The future of AI gadgets

The Coolest AI Hardware at CES

If 2023 was the year of chatbots, 2024 is the year of AI-powered hardware. CES was packed with new AI gadgets. Some noteworthy mentions:

Rabbit unveiled R1, a new AI-powered assistant that fits in your pocket: 

• The R1 consolidates all of your apps onto a single device and manages them for you, so you don’t have to shuffle between apps to get tasks done.

• Through simple voice commands, the R1 can perform tasks from calling you an Uber to buying your online groceries and more.

• It runs on a “Large Action Model,” a type of AI that learns how to use different apps by observing how humans interact with them. 

• The R1 is available for pre-order for $199—and already sold 10,000 units in a single day.

Samsung announced a revamped version of its robot household assistant Ballie, to be released later this year:

• The basketball-shaped robot rolls around its user’s home using AI to manage home appliances, feed pets, monitor home security, and more. 

• Ballie’s new signature feature? An integrated projector that can display video calls, workout videos, and more on various surfaces around the house. 

• Ballie also uses AI to learn your routines—so it can switch on the coffee machine at 7:55 AM to be ready for your 8 AM call. 

More cool hardware announcements:

• Smart mirrors: The Anura Magic Mirror can gather important health data and provide disease risk assessments, while BMind Smart Mirror uses AI to support mental health and wellness.

• Snoring shields: The Motion Pillow uses AI to detect snoring—and slowly inflates the pillow to help open airways.

• Hologram communication: Holoconnects’ Holobox resembles a telephone booth and displays realistic-looking holographic projections.

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When AI Meets Cars

Fasten your seatbelts: AI is steering us towards a new era of smart cars and next-level mobility solutions.

LLMs are powering in-vehicle voice assistance:

• Volkswagen is bringing ChatGPT to its IDA by mid-2024. Drivers will soon be able to adjust vehicle functionalities (like volume, temperature, and seat positioning) with just their voice.

• BMW is improving its Amazon Alexa voice assistant with the integration of Alexa’s LLM.

• Mercedes introduced an AI virtual assistant powered by a proprietary LLM, which will be able to suggest actions based on the driver’s routine (like rescheduling an appointment if you’re running late or reserving a parking space).

 Intel is going all-in on automotive:

• The company launched the first AI-focused chip for cars: an AI-enhanced system-on-a-chip (SoC). Now, car manufacturers will be able to build AI PCs into their vehicles. 

• Vehicles powered by these SoCs will have better voice assistants, video conferencing capabilities, PC gaming for the backseat, and more.

• Intel also announced the acquisition of Silicon Mobility, a French startup developing automotive chips and software for electric vehicles.

The GPT Store Is Here

OpenAI broke new ground on Wednesday with the launch of its highly anticipated GPT Store—essentially an App Store for custom GPTs. Anyone with a Plus or Enterprise account can access the store and share their GPTs.

How can you make money with GPTs? OpenAI hinted at the launch of a GPT builder revenue program in Q1: Builders will get paid based on user engagement with their GPTs. But the company has yet to specify participation criteria (i.e. who qualifies and how high the pay-outs will be). 

My take? I think the GPT Store’s monetization strategy will look more like Spotify than Apple’s App Store: Instead of builders setting the price tag for their GPT, OpenAI will likely share some of its subscriber fees with the creators of popular GPTs.

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• OpenAI finally responded to the New York Times’ lawsuit.

• Getty Images partnered with Nvidia to bring generative AI to stock photo creation. 

• A combination of advanced AI and cloud computing discovered a new battery material that could reduce lithium use by up to 70%. 

• Walmart is bringing generative AI to shopping. 

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GPT Store deep dive: Check out this new video in which I cover everything you need to know about the GPT Store (and more OpenAI news!):

TED Talk: Watch OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever explore the transformative power of AGI: