LG announced today it is has developed its own artificial intelligence (AI) chip that will better mirror the neural network of the human brain to for improved processing of deep-learning algorithms. The end result is chips powering appliances like smart fridges that are actually… smart.
From LG’s press announcement:
The AI Chip incorporates visual intelligence to better recognize and distinguish space, location, objects and users while voice intelligence accurately recognizes voice and noise characteristics while product intelligence enhances the capabilities of the device by detecting physical and chemical changes in the environment. The chip also makes it possible to implement customized AI services by processing and learning from video and audio data in order to enhance recognition of the user’s emotions and behaviors and the situational context.
The chip can also do all this advanced processing without an internet connection, so it’s not reliant on the cloud for these newfound smarts, and features a security engine to protect a user’s personal data.
I’m no hardware engineer, but if it works as promised, it’s not hard to see the immediate applications in something like a smart fridge. Sure, cameras inside current smart fridges can already help you see what’s inside them, and even suggest recipes, but better AI could make all of this smarter and more automatic.
A smarter smart fridge would automatically recognize whatever food you put inside it, and be able to detect when it’s going bad by the composition of the food (visual cues, chemical changes to the atmosphere inside the fridge), not just an expiration date. From the description in the press release, the fridge could even detect your mood by the tenor of your voice or facial expression and make suggestions based on that. Having a bad day? Have some ice cream!
Now, your mileage may vary on whether or not you think these features are helpful or creepy, but the broader point is that what we think of as a “smart” device now will seem dumb in the not too distant future.
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