Jason Michael Perry

Latest Thoughts

📰 Issue #67: Building Voice-Powered AI Agents

Howdy 👋🏾. Can you believe it’s December already? I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Over the break, I finally got to play with ElevenLabs’ latest offering—a platform that makes building conversational AI agents remarkably simple. As a reader, you may remember that I built an AI replica of myself and interviewed it, but I was […]
🧠 AWS re:Invent Kicks Off

AWS re:Invent is in full swing in Las Vegas, bringing a flood of product announcements as usual. On the AI front, the standout is Nova, a new family of Amazon-developed AI models that significantly outshine the previous Titan models, alongside enhancements to the Q suite of developer tools.

If you have time, check out the keynote—it’s packed with updates. I’ll keep an eye out for more exciting developments to share next week.

Top announcements of AWS re:Invent 2024 | Amazon Web Services
Don’t miss our biggest announcements! Visit this post throughout the week to stay up-to-date with quick recaps and links, organized by category, for all the most important AWS product news.
🧠 OpenAI’s 12 Days of Shipmas

Buckle up! OpenAI just kicked off “12 Days of Shipmas,” promising new product releases every day. This announcement follows Sam Altman’s intriguing email suggesting we might be closer to building AGI than many believe.

Sora, OpenAI’s video AI tool, and updates to its reasoning model seem like obvious contenders, but what other surprises are in store? It’s shaping up to be an exciting end to the year for AI enthusiasts.

OpenAI’s 12 days of ‘shipmas’ include Sora and new reasoning model
OpenAI has 12 days of Christmas planned.
🧠 EV Plug and Charge Moves Forward

One of the things I love most about my Tesla is the seamless experience of the Supercharger network. Just plug in and charge—no apps, no QR codes, no hassle. It simply charges the card linked to my car.

By contrast, my experiences with other charging networks have been riddled with issues: downloading apps, creating accounts, verifying emails, and struggling with bad cell signals—all just to start charging.

Thankfully, EV charging companies and manufacturers are moving toward a universal “plug-and-charge” system. Starting in 2025, chargers will be able to detect the car and handle payments automatically, making charging as simple as plugging in. It’s a big step toward reducing EV anxiety and fixing the clunky user experience we’ve all endured.

No more EV app folders: Universal plug-and-charge is due to launch in 2025
Most of the major EV makers and charging networks are on board.
Jonathan Turkey

Looking to chat with Jonathan Turkey a conversational AI agent? You should see a widget floating to the bottom right of this web page with a button that says “Gobble Gobble”, click that and enjoy!
📺 Levels of AI (Part 2)

How far can AI go?
In Part 2, I explore Levels 4 and 5 of AI—moving from creating art and music to tackling complex organizational challenges. Imagine AI managing your home—or even running your business. The future is closer than you think.
🎥 Watch now to see how AI evolves and what’s next.
📺 Levels of AI (Part 1)

AI has come a long way—from chatbots (Level 1) to early reasoning models (Level 2) and the rise of autonomous agents (Level 3). We’re still in the early stages, but progress is accelerating fast!

In part 2, I’ll uncover Levels 4 and 5, where the real game-changers await. Don’t miss it!

What excites you most about the future of AI? Let’s discuss!
📺 Foundation Models

I’m exploring the world of foundation models! From ChatGPT to Claude, LLaMA, Titan, and Gemini, see how each one powers up possibilities in AI. Curious about which model fits your business best?
Watch to learn more!

#foundationmodels #ai
📰 Issue #66: Sneak Peek of The AI Evolution

Howdy👋🏾. I’m on vacation in Spain this week, diving into tapas, all the jamón, and as much Manchego as possible! So, for this week, I’m sharing the introduction to my book, The AI Evolution, but first, I want to remind you of a few upcoming events. On November 7th, I’ll be moderating a panel with […]
📰 Issue #65: OpenAI DevDay Brings New AI Tools

Howdy👋🏾. Did you miss OpenAI’s annual DevDay on October 1st? This invite-only event took place in San Francisco, London, and Singapore. Unlike last year, the event was not live-streamed, and so far, no videos have been released, but OpenAI did update its website with its most recent updates. This year’s event was more low-key than […]
🧠 Could AI Be Your Next Wingman?

Bumble’s CEO recently suggested that AI could help you understand what you’re looking for in relationships better than you might on your own. Historically, many relationships began through introductions by friends or family who saw potential connections you couldn’t. Now, with AI, we might have a digital “wingman” that could offer similar insights.

Grindr is also exploring this concept, aiming to create the dating world’s first AI-powered wingman—one that could scout potential matches and come back with thoughts you might not have considered.

How long before the shortcut “Hey Siri, find me a date!” works?

wsj.com
📰 Issue #64: How Tesla’s Promises Compare To Reality

Howdy👋🏾. Last Thursday was Tesla’s highly anticipated “We, Robot” event. Elon Musk envisioned fully autonomous cars, robot taxis, and household robots straight out of The Jetsons—everything from watching our kids to cleaning our homes. I found the event needed more clarity, with Musk repeating the same promises and pushing timelines further into the future. While […]
🧠 Tesla’s Optimus Robots Are Fake

If you missed it, Tesla’s Optimus robots, which Elon Musk claims could one day be the biggest-selling product of all time, aren’t quite what they seem. Instead of functioning autonomously, these robots were controlled by humans behind the scenes, performing basic tasks.

In a world where Boston Dynamics routinely releases videos of robots doing somersaults, jumping, and working autonomously, this demonstration felt underwhelming. It raises the question: where does Tesla’s robotics tech stand compared to its competitors? Right now, it’s anyone’s guess.

Elon Musk’s Beer-Pouring Optimus Robots Are Not Autonomous
The robots were interacting with guests at Tesla’s big Cybercab event Thursday in L.A.
🧠 Backdoors Don’t Work

One of the biggest, least discussed stories globally is the compromised security of U.S. communication systems. By government mandate, backdoors were added to allow access to all communications in the U.S., and now it seems China—and possibly others—have exploited this vulnerability.

The lesson is clear: backdoors don’t work. When you open a system, you open it to everyone, not just the intended party. We need to rethink our approach and seriously consider what a truly secure, closed-door solution looks like. The choices we’ve made to implement backdoors are now leading us to face serious consequences.

Reports: China hacked Verizon and AT&T, may have accessed US wiretap systems
Chinese hackers were in networks of major ISPs “for months,” WSJ reports.
🧠 Who’s Really Driving?

The reality is that many people are getting what they think is a “robotaxi” ride—except it’s actually driven by humans. It’s a strange gray area where the lines between human-driven cars and semi-autonomous vehicles blur, leading us to ask: who’s really driving, and does it even matter?

This growing trend of Uber and Lyft drivers using Tesla’s Autopilot as makeshift robotaxis has sparked concerns about safety and the ethics of allowing this tech to stand in for a driver.

Uber and Lyft drivers use Teslas as makeshift robotaxis, raising safety concerns
A self-driving Tesla carrying a passenger for Uber rammed into an SUV at an intersection in Las Vegas in April, an accident that sparked new concerns that a growing stable of self-styled “robotaxis” is exploiting a regulatory gray area in U.S. cities.
🧠 Meta’s AI Video Models Keep Advancing

Hot on the heels of Meta Connect, the AI team at Meta announced major updates to its video and audio models, though it’s still unclear when these tools will be available to the public.

I’ve had the chance to work with platforms like Pika and Runway, and while they’re impressive, they’re not quite where they need to be just yet. A few months back, Runway not only released its Gen3 model but also secured a deal with a Hollywood studio to train its AI on high-quality cinematic data. These improvements are exciting, but we’re still waiting for broader access.

As these tools get better, we might just see AI-generated moments—like Will Smith eating spaghetti—become common sooner than we think.

Meta’s Movie Gen Makes Convincing AI Video Clips
The next frontier in generative AI is video—and with Movie Gen, Meta has now staked its claim.
📰 Issue #63: OpenAI Leadership Shakeup, WordPress Drama, and Meta’s AR Future

Howdy 👋🏾. Last week was jam-packed, and it called for plenty of popcorn. Meta kicked off its Meta Connect developer conference with exciting new products (more on that later). In the backdrop, Mira Murati, CTO of OpenAI, resigned nearly a year after briefly stepping in as CEO when Sam Altman was ousted. Her departure is […]
🧠 OpenAI DevDay Brings Real-Time API and More

This week was OpenAI’s annual DevDay, and it arrives amid significant changes—most notably, the resignation of CTO Mira Murati and ongoing organizational shifts as OpenAI potentially transitions from a non-profit to a for-profit company.

While I’ll dive deeper into the conference in next week’s newsletter, one standout announcement is the introduction of a Realtime API that supports speech-to-speech agent implementations for developers, complete with six customizable voices. This is a massive leap toward enabling developers to create truly agentic AI experiences, integrating Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) for personalized data access.

The new API also allows speech as direct input for chat completions and more. There’s still plenty to unpack, but I’m excited to dive into the keynote highlights.

OpenAI DevDay 2024
Join us at OpenAI DevDay around the globe—OpenAI’s global developer conference
🧠 Tesla’s Supercharger Network is A Game-Changer for Other EVs

It’s no secret that charging infrastructure remains the biggest hurdle to widespread EV adoption. Kevin Purdy at ArsTechnica’s recent article highlights how Tesla’s Supercharger network has breathed new life into road trips with his Chevy Bolt, emphasizing how vital reliable charging is for long-distance EV travel.

I’ve said it before—range anxiety is a real issue. For most people, a home charger easily covers daily commuting needs. But on long-distance trips, access to a reliable, fast charging network becomes essential. In my own research, I’ve tested non-Tesla chargers, and it’s been a frustrating experience—apps, broken chargers, slow speeds, and payment issues. Tesla’s Supercharger network, on the other hand, has been a key reason I chose a Tesla in the first place.

Here’s hoping that axing the supercharger team at Tesla won’t cause this network to slide backward.

I’m a Chevy Bolt owner, and I can’t believe Superchargers work this well
It might not last, but road trips in the slowest-charging EV are quite nice now.
📰 Issue #62: My Tips for ChatGPT and Writing Great Prompts

Howdy👋🏾. I recently delivered an AI talk for the University of Baltimore’s AI in Practice series, and I was asked a question I often get at these events. What are my recommendations for writing better prompts and avoiding hallucinations? So this week, I thought I’d put together my top tips for getting the most out […]