Getting started with 3D design tools in 2024
At first glance, these two articles might seem at odds with each other, but if you’re interested in a solid AI Proof skill, now is the time to get into 3D design. While there are ‘text-to 3D’ generators, they are still as primitive as Midjourney 1.0 and when AI 3D becomes a thing, you’ll already have a foundation of how to integrate traditional 3D tools into that workflow. If you’d like to understand the current market conditions, please check out this article from Creative Bloq where Adobe’s Director of 3D says the “demand is crazy for Designers with 3D skills”. If you’ve tried learning 3D before and given up (as I have several times), you might consider looking at Adobe’s Substance Platform. This is one of my goals for Summer ‘24. Or, if you’d like a simpler, web based, Figma-style experience, get started with Spline. I guarantee that both of these paths will be in high demand in the near future.
And now for the contradictory part. If you already have some 3D skills and possess the technical vocabulary, now is the time to start reading about ‘text-to 3D’. It’s not going to replace any real humans yet, but if those humans can quickly generate simple background objects they can save hours of time, whether it’s generating from scratch or searching online for just the right model. This is a dense read, but worth it.
Mia Bloom has a new survey
I’ve written about Mia’s newsletter frequently and last fall she put out a document called ‘The AI Playbook for Teams’ which still informs a lot of the work I do.
She’s now added a second survey to gather more information for round two of her report. You know how much I like surveys and you know I wouldn’t steer you wrong, so contribute to the growing body of knowledge and check it out.
The tech sector is not the economy…but
It might be the canary in the coal mine. We’re only two weeks in, but January has brought a whole new wave of layoffs from the tech sector. Google, Amazon, Unity, and Duolingo lead the way, citing reasons such as ‘organizational efficiency’. However, this is happening at the same time as the major tech players are investing record amounts into other major players to establish a beach head in the upcoming AI skirmishes. This article from CNN goes into greater detail. I’m not trying to be all doom and gloom here and I think many opportunities still exist for creative people, but I think that a great job with a tech company is a thing of the past. If you’d like an even more sobering look at the future, the IMF forecasts that up to 40% of jobs worldwide could be eliminated by AI in the coming decade. Check it out
The International Monetary Fund warned that nearly 40% of jobs across the globe could be affected by the rise of artificial intelligence, with high-income economies facing greater risks than emerging markets and low-income countries.
How AI works, what to expect, get smarter
If you’re a regular reader of this newsletter, you’ve probably already been singled out at work as the ‘smart one’, or your boss is turning to you to explain things. If not, or you’re ready to up your game, you should probably read this article about how an LLM really works with gorgeous illustrations of burritos and spaghetti. Check it out
Bonus: Did you know that only 47% of executives feel they are preparing their employees well enough for AI? And only 20% feel they are ‘highly prepared’ for the coming wave of changes. You could look like a rockstar. Check it out
Or, if you are an executive (or have aspirations) and want to download a 34 page pdf from Deloitte, you can go check it.
The future of gaming dialogue
Hey gamers, are tired of your NPCs saying the same old tired dialogue? You probably understand that this was programmed with a decision tree and there are only so many options the writers and developers can create. Things are about to change dramatically with AI generated content. Check it out
Meet Sam: Samsung’s virtual influencer
Just so you can keep up with creative trends, Samsung will release it’s new flagship phone on January 17, along with Sam, their own virtual influencer. For the record, Samsung says that this campaign has really helped boost phone sales in Latin America.
Sam is now Samsung's Artificial Intelligence ambassador “thanks to her unique understanding of the topic,” Samsung Mexico confirmed in a press release. And, in case you missed the news, the Galaxy S24 series will be Samsung's first AI phone, which makes Sam's involvement that much more interesting, even if she isn't a true AI. Samsung says that Sam will present the new products and talk with the event's guests about the new era of AI. During the launch event, she will also interview five live — as in not virtual — influencers from Latin America.
Khanmigo is only $4 a month now
If you believe that AI has the power to transform education and you have kids who need help with math, you should really check out Khanmigo, the AI tool from Khan Academy. I’ve been watching it’s development for the last year and I’m really excited about it’s potential. Check it out
That’s it for this week, I hope you enjoyed your frozen three day weekend, I sure did. As always, if you have any comments, questions, hot tips, or suggestions, drop me a line.