How AI can reinvent smartphones – 11/13/2023 – Tech

At the center of the technological debate since the launch of ChatGPT, artificial intelligence has also become a focal point for cell phone manufacturers. Apple, Samsung, Google, XiaoMi and even chipmaker Qualcomm announced new features with AI for smartphones.

Smartphones have not undergone any fundamental changes since the launch of the first iPhone in 2007. The device combined a smart screen, internet access and access to various applications.

Due to the ability to hear, see and generate texts, audio and images from commands in natural language, technology has the potential to change the way people and machines interact, which includes cell phones.

In the latest smartphones, technology has already become part of virtual assistants, cameras, phone calls and there is potential for more.

South Korean manufacturer Samsung, for example, will launch a real-time translation service during calls in 2024, based on artificial intelligence (AI) technology, according to a statement on Thursday (9).

The company did not say whether Portuguese will be among the languages ​​covered. The company, which banned its employees from using ChatGPT to prevent data leaks, also did not respond to the Sheet a proprietary AI model will be used, after being contacted by email and telephone.

The company is the world’s largest smartphone maker, with almost 20% of global sales between July and September, ahead of Apple, according to market monitoring organization Counterpoint.

Apple, at its traditional autumn event when it launched the iPhone 15, also highlighted innovations with artificial intelligence that it intends to bring to the public.

The new features appear not only in an improvement to the Siri virtual assistant, but also in photo processing and calls, with noise isolation.

A smarter Siri can reduce the need to use the cell phone screen when receiving voice commands. On the other hand, the cell phone automatically transcribes audio and takes messages to the screen, for occasions when the person cannot hear the interlocutor.

Technology also improves already established resources. The new iPhone’s camera, for example, detects whether a photograph depicts someone and automatically activates portrait mode. Artificial intelligence also intervenes in light balance and focus.

AI features also make keyboard word recommendations more accurate.

In terms of technical specifications, the big news of the iPhone 15 was the A17 chip, built with exclusive 3 nanometer precision in the market in search of performance and also battery savings.

One of the differences in the architecture of this processor is an area dedicated to artificial intelligence. This can improve iPhone performance with programs that use the technology.

Chipmaker Qualcomm doesn’t want to be left behind and in the launch of its new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 smartphone processor it also brought artificial intelligence into the conversation.

According to the company, having a chip specialized in AI improves performance and energy efficiency.

Samsung will equip the future Galaxy S24 with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 equipped with an additional graphics processing unit from Nvidia, widely used in the development of artificial intelligence. In another sign of manufacturers’ interest in the technology.

Qualcomm, at its annual event held in October, brought as an example the stable diffusion image generator, which delivered results one second after the text command, on a cell phone equipped with the company’s chip. Before the update, this task took 13 to 14 seconds to perform, according to Qualcomm’s director of products for Latin America, Silmar Palmeira.

This improvement could also make a difference in games, as companies in the sector discuss implementing technology to generate interactive characters and graphics.

In the promotional material, Qualcomm also says that, with its chip, cell phones will have better camera and audio results. One of the options will be to record videos at night, in low light. Another is to increase the digital zoom distance, since artificial intelligence can generate new pixels based on the information available in the photograph.

The photos, in fact, may have more resolution and variety of colors.

The technology also allows you to edit videos and photos with voice commands. One feature will be to remove unwanted objects from the image. Furthermore, it will be possible to expand photos beyond the frame, with the help of AI image generation.

Artificial intelligence also appears in the 2CPA encryption available on the new Qualcomm chip, which allows you to send images and messages with less chance of leakage.

The Snapdragon 8 gen 3 already powers cell phones from Xiaomi, Realme and OnePlus. It should also be in the next high-end phones from Samsung and Asus.

Google, when it launched its generative AI platform, Bard, also announced a series of Qualcomm-like AI features that could come to cell phones.

Smartphone manufacturers invest in boards designed for artificial intelligence, as more and more applications use the feature. Adequate infrastructure improves performance and ensures energy efficiency. “The new chip guarantees up to an hour more battery life for the user”, says Palmeira, the director of Qualcomm.

XiaoMi was approached by Sheetvia WhatsApp, but did not respond to the report’s requests for information.

BEYOND THE CELL PHONE

The startup Humane announced, this Friday (10), a new device. Called AI Pin, something like an artificial intelligence staple, the device works via voice command or from a touchpad. It can also project images onto the user’s palm with a laser display.

Humane’s promise is to use more technology to free contemporary people from screen addiction.

AI Pin’s artificial intelligence assistant can answer questions and perform searches at the owner’s request,

The device caught attention at Paris Fashion Week, which shows the potential of AI Pin to pierce the bubble of Silicon Valley programmers.

Facebook owner Meta also announced new smart glasses in partnership with Rayban, more similar to the lenses used on a daily basis. The equipment takes photos, records audio, projects holograms and has access to the Meta application, which will include the Meta AI assistant.

“This will be the way to let artificial intelligence see what you see and hear what you hear,” says Zuckerberg.

The chief executive behind ChatGPT, Sam Altman, also has plans to develop a new device based on artificial intelligence. To do this, he sought out the head of design responsible for designing Apple’s first smartphone and several of its subsequent generations, Jony Ive.

The financing of this project would be the responsibility of Masayoshi Son, executive president of technology investment fund Soft Bank. It would be up to Son to raise US$1 billion (around R$5 billion) to get the idea off the ground.