As AI Becomes More Normalized in Everyday Life, Are People Still Interested in Its Applications?

Lon Harris
Lon Harris is a contributor to dot.LA. His work has also appeared on ScreenJunkies, RottenTomatoes and Inside Streaming.
As AI Becomes More Normalized in Everyday Life, Are People Still Interested in Its Applications?
Evan Xie

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On social media, it sometimes seems like the creative suite of generative AI apps – the ones aiming to replace screenwriters and artists – get all the glory and attention. The ability to draw an image of, say, just for the sake of argument, Donald Trump singing at a Black church from scratch is far more immediately tantalizing and eye-catching than more mundane, everyday kinds of tasks, like improving a search result or updating an OS setting.


This week alone, while AI’s threat to the American worker continued dominating headlines, we’ve had a number of other, significantly less dire stories popping up about digital assistants and other AI helpers coming soon to a platform near you. Or possibly one you’re utilizing right now.

TechCrunch reports that TikTok is working on a new AI chatbot, codenamed “Tako,” which is already in a testing phase in select (non-US) markets. When activated, Tako will provide recommendations for new content based on prompts or suggestions, and can even answer questions posed mid-video by a user about whatever it is that they’re watching.

At its Build developer conference this week, Microsoft unveiled Copilot, a new AI digital assistant designed to help lay people navigate Windows software and its many tools and features. In addition to funcitoning like any other chatbot helper – entering new items in a calendar, say, or playing a song on Spotify – Copilot has deep integration into the Windows operating system itself, meaning that it can interact with specific files and settings. With a simple prompt, Copilot can transcribe an audio file, set a timer, switch the visuals to “dark mode,” and other basic tasks that once required a mouse and keyboard. The pitch is decidedly futuristic: without needing to navigate various complex menus and sub-menus, Windows users will simply be able to tell their computer what to do, and for the most part, it will listen.

It’s the latest volley in the ongoing battle for AI supremacy between Microsoft and Google, two legacy companies desperate to associate their names with all the hype around thinking machines. For seemingly every new innovation one company announces, the other rushes to market with an answer of its own.

Last week, Microsoft announced ChatGPT had caught up with Google’s Bard, and could now connect to the internet in an effort to produce better, more accurate results. Now, in response to Microsoft integrating ChatGPT with its own Bing search, Google will start embedding AI results into its search result pages. The feature will roll out beginning this week for users who signed up on the waitlist for early access.

Unlike conventional Google search results, AI responses don’t appear as a list of links, but within colorful boxes above the traditional search results. Intriguingly, some results from specific companies or retailers – such as Best Buy – now get expanded sections in the results page, listing out individual products for sale and other relevant information.

Taken together, this represents the most significant individual shift in how Google presents search results in history. Rather than being purely aesthetic, the combination of AI responses, sponsored links, and Google’s own in-house products push all purely external links significantly further down the page. The end result will likely be diminished Google traffic going out to all websites and services that don’t pay the company for ad space. With Google traffic providing a vital lifeline for tens thousands of websites and apps, this could potentially “upend the internet,” according to Ars Technica.

Microsoft suggests its February AI upgrade has massively upgraded interest in its Bing, with downloads of the mobile app surging by 8 times over the last few months. According to Motley Fool, by some estimates, Bing saw twice as many downloads in the first two weeks of ChatGPT integration than it received throughout the entirely of 2022.

It’s still not entirely clear whether or not these results are sustainable, or if Bing is simply getting a short-term boost from the larger AI fad. Bazinga suggests that the surge of interest in ChatGPT on Bing could be fleeting. Microsoft’s ChatGPT iOS app launched on May 18 to much fanfare, but after just a week, daily downloads have already started to decline. Bing web traffic as well hasn’t spiked as much as you might suspect since getting an AI upgrade, suggesting users are coming to check out how it works but not yet relying on it day-to-day.

It’s easy to see clear evidence every day of the public’s ongoing enthusiasm for ChatGPT, Midjourney, and other viral AI applications, just by opening any social media app. But tracking user interest in digital assistants and search engine add-ons has proved more challenging.

At least anecdotally, interest in Snapchat’s “My AI” add-on seems to have already peaked and waned since its rollout in mid-April. A number of instructional blog posts about how to unpin or uninstall the feature have popped up around the Web, indicating that this has become a common search term among regular users who have lost interest in the feature.

For the time being, it’s all further evidence that the public is significantly interested in new AI applications and what they can do, but may only hang around and continue playing with the tools that immediately grab their interest by being surprising, clever, creative, or otherwise unexpected. While the technology may work best for small, practical, subtle applications, these aren’t the major steps forward that capture the public’s imagination and trend on social media.

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Wonder Dynamics: Redefining the Animation Landscape
Wonder Animation

🔦 Spotlight

Happy Friday, LA!

Wonder Dynamics, a Los Angeles-based company founded by Tye Sheridan and Nikola Todorovic, has launched Wonder Animation, a beta feature that is poised to transform the landscape of video production. Acquired by Autodesk in May, Wonder Dynamics is leveraging this innovative tool, which harnesses artificial intelligence to turn standard video footage into captivating 3D animated scenes, making sophisticated animation techniques more accessible to filmmakers of all budgets.

Wonder Animation allows creators to shoot from multiple angles, with the AI reconstructing these shots into a dynamic 3D space. This functionality enables filmmakers to seamlessly blend live-action scenes with interactive virtual environments while preserving original camera movements. Users can customize various aspects, including animations, characters, lighting, and camera tracking data, and the tool integrates smoothly with popular software like Maya, Blender, and Unreal Engine.

What sets Wonder Animation apart is its emphasis on artistic control. Unlike many AI tools that impose rigid outcomes, this feature empowers creators to guide their projects, ensuring that their unique style remains front and center.

As the boundary between video and 3D animation blurs, Wonder Animation invites creators to experiment and innovate in exciting ways. This development marks a significant step forward in digital storytelling, democratizing access to high-quality visual effects and making sophisticated animation achievable for a broader range of filmmakers.

With the global animation market projected to reach approximately $400 billion in 2024 and grow to over $587 billion by 2030—reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 5%—tools like Wonder Animation are more relevant than ever. This growth underscores the increasing demand for animated content and highlights the necessity of innovative solutions to meet filmmakers’ evolving needs. For those looking to elevate their storytelling, Wonder Animation may just be the key to unlocking new creative horizons. According to Statista, this upward trend in the animation market emphasizes the significant opportunities ahead.


🤝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

  • Evite, an online platform enabling users to design, send, and manage digital invitations and eCards with tools for event organization and guest tracking, has received a strategic growth investment from Francisco Partners to accelerate innovation and expand its product offerings. - learn more
LA Venture Funds
  • F4 Fund participated in a $4.1M Pre-Seed funding round for Further, a platform designed to help first-time homebuyers determine how much home they can afford by providing personalized insights on interest rates and lender requirements, giving users a clear view of their purchasing power. - learn more
  • Alexandria Venture Investments participated in a $10M Seed funding round for CrossBridge Bio, a company focused on developing advanced dual-payload antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapies, with the funds supporting preclinical development of its next-generation cancer treatments. - learn more
  • Clocktower Ventures participated in a $5.6M Series A funding round for Morada Uno, a startup in Mexico focused on making apartment rentals easier by providing a platform that connects tenants with landlords and simplifies processes like lease agreements and rent payments. - learn more
  • Skyview Capital participated in a $5M Series A funding round for Web3 chain game A-World, a tower defense battle game set in the metaverse on the BNB Chain, where players build hero towers to defeat waves of monsters. - learn more

      LA Exits

      • Drive Hospitality, a leading provider of personalized parking and hospitality services, including valet, concierge, bell services, parking management, and advanced technology integration, has been acquired by Propark Mobility. - learn more
      • Vebu Labs, located in El Segundo and specializing in custom automation solutions for the food industry—including the innovative 'Autocado' system that automates the peeling, coring, and scooping of avocados to enhance operational efficiency—will be acquired by Serve Robotics. - learn more

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            Big Wins: Dodgers Take the Title ⚾, ChatGPT Levels Up🚀

            🔦 Spotlight

            Happy Friday, LA! It’s been a week of big wins, on and off the field. 🎉

            ⚾️ First up, let’s talk Dodgers. With a thrilling 7-6 comeback victory over the Yankees in Game 5, the Dodgers clinched their eighth World Series title, their first since 2020. The city is buzzing, and fans are ready to celebrate! A parade kicks off this morning at 11 a.m., starting at City Hall and winding down to Flower Street, with a ticketed celebration at Dodger Stadium for those wanting to keep the festivities going.

            Image Source: Dodgers

            💻 Meanwhile, in the tech, OpenAI just rolled out a game-changing update for ChatGPT. Plus and Enterprise users can now access real-time internet search, powered by Microsoft Bing, bringing ChatGPT's responses fully up-to-date. This means users can now ask about the latest news, hotspots, or recent LA startup announcements, and ChatGPT will pull in fresh, relevant answers directly from the web. Previously limited to information up to 2021, ChatGPT’s new browsing capabilities make it a valuable digital assistant for anyone needing real-time insights in fast-paced industries like tech and entertainment.

            Image Source: ChatGPT

            🔍 The real-time search feature also includes “Browse with Bing,” allowing ChatGPT to source information from multiple sites for detailed answers to complex questions. Whether you’re exploring the latest venture capital trends in LA or curious about the best local spots, ChatGPT’s new browsing power helps you stay ahead with the latest info. This leap forward in AI functionality makes ChatGPT even more versatile and powerful for everyone, from business owners to everyday users.

            From the Dodgers’ World Series win to OpenAI’s latest ChatGPT update, there’s a lot to celebrate in LA this week. Here’s to champions, innovation, and a city that’s always pushing boundaries. 🌆✨


            🤝 Venture Deals

            LA Companies

            • Final Boss Sour, a Los Angeles-based gaming-themed snack company specializing in healthier sour snacks, has raised a $3M Seed funding round led by Science Inc. to expand its product offerings and operational capabilities. - learn more
            LA Venture Funds
            • Smash Capital led a $50M Series B round for Read AI, a productivity-focused AI company, bringing its total funding to $81M. The company offers a platform that enhances meeting efficiency through features like note-taking, summarization, and transcription. Additionally, Read AI introduced "Read AI for Gmail," a free Chrome extension that integrates information from various applications, reducing the need to switch between apps. The funds will be used to increase the company's headcount in engineering, data science, and business teams. - learn more
            • Distributed Global participated in a $25M funding round for Nillion, a company that provides decentralized privacy solutions designed to secure sensitive data using advanced technologies like secure multi-party computation. - learn more
            • Act One Ventures participated in a $5M Seed funding round for Latii, a construction materials supply chain startup, to enhance its platform that connects contractors with suppliers, aiming to streamline procurement processes and reduce costs in the construction industry. - learn more
            • SmartGateVC participated in a pre-seed funding round for Ritual Dental, a company revolutionizing dental care by integrating advanced technology and microbiome science to provide personalized, preventive treatments. - learn more

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                Billion-Dollar Milestones and Snapchat’s New Features

                🔦 Spotlight

                Happy Friday Los Angeles!

                This week’s spotlight showcases LA’s thriving tech scene, featuring Snapchat’s latest feature updates and two local startups Liquid Death and Altruist, making TechCrunch’s Unicorn List for 2024.

                Image Source: Snap

                Snapchat’s recent fall updates bring fresh features, including a new iPhone camera shortcut for instant snaps, Halloween-inspired AI-powered Lenses, and Bitmoji costumes inspired by Mean Girls and Yellowstone. Bitmoji stickers now reflect trending Gen-Z expressions like “slay” and heart symbols for added flair in chats. Plus, the “Footsteps” feature on Snap Map allows users to track their past adventures privately, adding a nostalgic touch.

                Image Source: Liquid Death

                ICYMI, two LA startups joined the Unicorn Club—achieving valuations over $1 billion. Liquid Death, based in Santa Monica, is a canned water company with edgy branding and a humorous sustainability focus. Known for viral marketing and brand partnerships, it redefines bottled water as a lifestyle brand and environmental statement. In March, Liquid Death closed $67 million in strategic financing, raising its total funding to over $267 million and valuing it at $1.4 billion.

                Image Source: Altruist

                Altruist, a Culver City-based fintech platform, offers financial advisors streamlined tools to better serve their clients. With a user-friendly investment and account management platform, Altruist has gained strong traction in the finance world. In May, it announced a $169 million Series E funding round, bringing its total funding to over $449 million and earning a valuation of $1.5 billion.

                Together, Liquid Death and Altruist exemplify LA’s capacity for innovation across diverse sectors, from lifestyle branding to fintech. Whether reshaping financial tools or redefining sustainable branding, these companies showcase LA’s unique entrepreneurial spirit. Go LA!

                Check out TechCrunch’s 2024 Unicorn List here. And don’t miss Snapchat’s latest features—perfect for adding some fun, connection and maybe a few selfies this weekend!


                🤝 Venture Deals

                LA Companies

                • Freeform, a company bringing AI to metal 3D printing, raised $14M in funding from NVIDIA’s NVentures and AE Ventures to further develop its AI-powered 3D printing technology for industrial-scale production. - learn more
                LA Venture Funds
                • Anthos Capital participated in a $70M Series D round for Carbon Robotics, which develops AI-powered robotics for precision agriculture, and the funding will be used to accelerate the growth of its autonomous weeding technology. - learn more
                • Anthos Capital participated in a $3.5M seed round for Plasma Network, aimed at expanding access to USDT stablecoins on the Bitcoin network, with the investment supporting the network’s growth and efforts to enhance stablecoin accessibility through the Lightning Network. - learn more

                LA Exits


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