Louis Rosenberg envisions a brave new world, where human / AI integration accelerates existing technology to offer human beings new “superpowers”. Rosenberg is the founder and CEO of Unanimous A.I., and he’s known for developing the first functional AR (augmented reality) system for the Air Force Research Laboratory. His predictions in VentureBeat outline the evolution of existing tools, like smart phones, wearables and more – so that our current abilities turn into superpowers. With the global wearable AI market expected to reach $304.8 billion by 2033, what exactly are these superpowers – and are other experts seeing this evolution the same way?
From Clunky Watches to the Whisperverse: Will AI Tech Give Us Superpowers?
In 1977, Hewlett-Packard introduced the HP-01 watch – considered the first instance of a wearable. Today, we “wear” our phones, looking at them an average of 144 times a day. Consider a simple scenario in the near future. You are thinking about having an early lunch at a new restaurant. A simple question, such as “what time does this store open?” is top of mind. Rosenberg sees a future where we don’t have to take out our phones to find out – and that future is already here, in many cases. He explains it like this: “You are wearing AI-powered glasses that can see what you see, hear what you hear and process your surroundings through a multimodal large language model (LLM). Now when you spot that store across the street, you simply whisper to yourself, “I wonder when it opens?” and a voice will instantly ring back into your ears ‘10:30 AM.’ The whisperverse is part of the next evolution towards human-AI integration.”
More than just looking for store openings and lunch specials, wearable AI technology is being used by the Department of Defense in an effort to predict diseases before they appear. The biometric data comes from off-the-shelf wearables, such as the watch on my left wrist right now, and leverages advanced AI algorithms. Predicting or even stopping disease would definitely enable a new superpower – a sort of cybernetic Wolverine, perhaps, where we avoid disease and heal faster? The tech, called RATE, demonstrated that it could predict COVID-19 2.3 days prior to diagnostic testing – according to DOD reports.
By 2035, you may not even need to mouth the words, according to Rosenberg. That’s because the AI will learn to interpret the signals in our muscles with such subtlety and precision, we will simply need to nod or shake our heads to respond. He says that advancements in the near future will allow AI to respond to what we think about, just by mouthing words silently to convey our intent. We will be able to focus our attention on any item or activity in our world and think something. Useful information will ring back from our AI glasses like an all-knowing voice in our heads, according to Rosenberg.
The transition to these integrated AI systems is a natural progression from our current reliance on smartphones. As Rosenberg notes, we already use technology to extend our capabilities; the next step is to make these extensions more seamless and intrinsic. This evolution will likely lead to a future where the line between human ability and technological enhancement becomes increasingly blurred.
Sharing the Vision for Superpowers via Wearables
Other executive leaders are on board with Rosenberg’s vision, in various ways. Elon Musk’s Neuralink is building a future where brain-computer interfaces enable humans to merge with AI, enhancing cognitive abilities and achieving a kind of superpowered symbiosis, where questions and answers are happening through direct connection with artificial intelligence.
Described as fully implantable and “cosmetically invisible”, the Neuralink chip uses thin, flexible threads equipped electrodes to record the activity of neurons. According to Capitol Technology University, these are the nerve cells that send messages all over the body, driving nearly all human functions. The coin-sized Neuralink device is powered by an advanced custom chip within the implant that processes these signals and transmits them to a digital device through a standard Bluetooth connection. Surgical robots meticulously weave these threads into the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for the brain’s higher-level processes like learning and emotion, to ensure precise placement of the electrodes.
Imagine a world where you could receive real-time input and coaching in a job interview, for example, via a wearable or implanted device. What would that mean for your career? Or mine?
Marc Andreesen, founder of Netscape and co-founder of Silicon Valley VC firm Andreesen-Horowitz, says that, “Every person will have an AI assistant/ coach/mentor/trainer/advisor/therapist that is infinitely patient, infinitely compassionate, infinitely knowledgeable, and infinitely helpful. The AI assistant will be present through all of life’s opportunities and challenges, maximizing every person’s outcomes.” His views are offered in an essay entitled, “Why AI Will Save the World”, where he predicts enhanced productivity, scientific breakthroughs and a “golden age” of the arts – where superpowers augment our natural human intelligence, via AI.
Human-AI integration also raises important considerations – and cautions. But the future is already here, in many ways, when it comes to wearable AI. Human AI integration is evolving – and that evolution will impact every aspect of our careers, our relationships and our lives. Musk has repeatedly cautioned that guardrails need to be put in place for this rapidly-advancing technology. He warned that AI poses a “fundamental risk to the existence of human civilization” if left unchecked – and that was back in 2017! The following year, he departed OpenAI, a company he helped co-found, over the absence of guardrails. Privacy concerns, the potential for manipulation, and the ethical implications of such pervasive technology must be addressed. What if AI input is a close as your next thought? As AI provides us with superpowers, it is wise to remember the lesson of Spiderman (borrowed from Voltaire): with great power comes great responsibility.