What happens when AI virtual assistants can mimic our voices, learn our habits, and double as our drinking buddies?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a future that doesn\u2019t seem far off. It\u2019s also a future Mozilla is exploring in a new short film and with a new bi-annual magazine.<\/p>\n
Today, Mozilla is releasing a short film commissioned from Superflux titled \u201c<\/b>Our Friends Electric<\/a>,\u201d<\/b> and launching a new magazine titled DING<\/a>, to explore the impact of connected devices on our lives, our society, and our future. <\/b><\/p>\n The movie and magazine cover a wide range: You\u2019ll see a stubborn AI bickering with its owner. You\u2019ll read about anti-corruption bots in Brazil, and the harmful impact of connected devices on the environment. And you\u2019ll hear from one of the founders of interaction design, Gillian Crampton Smith.<\/p>\n The work is led by Mozilla\u2019s Open IoT Studio, a research studio seeking to advance internet health in emerging technologies.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s imperative that we go beyond what\u2019s possible<\/i> with technology, and instead consider what\u2019s responsible<\/i>,\u201d says Michelle Thorne<\/a>, who leads Mozilla\u2019s Open IoT Studio. \u201cWe wanted to critically engage in debates about the Internet of Things while offering something constructive in return. For example, we researched the current landscape of voice assistants and found that most devices today only encourage you to consume. We asked: what if they could also help you create?\u201d<\/p>\n Mozilla collaborated with London-based design agency Superflux to create \u201cOur Friends Electric,\u201d a six-minute film about the future of voice-enabled AI. The film features virtual assistants that grow with you, AI that speaks on your behalf, and a philosophically-minded companion that accidently orders 2,000 pounds of organic horse manure.<\/p>\n The film officially premiered at the London Digital Design Weekend<\/a> at the V&A museum on Saturday, September 23. The prototypes in the film are done by Martin Skelly and Loraine Clarke.<\/p>\nThe Film<\/h2>\n