AI Crafts: Will cyborgs blur human-machine boundaries?

Hi there,

A new week brings fresh discussions in the world of AI, and this week, I want to ask a question that's been on my mind: do we really need so many new tools? I mean it! According to the "There's an AI for That" page, there are over 19,137 AIs out there, which is mind-blowing. I remember when the AI conversation first took off, and now the sheer speed of its growth is staggering.

So, this week, let’s take a look at a few of these new tools. I’ve also got a couple of recommendations for you. Recently, my friend and I used Adobe Firefly on a project, and the results were incredibly satisfying. I'll be sharing those outcomes along with some useful tips, so keep reading!

How to Get Great Images with Adobe Firefly 🔥

For one of our projects, we started with a hand-drawn floor plan of a restaurant and needed a high-quality visualization. Using Firefly, we uploaded the composition—our sketch—then selected a style that matched the atmosphere we wanted to create.

We refined the result by adding a detailed prompt, outlining our expectations like materials, lighting, angle, and overall mood. After a few tweaks, we achieved a fantastic render that really captured our vision. You should try it for yourself. After a few attempts, you’ll get the hang of it—and don’t forget to share your creations with us!

First up: Nvidia recently introduced its newest AI model, Llama-3.1-Nemotron-70B-Instruct, in October. It’s already outperforming leading systems like GPT-4 and Anthropic's Claude-3. There’s a lively debate on Reddit about whether it truly outshines these models, so check it out if you’re curious about how it compares.

Before we dive into these topics, I wanted to share a playlist—a collection of songs named after fonts (like a proper design nerd!). If you’ve got any recommendations, I’d love to hear them; I’m a huge fan of font-themed tunes!

In today’s edition, I’ll be covering:

• Cyborg Humans: The difference between Artificial Senses (AS) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• Generative AI and the feedback loop dilemma

• How AI and simulation tools can revolutionize sustainable building design

Now, have you heard the term Cyborg Humans before? The concept, coined by Manfred Clynes and Nathan Kline, refers to organisms whose bodily functions are enhanced by mechanical or electronic prosthetics. It’s fascinating! A cyborg human might have one or more artificial organs or limbs—a fusion of human and machine.

We’ve touched on this before, but with the surge of new tools, it’s worth revisiting. AI processes massive datasets and generates creative solutions, significantly enhancing the design phase by offering ideas that we might overlook. These tools have capabilities beyond our imagination.

But with all this innovation, there’s a catch: what if the simple act of choosing one image or piece of content over another feeds into AI’s learning, subtly shaping its ‘memory’ and ‘taste’? It raises interesting questions about the feedback loop between humans and AI.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on these topics. As always, feel free to share any feedback!

Best,
Serra