Creativity AI #40: Updated AI tools. Claude create files, NotebookLM teaches
Latest Midjourney Office Hours, Runway's Gen:48 award, Claude's new file creation capabilities, Google updated NotebookLM, Napkin's mind map, Inspiration
Creativity AI is a free weekly publication that brings together interesting articles and recent developments in AI art and creativity.
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News about AI art
Midjourney latest Office Hours (Sep 10th, 2025) revealed some interesting updates coming soon. V7.1 is running about a month late but should drop in 1-2 weeks, with V8 developing alongside it. David says V8 is a major step forward (yeah, he often says that for the past version update).
The Style Explorer is admittedly buggy right now. The "Top" and "Hot" sections aren't updating, style counts are stagnant, and the whole thing feels stale. But they're fixing it now. Expect more functionality in weeks and experimental interfaces within a month. We shall see.
Social features like the user profile and prompt battles are in development.
These features are planned after the V8 release: more video features, multiple editing tool approaches, better personalization, advanced style exploration, plus a mix of fast and slow generation algorithms.
Runway Gen:48 Aleph Edition has announced its award winners, with the top winner's video being particularly amusing. It's worth checking out the official site to support these AI video creators.
Claude's new file creation capabilities landed with both excitement and caution. You can now create and edit Excel, PowerPoint, Word docs, and PDFs directly in Claude. Then it will turn raw data into polished outputs with charts and insights. But there's a catch. The feature gives Claude internet access through a sandbox environment, creating potential security risks through prompt injection attacks. Hackers could potentially embed hidden instructions in files to steal sensitive data.
Remember when Perplexity launched Comet? Those who rushed to adopt it later discovered hackers could crawl back and potentially steal bank account information. The same caution applies here. My take? Play with it using fake information first. Let others test the waters before handling anything sensitive.
The feature (awkwardly named "Upgraded file creation and analysis") is basically Anthropic's version of ChatGPT's Code Interpreter. It's available for Max, Team, and Enterprise users now, with Pro users getting access "in the coming weeks." Cool feature, but proceed with caution.
Google NotebookLM just got seriously upgraded with AI-powered learning features that actually help you master subjects.
The standout additions:
Create flashcards and quizzes from your documents
Generate tailored reports like blog posts
New "Learning Guide" offers personalized tutoring
Audio Overviews now include Brief, Critique, and Debate formats
I particularly like customizing the audio overview angle that gives you control over what the AI "podcast" focuses on. Though I hit some bugs with longer audio generation failing midway and the mobile app struggling with downloads. Hopefully, these kinks get ironed out soon.
See all the new features here
Napkin expanded its mindmap generation with more formats, orientations, and styles for creating infographics and diagrams. You get 500 AI credits weekly for free (it was previously unlimitedly FREE), but heavy users will need the $9/month plan.
Read here for an introduction of Napkin.ai
Two caveats: (1) There's no easy way to import NotebookLM mindmaps for editing in Napkin. Still, it's a solid option if you need quick, stylized visual representations of your ideas. (2) You cannot remove the Napkin watermark as a free user
Link to video —> here
I asked Perplexity to generate content “Why should someone subscribe to Geeky Curiosity? List 5 points” then I use the content to generate the mind map in Napkin. Pretty cool yeah?
Update from Geeky Curiosity
I hope you're having a fantastic week! Mine's been absolutely wild. My day job as a vet keeps getting busier and busier, and wow, the to-do list just keeps growing. Usually things slow down as we approach year-end, but not this year! Veterinary work? Not for the faint of heart.
Then again, what job actually is easy-peasy, hein? Let's all take a breather and create some cool AI art together!
Link to the music in case the player doesn’t work.
Refreshed Midjourney Style Resources
The Midjourney Style Resources #18 has been updated to V7 aesthetics.
Inspiration
Exaggerated settings grab attention and make people pause mid-scroll. I've been experimenting with transforming everyday scenes into something completely unexpected by pushing elements to extremes. The results? I’m keep on looking at them too!
an infinite grocery aisle filled with surreal oversized produce, bananas the size of boats, shoppers dwarfed by food, dreamlike lighting and warped perspective --ar 16:9 --profile uw4q9o7
a laundromat transformed into a neon-lit cosmic control center, glowing machines pulsing like alien tech, customers in bizarre space uniforms, vivid purples and electric blues --ar 16:9 --profile uw4q9o7 --v 7
morning commute as a hoverboard race, people in suits flying past holographic billboards, glowing trails in a futuristic cityscape, vibrant sunrise glow --ar 16:9 --profile uw4q9o7 --v 7 
family dinner reimagined with magical realism, floating dishes, conversations glowing in the air, time warping gently around a glowing table, warm golden ambiance --ar 16:9 --profile uw4q9o7 --v 7 
bus stop floating above volcanic ocean, crystal whales swooping down to board passengers, sky glows with magma mist, gravity-defying architecture --ar 16:9 --profile uw4q9o7 --v 7 
hair salon as a galactic command bridge, stylists using laser combs to manipulate solar systems, mirrors showing galaxies, clients steering planets via hairdryers --ar 16:9 --profile uw4q9o7 --v 7
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Free Geeky Animals' Sref code: 4179004911
Prompts are created using MJ Simple Prompt Generator (+ my brief idea)
. --sref 4179004911 --sv 6 --v 7 
zen garden with raked sand and bonsai trees, soft golden light, clean composition, calming textures, meditative ambiance, photographic detail --ar 16:9 --sref 4179004911 --profile uw4q9o7 --sv 6 --v 7 
minimalist living space, soft beige and white palette, natural light streaming through sheer curtains, peaceful and uncluttered, photographic style --ar 16:9 --sref 4179004911 --profile uw4q9o7 --sv 6 --v 7 
forest path in morning fog, warm ambient light filtering through tall trees, soft focus, calming solitude, photographic mood --ar 16:9 --sref 4179004911 --profile uw4q9o7 --sv 6 --v 7 
Cover prompt: zen garden with raked sand and bonsai trees, soft golden light, clean composition, calming textures, meditative ambiance, photographic detail --ar 16:9 --sref 4179004911 --profile uw4q9o7 --sv 6 --v 7
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Thank you for reading and happy creating!