‘From music to mind reading’ AI earbuds have got you covered

Artificial intelligence AI has taken over almost every sector, including devices or gadgets like computing, mobile, and chips.

AI companies do not stop here and gear up on the hunt to design further ideal devices to deliver AI's superpowers, and some new enterprises are convinced that headphones or earbuds are the way.

Startups have for a while tried to beef up headphones beyond their basic functions, like listening to music and making phone calls.

Nearly a decade ago, tech startups added real-time translation to that list, and Google quickly followed suit, creating a voice-activated AI assistant in 2020.

Riding the AI wave, other tech industry leaders Samsung and Apple have also entered the fray, with noise cancellation now almost a product standard.

Startups, many of which are attending this week's CES consumer electronics extravaganza in Las Vegas, are now trying to refine this technology and apply it to specific uses.

Tech companies want to take the concept of a professional assistant further and introduced the latest concept of AI earbuds that will record meetings and retrieve conversation elements on demand using everyday language.

Competitors offer similar services and intend to focus on interoperability in a world controlled by major smartphone manufacturers that impose, their own platforms.

On the other hand, many schools equip their non-English-speaking students with the devices so they can follow lessons without the need for a translator.

Can AI earbuds replace smart gadgets?

The debate about whether earbuds can replace smart glasses, connected speakers, or even smartphones as the dominant physical extension of generative AI remains unanswered.

According to a tech expert, “Earbuds are certainly a more accessible entry for AI than smart glasses.”

"They're a lot less expensive, they're a product most smartphone users are buying anyway, and they don't require a prescription." said Avi Greengart, president of a tech consultancy.

Moreover, some newly introduced neuronal earbuds are equipped with ultra-sensitive sensors that detect tiny movements.

Through these sensors, even a quadriplegic user can control their wheelchair or surf the internet simply by looking at their computer screen.

Tech analysts foresee a great potential for these innovations "because people would like to be able to interact with their environment in a more discreet, subtle way," without having to call out to Siri on their smartphone, Alexa on their speaker, or Meta on their glasses.

These headphones have improved sensors and are capable of deciphering facial movements that a chatbot can use to find the right tone and words according to mood.

Another startup introduced Neuro LT headsets that measure brain activity, using their equipment to enable communication through thought, without gestures or words.

"It's remarkable," says Ben Wood, chief analyst at CMO and CCS Insight, of these breakthroughs, "but it's still a niche market for now.”

And for now, "hundreds of millions of headphones that have been sold will still remain focused on listening,” he added.