Why I'm not buying 'AI earbuds' until they have these 3 specific upgrades

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ZDNET's key takeaways

• AI earbuds often lack the features to leverage AI.
• On-device processing, Wi-Fi integration, and improved noise-reduction algorithms are a must-have.
• Until then, earbuds are still categorized as peripheral accessories.

Rumor has it that OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, is developing its first hardware and that the device will be a pair of earbuds. I generally don't care for AI-enabled earbuds, but I have a wishlist of yet-to-be-achieved features that would make them worthwhile. 

Also: You should probably clean your headphones ASAP (before it's too late and this happens)

More on-device AI processing, integrated Wi-Fi for ecosystem independence, and smarter AI-powered noise-reduction algorithms are on my list. Hopefully, we'll all get lucky, and OpenAI will grant these features. Here's why they'd change my mind.

On-device processing

Most earbuds ...