Case Study: Artemis

Background:

As a father of twin boys, Travis was inspired to enrich the storytelling experience for children in the digital age. This inspiration led to the creation of 'Artemis,' an iOS app designed to generate personalized and meaningful bedtime stories. Travis's vision was to move away from traditional binary narratives of good vs. evil and instead, craft stories with themes of growth, empathy, and redemption that would resonate with young minds.

Challenge:

The challenge was multifaceted: develop an AI system that could create captivating, customized stories based on user inputs (hero, setting, moral), while ensuring these narratives included redemption arcs for all characters, avoiding any scary or inappropriate content. Another significant task was to generate visually appealing storybook covers that matched the quality of the stories.

Solution:

Travis harnessed the power of GPT-3.5 for the storytelling aspect, refining the AI prompts over several weeks to produce engaging, heartwarming, and thoughtful stories. The journey to find the right AI for image generation was a trial of persistence and innovation. Starting with Dall-E 2 and transitioning through a non-official Midjourney API and Leonardo.ai, Travis eventually integrated Dall-E 3 following its release, achieving the high-quality imagery he envisioned.

To safeguard the child-friendly nature of the stories, a robust content moderation system was essential and duly implemented. On the technical side, Travis built an extensive backend to track KPIs, usage, and API costs effectively.

Embracing a personal challenge, Travis chose to develop Artemis using SwiftUI, a new language for him. He ingeniously created a ChatGPT-based code assistant AI to facilitate his learning and assist in the app's development.

Outcome:

Artemis was completed and launched on the App Store within an impressive six-week timeframe, a solo endeavor by Travis. The app not only represents an innovative approach to children's storytelling but also reflects a father's desire to provide meaningful content for his and other children. Artemis stands as a beacon of creativity and technological adaptability, offering stories that are not just entertaining but also enriching, fostering values of empathy and understanding in young readers.