Intel’s Siri Rival For Tag Heuer Connected Smartwatch Is Genderless

When Tag Heuer introduced its Connected smartwatch sequel, called the Connected Modular 45, early Tuesday, Intel was there to reveal it is working on a special artificially intelligent assistant for the wearable. What makes this Siri competitor special according to the chipmaker is the fact that it is genderless.

Intel’s New Technology Group VP Jerry Bautista said at the launch event that Intel is preparing a genderless digital assistant for the andro that will arrive later this year. Though Bautista did not expound on how this genderless nature would be possible, he did drop a few details about the AI assistant. It is said to be smart enough to adjust reminders based on the user’s current activities. Like if one is staying up late at work, the AI will move the home reminders to a later time when the user has already left work. It will also be capable of extrapolating and answering follow-up questions like Google’s Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri. Lastly, it will not have a name, as first reported by The Verge.

Tag Heuer’s new smartwatch actually runs Android Wear 2.0, so it already has Google Assistant built-it. Hence, it isn’t clear why Intel is creating a smart assistant for the device. However, Bautista says Intel is going to differentiate its own AI assistant from rivals by making it smarter in its own way.

Intel’s decision to come up with a genderless AI assistant could be met with positive responses from consumers. According to Gizmodo, Apple, Amazon and other companies that have their own digital assistants have gotten some criticism and faced backlash from people who are questioning their decision to use the feminine voice and names for their technology. And though Google chose to have a simple and non-human name for its assistant, it still utilizes a female voice for its digital aide.

Tag Heuer’s Connected Modular 45 smartwatch is powered by an Intel Atom Z34XX processor. It comes with 1.39-inch 400 x 400 AMOLED display, a modular design and a battery that can last up to 30 hours on paper. The device also features Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LTE, NFC and GPS connectivity. The timepiece starts at $1,600 and is scheduled to start shipping later this year — no specific date given yet.