From brain fog to Bee Pioneer: why think when you can wear it?

A fascinating article in The Wall Street Journal, “I recorded everything I said for three months. AI has replaced my memory”, recounts the experience of a journalist who spent three months testing several devices from a new wave of AI wearables. These gadgets capture our conversations, meetings, and interactions, providing an artificial memory that can generate to-do lists, meeting notes, reminders, and more — essentially organizing our lives for us.

The emergence of these AI-powered wearables marks a clear turning point in human-machine interaction. Devices like the Plaud NotePin, the Limitless Pendant or the Bee Pioneer not only promise enhanced productivity, but also seek to redefine our relationship with technology — and with privacy. They present themselves as memory extensions, capable of recording, transcribing, and summarizing conversations in real time.

The up side is obvious: enhanced memory and productivity, fewer forgotten tasks, fewer attention lapses. They capture information on our behalf, making note-taking and spontaneous idea logging easier, while offering personal insights into our communication patterns and behaviors. Their ergonomic designs cater to a range of everyday situations, and their prices — from $50 to $400 — make them accessible to a wide range of users.