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Look at your phone, fitness tracker, favorite apps, or smart home devices AI is everywhere.
But AI itself isnt new.
The Narwal Flow robot vacuum uses cameras and an AI chip to clean your home
Some form of it has been embedded into your everyday technology for years.
Whatisnew is how aggressively companies are marketing AI-powered features.
Fromtoothbrushesto televisions, vacuums to video doorbells, and speakers to smartwatches, manufacturers are labeling everything as AI-powered.
The Narwal Flow robot vacuum uses cameras and an AI chip to clean your home
But what does that actually mean?
Are we witnessing real innovation, or is AI just the latest marketing buzzword designed to sell more products?
At the same time, AI has also become a powerful marketing tool.
Weve seen this happen before with buzzwords like smart, metaverse, and cloud computing.
AI is no different.
And because AIsoundsimpressive, companies often dont explain whats actually happening behind the scenes.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring features “AI powered health insights”
What actually is AI?
But AI isnt a single technology.
These follow fixed rules without learning or adapting.
The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses have Meta’s AI built into them
Machine Learning (ML):AI that learns from data and improves its predictions over time.
Computer vision:AI that interprets and processes images or videos.
Robotics:AI and robotics are often linked or even used synonymously, but theyre not the same.
These are just some examples AI is evolving rapidly, and new applications emerge all the time.
But knowing the basics helps you see past the marketing buzz.
Also, AI technologies often work together.
Is AI actually useful?
Thats the big question and the answer isnt straightforward.
AI also powersGoogle Mapsand Waze, predicting traffic patterns to optimize routes.
Or Alexa and Siri, which handle smart home tasks.
In cars, AI assistants help with navigation and entertainment.
In gaming,NVIDIAs DLSS AI upscaling boosts graphics performance without sacrificing speed.
It also doesn’t mean it’s always necessary.
But that’s totally subjective.
Don’t be swayed by tech just because it’s got an AI label on it.
If not, it could just be a gimmick.
For starters, being a savvier consumer helps you cut through the hype and save money.
Misleading AI marketing also creates unrealistic expectations or unnecessary fears.
For example, should you trust an AI tool with your personal data?
What aboutthe environmental cost of training large AI models?
These are important conversations, but theyre harder to have when AI is used as a vague catch-all term.
