How far are we willing to go? Do the ends justify the means? In this article, we explore a new development in artificial intelligence and engagement.
The world is only now coming out of a global pandemic. Many of us have been isolated, to a degree, as a result of social distancing guidelines.
How has that distancing affected us? Would our time in isolating be better spent conversing with someone always available? A new technology platform claims to provide a friend, mentor, or instructor available at the touch of a button.
Different companies utilized the name of Star Labs. Companies use the "Star Labs" moniker for COVID-19 testing, Linux laptop computers, and even cyber security. If you've ever read or watched comics or the media, however, you've probably heard about Star Labs. It's the comic book reference that drew me to this project.
Reading about Star Labs, a.k.a Samsung Technology Advanced Research Labs, give you an impression of something based upon the comics. Headed by computer genius Pranav Mistry. At the age of 39, Samsung named him the President and CEO of Star Labs: a think-tank developing the next generation of technology for the company. Good Lord. I don't even remember what I was doing when I was 39. It wasn't heading a global company, that's for sure.
His works are primarily focused upon human interactions with technology. In 2009 while attending MIT, he developed "Sixth Sense" technology. It was a form of augmented reality where you could superimpose your smartphone onto virtually any surface and interact with it. Want to project your phone onto a wall to read something or dial a number on it? No problem.
Upon taking his position as CEO of Star Labs, Pranav began working on the next generation of digital, artificial humans. The SEO subsidiary taking on this mammoth task is named Neon.
Consider your own smartphone's personal voice assist like Apple's Siri or Microsoft's Cortana but on steroids. The Neon Artificial Human (unofficially - NAH) appears to you on a phone, billboard, computer, television, or even human-sized monitor to attend to your digital needs. Need information on movie, nail polish, or weather? NAH is here to assist.
The technology intends to respond to its users in ultra-realistic human fashion. Developers expect the AI to learn and even display emotions. It will learn from its interaction with you, and, as it does, it will utilize the data to be a tailor-made friend, assistance, confidant, or colleague. The goals of this technology are aggressive, and it appears Star Labs and Neon are a bit realistic about the expectations.
A technology like this would be a game-changer for Samsung if successful. A technology that fails globally, however, would be a game-changer in the negative for Samsung. It's likely for that reason that Pranav is keeping project Neon so close to the chest.
Pranav's planning on marketing Neon to businesses only soon, and that's probably a smart move. Their initial demonstration of the technology was not impressive given the CEO's credentials.
There are few ways better to build upon technology than in an isolated market where you can develop and test a product before releasing it to the mass public. Recent posts on Twitter confirm his intent on releasing the service.
Finally, his move to focus on Business to Business keeps the rest of the masses waiting with bated breath. At least some of them do; as the technology progresses, they can put out reports of their successes to keep the high tech customers waiting for the product. They'll want to know more, and the buzz may help bring in investments of money and technological support they could utilize.
Collaboration with a company like Google, for instance, would give their service a quantum leap in artificial intelligence. If Google could create an AI to defeat gaming masters, it could probably create an AI that learns how to interact with a human being.
I think this will be the true game-changer for Samsung. If they're successful with the development and technological challenges expected with businesses, then deployment to the global smartphone market would be next. Hundreds of millions of people could flock to incorporate this technology into their smartphones. Star Labs would have more opportunities to refine the AI.
Hopefully, the NEON AI brings those who need it a better life. Let's hope this version of an AI brings a better world not commonly shown in Hollywood.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Thank you for reading and following on throughout my Hive journey.
What are your thoughts on the development of AI to interact with everyday users and businesses? Are you concerned about technology running away from our control? Do we need something like this in our everyday lives?
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