- WeeklyDispatch.AI
- Posts
- Google unveils Duet AI capabilities for Google Cloud
Google unveils Duet AI capabilities for Google Cloud
Plus: Webflow's new AI-first app ecosystem

Welcome to The Dispatch! We are the newsletter that keeps you informed about AI. Each weekday, we scour the web to aggregate the many stories related to artificial intelligence; we pass along the news, useful resources, tools or services, technical analysis and exciting developments in open source. Even if you aren’t an engineer, we’ll keep you in touch with what’s going on under the hood in AI.
Good morning. Today in AI:
Google’s Duet brings AI power to Google Cloud
Georgia (US) school district puts AI in the classroom - starting in kindergarten
Snapchat’s new AI-powered selfie tool ‘Dreams’
Webflow’s AI-first app ecosystem for low-code platform
Trending tools & more
The Story: Google has injected its new Duet AI technology into several key Google Cloud platforms and security products. Unveiled at the Google Cloud Next 2023 conference, Duet AI brings advanced AI capabilities like code generation and natural language processing to BigQuery, Chronicle, and other services.
More Details:
Duet AI provides code suggestions tuned to a user's specific codebase and data context. It can generate full code blocks and functions.
For modernizing applications, Duet AI helps refactor code across languages and to Google Cloud services like Cloud SQL.
Duet AI integrates across the software development lifecycle - testing, deployments, debugging, API design, etc.
For data analysis, Duet AI assists with SQL, Python, Looker integrations to accelerate insights.
It helps with database migration and modernization, like converting Oracle workloads to Cloud Spanner.
Duet AI integrates with Chronicle, Security Command Center, and other security products to aid threat detection and response.
Takeaways: Duet AI is a direct challenge to Microsoft’s Copilot. If you’re a Workspace user, Duet is going to start showing up in practically all the apps you use. These sprawling do-everything tools are core to the future for both major office suites, and both companies believe AI has the potential to change the way we work - on just about anything.
Two new studies have examined the potential of artificial intelligence to improve colonoscopy screening for colorectal cancer - to contrasting results. One study found no significant improvement in detecting premalignant lesions when AI was used. The second study, analyzing over 18,000 colonoscopies, did find AI reduced potentially pre-cancerous polyp miss rates. |
Currently, the role of AI during the colonoscopy is to detect polyps on the screen by placing a green box (GI-Genius, Medtronic) around them, attracting the endoscopist’s attention in real-time. Obstacles include increased procedure time and over-diagnosis of benign polyps. More research is needed to determine if AI colonoscopies reduce cancer incidence and mortality. Overall, AI has the potential to aid colorectal cancer detection but it has not seen as much success as AI in detecting other types of cancer thus far.
Recent surveys show growing consumer distrust and skepticism around artificial intelligence. A global study by Salesforce found nearly 75% of consumers are worried about unethical uses of AI, with trust in companies using AI declining. Over 40% do not trust firms to deploy AI ethically. An Australian survey similarly found 60% believe AI causes more problems than it solves, with 20% fearing it could even risk human extinction by 2043. |
However, familiarity with AI applications remains low. A Pew Research study showed only 18% of Americans have used chatbot ChatGPT, though awareness is higher among young and educated demographics. Despite limited firsthand experience, most Americans favor stronger regulation of AI chatbots, reflecting rising unease with the technology's potential risks. While AI adoption grows, it’s clear the public is asking firms to prioritize ethics and transparency. Ongoing debate continues around balancing AI's benefits against potential downsides.
‘Be flexible, imaginative and brave’: experts give career advice for an AI world
Snapchat launches a new AI selfie feature called ‘Dreams’
Yahoo! mail debuts AI enhancements for a smarter inbox
Not just "messing with a robot": Georgia school district brings AI into classrooms, starting in kindergarten
From our sponsors:
Thistle Delivers Delicious, Healthy Meals Right To Your Door
Why Thistle? Harness Plant Power. Delicious, nutritious plant-forward meals, snacks, and cold-pressed juices, too! Your body deserves the best. Our dishes are designed by nutritionists and crafted by chefs.

-
Low-code web design platform Webflow has launched a built-in app ecosystem highlighting AI, enabling third-party developers to integrate apps directly into the Webflow site builder. New APIs give apps visibility on the canvas and access to backend data like forms and content. This unlocks new functionality so designers can access apps tailored to their needs. Companies like Jasper AI are leveraging it to embed AI-powered writing tools into Webflow's creative workflows. |
Webflow CTO Allan Leinwand believes a combination of front-end and back-end access will be potent, as apps can put functionality right in front of designers while also connecting to Webflow sites. Analogizing Shopify’s successful app marketplace, Leinwand envisions Webflow becoming a similar platform for designers. Seamless integration into platforms like Webflow reduces friction in adoption. As low-code creation gains traction, Webflow's app ecosystem lets developers tap into growing demand.
Drawing from experiences in leading data teams at the New York Times, Monte Carlo CTO Shane Murray underlines that while launching a Gen AI feature via a "tiger team" may provide an initial boost, sustainable value requires an organizational structure that leans on lessons learned from data science teams. He presents five key lessons - best practices that should be top of mind for every data leader thinking about their long-term Gen AI strategy and team structure. |
Gen AI initiatives can't solely be sprint efforts, but need a roadmap that addresses both short-term and long-term goals - especially given the high levels of uncertainty and risk associated with this emerging technology. He advocates for organizing Gen AI teams around high-value use cases and ensuring they are closely aligned with business objectives through the sponsorship of a business leader. In doing so, the success of Gen AI projects (much like those in data science) will greatly depend on how well they are integrated into the broader organizational strategy and structure.
Microsoft infuses AI with human-like reasoning via an “Algorithm of Thoughts”
How do domain-specific chatbots work? An overview of Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)
(Open source) WALDO 2.5 - whereabouts ascertainment for low-lying detectable objects.

Trending AI Tools & Services:
(App) Auro: voice memo summaries
Slingshot AI: building the next generation of video games with characters and mechanics powered by generative AI
AutoApplyAI: let AI apply to your jobs for you
Guidde: create stunning how-to guides with AI
Salssy: AI-powered tool designed to streamline and automate LinkedIn outreach
Guides/resources/fun:
Poe now lets you access the most popular AI chatbots with a single Mac app
Coursera: ChatGPT advanced data analysis
How this simple ChatGPT prompt tweak can help refine your AI-generated content
5 ways leaders can get their time back using ChatGPT
How to use Google Bard on Android
Social media/video/podcast:
Will AI take your job? [Al Jazeera Video]
Custom instructions for ChatGPT coding output [X]
$0 Embeddings (OpenAI vs. free & open source) [YouTube]
SmartGPT: Major Benchmark Broken - 89.0% on MMLU + Exam's Many Errors [YouTube]
(Discussion) ChatGPT is allowing me and my family to dine like kings with very little effort [Reddit]
ChaiGPTea [X]
Did you know?
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is set to host a high-profile, bipartisan artificial intelligence forum on September 13, featuring key players in the tech industry like Elon Musk of Tesla, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Sundar Pichai of Alphabet, Sam Altman of OpenAI, and Satya Nadella of Microsoft.
The closed-door meeting aims to lay the foundation for new AI policy amidst global efforts to regulate generative AI. The forum comes as regulators worldwide scramble to manage the growing impact and risks of AI in areas ranging from national security to the economy.
We need the best of the best sitting at the table: the top AI developers, executives, scientists, advocates, community leaders, workers, national security experts - all together in one room, doing years of work in a matter of months.