#1 Welcome to the Minds & Machines newsletter
AI video like never before, goodbye Bard, Wintering and an AI sandwich
Image generated on Midjourney
Welcome. It’s great to have you here.
A quick (ish) intro. I’m Kerry, an AI educator, copywriter and yoga teacher. I’ve been working in the world of AI for over 5 years now. Since day one, I’ve been interested in the ways that AI can augment our wonderful human creativity.
My aim with this newsletter is to bring AI insights to fellow copywriters, content creators – and people who write for their businesses (willingly or unwillingly).
I’m here to share the latest news and practical tips on using AI tools well, so our content can stay human and stand out.
For me, using AI well is about embracing the technology without sacrificing our creativity. It’s about using AI tools while also using our brains. And moving with the times, while preserving our craft.
I’m also here to help us celebrate what makes us human. Our wild minds, awe-inspiring bodies and creative souls.
As AI technology evolves at breakneck speed, employing and advocating for our humanness has never felt more important.
How does that sound?
What’s inside this edition:
🤖 AI News and Views
How a sandwich can help us write better with AI
A helpful prompt to change the TOV on ChatGPT
OpenAI unveils Sora – AI video like never before
Google Bard is now Google Gemini
💛 The Human Element
A book on Wintering
Reflecting on stillness
Come sit around the fire and write
🤖 AI News & Views
AI tools, techniques and discoveries to help you with your content creation
How a sandwich can help us write better with AI
Recently, I came up with a methodology for writing well with AI. It’s called the AI Sandwich. Yeah, I know it’s not the most sophisticated name, but it works.
Here’s a quick rundown.
If we want to use AI writing tools well, I believe we need to bring our human skills to the mix. Not just after we get a response, but before we even touch the tech.
Step 1 – Lay out your slice of bread
Come to the AI tools with your research, objectives and ideas. Be clear about what you want and why you’re doing this piece of work. Take your time to craft a prompt – it matters.
Step 2 - Add the filling
Use the AI tool.
Step 3 - Put your slice of bread on top
Bring your analytical and creative skills. Ask: Is the response any good? Does it meet my objective? Do I need to re-prompt? How does it make me feel?
When you have a half-decent piece, apply your human craft on top. Add your anecdotes, energy and viewpoint. Make it yours.
You can read my full blog here.
A handy prompt for shaping ChatGPT’s tone of voice
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been writing the AI Copywriting Masterclass for the Chartered Institute of Marketing (I’m so excited about this).
I’ve been going over some of my favourite prompts to share with delegates. This is one of them.
Have you ever asked ChatGPT to adopt a conversational tone and found it goes completely over the top? If so, try this.
When ChatGPT gives you a response, ask it to assess itself.
Please review the tone of your response. If 0 is very informal/slang and 10 is very formal, how would you rate your response?
Once it replies (it’s usually a 7), use the following prompt:
Please review your response, making the tone a [insert number]
You can move up and down the scale to see what works best for you. Let me know what you think.
OpenAI unveils Sora – AI video like never before
Open AI has just announced the most important AI model of the year so far: Sora. This cutting-edge text-to-video model can generate highly detailed, one-minute videos from a short text prompt.
According to OpenAI’s introductory blog post, you can create “complex scenes with multiple characters, specific types of motion, and accurate details of the subject and background”.
The model can also generate video from a still image, as well as fill in missing frames, or extend an existing video.
From what I’ve seen, this model is way ahead of anything else that’s available. I’ve been using Runway’s text-to-video Gen2 tool for a while now, but the results can be inconsistent and you get 4 seconds of video (with the option to expand).
Can I access Sora now?
Not yet. It’s only available to “red teamers” who are assessing the model for potential harms and risks. Plus, a few designers, visual artists and filmmakers.
While we wait for an official release date, you can see some sample videos. Here are a few of my favourites from the OpenAI blog. I like the concept of the first one, and the second one? It just looks so real.
As well as being a video tool, Sora can generate pretty impressive stills as well.
My thoughts
This will be a super handy tool for content creators. There are so many possibilities.
But I’m struggling to see how it will be a good thing for society. Going forward, I think we’re going to need a watermark or an indication that we’re watching AI-generated videos. As AI advances, it’s becoming more and more difficult to know what’s real and what isn’t. And that’s a problem on many levels.
Will we reach a point where we’ll have to presume the information we consume is fake, until we delve deeper? That’s a stressful situation to be in.
On top of that, there’s an issue with education, bearing in mind many of us look to video to help us learn or understand things. Gary Marcus makes a really important point here, especially around the impact on young people.
As ever, AI brings so much potential but also so many problems. Looking beyond the hype is important.
Google Bard is now Google Gemini
A lot is happening on the AI front at Google right now - including a rebrand for Bard, the arrival of Gemini Advanced and the launch of Gemini 1.5.
I’ll cover Gemini 1.5 soon, but there are a couple of things to cover first. Earlier in the month, Google’s AI writing tool, Bard, was rebranded as Gemini.
Google launched Gemini last year calling it their “most capable AI model” and Bard sat alongside it for a while. But now it’s become part of the Gemini ecosystem.
On top of this, Google recently released Gemini Advanced – a premium version of the tool. Think of it as their ChatGPT Plus equivalent with a very similar price: £18.99 per month.
I’m using the free version of Gemini for now and it has some pretty nice features, which you don’t get with ChatGPT, Copilot or Claude.
You can edit the AI text results without using a new prompt. Just click for shorter, longer, more casual or professional responses.
You can see other drafts/versions of the response, so you can choose your favourite.
NEW: You can double-check responses by clicking the Google icon. It uses Google Search to find info that’s similar to/different from the results, so you can check certain facts or statements.
I’m interested to see what extra benefits and capabilities $20 a month can bring. So I’ll give it a try and let you know.
If you want to dive in before that, you can try it free for 2 months with a personal Gmail and a credit card.
👁️ AI that caught my eye
My AI picks from across the web
See how Sora’s happy cat video (below) compares with what’s currently on offer: Pika AI, Runway, Leonardo and FinalFrame. Spoiler alert: nothing comes close.
Google and Microsoft say a new era of AI search is coming, but it’s not going to be easy.
A beautifully written article about a writer’s journey with AI
This is a few months old now, but if you haven’t heard this interview with the wonderful Mo Gawdat, I’d recommend a listen. Don’t be put off by the sensationalist title.
🤖 WTAIF?
Funny outputs and discoveries from my AI adventures
It might not be Sora, but RunwayML’s Gen2 tool generates short videos from text prompts and animates still images. The results brighten up many a slide deck.
This week, I was creating an “Any Thoughts?” slide for one of my AI courses. I generated a thinking giraffe on DALL.E and then animated it in Runway ML. I got some nice results. But I also got this rather bonkers output along the way.
💛 The Human Element
A celebration of our wild minds and creative souls
Wintering by Katherine May
I’ve just finished reading this book. What an absolute joy. It’s a tender exploration of surrendering and taking care of ourselves during difficult times in our lives. May tells her own story, while gently weaving in others' experiences of wintering. From the hibernation patterns of the dormouse to the ritual of the sauna – I was moved over and over again.
Come sit around a fire and write
Last year, I hosted four women’s circles in the woods at the turn of each new season. We shared stories, crafted, took time to breathe and gathered thoughts in our journals.
The sessions were wonderful, so I’m doing it all again this year. This time with a slightly bigger emphasis on writing.
You’re invited to unwind, warm yourself by the fire, drink tea and set your intentions for the year. A new season awaits, so let’s dream fearlessly and let’s dream big.
🖊️ The Analogue Antidote
A writing prompt to ponder with pen and paper
This week’s prompt is inspired by Katherine May’s “Wintering”.
Reflect on a moment of stillness you experienced over winter. How did it make you feel?
☀️ Upcoming Adventures
My upcoming talks, workshops and events
Spring Equinox Women’s circle: Writing in the Woods
Glow Retreat: a summer weekend women’s retreat in the woods. Make time to move, rest and rediscover your creative self.
Wanted: guinea pigs for my pilot 4-week, online Meditation for Relaxation course. I’d love some feedback before I release it into the wild. Can I tempt you?
💬 How was it for you?
As this is my first newsletter, I’d really like to know what you think. Anything you loved, loathed or want to see more of? Drop me an email: hello@kerryharrison.io Thanks.
Great first newsletter Kerry!👏