The Download
#002
Dear Reader,
Greetings from a wet Valencia, where yesterday a few hours of downpour brought about mild flooding, a double rainbow and some general appreciation for a change from the day-to-day heat.
Double rainbow and a shock of lightning. Bliss.
In this week’s edition: creating a new social media automation, rethinking search, creating digital twin and more. Let’s get to it.
🤖 Harnessing new AI tools
This automation harnesses multiple LLMs and outputs content to four different social networks.
This week I’ve been working with the make.com platform to build a social media posting automation.
This automation combines a host of different LLMs and prompts, and has given me an opportunity to break out of the ChatGPT silo and integrate Perplexity and Anthropic’s Claude.
It takes a URL, summarises it, and then formats that summary to the tone of voice and audience for Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter and LinkedIn.
The automation runs every Tuesday and Thursday at the moment. Watch this space for lessons learned.
The results: four different posts, related imagery and tone for each social network.
🔍 Rethinking search
Negative sentiment is rising against Google as a search engine, and for good reason. It’s been shifting its focus more and more to paid advertisements and content instead of delivering organic results. Since signing up for a pro plan to integrate into my automation above, I’ve been testing out Perplexity.ai as the default search engine in my browser of choice, Arc. The difference is palpable. I’m getting actual information results, and it feels like the ‘old web’ again.
Split view in Arc: Perplexity on the left, LinkedIn on the right.
My LinkedIn ‘Following’ needed a declutter to help focus my feed, and damned if I could remember where the setting was. Instead of getting potentially outdated results and YouTube tutorials on Google, Perplexity gave me the information and resources I needed, and quickly.
Is Perplexity a search engine? Knowledge engine? Or perhaps a bit of both? I recommend you give it a try.
♊︎ Digital twin
Over the last couple of week’s I’ve been looking at the Synthesia platform which offers an AI clone that can be used for informational and short form video. I’m low key obsessed with how far we can go with automated creation tools (provided it’s balanced with human oversight and input), so I’m keen to try this out on some client offerings that are currently in the pipeline.
More Jim than you require: a screenshot from my AI clone.
Do I think an AI version of myself is going to fool anyone? No, but that would never be the intention. I think that as long as transparency is at the forefront, it’s worth seeing how far this technology can be pushed.
🚨 New podcast and newsletter (again?)
Did I mention that I’m obsessed with content creation tools? I’ve relaunched my podcast - a weekly effort titled ‘The Syntellicast’.
The output is all done through ElevenLabs voice cloning. Does it still require editing and oversight? Absolutely. We’re not 100% there yet, but it’s interesting to see how much this technology is evolving. It has certainly moved leaps and bounds in the last few months since I’ve been absent from the platform. I’ve heard good things about Google’s Notebook LLM for podcast production, so that might be an avenue worth exploring in the coming months.
You can read the output of the Syntellicast at its companion newsletter, ‘The Syntelligence Report’, available to subscribe to here. Delivered every Saturday.
📅 Upcoming
VDS Tech
As a local podcaster and blogger in Valencia, I’ve managed to secure a press pass to next week’s Valencia Digital Summit, which I’ll be attending part of Wednesday and likely all day Thursday. I’m looking forward to some thought provoking discussions, particularly around the topic of generative AI, and posting my reflections here afterwards. If you’re attending VDS Tech this year and see me, do say hello!
🔗 Must watch
I’ve put my ‘Quick links’ back in the bucket this week, because I have only one link to share, and while it isn’t quick, I believe it’s worth making the time for.
Grab a beverage of your choice and settle in to watch this video of Panic co-founder, Cabel Sasser at this year’s XOXO festival.
While I’d love to give you more details, it’s best to go in blind to this one. Please enjoy.
👋🏻 Wrapping up
I hit my delivery marks on new projects this week, but I’m not done yet. Next week I should have another solution out the door and I’m gearing up on course creation for those of you who are curious about learning more AI.
AI-curious? Don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Have a great rest of your week!
Jim
Made with ❤️ in Valencia by Jim Christian. For feedback, please reach out to [email protected]. For custom GPTs, prompt libraries, general AI consulting and development, please visit Informatic AI.
