• The Current ⚡️
  • Posts
  • OpenAI's ChatGPT Pro Debuts for $200, Microsoft Introduces Vision AI

OpenAI's ChatGPT Pro Debuts for $200, Microsoft Introduces Vision AI

Author

Jack Lajoie
December 06, 2024 • read time ~ 11 minutes

⚡️ Quick Hits

🤖 Artificial Intelligence

Android's latest update introduces accessibility enhancements and Gemini AI improvements - The new Android update features Expressive Captions and an updated Lookout app with the Gemini 1.5 model for improved accessibility. [The Verge]

Clone Robotics unveils humanoid robot with water-powered muscles - The robot mimics human movements using a water-based system, aiming to replace human workers on assembly lines. [Clone Robotics]

Google introduces PaLI and Gemma 2 vision-language models with simplified fine-tuning - The new models enhance image and text understanding, offering improved performance with less data. [Google Developers Blog]

Humane pivots to software with the launch of Cosmos OS - The company debuts Cosmos OS, designed to integrate AI-driven interactivity and functionality into various hardware ecosystems. [Engadget]

LA Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong plans AI-powered 'bias meter' for articles - Set to launch in January, the tool aims to indicate bias levels in news and opinion pieces. [CNN]

Meta to invest $10 billion in Louisiana AI data center - The facility will be the company's largest, supporting extensive AI and digital infrastructure workloads. [Reuters]

AI's impact on 2024 elections less disruptive than anticipated - Despite concerns, AI-generated deepfakes and misinformation had a limited effect on election integrity. [The Conversation]

🎨 Creative & Cultural

Frank McCourt's Project Liberty prepares $20 billion bid for TikTok - The initiative aims to create a safer internet, especially for children, through decentralized social networking. [The Information]

EdenX AI launches platform for creative professionals - The new platform offers AI-driven tools to enhance creativity and streamline workflows for artists and designers. [EdenX AI]

Threads tests feature to display post performance metrics - The feature aims to provide users with insights into engagement and reach of their content. [TechCrunch]

Spotify users express disappointment over 'underwhelming' Wrapped 2024 - Missing features and lack of innovation lead some users to consider alternative music platforms. [TechCrunch]

Key leaders behind Google's NotebookLM depart to start new venture - The team plans to develop new AI-driven tools for knowledge management. [TechCrunch]

₿ Crypto & Blockchain

Bitcoin price hits $100,000 for the first time - The cryptocurrency reaches a new all-time high amid growing institutional adoption and favorable regulatory developments. [Cointelegraph]

Hawk Tuah memecoin plummets 90% amid launch controversy - Allegations of insider trading and rapid sell-offs lead to significant losses for investors. [Cointelegraph]

⚖ Legal & Regulation

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy advocate for Dogecoin on Capitol Hill - The tech leaders promote the cryptocurrency's potential benefits to lawmakers. [The Wall Street Journal]

Trump appoints former PayPal COO David Sacks as AI and crypto czar - The move signals a shift towards more lenient regulations in the tech and crypto sectors. [Reuters]

🧪 Research

PaintScene4D enables consistent 4D scene generation from text prompts - The framework utilizes video generative models to create photorealistic dynamic scenes with flexible camera control. [arXiv]

Turbo3D introduces ultra-fast text-to-3D generation - The system generates high-quality 3D assets in under one second using a novel diffusion generator and Gaussian reconstructor. [arXiv]

🎱 Random

U.S. economy shows rare productivity growth - Amid global economic challenges, the U.S. experiences an increase in productivity, setting it apart from other economies. [The Wall Street Journal]

Acres Technology offers investment opportunity in AI-driven casino gaming - The platform highlights growth potential in integrating AI for advanced gaming systems. [Acres Technology]

🔌 Plug In To These Details

OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Pro, a premium subscription plan costing $200 per month, aimed at professionals and researchers who require enhanced AI capabilities for complex tasks.

  • Subscribers gain unlimited access to OpenAI’s advanced models, including GPT-4o and o1-mini.

  • o1 Pro Mode provides enhanced computational resources for tackling complex problems.

  • The subscription includes advanced voice capabilities for dynamic and natural interactions.

  • Targeted at professionals in fields like programming, data science, and legal analysis.

  • A grant initiative offers ChatGPT Pro subscriptions to U.S.-based medical researchers.

📈 ChatGPT Pro’s $200 subscription seems like a bid to reassure investors of monetization potential, yet it raises questions about whether steep pricing alone can sustain OpenAI’s high-growth trajectory.

Microsoft has launched a preview of Copilot Vision, an AI feature integrated into the Edge browser that allows users to interact with web pages through natural language, enhancing the browsing experience.

  • Copilot Vision can read and interpret text and images on web pages, providing assistance such as answering questions and offering shopping recommendations.

  • The feature is currently available to a limited number of Copilot Pro subscribers in the United States through Copilot Labs.

  • Users must explicitly enable Copilot Vision, ensuring control over when the AI can access webpage content.

  • Microsoft emphasizes privacy, stating that Copilot Vision does not store or use data from publishers for AI model training.

  • The initial rollout is limited to select websites, with plans to expand over time.

👁️ With Copilot Vision, Microsoft brings a dynamic layer of AI-driven interactivity to web browsing, bridging gaps between users and information while respecting privacy concerns.

DeepMind has introduced Genie 2, an advanced AI model capable of generating interactive 3D environments from text or image prompts, enhancing applications in gaming, digital art, and research.

  • Genie 2 builds upon its predecessor by creating dynamic virtual worlds with physics-based interactions, such as jumping and swimming.

  • Trained on extensive video datasets, it produces coherent environments from various perspectives, including first-person and isometric views.

  • The model operates through an autoregressive process, generating videos frame by frame based on prior frames and user inputs.

  • Users can interact with the generated environments via keyboard inputs, allowing real-time exploration.

  • This technology holds potential for rapid prototyping and training AI agents within simulated settings.

🎮 By transforming simple prompts into rich, interactive worlds, Genie 2 represents a significant advancement in AI-generated content, paving the way for more immersive digital experiences.

📸 Creator Corner

Project Odyssey AI Filmmaking Competition

Project Odyssey’s second season aims to be more of a showcase of how AI can revolutionize filmmaking, beyond just being a contest.

With over $70,000 in prizes, the competition spans four distinct categories, each with unique opportunities to flex your creative muscles:

  • Narrative Shorts – Tell compelling stories with AI-generated characters, scripts, or visuals. Emphasis is on cohesive storytelling.

  • Music Videos – Pair music with AI-powered visuals, exploring synchronization and emotional resonance.

  • Experimental Works – Push boundaries by mixing modalities, creating abstract visuals, or using unconventional methods.

  • Trailer Challenges – Produce AI-driven trailers for hypothetical projects, focusing on engaging concepts.

The competition also levels the playing field with resources like free trials of ElevenLabs’ voice AI and Civitai’s model repository, ensuring tools for generative imagery and sound are at your fingertips.

Submissions open December 16, and winners will be announced on February 17, with judging criteria rewarding originality, technical execution, and narrative depth.

Project Odyssey emerged in June 2024 as a collaborative initiative among AI and creative industry leaders, including Civitai, ElevenLabs, ThinkDiffusion, and Realdreams. The inaugural competition aimed to unite creators, communities, and companies to explore AI's potential in filmmaking. Participants were challenged across categories such as 3D Animation, Music Video, Open Format, and Behind-The-Scenes, with over $28,000 in cash and credit prizes.

The first season garnered significant engagement, receiving approximately 1,300 submissions, from which 250 finalists and 42 winners were selected.

Winning entries for the 3D animation category included:

"An Interstellar Journey of Discovery”

"Secrets of the Abyss"

"I've Come To Bargain”

Building on this success, Project Odyssey announced its second season in December 2024, expanding to nine categories and offering over $70,000 in cash prizes and $750,000 in free trials, solidifying its status as the world's largest AI film competition.

🤔 Final Thoughts

OpenAI kicking off their "12 Days of Shipmas" with a $200 ChatGPT Pro subscription shows where their priorities lie.

While the pricing strategy aims to demonstrate business viability to investors, starting a celebration of innovation with such a high premium paywall might send mixed signals about their priorities to users. Is it still the de facto people’s AI, or just for big players?

It's a reminder that even in the season of giving, AI's biggest players are focused on capturing value – and if you ask Elon Musk, very much at the expense of their original mission to ensure AI benefits all of humanity.

~ JL