In the fifth issue of Weekly AI, you can expect to find the following:
Introduction
What caught my attention in the AI World this week:
GM of the Week
The Art of Life Through the Eyes of AI - Week 17 Summary
Prompt of the Week
Closing note
1. Introduction
Welcome to the fifth issue of Weekly AI! I'm thrilled to see my readership grow with each passing week. We're already five weeks in, and our community is expanding at an impressive pace. I'd like to extend my gratitude to fellow newsletter authors on Substack who recommended "Transcending Boundaries of AI and Web3" and helped me reach a broader audience.
As I write this introduction on May 1st, International Workers' Day, I can't help but reflect on the evolving nature of work. In my part of Europe, this day was once a significant celebration that highlighted citizens' duty to work during communism. This led to numerous distortions and abuses. After many years, transitioning to a Western model where work is a necessity and something we often have to strive for ourselves has completely transformed our perspective.
With the development of AI in the 21st century, we're entering a new phase—a world where work could become a privilege for a selected few. As I closely follow the progress of LLMs and Generative AI, I find myself pondering our role in this changing world. Will AI boost our productivity, transforming us into superhumans with constant access to information and knowledge? Or will it replace us in various fields, including creative ones?
Personally, I lean towards AI enhancing our capabilities and increasing our productivity. This shift could help us break free from the trap of low economic growth and eventually boost GDP.
Regarding art, I find it even more unlikely that AI will replace humans. After all, art is intimately connected to emotions, experiences, and storytelling—the more it reflects the creator's feelings and experiences, the more valuable it becomes.
In my view, AI has the potential to become another tool for creators, enabling more people to join the creative world. Thanks to AI, we might experience stories that we wouldn't have had the chance to discover due to the creators' technical limitations.
As we think about May 1st and the celebration of work, it's fascinating to imagine how AI might make work a pleasant addition to our daily lives. Perhaps it will transform it into a more engaging, creative, and stimulating experience while AI and robots take care of tedious tasks.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on how AI might change the future of work and creativity. Please share your views by replying to this email or leaving a comment on the newsletter.
In today's issue, I invite you to read the section "What caught my attention in the AI World this week," where I encourage you to explore the book "Klara and the Sun" by Kazuo Ishiguro.
Later, I'll discuss the creative process behind "The Art of Life Through the Eyes of AI" and briefly summarize week 17. As always, we'll have the most interesting GM and the Prompt of the Week.
Dive in and enjoy the rest of this issue! If you find it insightful, please help us grow our community by sharing Weekly AI with friends and colleagues who share your passion for the fascinating world of AI and its impact on our lives.
Happy Reading!
2. What caught my attention in the AI World this week: "Klara and the Sun" by Kazuo Ishiguro
In this week's edition of "What Caught My Attention in the AI World," I'm delighted to recommend the book "Klara and the Sun" by Kazuo Ishiguro. This captivating story encourages deep contemplation on the relationship between humans and AI, the ethical implications of creating sentient machines, and the significance of empathy in a technologically advanced world.
Kazuo Ishiguro, a renowned author celebrated for his exceptional writing and thought-provoking narratives, has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his outstanding work. "Klara and the Sun" is undoubtedly one of his most remarkable achievements.
The novel follows the journey of Klara, an Artificial Friend designed to provide companionship and support for children. As a robot with a unique perspective, Klara navigates us through her experiences in a world where AI and humans coexist. When she becomes the companion of a young girl named Josie, Klara uncovers the complexities of human relationships, emotions, and the challenges that arise when AI becomes an integral part of our lives.
A central aspect of the book is the exploration of AI and human interaction. As Klara engages with Josie and her family, we witness the emotional bonds that can form between humans and AI. The story poses thought-provoking questions about the ethics of creating artificial intelligence capable of feeling and understanding emotions and the potential impact on our relationships.
Another critical theme is the potential consequences of advancing AI technology. The novel encourages readers to consider whether increasing dependence on AI might lead to losing human connection and empathy. Through Klara's observations, we are reminded of the importance of understanding and accepting each other's differences, as she notes, "It's odd, when you think about it, how we're all made the same in so many ways, and yet our minds can be so different."
"Klara and the Sun" is a must-read for anyone interested in AI and its influence on human interaction. Kazuo Ishiguro masterfully crafts a compelling narrative that inspires reflection on the ethical considerations surrounding AI, the value of empathy, and the evolving relationship between humans and machines. Don't miss this fascinating and thought-provoking book!
3. GM of the Week
The idea for this GM image came to life about a month ago. Well, I must admit that I don't work on my GMs daily. I strive to be active and respond to your GMs on Twitter daily, but I create my own every now and then when new ideas arise. This particular one appeared on a wintry evening when it was gray and cloudy outside. I thought it would be nice to create a GM that would be very sunny. Initially, it was supposed to be a GM located on the surface of the sun, but as you can see, the effect turned out a bit different. Although very sunny and bright, which many people seemed to like, it was somewhat accidental. I'm still working on the actual GM on the sun's surface. As soon as I achieve the desired effect, I will show it to you and share how to achieve such an effect.
4. The Art of Life Through the Eyes of AI - Week 17 Summary,
Today, I'm excited to offer you an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at my creative process, showcasing how these captivating images come to life.
The concept for this series emerged in late 2022, fueled by the possibilities of Generative AI and my discovery of Midjourney. Typically, working with this tool involves crafting specific prompts designed to yield the desired effect in the form of an image containing the intended elements. However, those familiar with this type of AI know that results can sometimes be quite different from expectations.
In a departure from the norm, I decided to experiment with an unconventional approach: providing Midjourney with a prompt that wasn't explicitly crafted for generating a specific outcome. Instead, these prompts are derived from my journal entries, which vary in length, and are later "compressed" by ChatGPT 4 into one or two sentences. These condensed prompts are then fed into Midjourney. Occasionally, I add an extra element specifying the style in which I'd like to see the generated image, influenced by factors such as the day, my mood, and other intangible aspects.
For instance, the graphic from Day 118 drew inspiration from the work of David Wojnarowicz, an American self-taught artist known for his diverse artistic mediums, including painting, performance, film, music, sculpture, written word, and photography. Art enthusiasts may easily recognize the influence of Wojnarowicz's renowned skull.
Now that you've gained insight into the creation of "The Art of Life Through the Eyes of AI," I hope you'll follow my AI-perspective journal with even greater enthusiasm.
In conclusion, I'm sharing a summary of Week 17, featuring the previously mentioned Day 118, inspired by the remarkable works of Wojnarowicz.
5. Prompt of the Week.
Today's Prompt of the Week is authored by none other than... ChatGPT. Rest assured, I haven't gone crazy, and AI hasn't scrambled my brain. Achieving good results with ChatGPT doesn't necessitate prompt-writing expertise. The best approach is to ask ChatGPT for assistance or even to edit the perfect prompt for you. I borrowed this idea from NFT_GOD (greetings, Alex), who revealed that he sometimes employs a straightforward prompt when working on texts: "What information do you need from me in order to create the best result possible?" This method was so appealing that I adopted it for my own text editing.
When inspiration eludes me, and I can't think of a prompt, I ask directly:
"I want you to become my Prompt Creator. Your goal is to help me craft the best possible prompt for my needs. The prompt will be used by you, ChatGPT. Provide me the prompt to..."
ChatGPT then guides us through the process, inquiring about details and delivering a precise prompt customized to our needs. A standout feature of this technology is its user-friendly interface. Expertise in a specific field isn't required to achieve impressive results. All that's needed is a willingness to experiment without fear. In many instances, ChatGPT will lead us toward our desired goal when prompted.
6. Closing note
To conclude this issue, I would like to share with you an interesting discovery I came across while reading a text by Michael Spencer in one of his newsletters, "Artificial Intelligence Survey." The text concerns empathy, or what may seem like a very human trait. Interestingly, he is not talking about empathy in general terms but empathy in the doctor-patient relationship.
In the study described by Michael, researchers wanted to see how well the ChatGPT could answer health questions from patients when compared to real doctors. They took 195 questions from a public website called Reddit's r/AskDocs, where people can ask doctors questions and get answers from verified physicians.
A group of licensed healthcare professionals evaluated the answers given by both ChatGPT and the doctors. They looked at how good the information was and how empathetic or caring the responses were.
The results showed that in 78.6% of the cases, the chatbot's answers were preferred over the doctors' answers. The ChatGPT responses were also rated as having higher quality and showing more empathy. Specifically, the chatbot's answers were 3.6 times more likely te of good or very good quality and 9.8 times more likely to be empathetic or very empathetic when compared to the doctors' answers.
These findings suggest that ChatGPT could potentially help doctors answer patients' questions more effectively. This could lead to reduced workload for doctors and better communication with patients. However, as the author mentioned, more research is needed to explore how this chatbot could be used in real-world healthcare settings and whether it genuinely makes a positive impact on doctors and patients.
Link to a detailed description of the method and results of the study: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2804309
It is intriguing that ChatGPT proved to be better not as a diagnostic tool or an algorithm capable of accurately analyzing large volumes of data but as one that responds to questions with more significant concern for patients'’ well-being. Is this a sign that AI is entering the realms of what we previously thought were very human competencies, such as empathy?
Who knows, maybe soon, the experiences of little Josie, the protagonist of "Klara and the Sun," will become our everyday reality. Time will tell, and in the meantime, I hope you found this issue of Weekly AI informative, entertaining, and valuable. Feel free to share it with your family, friends, and acquaintances.
Take care,
D3W