AI is Supercharging Writers with Sudowrite's Founder, James Yu

"The Cognitive Revolution" | AI Builders, Researchers, and Live Player Analysis

In this episode, Nathan is joined by James Yu, Founder of Sudowrite, an AI writing tool.They discuss how James started Sudowrite after using GPT-3 for his own fiction writing, how Sudowrite is able to be a supportive writing partner, and Yu's experience developing its tech stack and working through the backlash he's received. f you're looking for an ERP platform, check out our sponsor, NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/cognitive

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SPONSORS: Shopify | NetSuite | Omneky

Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of ALL eCommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries.From their all-in-one e-commerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/cognitive

NetSuite has 25 years of providing financial software for all your business needs. More than 36,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ head to NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/cognitive and download your own customized KPI checklist.

Omneky is an omnichannel creative generation platform that lets you launch hundreds of thousands of ad iterations that actually work customized across all platforms, with a click of a button. Omneky combines generative AI and real-time advertising data. Mention "Cog Rev" for 10% off.

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00:00) - Episode Preview

(00:04:28)– How James started using GPT-3 for fiction writing in early beta

(00:08:47) - Using few-shot learning to get good results from early GPT-3

(00:10:25) – Focusing messaging on being a supportive AI writing partner

(00:12:08) – Helping fiction writers feel less lonely through pseudo-conversations with AI

(00:16:01) - Sponsors: Netsuite | Omneky

(00:17:22) - Evolving from paragraph-level assistance to full story understanding

(00:20:19) - Building the product for centaurs: half Human, half AI

(00:32:15) - Using multiple models together to "kitbash" the best outputs

(00:39:21) - Iterating on prompts over time to get a customized "garden"

(00:45:18) - Keeping temperature high for creative writing, but avoiding cliches

(00:54:21) - Separate paths for professional writers vs casual creators

(00:57:30) – The continued role of human-centric art and culture

(01:00:10) - The potential for automation to replace repetitive jobs

(01:07:48) - Yu’s experience launching an AI writing tool and the backlash he received

(01:16:24). - Advice for future AI product launches to avoid or minimize backlash

(01:18:25) - Focusing on delivering value to customers during controversy

(01:28:44) - The idea of an "AI bundle" to reduce churn and customer acquisition costs

(01:42:06) - Recommendations for underrated AI apps - Claude, Pika, Midjourney

The Cognitive Revolution is brought to you by the Turpentine Media network.

Producer: Vivian Meng

Executive Producers: Amelia Salyers, and Erik Torenberg

Editor: Graham Bessellieu

For inquiries about guests or sponsoring the podcast, please email [email protected]