Apple's AirTag-Sized AI Pin: Everything We Know

[McTool]

Bloomberg = Gruman

 

[Mega ST]

I wouldn't feel comfortable with other people constantly monitoring everything around them and possibly me by their new AI-devices and sending me and my private words, location and such to some AI data center for commercial intelligence and data mining. I would prefer to have a special light or similar indicating that somebody is recording others and to legally require filtering everybody else's data.

 

[Jana_CZ]

Don’t need that. And I definitely don’t need you having it.

You don't need that. But e.g. visually impaired people might.

 

[eifelbube]

I suppose that's part of why they made sure it won't record any photos/video.

Who is they?

 

[JohnC1959]

Who is they?

According the article, Apple won't have this new device record any video/photos. Apparently it will just analyze the image without otherwise saving the image in any way. Who knows what will really happen until it comes out but apparently that's the plan.

 

[eifelbube]

"A thousand songs in your pocket" (Jobs' iPod introduction).

Who asked for that? (many MR responses).

One of two dozen reflexive responses here to newly released Apple products over the last 20+ years.

If the pin has a camera that can capture (The Information) as opposed to just sense the surroundings (Bloomberg), the question “Who asked for that” is perfectly justified. In that case, comparing initial reactions to the iPod — a passive listening device — with those to a capture-camera equipped AI pin — an active surveillance device — is comparing apples to oranges.

 

[citysnaps]

If the pin has a camera that can capture (The Information) as opposed to just sense the surroundings (Bloomberg), the question “Who asked for that” is perfectly justified. In that case, comparing initial reactions to the iPod — a passive listening device — with those to a capture-camera equipped AI pin — an active surveillance device — is comparing apples to oranges.

It wasn't intended to be a comparison. Rather, the expected reflexive panning of any new Apple product.

 

[eifelbube]

According the article, Apple won't have this new device record any video/photos. Apparently it will just analyze the image without otherwise saving the image in any way. Who knows what will really happen until it comes out but apparently that's the plan.

It appears from the article that there are two competing rumors pertaining to the capability of the camera:

Apple plans to add a camera to the AI pin, but rumors are mixed on what the camera will do.​

​

Bloomberg says the pin will have a low-resolution camera that gives it info about its surroundings rather than a camera for capturing photos and videos. The camera will be always-on and always recording, but users will not be able to use it for images.​

​

The Information believes there will be two front cameras, one with a standard lens and one with a wide-angle lens for capturing photos and videos​

Hopefully, The Information’s information turns out to be wrong.

 

[disiliquent]

In the mid 21st century, Huxley, Orwell, and all their post-WWII dystopian ilk have been revealed as a bunch of simpering Pollyannas who saw the world through a succession of rose colored gin & tonics. The notion that totipresent surveillance being forced on an unwilling populace is as quaint as whalebone stays, and as useless. We pay to have every breath we take scrutinized the better to control us. We don't just accept it, we demand it as a basic human right. Who can live now, without the utterly pointless attention of thousands of strangers?

Future historians, should there by any, will no doubt compare our screen addiction to ancient Rome's lead-lined aqueducts, the primary difference being that brain damage from lead poisoning isn't heritable.

 

[johnsawyercjs]

Future historians, should there by any, will no doubt compare our screen addiction to ancient Rome's lead-lined aqueducts

Interesting fact: the higher lead levels found in skeletons in Roman-era cemeteries in Londinium (up to 70 times higher than those in remains from pre-Roman Iron Age Britain) wasn't mostly due to exposure through water delivered through lead-lined pipes. The insides of these pipes accumulated mineral layers, mostly calcium carbonate, that greatly reduced lead leaching, and the water also flowed through these pipes all the time rather than staying stagnant, which is needed to produce leaching.

Greater sources of lead exposure (somewhat more than half) were from the air, from lead mining and smelting to make those pipes and other products, as well as a grape syrup called sapa that was intentionally reduced in lead containers, producing sweet-tasting lead acetate, which was also added to wine, but supposedly even this wasn't a widespread source for lead poisoning (at least for people who didn't drink heavily). A bigger contributor to lead poisoning than that was supposedly lead-based ceramic repairs, where Romans repaired broken vessels using clamps and rivets, or just poured in molten lead to seal cracks.

But these practices varied all throughout the Roman Empire, as did the hardness of water sources, so some parts of the empire where water was delivered through lead pipes suffered from the symptoms of lead poisoning, but other parts didn't suffer nearly as much.

Thank you for coming to my FRED talk.

 

[mandopicker101]

Based on the threadbare details, I could see myself being interested in this.

I’m hard of hearing and an external sensor like this for iPhone appeals to me as being potentially useful…if it builds on existing capability in my iPhone/Watch set up.

Accepting the premise that one of its functions is looking/listening to your surroundings, it could be an enhanced version of the sounds detection feature in iOS. Making another suppositional leap, if Siri were able to take situational and contextual data, then it could highlight certain sounds, say an announcement my gate has 15 minutes to closure in an airport or my train is cancelled (but I can use my ticket on the next service leaving from platform 12). In a busy airport/train station etc, I do miss parts of speech despite the tech in my hearing aids.

Equally, what if I could tell Siri to listen for certain people whose voices I’ve already trained it on? That could be very useful in those ‘cocktail party’/family gathering situations.

 

[Ifti]

So basically it will be tracking everything you do and say. Eyes and ears.
All part of a bigger plan I'd say.........

 

[Mega ST]

Tracking other people is bad and would not be legal in my country without prior consent because of privacy laws.
Every wearer might soon be suspected to spy on everybody else? Like smart glass wearing people that were confronted or even attacked by some.

 

[Itinj24]

My eyes and ears always watching and listening listening isn't being uploaded to the cloud, then analyzed, dissected, monetized, scrutinized and archived for essentially eternity. Additionally, it can only be accessed by me.

It's about as similar as apples and oysters.

Not completely. Take a look at law enforcement, for one example. The Officer’s brain is the recording device and their memory is used in a court of law. My point is, if it’s in public, plain view, you have no expectation of privacy. Anything can be recorded and that’s the whole point of the 1A (if you live in the US). If all of that you listed worries you, then perhaps staying inside with the blinds down will provide you some comfort. There’s cameras everywhere already but if this pin can help someone with a sensory disability, then I’m all for it.

 

[alphaswift]

I hope this makes it through. It may lay an egg like Vision Pro, but the attempt is always worth it from a customer prospective. Kind of like what Samsung was doing with their different phone designs 15 years ago and the breadth of products Huawei manages now.

 

[Mega ST]

Not completely. Take a look at law enforcement, for one example. The Officer’s brain is the recording device and their memory is used in a court of law. My point is, if it’s in public, plain view, you have no expectation of privacy. Anything can be recorded and that’s the whole point of the 1A (if you live in the US). If all of that you listed worries you, then perhaps staying inside with the blinds down will provide you some comfort. There’s cameras everywhere already but if this pin can help someone with a sensory disability, then I’m all for it.

Please could you define what privacy is for you?
If I sit in a Cafe and privately talk to my girlfriend, somebody with a microphone device like that still might sit at the next table recording my private conversation to have Apple/Google harvest it for business purposes. And even without me knowing about it at all.
I think this could violate constitutional rights in my country protecting privacy and free speech.

 

[Itinj24]

Please could you define what privacy is for you?
If I sit in a Cafe and privately talk to my girlfriend, somebody with a microphone device like that still might sit at the next table recording my private conversation to have Apple/Google harvest it for business purposes. And even without me knowing about it at all.
I think this could violate constitutional rights in my country protecting privacy and free speech.

A cafe is not private for starters. If I absolutely need privacy, I’m not going to try to achieve that in an establishment where people are everywhere. I’m going to go to a place where people cannot enter without an invitation, like my home.

 

[eifelbube]

Because you want to ask something you can't look up. For example. "Where did I put my brown jacket?" That info is not in Wikipedia.

How did we get to where we are today without an always-on device that recorded where we left a jacket or dropped hiking socks (my issue)? Going to look for the socks keeps my brain active and my legs moving.

Obviously, if you have mobility, vision, hearing, or memory impairments, wearable AI-based tech can raise the quality and effectiveness of accommodation. But its potential for abuse as a clandestine surveillance device outweigh the benefits of convenience. As a result, recording and sensing functions should only be accessible on a medical prescription basis to those who were diagnosed with a qualifying impairment.

So, if you keep misplacing clothes or other belongings and are fond of Apple, take advantage of the current AirTag 1 four-pack fire sales 😊 .

 

[eifelbube]

A cafe is not private for starters. If I absolutely need privacy, I’m not going to try to achieve that in an establishment where people are everywhere. I’m going to go to a place where people cannot enter without an invitation, like my home.

Neither Meta, nor Google, nor (potentially Apple) should have the power to interfere with my choice of location for having private conversations.

 

[Itinj24]

Neither Meta, nor Google, nor (potentially Apple) should have the power to interfere with my choice of location for having private conversations.

So are you also going to expect the owner of this cafe to not install any recording devices? Do you expect every patron in that cafe to turn off their phones when you’re in there? I’m not sure I understand what your expectation is in a place that isn’t so private. Aside from recording devices, what about just everyone in there listening and looking? Where do you draw the line to expect people to turn everything off to cater to you? Maybe your choice for privacy is not the best here.

 

[Mega ST]

If somebody is set to be recored he must be asked before and informed about the fact. In my country you would have "video surveillance" warning signs, if cameras are installed, say in subway trains.
Recording voice is pretty invasive. If you want to do it for yourself that's fine, but if others are recorded and commercially exploited without their knowledge this goes too far for my taste.

 

[Jana_CZ]

If somebody is set to be recored he must be asked before and informed about the fact. In my country you would have "video surveillance" warning signs, if cameras are installed, say in subway trains.
Recording voice is pretty invasive. If you want to do it for yourself that's fine, but if others are recorded and commercially exploited without their knowledge this goes too far for my taste.

Considering the website you're on... you have an iPhone, right? You know it's listening all the effin' time, right? Exactly for commercial purposes. To offer you an XYZ ad if you leave your phone on the desk, and your SO enthusiastically speaks about XYZ near it when your anniversary is coming up, to make sure you get the hint.

 

[Mega ST]

Yes I have an iPhone. Hopefully it is not listening while it is locked. And it should only "listen" when I speak into the microphone to call somebody. It would be illegal in my country to have it listening all the time. If you have -say- Alexa, which I don't, you volunteer to be monitored, but only after you call Alexa to activate every single use.

 

[Ct applefan]

Think outside the box here instead of for yourselves only, for a minute. One of Apple’s biggest focuses over the years has been accessibility. Something like this can be huge quality of life game changer for those that require it. “Eyes and ears of the iPhone” raised my eyebrows.

Imagine a blind person wearing something like this and through AI and facial recognition, the pin can recognize who the person is approaching and let them know. That’s just a small example.

And don’t give me that bull spit that it’s always listening and watching and recording. Guess what, your ears and eyes are always listening and watching and your brain is

My eyes and ears always watching and listening listening isn't being uploaded to the cloud, then analyzed, dissected, monetized, scrutinized and archived for essentially eternity. Additionally, it can only be accessed by me.

It's about as similar as apples and oysters.

WarmWinterHat he’s just another Apple fanatic defending Apple no matter what. Remember Apple can do no wrong for some.

 

[elvisimprsntr]

“I’ve got one already.” - Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975