Google mandates the implementation of Google Consent Mode v2 by March 6th

Hi Futurist,

I know what you're going to say. It's a lot. A whole lot. I know. But I want to keep you informed about as broad a spectrum of developments from the past two weeks as possible. Pick out what's interesting to you. Insights, inspiration, and innovation straight to your inbox. Let’s dive into the depths of the digital future together and discover the waves of change shaping our industry.

In this post, we're dipping in:

• 📣 Byte-Sized Breakthroughs: Three (technological) developments in the digital landscape

• 🤖 Digital Toolbox: Three tools or functionalities you might not yet know exist

•  🧐 Last but not least: Things that I like

Do you have tips, feedback or ideas? Or just want to give your opinion? Feel free to share it at the bottom of this dip. That's what I'm looking for.

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📣 Byte-Sized Breakthroughs

'Byte-Sized Breakthroughs' briefly highlights (technological) developments in the digital landscape

Headstory: Google's Consent Mode v2 - A crucial update for marketers, website owners, and data analysts

This is relevant for every marketer, website owner, or data analyst. If you use cookie notifications, Google Tag Manager, and advertise online; you need to be aware of this. Google requires that its new update, Google Consent Mode v2, be implemented from March 6th.

Nowadays, you see cookie notifications in all sorts of sizes, shapes, and colors. But they don't all respect the consent given by a user equally well. A thorn in Google's side. After all, they must comply with the increasingly strict European privacy legislation. Therefore, Google mandates the implementation of Consent Mode, so there is alignment between the consent given by a user and the tags fired via tag manager. At least, for Google products like Google Analytics, Google Ads, and Conversion Linker. Google is setting a standard that a cookie notification and its corresponding consent options must at least meet.

There are three reasons why it's important to implement this change before March 6th:

1. Data accuracy: If you don't implement the changes, you'll lose important insight & campaign data for Google Analytics and Google Ads.

2. Data modeling: If you don't implement the changes, Google cannot apply machine learning to your data streams, which could result in a distorted view in attribution. No one wants to make decisions based on incorrect data.

3. New advertising opportunities: If you don't implement the changes, you'll lose the ability to execute alternative targeting strategies such as geo-targeting.

No one wants to spend money on advertisements and then make decisions based on incorrect data. So, you need to get to work on this. Check if your platform uses one of the consent management platforms recommended by Google. If this is not the case, you need to switch. Unless you want to develop it custom, which is also possible. But that might quickly become too complicated.

Choosing the right consent management platform is not the only thing; you also need to adjust several settings in Tag Manager itself. Then, test everything. If all works well, you are well-prepared for March 6th.

Google Bard is now Gemini

TL;DR

Google launches Gemini Advanced featuring Ultra 1.0, its largest and most sophisticated AI model to date, promising unparalleled capabilities in coding, logical reasoning, and creative collaboration. Available in the new Google One AI Premium Plan at $19.99/month, it offers enhanced multimodal capabilities and integration into Google's ecosystem. A dedicated mobile app for Android and iOS ensures easy access, aiming to revolutionize personal productivity and creativity.

Read it yourself?

Sentiment

Now that people truly have access to Gemini, the initial reactions are mixed. Some find it superior, while others remain unconvinced. The most significant praise it receives is for not having a message limit. Additionally, the user interface and response speed are appealing to many. Gemini seems to excel at answering writing & coding queries better than ChatGPT. However, there's still a privacy concern. Google stores conversations for up to three years, along with “related data” such as the languages and devices used by the user and their location.

My thoughts

Bard seems to be a thing of the past with its rebranding to Gemini. We discussed this model in the first Dip; Gemini represents Google's ambition to reclaim the top spot in the AI race against OpenAI. Hence, the polished, somewhat overly optimistic marketing campaign we recently saw. The integration of various software products like mail, calendar, and YouTube, all owned by Google, offers Gemini a significant advantage, allowing for seamless interaction across services. However, despite these advancements, ChatGPT remains my preferred choice. When I asked Gemini to play Rock-Paper-Scissors, it provided incorrect responses. Unlike ChatGPT, which performed flawlessly.

Disney and Epic Games: Building a new universe of play

TL;DR

The Walt Disney Company is partnering with Epic Games to create a new games and entertainment universe, leveraging a $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games. This venture aims to integrate Disney's vast array of characters and stories, including Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and Avatar, into a persistent universe that offers extensive opportunities for consumer interaction through the Unreal Engine. This partnership marks Disney's largest foray into the gaming world, promising innovative ways for fans to create, play and engage with Disneys’ content and characters.

Read it yourself? 

Sentiment

The reactions to the announcement have been extremely enthusiastic. Disney purchasing 10% of the shares in a gaming company is seen as another masterstroke, following the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel Studios, and Lucasfilm. This sets the tone immediately. Expectations are sky-high. People are eager to jump right into playing with Disney characters in Fortnite.

My thoughts

Disney's collaboration with Epic Games is a strategic masterstroke. They diving into the metaverse and embracing the concept of user-generated content. Disney is not just expanding its reach but revolutionizing how fans interact with Disney. Allowing fans to create their own stories with beloved characters puts Disney at the forefront of a trend that values community and engagement over passive consumption. This move caters perfectly to the younger generations' appetite for creativity and ownership within the digital spaces they inhabit. Disney is effectively democratizing its brand, making it a shared canvas for everyone's imagination, which could redefine the boundaries between creators and audiences.

More byte-sized breakthroughs:

• Sam Altman needs $7 trillion dollars to build Artificial General Intelligence 
  It's no longer a matter of software, but of hardware. Sam Altman, the visionary behind OpenAI, recognizes this bottleneck and is actively seeking investors to enter the chip fray, currently dominated by NVIDIA. With the AI landscape rapidly evolving, Altman's initiative to raise between $5 to $7 trillion is a strategic move to ensure OpenAI remains at the forefront of technological innovation.

• Hugging Face launches Chat Assistant
  Hugging Face is a wholesale distributor of open-source AI models. They are stepping up with a new offering akin to ChatGPT's original version, enhanced with web browsing and custom GPT creation capabilities. While it might not grab headlines just yet, the real game-changer lies in integrating this with other AI tools on their platform for a revolutionary Chat Assistant experience.

• What if your glasses gave you AI superpowers?
  We've seen AI wearables like the Humane AI Pin and Rabbit R1, and now, the introduction of the Frame takes it a step further. These glasses aren't just smart; they're genius, offering web searches, real-time translations, and visual analysis right before your eyes. Plus, they're prescription-friendly. As someone who's delayed getting glasses, the Frame's AI features are making me reconsider.

🤖 Digital Toolbox

In the 'Digital Toolbox,' I mention three (new) tools that you can use for your work now or later.

Anima - Prototype to production, made simple

Anima transforms your design into real, working websites and applications, bridging the gap between visual design and functional product without a line of code. Streamline the transition from prototype to production, making developers and designers work in harmony.

Rows - Spreadsheets that do More

Rows reimagines spreadsheets, turning them into living, breathing dashboards that do the heavy lifting for you. With built-in integrations and the ability to create interactive web apps, Rows transforms your data into actionable insights and automated workflows.

Galilei - Interface design with just a prompt

Galilei is the ChatGPT for interface design. With a simple prompt, Galilei conjures up stunning interfaces for any application. You’ll be presented with multiple options for a visual layout in under a minute, with appropriate UI elements, images, and product copy.

 🧐 Last but not least

• Apple Vision Pro examples: As promised in the previous Dip. I'm now going to drop a ton of videos featuring people, examples, and applications of the Vision Pro. To start off, I particularly had a blast watching people wearing the glasses while crossing the street, sitting in a burger joint, riding the subway, skateboarding or even driving. Or how it looks when you watch sports. Can you imagine it? The second screen is no longer your phone. It's literally a second screen next to your TV screen. You can also use it very effectively for playing piano. Or as a DJ. But also as a developer, real estate agent, or doctor. Or for everyday tasks. Like cooking. When you're conversing with someone in another language. Or want to swipe on Tinder. Or if you want your partner to look like your celebrity crush. The following two examples are amazing: You can simply place 3D objects in your living room. Whether it's a chessboard or a car. And if you want to get an idea of a real review of the Apple Vision Pro, check this one out, where Mark Zuckerberg compares it with his own VR glasses.

• ChatGPT's memory feature: ChatGPT is experimenting with memory within your conversations. By recalling topics discussed across all chats, it eliminates the need for repetitive information and enhances the utility of future conversations.

• ElevenLabs launches a store for voice actors: With the advent of AI, the profession of voice actors seemed to be dying out, especially with tools like ElevenLabs. But ElevenLabs thinks differently. They have launched a store where people can sell their 'voice.' In other words, without uttering a word, you earn money for each word you say.

• AI & the Super Bowl commercials: Last Sunday was the Super Bowl finale. Naturally, everyone was looking forward to the commercials. Check out these 6 commercials where AI plays a role.

• Ikea’s ChatGPT: This is a good example of how a company can deploy a custom GPT. You can simply chat with the entire Ikea collection. This way you receive recommendations based on your specific needs. Try it yourself.

• The final hurdles for the AI Act in Europe have been cleared: All member states are in agreement. In America, there won't be a law. Biden had already announced guidelines there. Now, major companies are lining up behind these guidelines.

• Google launches ImageFX: We've already discussed the massive update from Bard to Gemini. But it also incorporates this image generation model.

• Fake phone call from Biden to voters urged not to vote: The US presidential elections are likely to be the first where we will see widespread disinformation developed with AI. Like this example featuring Biden. Fortunately, this form of disinformation during election time is immediately prohibited.

• Wonder Dynamics launches camera tracking: Wonder Studio can now create your live-action footage or sequence and automatically determine the real camera's movements during the shoot. This means that when you download your 3D scene export file, your CG character moves in the 3D space, not just within the frame space.

• Bye-bye video evidance: Anything in Any Scene can add objects into videos and maintain the same level of photorealism as the original footage.

• Images generated by Open AI now include metadata: This allows anyone (including social platforms and content distributors) to see that an image was generated by OpenAI’s products.

• Text-to-speech with natural language control: You simply type different personas and the voice sound changes accordingly. Take a look here.

• Apple has launched its own image generation model: Apple has launched its own image generation model: Check out 7 examples of Apple's model here.

• Did you knew Putin speaks English?: In the last dip, we shared the English variant of Milei's speech during the WEF. Which went booming online. Now, a Twitter user has done the same with the interview of Tucker Carlson and Putin.

• Meet the X1 Robot: Backed by OpenAI, the X1 Robot has been launched. It is the first robot capable of autonomously plugging and unplugging itself from power.

• A new AI video generation control method: Direct-a-Video can individually or jointly control camera movement and object motion in text-to-video generations.

• 2024 is the year of Large Action Models: Both Microsoft, which recently launched a new action model, and OpenAI are actively working on releasing an action model capable of taking over a user's device and acting as an assistant to perform tasks for the user.

• Introducing Deforum Studio: An easy way to create AI visual masterpieces. Try it yourself.

This was it. Our fifth digital dip together. It might seem like a lot, but remember; this wasn't even everything that happened in the past few weeks. This was just a fraction.

If you'd like to discuss anything mentioned in these or previous Dips, brainstorm your marketing challenges, or organize an inspiration session around AI, feel free to reach out to me. Invite me for a cup of coffee. I'd love to connect with you.

Looking forward what tomorrow brings! ▽

-Wesley