Lumian Gen AI Newsletter Issue #43

Welcome to the 43rd edition of the Lumian Weekly Gen AI Newsletter!

In Silicon Valley, there’s a new cult in town, and its God is as nebulous as it is omnipotent. They call it Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI, and it's basically become a sort of secular religion for the tech crowd. It’s a faith not built on ancient scriptures but on Python scripts, not preached in sanctuaries but in the sleek minimalism of startup offices, where every glass wall suggests that salvation lies not in the heavens but in the cloud.

AGI in Silicon Valley has become a sort of secular messianism. The high promise is an after where artificial intelligence governs not only our databases but our daily lives. Every tech conference is a revival tent, each keynote a sermon promising salvation through silicon. The creed? AGI will one day not only mirror human intellect but exceed it, achieving a kind of omnipotence previously reserved for divinity in old-time religion.

In this new ecclesiastical order, prophets don’t part seas; they parse data. Miracles aren't water turned to wine but personal assistants turned to personal savants. Every pitch deck is a psalm, every term sheet a testament, and angel investors? Well, they’re more literal than ever.

Yet in the gospel according to AGI, faith is measured in funding rounds. Investing in this celestial promise is akin to buying indulgences, ensuring a spot in this new paradise — except instead of streets paved with gold, they promise digital gardens free from error and inefficiency.

For every disciple of AGI, there's a skeptic. These aren't Luddites shaking their fists at the cloud; they’re reasonable souls who dare to ask, “But how will it work?” or “Has technology ever truly followed our grandest predictions?” They're not opposed to progress. They just suspect that the road to techno-utopia might have a few more twists than the faithful would have us believe.

As you navigate this landscape of believers and blasphemers, keep your critical mind intact. In Silicon Valley, where every other startup pitches a revolution, it's vital to remember that not every disruption leads to a Promised Land. Some lead to wild wildernesses of overpromise and underdelivery.

Whether AGI represents the future or merely another speculative frenzy, the real insight lies in questioning, not in acquiescing. Maintain a healthy skepticism, interrogate the glossy presentations, and remember: in our rush to the future, it's all too easy to buy into the dream without considering the waking reality. Because if there’s anything more enduring than Silicon Valley’s faith in technology, it’s the cyclical nature of its enthusiasms. 

But in the meantime, let’s enjoy the sermon, pass the collection plate, and don’t forget: in the religion of Artificial General Intelligence, faith in the future is the strongest currency. Just be sure you know what you’re buying into — divine destiny or digital delirium.

Happy reading! 📚🤖🎵

In this week’s issue:

• News Flash: Microsoft’s Copilot+PCs, Google’s I/O Releases, OpenAI’s GPT-4o

• OpenAI Demos: Seeing is Believing

• AI Frontier: AI Finance tools you can use today

• Fundraising: The biggest deals in AI

• Nerd Out: Technical and Business Content for Everyone

🚀 OpenAI Demos

Seeing is Believing

Meet OpenAI's Newest Star: GPT-4o

Dubbed "omni" for its all-encompassing capabilities, GPT-4o has been turning heads with its knack for handling text, audio, and images seamlessly. Here’s a quick tour of what this impressive AI can do:

Human-Like Conversations: GPT-4o isn't your average robotic voice. It chats with a natural flow, injects humor, and even varies its tone — think Scarlett Johansson in "Her" but in AI form. Well, this also got them into some trouble!

Real-World Helper: Need to catch a cab but have trouble seeing? GPT-4o leverages your phone’s camera to spot taxis approaching and tells you exactly when to wave one down.

Language Translator: Stuck in a language barrier? Watch GPT-4o translate Spanish to English and back again, all in real-time. It's like having a bilingual friend in your pocket.

Office Ally: From taking notes in meetings to suggesting edits to your presentations or code, GPT-4o is the coworker you’ve always wanted. It keeps up with conversations and makes sure you don’t miss a thing.

Math Tutor: Struggling with algebra? GPT-4o can guide you through each step of a problem, making learning a more interactive and supportive experience.

Singing Sensation: Yes, it sings too! GPT-4o can belt out a tune, whether it's a fun song about its surroundings or a heartfelt "Happy Birthday."

So, while GPT-4o might not yet be ready to audition for a spot on "The Voice" or snag an Oscar for its dramatic dialogues, it's certainly proving to be the life of the tech party. And who knows? If AI continues to evolve at this pace, GPT-4o might just end up being the most dependable—and entertaining—companion you didn’t know you needed.

🚀 AI in Practice

Cutting-Edge AI Finance Tools You Can Use Today

• WeFire - Fully interactive personal finance co-pilot

• Timmy - Personalized spending suggestions to grow your wealth