Weekly Dose of UI/UX Industry News / 36th Edition

Business Model | How much does ChatGPT cost? Everything you need to know about OpenAI’s pricing plans

OpenAI's ChatGPT continues to expand with new features and pricing plans. The latest updates include a GPT Store for AI applications, a "memories" feature for tailored chats, and an upgraded voice mode for real-time interaction. ChatGPT offers several plans: Free, Plus ($20/month), Team ($30/user/month), Enterprise (around $60/user/month), Edu, and discounted rates for nonprofits. Each plan caters to different user needs, from individual use to large organizations, with varying access to advanced features and customization options.

There are downsides that come with the free ChatGPT plan, however, including daily capacity limits on the GPT-4o model, depending on demand. Once a user reaches the limits, they’re switched automatically — albeit temporarily — to OpenAI’s less-capable GPT-3.5 model. ChatGPT free users also miss out on certain data analysis features.

Key highlights:

• New Features: Introduction of GPT Store, "memories" feature, and an upgraded voice mode for ChatGPT.
• Subscription Plans: Multiple plans available, including Free, Plus, Team, Enterprise, and Edu, with specific features and pricing.
• Targeted Users: Plans cater to individuals, small businesses, large enterprises, educational institutions, and nonprofits.

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Applications | WhatsApp adds new features to the calling experience, including support for 32-person video calls

WhatsApp has updated its video calling features, introducing screen sharing with audio support and a speaker spotlight feature. The participant limit for video calls has also increased to 32 people across all devices. Additionally, Meta has introduced the Meta Low Bitrate (MLow) codec to improve call reliability, even on poor networks or older devices. These updates will roll out to all eligible users in the coming weeks.

WhatsApp’s expanded video calling support across devices aligns with Apple’s FaceTime, which also allows iPhone and iPad users to have up to 32 participants on video calls. However, Google Meet and Zoom allow users to have up to 100 people even when they are on the basic tier.

Key highlights:

• Users can now share their screens along with audio during WhatsApp video calls.
• Video calls now support up to 32 participants across all devices.
• Enhances call reliability and audio quality, even on poor networks or older devices.

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Artificial Intelligence | TikTok ads may soon contain AI-generated avatars of your favorite creators

TikTok is launching new generative AI tools aimed at helping organizations and content creators grow their global audiences. The tools include customizable digital avatars and language dubbing features, designed to break down language barriers in marketing and add a human touch to content where real models or presenters aren't used.

Building on the Symphony generative AI ad suite unveiled last month, TikTok says these new tools are intended to break down language barriers in marketing and allow brands to “add a human touch to their content” where real models or presenters wouldn’t otherwise be used.

Additional Context:

• Digital Avatars: Stock avatars are based on actors from various nationalities and languages, available for commercial use. Custom avatars retain the likeness of specific creators or brand representatives, facilitating foreign audience engagement.
• Language Dubbing: TikTok's AI dubbing tool supports languages like French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and Korean, transcribing, translating, and dubbing videos automatically.
• Global Marketing: These tools align with trends of creators using multilingual content to reach broader audiences, similar to strategies used by prominent creators like MrBeast and FKA Twigs.
• Accuracy and Acceptance: While the avatars look convincing, creators need to trust the accuracy of TikTok's dubbing tools to avoid mistranslation issues. However, the pervasive nature of ads on TikTok may still frustrate users regardless of the format.

Key highlights:

• Symphony Digital Avatars: Available in stock or custom varieties. Stock avatars use paid actors from diverse backgrounds, while custom avatars can resemble specific creators or brand spokespeople, speaking multiple languages. Videos using these avatars will be labeled as "AI-generated."
• Symphony AI Dubbing: This global translation tool can dub content into over 10 languages and dialects, automatically detecting the spoken language in videos and producing dubbed versions in the selected language.
• Multi-Language Support: Aims to help creators and marketers reach foreign audiences by providing accurate language translation and regional accents.

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Devices | The Pixelbot 3000 turns simple AI prompts into Lego mosaic masterpieces

A YouTuber has innovatively designed and built a Lego printer, the Pixelbot 3000, which automates the process of creating elaborate Lego mosaics using AI. This development builds upon the foundation laid by the Bricasso, a previous Lego printer, but simplifies the mosaic creation process significantly. Unlike the Bricasso, which required manual input and a complex scanning process, the Pixelbot 3000 streamlines mosaic generation with custom code and AI, making the process more user-friendly and efficient.

This custom printer uses DALL-E 3 to turn anything you can think of into brick-built art.

The AI-generated image is divided into a grid, and the color of the center pixel in each square is sampled to create the mosaic. Despite the limited color palette of Lego bricks, the Pixelbot 3000 effectively matches colors to create detailed and vibrant mosaics. The creation process, from concept to functional reality, is showcased on the Creative Mindstorms YouTube channel, providing an engaging and relaxing viewing experience.

Key highlights:

• Pixelbot 3000 Design: Users input a desired artwork, and the printer uses OpenAI’s DALL-E 3 to generate a cartoon-style image, which is then converted into a Lego mosaic.
• AI Integration: The Pixelbot 3000 leverages AI to produce simplified images and then divides these into a 32 x 32 grid, sampling colors to match Lego tiles.
• Color Matching: The printer uses around 15 out of the 70 available Lego colors, ensuring that the final mosaic is high-contrast and visually appealing.

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