Tue 29 October, 2024 - The copilot revolution is here

WELCOME TO THE FRONTIER

Hey all! Welcome to our redesigned AI newsletter — The Frontier. Every Tuesday, we’ll feature five of the most exciting new AI launches we’ve seen on the site recently, a write-up on an industry trend we’re seeing, and a quote that gives insight into how industry leaders see the frontier. Let’s dive in — Sanjana and Aaron.

TOP LAUNCHES

AI for selling secondhand, Claude’s newest feature, and more

Top launches

Claude Computer Use: This is Anthropic’s latest launch — an upgraded Sonnet 3.5 model capable of using certain tools on your computer (with your permission) to analyze data, perform basic tasks (like filling out a spreadsheet), take screenshots, and more. 

SwarmStack: An AI agent that can help you plan your product journey from ideation to commercialization with step-by-step plans and tool recommendations (currently sourced from Product Hunt shoutout data!). It’s the latest launch from Epsilla — an all-in-one platform that lets you build custom agents based on your private data. 

Hero: Built by former Product Hunt engineer Rahul, Hero uses AI to quickly find resale value for any secondhand item you upload a video of. It also auto-generates titles and item details to let you list items in seconds. 

Voice Design by Eleven Labs: Lets you generate custom AI voices based only on text prompts. Tell it you want a Marilyn Monroe clone or a raspy-throated wizard and it will spin one up in minutes. 

Runway Act-One: This is the latest launch from Runway ML: a state-of-the-art tool that lets you generate expressive character performances using video and voice performances as inputs. 

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THE BIG IDEA

The age of artificial copilots

For years, you’ve been told that AI will liberate you from drudge work — that it will automate away all of the thankless mundanities and leave you to focus on the creative work that gives your life meaning. 

It’s a nice claim. But is it true? Millions of people are still whiling away their prime years, inputting data into Excel spreadsheets by day and doom-scrolling mindlessly by night. When is our collective liberation coming?

Sooner than you might think. We believe humanity is entering an age of artificial copilots that can anticipate our needs, optimize our workflows, and use devices on our behalf. In the past month alone, we’ve seen new products that can:

  • Autonomously use tools on your computer to automate operations and analyze data (Claude Computer Use). 

  • Track prices in real-time, give you personalized recommendations, and provide in-depth comparisons of products you’re looking to buy (BuyScout).

  • Securely purchase these products for you with an agent-controlled digital wallet (Walle).

  • Explain or summarize anything you’re looking at on your browser (BrowserCopilot AI).

  • Collaborate in real-time with you on writing or coding projects (ChatGPT Canvas).

Interested in learning more? Check out Deepgram CEO Scott Stephenson’s new overview of AI voice agents:

“From the second you make capable AI agents, you want to talk to them. This is a new scaled digital interface. Before we only had tapping and typing, and now there is talking. And in an era where efficiency and accessibility are paramount, AI voice agents are not just a convenience—they're a necessity. They bridge the gap between humans and machines, enabling seamless, natural interactions.”

Insight of the week 

“With compute, the marginal cost of computation went to zero. We had people calculating logarithm tables by hand, then we had a computer do it. That created the compute revolution. Then the internet, the marginal cost of distribution went to zero. When it comes to AI, it really feels like the marginal cost of language, reasoning and creation are going to zero.” — Martín Casado, GP at A16Z, at the recent Wall Street Journal Tech Live conference.

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