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- Apple Vision Pro: Why we don't need it ⛔️
Apple Vision Pro: Why we don't need it ⛔️
Insights on the Apple Vision Pro, Microsoft creates AI news tools, reviewing the Data Analysis GPT, and more!
Everyday AI
February 06, 2024
Outsmart The Future
Today in Everyday AI
7 minute read
🎙 Daily Podcast Episode: So Apple’s New Vision Pro is here and it’s all the buzz. But do we really need it? We think not. We’ve got hot takes and receipts. Give it a listen.
🕵️♂️ Fresh Finds: A personal AI workspace, Samsung to bring AI to last-gen phones, and how AI can master your music. Read on for Fresh Finds.
🗞 Byte Sized Daily AI News: Microsoft partners with news companies for AI tools, Meta adds AI image labeling to social platforms, and Britain invests big in AI research. For that and more, read on for Byte Sized News.
🚀 AI In 5: ChatGPT just released a Data Analysis GPT. So what’s the difference between this GPT and the Data Analysis Mode? See it here
🧠 Learn & Leveraging AI: Here’s what you should keep an eye out for when it comes to GenAI and cyber security. Keep reading for that!
↩️ Don’t miss out: Did you miss our last newsletter? We talked about celebrating our 200th episode, EU close to AI regulation, and Runway Director mode. Check it here!
Apple Vision Pro - The AI-powered product that (hardly) no one needs 🔓
Apple’s entry into AI is finally here and it’s in the form of the Vision Pro.
Not an iPhone or MacBook. An augmented reality headset.
Sounds cool right?!
Buuuut. Do we really need it?
We think not.
Join the conversation and ask Jordan questions on AI and Apple here.
Also on the pod today:
• Examining the Vision Pro’s market 📉
• Practical drawbacks of Apple Vision Pro 😬
• Overview of Vision Pro’s capabilities and features ✨
It’ll be worth your 36 minutes:
Listen on our site:
Click to listen
Subscribe and listen on your favorite podcast platform
Listen on:
Upcoming Everyday AI Livestreams
Wednesday, February 7th at 7:30 am CST ⬇️
Thursday, February 8th - Translation in the World of AI: Will we have a job tomorrow?
Here’s our favorite AI finds from across the web:
New AI Tool Spotlight – PopAi is your personal AI workspace, Rupert lets you push your data directly to Slack, and Syncly gives you customer feedback AI analysis.
Trending in AI – Samsung has announced that it’s bringing its new AI features to last-gen phones.
Money in AI - Vanguard Group has quietly started to use AI.
Pop Culture – This pro musician talks about AI’s capabilities to master your music.
Business of AI – Wondering how both big and small AI will change the future of tech? Find out.
1. Microsoft Partners with Semafor for AI-Generated News 🗞
Microsoft joins forces with Semafor and news organizations to enhance journalism with generative AI tools. The collaboration aims to establish responsible AI usage in news production and analysis, setting a new standard in the industry. Semafor introduces "Signals", a cutting-edge breaking news feed powered by OpenAI and Microsoft tools, offering readers in-depth insights on breaking stories.
2. Meta Takes Action Against Deceptive AI-Generated Content 🙅
Meta is cracking down on AI-generated photos on its platforms as election season heats up worldwide. Meta will label and punish users who fail to disclose AI-created content using AI watermarking. Meta is also investing in building tools to detect synthetic media, including those with altered metadata, to combat misinformation and ensure transparency on its platforms.
3. Apple's Budget-Friendly Approach to AI Models 🍎
Apple's latest engineering breakthrough in AI involves creating specialized language models that deliver high-level performance while keeping costs in check. The research paper titled "Specialized Language Models for Cheap Inference with Limited Domain Data" focuses on cost-efficient approaches to AI development, providing a more affordable option for businesses looking to leverage advanced AI technologies.
4. Britain Invests Big Bucks in AI Research and Regulation 💷
Britain is splashing over 100 million pounds on 9 new AI research hubs and training for regulators. These hubs will focus on AI applications in healthcare, chemistry, mathematics, and responsible AI with the US. The government is also allocating 10 million pounds to help regulators manage AI risks in various sectors, from telecoms to education.
5. Deepfake Scam Tricks Company for $256 Million 😳
A Hong Kong-based multinational company fell victim to a sophisticated deepfake scam where the scammers impersonated the company's chief financial officer and other employees in a video conference call. The scammers managed to convince an employee to transfer a staggering HK$200 million (US$256 million) to multiple bank accounts.
ChatGPT’s Data Analysis Showdown!
ChatGPT just released a Data Analysis GPT.
But wait… what about ChatGPT’s Data Analysis Mode?
What’s even the difference?
We’re diving into this new GPT and comparing it to the default mode.
Check out today's AI in 5.
Or check out this related video:
🦾How You Can Leverage:
Wait, the Apple Vision Pro isn’t AI!
Ugh, yeah it is.
And also, (we think) it’s a solution looking for a problem.
Today, we broke down why the Apple Vision Pro is a product that (hardly) no one needs.
Oh, and since it’s #HotTakeTuesday, you know we brought the heat.
Even though we’re huge Apple/Mac users, y’all wanted the heat.
First things first, yes, the Apple Vision Pro is very AI-heavy. See: the EyeSight system, user nav for spacial content, the neural engine… this thing drips artificial intelligence.
Even though it doesn’t have GenAI baked into the first version, we do expect Version 2 or Version 3 of the AVP to pack whatever LLM features that Tim Cook said were coming to the next version of Apple’s iOS.
Also, let’s be real, the AVP looks pretty amazing. Ground-breaking. Shiny. Cool AF. All that stuff.
But does it actually serve a purpose for the majority of Americans aside from a strong ‘I’m a futurist’ tech flex?
if i see one of y'all wearing an apple vision pro i am immediately stealing your wallet and will think nothing of it
— skanks (@skanks17)
3:39 PM • Feb 6, 2024
We don’t think so.
Alright, with the groundwork outta the way, let’s dive into why this product from Apple is a swing-and-a-miss. 👇
1 – The AVP is not for everyday people 🤑
Sorry not sorry.
Apple dropping a $3,500 (minimum) headset given today’s economic conditions is kinda strange.
When adjusting for inflation, the average hourly earners in the U.S. earned about $23/hr around the iPhone launch in 2007, about $24/hr when the iPad was released in 2010, and about $26/hr in 2023.
In other words, here’s how many pre-tax hours (adjusted for inflation) that the average American worker would have to work to buy each of Apple’s market shaping devices when they dropped:
iPhone = 22 hours ($499 base model in 2007)
iPad = 21 hours ($499 base model)
Vision Pro = 135 hours ($3,500 base model)
Ouch.
So, it’s no surprise that the majority of people searching for AVP are from ultra elite tech hot spots, like Cupertino, Redmond and Palo Alto.
Maybe because you need a high-paying tech salary to justify the sticker shock?
Apple’s category-making products have shifted society because they’re made for everyday people.
The Apple Vision Pro? Not so much.
2 – The AVP is tone deaf 👂
Remember when we kinda had to isolate for 1-2 years because of pandemic shutdowns?
The AVP woulda been legit then, when billions of people worldwide had to avoid large public gatherings.
But now?
Not so much.
Recent research shows the average American REALLY wants more in-person events and gatherings.
Can your friends gather around you when you slap your double mortgage payment on your face and sigh in amazement? Or can you make new virtual friends in some third-party AVP metaverse. Yeah.
But no matter what way you slice this apple, the AVP as it stands now is a largely isolating device. (You know, because profit.)
Yes, it opens you up to new worlds and new possibilities.
But, once you put on those (super impressive) everything-isolating goggles, you’re largely disconnecting yourself from humankind. You know, in real life.
3 –Pseudo solution looking for problem 🔍
Right now, techies everywhere are legit doing backbends to justify why this is a ground-breaking product for the masses. It’s not.
It’s only a value-add for the 1%.
(We hear your arguments out loud, though!)
Oh, but I can watch a movie on an airplane in peace now!
(Oh, you don’t have a laptop and headphones?)
Oh, I can pin different windows across my house and wear the AVP and be crazy productive!
(Oh, you just have a server in the basement and a rotary phone, so you can’t work wherever in your house right now?)
Oh, now our whole company can collaborate in an office FaceTime metaverse with those cool avatars!
(Oh, you can’t either meet in person or on Zoom?)
Oh, now I can do 3D modeling on the train with my hands on my 37-minute commute. I really NEEEEEEED that.
(No you don’t. Computers still exist.)
See what we’re saying?
Sure, the AVP might be better at some of these tasks, but there’s also tremendous downsides.
It’s heavy. (People are reporting pain from extended use)
The battery drains. (2ish hours still kinda tethers you to an outlet)
The juice ain’t worth the squeeze, ya’ll.
At least not for this version.
⌚
Numbers to watch
$15 Million
AI startup Synthetaic raised $15 million in Series B funding to help uncover insights from image data.
Now This …
Did we completely miss the mark here? Are we all wrong? Roast us and reply. Maybe we’ll feature your insights in tomorrow’s newsletter!
Also, sound off on our poll!
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