Dall-E Mini, the AI-powered text-to-image generator has taken over the internet. With its ability to render nearly anything your meme-loving heart desires, anyone can make their dreams come true.
DALL-E 2, a portmanteau of Salvador Dali, the surrealist and Wall-E, the Pixar robot, was created by OpenAI and is not widely available; it creates far cleaner imagery and was recently used to launch Cosmpolitan’s first AI-generated cover. The art world has been one of the first industries to truly embrace AI.
The open-sourced miniature version is what’s responsible for the memes. Programmer Boris Dayma wants to make AI more accessible; he built the Dall-E Mini program as part of a competition held by Google and an AI community called Hugging Face.
And with great technology, comes great memes. Typing a short phrase into Dall-E Mini will manifest 9 different amalgamations, theoretically shaping into reality the strange images you’ve conjured. Its popularity leads to too much traffic, often resulting in an error that can be fixed by refreshing the page or trying again later.
If you want to be a part of the creation of AI-powered engines, it all starts with code. CodeAcademy explains that Dall-E Mini is a seq2seq model, “typically used in natural language processing (NLP) for things like translation and conversational modeling.” CodeAcademy’s Text Generation course will teach you how to utilize seq2seq, but they also offer opportunities to learn 14+ coding languages at your own pace.
You can choose the Machine Learning Specialist career path if you want to become a Data Scientist who develops these types of programs, but you can also choose courses by language, subject (what is cybersecurity?) or even skill - build a website with HTML, CSS, and more.
CodeAcademy offers many classes for free as well as a free trial; it’s an invaluable resource for giving people of all experience levels the fundamentals they need to build the world they want to see.
As for Dall-E Mini, while some have opted to create beauty, most have opted for memes. Here are some of the internet’s favorites:
pic.twitter.com/DbLoe1s00c
— Weird Dall-E Mini Generations (@weirddalle) June 8, 2022
pic.twitter.com/cxtliOrlHz
— Weird Dall-E Mini Generations (@weirddalle) June 12, 2022
no fuck every other dall-e image ive made this one is the best yet pic.twitter.com/iuFNm4UTUM
— bri (@takoyamas) June 10, 2022
pic.twitter.com/rEBHoWR7lH
— Weird Dall-E Mini Generations (@weirddalle) June 12, 2022
pic.twitter.com/RSZaCIDVV7
— Chairman George (@superbunnyhop) June 9, 2022
back at it again at the DALL•E mini pic.twitter.com/iPGsaMThBC
— beca. ⚢ (@dorysief) June 9, 2022
There’s no looking back now, not once you’ve seen Pugachu; artificial intelligence is here to stay.
A Few Financial Tips For All Your Major Life Events
Major milestones can be some of the most memorable, yet stressful moments of your life. First, there’s marriage, then there’s your first home, and then, the kids. Nothing can prepare you for that day when you’re headed out with baby in tow, covered in spit-up, on 4 hours of sleep, and you’re not going to make it to work on time. Through the excitement, your finances can get lost in the shuffle. While most people agree that money is important, they don’t take the time to get help to plan for their future. Enter LearnVest: one of the top-line financial planning services that can better prepare you for these major life events. Here are some of the tips they suggest to offer some help.
1. Moving in together. Whether you’re moving in with your significant other or finally tying the knot, a discussion on how you and your partner plan to share bills and bank accounts is a must, even if it’s awkward. Your combined financial situations will determine the best direction. For example, you can share a joint checking account for expenses and keep separate accounts for your discretionary funds or savings. Couples who are financially equal may both put 50% of their earnings in the shared account, but those who don’t earn the same may want to contribute different amounts. Regardless, all couples should discuss their options and agree on a plan before they co-habitate.
2. Time to settle down. Is buying a home on your wish list? You’ve made it to your next big step -- buying a home. Aside from the down payment, taxes, lawyers, closing costs, insurance, real estate brokers, emergency funds, and electricity are just some of the costs you’ll need to confront as a new homeowner. Some people will do a trial mortgage, when they pretend to make a monthly mortgage payment for a few months to see if they can handle the expense. However, the best way to prepare yourself is to make sure you have an emergency fund. Once you own your home, you are responsible for repairs and maintenance. An emergency fund will help save you from credit card debt.
3. Daycare is the new college. If you’re planning to have kids you may need childcare while continuing to work. Recently, the increasing costs of childcare compare to a college tuition or mortgage payment. The good news is there are some tax savings that can help you save. Ask your accountant if you qualify for the Child and Dependent Care Credit, which may include anywhere from 20% - 35% of your childcare costs (with a cap of $3,000 per child and $6,000 for more than one child). Also, sign up for a Daycare Flexible-Spending Account to set aside pretax dollars to pay for daycare expenses (maximum annual contribution is $5,000).*
4. Building the nest egg. With so many investing options, how do you know what’s best for you? Let’s look at both the IRA and Roth IRA. Whichever one you choose will depend on your taxable income and age to determine if you need a tax break now or later. If you are young and don’t need the tax break now, you’ll likely choose a Roth IRA; the contributions can potentially grow over time and you receive the benefits when you retire.
How LearnVest can help.
Unlike traditional financial planners, LearnVest is a company that wants to make financial planning accessible and affordable to everyone. They do this with a suite of online tools and financial planners for the modern too-busy-for-life person. LearnVest prioritizes your financial planning based on three foundations: getting out of debt, establishing an emergency fund, and preparing for retirement. From there, you can set additional goals and work with LearnVest to achieve them on a realistic timeline. Whether you want help with retirement or want a debt-free vacation, LearnVest will create a customized plan and the instructions to get there. It doesn’t matter what stage you are in your life. Now is the best time to start thinking about your future.
Update:Follow this link to learn more about LearnVest and sign up for a financial plan today.
LearnVest Planning Services is a registered investment adviser and subsidiary of LearnVest, Inc. that provides financial plans for its clients. LearnVest, Inc. is wholly owned by NM Planning, LLC, a subsidiary of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. Information shown is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended as investment, legal or tax planning advice. Please consult a financial adviser, attorney or tax specialist for advice specific to your financial situation.
*Figures applicable for tax year 2016