Generative AI is all the buzz right now, but I find myself guilty of not fully exploring all the latest and greatest tools to see how they can boost my productivity.
Over the past year, new models have been released that are capable of producing highly realistic images, videos, and even audio from simple text prompts, along with powerful text-based applications that can synthesize vast amounts of information into concise insights.
With so many tools, it is easy to get overwhelmed, so this is your chance to really dive deep and try three different generative AI tools that you should incorporate into your everyday life:
1. NotebookLM
The first time I tried this tool, it blew my mind! Remember being in school and having homework that required you to absorb a lot of information? Maybe you had to read several articles and then synthesize the main points, or your teacher assigned optional readings you knew you just wouldn’t have time for. Well, tools like NotebookLM will forever change the way we process information.
NotebookLM aims to be your “personalized research assistant.” Built on Gemini 1.5, Google’s next-generation generative AI model, NotebookLM is a powerful tool for gathering information from multiple sources, generating insights, and presenting the main points in various formats.
You can access NotebookLM with any Google email, and once logged in, you can link multiple sources, from PDFs stored on your computer to URLs for YouTube videos. After uploading everything into your notebook, you can generate summaries, outlines, timelines, FAQs, and briefing documents that synthesize the content, bringing the most important points to the forefront.
A must-try feature is the “Audio Overview.” When you upload your sources and generate an audio overview, you essentially create a podcast-like summary that you can listen to, allowing you to absorb the key takeaways of your content effortlessly.
To try this, go to https://notebooklm.google/ and click “Try NotebookLM.”
2. ChatGPT
You’re probably familiar with ChatGPT, an AI-powered language model that engages in conversational interactions, answering questions and generating text. But did you know you can actually build a custom Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) tailored to your own data and specific needs?
Imagine creating a custom onboarding chatbot for your organization that could serve as a mentor for new hires or building a customer portal to help clients choose the right product based on their needs. With ChatGPT, creating an initial version can take just minutes.
The ChatGPT interface for creating a custom GPT was extremely user-friendly: the GPT automatically generated its own title and logo, and it provided helpful prompts to help me refine my inputs for optimal results. It essentially built a custom app in minutes, and helped me understand what additional details it needed to do this successfully.
If you’re interested in creating your own custom GPT, I recommend starting with a dataset you already have access to, and then focus on solving a single, manageable goal. Resist the urge to tackle too much at once; instead, start small and gradually explore the full power of this tool.
To create a custom GPT, visit https://chatgpt.com , click “Explore GPTs” at the top left, and start building your first custom GPT!
3. RunwayML
I’ve used tools like Midjourney and DALL-E 3 for image generation, but this was my first time using generative AI to create videos — and I was blown away.
RunwayML is a tool designed to “advance creativity with artificial intelligence.” With RunwayML, you can go from text to video, image to video, or even video to video. You can also generate audio from text, and if you have the Pro version, you can even use your own voice.
RunwayML has so many impressive features that it’s hard to cover them all, but it’s absolutely worth exploring. You can check it out here: https://runwayml.com/.
Although it is not the coolest feature on RunwayML, one feature I recommend trying is creating a video from an image or text prompt. Start by inputting an image or text prompt, and RunwayML will generate a dynamic video from it. For anyone who builds PowerPoint presentations or websites, this tool is perfect for creating custom, dynamic content that stands out with just a few clicks.
Each of these tools has something unique to offer, whether you’re looking to streamline research, automate parts of your workflow, or create visuals and videos with ease. With tools like these, you can harness the full potential of generative AI to bring convenience, personalization and creativity into your everyday tasks to work smarter, not harder!
