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Why wouldn't the device just be your ear buds connected to your phone? I already use siri all the time as I usually have my AirPods in and it works great. That

Why wouldn't the device just be your ear buds connected to your phone? I already use siri all the time as I usually have my AirPods in and it works great. That seems like a much more likely device to access our digital assistance than some necklace or pin. Better yet, you could just pair it with your smartwatch and not even need the phone. I'm still deeply skeptical on voice driven tech as we have had that available and easy to use from various devices for over a decade now and it hasn't taken off for tons of reasons. I just am not going to have a conversation with my computer with others around.

hbn 2y ago
I agree. No matter how good LLMs and voice recognition get, having a screen is still the best way of inputting and reading information in many scenarios. If I'm trying to find a restaurant to go to, unless I'm in a real "just decide for me" mood, I want a screen. I can read fast, see pictures of the food, open multiple browser tabs to remember potential options, quickly scroll menus, etc. I don't want a voice slowly reading me out the names of restaurants one-by-one. And that's just finding a restaurant. Imagine using voice input to book a flight. I feel sick just thinking about it.
- imiric 2y ago
  For visual content we'll need some kind of screen, of course. But I don't think this will be in the form of a rectangular slab we carry in our pockets, where we use our fingers as input. It's much more likely that it will be in the form of lightweight glasses, and eventually contact lenses, or if we get to that sooner, directly in contact with our visual cortex. It's scary to think about today, but we'll get there eventually. As for input, think about how slow, clunky and imprecise touch typing really is. I'm typing this on my phone right now, and it's still infuriating. And this is after more than 15 years of perfecting this technology. This is just the best it's ever going to get. Voice recognition OTOH, if it gets to a state where it's 100% reliable, understands all our accents and nuances, in all kinds of environments, then it's not difficult to imagine it becoming the primary input method. And in recent years, LLMs have made generational leaps in this area to the point where this can finally be a competent option. You won't need to have a list of restaurants read back to you, or have to have long interactions to book a flight or vacation. This is what the Rabbit device is trying to sell, and they at least have the right idea. The AI will have deep knowledge about you, so that just by saying "book me a restaurant tonight", it will make the right decision for you. At least, that's the idea. I think we'll get there eventually, even if the Rabbit is not the device that does it today.
  - vunderba 2y ago
    Tell me how you're going to use voice input in a library, or for that matter any environment where noise is socially frowned upon. Voice input can definitely function as a primary source of input, but you're always going to need a secondary source as a backup.
imiric 2y ago
> Why wouldn't the device just be your ear buds connected to your phone? Because nobody will realistically wear ear buds for long periods of time. This tech needs to be entirely unobtrusive if the goal is to blend in with our lives 24/7, and we're heading in that direction, for better or worse. > I'm still deeply skeptical on voice driven tech as we have had that available and easy to use from various devices for over a decade now and it hasn't taken off for tons of reasons. Voice recognition has only gotten _really_ good in the past couple of years, with the advent of LLMs. E.g. Whisper, etc. This is enough of a generational leap to transform how much we rely on the tech. > I just am not going to have a conversation with my computer with others around. Honestly, I can't imagine myself doing that either. But if you think of a scenario where the tech is so good that it understands your intent from short commands, with 100% accuracy, in every type of environment, then it's not so farfetched. Especially once everyone else starts doing it, it will seem as normal as people interacting with screens is today. I don't think we'll hold long conversations with AI in public, or around others. Just as some people avoid doing that with humans today. But for short interactions like "record this moment", or "remind me to ...", it certainly seems plausible. The device doesn't even need to respond back. It should be reliable enough that you're always sure it understood you. But we'll certainly hold long conversations with AI in private. For collaboration, companionship, etc. In either scenario, a smartphone or smartwatch are just not the devices that will deliver that experience.
- mulderc 2y ago
  People already wear earbuds all day. Go to any college campus and tons of those kids never take them out, even when taking with each other. Lots of people at work keep them in most of the day. I am pretty sure I wear my AirPods Pro more than I wear my glasses. Voice recognition is already really good but people barely use what their devices can already do. For these short interactions you are talking about, our phones can already do this and people rarely use it. Our home assistants can already do much of what you are talking about and uptake has been abysmal because people don't like it. The smart phone and smartwatch paired with earbuds already does what you are wanting. Hell the HomePod/alexa/google home already do much of what you are taking about and people don’t use it.

hbn 2y ago

I agree. No matter how good LLMs and voice recognition get, having a screen is still the best way of inputting and reading information in many scenarios. If I'm trying to find a restaurant to go to, unless I'm in a real "just decide for me" mood, I want a screen. I can read fast, see pictures of the food, open multiple browser tabs to remember potential options, quickly scroll menus, etc. I don't want a voice slowly reading me out the names of restaurants one-by-one. And that's just finding a restaurant. Imagine using voice input to book a flight. I feel sick just thinking about it.

imiric 2y ago
For visual content we'll need some kind of screen, of course. But I don't think this will be in the form of a rectangular slab we carry in our pockets, where we use our fingers as input. It's much more likely that it will be in the form of lightweight glasses, and eventually contact lenses, or if we get to that sooner, directly in contact with our visual cortex. It's scary to think about today, but we'll get there eventually. As for input, think about how slow, clunky and imprecise touch typing really is. I'm typing this on my phone right now, and it's still infuriating. And this is after more than 15 years of perfecting this technology. This is just the best it's ever going to get. Voice recognition OTOH, if it gets to a state where it's 100% reliable, understands all our accents and nuances, in all kinds of environments, then it's not difficult to imagine it becoming the primary input method. And in recent years, LLMs have made generational leaps in this area to the point where this can finally be a competent option. You won't need to have a list of restaurants read back to you, or have to have long interactions to book a flight or vacation. This is what the Rabbit device is trying to sell, and they at least have the right idea. The AI will have deep knowledge about you, so that just by saying "book me a restaurant tonight", it will make the right decision for you. At least, that's the idea. I think we'll get there eventually, even if the Rabbit is not the device that does it today.
- vunderba 2y ago
  Tell me how you're going to use voice input in a library, or for that matter any environment where noise is socially frowned upon. Voice input can definitely function as a primary source of input, but you're always going to need a secondary source as a backup.

imiric 2y ago

> Why wouldn't the device just be your ear buds connected to your phone? Because nobody will realistically wear ear buds for long periods of time. This tech needs to be entirely unobtrusive if the goal is to blend in with our lives 24/7, and we're heading in that direction, for better or worse. > I'm still deeply skeptical on voice driven tech as we have had that available and easy to use from various devices for over a decade now and it hasn't taken off for tons of reasons. Voice recognition has only gotten _really_ good in the past couple of years, with the advent of LLMs. E.g. Whisper, etc. This is enough of a generational leap to transform how much we rely on the tech. > I just am not going to have a conversation with my computer with others around. Honestly, I can't imagine myself doing that either. But if you think of a scenario where the tech is so good that it understands your intent from short commands, with 100% accuracy, in every type of environment, then it's not so farfetched. Especially once everyone else starts doing it, it will seem as normal as people interacting with screens is today. I don't think we'll hold long conversations with AI in public, or around others. Just as some people avoid doing that with humans today. But for short interactions like "record this moment", or "remind me to ...", it certainly seems plausible. The device doesn't even need to respond back. It should be reliable enough that you're always sure it understood you. But we'll certainly hold long conversations with AI in private. For collaboration, companionship, etc. In either scenario, a smartphone or smartwatch are just not the devices that will deliver that experience.

mulderc 2y ago
People already wear earbuds all day. Go to any college campus and tons of those kids never take them out, even when taking with each other. Lots of people at work keep them in most of the day. I am pretty sure I wear my AirPods Pro more than I wear my glasses. Voice recognition is already really good but people barely use what their devices can already do. For these short interactions you are talking about, our phones can already do this and people rarely use it. Our home assistants can already do much of what you are talking about and uptake has been abysmal because people don't like it. The smart phone and smartwatch paired with earbuds already does what you are wanting. Hell the HomePod/alexa/google home already do much of what you are taking about and people don’t use it.