AI pendants back in vogue at tech show after early setback
Pendants and brooches packed with artificial intelligence abounded at the Consumer Electronics show_ using cameras and microphones to watch and listen through the day like a vigilant personal assistant.
The return of the wearable tech comes about a year after the discontinuation of a Humane AI Pin panned by reviewers after it was launched amid high expectations in early 2024.
It also comes as OpenAI chief Sam Altman and renowned industrial designer Jony Ive collaborate on a device for interacting with AI_ expected to be ready by next year.
Not everyone is a fan of always-watching neckwear as a fashion accessory.
"Go make some real friends" became common graffiti on New York City subway ads for Friend brand AI pendants late last year to protest "surveillance capitalism."
Nonetheless_ at the CES show in Las Vegas_ gadget makers have pitched AI pendants as note-takers or ways to remember beautiful or important moments of each day.
Technical advances including improved chips have helped overcome early problems with poor battery life_ buggy software_ and stumbling conversations that tainted early pendant models.
China-based laptop titan Lenovo unveiled a prototype pendant from its Motorola subsidiary that allows voice control of its AI assistant Qira.
The device worn around the neck will capture sound and images hands-free. Amazon made a deal to buy wearable AI startup Bee last year_ and Meta acquired AI device company Limitless.
Bee devices are worn on the wrist_ belt or lapel_ and primarily function as an assistant by taking notes_ offering reminders and keeping calendars.
Meanwhile_ Meta has made a priority of developing AI "superintelligence" and is successfully packing AI into Ray-Ban glasses.
Style choices
Companies are taking an array of approaches to wearable AI.
Startup Vocci_ which focuses on AI-assisted notetaking_ has opted for a ring_ while Plaud has a pin as well as a rectangular device barely thicker than a credit card for keeping track of what is being said.
Chinese startup iBuddi came to Las Vegas to present a prototype of a companion medallion aimed at combating screen fatigue.
"Our core philosophy is to build a body-worn AI companion that replaces some phone interactions_ rather than adding another screen that absorbs attention_" iBuddi founder Yin Haitian told AFP.
The entrepreneur_ who aims for a commercial launch in July_ was adamant that iBuddi "is not driven by surveillance" but instead "reacts to the moments that matter instead of continuously recording everything."
A Looki L1 AI wearable_ on the other hand_ continuously captures a wearer's point of view_ promising to advise when to avoid another cup of coffee_ to comment on places or objects around you_ and to summarize each day in a comic strip.
"Consumer expectations regarding privacy haven't gone away entirely_ but they are shifting_" said Avi Greengart_ an analyst at tech research and advisory group_ Techsponential.
"We're already being surveilled by billions of smartphones_ city camera networks and smart devices that we willingly placed in our homes."
The analyst does not expect wearable AI to replace smartphones any time soon but sees them becoming common additions to personal tech ensembles along with smart watches_ rings and glasses.
For those uncomfortable with idea of omnipresent surveillance_ a startup at CES offered "Wearphone" -- a mask with built-in earbuds and microphones designed to help keep conversations private.(AFP)