Xailient Working on Tech to Help Machines ‘See’
Xailient, an IoT tech startup, is aiming to spread a technology around the world inspired by an unlikely source – the bionic eye. Xailient uses artificial intelligence combined with IoT sensors to allow machines to ‘see.’ The project aims to offer a method of input to devices that are similar to what humans have, making it easier for people to understand what a machine is observing. Developers can then use that information to perform processing.
A Step Towards Smarter Devices
While there are several input sensors available on the market that offer similar functionality, none of them leverage AI to aid with processing. The researcher who worked on the project, Shivy Yohanandan, was inspired by his own Ph.D. research, which saw him building a bionic eye to grant sight to the blind. His intention in creating the technology was to give machines the same ability that humans already have.
Already the researchers are doing testing with a handful of selected clients. Dr. Yohanandan sees the use of AI along with IoT to parallel the functions of the human body. The ability of IoT devices to report information back in real-time makes them crucial in resource management. The AI serves as a distributed brain which can make decisions on each device, or pass that information further up the chain to allow for more complex decisions to be made.
Data Privacy a Priority
It is alarming to think that machines will soon have the capability to witness things like humans, and the concerns over privacy have already arisen. However, because the devices leverage AI, they can remove any personally identifiable features from the image before it’s collected and processed. The algorithms that the company developed allow them to do this in real-time, making these sensors fully GDPR compliant.
Additionally, cryptographic security can also be deployed on each sensor, increasing security. Xailient intends to ensure that their devices operate within their own company’s ethical structure, which is strikingly similar to science fiction author Isaac Asimov’s Laws of Robotics. Hopefully, they don’t malfunction as often as Asimov’s robots did.
