Meet GPT-4o Mini

OpenAI just unveiled GPT-4o mini, their latest small but mighty AI model, which promises to be cheaper and faster than their current leading models. Released today for developers and consumers via the ChatGPT web and mobile app, GPT-4o mini is set to be a game-changer. With enterprise users gaining access next week, this pint-sized powerhouse is poised to outperform industry-leading small AI models on tasks involving text and vision, making it a hot ticket for high-volume, simple tasks.

In the AI showdown, GPT-4o mini is flexing its muscles, scoring 82% on the MMLU reasoning benchmark, leaving rivals like Gemini 1.5 Flash (79%) and Claude 3 Haiku (75%) in the dust. On math reasoning (MGSM), it scored an impressive 87%, compared to Flash’s 78% and Haiku’s 72%. Priced at just 15 cents per million input tokens and 60 cents per million output tokens, GPT-4o mini offers a context window of 128,000 tokens—about the length of a novel. And the cherry on top? It’s more than 60% cheaper to run than GPT-3.5 Turbo.

OpenAI’s head of Product API, Olivier Godement, emphasizes that affordability is key to empowering every corner of the world with AI. Looking ahead, GPT-4o mini is set to support video and audio capabilities, making it even more versatile. Early tests show it’s blazing fast, churning out 202 tokens per second—over twice as fast as GPT-4o and GPT-3.5 Turbo. So whether you’re a developer needing speed and efficiency or a consumer looking for a smart, cost-effective AI, GPT-4o mini is ready to deliver. Buckle up, because the AI race just got a whole lot more interesting!

Artificial Agency Wants to Level Up AI NPCs

Artificial Agency, the startup aiming to revolutionize non-player characters (NPCs) in video games, just scored a $12 million seed round co-led by Radical Ventures and Toyota Ventures. With a total of $16 million raised, other investors like Flying Fish, Kaya, BDC Deep Tech, and TIRTA Ventures have jumped on board. The big question? Will gaming studios adopt this AI tech? Artificial Agency is confident, working with "several notable AAA studios" and planning a 2025 rollout of their behavior engine.

Funding Highlights:

• $12M seed round co-led by Radical Ventures and Toyota Ventures

• Total raised: $16M

• Other investors: Flying Fish, Kaya, BDC Deep Tech, TIRTA Ventures

Generative AI is making waves in the gaming industry, but developers are cautiously optimistic. According to the 2024 State of the Game Industry report, nearly half of the 3,000 developers surveyed use AI for repetitive tasks, though only 21% see a positive impact. Ethical concerns remain high, with 42% expressing unease. Yet, Radical Ventures investor Daniel Mulet is confident in Artificial Agency’s experienced team, many of whom hail from Google DeepMind, the brainpower behind AlphaGo.

Industry Insights:

• 50% of developers use AI for repetitive tasks

• Only 21% predict a positive impact from generative AI

• 42% are concerned about AI ethics

In a TechCrunch demo, co-founder Alex Kearney showcased an NPC named Aaron in Minecraft, displaying AI’s impressive capabilities. Aaron wasn’t just following commands; he showed awareness, gathered supplies, and even offered a gluten-free option. While current AI interactions cost more, Artificial Agency expects costs to plummet, potentially making this tech a gaming staple. The burning question: Will gamers pay a premium for enhanced experiences? Time will tell, but the future of gaming AI looks smarter and brighter than ever.

Tech Demo Highlights:

• Aaron the NPC: smart, adaptable, and gluten-free friendly

• Costs expected to drop significantly

• Potential premium feature for gamers

Artificial Agency is betting big on smarter NPCs transforming gaming. As they blaze the trail, the gaming world waits to see if this AI revolution will win over both developers and players.

Microsoft's AI Designer Now Available

Microsoft just released its AI-powered Designer app, which is now officially out of preview and available to all users on iOS and Android.

Think of it as Canva with a sprinkle of AI magic! This nifty app lets you create images and designs using text prompts to whip up stickers, greeting cards, invitations, collages, and more.

Designer is now accessible in over 80 languages on the web, and it's also a free mobile app and available as an app in Windows. The app comes loaded with “prompt templates” to help kickstart your creativity. You can tweak styles and descriptions and even share templates with friends to build on each other’s ideas. From emojis to clip art, wallpapers to monograms, you name it—Designer can help you create it with a simple text prompt.

And that's not all!

Designer isn’t just about creating new images; you can also edit and restyle existing ones. Upload a selfie and choose from a variety of styles or add some flair with extra details. Soon, you’ll even be able to replace backgrounds using text prompts. Plus, Microsoft is integrating Designer into Word and PowerPoint through Copilot, so Pro subscribers can generate images and designs right in their workflow.

For Windows 11 users, Microsoft Photos is getting a major boost with Designer's AI features, making it easier than ever to erase objects, remove backgrounds, and auto-crop images. Happy designing!

Claude Android App Expands AI Reach

Anthropic is stepping up its game, launching the Claude Android app on Tuesday to broaden its AI chatbot's reach. This latest move aims to woo users away from ChatGPT by making Claude available on more platforms.

Just like its iOS counterpart released in May, the Claude Android app offers free access to Anthropic’s top AI model, Claude 3.5 Sonnet. For those looking for more, upgraded plans are available through Anthropic’s Pro and Team subscriptions.

The app features seamless conversation syncing across devices, real-time image analysis by uploading photos or files, and real-time language translation, all designed to make you want to keep the app open.

Enterprise customers aren't left out either—they can now access their Claude accounts on mobile. Despite Anthropic's claims that its AI models rival those of OpenAI and Google, the startup has struggled to capture consumer interest. The Claude iOS app saw a modest 157,000 downloads in its first week, compared to the ChatGPT iOS app’s 480,000 installs in just five days.

Will the Android launch help Claude close the gap? Only time will tell, but Anthropic is certainly making a compelling case.