Along with some new laptop concepts (and a range of actual products too), Lenovo used MWC to announce a pair of AI-based productivity companion concepts. Both are standalone desk devices designed to increase productivity while providing office workers with a slightly artificial dystopic companionship.
Lenovo describes its AI WorkMate concept as an “always on desk companion,” but it looks more like a tiny robotic arm on a rotating base, with a bulbous screen at the end displaying an expressive pair of eyes. It doesn’t look as attractive as a human peer, but through local AI processing you can interact with the device as a smart assistant through voice commands and physical gestures.
The WorkMate concept can also help with “practical business tasks”. It has a camera at the bottom of its screen that can be used to scan notes and documents to create summaries, organize your ideas, or automatically turn them into presentations. When it comes time to share with others, the WorkMate concept also includes a projector that can display documents on your desk or on a nearby wall.
Lenovo’s AI Work Companion concept takes a different approach to AI assistance. It looks like a bedside alarm clock with a big screen, but instead of waking you up it leverages AI to “sync tasks and schedules across the user’s devices to generate a balanced daily plan.” To help prevent burnout, Work Companion monitors screen time and suggests taking breaks throughout the day, as well as celebrating the end of the week with playful conversations using animated faces and reports of completed tasks.
It also works as a dock, connecting a laptop to multiple displays over HDMI and offers plenty of USB ports for charging other devices while reducing desktop clutter.
