If you’re looking to experiment with AI agents without making a commitment, Microsoft is offering a 30-day free trial.
Heralded as the Next Big Thing in AI, AI agents — some of which will be called ‘AI employees’ as they grow increasingly more complex next year — can be programmed to perform a series of tasks for you, sans supervision.
Some companies, for example, are creating AI agents to relentlessly probe for vulnerabilities in computer network security — a job that used to go to humans.
Meanwhile, writers will most likely create AI agents to do in-depth Web research, handle every aspect of their calendaring, work independently to research, write, critique, edit and publish quality, full-length, written works — and much more.
The best part of Microsoft’s free trial is that you don’t need to offer-up a credit card number — and then take a big hit a month later when you discover you forgot to cancel the onslaught of monthly subscription fees.
Instead, simply input your business email to get access to the tech titan’s AI agent-maker — dubbed Microsoft Copilot Studio — and you’re off-and-running.
While you’re at it, here’s an extremely easy-to-follow video on how to make your first AI Agent — squired by an ace presenter on Microsoft products.
In other news and analysis on AI writing:
*Santa’s Sleigh: Overflowing with ChatGPT Updates: OpenAI plans to release a slew of new updates through Christmas Day — part of its marketing blitz dubbed ’12 Days of OpenAI.’
News of each new release is slated for release via live-stream video on YouTube.
Already, OpenAI has made good on its promise with the release of a gold-plated version of ChatGPT that goes for $200/month.
*Gold-Plated ChatGPT: New Pro Version Costs $200/Month: Looking for virtually unlimited, 24/7 access to ChatGPT 1o — a special version designed for advanced work in math, science and computer coding?
It’s gonna cost ya.
Two hundred smackers-a-month, to be exact.
Observes writer Reece Rogers: “While the hefty price tag may be a shock to many consumers, this subscription is targeted at hyper-engaged users who desire almost unlimited access.”
It’s also targeted to researchers who potentially want to experiment with using ChatGPT for more complex, intensive tasks, Rogers adds.
*K-12 Educators’ New Ace — or Just a Copy-and-Paste?: Leaving no stone unturned in its drive to place AI everywhere, ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has stepped-up its courting of K-12 teachers with a new guide custom-tailored for their use.
Observes writer Sunny Yadav: “OpenAI’s teacher’s guide envisions ChatGPT as a tool to streamline lesson planning, create interactive tutorials and inspire new teaching strategies.”
Many educators are torn over ChatGPT, seeing it both as a tool to enhance education as well as a highly advanced cheating technology.
*Study: ChatGPT Fair-to-Middlin’ When Assessing Student Writing: Researchers have found that using ChatGPT to evaluate essays written by young students is yielding mixed results.
Specifically, their study found that ChatGPT’s evaluations of student writing were moderately effective — but challenged by complex tasks and lacking in developmental context.
ChatGPT’s accuracy also varied depending on the complexity of the revisions it was evaluating, according to the researchers.
*Epic Fail: 94% of AI-Generated College Writing Undetected by Profs: Turns-out nearly all college profs have no idea when their students are using ChatGPT and similar AI chatbots for writing assignments.
Observes writer Derek Newton: “The research team found that overall, AI submissions verged on being undetectable — with 94% not being detected.
“By and large, stopping AI academic fraud has not been a priority for most schools or educational institutions.”
*ChatGPT Competitor Claude Lets You Pick Your Voice Vibe: Users of Anthropic Claude can now select the style the chatbot writes in from a variety of preset ‘Voices.’
Observes writer Will McCurdy: “The chatbot now offers three main styles: ‘Formal,’ to help you with clear and polished responses, ‘Concise,’ for shorter and more direct responses and ‘Explanatory,’ for educational responses to help you learn new concepts.”
Claude’s makers also say the chatbot can be programmed to write in your own personal style by using an example of your writing.
But the truth is, Claude and its competitors can only approximate a personal writing style — none can mimic a personal writing style with 100% accuracy.
*Google’s New Weather Guru: More Accurate, But Still Can’t Fix Mondays: Google has developed an experimental AI-powered agent that reportedly outperforms the best traditional technology for predicting weather.
Observes writer William J. Broad: Google “has smashed through the old barriers and achieved what its makers call unmatched skill and speed in devising 15-day weather forecasts.”
Adds lead researcher Ilan Price: “We’ve made decades worth of improvements in one year. We’re seeing really, really rapid progress.”
*ChatGPT’s Free Ride: Pop-Up Apocalypse Ahead?: The free ride for those playing with ChatGPT cost-free may be coming to an end.
Writer Fionna Agomuoh reports that ChatGPT-maker OpenAI may add advertising to its free version.
The consolation: Agomuoh indicates that a move toward advertising is still in the spitball stage.
*AI Big Picture: ChatGPT-Maker’s New Military Side-Hustle: OpenAI is now working with a leading defense-tech startup — Anduril Industries — to develop AI-powered drones for the U.S. military.
Observes lead writer Heather Somerville: The partnership “marks OpenAI’s deepest involvement yet with the Defense Department and its first tie-up with a commercial weapons maker.”
Many within the AI community are deeply opposed to using the tech for any sort of military project.
But many others counter that the key enemies of the U.S. scoff at those qualms — and that they’re already working to embed AI in their militaries.
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–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.