Forget about asking Alexa to set the pasta timer: The future of AI assistants will rely on advanced language models, such as Chat GPT. They will be real avatars, synthetic helpers who will interact with us. What I present to you today, among the first of its kind, is already causing quite a sensation. Is it because it costs 5000 euros?
The AI revolution has a new face (literally)
This very expensive gadget is called Wehead, and it is more than a simple gadget: it is a real sensorial experience that will leave you speechless. With a design that challenges the collective imagination, this avatar doesn't just answer questions: it observes, moves and speaks like no other device before.
Yes, it's definitely creepy, but in an irresistible way. It's the AI assistant you didn't know you wanted, but once you try it you'll wonder how you ever lived without it. Or how it turns off. Will it usher in a phase that redefines our relationship with technology?
An “avatar” that becomes at home
The first time I laid eyes on Wehead I had bittersweet reactions. The company it opened its doors in 2023 as an avatar for video calls: a way to talk remotely while still showing your face in a physical form. Then he definitely took off as a provider of virtual assistants. What do I think? A fragment of the future, and at the same time a reminiscence of “Max Headroom”. Its appearance resembles that of a cybernetic bust, almost as if the famous science fiction character had jumped out of the screen to speak from our desk.
We feel more than spied on, much more than the current voice assistants suspected of eavesdropping on our conversations. However, it's not just the aesthetics of this avatar that amazes. It is his ability to interact in a meaningful way that makes him unique. Imagine having complex conversations with a device that can tilt its head, nod and even show different expressions.
Bizarre and brilliant
Some may find Wehead disturbing. And I could be among them. There's no denying, though, that it's a bolder object. With that monstrous price there is no risk of impulse buying. It is certainly an object for a few experimenters, and tomorrow for a few collectors.
There is a subtle humor in the idea of this avatar. It's as if its creators themselves recognized the absurdity of trying to humanize a mass of circuits and screens, and decided to embrace the absurd. In this device, satire meets innovation, offering us a taste of what the future could be: a mix of advanced technology and a pinch of self-irony.
An avatar from the future
Wehead is not just a device: it is an invitation to imagine what our future could be like AI assistants. A future where technology is not just a tool, but a collaborator, for some even a shoulder.
If you have $5000 to burn and experience a piece of the future today, this avatar could be the “AI companion” you didn't know you wanted. Or not wanting to.
