Always-Listening AI: Can These Devices Be Trusted?

Wearables that can act as a second mind are here, but some users and researchers feel they could become a privacy nightmare

- Ivan Mehta

Memory is a fickle thing. You often forget the names of the people you met, your daily tasks, and incidents from your life. It is easy to believe that if you remembered all of these things, you would be more productive or have a better social life.

A new hoard of AI-powered gadgets wants to tap into that belief and build you a "second mind". These new wearables, whether in pendant or wristband form, promise that if you keep them around, allow them to listen to and transcribe your conversations, they will form a long-term memory for you, which you can recall at any point in time. They don't necessarily record all your conversations, but process them in real time to give you insights.

These "personal AI companions"—gadgets like the Bee Computer, Limitless Pendant, Friend pendant, Plaud AI Pin, Pocket and Omi—may vary in their form factors but perform more or less the same functions. They have microphones that listen to you, transcribe your conversations and provide entertainment such as telling jokes or insights like action items from a meeting. Some of them also allow you to ask questions in natural language, such as "When is my upcoming road trip planned?" or "Who are the people I mentioned in my conversation last afternoon?"

Companies are looking at these combinations of AI and hardware from different lenses, including productivity and companionship. Typically, these companies use a mix of AI models like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google Gemini.