Adobe FireFly
Adobe FireFly is a web based image generative AI tool that has now been integrated into Adobe Creative Cloud apps including Photoshop and Illustrator. It enables users to generate images, edit text, and create designs with the help of AI, all within Adobe’s ecosystem. FireFly is particularly useful for streamlining workflows, making it easier to produce high-quality content quickly. Firefly is now on its version 3 generative engine*, and the web interface has had some subtle changes and added features including being able to use a reference image and also reference style.
*The AI image for this post, and many other on the Digital Alchemy have been created using Firefly ver 1, 2, and 3.
GrammarlyGO with AI
GrammarlyGO has turbo charged the much beloved writing tool Grammarly. It is now an AI-powered writing assistant that goes beyond traditional grammar checking. It offers advanced features like content generation, tone adjustment, and personalized writing suggestions, making it a comprehensive tool for anyone looking to improve their writing. GrammarlyGO is designed to assist users in creating clear, effective, and engaging content. However, as discussed in the State of AI | Summer 2024 post, it is an app that can easily blur the line for students as to what could be acceptable, or unacceptable, to use in course work.
- At time of writing this, GrammarlyGO has a beta of their Chat.
Free account provides:
- Write without mistakes
- See your writing tone
- Generate text with 100 AI prompts
Apple Intelligence (coming Fall 2024 to iOS/MacOS)
https://www.apple.com/apple-intelligence/
Apple Intelligence is a forthcoming feature set in iOS and MacOS, slated for release in Fall 2024. It will be a free and integrate advanced AI capabilities directly into Apple devices, offering users enhanced personalization, smarter recommendations, and more intuitive interactions across all Apple applications. This particular innovation I feel will have a profound impact to students in what they will have to keep track of as they use their devices in the upcoming fall. Because AI is being so deeply integrated into the Apple OSs’, it potentially blurs the line for students as to when they are, or are not, being aided by AI. For instance, with Apple proposed AI, Safari users will have the ability to use AI with ever cursor and keystroke. Making it a potential hazard should a course they are working on in Canvas prohibits the use of AI in assignments or discussion posts. Or, while they are working in Apple Pages (and perhaps Microsoft Office) they might be aided in their writing with AI and not just old fashion spellcheck and grammar checking.
Bing (CoPilot) Chat @ WWU
Bing (CoPilot) Chat at Western Washington University (WWU) is a specialized version of Microsoft’s Bing AI chat service. Students, faculty, and staff have access to it by signing in with their WWU credentials within Edge or from the Bing Chat site in a Chrome based browser. Since Microsoft is a deeply connected partner with ChatGPT, Bing Chat acts in the same way as ChatGPT, with the addition of citing its sources as it generates a response. This provides better transparence for students and faculty alike as they can vet the responses given for validity easier. It also opens up opportunities AI-driven assistance potentially for research, learning, and administrative tasks. This tool integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft services, enhancing productivity, however the CoPilot app is not a part of the services WWU provides in Office 365. To acquire CoPilot, individuals will have to purchase a separate license from Microsoft for a monthly cost.
- CoPilot is also being integrated in Windows 11, however it is not clear to me what features will be covered at no cost vs the CoPilot for Office 365 paid license.
- DALL-E image generation has a daily allowance for signed in WWU users. Refreshes every 24hrs.
ChatGPT (Desktop app)
https://openai.com/chatgpt/mac/
The ChatGPT desktop app is a standalone application that brings the power of OpenAI’s conversational AI directly to your computer. It will work for both free and paid accounts. It offers all the functionalities of the web-based ChatGPT, including natural language processing and generation, in a more accessible and integrated format. The desktop app is designed for users who want quick access to AI assistance without needing a web browser. Free users get access to GPT-4o limited each day, then defaults back to GPT3.5
The “killer app” in my opinion is the generative voice interface*, allowing individuals to converse with the AI using natural voice, as well as allowing to read aloud content. *yes it reminds me of the film Her as well.
Brisk AI (for Google Chrome)
https://www.briskteaching.com/
Designed for K-12 educators, Brisk (Teaching) is an AI plugin for Google Chrome and integrates into Google Apps that is designed to enhance the online teaching and help educators quickly create curriculum, lesson plans, quizzes, and other instructional materials.
The free version of Brisk Teaching includes a wide range of features:
- Creating quizzes and presentations without images
- Developing rubrics, resources, exemplars, lesson plans, DOK questions, and decodable texts
- Crafting emails, newsletters, and letters of recommendation
- Providing feedback in three ways: Glow & Grow, Rubric Criteria, and Next Steps
- Inspecting student writing with the “Inspect Writing” feature, which includes a replay of the entire writing process
- Adjusting reading levels of Google Docs, web articles, and digital texts
- Translating text into over 20 languages
- Uploading rubrics and giving aligned feedback
- Accessing feedback insights and personalization features.
Additionally, Brisk Teaching enhances accessibility by allowing users to adjust reading levels and translate texts. With a few clicks, any online text can be converted into a simplified Google Doc or translated into another language, ensuring all students can access classroom materials. The plugin also automates tasks, provides instant feedback on assignments, and tailors content to individual learning needs, making it easier to manage and deliver engaging online courses efficiently. Apps like this can call to question who is assessing who. No differently than faculty making the argument that AI written papers make them feel they are assessing a bot and not a student’s learning; apps like this may cause the same question to be raised by students as to who is assessing them, their teacher or a bot.
Revision History (for Google Chrome)
https://www.revisionhistory.com
Revision History is a Chrome extension designed to help users track changes and edits made to online content in Google Docs. It provides a detailed log of edits, making it easy to see who made changes and when. This tool is particularly useful for faculty looking to get a better understanding behind a student’s writing process. When used in a Google document, a timeline replay can be used to see the writing process within the document.
Eleven Labs Reader
Eleven Labs Reader is an advanced AI text-to-speech tool designed to convert written content into natural-sounding audio. It supports a wide range of text formats and offers customization options for voice, speed, and tone. This tool is ideal for users who want to consume written content through audio, whether for accessibility, convenience, or multitasking. It has to be connected to an internet connect to work, but there is a download audio feature coming soon. This is a killer app for those who needs to listen to their content on the go, with voices that are miles a head of the standard text-to-speech services (TTS) built into both MacOS and Windows.
Speech Central
Speech Central, similar to Eleven Labs Reader, I include this on this list as it can work without an internet connection, although the voices are not as polished as Eleven Labs’. This app converts PDFs and eBooks into speech, allowing users to listen to their documents and books on the go. It’s equipped with features like text-to-speech, voice control, and bookmarking, making it a valuable tool for those who again prefer auditory learning or need to access content hands-free.
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