Generative AI

Since Generative AI arrived with the release of technologies like Stable Diffusion and ChatGPT, we have explored how to think about them and use them.

This page documents some of our experiments.

TurtleChat

Exploring the relationship between kids and coding in the age of generative AI

Idea Factory

How can we make AI work when we're not working?

Autocomplete

Spatial interface for divergent thinking

SlackGPT (My AI Team)

GPT for team augmentation and automation

Adventure Writer

Assisted writing interface

Personal Assistant

Speculative prototype for AI personal assistant

Approach

When Stable Diffusion and ChatGPT launched, the technologies seemed indistinguishable from magic. No one knew how they technologies worked or how to talk about them, so we used existing metaphors and analogies to try and make sense of them.

When Stable Diffusion was generating an image or ChatGPT would generate text, we would say that they were "dreaming". When they gave us a result that was unexpected or just plain wrong, we would say that they were "hallucinating".

Our goal is to explore new ways of using these technologies, finding new language, new mental models, for tools and products that extend human ability to think and create.

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Arthur C. Clarke, Profiles of the Future: An Inquiry into the Limits of the Possible

TurtleChat

TurtleChat is a work-in-progress chat application designed for kids to draw images based on TurtleArt.

This project is done in collaboration with Paula Bonta and Brian Silverman from the Playful Invention Company

This working group has extensive experience in creating tools and products for children at the intersection of play, creativity and technology, and together we are curious about exploring the relationship between children and code in the age of generative AI.

The application uses OpenAI's Assistant API to take in a user prompt, use the TurtleArt reference documentation to generate TurtleArt code, and renders a canvas with the image.

The project is on-going...

Prototype: https://turtle-chat.vercel.app/

Example of a conversation with TurtleChat (2x speed)

Idea Factory

Idea Factory is a speculative tool that generates images for projects when we are not working.

Every day, after human working hours, the factory spins up and generates images for each active project, based on its latest prompt.

The factory is open from 6pm-midnight, Copenhagen time. This site rebuilds to show the latest factory output at 7am.

Read a longer write-up around the thought and process: idea factory blog post

Prototype: https://ideafactory.superultra.dk/

Example of browsing generated images in an idea factory project

3D Autocomplete

example of 3D autocomplete in action

3D Autocomplete is a quick sketch of an interface that helps come up with multiple GPT-4-powered suggestions for whatever you're typing, while you remain in control of the typing.

The app is rendered in 3D, so you can pan/rotate/zoom around.

Try it out at:
https://3dautocomplete.vercel.app

SlackGPT

This tweet about a Slack-based AI team inspired the project

First iteration used Zapier for automation

Next iterations used a custom Node.JS server

Each team member has their own persona, defined by a system prompt

Morten Just posted a tweet that set our brains on fire: he had created a Slack bot with different personas based on which slack channel he uses, e.g. #ai-copywriter for copy writing, #ai-web-developer, #ai-lawyer, etc.

We had never built Slack bots before, but thought this was too interesting to pass up.

Through a bunch of fast iterations, we developed SlackGPT, a Slack bot that can act as multiple team members with individual personas.

A longer writeup of the process is available here

Adventure Writer

Adventure Writer experiments with interactions around assisted writing using GPT.

When ChatGPT arrived, a core use case was to use it to do writing. But we wanted to explore how to use ChatGPT as a supplement and maintain control over the writing process.

The interaction design is really simple: You start writing a story, and when you feel stuck, you press TAB to generate some words. As new words appear, you can use the provided slider to change the amount of words you want to remain.