Key Takeaways:
- George Zhao, the CEO of Honor, a Chinese smartphone firm, told CNBC in an exclusive interview that the transformative potential of artificial intelligence is useless unless user data is protected.
- His remarks coincide with Apple’s announcement earlier this month that it will begin deploying customized AI features on certain devices in the United States coming autumn.
- Zhao stated, “We claim that user data never leaves [the device].” “We follow this as a principle.”
China’s Hangzhou — In an exclusive interview with CNBC on Thursday, George Zhao, the CEO of Honor, a Chinese smartphone firm, stated that the transformative potential of artificial intelligence is meaningless without safeguarding user data.
His comments coincide with Apple’s announcement this month that it will begin deploying customized AI features on certain devices in the United States in the upcoming fall.
Some AI features are already integrated into Honor, such as the ability to open text messages and other notifications simply by glancing at them or the direct integration of Yelp-like applications with ride-hailing or navigation apps, which eliminates the need for copy-and-paste operations.
Honor introduced new artificial intelligence (AI) technologies this week at the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai. These tools may be used to identify the use of deepfakes in films and to simulate lenses that can reduce myopia over extended periods of screen use.
Zhao underlined that Honor’s strategy is to confine AI activities involving personal information to smartphones. It is sometimes referred to as “on-device AI” and is distinct from AI technologies that rely on cloud computing for operation.
Zhao stated in Mandarin, which CNBC translated, “AI will become worthless without data security and user privacy protection.” This has consistently been one of our key selling points.
Zhao stated, “We claim that user data never leaves [the device].” “We follow this as a principle.”
The AI solution from the iPhone maker, Apple Intelligence, states that it processes queries on-device and uses “server-based models” for more complicated ones. As per Apple, user data is never stored by its new “Private Cloud Compute” system.
Honor claims that while it has built its own on-device AI, it is collaborating with Baidu and Google Cloud on more AI features.
In general, Zhao stated, “I think there are two paths AI has taken to date in its development.” “AI on networks [clouds] has grown increasingly potent. However, I think that as on-device AI develops, customers will be empowered and the technology will become more personal and perceptive.
He continued, “It will help consumers engage with the AI world of the future and offer them more support.”
Zhao made the observation that a lot of generative AI apps, like ChatGPT from OpenAI, demand a lot of processing power that is far more than what a single smartphone can provide.
This implies that they must use the cloud, which begs the issue of data transfer security.
Manufacturers face a “huge challenge” in juggling AI capabilities with energy consumption and data protection, according to Zhao.
According to him, a system that gathers a lot of user data in order to provide more customized features becomes a “stronger” entity than the person utilizing it.
“We want the individual to become stronger as we develop smartphones in the future,” Zhao stated.
“The smallness of the individual in its presence will be made evident as an object gains strength. I think people should be empowered and enabled by mobile end devices.”
Honor’s Magic V2 folding phone, which debuted in Europe earlier this year and in China last summer, took home the “Best Smartphone in Asia Award” at this week’s Shanghai Mobile World Congress.
When folded, the Magic V2 is almost as thin as an iPhone.
With the most recent AI features from the firm, Honor plans to introduce the Magic V3 in July.
Zhao merely responded, “Of course, we need to challenge ourselves,” in response to the question of whether the forthcoming foldable would be even thinner.
