Welcome to the Magpie Newsletter #4

As always, If you have anything that you think we should share, please do not hesitate to send it over. Sorry, but it’s mostly AI info right now.

1. AI Image Creation – time to take another look

For those keeping track – generating quality photo-realistic images via AI has not been ready for primetime…until now?
It looks like OpenAI’s image generator (Dalle3) has been quietly released on Bing. Midjourney has been the consensus leader for most of the year – but this is the best I’ve seen yet – and by quite a margin (and it’s free). https://www.bing.com/create
100% perfect? No. But it’s getting close.

2. Google Updates – SEO & AI

The Google Helpful Content Update is really just re-emphasizing what they have been saying for 25 years (yes, 25). It’s as important as ever to understand how this stuff works. Check out this article on Phocuswire for an in-depth and interesting perspective.

3. Skift Global Forum

If you missed the event last week, you can watch the sessions on YouTube.
The theme was AI. What else would it be? Everybody mentioned or was asked about Generative AI.

• Good consensus that immediate use is for internal productivity.
• Everybody is launching a chatbot.
• Trip-planners are getting a LOT of mentions. There are 1000 upstarts in this space. (1000 is not a verified number. But there are many)
• Agents – was mentioned I think once. Too early still, or is nobody thinking it through.
• Have a look at Character.ai if you haven’t yet.

4. Noteworthy Startups

There are many in this space, but here are 3 to look at:

– Mindtrip – another AI Trip-Planner (raised $7m) – no product yet!
– Tailbox – AI Tour-Guide (raised $1.5m) – no product yet!
– Iwander – Instant personalized tours, anywhere in the world.

Trip-planning / digital tour-guide, all becomes almost the same thing under these new GenAI (Generative AI) rules. Very different of course where they fit in the funnel, but these types of products are coming out from all angles right now. Much more to come in this space over the next few months & years.
Check out this discussion in a recent ExperienceThis Episode

5. Productivity Tools

I think at this point, every SaaS company on the planet has launched their own AI product. Many are excellent. Many are just a simple integration with ChatGPT and you could do it on your own. The problem is, from reading their marketing copy, you often have no idea which is which. Maybe that doesn’t matter – it only matters that the product adds value. Generative AI is becoming just part of every product.

DUET, by Google is just that – now part of Google Workspace. At the moment, it’s… interesting. It’ll get better over time.  (14 day free trial, $30 / user afterwards)
COPILOT, by Microsoft is the same concept – part of Office365 and soon part of Windows. Powered by ChatGPT, it’ll probably be good. Releasing Nov 1st.

6. Magpie AI Tools

Magpie launched around 20 AI tools this year. Our most popular:

• Product re-write
• Translate – to 63 languages – with a single click
• Review responder
• FAQ generator

Try them out (if you have an account) or contact us for a demo.

7. Arival Orlando 360

We asked a few regulars which sessions they are most looking forward to. Here are some of those.

1. Experiment your way to Extraordinary Experiences
2. Passion, Purpose and the Future of Experience Discovery
3. The Content Problem
4. Beyond Generative AI – Marc Mekki
5. Industry Hot Topics – Panel

8. Magpie Sessions