The parent company of TikTok, ByteDance, is taking a “dive” into very deep waters and we are talking about the new interest it is showing in AI technology. Like many other tech and social media giants these days, ByteDance is not only cutting hundreds of jobs to shift to AI, but also ramping up its efforts in mobile AI devices.
A recent report suggests that ByteDance is going deeper into hardware, launching its first pair of headphones. Parent company TikTok’s new Ola Friend buds will be exclusive to China for now. These headphones are connected to the company’s genetic AI assistant Doubao, which happens to be the most popular GenAI app in China, with 47 million monthly active users.
The new headset allows users to chat directly with ByteDance’s GenAI chatbot without having to pick up their smartphones. Basically, these new buds with an open-ear design are built to act as a personal audio assistant for various situations – whether you’re traveling, practicing English, or enjoying music.
To unlock all the capabilities of the headphones Ola Friend, users need to install the Doubao mobile app. Once you have the app on your smartphone and plug in the headphones, you can wake up ByteDance’s chatbot by simply saying, “Doubao Doubao.”
Each handset weighs just 6.6 grams and comes in four colors:
- Purple
- Silver
- Black
- White
Priced at 1,199 yuan (about $170), the handsets are expected to start shipping on October 17. As for when they might hit international markets, that’s still up in the air.
(via)
Source: myphone.gr
