Send an AI clone to your next meeting

Japan is the unofficial kingdom of vending machines. With one machine for every 30 people, Japan’s got you covered for everything from hot coffee to fresh eggs, right on the street. It’s like having 24/7 snack dealers on every corner. And if that’s not a flex, I don’t know what is.

Love or hate this intro? Hit reply and tell us why!

What’s in store:

• The future of meetings is AI … thanks to Zoom.

• Babbel’s CEO says Goodbye and AI has something to do with it.

• Around the web: Microsoft will test Xbox game streaming for your games, starting with Insiders in November.

• Elf Labs is using AI to create the future of entertainment!

Read Time: 6 minutes

AI TOOLS

A new twist for your virtual meetings

Zoom is planning to roll out AI-powered avatars in 2025 to make video communication easier.

This new feature, announced at Zoom’s annual dev conference, will let users create digital versions of themselves from a video clip.

Zoom’s CEO says their long-term plan is to create avatars that can attend meetings for you. That’s right - an official way to skive off your meetings.

For now, users can type a script, and their avatar will speak, syncing the audio with the avatar's mouth movements.

Zoom's Chief Product Officer, Smita Hashim, says these avatars will help people save time by allowing faster, more efficient communication.

But there are also concerns about deepfakes — AI-generated videos that look real but aren't.

Other companies like Tavus and Microsoft have already built strict rules to prevent misuse of their AI tech, like getting clear consent from the people involved.

Zoom’s plans for safety seem less detailed in comparison, though they mention features like authentication and watermarking.

Here are some key findings:

• Zoom’s avatars will help users make video clips quickly and easily by typing what they want their avatar to say.

• Even though Zoom says they have safety steps in place, the details are still unclear.

• More states in the U.S. are creating rules to deal with AI-driven impersonations and deepfakes.

The rise of digital Doppelgängers

Deepfakes are becoming a big problem, with fake videos of well-known people spreading online.

These videos often mislead people and can cause confusion. Impersonation scams using AI-generated videos have also led to billions in financial losses.

Zoom hasn’t fully explained how it plans to stop its avatars from being used in harmful ways.

The U.S. doesn’t have a nationwide law against deepfakes, but some states are taking action.

California is working on a law to give judges the power to make people take down harmful deepfake content or face fines.

Zoom's avatars, set to cost $12 per user per month, could change how we communicate online, but they need to address these deepfake worries to build trust with users.

Would you pay $12 to have skip meetings?

Vote for live results and see results + opinions from yesterday at the bottom of the email.

AI STARTUPS

This Next-Gen Technology is Changing Entertainment Forever

After historic victories at the US Patent & Trademark office, Elf Labs has secured rights to some of the biggest IP in history—Snow White, Cinderella, the Little Mermaid, and more.

Now they’re merging these famous characters with patented AI, AR and VR technologies to create next-gen immersive entertainment.

With two projects funded and their fundraising goal surpassed, there’s limited space left.

Invest in Elf Labs before the round closes on Oct 30th.

On This Day

October 12th 1979 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first of five books in the Hitchhiker's series by Douglas Adams, is published.

AI Image or Real?

Stuff out of dreams! Is it real?

Vote below!

The poll results and correct answer will be revealed in tomorrow’s Mindstream!

Mystery Link…

We don’t know where it goes either…

AI TECH

Babbel’s leadership shifts, and AI’s taking centre stage

Arne Schepker, the CEO of Babbel, a well-known Berlin-based language learning platform, is stepping down.

Co-founder and former CEO Markus Witte is stepping in to guide the company through its next phase, which will focus more on AI.

Witte won’t take on the CEO role right away but will be Executive Chairman and Managing Director.

Schepker, who has been CEO for almost five years, explained that he decided not to renew his contract because he couldn’t give the full 180% commitment needed for the role.

"I just couldn’t get to a strong enough ‘yes,’ and as CEO, it’s all or nothing. I couldn’t get there," he said.

Witte, who founded Babbel and led it through its early growth, is returning to help the company during this transition.

Schepker feels it’s the right time to leave, especially as Babbel is moving into a new phase. He also plans to travel with his family for the next year.

Under Schepker’s leadership, Babbel’s revenue grew six times, reaching $300 million, and the company expanded to a team of nearly 1,000 people.

But he’s most proud of Babbel’s work during the pandemic and its support of Ukrainian refugees by offering free language lessons.

“There’s no monetary value to that, and I can’t even show you an ROI, but it always comes up in conversations,” Schepker said.

Here’s a brief about all of this:

• Babbel’s revenue grew six times to $300 million under Schepker’s leadership.

• Babbel offered free language lessons to students and Ukrainian refugees.

• Witte sees AI as central to Babbel’s future, aiming for more personalised language learning.

Betting big on AI

Looking forward, Babbel plans to use AI more in its language learning platform.

Although AI has been used behind the scenes, Babbel hasn’t positioned itself as an “AI company.”

Instead, it’s focused on using teachers and experts to create its courses, unlike competitors like Duolingo.

“Even those working on large language models don’t fully know what the next generation will be capable of,” Witte said.

He believes that being flexible is now more important than ever, even for established companies like Babbel.

“We’ve made language learning easier, but it’s still hard work,” Schepker said.

Babbel aims to combine its teaching knowledge with AI to create a more personalised learning experience.

Time to ditch that Duolingo streak!

Mindstream Picks

Space: The Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) welcomed Aetherflux, a new aerospace company focused on space-based solar power, as its newest Associate Member.

Games: A year after the Tomb Raider I-III Remastered collection, three more Lara Croft games are set to be remastered with visual upgrades and new features.

Crypto: Ryan Salame was sentenced to seven and a half years for white-collar crimes tied to FTX. His joke LinkedIn post quickly went viral.

Sports: Lionel Messi’s influence extends beyond the field, with even his sponsor Adidas honouring him by celebrating "Messi Day."

Don’t Miss - Microsoft is preparing to let players stream Xbox games they own, even those not included in Game Pass. Starting in November, Xbox Insiders will test the feature, which expands Xbox Cloud Gaming to thousands of games. Additionally, Xbox games will be available for purchase and streaming directly from the Xbox Android app.

AI Art

Our Image of the Day

Daily Image Prompt

Submit your artwork to Mindstream →

Yesterday’s Poll

“Do you think we’ll actually see Tesla's robotaxis anytime soon?”

Nope, they're just a Tesla pipe dream. - 56% ✅

Yeah, they're coming in hot! - 44%

Your Views:

“I’m betting there will be too many issues (mechanical, technology) to overcome. In the distant future likely.” - ppajer

“Somebody other than Tesla will solve it, but not Tesla, because of its unhinged owner.” - venki.radha

Submit your opinions in our daily poll to be featured!