Iris, he explained, is a device that "takes pictures of every minute" which are then stored on the device or uploaded to the cloud. The idea behind the device is to document the small moments of life and capture "the little moments we usually let slip away, revealing patterns we never noticed."
The device not only takes photographs but also captions and organises the pictures into a timeline. It uses AI to help wearers remember forgotten details. "Iris also has a focus mode. It notices when you get distracted and proactively tells you to get back on track," Paliwal added.
I built Iris, a wearable that gives you infinite memory of your life.
— Advait Paliwal (@advaitpaliwal) September 24, 2024
It takes a picture every minute, captions and organizes them into a timeline, and uses AI to help you remember forgotten details.
Iris also has a focus mode. It notices when you get distracted and proactively… pic.twitter.com/fQxzpBRmIA
In his blog post, the India-born, San Francisco-based entrepreneur said the device's design is inspired by the evil eye symbol. He said he spent the summer working on the device at Augmentation Lab in Cambridge, which is a two-month hacker accelerator residency programme for AI and hardware talent.
At the end of the programme, he presented Iris to over 250 people at the MIT Media Lab. "Many loved the idea and even wanted to get one for themselves," he claimed.
The good and the bad of Iris
Paliwal highlighted the safety and health benefits of Iris, suggesting doctors can use it to understand a patient's daily habits. "In workplaces, it could be used to ensure people are following safety protocols. For elderly care, it could help caregivers monitor patients without being intrusive," he noted.
The idea of "lifelogging" is not new, he said, reminding readers of Microsoft Research that created a camera to assist Alzheimer's patients. He also gave the example of Google Clips, a small, hands-free, AI-powered camera launched by Google in October 2017. Google Clips "attempted to autonomously capture important moments but struggled with accurate detection, resulting in discontinuation," Paliwal said.
At the same time, he acknowledged that some users may have privacy concerns with such a device.
"There are good and bad sides to this. On one hand, Iris could really help people with memory problems or help us stay focused on our goals. But it also raises concerns about privacy and how these recordings might be used," he wrote, adding that at the end, it is users who decide how to use a device.
We’re constantly taking mental photos anyway
— Advait Paliwal (@advaitpaliwal) September 25, 2024
Paliwal was met with similar privacy concerns on X.
"It's an interesting concept, but I wouldn't want to interact with someone who had this on, taking a photo every minute," wrote one person, to which he responded saying that people are "constantly taking mental photos anyway."
