Grok finds a Waifu

TL;DR: Grok’s Companion may be its missing killer feature

After an underwhelming launch last week, xAI unveiled Grok's new companion feature that it hopes will boost model adoption. The model appears to be following the familiar tech adoption pattern of appealing to adult entertainment. I sat through a Hololive presentation at a Dodgers game recently, and there's definitely a market for these kinds of engaging anime personas.

What really sets this apart is that it's more interactive than even Character AI, having a model that seems to respond in real-time. Going for provocative, scantily dressed personas will certainly raise eyebrows and get attention, while the furry animal options appeal to their own unique internet subgroup. The challenge is that while this could help with consumer adoption, it may make enterprise adoption much harder as Grok becomes associated with silliness or adult entertainment.

TL;DR: Up to 90% of advertisers are planning to incorporate more Gen AI into their ads by 2026

Advertisers continue to increase their interest in Gen AI, with the biggest advantages being cost savings and the ability to iterate quickly. Knowing exactly how you want an ad to work and then being able to communicate that clearly makes all the difference. It's similar to how English or literary experts get more out of writing with AI than laypeople - clearly communicating what you want makes it much easier to get high-quality output.

The numbers are staggering: Gen AI is expected to reach 40% of all ads by 2026. This represents a massive shift in how advertising content gets created, potentially democratizing ad creation while raising questions about creativity and authenticity in marketing.

TL;DR: Operative Games creates more interactive NPCs that respond like real people instead of fixed dialogue options

Operative Games has launched a new experience that brings us closer to truly interactive games and NPCs. Instead of having fixed dialogue options, the game responds as if you were talking to a real person, creating an experience that feels like an escape room where anything is possible.

This moves us closer to the more interactive games that AI has long promised. What's particularly interesting is how this creates a fusion between visual media like television shows and video games - a more interactive combination that could reshape entertainment. We're likely to see much more of this as the technology improves and developers figure out how to balance narrative control with player freedom.