Howdy 👋🏾. It’s been a minute, and I appreciate your patience. Things have been busy (in the best way), which meant the newsletter had to take a short breather. I’m back in rhythm now, though moving to a bi-weekly cadence.

Lately, I’ve been heads-down building the foundation for PerryLabs, a hybrid research lab and development studio focused on creating smart, forward-thinking tools for businesses. Whether it’s something playful like Madame Claudette (seriously, give her a call at 504-406-1410) or helping companies navigate AI governance, PerryLabs is all about building what’s next.

But this issue isn’t just about what I’ve been up to—it’s about the incredible leap forward in image generation from OpenAI. If you haven’t tried the new tools yet, you’re in for a treat.

Let’s dive in.

-jason

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From Toy to Tool

One thing I always say is that the AI you’re using today is the worst it will ever be.

That may sound harsh, but it’s actually exciting because it means we’re on the edge of constant improvement. This week, I turned that idea into reality with a playful experiment using ChatGPT’s image generation tools: turning myself into an action figure, a comic, and yes, even a Muppet.

These tools have come a long way; they’re ready for more than just prototypes and party tricks. In this week’s feature, I break down how I used AI to generate everything from infographics to infomercial throwbacks. The results? Kind of incredible.

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🔗 The Best in Tech This Week 

🖼️ Snap’s New AI Ads Use You in the Creative – Snap is rolling out generative AI ad formats that don’t just target you—they could feature your likeness in the ad itself. Imagine seeing an ad where you’re wearing the shoes or holding the phone. Impressive? Creepy? Both? With image generation this good, you can bet Meta’s not far behind.

🧠 MCP Becomes the Default for Connecting AI to Data – With OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic all on board, the Model Context Protocol (MCP) is quickly becoming the standard for how AI models connect to external data. It’s not perfect (I’ve got a wish list), but having a shared foundation means developers can finally build smarter, more interoperable systems.

🤖 Google Launches Agent-to-Agent Protocol – As MCP emerges as the standard for how AI models connect to data, Google is pushing the next frontier: how agents talk to each other. The new Agent2Agent protocol lays early groundwork for multi-agent collaboration across systems and platforms. It’s still early, but interoperability is becoming real.

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🎤 The AI Roadshow: Workshops, Talks & Beyond

April 15, 2025 – WTCI AGILE: Empowering Global Disaster Response with Tech
April 16, 2025 – Beers & Bots 🤖
May 8-10, 2025 – Technical.ly Builders Conference
May 19-22, 2025 – Microsoft Build
June 24, 2025 – WTCI AGILE: Building Earth’s Future From Space

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P.S. Before you go…

After weeks of tariff back-and-forth, headline whiplash, and presidential proclamations exempting everything from iPhones to chips, the real twist might be this:

We didn’t collect the tariffs… because of a tech glitch.

Yep, Customs reported a system error in the freight exemption system. So while the world argued about policy, the software may have just shrugged and skipped a few billion in taxes.