Startup Humane has given potential customers their first glimpse at a new, wearable artificial-intelligence (AI) personal assistant.
Key Details
- Humane, founded by former Apple employees Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, gave a demonstration of the new device during a TED Talk.
- The video of Chaudhri demonstrating the device leaked online ahead of the TED Talk’s release.
- “It’s a new kind of wearable device and platform that’s built entirely from the ground up for artificial intelligence,” Chaudhri says as he demonstrates the device. “And it’s completely standalone. You don’t need a smartphone or any other device to pair with it.”
Why it’s news
Humane has been highly secretive about the project, but the leaked video gives audiences insight into the future of wearable technology. A device without the traditional touch screen would be a new leap forward in personal tech.
Chaudhri wears the device in his breast pocket as he demonstrates its capabilities. He controls it through voice commands, similar to how users operate an Alexa or Home Pod, The Verge reports. The device also responds to gesture commands.
During the presentation, Chaudhri demonstrates how the device can summarize emails, calendar invites, and messages a user may have missed during a meeting. Where the device pulls the information from is undetermined, as Chaudhri mentioned, the device does not need to be connected to a smartphone.
The AI assistant can also project a screen onto nearby surfaces. Chaudhri demonstrates this as he receives a phone call from his wife and projects the screen onto his hand. Chaudhri does not interact with the projection, but there are button-like images on the projected screen.
The device also features a camera that can identify objects around it. Chaudhri shows the camera a chocolate bar which the AI identifies, then gives Chaudhri recommendations on whether or not to eat it based on his diet.
Toward the end of the demonstration, Chaudhri uses the AI to translate a sentence. Chaudhri speaks, holds down a button on the device, and a moment later, the AI repeats the sentence in French.
“We like to say that the experience is screenless, seamless, and sensing, allowing you to access the power of compute while remaining present in your surroundings, fixing a balance that’s felt out of place for some time now,” Chaudhri says.
