Artificial Intelligence (AI) has shaped the world in many different ways. It gives us information, advice and feedback. However, is there something more to these apps than we expect?
Snapchat AI
Snapchat has such a wide platform. It’s the space to take photos, post on your story, and most importantly to speak to your friends. But what if I told you that there was a way to speak to a friend you can’t see? My AI can give you life advice on what to wear and will always try to maintain a positive tone. It can be as simple as asking what outfit to wear or even asking for advice on friendships. Not only are you able to have conversations but you can also customize the chatbot however you want.
The real power of Snapchat comes from the images with generative AI. The app has always been known for its filters when you’re trying to get that perfect selfie or you’re messing around with your Bitmoji. Now, it’s gotten to a point where the app can take any selfie and make it into something almost entirely different. It has the same face but loses its message. This doesn’t inherently mean that Snapchat is a bad thing, but it does give us something to think about whenever we use these filters.
Midjourney
This is a next level image generator where users can give any description, and this would later be processed. It’s relatively self-explanatory to use and helps people to get creative with what they do. The app’s speed makes it have the power to perform effectively. If that wasn’t impressive enough, it can also create short videos based on these images to make them really come to life.
However, despite this, Midjourney has faced some controversy. Because of the speed, it has also meant that the photos aren’t always accurate or consistent. It really goes to show that these apps are useful for us to an extent, but there are still logistics we need to follow to improve things.
Alexa
Now that we’re so in tune with AI, it’s possible that we forgot where everything really started. Alexa was first introduced in 2014 and made people’s homes run faster. With just one simple command, Alexa could play music, answer your queries, and even control the temperature in the house. The automated voice just makes it so efficient if you need to get things done. It’s your assistant, radio, and alarm clock all wrapped in one!
In recent news, both Alexa and its users are about to get even more power. Instead of asking a question, the device now has buttons you can press for it to do the tasks straight away. It goes to show that we can never underestimate the impact technology has, new or old.
Grammarly
You see the commercial everywhere on YouTube. It can seem annoying, but here’s the thing. They kind of have a point. Writing can be a hassle at times, especially if you don’t always have people to help proofread your work. Interestingly, you’d never expect Grammarly to be an AI source, but if you notice how quickly it picks up on the mistakes and offers corrections, it does make sense. The only difference between before and now, people are watching out for the differences between real and fake. Obviously, it’s a good source if you’re getting an essay done last-minute, but it’s also useful for drafting an email or giving suggestions on how to polish your work.
What makes it really powerful and one of the main reasons why it should be used in moderation is that it has a plagiarism checker. There’s a difference between asking the app to check through the mistakes and getting them to write your paper for you. It’s a great way for us to be responsible with our work and realise that even though these sources are awesome, our own creativity comes first in this. It just helps people to become authentic with their work.
Character AI
Everyone’s dreamed about meeting their favorite celebrity, but what about their favorite character? Character AI gives you the ability to speak to different characters from TV shows and movies, whether by message or even a phone call. It really gives you the illusion of speaking to someone you’ve watched for years and even months.
However, what really gives the app the power is the self-awareness it has. There’s still a reminder that this is still fiction and shouldn’t be taken literally. Therefore, the app has now been banned for children under 18. This shows that this is still up to the interpretation of what the character would say. Because these characters are created by users themselves, this shows that AI doesn’t have to be fully created on its own. It’s what really brings creativity and technology hand-in-hand. It acts as a fun way for users to have a laugh and identify with the character.
Meta AI
Now, this is the point where Artificial Intelligence becomes both exciting and complicated. The actual process of Meta AI was going to be slightly similar to Snapchat AI where the user imports the images to be changed. Very similar to Midjourney, users are able to create images just from a simple description. While this can be very enjoyable, the complicated part comes when it comes to social media. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a bad app, but it almost makes you think of how much agency we really have or should have.
Adobe
We’ve seen the original AI from Grammarly and Alexa, but now there’s the original photo generator. Adobe has been used frequently for people to develop. It has different templates for designers and those who are just curious. The platform ranges from Photoshop to creating graphic designs. With the use of AI, it has expanded the possibilities even further. The power comes from the way that the assistant can do all the minuscule features that sometimes we don’t even notice. It can give suggestions on the formation and make the features feel more personalised rather than for a project.
Microsoft Copilot
When you’re writing an essay or doing a presentation, obviously Microsoft 365 is your best friend. The new Copilot tool introduced allows you to send messages and suggestions to help you organise your work and understand your tasks. It’s a powerful tool because it goes beyond just writing the email, but finding ways to make your writing clear and cohesive. However, the app can also even help you create apps. While we can’t expect it to provide all the answers, it acts as a starting point so that we can use our own ideas and thoughts to create something new.
Google Gemini
Since 1998, Google has been an absolute asset for helping us find information. Now, there’s another space where we can gain even more information, but this time with a bit of analysis. Like, with the original app itself, all you need to do is type in a simple question, and it will form a detailed answer with different resources from around the web.
While it’s a great way for people to gain more knowledge about their situations, we rarely ever focus on the fact that these are based on sources, not just being a rough estimate or a shot-in-the-dark. That’s the thing about computers. They are (usually!) automatic. They have the answers for us, yet we only focus on the answers to our questions rather than digging deeper into those sources. Google Gemini has the power because it has where the information has come from.
ChatGPT
This is the mainstream of Artificial Intelligence. This app has constantly been used and referred to in so many conversations. It’s not because it can do one simple thing, but from hindsight, it can pretty much do it all! ChatGPT has developed significantly over these past few years to provide information, generate images, and provide feedback for work. You can customise the register and change your tone to make the situation feel flexible. The power comes from its multitude of responsibilities and how it can still take on different tasks. However, it’s also meant that we need to show our responsibility by using it in an ethical way. It has been an app where people feel that they can confide to which brings the question of whether this app is bringing us together or apart.
How has AI changed the world?
Right now, we’re at a point where the meaning of “the rise of technology” is now different. Instead of just social media, it’s also the rise of Artificial Intelligence. It really does combine everything that we know or should know. But as a wise actor once said, “with great power comes great responsibility“. It will never mean that AI is a bad thing, but with how much it’s changed our society, it makes you wonder if we’ve lost that spark for creativity and learning. Maybe the power comes from when we realise our capabilities.
