Trending in Tech: AI in Photoshop and Bitmojis
Emerging Tech Roundup — April 26
The Quantious team’s top picks for timely trending news in the tech world.
This week in tech: Adobe has enhanced Photoshop with advanced AI capabilities, Microsoft has introduced the Phi-3 Mini, ex-Snap researchers are building the next generation Bitmoji using AI, Amazon wants to host companies’ custom generative AI models, Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses now have multimodal AI, and Apple released a suite of open-source large language models, and Estée Lauder and Microsoft partner to help beauty brands use generative AI.
Adobe Photoshop's Latest Beta Makes AI-Generated Images from Simple Text Prompts
(Engadget, April 23)
Adobe has enhanced Photoshop with advanced AI capabilities, allowing users to generate images from simple text prompts directly within the app. This update, powered by Firefly Image 3, enables users to create images more efficiently and seamlessly, catering to both professionals and casual users. Additionally, features like Generative Fill have been upgraded to seamlessly blend AI-generated elements into existing images, revolutionizing the creative process in Photoshop.
Microsoft's Lightweight Phi-3 Mini Model Can Run on Smartphones
(Engadget, April 23)
Microsoft has introduced the Phi-3 Mini, a lightweight AI model optimized for smartphones and local devices. This marks the first of three compact Phi-3 language models aimed at providing cost-effective AI solutions, empowering smaller organizations to embrace AI technology. Leveraging innovative training techniques and datasets derived from heavily filtered web data and synthetic sources, the Phi-3 Mini surpasses its predecessor and rivals larger models like Llama 2, delivering comparable performance despite its significantly smaller size.
With Easel, Ex-Snap Researchers are Building the Next-Generation Bitmoji Thanks to AI
(Tech Crunch, April 23)
Easel, a startup founded by former Snap employees, merges generative AI with social trends through an app that allows users to create images of themselves and friends directly within iMessage conversations. Snap's legacy, particularly its work in augmented reality (AR) with lenses and acquisition of Bitmoji, has influenced the rise of virtual avatars now seen in platforms like iMessage and Meta's apps. These features have become cultural phenomena and have set precedents for the integration of AI and social interaction in digital communication.
Amazon Wants to Host Companies’ Custom Generative AI Models
(Tech Crunch, April 23)
Amazon’s cloud computing division has introduced Custom Model Import within Bedrock, its suite of generative AI services, enabling organizations to import and manage their proprietary AI models as fully managed APIs. The models gain access to Bedrock's infrastructure, including tools for refinement, knowledge expansion, and bias mitigation. This move aligns with AWS's goal to cater to enterprises' needs for fine-tuning and deploying custom generative AI models while competing with counterparts like Google's Vertex AI and Databricks' DBRX.
The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses Have Multimodal AI Now
(The Verge, April 23)
Meta's Ray-Ban Smart Glasses, initially praised for their content capture and audio capabilities, have now unveiled their long-awaited multimodal AI feature, allowing for processing of various data. This development arrives amidst skepticism about the Humane AI Pin, underscoring cautious optimism surrounding AI gadgets. Users can interact with the AI assistant for tasks like image recognition, language translation, and Instagram caption generation, hinting at a promising future for wearable AI technology.
Apple Releases OpenELM: Small, Open Source AI Models Designed to Run On-Device
(Venture Beat, April 24)
Apple has released OpenELM, a suite of open-source large language models, to rival the generative AI efforts of Google, Samsung, and Microsoft. Unlike its competitors, OpenELM focuses on single-device operation, boasting eight models ranging from 270 million to 3 billion parameters for efficient text generation. With both pre-trained and instruction-tuned options, Apple aims to offer diverse solutions for various language processing tasks.
Estée Lauder and Microsoft Partner to Help Beauty Brands Use Generative AI
(Venture Beat, April 26)
Estée Lauder Companies and Microsoft are collaborating on the AI Innovation Lab, utilizing Microsoft's Azure OpenAI service to enhance ELC's portfolio of brands through generative AI. This partnership aims to capitalize on the potential of generative AI in the beauty industry. For example, an internal chatbot will facilitate faster responses to trends and consumer demands, while product innovation is accelerated by aiding research and development teams. By leveraging AI, ELC aims to streamline marketing efforts and bring products to market more swiftly and sustainably.
