How is artificial intelligence affecting device design?
In this article, you’ll find out what can Humane unlock with screenless technology, but they will share the actual results in the upcoming months. For now, I guess, we’ll just have to believe them.
So, what they intend to do is to make technology invisible but to make its benefits and applications completely present, the way they are right now.
How is that even possible?
Technology becoming invisible affords us new opportunities for how we interact with computing. We’ve become so accustomed to tapping in an app, or moving the cursor with a mouse, that it feels second nature. But that’s by design. The future driven by AI is far better than a future that would involve more screens.
Source: Imran Chaudri TED speech
And that’s the exact idea behind this pioneering product.
They’re building their future products on the idea that humans want to be less tied to the screens but to still be able to enjoy everything that those devices could provide.
As presented on TED earlier this month, Imran Chaudri was able to convert his voice and his message to fluent French in only seconds. In other words, this small and barely noticeable device allows you to speak any language fluently.
“When the computer disappears, it allows us to get back to what really matters. It’s a new ability to be present. Imagine experiencing your child’s first steps without the screen between you. In the future, technology will be both ambient and contextual,” added Chaudri, who’s a former Apple employee.
Another fascinating example that he presented is related to real-world applications and health. Imagine that you are lactose intolerant. You grab a chocolate bar in the supermarket and are not sure how you’ll react to it. The device could scan it and immediately tell you that it contains cocoa powder and that it may be best for you to skip it and find something else.
But finally, the decision is on you, the end user.
From what we know so far, this device could be pinned onto a user’s clothes. Its lightweight and non-intrusive design allows you to forget you’re even wearing it.
The way Chaudri sees it, as the power of computing increased, the size of our computers and devices decreased.
“It’s built entirely from the ground up from artificial intelligence and is completely standalone. You don’t need a smartphone or any other device to pair it with. It interacts with the world the way humans do, hearing what the user hears, seeing what the user sees,” he said.
Their solution could be described by these three words:
- Screenless;
- Seamless;
- Sensing.
Until there are more details about this product available publicly, we can only assume the downsides of this technology. But until then, it’s needless to say that this approach is radical and innovative, challenging all prior device designs.
As Chaudri explained, the Humane company believes that intelligence will be the driving force behind the next leap in device design.
“What’s next in tech? Some believe AR/VR glasses are the answer but they’re merely moving the screens we already have in our lives to being just millimeters away from our eyeballs. A further barrier between you and the world. And the future is not on your face,” he concluded.
