😺 AI creates Advil

PLUS: way too many chatbots

Welcome, humans.

Game of Thrones is getting another prequel. We're still stuck on Season 8: ChatGPT would have written something better.

Here’s what’s going on in the world of AI today:

They gave what to the AI agents?! 🆘
AI apps go nuts 🤯
Warren Buffett experiments with ChatGPT 🧓
An AI accountant trained on US tax law 🧾️

AI Performs Complex Chemical Research 🧪️

Autonomous agents are systems that can receive tasks, strategize, browse the internet, and refine their approach in real time. It's like an entire team of summer interns!

So far, they've been limited to searching Google, which limits their practical applications.

But that was two weeks ago.

Earlier this week, Carnegie Mellon chemists dropped a new paper where they showed these agents can make drugs.

The results were astounding. With access to both the web and a cloud lab (a remote science lab you can control via code), the AI successfully issued commands to synthesize chemicals like ibuprofen, aspiring and aspartame.

And while it didn't actually cure cancer, researchers did get it to make something by telling it to "create a novel anticancer drug."

This worried researchers: if autonomous AI agents can whip up a batch of aspirin, could they do the same with dangerous chemicals, like mustard gas? Or what happens when you replace "create a novel anticancer drug" with "find a new way to exploit iPhones"?

"We strongly believe that guardrails must be put in place to prevent this type of potential dual-use of large language models. We call for the AI community to engage in prioritizing safety of these powerful models."

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Why it matters: If there's an API, these agents can use it. We've got to be careful which APIs we give to them.

AI Chatbot Apps Are Soaring 📈

Downloads for AI chatbot apps are soaring in 2023, with total downloads up 1,506% year-over-year and total spending on such apps surging 4,184%.

There are chatbots for everything. While most of these apps are GPT-powered, they pride themselves on cool UXs and differentiated use cases like math tutoring and anime companions.

One of our favorites is Chatfuel, which automates your Facebook Messenger and IG to generate leads.

But in general, we ain't buying the hype. Like analysts at Bernstein, we're dubious that any of these chatbots contain enough differentiation to survive ChatGPT plugins or fine-tuned LLaMA models.

Plus, this world only needs so many roleplay chatbots.

Bottom line: There's an ample opportunity for developers to profit from the chatbot craze, but we think only a few apps will survive in the long run.

Around the Horn 🦄

An AI tool called Sybil is helping doctors detect early signs of lung cancer that humans miss.
Bill Gates convinced Warren Buffett to start playing around with ChatGPT.
How some people are using ChatGPT to hold multiple jobs simultaneously.
OpenAI is offering a bug bounty program for people who expose vulnerabilities in its APIs.
Universal Music Group told music streaming platforms to block AI services that scrape and use lyrics from their songs.

Treats To Try 🍿

Featured: Learn how to build AI apps with no code required. Launch a new product or automate internal processes without hiring developers. Build your next thing with Built With AI Club.
HyperWrite is building an autonomous AI agent/personal assistant to browse the web.
Fabric is an AI search engine for all of your personal bookmarks, ideas, and files on the internet.
Phind is an AI search engine built for developers.
Keeper released an AI accountant assistant trained on US tax law.
Equals (spreadsheet app) launches AI features to replace keyboard shortcuts.

DM us links on Twitter: @nonmayorpete & @noahedelman02.