AI Isn’t Just About Text!
The Amazing World of ‘See, Hear, and Speak’
Multimodal AI
Is it true that AI has become more human-like?
By the time you finish this page, you’ll have a fun new understanding of the new normal for AI!
Article Summary 🧭
You’ve been hearing a lot about “AI” lately, but it can do much more than just handle text. On this page, we’ll take a fun, from-scratch look at the new AI that can see images and hear sounds just like a human: Multimodal AI. Let’s explore how this AI, which has evolved from a specialist to an all-around player, is set to change our lives!
Chapter 1: So, What Is This “Multimodal AI” Everyone’s Talking About?
When you hear things like, “AI has grown eyes and ears!”, does it sound a bit like a scary sci-fi movie? Don’t worry. This is actually a huge step towards AI becoming a smarter, better partner for us. It just means that AI can now combine multiple sources of information to think, just like how we use our eyes and ears to understand the world.
Specialist vs. All-Rounder
Let’s compare the difference between traditional AI and the new Multimodal AI.
Handles one type of information (e.g., only text). A “word professional” that excels at translation and writing.
Handles multiple types of information (e.g., text + images + audio). It can easily “look at a photo and describe its contents.”
To use a chef analogy, it’s the difference between a baker who has mastered only bread (Single-modal) and a chef who can handle French, Italian, and Japanese cuisine, and even combine their best aspects to create new dishes (Multimodal). Recently, Generative AI has become very familiar, right? In fact, the evolution of this generative AI is the main reason why the versatile Multimodal AI has been pushed to the forefront of technology.
Chapter 2: The Incredible Things Multimodal AI Can Do!
Now, even if we call it an “all-rounder,” you might not have a clear picture of what it can do. Here, we’ll pick out and introduce some of the “amazing abilities” that Multimodal AI excels at! You might even find this technology hiding in the smartphone apps you use every day.
👀 The Power to See: Generating and Deeply Understanding Images & Video
AI’s “eyes” don’t just see. They can create and understand on a deep level.
Describe an image with words,
and AI will draw it for you.
“A photorealistic image of a cat wearing glasses, reading a book in a library.”
(A photorealistic cat wearing glasses and reading a book in a library)
※ AI generates an image based on instructions like this.
Show AI a photo and ask a question,
and it will answer.
Question: “Where is the blue car?”
AI’s Answer: “It’s on the right side.”
👂 The Power to Hear: Synthesizing Speech and Transcribing Words
AI’s “ears” are also hard at work, making communication between humans and AI much smoother.
Chapter 3: How Will Our Lives Change? Real-World Applications
Multimodal AI isn’t just a technology for the lab. It’s already starting to play an active role in various parts of our society. Let’s look at some of the areas with the biggest impact.
Fields Where Multimodal AI Shines
Click or tap an icon that interests you!
Conclusion: AI is Becoming a Closer Partner
We’ve just explored the fascinating world of Multimodal AI. What did you think?
By thinking with a combination of various information types like images and audio, not just text, AI is becoming capable of “comprehensive judgment” much like a human. This is proof that AI is evolving from a mere calculator or tool into a smarter, more reliable “partner” that enriches our lives and work.
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From Specialist to All-Rounder: It can now understand things more deeply by integrating multiple types of information, not just focusing on one.
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Abilities are a Set of “Generation” and “Interpretation”: It has the flexible ability to not only draw a picture from words but also to look at a picture and describe it with words.
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The Power to Solve Societal Challenges: It’s beginning to improve our society in various fields like autonomous driving, healthcare, and manufacturing.
It makes you even more excited for what’s to come!
