Ever since ChatGPT became a hot topic in late 2022, the tech industry has been racing to integrate improved AI algorithms into all kinds of devices. New AI software tools were the centerpiece of Samsung’s Galaxy S24 announcement in January and Google’s Pixel 8 launch last October. Tech giants like Asus, Intel, and AMD have even started calling their upcoming computers “AI PCs.”
But there’s one place where large-scale language models are particularly at home. It’s the wrist. The purpose of smartwatches is to prevent us from accessing our phones too often, other than to track our workouts and measure health metrics. However, these small screens are not suitable for long-term interactions such as long taps, typing, and swiping, and there is ample opportunity for AI to help.
Dedicated AI gadgets got off to a tough start. The highly anticipated Humane AI Pin received negative reviews due to its erratic performance, tendency to overheat, and high price. Shortly after, startup Rabbit Inc. released his R1, a handheld voice-first AI assistant, which was also panned by critics for its performance and limited functionality. Both episodes raised skepticism about the future of new AI-powered consumer electronics and raised questions about whether new types of hardware are needed.
The answer may still be up for debate, but in the meantime, AI has great potential to elevate the wearables we already own. And with Google’s I/O developer conference and subsequent Apple’s WWDC event in June approaching, we can expect to hear more about how AI can improve smartwatches in the near future. It may be possible.
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Smartwatches have come a long way over the past decade, evolving from shrunken cell phone screens to devices that feel like they exist on their own. But typing, scrolling, and watching videos on a smartwatch-sized screen isn’t ideal, and smartwatch manufacturers are saying these devices require specialized gestures, interactions, and interfaces. I gradually realized that.
Generative AI could take it to the next level. What if your smartwatch intelligently summarized your notifications so you didn’t have to reach for your phone as often? iPhones and iPads can already provide summaries of notifications at scheduled points in the day. . Apple Watch can also display a notification summary that displays a short heading and app icon when the device is locked. But I’d like to see companies like Apple go a step further and use AI to synthesize the content of incoming notifications and provide bite-sized summaries designed specifically for smartwatches. .
Or what if you could read short, concise summaries of long text messages or emails on your watch? Google already offers message summaries in Android Auto, and you can summarize websites in your phone’s Chrome browser. You can also. We then hope that the idea is intelligently applied to smartwatches in a way that makes sense.
Generative AI can also help develop canned message responses that are more specific and authentic-sounding. This makes replying to texts from your watch much easier. According to a report from Apple Insider, the company is working on a number of AI-generated response and summarization features, and such features could be in Apple’s future as well. there is. Bloomberg also reports that Apple is working on new AI-oriented features for the next iPhone update, but it remains to be seen how or if these tools will be extended to the Apple Watch. It is unknown.
We hope Google brings more AI features to watches like the Pixel Watch 2 (pictured).
And since smartwatches are visible on your wrist, style is definitely more important than your phone. Google and Samsung both offer generative AI wallpapers that let you create new phone backgrounds from scratch based on prompts. That seems like a great idea for a watch face.
I would like to have the clock generate new dials from scratch based on prompts and my preferences. Imagine being able to tell your watch (or the accompanying phone app you use to manage your watch) that you want a colorful, modern-looking watch face that brings your activity progress to the forefront while also letting you know the weather. please look. That way, you’ll spend less time fiddling with complications and widgets.
Additionally, there are virtual helpers like Siri and Google Assistant. Voice assistants are especially useful because smartwatches’ small screens aren’t suitable for long periods of typing or tapping. I always use Siri to set alarms and timers on my Apple Watch instead of using an app. Introducing smarter features to these digital assistants could make them even more convenient to use on your wrist, further reducing the need to reach for your smartphone to accomplish tasks.
Fitbit Labs uses AI to process your health data.
Apple and Google are already making AI upgrades to their smartwatch platforms, especially when it comes to health tracking. Last year, for example, Apple updated Siri to include the ability to answer health-related questions. Apple’s latest smartwatch chips allow the Apple Watch to handle that kind of processing on-device rather than in the cloud, which is better for protecting your privacy.
Google is launching an experimental program called Fitbit Labs that uses generative AI to process Fitbit data to answer questions. According to Bloomberg, Apple is also said to be developing an AI-powered health coach. Samsung’s Won-Joon Choi also previously told CNET that the company plans to bring AI capabilities to other types of devices, including smartwatches.
However, equipping something as small as a smartwatch with advanced AI capabilities is not an easy task. Unless these interactions are handled in the cloud, they require a lot of processing on the device and are difficult to squeeze into smaller devices.
Only time will tell how (and whether) companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung will incorporate generative AI into their smartwatches. But for a device with such a small screen, the potential for AI-generated summaries and message response upgrades alone seems huge.
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