Just when you thought the holiday season couldn’t get any more exciting, OpenAI is set to launch its “12 days of shipmas,” starting December 5th. Yes, you read that right—OpenAI‘s 12 days of shipmas! For 12 consecutive weekdays, the AI giant will unwrap a new feature, product, or demo, turning the festive season into a tech advent calendar.
12 days.
12 livestreams.
A bunch of new things, big and small.
12 Days of OpenAI starts tomorrow.
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) December 4, 2024
Altman’s Mysterious Announcements
On Wednesday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed this festive spree at The New York Times’ DealBook conference, though he remained tight-lipped about the specifics. While Altman didn’t spill the beans, whispers suggest we might see the long-awaited text-to-video AI tool Sora and a new reasoning AI model making their grand entrance.
🎄🎅starting tomorrow at 10 am pacific, we are doing 12 days of openai.
each weekday, we will have a livestream with a launch or demo, some big ones and some stocking stuffers.
we’ve got some great stuff to share, hope you enjoy! merry christmas.
— Sam Altman (@sama) December 4, 2024
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Sora: The Text-to-Video Star?
Sora has been the talk of the AI town for quite some time. This text-to-video model could revolutionize content creation, allowing users to generate videos simply by typing descriptions. However, its journey hasn’t been without controversy. Artists who participated in an invite-only preview leaked the model in protest, claiming they were used for “unpaid R&D and PR.” Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati hinted back in March that Sora would be available by the end of the year. Looks like she might just make the deadline.
A New Reasoning Model on the Horizon
The AI community is buzzing about a potential new reasoning model, possibly similar to the o1-preview. Industry pundits believe this could be a game-changer, giving OpenAI an edge over competitors like Google and Anthropic. If you’re wondering whether this is the AI equivalent of a stocking stuffer or the main gift under the tree, you’re not alone.
Google Veo Enters the Chat
To avoid being left out of the festivities, Google has been making moves with its own video-generation model, Veo. Released in a private preview, Veo is now available to businesses through Google’s Vertex AI platform. It’s like the holiday gift exchange where everyone tries to outdo each other—but in this case, the gifts are groundbreaking AI technologies.
Festive Teasers and Easter Eggs
OpenAI employees have been dropping hints like cookie crumbs. Bill Peebles, the lead on Sora, responded to a colleague’s cryptic post with a simple “Correct,” fueling speculation. Some ChatGPT users have even spotted code replacing the voice mode button with a snowflake, suggesting a Santa-inspired voice might be part of the holiday cheer.
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Artists vs. OpenAI: The Grinch in the Room
While the announcements are exciting, not everyone is singing carols. The artists who leaked Sora did so out of frustration, feeling exploited for “unpaid R&D and PR.” It’s a reminder that behind the glittering ornaments of innovation, there are real people whose contributions need to be acknowledged.
As we deck the halls with AI advancements, it’s clear that OpenAI aims to make this a December to remember. Whether these gifts will be met with joy or scepticism remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure: the next 12 days will be anything but dull. After all, who doesn’t love a good surprise under the tree—even if it’s powered by artificial intelligence?
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