Was you January dry? Scary predictions for champaigne lovers by AI :)

Hi to all AI enthusiasts! 👋

Here we go again, reader. Here is Max. Here is my weekly 3-minute newsletter. Here is the time to have a cup of tea and read about the exciting AI world.

I'm confident you'll find these updates as captivating as I did, so without further ado, let's dive right in. 🤿

1. Oh, Madonna! 👩‍👦

We are accustomed to the world of AI envisioning the future, but now it turns its gaze to the past. Delving into history, researchers from the UK and the US have employed artificial intelligence to examine a painting attributed to Raphael. Under analysis, his (at least, by now, it was considered 'his') painting "Madonna della Rosa". The masterpiece features a man identified as St Joseph, and – OMG - the AI algorithm has suggested that Raphael himself might not have painted this particular face. The system detected subtle differences in brushstrokes, colour palette, shading and other elements using deep feature analysis.

While art scholars have engaged in years of debate over the painting's authenticity, this AI-driven approach injects a fresh perspective into the ongoing discussion. The researchers adapted a Microsoft-developed architecture, ResNet50, and applied a traditional machine learning technique, the Support Vector Machine, achieving an impressive accuracy level of 98% in identifying Raphael's paintings 😮

This specific contribution to the painting was probably created by one of Raphael’s students, Giulio Romano. Quite intriguing, isn't it? AI can assist art experts in authenticating artworks. Though the researchers stress that this technology should be viewed as a tool to aid rather than replace human expertise, I’m afraid one can't help but ponder the future possibilities.

2. Imagen all the people 🌌

You might hardly find someone who has yet to play with AI pictures, create greeting cards, pictures for LinkedIn posts, or just prank their friends. Now, Google Cloud has introduced Imagen 2, the latest upgrade to its text-to-image capabilities, exclusively available for Vertex AI customers on the allowlist. Its distinguishing feature among similar tools is that it is positioned as an enterprise-ready solution, meeting high standards of reliability and governance. Let’s unpack what that means.

As anticipated, Imagen 2 is designed to enable users to craft and deploy photorealistic images using intuitive tools and a fully managed infrastructure. Developed with Google DeepMind technology, Imagen 2 offers improved image quality and a range of functionalities tailored for specific use cases.

Secondly, it is essential to underline the trust in the tool: Snap, Shutterstock, and Canva are already on board, using Imagen to spice up their creative game. Critical features of Imagen 2 include diverse image generation, high-resolution photo creation from natural language prompts, multilingual text rendering, logo generation and advanced image understanding capabilities.

Finally, safety takes precedence with Imagen 2. Integrated measures align with Google's Responsible AI principles, incorporating safety filters and integration with a digital watermarking service to ensure the responsible use of the generated content.

Introduced towards the close of 2023, significant developments are promised in 2024. I'm all ears to discover if it lives up to expectations. Here's to a year of pixel-perfect possibilities! 👾

3. Dry Life 🍷

Imagine the concept of Dry January extending beyond a month to Dry from January through December. By 2050, this might be our reality, whether we embrace it willingly or not. ClimateAI, a San Francisco-based climate resilience platform leveraging artificial intelligence-driven data, foresees the potential extinction of champagne due to climate change. According to them, the global climate shifts could put at risk grape varieties vital for champagne production, including the iconic Pinot Noir, chardonnay, and (Wilhelm scream 😱) even merlot!

Will Kletter, ClimateAI's Vice President of Operations and Strategy, elaborates on how the warming climate threatens the delicate balance of warm, sunny days and cool nights crucial for champagne's distinct flavour. Growers might need to consider relocating production northward to capture cooler weather, leading to a significant economic shift and potential challenges for traditional champagne-producing regions like Champagne, France 🇫🇷 

The repercussions are already evident, as extreme weather events in 2021 resulted in the smallest champagne harvest since 1957, sounding an alarm for wine enthusiasts. The thought of a sophisticated dinner without a glass of my favourite wine becomes unsettling…

However, there's a glimmer of hope: Kletter suggests turning to AI technology for more strategic decisions in cultivation. This involves blending different grape varieties and adjusting timing to shield grapes from the evolving climate. No jokes, guys; it's a serious consideration for the future of champagne and wine as we know it! 🧐

That's a wrap for today. I trust you found it just as fascinating as I did! 🚀

Catch up in a week. By then - stay curious! 🦾

Max

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