Designing the Next Generation of Connected Devices in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

Abstract: The era of the Internet of Things has enabled designers to turn everyday objects into highly technological objects. We see three implications for improvement: 1. Forced enhancement of everyday objects. 2. Privacy and security threats. 3. Increased friction. We assume that there will be powerful Artificial Intelligence (AI) included in each object, as well as a central intelligent assistant which will be able to communicate between devices, just as devices can communicate between each other. Underlining this assumption we give an introduction to AI. Our hypothesis is that the shape of intelligent objects will adapt, through the inclusion of AI in everyday objects. The basis of our research consists of case studies, following a specifically developed framework. We refine our findings to understand how an object's smartness and shape correlate. We conclude with a confirmation of our hypothesis and define four design goals for intelligent objects.