AI Agents: Everything you need to know

US Gov. to use ChatGPT Enterprise, Apple to allow ChatGPT upgrade directly from iPhone, Perplexity's CEO offers AI replacement for striking NYT employees and more!

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Everyday AI
November 05, 2024

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“My advice for CEOs: figure out what problem you’re trying to solve, then we’ll see how AI can support that,” says Delphine Zurkiya, a senior partner at McKinsey & Company.

She joins the WorkLab podcast to discuss how leaders should approach deploying AI and reskilling teams for the new era of work.

Learn more on WorkLab, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Outsmart The Future

Today in Everyday AI
7 minute read

🎙 Daily Podcast Episode: AI agents have been all the buzz recently in the AI world. So what are they? And why now? We give you the 101 on AI agents. Give it a listen.

🕵️‍♂️ Fresh Finds: Meta to use AI to catch Instagram users lying about their age, Disney creates an AI team and Amazon tests drone delivery. Read on for Fresh Finds.

🗞 Byte Sized Daily AI News: US Federal agencies to use ChatGPT Enterprise, Apple to allow ChatGPT upgrade directly from iPhone and Perplexity's CEO offers to replace striking NYT employees with AI. For that and more, read on for Byte Sized News.

🚀 AI In 5: We’re breaking down the 5 things you need to know about ChatGPT’s Canvas in 5 minutes. See it here

🧠 Learn & Leveraging AI: Wondering what the rave is all about with AI agents? We explain what they are and how they’ll affect the future of work. Keep reading for that!

↩️ Don’t miss out: Did you miss our last newsletter? We talked about NVIDIA surpassing Apple, Meta Llama joining forces with U.S. gov. agencies, and NVIDIA unveiling an AI Blueprint for visual data analysis. Check it here!

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AI Agents: Everything you need to know 🕵

Everywhere you turn.... AI agents.

This past week more than ever, the biggest companies and hottest startups have seemingly gone bonkers for AI agents.

Why?

And, what the heck are they?

We'll give you the 101 on all things agents.

Join the conversation and ask Jordan and Matthijs questions on AI agents here.

Also on the pod today:

• Future of AI Agents 🔮
• Corporate Adoption of Agents 🏢
• Ethical Concerns of AI Agents 🤔

It’ll be worth your 57 minutes:

Listen on our site:

Click to listen

Subscribe and listen on your favorite podcast platform

Listen on:

Here’s our favorite AI finds from across the web:

New AI Tool Spotlight – Surfsite is an AI assistant for SaaS professionals, Bolna provides front desk AI agents for calls and Meco turns your newsletter into personalized podcasts.

Trending in AI – Meta is planning to use AI to find kids who are lying about their age on Instagram.

Disney - Disney has created a team for AI and mixed reality.

Microsoft - Microsoft has released its Xbox AI chatbot.

Amazon – Amazon has started drone delivery in Arizona.

Read This – At TechCrunch Disrupt, AI safety advocates told founders to slow down.

AI Tech – Broadcom has unveiled VeloRAIN, an industry-first for robust AI networking.

AI Models – Researchers just made AI better at knowing when to ask for help.

Perplexity now supports Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Haiku.

1. US Federal Agencies Embrace OpenAI's ChatGPT Enterprise 🇺🇸

The US federal government is ramping up its investment in OpenAI's ChatGPT Enterprise, with agencies like NASA and the IRS securing licenses to harness the technology's capabilities. As policymakers navigate the potential benefits and risks of generative AI, OpenAI is solidifying its role as a key player in both defense and civilian applications.

Notably, the Air Force Research Laboratory has entered a limited partnership with OpenAI to enhance administrative efficiency, focusing on unclassified use.

2. Apple To Allow ChatGPT Upgrade in iOS 18.2 📲

Apple's upcoming iOS 18.2 developer beta will allow users to upgrade to ChatGPT Plus directly from the Settings menu, as reported by 9to5Mac. For $19.99 a month, subscribers gain access to enhanced features of OpenAI's GPT-4o model, which could be a game-changer for those relying on AI for productivity.

The update, set to launch the week of December 2nd, also hints at potential future integrations with Google’s Gemini, suggesting a trend of seamless AI enhancements across platforms.

3. Perplexity's Controversial Offer Amid NYT Tech Workers' Strike 🤯

Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas has ignited outrage by offering to support The New York Times with AI during a strike by its tech workers who are demanding better wages and working conditions. The NYT Tech Guild, citing unfair labor practices, initiated the strike just days before a pivotal U.S. presidential election, prompting Srinivas to suggest his company could provide essential technical support—an offer critics label as an attempt to undermine collective bargaining efforts.

While Srinivas claims his intentions are to assist with high-traffic demands, the move raises questions about the role of AI in replacing human jobs and the ethical implications of crossing picket lines.

4. OpenAI Welcomes Meta's AR Chief to Lead Robotics 👤

Caitlin Kalinowski, the former head of Meta’s augmented reality glasses division, is making waves by joining OpenAI to spearhead its robotics and consumer hardware initiatives. With a notable background in AR and VR, including her role in developing Meta's Orion prototype, Kalinowski aims to integrate AI into the physical world and enhance its benefits for society.

This move signals a renewed focus on hardware at OpenAI, especially as it collaborates with design legend Jony Ive on a groundbreaking AI product.

5. Lumen and Google Cloud Forge New AI Pathway 🤝

Lumen Technologies has partnered with Google Cloud to enhance its digital transformation through innovative AI solutions. This collaboration will leverage Google Cloud's Vertex AI and the new Lumen Digital Twin, providing real-time insights that help preemptively address network issues, ultimately improving customer service and reducing operational costs.

As businesses increasingly rely on AI technologies, this partnership positions Lumen as a key player in delivering robust network solutions vital for growth.

6. Palantir Shares Surge Amid AI Boom 🚀

Palantir Technologies’ stock soared by over 17% on November 5, 2024, hitting a record high following the company’s third revenue forecast increase for the year, a clear sign that the AI frenzy is driving demand for its services.

With expectations to add $15.8 billion to its market value, Palantir reported a 40% surge in revenue from U.S. government contracts and a remarkable 54% jump in commercial revenue, showcasing its growing footprint in the private sector.

ChatGPT Canvas: 5 things to know in 5 minutes

ChatGPT’s Canvas mode is underrated!

We’re going to tell you how it compares to Claude Artifacts, the bigger AI picture that Canvas plays a role in and 5 things you need to know about this new ChatGPT mode.

We keep it actually short this time shorties.

🦾How You Can Leverage:

Trillion-dollar tech titans just unleashed their AI armies. 

  • Not next year. 

  • Not next quarter. 

  • This friggin week. 

Microsoft, Salesforce, OpenAI - they all went all-in on AI agents about at the exact same time.

(Coincidence? We think not.) 

So we thought it was about time to do a deep dive on AI agents. 

Apparently, this was some much-needed intel. 👇

Can we be real for a second? 

The future of work isn't approaching. 

It's officially here, kicking down your office door and rewriting your job description in binary.

Ready or not.

Today is one of those that we kinda IMPLORE you to watch/listen/read. 

(It’s ok to 2X on the speed. We do, too.) 

But if you want the juiciest of scoops, let’s break down the 3 things you need to know. 🧃

1 – Your New 24/7 Workforce️ ⏰

Remember when chatbots were the hot new thing? 

Cute. 

AI agents are here to make those look like speak-and-spell toys. 

These digital workers don't just chat - they tap into your live data, plan complex tasks, and execute tasks faster than your intern can grab a latte.

(Could be a fun IRL test, right? ha!)

With Microsoft's Copilot Studio and Salesforce's AgentForce, you're no longer limited by human headcount or, you know, sleep. 

These agents can work 24/7, understand nuanced requests, and can probably file your taxes while planning your next product launch.

Try this: 

Dip your toes in the AI agent waters.

Try Zapier Central to create a customer inquiry bot.

Set parameters in plain English, connect it to your CRM, and watch it handle customer questions while you binge Netflix. 

Welcome to the future, shorties.

Oh, and make sure you dive into this show on Microsoft’s Copilot Wave 2, where we covered what’s new in their agents builder.

2 – The Great Job Reshuffle 🔀

Not convinced LLM-powered AI agents are the future?

Look at Salesforce.

Marc Benioff recently talked about his company’s hard pivot from a CRM company to focusing on autonomous AI agents. 

And the fact that he’s envisioning at least 1 billion AI agents by the end of 2026. 

(Seriously. So our 2023 hot take on billions of AI agents doesn’t sound all that crazy anymore, does it?) 

Why are we focusing on Salesforce? 

Well, it makes sense that tech companies like Microsoft, Google and OpenAI go all-in on AI. 

But Salesforce? 

THE household name in sales that power the overwhelming majority of enterprise’s sales teams? 

Yeah. HARD pivot. 

More real talk — As AI democratizes complex tasks, your precious domain knowledge is about as valuable as a Blockbuster membership. 

The future belongs to creative strategists who can augment AI’s capabilities, not human databases. We agree it hurts. But…… Sorrynotsorry.

Try this:

Time for a career audit, hotshots. 

List out your daily tasks. Anything that relies on recalling facts or following set procedures? 

Kiss it goodbye. 

Whether that’s tomorrow or next year, the generations-old concept of your career/company/department thriving off the experience in your brain is no longer the primary driver of success.

It’s how YOU, the human, performs in the loop. 

(You know, the whole human-in-the-loop thang we always talk about.) 

Start beefing up those creative muscles - they're your lifeline in this brave new world soon to be crawling with AI agents. 

Want a deeper peek?

Go check out this Forbes piece looking into the future of augmented intelligence in the workplace.

3 – The Wild West of AI Ethics 🤠

Will this be super fun or super scary? 

Yes. 

Lolz. 

(Also, not lolz.) 

With the great power of agentic AI systems comes... a metric ton of ethical dilemmas. 

AI agents bring unprecedented capabilities and equally unprecedented risks. 

Bias, safety concerns, and the terrifying potential for autonomous agent "collusion" aren't just sci-fi plot points anymore.

As these AI agents get smarter, the need for robust guardrails and human oversight skyrockets. 

(Oh and OMG when they all get access to the reasoning o1 “Strawberry” model sheeeeesh!)  

Forget "move fast and break things" - it's time for "move cautiously and don't accidentally create Skynet.”

Try this: 

Before you go HAM implementing AI agents, establish some ground rules. 

Like we talked about today, you NEED to be having the ‘AI agent’ conversation right now with the leaders of your org.

(Don’t say we didn’t warn ya!) 

Create clear ethical guidelines. 

Define what decisions absolutely require human input. 

Set up a monitoring system to catch potential biases or safety issues. 

Remember, with AI agents, "oops" could mean anything from a PR nightmare to accidentally tanking your biz. 

This article takes a look at Google’s discovery on how AI agents can cause some serious ethical challenges.

Yeehaw?

Welcome to the AI agent revolution. 

Hope you brought your big kid pants - you're gonna need 'em y’all. 

⌚

Numbers to watch

84%

84% of students who have discussed AI in class believe it can help brainstorm ideas for school projects.

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