- Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber called standalone GenAI hardware useless
- Supports AI integration into existing products such as Logitech webcams and MX Master 4 with Copilot integration.
- Competing methods include Ray-Ban’s Meta Gen 2 smart glasses and Plaud’s NotePin AI recorder.
For Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber, the integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into autonomous hardware is just a “solution in search of a problem that doesn’t exist.”
Logitech is a Swiss manufacturer of PC peripherals that makes keyboards, mice and other components, and its CEO said so in a recent statement. Bloomberg Interview. He said this in connection with the Humane AI Pin and the Rabbit R1, two hardware devices released last year that attracted a lot of criticism.
These products were intended to replace the smartphone in some way, but apparently failed because they were slow, had limited functionality, and were subscription-based.
Integrate AI into existing hardware
But they managed to spark a debate about whether or not general-purpose AI should be integrated into an autonomous device. Faber says these devices can’t do anything that smartphones and computers can’t, and they do it even better.
Instead, he says, companies should focus more on integrating generative AI into their existing products. Logitech webcams are already equipped with artificial intelligence, which means they can shorten the recording when necessary and intelligently filter out background noise. MX Master 4, the successor to one of the most popular computer mice of all time, has a special button that starts ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot.
Ray-Ban is about to do something in this regard. Meta Gen 2 smart glasses are a wearable device that integrates artificial intelligence, cameras, microphone and AR-like functions. The company says it will be useful for hands-free photo and video recording, voice commands, and AI-powered tasks like translation, real-time captioning, and more.
Meanwhile, there are other creative startups developing brand new hardware, such as the portable AI voice recorder Plaud NotePin. This portable pen/clip/tape records audio and uses AI for transcription, speaker tagging and more. It is marketed for meetings, conferences etc
It remains to be seen which approach will ultimately prevail. One thing is certain: the future will be full of AI-powered devices.
IN the record