AI micro-Blog

October 23, 2024

Zoom launches AI Companion 2.0 

In today’s fast-paced digital world, efficient communication and collaboration are more vital than ever. Zoom, a leader in virtual meeting technology, continues to evolve with the release of Zoom AI Companion 2.0—a major leap forward in enhancing user experience and productivity.

What is Zoom AI Companion 2.0?

Zoom AI Companion 2.0 is the next generation of Zoom’s intelligent assistant, designed to surface critical information, prioritize what matters most, and transform everyday interactions into action, seamlessly integrating across Zoom Workplace. Best of all, it comes at no additional cost*.

Accessible through a handy side panel, you can activate AI Companion by clicking the AI sparkle icon in the app header. This smart assistant is ready to assist users in your organization by answering questions and helping with various tasks. Just make sure your Zoom desktop client is updated to Version 6.2.5 or later to take full advantage of these features.

Key Features of AI Companion 2.0

• • Synthesize Information Across Platforms
    AI Companion can pull together key insights from Zoom Meetings, Zoom Team Chat, Zoom Docs, and even external tools like MS Outlook (if integrated), as well as from uploaded documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. This makes managing multiple sources of information easier than ever.

  • Take Action on Important Tasks
    Whether it’s identifying next steps from a meeting or generating action items, AI Companion helps you turn discussions into productive outcomes.

  • Stay Informed on Crucial Conversations
    With so much information flowing in, it’s easy to miss important details. AI Companion filters through the noise, keeping you updated on the most relevant conversations and helping you focus on what matters.

  • Leverage Meeting Content to Drive Actions
    Need a quick follow-up after a meeting? AI Companion can draft personalized thank-you notes based on the meeting discussion, helping you move forward with ease.

  • Jumpstart Content Creation
    Stuck on a project or need fresh ideas? Upload documents, presentations, or spreadsheets, and AI Companion can help brainstorm, generate outlines, or even draft content for blogs, reports, and more.

  • Query and Summarize Documents
    Whether you're working in Zoom Docs, Word Docs, or Google Docs, AI Companion can summarize lengthy documents, find specific information, or answer questions about the content.

More information via Zoom: Zoom Blog and Step-by-Step Guide . These resources will walk you through everything from basic setup to advanced features, helping you unlock the full potential of this powerful AI tool. 

October 11, 2024

Microsoft Introduced a New User Interface for Copilot

Have you noticed the recent change to copilot in the browser?  It seems to have shifted,  now directing users towards Microsoft 365.  

• • Launch a browser and click on the copilot icon

  • You will then be set to MS 365 - may need to sign in

  • From this window you can enter a prompt and begin chatting with Copilot.

Did you notice...green shield is no longer green?  

• You are still protected! Not sure the thought process of Microsoft on removing the color but same protection as we have had in the past.

Did you notice anything else missing?  Microphone icon is missing from prompt text field.  

• After some research, currently Microsoft is stating that the icon is not available.  Hopefully the icon will return soon!  

As you continue to use Copilot keep in mind it's a web-based tool, and like most online platforms, changes can happen unexpectedly.  But not to worry, feel free to reach out and we can work through updates together.  

Stay informed by visiting Microsoft Copilot Blog

June 10, 2024

iOS 18: A New Era of Apple Intelligence

Apple has unveiled its latest operating system, iOS 18, at the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference. This major release introduces a wealth of new customization, communication, and artificial intelligence features.

This personal intelligence system combines the power of generative models with personal context to deliver intelligence that’s incredibly useful and relevant. It's built with privacy at its core, offering highly personalized experiences.

With Apple Intelligence, everyday tasks on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac become even more magical. It harnesses the power of Apple silicon to understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and draw from personal context.

• iOS 18 also brings new levels of customization and capability. You can now arrange apps and widgets in any open space on the Home Screen, customize the buttons at the bottom of the Lock Screen, and quickly access more controls in Control Center.

• The Photos app has its biggest redesign ever, with your entire library organized just for you. Mail simplifies the inbox by sorting email into categories using on-device intelligence.

iOS 18 is set to be released to the public in September 2024. However, some of the most significant Apple Intelligence features are not expected to be introduced until 2025.

iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence release date: When iPhone, Mac and iPad will get newly announced features. https://www.msn.com/en-sg/news/techandscience/ios-18-and-apple-intelligence-release-date-when-iphone-mac-and-ipad-will-get-newly-announced-features/ar-BB1nYu7G.

iOS 18 makes iPhone more personal, capable, and intelligent. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/06/ios-18-makes-iphone-more-personal-capable-and-intelligent-than-ever/.

iOS 18: These Apple Intelligence Features Won't Be Ready Until 2025. https://www.macrumors.com/2024/06/17/apple-siri-improvements-coming-2025/.

January 11, 2024 - AI Convocation Sessions 

The DePeters Family Center for Innovation and Teaching Excellence offered multiple sessions on the impact of artificial intelligence in higher education and how it can be used by faculty, staff, and students on campus.  The sessions were recorded and links are below. 

Generative AI: Where Are We Now?

Presenter: Katie Sabourin

Description: As we expected, generative AI tools are developing at a very fast pace and now becoming available within some common platforms we are already using on campus. This session will give an update on the state of generative AI broadly, including new technologies released from both OpenAI and Google, as well as share updates on the work taking place on campus to keep up with this rapidly evolving landscape. 

View Recording

AI Companion: Revolutionizing Zoom Meetings

Presenter: Robin Schmid

Description: Discover the transformative power of AI Companion in our upcoming workshop. This feature, integrated into Zoom Meetings, offers a multitude of benefits, the AI Companion can generate concise and accurate meeting minutes, ensuring you never miss a key point. The Interactive Q&A feature can handle in-meeting questions, making information exchange more dynamic and interactive. By automating tasks like note-taking and question handling, AI Companion allows you to focus on the discussion at hand, enhancing productivity and engagement.

View Recording

Crafting Compelling Case Studies with the Power of Generative AI Tools

Presenter: Tyler Woodward

Description: Join this hands-on workshop to learn the art of crafting compelling case studies using the impressive capabilities of generative AI tools. Dive into engaging demonstrations, insightful discussions, and practical exercises that will empower instructors to elevate their storytelling and enhance student learning. 

View Recording

Harnessing AI: Practical Applications for Staff- Panel Discussion

Panelists: Kristin Picardo, Alex Leibowitz, and Dana Orlando

Description: Showcase the practical applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within our university. This workshop will feature a panel of staff members who will share their experiences and insights on how they are leveraging AI in their daily work routines. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of AI, its practical applications, and how it can be harnessed to improve efficiency and productivity in a university setting. 

View Recording

AI Detectors & AI-Proofing Your Assessments

Presenters: Katie Sabourin and Tyler Woodward

Description: Are detectors useful to identify AI-generated text? How can assignments and activities be adjusted in a world of AI-created content? If these are questions you’ve asked yourself or colleagues, this session is right for you. During this presentation, DePeters Family Center staff will explore the current state of AI detectors and how they should and should not be used based on recent findings and research. We will then explore best practices for crafting assignments that truly assess student learning in a world where AI tools are now prevalent. This session is intended for faculty. 

View Recording

December 6, 2023 Google Released Gemini 

Google released Gemini, which they are calling "the largest and most capable AI model - and the next step on our journey toward making AI helpful for everyone."  Gemini is available in some Google products, including Bard! OIT and DePeters Family Center staff are currently looking into this new product and if/when it may integrate with our campus licenses of Google products. More details to come. 

Here are the key takeaways from the release of Google’s Gemini:

1. Most Powerful AI: Gemini is expected to be the most powerful AI ever built. It’s designed to master human-style conversations, language, and content, understand and interpret images, code prolifically and effectively, drive data and analytics, and be used by developers to create new AI apps and APIs.

2. Multimodal Capabilities: Gemini is multimodal, it can integrate different types of data, such as text and images, allowing for more natural conversational abilities.

3. Largest Language Model: Gemini could potentially be the largest language model created to date, likely exceeding the size of GPT-3 with over 175 billion parameters.

4. Future Capabilities: Gemini is a series of models that will be made available in different sizes and capabilities. It may utilize memory, fact-checking against sources like Google Search, and improved reinforcement learning to enhance accuracy and reduce hazardous hallucinated content.

Everything to know about Gemini, Google’s new AI model (blog.google) 

November 8, 2023 OpenAI New Releases

Yesterday, OpenAI made some major announcements regarding the latest updates with their generative AI toolsets. 

1. GPT-4 Turbo was released, the latest version of their large language model. This newer version is more advanced that previous versions, it can accept larger text prompts, and has the ability to pull from data as recent as April 2023. It is also truly multi-modal, in that it can accept images,text, and text-speech in the prompt and output those formats as well depending on the nature of the prompt given. It's not available just yet to the public, only developers have access, but it should be rolled out in the coming weeks to those with ChatGPT Plus or Enterprise accounts. 

2. OpenAI also released a new product called GPTs. A GPT is a customized chatbot created by the user to perform specific tasks they need to do. These can be created with no coding at all, just a set of parameters and reference files for the chatbot to use to complete the task. Eventually, you will be able to create GPTs and make them available for others to use (and for you to make money from) in a GPT Store that OpenAI will be making available soon. Unfortunately, this new set of features will also only be available to ChatGPT Plus or Enterprise customers. 

Here is the full announcement from OpenAI: https://openai.com/blog/introducing-gpts 

Here is a great article to learn more: https://tech.co/news/gpt-4-turbo-vs-gpt-4-openai-chatgpt 

This article is also a helpful read and gives a good example of a GPT created for education, specifically giving a student feedback on their writing. https://www.oneusefulthing.org/p/almost-an-agent-what-gpts-can-do?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2 

October 31, 2023 How AI Can Enhance Education: Insights from President Biden's Executive Order

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology that can transform various aspects of our lives, including education. President Biden recognizes the importance of AI and issued an Executive Order on October 31, 2023, ensuring that America leads the way in use of AI while safeguarding our privacy. 

This a significant step forward in harnessing the power of AI for education and it highlights a commitment to the use of technology to enhance the learning process, foster innovation, and prepare students for a future where AI will play a significant role.

For more information on the Executive Order: FACT SHEET: President Biden Issues Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence | The White House 

September 27, 2023 - Bing Chat for Enterprise Available

To meet the growing demands of our campus community, OIT along with the DePeters Family Center are excited to introduce Bing Chat for Enterprise, a powerful and versatile communication tool designed to streamline collaboration and enhance campus-wide communication. 

Bing Chat for Enterprise is available from the Microsoft Edge browser only. This browser is already available on PCs, and can be installed on Macs and iPads. Contact OIT if you need assistance installing. This innovative solution offers a range of benefits that make it an ideal choice for improving communication among students, faculty, and staff.  Microsoft has provided a level of security, offering our campus community data protection when using this tool. 

Additionally, OIT is reviewing the Microsoft security policy and the details of what that means for all of us. Until further notice, please continue following all safety guidelines provided on the How to Stay Safe page of the toolkit. 

Read more here: Your AI-powered Copilot for the Web | Microsoft Bing  

September 25, 2023 - Elicit.org Update

Elicit.org is a rapid AI research tool specializing in the swift location and summarization of empirical studies. In the past month, you may have seen that the Faculty AI Toolkit features Elicit.org as a potential tool for faculty to utilize to enhance their research endeavors. 

This powerful AI tool, however, is no longer free-to-use and has recently introduced a paywall. Thus, in the Faculty AI Toolkit under the Research page, we have pulled Elicit.org (now known as Elicit.com) from our list of tools to utilize. Moving forward, we hope to list more AI resources that can enhance faculty's research agendas at no cost.

September 19, 2023 - Bard's Most Capable Model Yet!

Bard's new model can help you with greater quality and accuracy. Bard extensions allow you to collaborate and connect with Google's apps. A new Google Search button feature is aimed at increasing the credibility of Bard - generated responses (Fact Checking), using the "Google it" button! Lastly, other users can be invited into Bard conversations in this newest release. Read more about the newest features from links below. 

Bard's Latest Updates via investopedia.com:
Bard's Latest Updates Allow Fact-Checking, Integration With Google Apps

Google announces new Bard features as traffic continues to lag ChatGPT via rappler.com:
Google announces new Bard features as traffic continues to lag ChatGPT

Google's Bard can now pull information from your apps, gets fact checking feature via AOL:
Google’s Bard can now pull information from your apps, gets fact checking feature [Video] 

August 29, 2023 - Convocation Sessions on AI

The DePeters Family Center for Innovation and Teaching Excellence offered three sessions on the impact of artificial intelligence in higher education and how it can be used by faculty, staff, and students on campus.  The sessions were recorded and links are below. 

Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: A Balancing Act

Presenter: Katie Sabourin

Description: An overview of artificial intelligence and generative AI and the effect on higher education, as well as an overview of the work completed by a campus-wide summer 2023 working group. 

Video Recording

Artificial Intelligence for Productivity: How to Work Smarter

Presenter: Robin Schmid

Description: An overview of the potential use of AI tools to support and assist with daily employee tasks. The session included guidance on entering prompts and reviewing AI generated content. 

Video Recording

Using the Faculty Artificial Intelligence Toolkit to Enhance the Faculty Experience at Fisher

Presenter: Tyler Woodward

Description: A review of the Faculty AI Toolkit, while uncovering ways in which AI can support faculty's teaching, research, and service obligations.  

Video Recording

August 28, 2023 - ChatGPT for Enterprise Announcement

OpenAI announces ChatGPT for Enterprise, which will allow business to purchase access to a private version of the ChatGPT generative AI platform to be used by that company only. This means that the data entered into any prompts will not be used to further train the AI model and not have the potential to be accessed more broadly than just that specific company. This announcement addresses many concerns related to data security and privacy issues and will open the door for many company to use generative AI tools more deeply in the daily work of their employees. Microsoft is also releasing a similar feature set called Bing Chat for Enterprise. It will be interesting to see how the two options are adopted by companies.

https://openai.com/blog/introducing-chatgpt-enterprise 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/bing/chat-enterprise 

July 19, 2023 - Apple GPT Announcement

Based on a recent article published by TechCrunch, Apple is creating its own AI-powered, large language model framework called  "Apple GPT" to compete with OpenAI and Google.  While still under development, public information remains very limited. It is speculated that Apple will make a major AI- related announcement sometime in 2024. Read the full article to learn more. We will be keeping a close eye on these developments from Apple as they unfold. 

https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/19/apple-is-testing-chatgpt-like-ai-chatbot/ 

May 10, 2023 - Google Duet Announcement

Similar to what Microsoft has planned with their MS Office suite and the integration of AI tools directly into those programs, Google is also working a similar AI integration within Google productivity tools. Google Duet, though not available yet, is planned to be a suite of AI- powered tools that collaborates with the Google Workspace (suite) and is designed to help you work more efficiently and effectively. Some of the features included will likely text and image generation, as well as data organization.  Read more about Google's plans for Duet here. 

March 21, 2023 - AI and Image Creation 

Generative AI tools can many more output formats than just text. Have you explored creating images with generative AI. Here are a few tools we've heard of that may be useful to explore. 

Adobe Sensei is Adobe’s artificial intelligence and machine learning technology that operates across the Adobe platform (Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign/Express/AfterEffects/Premiere). It helps you work more efficiently and effectively with Adobe software by collapsing the time between marketing ideation and execution.  Free your creativity; make essential edits quickly and accurately, find the right content when you need it with intuitive search, and achieve amazing photorealistic effects: https://www.adobe.com/sensei.html 

Please note: Photoshop is available on the Macs in Lavery Library.

Adobe Firefly (Beta): is a web based platform that allows users to create, share, and revolutionize the way people create content. This tool will include features like text to image creation, generative fill, and text effect capabilities: https://firefly.adobe.com/ 

March 16, 2023 - Microsoft Copilot Announcement

Microsoft announced the launch of a new feature using generative AI technology within their MS Office product line. Copilot is an Ai-powered writing assistant that helps with spelling and grammar, clarity, and readability.  It is embedded into the Microsoft 365 suite of applications to assist users, while increasing productivity when using Microsoft products. 

• To read the initial Microsoft announcement article, go here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2023/03/16/introducing-microsoft-365-copilot-a-whole-new-way-to-work/

Some benefits of using Microsoft Copilot:

• Boosts productivity by automating repetitive tasks; Copilot in PowerPoint helps create beautiful presentations with a simple prompt, within Excel you can analyze trends and create professional-looking data visualizations in seconds, and in Word unleash your creativity as you are always in control, prompting Copilot to shorten, rewrite or give feedback. 

• More efficient and effective communication by summarizing conversations and extracting key information.

• Frees up time for users to focus on more important and creative work.

To learn more on the latest release plan for Copilot, check out the Microsoft blog: Introducing the Microsoft 365 Copilot and capabilities.