Rather than functioning as conventional cameras, the sensors are expected to feed information into Visual Intelligence. This would allow Siri to answer questions about what is around the wearer or save information they encounter throughout the day.
This is not the first report suggesting Apple is developing AirPods with cameras. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman previously claimed the earbuds would collect “visual information in low resolution,” effectively acting as eyes for Apple’s AI features.
Potential uses could include asking Siri questions about nearby objects, saving information without taking out your iPhone, or receiving more detailed turn-by-turn directions based on the wearer’s surroundings.
The AirPods shown in the video resemble a slightly thicker version of the AirPods Pro 3, with longer stems seemingly providing room for the additional hardware.
Apple has not officially announced the device, so its final name, price, features, and launch date remain unknown. However, previous reports suggest the AirPods could arrive as early as September alongside Apple’s next generation of iPhones.
Er, visual intelligence isn’t an LLM. It processes the image to determine what is being looked at, including text and attempts at context.
Also, the fact that it’s going to the phone is a given, meaning it’s a feature that would be tied to a specific generation of phone or newer.
It could go so far as to require the generation released with it, which could absolutely have the models on device.
That said, all of this, on both sides, is speculation. There’s no guarantee it’s even getting cameras.
You’re right, of course. Deep learning, not language. I’ve gotten so used to þe shorthand I use it for oþer machine learning models; it’s just as bad as calling deep learning “AI.”