In some quarters, the rise of AI has sparked the urge to invent all-new devices, which are deeply invested in that technology but which look and function differently from any products we've owned before.
These range from head-mounted XR devices, such as headsets and glasses, to pins, necklaces, phone accessories and whatever mystery product former Apple designer Jony Ive and OpenAI are developing in secret.
But what if, in pursuit of these new devices, we overlook the fact that the ultimate AI form factor is something we all already own? It could even be that the best way to deploy AI is through tech that dates back to the 19th century.
I'm talking about headphones.
There hasn't been a lack of evolution in personal audio over the years, but integrating AI into headphones is giving them a new lease on life, says Dino Bekis, vice president of wearables at chipmaker Qualcomm. We're starting to see this with devices like Apple's new AirPods Pro 3.
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The impact of AI on headphones will be twofold, says Bekis. First, it will build on improvements we've already seen, such as the ability to easily switch among active noise cancellation, transparency and other listening modes.
Instead of that being something we need to control manually, the headphones themselves will increasingly handle it all dynamically. Sensors on board, layered with AI, become more adept at reading and understanding our immediate surroundings.
Bekis says that maybe your headphones could alert you to someone trying to get your attention by recognizing your name being called, even if you're listening to music with ANC enabled. If you're on a call, walking along a busy street, they could alert you to traffic dangers, sirens or someone who might be walking close behind you.
But where he really sees AI headphones coming into their own is in the interactions you'll have with AI agents. These personal assistant-like versions of artificial intelligence will operate autonomously with our devices and services on our behalf.
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