crafting My Marriage Proposal
I proposed to my girlfriend using a unique geo-caching adventure, planned with the assistance of ChatGPT.
Our 2.5-year-old son also joined in on this special occasion. To make the experience enjoyable for our son, ChatGPT suggested incorporating small toys or sweets in the hidden boxes. I opted for sweets, which kept him excited and engaged throughout the adventure.
For our son to participate actively, I included emojis in the riddle texts, based on ChatGPT's advice. This allowed him to take part in reading a new hint and made him more excited about solving the riddles.
I placed the second last box at a playground where I could easily spend a little bit more time with my son while my girlfriend spent time solving the most difficult riddle I prepared. ChatGPT assisted me in creating an encrypted message for this location. I prepared hints for this one, but they were not needed. If you want to give it a try (send me the solution if you solved it, but don’t cheat by using ChatGPT):
n re ,etläkretni dnat hc tsni ,a ßie dn ,tla ni ,krewtsnu ei .rabrednu hco ,nna seni ,sega ni remastle ,hciert ni reniebrei ma iebro dn ta sawt .hciel ni reble ,remmihc o tsni ßie ,ra tsnna u ri nu ,nega o hc ?ra
The final location, chosen for the last box, was a field. It was already getting dark, I did not precisely remember the exact position, and we did struggle to find the box. Following ChatGPT's suggestion, I had a backup box in my pocket, which I placed in the field and prevented with this move the event from ending on a disappointing note.
As my girlfriend tried to decode the final hint, I seized the moment, took out the engagement ring, and proposed. She said yes! ♥️
Captured moments of the personal geo-cache proposal in clockwise order from upper left to lower left. My take: This experience highlights the incredible potential of AI, like ChatGPT, in personalizing significant life events. ChatGPT’s suggestions made the geo-cache hunt child-friendly and ensured a smooth flow of the event, especially with the backup plan for the final location. ChatGPT is a valuable tool in making memorable moments even more special and can be a thinking partner which can give you so far hidden insights for whatever you want to achieve.
💻🔍 Tech Terms: NPU
An NPU (Neural Processing Unit) is a specialized piece of hardware that's optimized to handle tasks related to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).
As of today, GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) are often used in AI and machine learning for their ability to handle complex calculations rapidly. Originally designed for rendering graphics in video games, GPUs are now a default choice for training and running neural networks and other intensive AI tasks due to their high performance in parallel processing.
Like GPUs, also NPUs are capable of handling multiple operations at once (parallel processing), which is vital for the complex calculations needed in AI. In contrast to GPUs, they are even more tailored to the needed computations for AI and ML tasks.
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.