Why Meta Launched Threads.

…And we’re back 😉!

It’s been a pretty eventful week in the world of AI—and tech in general 🦾. From Meta’s release of a Twitter rival, Threads, to OpenAI’s big announcement and the US government’s plans to restrict China’s cloud computing access, there’s much to dissect today!

Lucky for you, that’s exactly where the Neural Frontier comes in! We’ve been at the forefront of all the action this week, and we’re here to break it down into bite-sized updates for your convenience. Sound good? Join us as we explore 😏!

In this issue, we’ve got:

🤯 Why Meta launched Threads.

🤖 Open AI introduces Superalignment!

🗞️ The US plans to reduce China’s access to cloud computing.

📸 Here’s what Disney-drawn musicians would look like.

⚡ The Neural Frontier’s weekly picks: 3 AI tools you should be using.

🤯 Why Meta launched Threads.

Even if you’ve been living under a rock for the last couple of days, you’ll have probably heard about the release of the Twitter rival, Threads. Created by Meta, this app’s release comes off the back of a turbulent period for Twitter. From large-scale layoffs to rate limits and ailing ad revenue, Twitter has definitely seen better days.

This release has prompted many questions—the most dominant of which is, “Why did Meta launch Threads?” Asides from obvious reasons like capitalizing on Twitter’s decline, expanding its audience reach, and filling the existing void, there’s a key factor most people are missing.

Yep, AI! You see, text-rich apps like Twitter and Reddit are the perfect data vaults for training AI models. And with the launch of Threads, Meta will have access to their personal text-intensive data vault for training their AI models. Thus, pushing the company further in the AI race. Regardless of how this plays out, it’s safe to say that Meta is willing to give Twitter a run for its money.

🤖 Open AI introduces Superalignment!

As AI technology continues to advance, the world at large has evolved with initiatives like the wide-scale integration of generative AI technology in various facets of organizations. And if the last couple of months have taught us anything, it’s that AI will continue to get smarter and more impactful in our everyday lives.

OpenAI realizes this and even recognizes the benefits that superintelligence may present to the human ecosystem. The drawbacks, on the other hand? Well…let’s just say it’s way worse than losing your job to AI, as the existence of super-intelligent AI models could very well spell the rapid disempowerment of humanity.

To this end, the company is creating a new team—led by Ilya Sutskever and Jan Leike—to work on Superalignment, which will potentially allow humans to retain control of super-intelligent AI models. What’s more, the company plans to achieve this in the next 4 years. And while we can’t say for certain whether this feat will be possible, it’ll be pretty interesting to witness the insights that come from this attempt 🤖.

🗞️ The US plans to reduce China’s access to cloud computing.

As a follow-up to the export bans placed on semiconductors last October, the Biden administration is seeking to place even more restrictions on China—this time with regard to cloud computing access.

You see, the whole point of the initial ban was to reduce the access of the Chinese government and military to the computing power needed to train AI models. However, it has become apparent that China can still access this computing power required via cloud service providers—a loophole that the Biden administration seeks to fix.

And although government officials are working to finalize plans this summer, nothing is set in stone. Either way, it will be pretty interesting to see China’s response to these developments.

📸 Here’s what Disney-drawn musicians would look like.

On a lighter note, here’s a stellar collection of AI-generated images to light up your day 🌞.

Featuring a stellar reimagination of your favorite artists—but from a Disney perspective—these images capture Disney’s unique art style while showcasing the power of Midjourney. Enjoy!

⚡ The Neural Frontier’s weekly picks: 3 AI tools you should be using.

New to AI tech? An expert prompt engineer? Or are you somewhere in between? Regardless, the Neural Frontier has your back! With this lineup of tools, sit back and watch your productivity soar.

1. 🧙Fixblurry.photos: As its name implies, this AI-powered tool revitalizes your blurry images by breathing life back into them. Yep, that’s pretty much it—a simple tool with a simple function.

2. 💡Sanebox: With a promise to ensure that its users aren’t overwhelmed by their inboxes, Sanebox aims to be one of the best trainable inbox assistants on the market. From organizing your emails in order of importance to helping you retain focus on what really matters, Sanebox is a pretty nifty tool.

3. 🦾Taleblocks: Keeping true to its unique value proposition, “from words to video, in a snap,” Taleblocks allows you to transform your existing content into bite-sized, marketable videos. What's more, it allows you to do all this from within your browser.

The latest in AI technology? Check. The highs and lows of AI tech? Double check. Entertaining escapades with Midjourney 😏? Check! That’s precisely the level of value you get with the Neural Frontier!

As we continue our curve-flattening journey of discovery🧙, feel free to share this with a friend and bring them on board. See you next week!