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ChatGPT recently skyrocketed to more than 300 million weekly users, redefining what rapid adoption really means. Just a few months ago, it hit 200 million in August, and a year before that, it reached 100 million in November 2023. Now, that’s what we call a serious growth curve.

In this week’s edition, we’ve got AI tools to upgrade your workflow, an AI-powered tutor in the classroom, holiday planning with ChatGPT, and some AI-generated Santa silliness you won’t want to miss. Let’s get started!

AI Productivity

While we usually cater to AI novices and the ‘AI-curious’, this week we’re shining a light on two powerful tools that can streamline your work tasks using ChatGPT. Both come from the innovative mind of Alex Boone of NeutralBase, an AI studio, who created these solutions based on real-user pain points.

Ever tried pasting a data table into ChatGPT only to watch it turn into an incomprehensible mess? AI Paste elegantly solves this common frustration. With a simple Control-Shift-V (or whatever shortcut you prefer) after copying, your data maintains its tabular structure, making it instantly readable by ChatGPT -- no more reformatting or re-typing headaches.

For spreadsheet power users, AI Sheet bridges the gap between Excel and AI capabilities. This clever tool lets you designate specific cells for AI processing, seamlessly integrating ChatGPT's intelligence into your spreadsheet workflow. The interface is remarkably intuitive – if you're comfortable with Excel, you'll be up and running in minutes - and there’s useful documentation to help you along.

Getting Started: Both tools are desktop-ready. AISheet supports your existing AI model keys, with usage charges based on your actual AI consumption. Here's some exciting news for our Here.Now.AI community: Alex is offering AISheet completely free for our readers for a limited time, and making AIPaste available to you for a one-time purchase of $10, making it an accessible investment in your productivity.

These tools might seem simple, but they're exactly the kind of focused solutions that can transform your daily AI interactions from frustrating to fluid. We've been testing them and love how they eliminate those small but persistent friction points when working with AI.

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AI Learning

Did you catch the AI segment on CBS’ “60 Minutes” program this past Sunday? If you missed it, we highly recommend taking a break and watching it here. Anderson Cooper spotlighted Khanmigo – a groundbreaking new tool from Khan Academy that could revolutionize education.

Imagine a teaching assistant available 24/7 to support brainstorming, planning, and creative pursuits in the classroom. Khanmigo is designed to assist teachers with time-consuming tasks like lesson planning and progress reports, while providing students with personalized, interactive learning support.

Powered by Azure OpenAI Service, Khanmigo is accessible in English across 49 countries through a partnership with Microsoft. Currently piloted in 266 school districts for grades 3–12, the technology promises to enhance teacher efficiency and bolster student outcomes — potentially leveling the playing field in U.S. schools.

It's still in the early stages of development, but Khan Academy’s Founder Sal Khan envisions AI as a supportive partner in education, enabling teachers to focus on what they do best — teaching.

As Khanmigo undergoes testing, developers are working to implement safeguards and refine its features. The tool's success will depend on striking the right balance between innovation and accountability in its rollout.

AI Holiday Entertaining

Did you know your favorite chatbot can be the perfect holiday party planner?  We used this prompt with ChatGPT to help in creating a festive holiday brunch: I'm planning a brunch for our family the day after Christmas. There will be 8 people total, and most are adults with older teenage children. I'd like suggestions.

In seconds, ChatGPT rolled out a menu with a nice creative mix of ideas.

Appetizers:

1. Mini Avocado Toast Bites

   • Smashed avocado, cherry tomatoes, feta, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze on mini sourdough toasts

2. Smoked Salmon Pinwheels

   • Smoked salmon, cream cheese, dill, and capers rolled in a tortilla and sliced

Main Dishes:

1. Holiday Egg Casserole

   • Eggs, spinach, sautéed mushrooms, diced ham, and shredded Gruyere cheese baked in a casserole

2. Cranberry-Walnut French Toast Bake

   • Thick-cut brioche soaked in custard, topped with fresh cranberries and walnuts, baked until golden

Sides:

1. Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

   • Bite-sized potatoes roasted with olive oil, rosemary, and garlic

2. Seasonal Fruit Salad

   • Mix of pomegranate seeds, orange segments, kiwis, and red grapes drizzled with a honey-lime dressing

3. Herbed Sausage Links

   • Turkey or pork sausage links flavored with fresh thyme and sage

Dessert:

1. Mini Gingerbread Muffins

   • Bite-sized muffins with a cream cheese drizzle

2. Chocolate-Dipped Biscotti

   • Served alongside the coffee station for a sweet crunch

ChatGPT also provided an impressive list of drinks, including a merry mimosa bar, a spiced coffee and tea station, and winter berry smoothies. We even got décor recommendations and suggestions for a music playlist.

If you’re not thrilled with the selection, you can follow up by asking for more ideas. And ChatGPT can help you with your shopping list once you’ve narrowed your food choices. Thanks to ChatGPT, our holiday party is set to sparkle with style!

AI Christmas Cheer

Who needs a jolly old man in a red suit when you’ve got an AI-generated Santa with a sharp wit and impeccable pronunciation? This Christmas, consider sending a personalized Santa video (free!) from Synthesia, the online platform that delivers “studio-quality videos” with AI avatars and voiceovers in 140+ languages. 

It’s ideal for kids and grown-ups who are still young enough at heart. Here’s how you can ‘sleigh it’ in three simple steps:

1. Pick your Santa: Choose one of three ready-to-go Santa templates from Synthesia’s Santa video generator page. Spoiler alert: None of them wears yoga pants.

2. Craft your message: Write a 250-character gem for Santa to deliver. Stuck on what to say? Enlist your favorite chatbot for creative input—after all, they’re great at stuffing words into stockings.

3. Let the elves work their magic: Enter your email and submit. Wait just 5-10 minutes for the magic to arrive. Your AI Santa video will pop up in your inbox faster than Rudolph can dodge airport delays. You can download or share via a link if you don’t want to use your email.

Team member Lori couldn’t resist testing Santa’s humor on her colleagues, Justin and Lisa. (Turns out, AI Santa has a dry sense of humor, paired with a posh British accent. Who knew?) You can watch the video here.

But don’t go too wild with your creativity—Synthesia screens scripts to keep things festive. Political rants, naughty jokes, or anything criminally unfunny won’t make it past the workshop. This holiday season, let AI take the reins because nothing says “Merry Christmas” like a Santa who sounds like he moonlights as a BBC newscaster.

AI in the News (in case you missed it)

• Yelp adds AI-powered review insights to restaurants. Read here.

• Dr. Jon LaPook: How AI could impact medicine. Watch here.

• Don’t let AI make inequality worse, says UN adviser. Read here.

• Is AI any good at choosing gifts? Read here.

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