2023: A Year in AI - Breakthroughs and Innovations That Defined the Future

If you have been in a coma for the past year, you awoke to a world transformed by artificial intelligence.

In 2023, tech giants Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, and Adobe amazed us with new AI models, integrations, and capabilities. We witnessed mind-blowing tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E, along with AI-powered enhancements in programs like Photoshop and Bing. AI is seamlessly integrated into every aspect of software and internet services.

Despite competition, companies collaborated to push AI boundaries. And here's the kicker: this is just the beginning!

AI is revolutionizing how we create, communicate, and consume on digital platforms. Buckle up because the AI ride is just getting started! 

January 2023

• Microsoft's $10 Billion Investment in OpenAI: Marking a significant start to the year, Microsoft invested $10 billion into OpenAI. This investment led to the integration of OpenAI's technologies into Microsoft's offerings, setting a strong foundation for AI advancements throughout the year.

February 2023

• Launch of Bing Chat with GPT Technology: Following Google's announcement of Bard, Microsoft introduced Bing Chat, leveraging their partnership with OpenAI and employing GPT technology, specifically GPT-4, even before it was publicly accessible in ChatGPT.
• Introduction of Control Nets in AI Art: February witnessed a major leap in AI art with the introduction of Control Nets, enhancing the capabilities and control in AI-generated art.

March 2023

• Release of GPT-4: One of the most significant advancements in large language models occurred with the release of GPT-4 by OpenAI. This model greatly surpassed its predecessor, GPT-3.5, in capabilities.
• Mid Journey Version 5: This update brought a substantial increase in the realism of AI-generated images, leading to more lifelike and convincing visuals.
• Adobe Enters AI Art with Adobe Firefly: Adobe's entry into the AI art space with Adobe Firefly marked a significant moment, although it didn't immediately surpass the capabilities of existing tools like Stable Diffusion or Mid Journey.

April 2023

• Launch of Wonder Dynamics and Wonder Studio: These tools, enabling the swapping of real humans with computer-generated models in videos, showcased promising potential in AI video editing.

May 2023

• Google's AI Integration Across Products: Google announced their intention to integrate AI into a wide range of their products, including Google Sheets, Gmail, and their search engine. This was highlighted during their Google I/O event.
• Adobe's Generative Fill Tool in Photoshop: Adobe introduced a groundbreaking generative fill tool in Photoshop, allowing users to modify images using text prompts, significantly enhancing the image editing process.

June 2023

• Apple Vision Pro Announcement: While not strictly an AI tool, Apple Vision Pro was announced, incorporating some generative AI features, indicating a growing trend of AI integration in various tech products.
• Runway's Gen 2 Launch: A significant advancement in AI video generation, Runway's Gen 2 allowed users to input text or image prompts to generate videos. This marked a considerable improvement over its predecessor, Gen 1, and other similar tools like Model Scope, especially in terms of video quality and the removal of limitations such as watermarks.
  

July 2023

• Release of Llama 2: Microsoft and Meta collaborated to launch Llama 2, an open-source large language model, marking a significant moment in the promotion of open-source AI developments.
• Custom Instructions for ChatGPT: ChatGPT received an upgrade enabling custom instructions, allowing users to pre-train the model with additional information.

August 2023

• Introduction of Stable Diffusion XL: Stable Diffusion released an XL version, enhancing AI art generation capabilities, especially in terms of training with personal styles or data.

September 2023

• ChatGPT with Image Input Capabilities: ChatGPT's functionality was expanded to include image input capabilities, opening up new possibilities for interaction and utility with the model.

October 2023

• Release of DALL-E 3 by OpenAI: DALL-E 3 was introduced, offering highly prompt-adherent image generation and enabling users to generate images in a more conversational manner.
• Text to Vector Feature in Adobe Illustrator: Adobe Illustrator introduced the Text to Vector feature, part of Adobe's broader implementation of AI features in their software suite.

November 2023

• Reconfiguration of OpenAI's Board: Notable changes occurred at OpenAI, including the firing and rehiring of Sam Altman and a complete restructuring of the organization's board.
• AI-Driven Video Editing Enhancements: Improvements in AI video editing in Leonardo, including video outpainting and video inpainting, expanding the capabilities of AI in video modification.
• Custom GPT's: The release of custom Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPTs) marked a significant advancement in the field of AI. These custom GPTs allowed users to tailor the AI models to their specific needs and preferences. 

December 2023

• Introduction of Mixture of Experts: A new approach to large language models, Mixture of Experts, was released, where input is routed to various specialized models to obtain more accurate and relevant responses.
• Access to Gemini in Google's Bard: Gemini was introduced and integrated into Google's Bard. However, there were criticisms regarding Google's demonstration, which was perceived as deceptive. The real-time response and usage of video footage in their demo did not align with the actual functionality of the tool, which used different parameters and was not as real-time as portrayed.