Alibaba's cloud storage platform, Quark, has unveiled its most recent innovation: the AI PPT tool. This cutting-edge application, priced at a reasonable $2.66 per month, promises to transform how users create presentation slides, ushering in a new era of efficiency and customization (via South China Morning Post).
Quark's AI PPT takes center stage by leveraging a large language model (LLM) to generate presentation slides seamlessly. Users can either select from a list of preset topics or craft their own, spanning anything from an online marketing campaign to a business plan.
Once an outline is confirmed, the AI swiftly creates a visually appealing slide deck based on a design template. The remarkable speed at which this occurs, demonstrated in a recent test, sets Quark's offering apart in presentation tools.
(FILES) The logo of Alibaba is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai on July 6, 2023. Shares in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba plummeted on November 16, 2023, after the company said it would cancel the spinoff of its cloud computing arm because of US curbs on exports of advanced chips. Alibaba shares were down eight percent in late morning trade on Wall Street. The company had planned to split the group into six distinct entities, with the intention of taking them public.
Freedom to Customize
One standout feature is the flexibility it provides users. While the AI automates the process, individuals can fine-tune the generated outline, add or delete elements, and customize templates for a personalized touch.
According to Zhang Fan, head of Quark's search product, this fusion of content and intelligent tools is poised to elevate user productivity significantly.
SCMP tells us that Alibaba's decision to designate Quark as one of four businesses for "strategic-level innovations" underscores the company's commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology.
CEO Eddie Wu Yongming granted these businesses the autonomy to devise strategies and experiment with novel ideas, positioning Quark as a pioneer in AI-powered applications.
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Pricing and Accessibility
Quark's automated deck-making service initially offers free trials, a strategic move to entice users. After the trial period, it becomes accessible to subscribers of Quark's online document service at a reasonable $2.66 per month, allowing for a maximum of 30 uses.
With these new features, Quark enters the competitive landscape of Chinese Big Tech. Baidu's Ernie Bot, with its advanced ChatGPT equivalent, currently leads the race among local tech giants to offer premium AI services with more than 100 million users.
The AI PPT launch follows Quark's introduction of its self-developed LLM in November, a model with applications ranging from online search and medical to education and office productivity.
Taiwan's Foray Into AI
Beyond China, Taiwan is making strides to establish its presence in the artificial intelligence ecosystem. In response to concerns about China's tech influence, Taiwan has allocated significant funding to develop expertise and tools in the industry, Japan Times reports.
The Trustworthy AI Dialogue Engine (Taide), a language model project, is one such effort, emphasizing the importance of aligning AI models with a nation's core values.
Taiwan's pivot toward AI projects marks a shift from its hardware-dominated tech industry. While the funding for Taide may pale compared to global projects, developers are optimistic that the tool and other locally developed AI initiatives will position Taiwan as a significant player in the software side of the industry.
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