Dyson launches €500 AI toothbrush with built-in camera

Companies are now adding AI to products that people use at home, from kitchen appliances to pet accessories. But as more products become “smart”, a simple question is becoming harder to ignore. Does the technology actually make them better?

A 100,000-pixel camera

Dyson has now entered this market with a $499 electric toothbrush called CameraJet, reports el Economista. The toothbrush has a built-in camera that uses AI to examine teeth and find spaces between them. It can then direct a stream of liquid into those areas.

The device uses a 100,000-pixel macro camera that can analyze 28 images every second. Its machine learning system was trained using 470,000 dental images and was developed over six years.

The toothbrush is another example of the growing push to put AI into almost everything. This has also led to the term “AI washing”. The idea is similar to greenwashing. Companies may give AI a larger role in their marketing than the technology actually has, making a product appear more advanced than it really is.

The bigger question is whether AI solves a real problem or simply makes products more complicated and expensive.

One example is Spicerr, a touchscreen spice dispenser that uses AI to learn a user’s preferences and recommend recipes. It can also decide how much seasoning to release. Users replace spice pods, making the device similar to a capsule machine for cooking.

Smart collar for your dog

AI has also reached pet products. Petkit’s Purobot Ultra uses a camera and facial recognition to identify cats. It analyzes their waste and can send alerts about changes that could point to digestive or urinary problems.

Another product called Voicari is a smart collar for dogs. It analyzes barking, activity and physical signals such as heart and breathing rates. The company says AI can use this information to identify emotions such as fear, frustration and relaxation.

There are many other examples. Some air fryers use AI to create cooking programs. Some nightlights track sleep. Smart toilets can collect health data, while refrigerators can recognize people and respond to voice commands.

Some of these features may prove useful. In other cases, AI may simply be a way to make a product stand out.

Companies also face pressure to move quickly as AI develops. But adding technology without a clear purpose can create new problems. Products can become more expensive and harder to use. They may also collect more personal data and depend on software, updates and online services.

Before asking what AI can do, perhaps the better question is what problem it actually solves.

This article is made and published by Anna Hartz, who may have used AI in the preparation