All of Silicon Valley is asking the question of the post-smartphone, the next revolution in personal electronics. The beginning of a response arrived on Thursday, November 9, with the launch of a device full of promise, the Ai Pin.
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The Ai Pin, presented Thursday, November 9, was a highly anticipated device because it has been developed in secret, for five years, by Apple defectors who created the start-up Humane. “Ai Pin” could be translated as “pin doped with artificial intelligence”. It’s a large square brooch, the size of a matchbox, that hangs on the lapel of the jacket or instead of the pocket square. There is no screen, no apps. Just a personal assistant, with which we interact in natural language. For example, we can ask him “What door code did my cousin send me?” and it will look for the right information in the SMS of the right person.
The screen replaced by a projection on the palm of the hand
No need to have a phone at the same time, the Ai Pin is completely autonomous. It has its own SIM card, connects to the internet. You can make and receive calls, listen to music, take photos (but blindly since there is no screen). The goal is really to replace the phone by freeing us from screens and all its distractions.
A system is still capable of projecting information directly onto your hand when you place it in front of the device, such as the weather, or a few lines of text. But this remains very summary. It’s hard to see how we could consult or respond to somewhat long emails, how to follow the news or go on the internet… It’s difficult to do everything with just your voice.
However, this is not the only project of this kind. There is also the one led by Sam Altman, the CEO of the publisher of ChatGPT (OpenAI) and Jonathan Ive, the former designer of the iPhone. They would work together on a revolutionary device, obviously powered by artificial intelligence, and supposed to replace current phones. Once again, we wait and see.
The Ai Pin will not be marketed until early 2024. No one has been able to test it yet. We recall that if smartphones have enjoyed such success, it is thanks to the practical side of certain applications: mapping, GPS, web access, photography. So let’s see what it could look like without a screen.