Artificial Intelligence is found in nearly every consumer tech product on the market these days. It's in the smartphone in your pocket, the smartwatch on your wrist, and possibly even the refrigerator in your kitchen.
AI has completely enhanced our favorite tech, making previously impossible achievements a reality and empowering users to achieve remarkable results that weren't even a possibility just a few years ago.
1. Computational photography makes your camera smarter
Whether it's the camera on your smartphone or the one in your webcam, AI has pushed the capabilities of small sensors to new heights. These days, modern camera hardware merges with software to recognize scenes, lighting, skin tones, and more, leading to better-quality images without the need for high-end gear.
Low-light photography has drastically improved thanks to AI, leading to images with cleaner edges, sharper highlights, and even the ability to capture moving objects. Just a few years ago, taking photos at night with our smartphones was almost impossible; now some of the best shots you’ll see from a phone are snapped in the evening.
AI has even led to significant improvements in speedy photo editing while on the go, enabling you to manipulate your photos to make them just that little bit more impressive without the need for expensive editing tools.
Computational photography is just one example of how AI has subtly helped improve the way we interact with tech daily, so much so that new smartphone releases often have better camera tech, not because of larger sensors or more impressive hardware, but because of improved AI prowess.
2. A personal trainer always by your side
While fitness gadgets have counted steps for decades, the addition of AI has given the whole health industry a huge upgrade. Now, thanks to AI, smartwatches can blend heart rate variability, sleep, and past training load to help you look after your body and improve your health.
Many fitness devices these days have AI chatbots built into their apps, which allow you to ask in-depth questions about your health data and get direct answers in a way that’s never truly been this accessible. Some devices are even able to monitor stress by using AI to translate data and recognize patterns.
Health tech has rapidly improved in the last few years, and that’s down to AI implementation and the ability for artificial intelligence to analyze complex data and provide users with easy-to-understand insights.
This is only the beginning for AI-powered fitness technology, and with the likes of smartwatch blood-pressure sensors expected to become more widespread in the near future, AI has a big part to play.
3. Tools that focus on the mundane
Most of us don’t need an AI to do our job for us; instead, we want a teammate that helps get the boring stuff done, so we can focus on the important tasks at hand.
Assistants such as ChatGPT and Gemini are continuously improving and are now at the point where they can truly work alongside you to remove the mundane from your daily workflow. Whether it’s summarizing long emails, meeting notes, helping with spreadsheet formulas, or even helping you rationalize your thoughts, these AI tools with the right context are incredibly powerful additions to your work.
Chatbots can now remember relevant details from your previous prompts or files and bring them forward when it helps, without you having to spoon-feed every detail, taking us one step closer to a personal assistant in our pockets we’ve all been waiting for.
4. Smart appliances
AI is quietly reshaping the kitchen in ways that feel less like science fiction and more like having a sous-chef who understands how you like to cook. Modern appliances are learning your habits, adjusting heat, timing, and even ingredient guidance to support you from prep to plating.
Instead of relying on rigid presets, AI-assisted ovens and hobs can recognise what you’re cooking and tailor temperature curves to hit the right texture. In fact, as someone who always overcooks bacon in the oven, I’ve been dreaming of an AI-enhanced oven for a while now, just so I can replace charcoaled pork with perfectly crisp bacon.
AI-integrated fridges can suggest recipes based on what’s already inside, so you stop throwing away wilted vegetables, and AI-guided coffee makers tweak brew time and pressure to match your taste. While these additions of AI in your life might sound like overkill, it’s the ability to have these tech smarts in your day-to-day lives that truly highlight the power of artificial intelligence.
Today, we laugh about a fridge that can talk back to you and tell you when the milk goes off, but give it a few years, and everyone will be wondering how they ever lived without the ability to keep a constant track of expiry dates.
5. A personalized media experience
Algorithms in your favorite streaming services have all improved in the last few years, thanks to AI, and while I still spend ages trying to pick a TV show to watch, in theory, the answer to what I should watch next is almost always staring me in the face.
Platforms like YouTube now offer impressive AI translation and closed captions, allowing people from all over the world to consume content in multiple languages, while streaming sites like Netflix or Amazon Prime can effortlessly steer you towards a show that appeals to your taste.
Even vertical video platforms are better thanks to AI. For example, the algorithms across social media, whether that’s TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram, all use AI to ensure you stay connected to the content on your device and spend more time consuming content.
AI is everywhere, and it’s only just beginning
AI truly is at the heart of everything we do these days, and while we love to categorize everything under one umbrella term, it’s far more than a single headline feature. AI is a thread that runs through cameras, health, work, and play to make your tech feel closer to you.
More so than ever before, the connection between your intent, your body, and your device is getting tighter, allowing for faster and more efficient products in all corners of the tech landscape.
AI is still in its infancy, and while it may seem like we’ve already achieved the implementation of the powerful technology in our most-used devices, there’s likely to be even more shifts to come. In fact, in just a couple of years, we might be wondering what tech doesn’t have AI built in, rather than looking for products that do.
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