From Starving Artist to VR Architect

For writers, there’s gold in them VR Hills

Imaginative writers looking for alternative job opportunities may want to check-out a new trend set by Victoria VR.

It’s a virtual reality metaverse platform promising to add new tools to enable writers and others to create virtual worlds, games and apps using popular AI tools like ChatGPT.

System requirements: A great imagination — and a great way with words.

Observes writer Ishan Pandey: “Some examples of possible uses for this tool include games, digital commerce, interactive showrooms, and virtual education platforms.”

AI tools Victoria AI plans to integrate into its software platform include OpenAI’s GPT-4, DALL-E, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion.

Currently, writers are at a distinct advantage when it comes to using generative AI, given that every string of words or image elicited from the tech must be triggered by an artfully written prompt.

In other AI-generated news and analysis:

*In-Depth Guide: Nitpicker’s Nirvana Grammarly: Where Errant Commas Go to Die: Reviewer Katelyn Chedraoui offers an updated look at the number one overall tool for editing, proof-reading and improving your writing — Grammarly.

Chedraoui’s takeaway: “I didn’t think I needed an extra digital editing tool. But after my in-depth testing of Grammarly’s services, it’s clear I was wrong.”

*When An AI Masterpiece Needs Help: ChatGPT Images Now Editable: Writers who regularly need supporting images for their copy now have another reason to give ChatGPT a whirl: The AI tool now enables users to edit the images it creates.

Already vaunted for its ability to forge an arresting image from a cleverly worded prompt in about a minute-or-so, the new editing tools promise to make image creation with ChatGPT even more satisfying.

One caveat: The new capability — performed with the tool’s graphic module dubbed ‘Dall-E 3’ — is currently only available to paying users of ChatGTP who subscribe to its higher-end versions Plus, Team or Enterprise.

*Hallucinations Take a Holiday: Now You Can Verify ChatGPT’s Research With Hotlinked Citations: ChatGPT users nervous about the tool’s reputation for making-up facts when performing research can sleep easier.

A new upgrade to the tool offers a hotlink citation to the Web page it used to research your query.

Even better: If you’re putting together a short article of say 500 words, ChatGPT can now also be prompted to include a hotlink to every salient fact or observation it cites in your article.

*Peek-and-Tell: How to Keep Your Data Private on ChatGPT: Writer Mary-Elisabeth Combs offers an excellent, step-by-step guide in this piece on how to set ChatGPT so that the data you enter into the tool remains private.

If you don’t change the settings, ChatGPT’s maker reserves the right to read and analyze all of your chat history with the tool.

That includes everything you ask — and every answer you receive.

Observes Combs: ” You’ll need to jump through a few hoops before you can wipe your information.”

But for many — including business users — it’s worth the effort.

*Who Needs Journalism School?: Google’s AI Just Needs a Power Outlet: Google’s drive to outfit newsrooms of all sizes with AI continues in earnest, according to writer Alex Kantrowitz.

First released in Summer 2023, the AI tool is able to auto-write a quick draft news story from a Tweet, press release — or even a 500-page report, according to Kantrowitz.

Observes Kantrowitz: “Last month, a report about the program alarmed me, so I went poking around for more details.”

*Future Tense: Reuters Studying AI’s Ongoing Impact on Journalism: Editors and reporters squeamish about AI’s impact on their livelihoods will want to follow analysis currently underway at the Reuters Institute.

Observes Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, director, Reuters Institute:
“We want to connect journalists — many of whom are critical of and worried about AI — editors and executives — who are often aggressively pushing for using AI even as they have their own reservations — and make sure that their approach to AI is informed by data on how the public thinks about these issues, and by insight from computer scientists and other experts from outside the profession of journalism, the news media industry, and the companies and consultants selling AI services.”

*That’s Not Funny: George Carlin’s Estate Quashes Sound-Alike Podcast: Apparently, two podcast hosts are feeling less-than-clever after losing a lawsuit accusing them of ripping-off the humor of George Carlin.

Essentially, the two used AI to impersonate the iconic stand-up comedian in a podcast performance.

The title: “George Carlin: I’m Glad I’m Dead.”

Full terms of the settlement were not disclosed — although the two promised to remove the podcast and never repost it on any platform.

*Beyond ChatGPT: 20 Alternatives Boasting AI Chops: Despite ChatGPT’s status as the best overall AI writer on the market right, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the competition.

This piece offers a great overview of some of the best alternatives out there — according to writer Daniyal Jawaid.

Observes Jawaid: “Technological advancements are shaping the AI landscape and ushering it into a new era of possibilities for 2024 and beyond.”

*AI Big Picture: In AI We Trust: Business Schools Going All In on AI: Business majors jockeying for stability in a future that will be dominated by AI are finding increasing numbers of universities catering to that goal, according to writer Lindsay Ellis.

Observes Ellis: “Top business schools are pushing MBA candidates and undergraduates to use artificial intelligence as a second brain.

“Students are eager for the instruction — as employers increasingly hire talent with AI skills.”

Share a Link:  Please consider sharing a link to https://RobotWritersAI.com from your blog, social media post, publication or emails. More links leading to RobotWritersAI.com helps everyone interested in AI-generated writing.

Joe Dysart is editor of RobotWritersAI.com and a tech journalist with 20+ years experience. His work has appeared in 150+ publications, including The New York Times and the Financial Times of London.

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