I put a question mark at the end of that subtitle, because I don’t want to sound too foreboding. If you were paying attention to my last newsletter of 2023, you’ll remember that the subtitle was ‘the end of the beginning’. Whatever your take on things, we’re certainly entering into a new era in 2024 and I while I hope to extract some positives, I’m going to start with the bad news…or rumor, for now. While I cannot cannot confirm it, I have read some accounts that Google is planning on laying off up to 30,000 employees.
According to a recent report from The Information, Google is considering a substantial workforce reduction, potentially affecting up to 30,000 employees, as part of a strategic move to integrate AI into various aspects of its business processes.
The proposed restructuring is anticipated to primarily impact Google's ad sales department, where the company is exploring the benefits of leveraging AI for operational efficiency.
The adoption of AI in this domain could trigger a considerable shake-up within Google, as the report highlights the transformative impact of AI on the revenue streams associated with digital advertising, potentially diminishing the need for human intervention in these tasks.
While this hasn’t actually happened yet and the sky is not falling, Google is a significant bellwether, and if they can increase efficiency with AI, many other companies will follow suit.
On to the Fun Stuff!
If Only AI
Did you just need some AI eye candy to scroll through while you finish that second cup of coffee? Are you almost ready to start making cool stuff with Midjourney, but you needed just one more round of inspiration? Bored Panda has you covered
AI Film News of The Week
You’ve probably read a few of my posts about AI filmmaking, but I may not know what I’m talking about it. If you’d like to see what the Pros on the subject are saying, Cine D has a great article entitled Must Have AI tools for Filmmakers. While they cover the usual subjects like RunwayML and Topaz Labs, I was excited to learn about two new tools, Luma.ai and Picsi.ai.
I’m not asking you to enroll in this AI Filmmaking Master Class, I just need you to know it’s a thing and it’s here to stay. Closer inspection of the curriculum reveals that they mostly will instruct you on how to use ChatGPT and Midjourney. Trust me, if you’re a regular reader of this newsletter, you don’t need to be paying for prompts in 2024.
Double the Power: With 30+ prompts – tailored for brainstorming, creative development, social media, post-production, and business development.
I have a ton of resources bookmarked, so if you’re interested in AI filmmaking send me a message.
Leonardo.ai Does Video, Pika Labs Open To All
Leonardo.ai will now let you generate a video from any image in the community, your own generated image, or an uploaded image. I’ve only been playing with it for a few days, results are mixed. Unfortunately, you blow through credits quickly.
Update: Tom’s Guide has a great how-to article. I didn’t realize you could upscale your image within Leonardo before generating your video. Check it out
Pika Labs is now browser based, still free to use, and open to everyone. So if you’re interested in making AI video, now is a good time to get on board.
Same image, same prompt. Leonardo first, Pika Labs second.
How to Visualize AI?
While many people will certainly be loosing their jobs in the near future, others will be faced with how to spend those huge marketing budgets to make AI more relatable. Since nobody really knows how to represent AI in a visual manner, it’s a good idea to start cataloging the different examples. Fortunately, Stash Media has you covered with this project from Novato Studios for Google DeepMind, including a brief interview with the designers. Check it out. Or check out the rest of the series
Interest in AI Visualized by Country
Visual Capitalist is one of my favorite data visualization sites and they’ve produced an interesting graphic that shows interest AI (by search queries per 100k population). The Philippines, Singapore, and Canada top the list. Check it out
So here we are, in 2024. I hope your new year is off to a great start and you’re as excited about this stuff as I am. If you have any questions, hot tips, or special requests, just send me a message.