Announcing the Release of Storytime AI: The Generative Books App

There's nothing quite as exhilarating as delving into the world of early-stage technology. Back when Cheryl Patsavos, and I embarked on my previous major venture, founding eThink, we spent our initial days in the trenches, learning and experimenting. However, as eThink evolved and was eventually acquired by OpenLMS in 2020, we found ourselves increasingly distant from hands-on technology tinkering. Our focus shifted towards "managing the chaos" that often accompanies rapid growth. While I relished every moment of that challenge, I couldn't help but miss the thrill of getting my hands dirty in the technology itself.??

The field of AI is undeniably in its infancy. The dominant technologies, companies, and overarching trends are just beginning to take shape. Earlier this year, my longtime friend and now business partner, Scott Quinlan, and I embarked on a journey of exploration, which culminated in the creation of Storytime AI and has given me the ability to roll up my sleeves again and really experiment with all the exciting emerging technology coming out right now in the field of generative artificial intelligence.?

It's been an incredible voyage thus far for both Scott and myself, during which we've gained valuable insights into the efficacy of LLMs, image models, and other technologies, as well as an understanding of the evolving landscape of the AI market. We've witnessed firsthand where open-source AI models excel and where they fall short. More importantly we’ve been able to begin experimenting with where these technologies can be used to benefit both educational applications as well as other sectors.? In the coming months, we'll strive to share some of our findings. But for now, I'm thrilled to introduce the first official iteration of our work: the Storytime AI app.

The Storytime AI app has the remarkable ability to generate personalized, fully illustrated books in under a minute. Here's why we believe this is a significant development:

Representation and Inclusion:?

Our app's original premise revolves around the creation of culturally relevant and inclusive books, designed to engage readers in a powerful way. Representation is undeniably crucial. A recent beta tester shared with us the concept of "if you see it, you can be it." This concept underpins the core tenets of our app, and we eagerly anticipate the diverse use cases that will unfold.

Literacy:?

Recent data reveals surprising disparities in reading levels across many countries. Our goal was to make personalized reading content as accessible as possible, ensuring it is relevant and engaging for every unique user around the world. We are launching an introductory pricing of $19.99 for an annual subscription, a fraction of the cost of traditional literacy apps and physical books. We don't aim to replace books but rather to provide an additional tool for engaging children in reading and continue to add functionality that encourages them to build a love for reading.

Alignment with AI - A Gateway to the Future:?

AI is undoubtedly on the rise, shaping the world around us in unprecedented ways. Storytime AI serves as a pioneering introduction to the potential of AI, specifically designed to engage and educate a younger audience. It empowers them to explore the exciting possibilities of AI, fostering a foundation for their future interactions with this transformative technology.

Educational and Other Use Cases:?

The app is available in five languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and French), making it a powerful tool for language learning. We’ll be adding more languages over the coming weeks - Chinese, Japanese, and Italian next. Beyond literacy, we've already witnessed numerous creative applications, such as teaching complex historical topics through custom stories. We are excited to see more use cases emerge.

Generative Entertainment and Literature:

This is a novel category that harnesses artificial intelligence to create unique experiences for users. This can encompass personalized books and even innovative forms of art and music. We believe that generative entertainment has the potential to revolutionize how we experience literature, with books crafted exclusively for each reader. Our intention is not to replace human content creators, but to explore collaborations that offer more captivating ways to engage with users.

We are thrilled to be at the forefront of this burgeoning field. We firmly believe that AI and its emerging use cases have the potential to make the world a more creative and engaging place. We have an extensive roadmap featuring many exciting new features, which will delve deeper into the ongoing advancements in additional facets of artificial intelligence and create even more compelling user experiences. Please download the app, reach out to us personally with any and all feedback, and follow us on our social media platforms to stay updated (links in the comments).

#innovation #education #artificialintelligence