Welcome back to another edition of the ✨ WatchTower ✨. As always, we have you covered on all the latest and hottest developments in AI! 👏

This week, we feature some exciting upcoming events and introduce you to our very first sponsor, UNOVA 🎊 ! Next, we’ll take you through the intriguing realm of Alias Technologies' latest creation: BeFake 🤡. We’ll also dive deep into a recent, innovative endeavour, GirlfriendGPT 😳💀.

For the best possible viewing experience, we recommend viewing this edition online.

🗓 Upcoming Events

🎉 Introducing UNOVA 🎉 

We’re proud to announce not just our first sponsor, but also our first ✨GOLD✨ sponsor, UNOVA. 🥳

A Little About UNOVA: “UNOVA is a trans-disciplinary research and development lab founded in UNSW Business School that brings industry partners, government, and Australia’s global university together in the spirit of collaborative development.” - UNOVA

We can’t wait to explore what this partnership will bring for WatchTower, AI SOC and most importantly you 🫵!

🎨 Alias Technologies & BeFake: Unleashing Creativity or Unraveling Authenticity?

Why be real when you can be fake? 😎 Ah, the age-old question that might've tickled Plato's mind if he were into apps and AI. Kristen Garcia Dumont's brainchild, BeFake, invites users to dive head-first into a world where creativity knows no bounds, thanks to the wonders of augmented visuals. Swipe right for surrealism! 👏

📱 The Tech Behind the Art:

Alias Technologies is steering BeFake with a high-tech compass of computer vision and generative AI. The digital horizon 🌞 looks fun-filled with users transforming their "meh" selfies into masterpieces through text prompts. And they say a picture's worth a thousand words, but why not both? 🦾😆

✍️ Here's Where It Gets Sketchy:

Ahem! Let's pause and toss in a curveball here. With all this talk of creativity and breaking barriers, one might question the authenticity in our human connections. If "fake" is the new real, what happens to genuine expression? 🤔

🌀 Negative Effects:

1) 🤡 Superficial Connections: While BeFake breaks the mould of "real-life" portrayal, does it blur the line between who we are and who we pretend to be?

2) 🎭 Identity Crisis: Creating alternate versions of ourselves can be thrilling, but at what point do we lose sight of our true selves? Is that a mirror or just another filter?

3) 🪱 Data Privacy Concerns: AI-powered image transformations might lead to data misuse. You wouldn't want your AI-enhanced Mona Lisa smile in the wrong hands, would you?

4) 👥 Inclusivity Dilemma: If the app emphasises aspirational content, what message does it send to those who feel left behind by societal beauty standards?

👻 A Creative Conclusion:

BeFake embodies an exciting frontier of AI-powered creativity, turning everyone from content consumer to creator 🧑‍🎨. But hey, even the Sistine Chapel has its cracks. As much as it inspires creativity, questions linger about authenticity, self-perception, and societal implications. 🤥

So, dear imaginative reader, what's your take on this artistic revolution? 🗣 Does the BeFake mantra liberate our inner artists, or does it trap us in a gilded frame of pretence? 🥸 Either way, here's to hoping the only thing "fake" about us is our AI-generated selfies! 🌚

P.S. If BeFake starts offering virtual vacations, sign me up for an AI-augmented trip to Mars! 🚀

_{Published by Andrew Suryanto, August 22 2023}

👯‍♀️ Unveiling "GirlfriendGPT": Blending AI and Personal Bonds

In a recent innovative endeavour, a developer named Enias Cailliau has garnered attention by crafting an AI clone of his real-life girlfriend, giving birth to the intriguing project known as GirlfriendGPT 💋. With its presence on GitHub, the project swiftly attracted over 1k stars in a matter of days. This creative venture unveils the confluence of AI and personal relationships, opening the avenue for users to fashion their very own AI companions. 🫂

The AI clone, aptly named Sacha, engages users through text, voice messages, and even selfies 🤳. Utilising the GPT-4 framework, Cailliau managed to encapsulate Sacha's personality, employing tools like Google's Bard for characterisation, ElevenLabs for voice emulation, and Stable Diffusion for generating images within conversations. 🤖

Cailliau's development approach spanned the creation of an extensive framework that faithfully mirrors Sacha's personality, incorporating AI-driven voice simulation and the rendering of AI-generated selfies. 🧑‍💻 This intricate combination was seamlessly integrated into the Telegram platform through the Steamship app. 😯 By anchoring the AI in his real-life girlfriend's attributes, Cailliau achieved a fusion of authenticity across appearance, behaviour, and character. 😳

Feedback from both Cailliau and Sacha themselves underscored their contentment with the AI Sacha, as it remarkably mirrored her personality. The growing trend 📈 of tailored AI companions is palpable, as Cailliau contemplates a male counterpart and envisions the evolution of personalised, enduring AI models fostering more profound interactions 🫣.

The rapid ascent of the GirlfriendGPT project spotlights society's fascination with individualised AI companions. 👯 It not only reflects the fluid fusion of AI and human emotions but also triggers contemplation on the ethical and societal implications of AI-human relationships 🙉. As the narrative of AI-human interactions continues to evolve, the journey ahead holds both promise and challenges.

_{Published by Solomon Na Muangtoun, August 22 2023}

Closing Notes

We hope you found this newsletter to be both informative and fun!

From the ethics of generative AI to the uncharted territories of AI companionship, we remain committed to delivering content that gets you thinking.

We welcome any and all feedback or suggestions for future topics here or email us at [email protected].

Stay tuned,

🥫Sauces 🥫

Here, you can find all sources used in constructing this edition of WatchTower:

• Meet Viv and other AI characters

• UNOVA

• BeFake

• New 'BeFake' social media app encourages users to transform their photos with AI

• Ex-MZ CEO launches BeFake, an AI-based social media app

• GirlfriendGPT