Joanna Stern's Year with AI Gadgets
From Joann Stern at the WSJ:
Why the gadget rush? The thinking is that the personalized, context-aware future of artificial intelligence demands a new kind of device. Rest assured, though, that smartphone in your pocket will be the brains of the operation for years to come.
AI models interact in a personalized way, so these gadgets aim to give the assistant access to your world. You can talk to it, let it overhear your day and—in the case of glasses—let it see what you’re seeing in real time. The promise is a seamless and hands-free flow of answers, live translations, reminders, coaching and ways to pretend you absolutely pay attention in meetings.
I think, for now, these devices may be overshooting what the hardware can reasonably do. Seems like the sweet spot would be simply focusing on short voice dictation for capturing notes and tasks.
Here’s me, just yesterday:
I’ve long believed there’s a market for a device like this. I’m not sure I want to wear another ring (I already wear a wedding ring and Oura ring), but I’m all for hardware makers entering this category and pushing it forward.
I think of these as devices I’d use when walking my dog because that’s when I feel the pull to capture my thoughts and reminders without getting distracted by my phone.
But, also, where’s Apple in all of this? From me in October:
If I were Apple sure, I guess I’d be working on glasses because it seems like there is some market for them. But I’m not convinced the market for AI glasses is as big as the market could be for an AI pendant device that is…almost any form factor other than something you wear on your face.
And Apple already has a pendant: Apple Watch.
Plus, the silicon, computational power, and cellular connectivity will continue to pose significant challenges for glasses for years to come. However, the Watch form factor is likely only a chip or two away from processing complex AI requests locally on device.
So, if I were Apple, instead of spending resources trying to beat Meta at glasses, or Jony Ive and Sam Altman in the pendant race, I’d be focusing on the pendant they already have.
There’s clearly something brewing with the convergence of small devices that aren’t phones and AI.
But, maybe, two things need to happen:
Hardware makers that aren’t Apple need to narrow the scope of what they can ship for now and stick to short dictation.
Hardware makers that are Apple (Apple), should focus on the AI device they already have.
PS. I also think Apple needs to make a ring for those who don’t want the watch form factor, but that’s a post for another day.
Want more of me? Here’s a video: