DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF by Maryanne Kane, Journalist

DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF

By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane

MESSAGES FROM TAYLOR SWIFT VIA AI & CHATBOX

Source: Stock Images

A new AI based chat service can send you personalized voice messages from Taylor Swift and other top celebrities via AI, trained to mimic the celebrity's voice, with Chatbot ChatGPT providing the personalized message to you
This functionality is called "Forever Voice" & it is a prime example of deepfake technology
The tech seems seamless: Swift will give you a shoutout, answer a question, say Happy Birthday or even give you a graduation speech to deliver within seconds of your request
Most of the responses are very quick - :30 to 1:00 but experts are saying this "deepfake tech" is incredibly impressive
This function is starting to be available on messaging apps & is as inexpensive as $20.00 per month
The 2-way conversation over your phone with Taylor Swift is not with Swift - it's a computer generated rendition that's a fake
But it's such a good fake some experts are calling it awesome & tons of fun.

MINI'S WITH SMART DIGITAL ASSISTANT SPIKE

Source: Mini with Spike Personal Assistant

Mini, the iconic British car brand now owned by BMW, is going smart with a new, digital assistant onboard called Spike
Spike will debut at the upcoming Shanghai Auto Show in the cockpit of the Mini Aceman, an electric crossover concept car
Spike is the equivalent of Alexa for your car
It displays on the infotainment screen and on the driver display
BMW says that Spike is designed to be a smart digital companion that will provide "various forms of support"
The AI enabled & cute Spike will be incorporated into next-G Mini's, which will start rolling out later this year
BMW says it will provide details on Spike's many capabilities in a few months.

FLYING TAXI WITH A FRENCH ACCENT

Source: Ascendance Flight

Toulouse, France-based aviation startup Ascendance Flight Technologies has been successfully testing its eVTOL, flying taxi Atea & its hybrid-electric technology
The company is very well funded with Atea expected to be fully operational & in service by 2026
The is unique eVTOL design technology
It is a fan-in-wing design with 8 rotors built into the wings
Range is 250 miles
Seats 5 people
Flies on sustainable, hybrid electric power that cuts carbon emissions by 80% when compared to a helicopter
It's designed for passenger service, cargo hauling, medical emergency service & even surveillance as the aircraft is relatively quiet
245 customers in Europe, Asia, North & South America have signed on to buy it.
Atea is aviation technology to watch.

Important Innovations