Tech startups in Silicon Valley eye wearable AI devices

A screen capture of TED YouTube channel

Global tech companies in Silicon Valley in the United States are actively engaging in the development of wearable artificial intelligence (AI) devices, as attention turns to multimodal AI that recognizes multiple types of data such as text, voice, and images.

According to industry sources, startup Humane Inc. is set to reveal its first AI device – the AI Pin – on November 9. The device can accurately answer questions, such as how many calories are in a specific brand of chocolate.

Humane is a startup founded by a former Apple Inc. employee in 2017 and has received investments totaling $241 million from a group that includes Sam Altman, chief executive officer of OpenAI that created ChatGPT, Microsoft, Volvo, Salesforce, SK networks, and LG Technology Ventures.

SK networks invested $22 million in Humane and secured a 2.6 percent stake.

Global tech startups in Silicon Valley, such as Humane, are active in the development of wearable AI devices such as the AI Pin. Humane’s AI Pin is attached to clothing via magnets and contains AI based on ChatGPT.

The device also has a function that projects a screen onto the hand using a laser projector. Equipped with cameras, speakers, and various sensors, the device collects a wide range of information with the goal of creating a personalized AI assistant.

Humane is not alone.

Startup Rewind is soon expected to release an AI pendant called the Rewind Pendant, which records and stores everything the user says and hears in text format. This record is stored on a smartphone and can be accessed through AI when needed.

Meta also recently unveiled its second-generation smart glasses that embrace the concept of wearable AI as the glasses incorporate Meta’s chatbot, Meta AI.

When wearing the glasses, consumers can ask Meta AI questions and receive spoken answers. Meta’s new smart glasses have multimodal abilities, allowing for commands such as, “Tell me what I’m looking at.”

In September, there were media reports that OpenAI CEO Altman met with iPhone designer Jonathan Ive and discussed the development of new AI devices.

The influx of AI wearable devices comes amid a paradigm shift towards multimodal AI, in which AI recognizes text, voice, and images, making it much easier to interact with.

Wearable devices enable AI to recognize commands and provide responses, making human-AI interaction more feasible.