Wordtune Spices Shows the Value of an AI Writing Assistant Connected to the Internet
Wordtune Spices Shows the Value of an AI Writing Assistant Connected to the Internet
AI21 demonstrates an LLM that can access current data and a bit more
What if a large language model (LLM) could access the internet in real time? How might that introduce new LLM use cases? Lack of recent knowledge has been one of the biggest criticisms of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and its GPT-3 APIs. Those models don’t know anything after September 2021. A lot has happened since then.
AI21 Labs introduced a new feature this week in its popular Wordtune AI-based writing assistant that shows what happens when you provide an LLM with direct access to the internet. We talk about this news and the generative AI market as a whole in a new Voicebot Podcast episode featuring the CEO of AI21 Labs.
You can see in the gif below (or click here if it is not showing up in your email client or browser) that the writing assistant can suggest a statistic gleaned from the internet to add a little spice, and hopefully persuasive power, to your writing. In addition to offering up a statistic, it tells you the source of the data so you can assess whether you would like to accept the suggestion.
Wordtune Spices is not limited to stats. You can add historical facts, a joke, counterarguments, or famous quotes. Ori Goshen, CEO of AI21 Labs, commented:
“Spices is a toolbox that melds the best that both man and machine can offer, working alongside writers as a source of inspiration for better, more efficient and more compelling writing, while ensuring that writers themselves have the space and freedom to best express their thoughts, insights and information.”
The key terms here are “alongside” and “writers themselves…express.” Other AI-writing assistants generate entire passages or essays. A common criticism is they do not express the thoughts or personalities of the authors. Wordtune is designed to augment the work of authors, not become the author. It’s not about filling the blank page. Wordtune is about making the writing on the page more interesting, persuasive, or compelling. AI21 provides an interesting counterpoint to a leading narrative around the value of LLM-based writing applications.
Hear the AI21 Story In-depth
Ori Goshen co-founded AI21 Labs in 2017. He joined me this week on the Voicebot Podcast to discuss Wordtune’s new Spices feature, the rise of AI-enabled productivity, and the large language model revolution. We also discuss the company’s APIs for software developers and how ChatGPT changed the market. And, of course, we get into how you take an LLM and connect it to the internet.
If you are intrigued at all by LLMs, how they are being used, and what it’s like to run a business in this space right now, definitely listen to this interview. We cover a lot of ground, and I’m sure you will enjoy it.
The Rise of LLM Productivity Apps
“The adoption of large language models and generative AI is booming, and I think it began with creativity use cases. And now we are seeing as it slowly moving toward productivity use cases…. and that’s is going to be the most valuable trend over the next couple of years,” says AI21 Labs CEO Ori Goshen.
A key theme Goshen breaks down is the shift to LLM-based productivity apps. His view is that most of the LLM applications showing success so far have delivered creativity benefits, but we are now seeing a quick rise in productivity-oriented solutions. A case can certainly be made for this when considering text-to-image models. The emergence of software code writing software and AI writing assistants for use cases ranging from blog posts to legal contracts illustrate the shift.
Goshen talk about how Wordtune was developed to “radically change the way people read and write.” On the reading front, it summarizes documents so you can get the key points quickly from any written text. For writing, Wordtune offers you suggestions about how to make the work better, can change the writing style of any passage, and correct your grammar. The tools are assistants more than text generators.
***I asked AI21 Studio, which is similar to OpenAI’s GPT-3 Playground, to write a short sentence about why readers should subscribe to Synthedia. Here you go.
An OpenAI Competitor
When you hear discussions about LLMs, it sometimes seems like OpenAI has no competitors. People that follow the space casually are likely to mention Google’s LaMDA, though there is no API for developers, nor are there products you can use other than a demonstration app. Others who follow the space closely might mention AI models from Deepmind, Meta, Microsoft, or Nvidia. Granted, none of those companies provides APIs for developers today. Anyone really deep in the space might mention the open source GPT-NEO or GPT-J.
Then there is AI21. One of the co-founders is Yoav Shoham, an emeritus professor at Stanford University and a leading expert in artificial intelligence. Another co-founder is Amnon Shashua, a long-time professor of computer science at Hebrew University who is co-founder and the current CEO of Mobileye. AI21 company has not yet raised billions in venture funding like OpenAI. However, it did close a $64 million funding round in July 2022, bringing its total funding to $118 million.
Wordtune has over one million downloads from the Google Chrome store, a mobile app, and increasing use of its web-based writing and editing suite. The company also provides APIs that connect third-party developers with its LLM, just like OpenAI. It is a company that is bound to benefit from all of the heat OpenAI has cooked up in the marketplace. AI21’s story isn’t as widely told as OpenAI, but that may soon change.
Thanks. I have been using this tool and it is wonderful.
LLM-based productivity apps (LLApps?) are a logical avenue for business adoption and licensing.
Will the use of LLApps in published articles, images or forums require a citation? If used for a style check, perhaps not. But if the LLApp uncovers a fact, comparison or facet that is unobvious to the writer/analyst/artist, there may be a need to update guidelines.