The battle for big tech’s AI supremacy is heating up … again. On Monday, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced a major partnership with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into Siri as part of its long-awaited AI offering.

Elon Musk, who is suing OpenAI for prioritizing profits over its mission, called the integration a "security violation” and even threatened to ban Apple devices at his companies.

The privacy and data issues around AI aren't going away anytime soon. To truly harness AI's potential, we need solutions.

This week, we’re spotlighting a text-to-speech GPT, a Google project using AI to cut down red light wait times, an AI tool to ease the breakup blues, and how AI can uncover hidden family histories.

Let’s dive in!

AI Productivity

Ever wondered how much easier life could be if you could turn anything you want to read into an audio file within seconds? We’re excited to share a new addition to our toolkit -- the AI Voice Generator: Text to Speech GPT, available in the ChatGPT store.

This isn't just another tech novelty – it’s a practical solution for a variety of needs. The AI Voice Generator uses advanced algorithms to create speech that sounds natural and engaging. Here’s how you can make the most of it:

• Reading articles and books: Turn articles, blog posts, and e-books into audio, making it easy to consume content while multitasking or for those with visual impairments.

• Learning and studying: Students can listen to study materials, textbooks, and notes, which can aid in retention and comprehension.

• Language learning: Improve pronunciation and listening skills by having texts read out in the target language.

• Cooking and recipes: Follow step-by-step recipes without having to look at a screen.

• Task and reminder management: Stay organized by listening to your list of daily tasks, reminders, and calendar events.

• Exercise and workouts: Fitness enthusiasts can listen to workout instructions and motivational content during exercise sessions.

We gave it a whirl with one of our previous newsletters (March 21st edition). We simply copied and pasted the introduction and the first news item into the search bar. Instantly, the text was transformed into a transcript. The AI Voice Generator then prompted, “Please confirm if this is correct, and I'll proceed to create the audio file.”

Within 20 seconds, we had a polished audio file with a pleasant-sounding voice and impressive narration quality. You can listen to it here.

Creating your own text-to-speech audio is incredibly easy, and best of all, it’s free! So why not give it a go? As we continue to integrate AI into our daily lives, tools like the AI Voice Generator showcase the incredible potential at our fingertips.

AI Traffic Timed Right

Imagine cruising through your daily commute without the frustration of stopping at every red light. AI is revolutionizing traffic management, promising to reduce annoying delays and streamline your commute. Say goodbye to the red-light blues and hello to a smoother, more efficient drive.

A 2021 study revealed that Americans spend 10% of their short trip time stopped at traffic lights. This not only wastes time but also significantly increases pollution at intersections, which is 29 times higher than on open roads due to idling vehicles.

Google’s Green Light Project is the latest high-tech solution. Deployed in 13 cities on four continents, the system uses data from Google Maps to create “green waves”—a series of consecutive green lights. The system leverages data from internet-connected vehicles and navigation apps to adjust traffic light timing in real-time.  Green Light optimizes traffic-light timing, aiming to reduce stop time and improve traffic flow.

The Wall Street Journal reports on Green Light’s implementation in cities like Birmingham, MI, and Seattle, WA, as well as international locations such as Abu Dhabi, Hamburg, and Kolkata. You can watch the Green Light project in action in this CBSNews report.

Currently, there’s a waiting list for Google’s Green Light, but the project is expanding. More cities are set to join the green wave later this year, promising smoother commutes for many.

It looks like AI is paving the way for less time at red lights and more time moving forward—literally and figuratively.

AI Love Therapy

How do you mend a broken heart? While some people seem to breeze through breakups unscathed, others feel lost and uncertain. Healing isn't easy, but what if an AI chatbot could help?

Meet Breakup Buddy, the ultimate AI healing companion. Created by Chapman University grad Oliver Mathias after his own heartbreak, this app guides you through the healing process and provides a safe space to vent.

How it works:

• 24/7 support: Breakup Buddy uses a language learning model (LLM) to guide responses and offer exercises.

• Therapeutic techniques: It incorporates techniques like ACT and CBT therapy, active journaling, and community sharing.

• Privacy first: Your messages are stored only on your device. Delete the app, and your messages are gone forever.

Breakup Buddy includes dozens of helpful exercises to help you question underlying beliefs and learn about yourself and what you want in your relationships. It can also help you build self-esteem, develop boundaries, challenge negative thoughts, and define dating goals. 

There’s a 3-day free trial with prices starting at $14 a month. Breakup Buddy is available only on the iPhone App Store but there are other apps you can explore such as Breakup Boss and Mend.

Who knew that sometimes, the best therapist is an AI chatbot with no judgment and 24/7 availability?

AI Genealogy

We love the way artificial intelligence is helping to shed new light on history. Juneteenth is next week; the new US federal holiday that celebrates the day on June 19, 1865, when the last enslaved people in Texas learned they were free.

To commemorate Juneteenth, Ancestry.com has announced a new, searchable collection of newspaper records about enslaved people in the U.S., powered by AI.

Ancestry is releasing pre-1870 newspaper records connected to over 183,000 enslaved people. Some of the largest record collections are from Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Virginia.

AI will sift through previously hard-to-search newspaper records for names of enslaved people, linking them with names in Ancestry's other document databases to help solve historical puzzles.

Users can visit Ancestry's new landing page dedicated to enslavement records and either search by name or explore a state with the most records.

This latest collection adds to the more than 18 million records already available on Ancestry that document the lives of formerly enslaved or newly freed people.

AI in the News (in case you missed it)

• Study using AI finds elephants call each other by name. Read here.

• New AI system detects rare epilepsy. Read here.

• Apple’s next big project: AI home robots. Read here.

• Watch the generative movie that rewrites itself. Watch here.

• How AI is changing the world of sports card trading. Read here.

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