Five generative AI models since ChatGPT that you can try out for free!
Image: Pixabay
Every new leap in user-related technology has opened out a new world to us that we didn’t know we could benefit from.
Maitri Vasudev
When T9 predictions popped up on feature phones, when the QWERTY keyboard arrived on the Blackberry, when touchscreens became a given, when WhatsApp allowed us to reply to specific messages, respond to the sender on a group privately and then brought us reactions, when Google brought forth predictions on email and Docs, we’ve realised post hoc that that’s what we always wanted. Is it then surprising that we turn to ChatGPT for everything now?
Since it came out, we can’t seem to not think or talk about whether artificial intelligence is taking over our lives. We argue that this is the first step towards robot incursion apocalypse, but morbid curiosity, plus the simplicity it brings to our tasks, keeps us giving it commands. And now that we’re getting used to having our codes, emails and articles written for us, aren’t we also morbidly curious to find out whether AI can satisfy our visual, aural and emotional needs?
Here we go:
- Art Generation – DALL-E
“GPT-3 showed that language can be used to instruct a large neural network to perform a variety of text generation tasks. Image GPT showed that the same type of neural network can also be used to generate images with high fidelity. We extend these findings to show that manipulating visual concepts through language is now within reach,” says the DALL-E site.
DALL-E is a generative AI model created by OpenAI, the same team behind ChatGPT. It lets us generate high-quality images from our written descriptions. Capable of creating unique and bizarre art pieces by combining various objects, animals and scenes, DALL-E can be useful in various fields, including product design, advertising, and film production.
- Music Generation – AIVA
A team of musicians and engineers are behind AIVA (Artificial Intelligence Virtual Artist), a generative AI model that composes original music in two ways: by using predefined styles to create a piece by genre, such as classical, pop, and jazz, or by considering a MIDI track that we upload ourselves as the basis to produce a new track. AIVA learns from a vast database of music. While it serves most useful as an assistant to musicians creating original compositions or providing background music for film productions, nothing stops it from shooting us a personalised track that matches with our mood.
- Counselling Services – Woebot
“A mind at ease is within reach.” While this model is not yet FDA-approved and currently provides solutions only for behavioural health without a prescription, Woebot’s counselling services come without an appointment. All we’ve got to do is to type out our thoughts and emotions into a chatbot interface. Woebot analyses our responses and provides personalised recommendations and exercises, using cognitive-behavioural therapy. The model is useful in mental health management, particularly for those of us who are disinclined to personal interaction, or need a launchpad into therapy.
- Visual Arts, Fashion, Graphic Design – RunwayML
This is perhaps the most mind-blowing after ChatGPT; it might well have surpassed it in interest if it had come to light first. Which of us wouldn’t, after all, want to make our own movie without shooting it? “No lights. No camera. All action.” Much more extensive than DALL-E, this model seems to take visual creativity to a wholly new paradise. It provides an intuitive interface and a diverse range of pre-trained AI models that helps us generate stunning visuals, manipulate images and create interactive experiences. Time to explore, don’t you say?
- Gaming – Unity ML-Agents
I’ve played video games exactly five times in my life, and my excellent hand-eye coordination means that I never know which button I’m pressing on the console. I die at least twice in the simplest sequence before my fingers find the square or the triangle when I need it. Who knows, though, Unity ML-Agents might just entice me into trying it out because we can create our own stories on it! An open-source toolkit developed by Unity Technologies, it’s meant for game developers to integrate generative AI agents into their gaming environments, but there are free student and personal versions too. Do we want to navigate complex terrains, interact with objects or solve puzzles? This is our chance.
