A mysterious startup from ex-Apple employees has finally shown what it’s working on: An AI-powered wearable that works a bit like a Star Trek communicator badge.
The startup, Humane, debuted the screenless-device in a TED Talk on Thursday and footage has since leaked online. In the videos, Humane’s Chairman, Imran Chaudhri—a former director of design at Apple—wears the device, which looks like a name badge.
Chaudhri then mentions how phones, although powerful, can be cumbersome, requiring you to constantly pull them out of your pocket or purse. In response, his company is working on an “invisible” device that can be easily accessed and tap into powerful AI programs.
In the demo, Chaudhri shows the badge-like device translating his comments into fluent French in what sounds similar to his own voice. “This is not a deepfake, in fact, it’s deeply profound. This is my AI giving me the ability to speak any language,” he says.
In another demo, Chaudhri conducts a phone call with the device. Although the badge has no display, it contains a projector, which can display an image if you place your hand or object over it. As a result, the projector is able to show who’s calling him as he holds his hand up against his chest.
“This is my wife, I’m going to have to get this,” he says as the phone call starts.
The device can also perform other functions, including summing up the details of your recent meetings and notifications, in addition to answering your queries, according to Inverse.
The product also appears to contain a camera. Other footage from the TED Talk shows Chaudhri holding up a chocolate bar and asking the device, “Can I eat this?” The hardware’s onboard AI then sees the chocolate bar and says: “A milky bar contains cocoa butter. Given your intolerance you may want to avoid it.”
We’ll have to wait for more details, like how much the device weighs, its battery life, and how much it might cost. In the meantime, the company recently received another $100 million in Series C round, putting the total raised funds at $230 million, according to TechCrunch.