The AI audio revolution isn't quite here yet
But there is one example of the tech that I find immensely useful
Unless you've decided to take a long nap under a rock in 2024 (and honestly, I wouldn't blame you) you've probably heard the promise of new fancy AI-driven devices that will change they way we interact with technology.
Whether it's smart glasses, smart pendants around your neck that are always listening, or an intelligent pin that lives on your lapel, there has been no shortage of new products this year that are meant to make our lives easier without the aid of a traditional screen.
And yet, none of them really seem to be taking off. Why is that? Are they all just poorly executed or is this type of computing just doomed from the start? Will we ever have the future we were promised in the movie "Her" with a friendly voice in our ear that gives us pertinent info throughout the day?
A few years ago, I really thought that we were on the cusp of this AI audio revolution. My Bose wireless headphones had a dedicated Google Assistant button! I could theoretically be walking around anywhere asking Google for info without needing to look at a screen. This features was certainly half baked. There were times when it gave me weather updates or read the contents of an incoming text message but it wasn't at all magical. Most of the time it still lead to me picking up my phone to double check what the message actually said. I had very little confidence in the audio intelligence or the timeliness of the message delivery.
But there is one fairly niche audio trick that I have been loving for years. Apologies if this reference only resonates with the runners or cyclists out there. The audio cues in the Strava app are a prime example of what I want an audio assistant to do.
Let me explain. There is a setting in Strava that doesn't seem like the most useful feature but I've found it to be indispensable when out for runs. You can choose to have audio cues play in your ear to notify you of distance markers and/or pace. For example, you could be listening to music or podcast on your run, but when you hit that mile or even half mile marker a friendly voice will interject to let you know that you've hit the milestone and what your current running pace is.
It may not sound like much, but I find it to be a far better experience than looking at my watch or phone while in the midst of a run. Is it perfect? No. Do I wish that it also could give audio cues for directions on complicated routes? Yep. And sure, there have been times in my training where I need the constant pace updates of a dedicated running watch; but on most runs, a half mile audio check-in is perfectly adequate and downright pleasant. It lets me just focus on the run itself or the audio that I'm listening to without having my eyes glued to my wrist. I can just do my thing and adjust accordingly when I get my periodic audio updates.
Do other apps offer something similar to this? I imagine the answer is yes but I can't really think of any outside of Strava, Peloton, or other fitness apps. Maybe just a friendly interjection when I've hit my daily steps goal? It could be cool to get an audio notification from a weather app when the temperature has risen to a certain threshold outside or precipitation is imminent. What about an unobtrusive way to let you know that you're about to walk past a new restaurant that just opened which features a chef from a previous restaurant that you left a Google Maps review of five years ago? Yeah, something like that could get annoying, but it could also seamlessly connect us to the physical world in a way that keeps our faces away from our screens.
I'm sure we can all think of plenty of other instances where a friendly assistant could alert us about something interesting in our ear without derailing whatever it is we're currently doing. Of course it would need to be trained a bit. You could adjust the frequency of audio cues that get read to you. But this seems like a more natural next step in this revolution than having pop up notifications in the field of view of your smart lenses or a thing around your neck that still requires you to check your phone every time it has something to say.
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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