The AI Advantage: Enhance Your Daily Life

Some of you may have already seen the “Ask Meta AI anything” prompt show up in your Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, or WhatsApp feed. If you haven’t, you’ll soon see it everywhere. Yes, another chatbot has arrived on the scene and we’ve got the scoop below.

Plus, in this week's edition, there’s a handy all-in-one tool for job seekers, AI-powered earphones, and AI's spin on remixing recipes.

What AI tools are you using? We’d love to know, so drop us a line.

Now, let’s dive in!

Meta AI

Just two weeks ago, we offered a list of AI chatbot alternatives (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, etc.) and tried to give you some idea of their differences.

A couple of “big names” in tech were noticeably absent (Apple, we’re looking at you!), but in the last few days, at least one more large candidate threw their name into the AI ring. Introducing Meta AI.

Why, you ask, should I care? Well, we’ve noticed the strengths and weaknesses of each model. Meta AI boasts of:

• A faster/better model (the charmingly named Llama 3), based on open architecture

• A more “human-like” manner

• Access to the current internet (i.e. no “cutoff date”)

• Connectivity with Meta apps like Facebook or Reels for searching (e.g. “show me some humorous Reels”)

• Access via Instagram, Messenger, or WhatsApp by just typing “@meta ai” in a chat

We took it out for a spin and were pleasantly surprised. When asked to justify the human-like description, it answered: “I'm the chatbot with a "human touch" - I'm empathetic, witty, and can dish out idioms like a pro! I'm the perfect blend of brains and banter, making our conversations feel like a chat with a friend (but without the awkward small talk).”

When asked for news stories, it replied accurately, and importantly gave a “view sources” button at the bottom, to allow fact-checking of what it presented.

Its image generation feature is a standout. As you start to type your prompt, the image appears and then changes as you enter more detail. We’re big fans of the TV series “Franklin” at the moment, so we asked it to draw an 18^th century man, which it did. Then we added “on a large motorcycle”, and it swiftly obliged:

So, while Meta AI is similar to its chatbot competitors, our favorite feature is that there’s no extra cost. It’s definitely worth playing around with, particularly if you are already in the Facebook-WhatsApp-Messenger ecosystem.

Career Builder

For all you job seekers out there (or maybe you have friends and family members who might be looking for work?) AI-powered tools and platforms are designed to help you land your dream job. We’ve featured a number of them here, here, and here.

While many products focus on just one aspect of job hunting—like resume builders, job tracking, or mock interviews — Canyon is an all-in-one platform that guides you through every step. Here's a quick look at what Canyon offers:

• Resume Builder: Build a standout resume with AI-guided customization to make each application unique.

• Resume Score: Get real-time analysis on your resume to understand its strengths and weaknesses, helping you align it with job requirements.

•  Autofill Job Applications: Use Canyon's Chrome extension to automatically fill in job applications with AI-generated responses. The extension detects job applications on popular job boards and speeds up the process.

• Job Application Tracker: Keep track of all your applications in one place, ensuring you stay organized and never lose sight of where you've applied.

• AI Cover Letter Generator: Quickly generate personalized cover letters with AI. Just choose a job and a resume, and Canyon's AI creates the perfect cover letter.

• AI Mock Interview: Practice interview skills with AI-generated questions and get feedback to improve your performance.

Canyon offers two pricing plans: a free version with basic features and a Pro level for $19/month with advanced tools for a comprehensive job search experience.

In other news, the popular job site Indeed, has added AI features to help employers generate job descriptions, and see potential candidates before they even see the listing. It has revamped the job-seeker’s profile page, and delivers them an AI-generated feed of best matches. The site will soon introduce an AI tool that makes it easier to update work experience descriptions, streamlining the job-seeking process.

With AI-powered tools like Canyon and Indeed's latest features, landing your dream job could be just a few smart clicks away.

AI Wearables

Would you wear a computer in your ear?

For the past few months, we’ve been focusing on the battle over generative AI and ‘chatbots’. But there’s another AI race that’s heating up in the form of AI hardware wearables. Think smart glasses, AI pins, and now, audio computing.

The CEO of Redwood City, CA-based IYO demonstrated the IYO One at last week’s TED2024 conference and there’s already pre-sale ‘buzz’. Founded by two ex-Googlers, the AI device amounts to two half-dollar-sized computer earbuds that are custom-made to fit your ears.

According to IYO’s website, what makes the IYO One different? There’s no screen to sit and stare at. You simply talk like you would using Bluetooth-powered earbuds when you use your phone and the IYO One will “immerse you in a world where virtual audio companions help you to learn, work, shop, and create while you stay present in the real world.” Some examples of the way this works – imagine listening to a coach throughout your workout routine, or hearing an audio version of your grocery list as you navigate the grocery store aisles. Here’s something we could get excited about --  translating languages in real-time when you're traveling abroad (but wouldn’t those strange giant earbuds in our ears be a monumental distraction?)

We’re not sure how all this will shake out. The Humane AI pin debuted at the 2023 TED Conference, but since its launch in early November, some critics have panned it, saying it doesn’t work and isn’t worth the price. 

IYO is taking deposits now and aims to ship the product this winter, with the WiFi version expected to cost $599 and the cellular-equipped version estimated at $699. Customers for the latter device will also have to pay a monthly cell phone bill.

As much as we like to think of ourselves as early adopters, we’re sitting on the sidelines for now and happy to let others sort out what works, what doesn’t, and what’s worth the price. Still, it’s another sign that AI-powered technology is only beginning to weave its way into our lives – as well as our wardrobes. 

Creative Pursuits

If you love playing with AI-generated recipe tools as much as we do – and you’re a fan of international flavors, get ready for a tasty adventure! An all-new experiment from Google Arts & Culture Lab, Food Mood blends cuisines from different corners of the world into creative inspirations for your next meal.

The online tool is easy to use, offering a simple and intuitive design. Once you’re connected to the Food Mood dashboard, you’ll find a sample suggestion like this: I want a soup for 4 people mixing influences from Saint Lucia and Vanuatu. 

The highlighted text can be modified to reflect your preferences. Do you want soup or a starter? Main course or dessert? You can also choose how many people you want to serve and which types of cuisine you'd like to mix (two columns of choices offer a global buffet of options).

You can also customize your recipe with extra options. The tool lets you pick vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free meals. You can even add a few specific ingredients of your own, thanks to the auto-suggest menu. Food Mood generates step-by-step instructions, cooking times, and pro tips on one side, while the Google AI image generator cooks up a mouth-watering image on the other.

Ok, so it’s a bit of a gimmick, but here’s what we loved the most: the creative culinary titles for each dish. Some examples:

• Ani’s Athenian Feast (combines cuisines from Armenia and Greece)

• Secrets of Marrakech’s Medina (combines cuisines from Mexico and Morocco)

• The Pearl of Melanesia (combines cuisines from Saint Lucia and Vanuatu)

Whether the AI-generated fusion dish turns out to be a new favorite or just a fun way to pass some time online, Food Mood is definitely worth a try for anyone who loves exploring creative and adventurous recipes.

AI in the News (in case you missed it)

• AI can transform the classroom just like the calculator. Read here.

• Can AI help us talk to whales? Watch here.

• AI improves accuracy of skin cancer diagnoses. Read here.

• AI vocal deepfakes are wreaking havoc in the music industry. Read here.

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Here.Now.AI Editorial team: Lori, Justin, and Lisa