What is Claude and Why Should You Care?

Spoiler Alert: Claude Beats ChatGPT At Writing.

ChatGPT has become synonymous with chatbots and "AI." While ChatGPT has brought the topic of AI to the mainstream, it's not the only conversational AI in town. Enter Claude, an AI assistant created by a company called Anthropic.

Anthropic is a technology company focused on developing safe and ethical AI systems. Their flagship product, Claude, is an AI assistant capable of understanding and generating human-like text, answering questions, and helping with various tasks. Think of Claude as a highly intelligent digital assistant that can help with writing, research, coding, and problem-solving.

Blah. Blah. Blah. Sounds, like ChatGPT, right? Or, Google's Gemini. Or, all of that stuff that Apple just announced, (why is kind of ChatGPT, but not really.) Seriously, why should you care about Claude?

Because Claude can write.

And, not the King-of-Passive-Sentences type of writing we see from ChatGPT, Claude generates human-like text.

What's New: Introducing Claude 3.5 Sonnet

Anthropic has just released their latest AI model: Claude 3.5 Sonnet. This new version represents a significant step forward in AI capabilities. Here's what makes it special:

• Improved Intelligence: Claude 3.5 Sonnet is better at understanding complex topics and can provide more accurate and nuanced responses.
• Faster Performance: It works twice as fast as its predecessor, meaning you get answers and assistance more quickly.
• Cost-Effective: For businesses and developers using Claude through APIs, it's priced competitively, making advanced AI more accessible.
• Enhanced Visual Understanding: Claude 3.5 Sonnet is better at interpreting images, charts, and graphs, expanding its usefulness for various tasks.
• Advanced Coding Abilities: For those working with software, Claude 3.5 Sonnet shows improved skills in writing and understanding code.

The Game-Changer: Artifacts

One of the most exciting features introduced with Claude 3.5 Sonnet is called "Artifacts." This new feature transforms how users can interact with AI-generated content.

Here's what you need to know:

• What are Artifacts?: Think of Artifacts as a digital workspace where Claude can create and display content like documents, code snippets, or designs.
• Real-Time Collaboration: You can see Claude's creations appear in a separate window as you chat, allowing for immediate feedback and adjustments.
• Organized Workflow: Artifacts helps keep your AI-assisted projects organized and easily accessible.
• Versatility: Whether you're drafting an article, designing a website, or writing code, Artifacts provides a flexible space to work alongside AI.

Artifacts is an optional feature in Claude's interface, so you'll need to"toggle" it on to use it. I used Artifacts to revise five drafts of this article in 90 minutes, significantly faster than it takes to usually craft my articles.

An important note: Claude doesn't have real-time internet access, so its knowledge is limited to its training data. For this article, I provided Claude with information about Claude 3.5 Sonnet, (which may seem counterintuitive), but Claude's training data cuts off as of April 2024. (So, information about a June product launch would not have been in the training data. Claude did seem a little offended, though, when I asked about their training data cutoff. Touchy subject with an AI, I guess.)

Having clarified to Sonnet's satisfaction why I was asking about training data, we continued on with our workflow. I wrote a detailed prompt and pasted my first draft of the article, along with the Claude 3.5 Sonnet announcement from June 20, 2024.

Claude provided me with feedback on both the left side and the right side of the screen.

Why This Matters

Even if you're not a tech enthusiast, the advancements in AI represented by Claude 3.5 Sonnet could impact various aspects of your life:

• Work Efficiency: AI assistants like Claude can help streamline tasks, from writing reports to analyzing data.
• Learning and Research: Claude can assist in understanding complex topics or finding relevant information quickly.
• Creative Projects: Whether you're writing a novel or planning a marketing campaign, AI can provide ideas and help refine your work.
• Problem Solving: Claude can offer new perspectives on challenges you might face in your personal or professional life.

Availability and Pricing

An important question for many is: "Is Claude 3.5 Sonnet free?" The answer is both yes and no, depending on how you access it:

• Free Access: Claude 3.5 Sonnet is available for free on the Claude.ai website and through the Claude iOS app. This allows anyone to try out the new AI model without any cost.
• Paid Subscriptions: For users who need more extensive access, Claude Pro and Team plan subscribers can use Claude 3.5 Sonnet with significantly higher rate limits. (I use Claude Pro since I spend hours a day writing, but the free version will easily meet the needs of most people.)
• API Access: For developers and businesses looking to integrate Claude 3.5 Sonnet into their applications or workflows, it's available through the Anthropic API, Amazon Bedrock, and Google Cloud's Vertex AI. The pricing for API use is $3 per million input tokens and $15 per million output tokens.

This tiered approach makes Claude 3.5 Sonnet accessible to casual users, enthusiasts, and businesses alike, allowing for both experimentation and serious application of the technology.

Looking Ahead

As AI continues to evolve, tools like Claude 3.5 Sonnet are making advanced technology more accessible and useful for everyday people. While it's important to approach AI with a critical mind and understand its limitations, these continual advancements are exciting. I already envision the new "Artifacts" tool substantially increasing my efficiency. And, isn't that the point of AI?

Stay Curious. #DeepLearningDaily

Vocabulary Key:

• Tokens: Units of data processed by AI models.
• Context Window: The amount of text the model can consider at once.
• Artifacts: AI-generated content elements like code snippets or text documents.

FAQs:

• What is Claude 3.5 Sonnet? A new AI model from Anthropic offering advanced intelligence and speed.
• Where is it available? On Claude.ai, the Claude iOS app, Anthropic API, Amazon Bedrock, and Google Cloud’s Vertex AI.
• What are Artifacts? A feature for real-time content creation and collaboration.
• What about safety and privacy? Claude 3.5 Sonnet follows strict safety protocols and does not use user data without permission.
• What’s next for Anthropic? New models and features like Claude 3.5 Haiku and personalized Memory functions.

Additional Resources for Inquisitive Minds:

Anthropic Official Announcement: Claude 3.5 Sonnet (4 minute read.)

"Deep Learning with the Wolf" will cover Claude 3.5 Sonnet’s launch, discussing its advanced features, ethical considerations, and future implications for AI technology. Join the Wolfpack!

#AI, #Anthropic, #Claude35, #ArtificialIntelligence, #MachineLearning