During an amazing conference, the start-up Humane presented a small box without a screen projecting information in the palm of the hand: an intriguing object, doped with AI, which claims to replace smartphones, just that!
The start-up Humane is very mysterious. Founded by two former Apple employees, it has just completed its third fundraising with major investors such as Microsoft, LG, Volvo and OpenAI – for a total of $230 million. However, it is not at all clear what its first commercial product will be, except that the company is working on an artificial intelligence that is supposed to be closer, more “natural”, more “human” and connected to the cloud. An ambitious project that is making a lot of noise in Silicon Valley. Two years ago, a presentation was leaked, revealing a small portable camera looking like a Star Trek badge constantly filming in front of her. She was able to project an image onto the user’s hand so that they could interact with the items displayed. All with the promise of a real revolution in the interactions between man and machine!
Imran Chaudhri, one of the company’s founders, finally solved some of the mystery during a recorded TED Talk in Vancouver last April. On stage, he unveiled a new portable device that was supposed to be an alternative to smartphones, but also to the latest developments in the world of AI. The device is presented as a box without a screen, similar to a badge that one wears on his shirt or polo shirt. It integrates a camera, a speaker, sensors, a projector and, above all, an AI. It is completely autonomous and therefore does not need to be paired with a smartphone, which it must eventually replace.
Humane: information projected in the palm of your hand
Imran Chaudhri’s goal is for us to separate ourselves from screens, which put an additional barrier between the world and us, and to make technology completely invisible. He explains that‘”This is a new type of wearable device, a platform designed entirely for artificial intelligence. […] Il interacts with the world the same way you interact with the world, hearing what you hear, seeing what you see, while respecting your privacy, being safe and completely fading into your life”. Those are some great promises!
During the demonstration, the founder of Humane receives a call from his wife via the device. The projector displays essential information, namely the name of the caller, on the palm of their hand – but it can also do this on any other surface. Imran Chaudhri also asks him to translate his words in real time by imitating his voice, and can directly consult his calendars, notes and e-mails. Moreover, the AI provides him with an audio summary of the photos received, missed e-mails, his next appointments, etc. She also answers questions and suggests addresses for him to buy a gift – is all the information retrieved via the cloud? Finally, the device is able to obtain information about an object placed in front of its camera. Here, Imran Chaudhri presents him with a chocolate bar, which he will analyze according to his user’s dietary restrictions – here, he recommends that he not eat it because of his intolerance to cocoa butter.
Humane: an intriguing prototype to say the least
For Imran Chaudhri, “your AI will become an ever more evolved form of personal memory. The technology of the future will not fit in your hand, or be worn on your head, it may even be completely invisible”. However, this presentation leaves us a little unsatisfied and raises many questions. AT start by using the interface. We know that you have to touch the device to use certain functions, but how does Imran Chaudhri accept his wife’s call, given that he does not press the buttons projected on his hand? Likewise, how does the wearable know which language to translate into, as it only takes two taps to trigger the feature? Since it runs on the cloud, what can it do without an internet connection? Will external conditions, such as noise or strong light, prevent its use? Finally, how to use other applications, to order an Uber or consult social networks for example?
In the end, it is more of a theatrical presentation of a prototype than a real demonstration. AT At this point, it’s hard to see the difference between this device and an Apple Watch, except for a slightly more advanced voice assistant but with limited functions. Besides, is it really necessary to remove the screen? They are still practical for watching videos or playing games! There is also the question of discretion, since everyone can see what is projected by the device and hear what the user asks. In short, the project is rather intriguing, but we do not have enough information to know what the device is really capable of. Normally, Humane should reveal more in the coming months.