AI News: Substack's Image Generator
Is Substacks's Image Generator AI Powered? If so, which AI is it?
More possible AI sightings at Substack. Where?
Sighting 1: Substack > login > Settings > Basics > Square logo > Generate logo (Beta)
Sighting 2: Substack > login > Settings > Sections > Add section > Newsletter logo (optional) > Generate an Image
Sighting 3: Substack > login > Posts > New Post > Image Icon (it is located in the top tool bar of the post; after the hyperlink icon; before the headphones icon) > Generate
Here are example images from Substack’s Image Generator using the prompt: AI News: Substack's Image Generator
Stackers Stacking
At the time of typing, another Stacker, SB at AI Prognosticator seems to have made a similar discovery and Stacked on this “3 months ago” (see SB’s post below).
Many thanks to SB for reporting on what seems to be another AI sighting at Substack. SB’s post has images, screenshots, tips, and prompts.
Disclaimer, MasterVerse.AI isn’t affiliated with SB at the time of writing; this isn’t a guarantee or recommendation for SB’s content.
To avoid redundancy, this post won’t be another “feature review”, in general terms, SB’s post below has that covered. Thanks again SB.
Vocabulary
This post builds on the broader goal of MasterVerse.AI, which in part, is to watch AI News, especially where NI + AI merge.
For this post and others here at MasterVerse.AI some core vocabulary is important to grasp, such as:
Natural Intelligence (NI)
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Natural Intelligence (NI) is sentient, i.e., human. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the opposite, non-sentient, i.e., non-human.
As the AI-Era ensues it may be equally if not more important for NI to become a term that is as ubiquitous in use and understanding as AI.
With the help of others and the effort of MasterVerse.AI, in time, little by little and slowly but surely NI may have meaning. Now back to the topic at hand, Substack’s AI.
The signs point to Substack’s Image Generator being AI-Powered, although exactly which AI is powering it isn’t clear from the interface itself.
Thanks
Thanks to Substack for trying. That’s said sincerely, not sarcastically. As Alex the Entrepreneur & Investor who created Evolution Accelerator, MasterVerse.AI Substack, MasterVerse.AI Slack Community, and more, says in paraphrase: ‘As the unstoppable sands of time pass a line is left behind’.
It seems the ‘the line left behind’ may be visible or invisible to some extent. It’s the NI’s job to decide how visible ‘the line left behind’ is (i.e., the evidence of “I’ve was here”, or more bluntly “I existed”).
Substack has visibly proven its existence and ‘left a line behind’ in that an Image Generator seemingly AI-Powered exists.
At the time of writing, to again paraphrase Alex: ‘To leave a line behind is inherently valuable in itself’.
In other words, there’s “something” vs. “nothing” and typically “something” trumps “nothing”. The point?
Substack gave “something” which may be better than nothing. This is a life lesson that may be particularly relevant to entrepreneurs.
It’s worth noting that unless paid subscriptions are active and there’s at least one paying subscriber than Substack foots the bill for features.
That’s another lesson that’s quite important for entrepreneurs, especially tech entrepreneurs and those interested in AI.
Substack History: Bill Bishop is reportedly the first Stacker; BB’s Substack made Substack financially viable in the beginning (hear more here).
Thanks again to Substack for ‘leaving a line’ by giving ‘something’, Substack itself, and now, the Substack Image Generator that seems to be AI-Powered exists too.
Feedback
The sincere thanks aside, here’s some feedback. The feedback is friendly and kindly in nature; Substack’s Image Generator is in beta.
As SB at AIP reported here, so too, the initial attempts to prompt Substack’s Image Generator were, novel initially, perhaps frustrating ultimately.
That’s not to complain or say, the time learning and testing Substack’s Image Generator was wasted. To live is to learn. In Chinese: 活到老学到老。
AI is a lesson in learning. To riff off what SB shared here, getting what one actually needs or wants from AI is easier said than done. The beta-version of Substack’s seemingly AI-Powered Image Generator is limited, not useless.
The results for generating an image for MasterVerse.AI were similar to SB’s attempt to get a cow and barn themed image shown here. But again, to be clear, thanks to Substack for giving something. To be fare, the challenges with prompting or “talking” to any AI, not just Substack’s AI, is rather universal; it’s an exercise in language, patience, and technology.
Some feature feedback on Substack’s AI Image Generator:
The size of the text box for inputing prompts seems too small
At the time of typing it was only one line high and unable to expand to display the entire prompt being input
The size of the window for displaying images seems too small
At the time of typing it wasn’t big enough to display all images (four images appears to be the standard response after inputting a prompt) and there is no way to expand the display box to show all four images at once; scrolling was needed
The inability to “converse” with AI to refine an image
As SB also reported here, the images generated with each click of the “Generate” button is a bit like playing roulette. Images are seemingly randomly generated one after after another. Unless NI uses techniques like SB provided here for saving the images, the images are gone and seemingly gone forever with each click of “Generate”.
It might be better if one image was generated with each click of “Generate” along with the ability to "converse” with the AI.
If so, the NI may continue the conversation with the AI to edit and refine the image until the desired image is achieved.
This would end the endless game of random roulette as images come and go with each click and change in prompt.
The inability to confirm which AI is generating the images
Perhaps Substack may disclose somewhere on the Image Generator UI the AI powering the process via a watermark or otherwise
Disclosing the AI adds transparency and helps with legal
There’s no shortage of known and unknown legal issues (i.e. copyright infringement) with images generated by AI. Which AI is powering Substack’s Image Generator begins the journey for defensible and legal image use; until then there’s inherent risk, especially if the AI image generated is used for something as prominent as a logo.
MasterVerse.AI Slack Community
This leads to a rather natural and sincere plug for the MasterVerse.AI Slack Community (learn more here about the community). How so?
MasterVerse.AI Slack Community offers the following conversation formats:
The difference between these two conversation formats is massive. Substack’s Image Generator follows what’s common in AI UI design.
AI UIs tend to be one-to-one (i.e. one NI prompting one AI)
The most obvious reason for this is privacy and admittedly some situations may require this, but perhaps not always
The power of conversational AI actually being more conversational, especially a conversation with multiple NI participating and perhaps even multiple AI is core ideology for Alex as it relates to AI in general, and a major motivator for Alex creating the MasterVerse.AI Slack Community
OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4 UI like Substack’s Image Generator UI is one NI conversing with one AI (i.e. one-to-one conversations).
MasterVerse.AI Slack Community offers the same one-to-one conversational option, namely, one NI conversing with one AI bot powered by GPT-4, but the conversation doesn’t end there.
Also, MasterVerse.AI Slack Community offers “group chatting”, that is, multiple NI conversing with one-AI bot powered by GPT-4) (i.e. many-to-one conversations)
The many-to-one conversation design of MasterVerse.AI Slack Community further unlocks the power of conversational AI. To join the community and conversation is free at current; please do so via the button below.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading. Thanks to SB. Thanks to Substack for ‘leaving a line’ and given Stackers yet another ‘something’; the Substack Image Generator is available at: Substack > login > Settings > Basics > Square logo > Generate logo (Beta).
Subscribe to MasterVerse.AI Substack via the button below. Thanks again. Kindly.
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