Useful Sensors, an AI-focused start-up, today launched the world's first low-cost, off-the-shelf AI module to enable intuitive, natural language interaction with electronic devices, locally and privately, with no need for an account or internet connection. The new AI-In-A-Box module can answer queries and solve problems in a way similar to well-known AI tools based on a large language model (LLM). But thanks to compression and acceleration technologies developed by Useful Sensors, the module hosts its LLM file locally, enabling its low-cost microprocessor to understand and respond instantly to spoken natural language queries or commands without reference to a data center.

Disconnected from the internet, the AI-In-A-Box module definitively eliminates user concerns about privacy, snooping, or dependence on third-party cloud services that are prevalent with conventional LLM-based AI products and services marketed by large technology companies. The AI-In-A-Box module is available to buy now at CrowdSupply, priced at $299.Pete Warden, founder and CEO of Useful Sensors and a former leader of AI programs at Google, said, "The AI-In-A-Box module contains an advanced model that the user can talk to naturally, and with no network connection, account, or API calls. It offers the benefits of AI—an intuitive, natural way to control devices at home, answer queries or just have a chat with a natural-language avatar—without having to share any of your conversations or other data with a Big Tech company or a cloud service provider. At home, every conversation with the box stays within the user's four walls."


High-performance local implementation of NLP
The AI-In-A-Box module offers natural language processing (NLP) performance similar to well-known LLM-based tools; it answers questions, tells stories and jokes, and gives opinions on topics such as art or sport. But while these other tools require arrays of high performance and high-cost GPUs hosted in a data center, the AI-In-A-Box module contains a single, general-purpose Arm Cortex -A-class microprocessor running all AI operations.

This means that the module provides a ready-made, bolt-on hardware and software platform for OEMs and developers who want to provide an intuitive and natural voice-based user interface for any electronic product. Because the software runs locally, the user avoids any need for account registration or system configuration, and privacy concerns are completely eliminated.

Other capabilities of the module include real-time closed captions of nearby conversations, a potential benefit for users with hearing difficulties. Upgrades in development by Useful Sensors will add the ability to translate between English and other languages and the ability to use the box as a voice keyboard (speech-to-text function).

The Useful Sensors compressed LLM file stored locally on the AI-In-A-Box module and other operating software, are supplied by Useful Sensors as open-source software under a GPL v3 license. Commercial license terms are available for OEMs. For more information about the AI-In-A-Box module or Useful Sensors, go to usefulsensors.com.

About Useful Sensors
We are focused on using recent advances in AI and machine learning to improve people's everyday lives through smarter interfaces. Our vision is for:

• Privacy, Security, Transparency—no data leaves the device; Useful Sensors does it all.
• Ease Of Implementation—our sensors can be quickly added to existing products.
• Very Low Cost At Large Scale—revolutionize your customers' experience at little cost to you.
• Unmatched Convenience—our products sense their users and interpret what they want, all with bulletproof privacy.