It was a big week in the world of AI. Both Google and OpenAI released major updates. You know I’ve got your back. I cut through their marketing-speak to decipher what these updates actually mean for you and me. Google’s AI, Gemini 1.5 Pro, will handle tons of data. Need to summarize 1,500 pages of text? No problem. It’s pretty nuts. Google goes ‘Ask Jeeves’ mode You can ask a question in the search bar and it’ll summarize the answer for you. Great for you … not so great for websites that rely on traffic. Google Workspace’s “AI Teammate” searches your messages, email threads and attachments. Think of it like that coworker who’s been at the company for 20 years and knows every project, process or strategic conversation you might need to reference. Google also announced a ton of audio/visual-focused AI updates. What has Google pulling out all the stops? OpenAI. In a livestream just before Google’s I/O announcements, OpenAI announced a bigger and better model, GPT-4o. GPT-4o can respond to and generate any combo of voice, image or video — twice as fast as the more recent model. But what got my attention was that it’s also getting more … emotional. It can pick up on different tones in a conversation and respond like it has feelings. You’ve got to watch this video of ChatGPT-4o tutoring a kid through math problems. Wish I had this when Ian was in school … And in this other video, the bot’s lifelike conversation and laugh totally freaked me out. FYI, I asked, and they told me ChatGPT Plus members will get access to the alpha version in the next few weeks. I pay for it, but I’d say most folks don’t need the upgrade. No matter how helpful they get, these bots are machines. Always cross-check their advice — and promise me you won’t break into Windsor Castle because a chatbot told you to … Yeah, a British guy really did that last year. More: Navigating the digital world can be intimidating and sometimes downright daunting. Let me help! Reach out today to ask your digital question. You might even be on my show!
