GIANT SVA Camp, Game Design at NEST+m, and the latest GIANT AI Report
STEAM in Action:
Biomimicry Trading Cards at PS 29’s Super Science Saturday!
This past Saturday, we created some GIANT inventions at PS 29’s epic Super Science Saturday! We were honored to be among three floors of super science activations, and thrilled to ideate, co-design, prototype, and create with so many enthusiastic families throughout the event! Families that joined us on Saturday had the chance to come up with their own inventions that were inspired by biomimicry!
Science Fun and Games at NEST+m
A few weeks ago we began a new DIY Electronics and Game Design class with our friends at NEST+m! The class consists of kids in grades K-2, which is a pretty wide age range, but our instructor Michelle, who also writes the lesson plans, has been doing an amazing job with this challenge! She says of her experience:
GIANT Camp:
Creative AI and SVA MFA Interaction Design
The GIANT Room is very excited to partner with top design school, School of Visual Arts, to host a one-day program for kids 5 to 12 years old, on June 19th. This full-day camp is focused on creative storytelling, biomimicry, (inventions inspired by nature), and AI prompt engineering. For one day, GIANT kids will have their own desk at the SVA studio and access to lockers, the lounge area, reading room, and the podcast recording room. They will create and publish multi-media projects including comics, collectible Invention and Character Trading cards, and more!
Recommended for kids 5 to 12 (Participants will be divided into two groups based on their age). *Early drop in at 8:30 and extended day until 5:00 is available.
The GIANT AI Report
The fast-paced AI landscape may seem overwhelming, as we are constantly inundated with new developments and breaking news. The GIANT AI Report is here to break it down into digestible bite-sized pieces that are currently relevant to parenting and education.
In this edition, read about the first school district in the US to launch an AI assistant for students, watch a Robot video that might just blow your mind, learn how to brush up on your prompt engineering, and more!
LAUSD launches Ed, the nation’s first AI ‘personal assistant’ for students
The Los Angeles Unified School District is launching a groundbreaking AI tool called Ed, designed to serve as a personal assistant for students. This tool, the first of its kind in the nation, will provide individualized support and reminders for students in 100 languages. Ed's features include reminding students of tests, sharing cafeteria menus, updating on school buses, and offering academic support. The initial pilot will reach 55,000 students in 101 schools, with plans to expand district-wide pending successful results. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho emphasized that Ed is meant to complement, not replace, human educators and support staff. The program is closely monitored for cybersecurity and operates at a 93% accuracy rate, with strict filters to ensure appropriate content.
5 top Pulitzer Prize finalists used AI in their work
The Pulitzer Prize, the esteemed honor recognizing achievements in journalism, literature, and music composition, has seen a notable inclusion of AI-powered entries among its 2024 finalists. While the specific use of artificial intelligence in these submissions remains undisclosed, it has been confirmed that AI technology played a role at various stages of their reporting processes. This development reflects a broader trend in the journalism industry towards incorporating innovative technologies, prompting discussions among award organizations such as the George Polk Awards about adapting rules to accommodate evolving practices.
This free tool from Anthropic helps you create better prompts for your AI chatbot
While AI chatbots offer valuable assistance, human guidance is essential for maximizing their potential. Anthropic has introduced a free prompt library, including a variety of prompts from technical to light-hearted, to aid users in honing their AI prompting skills. For example, their "Corporate clairvoyant" prompt assists users in extracting insights from corporate reports, guiding them to generate concise memos for their teams. By simply selecting and copying the prompts from the library, users can integrate them into their preferred chatbot platforms.
GPT-enhanced humanoid speaks and reasons as it works
Figure has unveiled the initial outcome of its collaboration with OpenAI, showcasing the Figure 01 bot conversing in real-time in a recent video release. Entrepreneur Brett Adcock spearheaded the project, assembling a team from prominent companies like Boston Dynamics and Tesla to create the world's first commercially viable general-purpose humanoid robot. By leveraging integrated cameras and advanced neural networks, Figure's partnership with OpenAI aims to develop next-generation AI models for humanoid robots, marking a significant milestone in advancing autonomous robotics technology. Click here to watch the video and feel all the chills.
Five Differences Between Human and AI Tutors
Many envision chatbots as future top-tier tutors accessible to all, but having been both a tutor and a student, former teacher and Director of Research at Amplify Dan Meyer finds the disparity between human tutors and AI chatbots stark. Having been on both sides as a human tutor and a chatbot tutor’s student he finds that human tutors excel in seeking context, using multimedia, building relationships, and pushing students, leveraging a range of media and understanding their limits. In contrast, chatbots primarily rely on text and lack the nuanced approach and adaptability of human tutors.
Apple Launches First Multimodal AI Model
Apple has introduced MM1, a family of multimodal models that can process both images and text, featuring up to 30 billion parameters and comparable performance to Google Gemini's initial versions. MM1 demonstrates the ability to follow instructions, reason across images, and perform tasks such as deducing the cost of items from a menu. It also showcases in-context learning, enabling it to understand and respond to queries based on the current conversation's context without explicit retraining. Additionally, MM1 supports multi-image reasoning, enhancing its capability to interpret and draw conclusions from multiple images in a single query. Apple's Brandon McKinzie mentioned that MM1 is just the start, hinting at ongoing development of the next generation of models.
Elon Musk releases code for his AI chatbot Grok. Here's why it matters
Some of the world's largest companies and wealthiest individuals are embroiled in a debate over whether firms should disclose how their AI products work. Elon Musk recently stirred the discussion by releasing the computer code for his AI chatbot, Grok, in contrast to OpenAI's more secretive approach. Musk's decision reflects his concerns about AI's potential risks and biases, aligning with his broader stance on transparency and safety in AI development. The debate over open versus closed source AI extends beyond technical considerations, touching on issues of accountability, security, and the broader societal implications of AI technology.
OpenAI’s deals with publishers could spell trouble for rivals
OpenAI is actively pursuing partnerships with major publishers, despite its ongoing legal dispute with The New York Times. The company recently announced agreements with Le Monde and Prisa Media, allowing their content to be integrated into OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot. These partnerships aim to enhance users' experiences by providing them with access to current events coverage from respected news sources, contributing to OpenAI's efforts to expand its training data and improve ChatGPT's capabilities. While the exact financial terms remain undisclosed, reports suggest that OpenAI is investing significant sums, potentially between $4 million and $20 million annually, in acquiring content licensing rights from various publishers.
Thank you for riding the AI roller coaster with us! While the news is ever-evolving, The GIANT Room will help you to stay in the (sometimes sideways and upside-down) loop! We are working on ways to safely teach and promote AI literacy. Our Creative Bootcamps apply AI in a fun and frictionless process where kids collaborate with AI and learn age-appropriate prompt engineering while co-designing GIANT Remixes. Have you checked out our GIANT Remixes? Get in the mix! Register your kids for our GIANT Creative AI and SVA MFA Interaction Design Camp!