- Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber deemed standalone GenAI hardware useless
- She advocates integrating AI into existing products, such as Logitech webcams and MX Master 4 with Copilot integration.
- Competing approaches include Ray-Ban’s Meta Gen 2 smart glasses and Plaud’s NotePin AI recorder.
For Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber, integrating generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into autonomous hardware is just a “solution in search of a problem that doesn’t exist.”
Logitech is a Swiss PC peripherals maker that makes keyboards, mice and other components, and its CEO made these greetings in a recent interview with Bloomberg. She said this in the context of Humane AI Pin and Rabbit R1 – two hardware gadgets released last year that attracted widespread criticism.
These products were supposed to replace the smartphone in some ways, but apparently failed due to their slowness, limited functionality, and being locked into subscriptions.
Integrate AI into existing hardware
That being said, they managed to spark a conversation about whether general-purpose AI should be integrated into a standalone device. Faber says there’s nothing these devices can do that smartphones and PCs can’t do – and do better at it.
Instead, companies should focus more on integrating generative AI into their existing products, she believes. Logitech webcams are already AI-powered in the sense that they can crop the shot if necessary and filter out background noise intelligently. MX Master 4, the successor to one of the most famous computer mice, has a dedicated button that brings up ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot.
Ray-Ban is on track to achieve something along these lines. Its Meta Gen 2 smart glasses are a wearable that integrates AI, cameras, mic, and AR-like features, and the company says they will be useful for hands-free photo and video capture, voice commands, and AI-assisted tasks like translation, live captions, and more.
At the same time, there are other creative startups building entirely new hardware, like the Plaud NotePin Wearable AI Voice Recorder. This wearable pin/clip/neck strap records audio and uses AI to transcribe, label speakers, and more. It is marketed for meetings, conferences and the like.
Which approach will ultimately succeed – we will have to wait and see. One thing is certain: the future will be filled with AI-powered gadgets.
Via The register
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