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GPT Store Beckons 🤖 🛒
What's Appening: OpenAI GPT Store, Vision Pro Dates, NYT vs Microsoft, Bitcoin ETFs
3Advance Team
January 09, 2024
A FLURRY OF BOX OFFICE RELEASES IN BIG TECH
👀 TLDR:
In this week’s What’s Appening, we focus on the impending launch of the GPT Store. Framed as the App Store for AI, the GPT Store will allow anyone to showcase and monetize their customized GPTs, which are effectively tailored single-purpose versions of ChatGPT. Parallels are being drawn to Apple’s App Store launch in 2008, but that perhaps belies the fact that GPTs are not the purview of developers only: Anyone can have a go at creating them, and that makes it all the more exciting. In other news, we have curated a long list of important stories you may have missed over the Holidays. Our Stat of the Week deals with AI transforming the labor market. And What’s dAppening peers into the world of crypto trading as the sector awaits approval of Bitcoin ETFs. Finally, be sure to check out our Meanwhile section, where you can get details of two custom-built GPTs recently created by 3Advance.
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Takes 🎬
OpenAI – “GPT Store” Expected to Launch this Week
Originally slated for launch in December – before the firing/rehiring of CEO Sam Altman got in the way – the GPT Store will launch this week. GPTs are effectively tailored versions of ChatGPT trained in a certain field – math, cookery, nuclear physics, dating advice; you name it. Developers have been able to train GPTs since November, but the GPT Store now gives anyone a chance to monetize their creations in what is being framed as the “App Store for AI.” Yet, you’ll note that we said “anyone” can monetize their creations, and that point is crucial. You can create a GPT just by talking to ChatGPT so no need to be a super-coder to have a go. While businesses, too, will be able to access GPTs customized to their needs, there’s also a chance to create ‘fun’ GPTs for entertainment and social purposes. As such, the GPT store is more than a centerpiece of an inward-looking AI economy: it’s a pillar in a new game-changing ecosystem. #GPTStore Read more here.
🗞️ The Best of the Rest: Other News in Brief
The tech world kept spinning over the Holidays, but we have kept an eye on things since our last newsletter. Here’s the round-up of recent news, and other stories you may have missed over the break.
🥽 Apple Vision Pro On Sale January 19th. Tim Cook took to Twitter to tell us that the Vision Pro AR headset will be here on February 2nd, with pre-orders beginning next week, Friday 19th at 8am ET. Yes, it’s still got that hefty $3k price-tag, but remember when the $600 iPhone seemed expensive? Story is here.
🧑⚖️ The New York Times Sues OpenAI and Microsoft over Copyright. The Paper of Record ain’t happy with OpenAI, claiming its stories are copyright-protected and should not be used to train ChatGPT. It’s taking a very important case to court. Details here.
⌨️ Microsoft Wants a New Button on Your Keyboard. It’s been 30 years since Microsoft added a new button to standard keyboards (the Windows Key, if you were wondering), but now it wants to add a new AI “Copilot” button. Sign o’ the times, eh? Read about it here.
🍏 Siri with AI will be announced at WWDC 2024. We have long said that Apple was lagging behind in the AI race, but a leak suggests that may change at June’s WWDC, and it may include an AI-powered Siri. More here.
☕ Trouble Brewing for Starbucks? Starbucks customers stuck about $15 billion on their Cards last year, and the company reportedly taps into that cash flow like a big interest-free loan. Consumer groups aren’t happy, accusing the coffee company of profiteering. See more here.
🐭 Steamboat Willie NFTs. At the start of the year, lots of previously copyrighted intellectual property entered the public domain, and in 2024, that included early Mickey Mouse cartoons. So, of course quick-thinking NFT bros. launched a collection. Details here.
📉 Fidelity Lowers X evaluation by 71.5%. Elon Musk tried changing the name, paid subscriptions, launching an AI chatbot, and letting racists and hate-mongers back on the platform, but the value of X has plummeted according to Fidelity. Get the story here.
🤝 Warner Bros. and Paramount Discuss Merger. Two of the biggest entertainment studios have discussed a potential merger, which may lead to having Max and Paramount Plus on the same platform. A win for streamers? Read about it here.
🧐 Stat of the Week: 37%
🤖🏢 AI – 37% of Companies Using AI Replaced Workers with Bots in 2023
We all know that AI is going to disrupt just about everything, but putting a figure on that disruption isn’t so easy. A survey carried out by ResumeBuilder tried to do just that, and it includes some startling figures. First, it found that over 1 in 3 companies that used AI replaced employees with the technology last year. And 44% of companies said that the use of AI would lead to layoffs in 2024. Now, this is from a small sample of 750 businesses already geared up to use AI, so we would take it with a pinch of salt. Yet, it makes it abundantly clear that the AI revolution in the workplace is not just coming – it’s already here. #AIJobs Read more here.
🕸️ What’s dAppening?
🪙🚦Bitcoin – Crypto Sector Holds Its Breath as ETF Deadline Looms
The SEC’s deadline for approving Bitcoin ETFs (exchange-traded funds), including an application from the world's biggest hedge fund, BlackRock, expires this week. The consensus is that the ETFs will be approved any day now. What happens to Bitcoin’s price after is anyone’s guess, and we’d advise any investors to be cautious due to expected volatility. However, assuming they are approved, it marks a remarkable journey for Bitcoin from the upstart ‘fake internet money’ to one of the most sought-after assets on Wall Street. #BitcoinFund Read more here.
Meanwhile at 3Advance...
Like we said, this week the GPT store opens… And 3Advance needs to be there when it does, so we built two custom GPTs that attempt to answer some of the questions our potential clients ponder before they make their decision to move forward on their vision.
We’ve already launched these two custom GPTs and if you’ve got a paid ChatGPT account, you’ll have access to GPT4, which you’ll need to interact with them. Otherwise you’ll have to wait till they appear on the store in the coming days (or weeks, we hope not).
Find a Developer → To help with sourcing and pricing developers and teams.
App Cost Calculator → To help estimate app development projects.
We’d love to hear what you think of these GPTs. There’s a lot to learn here. For us, and these assistants. Let’s just say we consider them MVPs too. 🥸
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