Big Tech Still Has No Clue What to Do With AI Gadgets

Microsoft’s Build conference showcased a wearable AI badge that doubles as a compact, technology-packed device. The badge includes a touchscreen, fingerprint reader, Wi‑Fi and 5G, a microphone, and a side-facing camera, with demonstrations showing Copilot selecting and cleaning photos before sending them to the wearer, illustrating its role in Microsoft’s Project Solara, an OS for agentic AI. The badge is pitched as an enterprise tool for frontline workers such as nurses and retail staff, designed to help record conversations and better understand the surrounding environment. While the hardware concept is presented as groundbreaking, the article emphasizes ongoing uncertainty about how AI hardware will be adopted, noting similar efforts by other tech giants and OpenAI’s own hardware plans facing challenges.