The Future of Social Media and Personal Tech

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Meta (Facebook) CEO Mark Zuckerberg headlined at Siggraph last week.

While the fireside chat with Huang didn’t really cover any new territory, the subsequent chat between Zuckerberg and Huang was fascinating, particularly when it came to what they didn’t talk about, which was the future of Facebook with AI. But, based on what they did say, I think I can fill that gap.

The two men differed on the future of personal technology, mainly because Zuckerberg talked about what could be done, while Huang focused on what should be done. That dynamic is worth exploring, so we’ll do that this week.

We’ll close with my Product of the Week, a godsend at this time of year if you want to sleep cool but don’t want to spend a fortune running the air conditioner all night.

Zuckerberg Remake

The session between Zuckerberg and Huang was fascinating to watch for several reasons, not the least of which was that Zuckerberg presented as a real person instead of the android-like character he typically reflects. He was personable, seemed to truly like Huang, and came across not only as smart, which he has done, but personable, which is new.

It reminded me of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” when Lore showed up as Data’s more emotional twin brother. Zuckerberg’s people skills have improved dramatically since last I saw him, which undoubtedly took a ton of work that paid off. I think he will be far better received now. If you watch the video and put aside your prior impressions of the guy, Zuckerberg presents himself as bright but normal, which is a huge improvement.

The Future of Personal Technology

Huang and Zuckerberg spoke about many things, but when they started discussing advanced AR/VR headsets, it felt like they had drifted into what would come after smartphones.

You see, smartphones are still primarily based on the GUI interface that we initially got with PCs. In many ways, they are just small PCs with touchscreens instead of keyboards and mice. However, AI, particularly conversational AI, can use natural language as the interface. Talking to your smartphone might be an initial implementation, but wouldn’t it be better if you wore the thing that would put the microphone closer to your face and, with a glasses form factor, the display in front of your eyes?

People walk around today with their faces buried in their phones, which is incredibly unsafe. But if you were able to put the display translucently in front of their eyes and coupled that with a camera, similar to what self-driving cars have, then the glasses could warn you to avoid obstacles (and vehicles), and your hands would be free to carry stuff or help with balance.

Zuckerberg was still thinking about his Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, which will take commands, convey sounds, and capture images. However, they lack a built-in display because it would double the cost and make the glasses heavy and bulky. He was right that people have resisted wearing a heavy headset like Apple’s Vision Pro, which comes closest in terms of capabilities to what Huang was talking about as the future.

Ray-Ban | Meta Smart Glasses (Video Credit: Meta)

He was also correct that the bar for such a headset should include the visual capabilities of the Vision Pro, only in a more glasses-like form factor that was also much lighter. The technology for that isn’t ready yet, which is why Zuckerberg’s short-term vision has traction. Still, I agree that the bar for true success would be closer to an updated Vision Pro (or Meta Quest) in terms of capabilities but closer to the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses in terms of weight and battery life.

This eventual device could replace smartphones and represent a massive pivot to the AI digital assistant world of natural language devices that learn how to collaborate better with you rather than you having to learn to collaborate better with it.

The Future Facebook

One troubling part of the conversation between the two men was Zuckerberg’s discussion of recommendation engines and how they could be applied to enterprise e-commerce systems.

What troubled me is that it sounded identical to what some folks over at Netscape did, which resulted in that company’s demise. Developing enterprise software is complex and requires a brand that enterprise buyers will accept, and neither Facebook nor Meta have that brand. I know at least one ex-Netscape person is on Meta’s board, and I hope this person hasn’t convinced Zuckerberg to repeat Netscape’s terminal mistake.

On the other hand, using a recommendation engine on Facebook could significantly impact how ads are presented and improve the introduction of users with common interests. This improvement would return Facebook to its roots as an introduction product for making and sustaining friendships.

With the proper use of AI, Facebook could become a far better advertising platform. Most of the scam ads I used to get on Facebook have disappeared, suggesting it has done impressive work over the last few years.

Imagine a future Facebook that not only surfaced products and services you didn’t know of but might want to buy but also people you’ve never met with similar personalities and interests that you might enjoy as more than just Facebook friends.

Properly used, AI could improve Facebook to the point where it could help people avoid loneliness at any age by connecting them to people or AIs they can talk to without being scammed or abused.

On this last, Huang and Zuckerberg spoke about digital humans, with some discussion on how Huang’s digital self is progressing. The idea of being able to create digital clones that could act in your stead if busy or that could engage with people who have difficulty with human interactions while training them to be better could provide a tremendous amount of improvement.

Wrapping Up

The discussion between Jensen Huang and Mark Zuckerberg at Siggraph is worth watching. One represents the creation of AI technology, while the other is more focused on its use, though both cross over. Through discussions like this, you gain a sense of where the technology is and where it is successful and a stronger understanding of where the technology is likely to go in the near term.

In this case, the concept of a smartphone replacement that you’d wear on your head like glasses spoke to the future evolution of personal technology, while the discussion on AIs and recommendation engines began to clarify the future of Facebook, with some possibility that Meta might repeat Netscape’s mistakes.

Learning about potential futures helps us prepare for them, making this year’s Siggraph main stage event a must-see.

Chilipad Pro

(Image Credit: Sleepme)

The Chilipad Pro is my Product of the Week at least once a year because it helps me sleep. Like a lot of people, I don’t like to be hot when I sleep, so the Chilipad, particularly the Chilipad Pro, is a godsend this time of year when it is hot and I can’t open the windows because of all the wildfire smoke.

This year, a competing product is out called the Eight Sleep Pod 4, which I haven’t tried. Based on the reviews I’ve seen, it uses one control head, while the Chilipad Pro has two. It has a less comfortable mattress topper but a larger water repository, so you don’t have to fill it as often, and it blends in better in your home.

Chilipad has optional accessories that monitor sleep quality and makes recommendations for a subscription price, while Eight Sleep has integrated this capability but requires a subscription to its services. I’m leery of subscription payments, so I haven’t tried the Eight Sleep or the Chilipad options, but both monitor your sleep and can make recommendations.

Both products use water that is heated and cooled based on your needs. If you have ever messed with your car’s cooling system, you know that water does a far better job than air of conveying temperature — which is why astronauts and race car drivers use similar technology to keep themselves cool.

The advantage is that regardless of the room temperature and for a lower cost than running an air conditioner, you can sleep with a ton of covers and still be cool in the summer. Because they don’t create an electric field, these technologies are arguably more efficient than electric blankets or traditional heating pads and likely better for you.

My 27-pound Maine Coon cat got on the bed while we were washing the sheets and caused the mattress cover to leak, so I had to do without my Chilipad Pro for a couple of weeks. I was miserable and reminded how much I depend on the Chilipad. Because this is one of the few products I can’t live without at this time of the year, the Chilipad Pro is my Product of the Week.