I tried new £150 AI memory aid gizmo that records your EVERY word & then tells you off – it’s clever but also terrifying
BEFORE going to bed, I looked at the notes from my new artificial intelligence life coach and realised the day really hadn’t been a good one.
My pocket-sized tutor berated me for not giving family more of my attention, judged the way I spoke to one of my work colleagues and chastised me for not taking time to connect with my partner.
Soon, the way you live your life could be analysed like this, too.
I was one of the first in the UK to try the Limitless Pendant.
It is a discreet AI gadget you clip to your clothes that records everything said by you — and those nearby.
On sale now in the UK for £150, the little black disc provides a full transcript of your day, as well as notes and tips on how you should have behaved.
Perfect if, like me, you have a shocking memory.
But also potentially disastrous if those around you don’t know from the off they are being recorded and take umbrage — as mine did!
The 3cm disc, with an inbuilt microphone, is the brainchild of American Dan Siroker, who set up Limitless five years ago.
When he put the pendants up for sale last year, they were snapped up faster than he could have imagined.
In fact, 10,000 were bought in 24 hours — and the gizmos are being delivered around the world in the next few weeks.
A bit obsessed
Dan has said the gadget can improve human intelligence by using AI to overcome the brain’s limitations, specifically with memory and focus.
He explained: “It can help people live better, more productive, more self-aware lives.”
To be fair, some of its functions were quite useful.
After connecting it to an app on my phone, I could see every conversation I’d had — along with those words of advice.
When my two sons complained because they wanted to show me trainers online while I was busy making their tea, I ignored them.
The pendant later said: “You could have tried to balance their excitement with your need to make dinner.”
And when my dad rang during office hours and I told him I had no time to talk, the pendant reminded me that family is important and I should “fully engage” instead of concentrating so much on work.
It sounds like a great idea, in theory.
I became a bit obsessed with asking the suggested questions at the end of each day, such as, “How could I have been more effective today at work?” or, “How could I be more persuasive?”
But there are pitfalls.
At some points, it could not understand what I was saying and was convinced my son Harry was called Tory.
And there were times when I had zero idea what it was on about, and felt like it was nagging me.
But the biggest issue is privacy. I’d never wear it in the bedroom, and one night in the pub, I only remembered to tell my pals about it on our third round. They were raging.
Recording conversations without consent in the UK can lead to civil claims for damages and criminal prosecution.
The pendant does have a visible, white LED light.
So, according to the company, “everyone you meet with understands that it is recording”. But as mine was clipped to my jeans, and my jumper was on top, that was impossible.
The company website suggests you broach the recording issue by saying something like: “This conversation is important to me and I want to remember what you say without taking notes. Is it OK if I use this pendant to capture the conversation? I’m happy to share the transcript if you like.”
Clever but terrifying
Chief executive Dan reveals he does it, insisting: “I haven’t had a single person say to me, ‘Oh, that’s weird. Take that off’.
“It’s not for everyone. Not everyone wants to be better in life. But if you do, this is magic.”
Then there’s the matter of your privacy, as everything you say or do is captured.
The company says your recordings are encrypted, legally protected and safe from third-party AI providers.
Users can lock recordings on the app, and the company pledges never to access data without permission.
Dan says this is “the future”, adding: “There will be millions, if not billions, of people on the planet wearing this, or one of our competitors’ devices, in the years to come.”
While this could make me a better person, it also risks killing the art of conversation, as we all fear others might be recording us.
It could also get pricey. On the final day of my experiment, I lost the pendant.
I briefly panicked, before realising that all I had to do was check on the app when it last picked up my voice.
That was in the car. Clever — but slightly terrifying at the same time.
A week in, I felt a bit irritated by the pendant’s feedback and could not wait to shove it back in its box.
With it on, it seemed like I was being spied on, which felt intrusive.
I admit it has its uses, though. And I really should call my dad.
Artificial Intelligence explained
Here's what you need to know
- Artificial intelligence, also known as AI, is a type of computer software
- Typically, a computer will do what you tell it to do
- But artificial intelligence simulates the human mind, and can make its own deductions, inferences or decisions
- A simple computer might let you set an alarm to wake you up
- But an AI system might scan your emails, work out that you’ve got a meeting tomorrow, and then set an alarm and plan a journey for you
- AI tech is often “trained” – which means it observes something (potentially even a human) then learns about a task over time
- For instance, an AI system can be fed thousands of photos of human faces, then generate photos of human faces all on its own
- Some experts have raised concerns that humans will eventually lose control of super-intelligent AI
- But the tech world is still divided over whether or not AI tech will eventually kill us all in a Terminator-style apocalypse