When this time of year rolls around, we love indulging in the usual holiday traditions – trimming the tree, stringing lights, sipping eggnog, and watching the 1966 classic “Grinch” for the 147^th time. Some things never get old.

But this year feels a little different. AI is powering new and exciting ways to help celebrate the season.

In this week’s newsletter, we show you how you can use ChatGPT to whip up a festive holiday party. Scroll down to see the incredible AI-inspired holiday card created by one of our subscribers. The ingenuity behind it is truly amazing!

We’re also exploring ways to live better and work smarter with AI tools and tech. Please share our newsletter on your social channels using the icons above. Cheers to an AI-infused holiday season!

Better Living

Artificial intelligence is transforming our living spaces in amazing ways, bringing ease and efficiency right to our doorsteps. Get ready to step into a world where your home caters to your every need, thanks to smart home technology! In the coming months, we'll be sharing how these AI-powered innovations are redefining modern home automation and comfort.

Team member Lori is in the middle of a major remodel on her family’s new home and they’re adding many of the latest intelligent apps and devices. If you’ve haven’t yet purchased a smart thermostat, it’s a great time to think about installing one in your home.  

Lori’s husband chose the Google Nest Learning thermostat ($180) for their home. It offers a blend of energy efficiency, user-friendly technology, and design elegance.

How it works: setting up the Nest is a breeze with clear instructions, plus there are multiple how-to videos online if you need extra help. Or, if you prefer, you can get a pro to install it. With the Nest app, you’re the wizard of your home's climate, controlling it from anywhere in the world. It works with other smart home gadgets and even integrates with voice assistants like Google Assistant and Alexa.

The real magic? The Nest is like having a smart home genie – it quickly learns your routine, then optimizes your heating and cooling to cut energy use and shrink those bills. Plus, it dishes out detailed energy reports and eco-tips. And with its sixth sense, using occupancy sensors, it knows when you're home or away, adjusting temperatures just the way you like.

Recommended reading: CNET recently published a comprehensive review of smart thermostats. Their top choice is the Amazon Smart Thermostat, a gem at just $80. It's a budget-friendly superstar that won't break the bank.

Productivity

Ready to elevate your writing skills? We all need a "second pair of eyes" to ensure top-notch writing, especially when school days are a distant memory. Who has time or the desire to brush up on grammar? If you're not using an AI-writing assistant, it's time to get on board.

This week, we’re showcasing Grammarly, an AI-powered grammar and spelling checker that’s been in business since 2009. If comma placement confuses, or you’re like us, and tend to lapse into a passive voice, Grammarly is the ultimate writing wingman.

How it works: simply sign up for the free version with your email and a password, then upload your document, or copy and paste text.

Here’s what we really like about Grammarly – you can ‘set goals’ to get customized writing suggestions based on your audience (general, knowledgeable, and expert), formality (informal, neutral, formal) and domain (academic, business, general, email, casual, creative).

Once you’ve set your goals, Grammarly goes to work, generating a list of suggestions to easily correct and edit your copy. Grammarly also saves all your documents so you can access them at a late date.

Red flag warning: As with all AI writing tools, it’s not 100% proof. Grammarly might highlight a sentence for editing just because it has a word or phrase usually linked with bad grammar. The good news: you can choose to accept or reject the suggestion.

Read the fine print: If you decide to try the paid version (starting at $12 p/mo) you’ll be charged for the whole year ($144) up front.

ChatGPT Chatter

Did you know ChatGPT can be a holiday party planner? All you need is an email and password to sign up for the free, ChatGPT 3.5 version. We used this prompt to help guide us in creating a memorable evening with our neighbors.

Prompt:  I'm planning a holiday party for our neighbors. There will be 20-25 people total and most are adults with older children. I'd like suggestions on some popular appetizers.

In seconds, GPT rolled out a menu that had a nice creative mix of ideas.

1. Cheese and Charcuterie Board: A selection of cheeses, cured meats, crackers, and accompaniments like olives and nuts.

2. Stuffed Mushrooms: These are always a hit and can be made with various fillings like cream cheese, herbs, and breadcrumbs.

3. Mini Quiches or Frittatas: Easy to prepare in advance and can be served warm or at room temperature.

4. Spinach and Artichoke Dip: Served with bread, crackers, or vegetable sticks for dipping.

5. Caprese Skewers: Cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil leaves drizzled with balsamic glaze.

6. Bruschetta: Toasted baguette slices topped with diced tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, and olive oil.

7. Shrimp Cocktail: Chilled shrimp served with a zesty cocktail sauce.

8. Mini Meatballs: Either in marinara sauce or with a sweet and sour glaze.

If you’re not thrilled with the selection, you can always ask GPT to provide you with more ideas. And GPT can help you with your shopping list once you’ve narrowed down your food choices.

ChatGPT also came up with some great ideas for activities and entertainment when we asked, including Christmas karaoke, a cookie decorating station, and a holiday photo booth. We even went all in and asked for recommendations on décor and music. Thanks to ChatGPT, our holiday party is set to sparkle with style!

Mind-blowing AI

We're totally betting on the magic of artificial intelligence to save the age-old tradition of sending out holiday cards. We saw this amazing AI-inspired holiday card and had to showcase it in our newsletter. Lucky for us, (and you!) one of our Here.Now.AI. subscribers was kind enough to spill the beans on how he made it happen.

As Shane told us, the card was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek joke about AI. It's got that perfect blend of humor and heart, all thanks to some fancy AI wizardry. But it was also more complicated to create than most people would imagine.

How he did it: Shane kicked off his holiday card project with ChatGPT 4 and DALL-E (the paid version) brainstorming a festive scene in a “Rockwell-style portrait” where he and Hicham joyfully whipped up Christmas cookies in a cozy kitchen. After some trial and error, they nailed the details. 

Shane’s a photographer, so he worked his magic to insert their own faces seamlessly into the scene, ensuring everything matched just right. He even added real photos of their pets and family members in the background, along with text layers.

Then they went old-school, printing 30 copies locally, trimming them manually, and taking charge of stuffing, addressing, and mailing the envelopes – a genuine DIY labor of love, and an absolute masterpiece!

Shane says the project took a full weekend to complete, but he admits it would have much more difficult, if not impossible, just a year ago. It’s a true testament to the recent explosion of amazing AI capabilities at our disposal. Who knows? Maybe by this time next year, advancements in AI will automate this entire process so anyone can do it. Wouldn’t that be fantastic?

AI in the News (in case you missed it)

• The first humanoid robot factory is about to open. Read here.

• Amazon CEO says generative AI will 'change every customer experience'.  Watch here.

• Microsoft's Seeing AI app launches to help blind and visually impaired users. Read here.

• Sleep app Calm uses AI-generated Jimmy Stewart voice to tell a bedtime story. Read here.

• Rolling Stone's Dumbest AI Pranks of 2023. Read here.

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