All hardware will essentially become AI hardware. LUI and voice-first UIs, enabled by advancements such as GPT-4’s emotional nuance capabilities, are positioning themselves as potential successors to the graphical user interface (GUI) era ushered in by touchscreens.
The cost of trial and error is significantly higher in hardware development compared to software. A more pragmatic short-term strategy might focus on perfecting the foundational experience of existing devices while seamlessly incorporating large AI models to enhance functionality, emphasizing incremental innovation.
For challengers to truly compete with dominant mobile internet giants, redefining hardware and interaction paradigms around AI models is essential. Wearables, particularly head-mounted devices, are ideally positioned to fulfill this role, tapping into rich sensory inputs such as visual tracking, spatial audio, and olfactory detection.
Smart glasses have emerged as a significant category hardware, exemplified by the success of Ray-Ban Meta and Google's similar devices being developed in Project Astra. Unlike traditional augmented reality (AR) devices that focus on visual overlays, these smart glasses are designed for “living in the moment,” emphasizing photography and videography as their primary functions.
Innovation in AI-integrated wearables is common, with devices like smart rings and smartwatches offering unique advancements such as gesture detection technology and mental health monitoring.
Toys are an ideal hardware platform for integrating Language User Interfaces (LUI). Companies like Haivivi and Curio have developed AI-powered plush toys that engage children in interactive experiences.
Several innovative hardware products, including Amazon, TikTok, startup fundraising initiatives, and Kickstarter, have emerged in the market of generative AI, highlighting the rapidly evolving landscape in this field.