🤓 This Week in AI - Tech Glitch Fixed—Here Are the Missing Videos
PLUS: It Was Another Very BIG week In AI
Hi everyone,
Due to a little technical hiccup, the best videos from this morning’s newsletter were missing, but they’re too good to miss!
So, I’ve included just those sections below, along with this link to access everything in one place (in case they still don’t come through).
Runway just released Act-One, a new tool that allows users to turn simple video footage – even from a smartphone – into lifelike character performances and animations.
The tool accurately captures details like micro-expressions, nuanced pacing, and eye-lines, allowing actors to be turned both animated and realistic characters without the need for expensive motion-capture gear.
A single actor, using only one camera, can now perform multiple characters and generate distinct outputs for each role.
To ensure responsible use, Act-One comes with safety measures like blocking unauthorized attempts to generate content featuring public figures and verifying voice usage rights.
The results are truly impressive. Runway’s rivals will likely introduce similar tech soon, expanding creative possibilities while also challenging long-held assumptions about creativity and artistic value.
You can check out a few examples below.
And a little weekly reminder (because it’s worth repeating):
These models are the WORST they’ll ever be.
Top labs are holding back even more advanced models (OpenAI sat on Advanced Voice Mode for over two years).
If you're building your AI strategy, seek out experts who’ve been fully immersed in this fast-evolving space for the past two years and have hands-on experience—definitely not the big consulting firms.
They might not have the “big firm” labels, but their practical knowledge far exceeds traditional consultancies, who, despite charging hefty fees are still playing catch up and making costly mistakes.
Plan for what’s coming, not what’s already here. Things are moving real fast, and anticipating the next wave of capabilities will give you a big competitive edge.
ElevenLabs, a leader in AI voice generation and cloning, has launched Voice Design, a tool that lets users create customizable voices from simple text descriptions. Creators can tailor voices to specific tones, ages, and accents, offering tons of flexibility.
Whether it’s for audiobook narration, game characters, virtual assistants, film and TV production, or educational content like e-learning, there are countless ways for creators to bring AI-generated voices to life.
You can check it out below and find a voice design prompt guide here.
If you’ve been reading my newsletter for a while, you know I’m skeptical of most AI startups, especially those in the creative and content creation areas (image, video, audio and music generators) because they’re far too many of them and they all face a significant challenge: commoditization.
This leads to two key issues: decreasing differentiation and race-to-the-bottom pricing.
So as the initial excitement wears off, many of these products are left competing on cost alone, which significantly reduces their defensibility.
Unless, of course, they have the broad distribution power of companies like Google, allowing them to scale faster and reach wider markets, even in a crowded field.
So, there’s a good chance MOST of these companies (even the well-funded ones that seem promising) won’t be around within the next year or two.
What sets ElevenLabs apart—and why I’m particularly impressed by their approach—is their clear focus on strategic differentiation in a space where many companies are still riding the hype wave.
Unlike startups that focus solely on the technology, ElevenLabs has built an ecosystem focused on:
1️⃣ Practical, high-value use cases that solve real-world business problems
2️⃣ User-friendly and intuitive interface that allows creators and businesses to use its products without technical expertise.
3️⃣ Meaningful strategic partnerships across various industries, using AI voice technology to power media content like podcasts and news audio, simplify customer service, and enhance healthcare access by improving multilingual communication and appointment scheduling. I’m obsessed with the breadth of their partnerships.
It’s one of the few AI companies I’d genuinely be excited to collaborate/work with. 😉
To the many media and tech leaders among my readers: if you’re evaluating potential partners and need help cutting through the noise (and there is so much), hit me up!
That's all for this week.
I’ll see you next Friday. Thoughts, feedback and questions are welcome and much appreciated. Shoot me a note at avi@joinsavvyavi.com.
Stay curious,
Avi
💙💙💙 P.S. A huge thank you to my paid subscribers and those of you who share this newsletter with curious friends and coworkers. It takes me about 8+ hours each week to curate, simplify the complex, and write this newsletter. So, your support means the world to me, as it helps me make this process sustainable.