Good morning, welcome to AI Joe, the newsletter that’s more lit than a Christmas tree in December.

Here’s what’s on today’s agenda 👇️ 

• OpenAI hits the launch button twice 🚀 

• Sam Altman does DC 🏛️

• Don’t judge a book by its cover 📚️ 

• VC talks about CarynAI - investable or unethical? 🎧️ 

• Get access to Midjourney to create incredible images 🌉

OpenAI wins the week 📆 

with the Launch of ChatGPT for iOS and Plug-ins 📱🔌 

New app who dis?

No more downloading knock-off ChatGPT apps, at least in the United States.

OpenAI (parent company of ChatGPT) is finally giving us our favorite conversationalist in-app form. The app was released on Thursday to US iOS users and will be rolled out to Android and international users in the coming weeks.

Does it matter?

Yeah, it does matter!

• There are THOUSANDS of ChatGPT rip-offs in the app store

• These “ChatGPT” apps are asking users to pay for access

• Users will get a better experience without extra cost.

That’s a big win!

Plug-in to ChatGPT

OpenAI also announced that it would make plug-ins available to all Pro users.

What’s a plug-in again?

Plug-ins are applications users can bolt onto ChatGPT to give it extra functionality.

Here are some of our faves:

Instacart: Now when you ask ChatGPT for a recipe, you can also ask it to have the ingredients delivered to your house 🤯 

OpenTable: Now ChatGPT can find and book the perfect spot for dinner 🍽️ 

AskyourPDF: Ever opened a PDF and thought “There’s no way I’m reading all that.” Now you don’t have to, just upload and ask any questions you need! (This would have made college textbooks WAY more useful) 🧠 

Redfin/Zillow: Ever wonder what your boss paid for their house? Maybe what your house is worth? Or how much it would cost to get a Malibu beach house? You can ask Redfin or Zillow any question about the housing market. 🏡 

KAYAK: Now you can book your vacation right through ChatGPT. “Book me a trip to Croatia for yacht week” seems like a pretty fun prompt! ✈️ 

Zapier: Allows you to hook ChatGPT into more than 5000 apps, even if they don’t have a plug-in. Now you can have ChatGPT format your new workout plan in a Google Sheet or write and send Tweets on your behalf! 🔗 

Read more about the iOS app here

Read more about the ChatGPT plug-ins here

Sam Altman says the R Word

That’s right, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI called for regulation during his testimony in front of the Senate.

What do you mean by regulation?

Essentially, Altman wants the government to make sure that everyone building tools like ChatGPT follows the rules. Here’s how he thinks they should do it 👇️ 

• Grant licenses to large AI models that can be revoked 🪪 

• Create safety standards that models must meet 🦺 

• Get checked by someone outside the firm 🧑‍💼 

Why would this be necessary?

People are FREAKED OUT by AI. Here are just a few of the concerns:

• AI is replacing human jobs (see story below)

• AI can use the internet to make things happen in the real world

• AI can break digital security systems to access private information

• AI can make videos of things that didn’t happen look completely real

• AI can generate fake recordings of celebrities and government officials

Based on all these things, it seems like regulation makes sense, but I have a slightly more cynical view.

Joe’s Take:

It’s a little suspicious that OpenAI is calling for regulation just a few months after hitting the mainstream. Though they have built a compelling case for regulation, it seems that what they’re really doing is making it more difficult for competitors to join the race and dethrone Open AI.

Make no mistake, Sam Altman may seem harmless, but you don’t get to where he is without being a stone-cold killer.

Read the full article here

AI Cover Art is Worrying Artists

It’s only been a few months since AI really started to blow up, and already we’re seeing AI replacing jobs.

Sarah J Maas’ new book, House of Earth and Blood, is a New York Times bestseller and the cover art was generated by AI. The image was taken from Adobe Stock, which allows AI-generated images on their platform as long as the image is labeled to inform users.

The author and publisher both received criticism for choosing an AI image over an image created by an artist.

This may be the first time we see a story like this, but it certainly won’t be the last. Get prepared to see a lot more AI illustrations in the future.

Read the full story here

Joe’s AI Content of the Week🎧️ 

This Week in Startups - Episode 1743

Jason Calacanis (@jason) and co-host Rachel Braun (@_rachelbraun) cover several AI topics in this episode. They start with CarynAI the AI Girlfriend we shared last week, other digital voice clones, AI-powered filters, Snapchat’s “My AI” and their take on Sam Altman’s senate hearing.

It’s worth listening to on your own, but here’s a quick summary:

• They believe there is room in the world for products like CarynAI, it will be successful

• Forever Voices, the tool that CarynAI is built on, is pushing the envelope in a way Jason is uncomfortable with

• Even despite that, he sees some incredible use cases for Forever Voices

• They talk about AI filters including a makeup filter and a teenage look filter that makes adults look like their teenage selves

• They discuss Snapchat’s “My AI” and some of the mischief that kids are getting up to in their AI chats

• Jason commends Sam Altman and the Senate for starting the conversation between AI companies and the government early

• He is critical of OpenAI and the fact that they’ve now closed their previously open-source models.

• He gives a balanced perspective on the hearing overall

If you plan to listen, I’d also recommend watching the video on Spotify to see the visuals of the clips they discuss throughout the show.

How you can use AI this week

How to access and prompt Midjourney to create AI images

Many AI experts and enthusiasts believe Midjouney is the best AI image generator available today. Using it, however, is not as simple as typing “midjourney” on Google and clicking a link.

Here’s how you can give it a try 👇️ 

1. Sign up for Discord, you can download the app or use the browser here

   Discord is a chat app that hosts Midjourney

2. Accept an invite to Midjourney here

3. Go to one of the newbies channels on the left side (there are multiple)

4. In the message field type “/imagine”

5. An area to write your prompt will appear, now you can get to work

Here are some examples of incredible images created in Midjourney and the prompts that were used by Redditor u/papsamir.

Prompt:

Create a 3D character model of a mythical creature combining the head of an eagle, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle. The creature should be adorned with gold and crimson scales, giving it a fiery appearance. Incorporate this majestic being into a fantastical forest setting, showcasing its unique features and blending it harmoniously with the surrounding landscape. Consider different angles, poses, and lighting to emphasize its powerful presence.

Prompt:

Create an arctic scene featuring a polar bear and her cubs standing on a melting iceberg, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, with a pod of whales surfacing nearby in the frigid waters. Emphasize the theme of motherhood and the struggle for survival in this harsh environment. The illustration style should be inspired by wildlife illustrators such as Robert Bateman or James Gurney, and presented in a medium such as watercolor painting, oil on canvas, or ink drawing

Prompt:

A stunning portrait of an elderly person, aged 80, featuring deep wrinkles, expressive eyes, and a gentle, warm smile. This distinctive portrait should convey the essence of wisdom, the embers of experience, and the comforting warmth of character. Emphasize the subtle details in the facial structure and texture, highlighting the nature of time's touch on the skin. Choose between oil painting or charcoal drawing to render the final artwork, inspired by the techniques of Rembrandt and Da Vinci. Capture the subject's essence in an environment that evokes peace and serenity, bringing the subject to life for generations to come.

Did you try it out? Send in your results to have them featured in next week’s AI Joe!