Meta takes another big step in the race to capture the future of AI wearables, Achieving Unlimited AIA startup known for its AI-powered pendants that record and transcribe real-time conversations.
Under the deal, the Limitless team will join Meta’s Reality Labs to accelerate the development of AI wearables. In the meantime, the startup will stop selling its $99 device.
To understand the implications of this deal, I spoke to Paul Roetzer, founder and CEO of SmarterX and the Marketing AI Institute Episode 184 of the Artificial Intelligence Show.
Deals at a glance
Limitless (formerly Rewind) gained attention with a wearable device designed to enhance human memory. The “Limitless Pendant” clips to your shirt and captures audio of your daily life, using AI to generate searchable summaries of your conversations.
The company was backed by big hitters including venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and raised more than $33 million.
with acquisitionLimitless will stop selling devices to new customers and begin scaling back its desktop software. This means that existing users are left to navigate the revised privacy terms under Meta if they want to continue using the AI wearable service.
So, what happens to your most intimate data when the startup you trust is bought out by a tech giant?
“Guinea Pig” Problem
Roetzer says he was not a fan of Limitless and had concerns for users of their technology: not only about the feasibility of the hardware, but also the data privacy trade-offs early adopters make when wearing an AI recording device.
“Whenever you’re willing to be a guinea pig for new AI technology, especially hardware and devices that are designed to record your life, you need to think about who gets that data when that company fails,” Roetzer says.
In this case, that data, or at least the talent and technology behind collecting it, is now in Meta’s hands. And as Roetzer points out, users rarely get a say in where their digital lives will end up.
“When these companies come to an end, you don’t control who gets access to these companies or their data,” he says.
Everyone recorded is at risk
The matter goes beyond just the Limitless user.
AI wearables also capture the voices and conversations of everyone nearby, often without their explicit consent or knowledge.
“You’re putting other people’s data at risk who were being recorded without their knowledge,” Roetzer says.
The Limitless acquisition is a reminder that the AI hardware landscape is always changing. Startups will sell to the tech giants you may be trying to avoid.
Caution and awareness are the best protection.
“Let’s all be conscious about who we’re giving our data to and who we’re connecting it to,” Roetzer says.
