Ammunition's Brunner Says Machine Behavior Replaces UI in Physical AI

Ammunition的Brunner：物理AI中机器行为将取代UI 物理AI设备赢得用户采纳并不依靠纯粹的算力或模拟人格，而是通过清晰易懂的物理行为与契合情境的克制表现来赢得信任。 回顾五十年来的计算范式变革，Robert Brunner指出智能本身已成为最新的设计素材，推动设计师的角色从塑造静态界面转变为编排系统行为与判断。他结合Ammunition代表性案例（包括Square、June智能烤箱、Cafe X、Limitless吊坠以及Beats by Dr. Dre），阐释了清晰易懂的特征、熟悉的外形形态、动态交互以及个人身份认同感如何建立用户信任。Brunner概述了具身AI的基础原则，认为机器理解与物理情境的结合能够产生可落地的机器判断力。他最后呼吁产品创造者，应将增强人类能力与情感共鸣置于单纯的原始算力之上。 Ammunition 创始人 Robert Brunner 指出，物理 AI（Physical AI）正推动产品设计从单纯的屏幕交互转向实体具身智能，设计师的核心设计素材也已从图形用户界面演进为“智能本身”。 (10:22) 由于硬件开发需要投入上千万甚至数亿美元的高昂成本，新产品必须符合相关性、吸引力与变革性等多维标准，将设计重心从菜单指令转向行为展现、意图预判与情境判断。 (2:06) 自动化系统赢得信任的关键在于精心的物理交互编排（如 Square 的翻转底座），并通过沿用直观、熟悉的外形形态（如 June 智能烤箱）来消除认知阻力，确保用户始终拥有对关键节点的掌控感。 (12:36) 机器的独特特质并非源于卡通面容或合成语音，而是由清晰可读的动态行为举止（如 Cafe X 机械臂）所决定；物理 AI 的核心价值在于无缝融入既有日常仪式并增强人类能力，而非强行改变用户习惯。 (21:14)

Industrial designer Robert Brunner argues that the emergence of physical artificial intelligence requires treating intelligence itself as a tangible design material, where user adoption depends on physical trust, behavioral legibility, and contextual judgment rather than raw computational power. Treating Machine Intelligence as a Design Material (10:22) Brunner frames physical AI as the latest in a sequence of computing eras spanning four decades. While the personal computing wave of the 1980s centered on graphical user interfaces and ergonomic utility, subsequent shifts through the internet in 1995, mobile in 2007, and cloud computing in 2015 expanded design into connectivity, physical context, and persistent memory. In the current AI paradigm, designers are no longer merely housing electronics or laying out interface menus; they are shaping machine behavior, intent anticipation, and continuous collaborative relationships. Because physical hardware development requires substantial capital—frequently consuming between $10 million and over $100 million alongside substantial human effort and raw materials—Ammunition evaluates candidate hardware through a seven-part framework. Candidate products must prove to be relevant, unique, considered, desirable, resource-worthy, value-generating, and transformative, filtering out novelty to ensure physical products legitimately improve daily life before entering production. Establishing Trust Through Legibility and Familiarity (12:36) According to Brunner, intelligent physical systems cannot succeed through computational capability alone; they must earn adoption by establishing transparency and agency. In Ammunition's work on the Square Stand, trust was engineered through a physical swivel base that choreographed the payment process, allowing customers to retain direct physical control during checkout. Similarly, the Terra Kaffe TK-02 espresso machine uses calm architectural forms and one-touch operations to support existing morning rituals rather than forcing users to learn complex automated procedures. This balance between capability and familiarity proved essential in the June intelligent oven, which integrates computer vision and thermal sensors to identify food and orchestrate cooking. Rather than using an unconventional, futuristic form factor such as a robotic terminal or glowing sphere, the studio housed the technology inside an unmistakable standard oven envelope. Grounding advanced computer vision in an archetype with a familiar door, cavity, and dial eliminated cognitive friction and gave consumers the confidence to let an automated system prepare their food. Communicating Character Through Motion Over Anthropomorphism (21:14) Brunner asserts that character in physical AI should emerge from observable physical behavior rather than simulated human traits like digital faces or synthesized voices. At Cafe X, an automated airport kiosk, the enclosure was designed as a restrained architectural frame, leaving the robotic arm's kinetic movement to communicate its character. By engineering deliberate, smooth, and occasionally playful arm movements, the system clearly signaled its operational intent, leading travelers to watch the machine work for extended periods purely because its physical actions were legible. A parallel emphasis on restraint governs Ammunition's approach to wearable AI, where the strategic goal is augmenting human capabilities rather than attempting full automation. In designing the Limitless pendant—a wearable note-taking device meant to bolster natural memory—the team created an understated, jewelry-like object. By avoiding the visual language of a miniature body-worn smartphone, the hardware avoids social friction and operates quietly in daily environments. Physical Embodiment, Cultural Identity, and Contextual Judgment (32:12) Drawing from the design history of Beats by Dr. Dre, Brunner observes that consumers adopt wearable devices primarily for cultural identity and personal expression rather than technical specifications. Furthermore, wearable devices must overcome severe physical hurdles before software utility can matter; developing in-ear hardware, for example, required extensive geometric iteration to securely fit 80% of diverse human ear geometries under rigorous athletic movement. Brunner synthesizes these historical precedents into four governing principles for physical AI: physical behavior replaces screens and buttons as the primary interface; hardware provides analytical software with spatial embodiment and agency; understanding paired with environmental context creates machine judgment; and intelligent systems must earn their place by respecting human time and boundaries rather than asserting constant technical capability. Brunner concludes that future success in physical AI will not belong to systems optimizing for raw information volume or unchecked automation, but to embodied designs exercising refined judgment—instinctively understanding when to assist, when to empower, and when to remain unobtrusive.

Ammunition 创始人 Robert Brunner 认为，消费电子的设计媒介已从硬件外壳与屏幕界面转向“智能”本身；物理人工智能若要真正融入日常生活，必须通过符合人类情境的行为、克制的硬件形态与审慎的判断力来赢得用户信任，而非单方面追求算力堆砌或拟人化表象。 从可用性到智能：设计媒介的代际演进 (5:08) Brunner 结合自身在 Apple、Pentagram、Beats 及 Ammunition 四十年的工业设计生涯指出，计算技术的历次换代都在重构设计的核心媒介。1980年代个人电脑时代的核心在于解决机器是否可用，图形用户界面（GUI）与桌面隐喻成为主要设计材料；1995年互联网时代拓展至信息获取与数字身份；2007年移动计算让设计聚焦于地理位置与即时情境；2015年云计算则通过数据同步赋予产品持续的记忆与关系。当下的 AI 变革使设计不再局限于操作菜单、手势或屏幕输出，设计师面对的真正材料是“智能本身”。 建立信任：物理编排与熟悉形态的降低认知阻力 (12:36) 在硬件开发动辄耗资数千万至上亿美元的背景下，实体产品能否被大众接纳取决于其是否具备真实价值并建立信任。Brunner 以 Ammunition 操刀的 Square Stand 刷卡底座为例，指出其并未将交易流程完全封装在软件中，而是借助可旋转的物理底座在顾客与商家之间流转控制权，通过透明的身体仪式消除了对陌生设备的戒备心理。同样，智能烤箱 June 虽搭载先进的计算机视觉与传感器来自动掌控烹饪，却摒弃了未来主义的机械外壳，严格保留了传统烤箱的门体、观察窗与旋钮，利用既有的使用认知降低了用户的心理抵触。 行为塑造机器性格：告别虚假拟人化 (21:14) 物理 AI 的“性格”并非来自卡通笑脸或合成语音，而是直接由其机械行为所决定。Ammunition 为机场无人咖啡亭 Cafe X 进行设计时，刻意去除了任何仿人化的外观元素，将亭体设计得低调而具建筑感，而将表达完全交由机械臂的运动逻辑。通过流畅、稳定且兼具节奏感的动作编排，顾客单凭观察其减速与动作意图即可感知其专业与亲和力，甚至在取餐后自发驻留十余分钟观看操作。Brunner 指出，机器与人类的真实联结来自可读的动态意图，克制而自信的行为比生搬硬套的虚拟人格更能传达温度。 增强而非替代：可穿戴设备的身份认同与人体工学 (23:47) 针对可穿戴 AI 硬件，Brunner 主张以“增强”取代“自动化”。以 Limitless 吊坠为例，该产品不试图接管人类记忆，而是通过低调记录对话来延伸认知边界，其形态被设计为精致的首饰而非微型手机，避免了佩戴时的社交突兀感。回顾 Beats 耳机的设计历程，Brunner 强调消费者佩戴硬件往往不是为了展示高智算力，而是为了表达自身的文化身份与审美主张；同时，耳机等贴身硬件必须克服全球人群在耳道解剖学上的极端差异，只有在物理人体工学上达到安全与舒适的严苛标准，智能才有资格进入用户的日常躯体空间。 智能具身化的四项准则：理解与情境催生判断力 (32:12) Brunner 提出了物理 AI 设计的四项指导准则：首先，“行为是新界面”，系统的价值不再由屏幕像素决定，而取决于其如何移动、是否恰当地倾听以及何时选择不打扰；其次，“硬件赋予智能肉身”，物理载体使算法摆脱了静态查询工具的角色，转化为物理空间中具有能动性的实体；第三，“理解加情境等于判断力”，系统必须在理解人类意图的同时读懂现实场景，以审慎的判断力作为信任基石；最后，“智能需靠自身赢得席位”，AI 不应随意充斥生活，而必须通过尊重时间、提升健康与增强效率来证明自身不可或缺的意义。 Brunner 总结强调，决定未来人工智能系统胜负的关键不在于模型存储了多少原始数据，而在于其物理实体是否展现出成熟的判断力——清楚何时协助、何时沉默、何时聆听。技术固然开辟了可能性，但设计的真正使命是使智能向人性靠拢，让使用者感受到更具能力、自信与联结感。

## Background 本内容由 Ai4 于 2026 年 8 月 14 日发布在 YouTube 平台上。内容记录了知名设计机构 Ammunition 创始人兼创意总监 Robert Brunner 的主题演讲，探讨在突破屏幕与聊天机器人的物理 AI（Physical AI）时代，设计如何逆转人机关系，使技术嵌入日常生活空间并学会理解人、赢得信任。 ## TL;DR 执业四十年的工业设计大师 Robert Brunner 梳理了从 PC、互联网、移动计算到 AI 时代的演变，指出当前“智能本身已成为最新的设计材料”。他提出了优秀硬件赖以成立的评判准则，强调实体 AI 成功的关键不在于炫技或盲目拟人化，而在于通过熟悉形态建立信任、融入既有生活仪式并以动作行为传达性格。结合 Square、June 智能烤箱、Cafe X 与 Limitless 吊坠等实践案例，Brunner 确立了塑造物理智能的四大基石（行为即界面、硬件赋予身体、情境催生判断力与智能赢得位置），号召行业停止单纯优化智能，转而为人类自身做优化。 ## Atmosphere & style 整场演讲沉稳睿智且充满老派设计巨匠的深厚底蕴与人文关怀，Brunner 以亲历数次技术浪潮的宏大视角娓娓道来，语言平和却字字珠玑。叙事在宏观产业反思与极度敏锐的工业设计细节之间自如切换，既有直面硬件研发残酷现实的清醒与克制，又洋溢着硅谷式“以设计改良世界”的从容理想主义。聆听体验如同置身于一场大师级的设计哲学课，剥离了生成式 AI 喧嚣的浮躁表象，让受众重温科技背后尊重人性、润物细无声的温度与力量。 ## Key takeaways - [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=4s) 实体 AI（Physical AI）浪潮正在全面到来，Ammunition 工作室中约 50% 的项目已包含 AI 组件，设计界正从纯软件界面走向将 AI 具身化（Embodied AI）引入实体产品的新阶段。 - [02:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=126s) 硬件开发成本极其昂贵，优秀实体设计必须通过七项评判标准：高度相关、独树一帜、深思熟虑、令人向往、值得投入、持续生金与带来蜕变。 - [05:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=308s) 计算革命历经 PC、互联网、移动计算与云计算时代，设计师的设计画布不断扩展，而当下 AI 时代的核心命题则是将“智能本身”作为全新的设计材料。 - [10:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=644s) AI 时代的人机交互范式发生深刻转移：从传统的操作指令、静态特性与工具属性，演进为意图预判、情境判断与具备主动性的协作伙伴。 - [13:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=806s) 信任是物理 AI 产品的设计核心，如 Square Stand 的旋转底座通过重构物理动作仪式，让用户始终感受到对系统的掌控权与安全感。 - [16:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=974s) 优秀的智能硬件绝不应强行改变人类习惯，如 Terra Kaffe 咖啡机将精密技术隐入幕后，润物细无声地融入并丰富人类既有的日常生活仪式。 - [18:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=1120s) 面对颠覆性技术，保留熟悉的锚点与物理意向指示至关重要；如 June 智能烤箱保留传统形态让用户产生信心，避免盲目追求怪异的科幻造型。 - [21:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=1274s) 机器的“性格”源于其行为方式而非外表拟人化；Cafe X 机器人咖啡亭通过精准、克制且流畅的动作轨迹展现出可靠且极具亲和力的特质。 - [23:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=1427s) 物理 AI 的真正价值在于“增强（Augment）”人类能力而非简单替代，如 Limitless 吊坠以极简低调的首饰形态延伸人类的记忆边界。 - [26:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=1580s) 可穿戴硬件的核心门槛不仅是功能，更是身份认同的表达；Beats 耳机将声学器材转化为大众渴望佩戴出门的个性化标志与文化符号。 - [31:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=1899s) 塑造物理 AI 体验的四大支柱为：行为即新界面、硬件赋予智能肉身、理解与情境结合催生判断力，以及智能必须在人类生活中安静地赢得一席之地。 - [35:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=2111s) “技术提供可能，设计确立价值”；未来的物理 AI 赢家不在于模型拥有多少算力，而在于其是否具备以人为本的最佳判断力，停止为智能做优化，开始为人类做优化。 ## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=4s) 开启物理 AI 时代：设计工作室里的新探索 作为一名执业四十载的工业设计师，Robert Brunner 的整个职业生涯都在专注于打造实体产品。然而在当下，设计团队正全面沉浸于将 AI 具身化（Embodied AI）引入实体产品的新浪潮中。在过去两年里，Ammunition 工作室内约有 50% 的项目都包含 AI 组件，而且这一比例还在持续攀升，涉及领域横跨机器人、老年人看护、家庭智能硬件以及新型通信设备。Brunner 坦言，这是一片完全未知的全新领域，所有人都在边学边摸索，但这种未知也带来了前所未有的兴奋感。 Brunner 在近二十年前创立了 Ammunition，初衷非常纯粹：让设计成为创新的核心。如今，这支分布在旧金山和布鲁克林的 40 人团队，融合了工业设计、数字体验、品牌战略与产品策略等多维能力。他们不仅与工程师团队并肩作战，也与大型企业机构深度合作，不仅定义单款硬件，更经常协助催生全新的业务形态甚至全新的品类。Brunner 笑着表示，外界找上门来的任务，往往冠以“做前人从未做过的事情”的名义。但归根结底，团队骨子里流淌着典型硅谷式的乐观主义——深信当深思熟虑的设计、前沿科技与企业家的雄心交融时，科技能够真正且切实地改善人类的生活。 ### [02:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=126s) 终极追问：什么才值得被设计？ 在 Ammunition，几乎每一个项目的起点都始于同一个极其关键的问题：“到底什么才值得被设计？”（What's worth designing in the first place?）工作室甚至专门设立了一支策略团队，唯一的核心工作就是回答这个命题。Brunner 指出，很多初创企业和合作伙伴在踏入具体研发前，往往根本没有把这个问题想透。开发硬件是一件极度沉重的事情，需要砸进海量的时间、金钱、顶尖的人才资本与自然资源，有时候单款产品的开发成本就高达 1000 万、5000 万甚至 1 亿美元。如果这个东西从一开始就不值得被造出来，那就是对资源的巨大浪费。 面对这一根本问题，Brunner 结合 Ammunition 过往的经典案例，给出了优秀实体硬件必须具备的七项评判标准： - **高度相关（Relevant）**：产品必须对人们的日常生活和大千世界具备现实意义，自然契合使用者的生活节奏、日常习惯、时间和空间场景，满足真实存在的渴望与刚需。 - **独树一帜（Unique）**：这种独特性绝非为了求异而求异，而是拥有自身的使命感、内在品格与生命力，从而塑造其独有的外观、行为逻辑与交互方式。 - **深思熟虑（Considered）**：卓越的产品绝非偶然诞生。它必须具备鲜明可辨的编辑视角（editorial point of view），经过严苛的打磨、质疑、推翻与重塑，以最极致的形式呈现。 - **令人向往（Desirable）**：仅仅做到“有用”或“易用”远远不够，人们必须发自内心地渴望拥有它。它要能激发情感层面的共鸣，成为让人心驰神往的对象。 - **值得投入（Resource-worthy）**：每一款推向世界的硬件都消耗着天文数字般的人力物力，因此它的存在价值必须配得上这些巨大的社会与自然资源投入。 - **持续生金（Generate value）**：除了直接的商业回报，产品更应在漫长时间里持续沉淀价值。优秀的设计往往在购买行为发生很久之后，依然在日常体验中源源不断地释放价值。 - **带来蜕变（Transformative）**：终极的产品能够超脱物体本身，带领人们走向更具潜能、更有信心、更充实的自我边界——“最好的产品从不单单改变人们在做什么，它们改变的是人们的感受。” ### [05:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=308s) 个人历程与计算革命的设计画布演进 回顾自己长达四十年的设计生涯，Brunner 观察到一个清晰的规律：计算技术每一次爆发式的重大革命，改变的都远不止技术本身，更彻底重塑了设计师肩负的责任，并无限拓展了产品的边界与设计师的“画布”。 Brunner 的职业生涯几乎是一部个人计算发展史的缩影：学生时代在帕洛阿尔托的 GVO 事务所起步；随后与同伴联合创办了知名设计咨询公司 Lunar；在 Lunar 服务苹果电脑期间被招募进苹果，出任工业设计总监并一手搭建了苹果早期的工业设计工作室；7 到 8 年后，他加入国际顶尖设计机构 Pentagram 成为合伙人，深耕十年；之后创立了 Ammunition，并在此期间深度参与创立了著名音频品牌 Beats by Dr. Dre，至今仍担任其首席设计师。亲历过每一次人机交互的范式转移后，他梳理出历代计算变革的核心提问与设计介质： ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 计算革命与设计核心命题演进 subgraph S1["1980s: 个人电脑 (PC)"] Q1["核心问题：我们能使用计算机吗？"] M1["设计新介质：图形用户界面 (GUI)"] end subgraph S2["1995: 互联网 (Internet)"] Q2["核心问题：人们能找到信息吗？"] M2["设计新介质：连接与接入 / 线上身份"] end subgraph S3["2007: 移动计算 (Mobile)"] Q3["核心问题：计算能否无处不在？"] M3["设计新介质：情境、位置与移动交互"] end subgraph S4["2015: 云计算 (Cloud)"] Q4["核心问题：万物皆可互联吗？"] M4["设计新介质：连续性体验与记忆"] end subgraph S5["Present: 人工智能 (AI)"] Q5["核心问题：智能呈现何种形态？能否被信任？"] M5["设计新介质：智能本身 (Intelligence)"] end S1 --> S2 --> S3 --> S4 --> S5 ``` - **个人电脑时代（1980年代）**：计算机所有权由组织下沉到个人，设计任务演变为“如何让冰冷的技术变得可亲近”。Macintosh 将图形用户界面推向主流，图标、窗口、鼠标、桌面成为全新设计材料。当时硬件外观主要受制于人体工学和机械堆叠，美学常被工程师戏称为“让开，来给外壳贴个拉花彩条就好”。 - **互联网时代（1995年起）**：孤立的设备被连接至浩瀚的信息、服务与彼此外界，设计材料转变为“连接与接入”（Connection and access），催生了导航、寻路、分享与发现等新学科，“你的数字化线上存在是什么”成为设计必答题。 - **移动计算时代（2007年起）**：设备从桌面搬进人们的口袋，伴随左右。设计的挑战转移至场景感知、地理位置、动态运动与实时在场性，手机演化成人体不可分割的感官延伸。 - **云计算时代（2015年起）**：算力与存储从终端解绑，设备不再需要知晓一切，智能与数据实现分布式共享。设计的介质变为“连续性”（Continuity），软硬件不再是单次交付的工具，而是通过记忆用户的偏好、档案与工作，建立起贯穿始终的长久体验。 ### [10:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=644s) 人工智能成为全新的“设计材料” 当讨论来到当下，Brunner 引用了 2023 年那张火爆全球的“身穿白色羽绒服的教皇方济各”AI 生成图像。他认为，那张图片是一个决定性的转折点，标志着生成式 AI 正式从一种技术奇趣，转变为具备深远影响的颠覆性现实。 这一次的变革与历史上任何一次都有着根本性的不同。以往设计师所塑造的是软件、硬件或操作界面，但今天，**“智能本身变成了最新的设计材料”**。设计智能所涉及的人机关系，正在发生一系列深刻的范式转移： | 传统交互范式 | 智能时代范式 | 核心设计转变与内涵 | |:--- |:--- |:--- | | **交互（Interaction）** | **行为（Behavior）** | 设备的行为反应本身就构成了界面，取代机械的手势与点击。 | | **指令（Commands）** | **意图（Intent）** | 不再需要用户逐句下令，系统能够在需求未明说之前预判意图。 | | **事务性交互（Transactional）** | **深度关系（Relationship）** | 超脱单次一问一答的工具式对接，随时间推移积累理解，形成更广阔的陪伴关系。 | | **功能特性（Features）** | **情境判断（Judgment）** | 不再攀比罗列功能项，核心能力在于对眼下具体情境与语境的准确决断。 | | **信息提供（Information）** | **理解力（Understanding）** | 不只是无差别丢出数据，而是向用户输出深刻的理解与洞察。 | | **静态工具（Tools）** | **协作伙伴（Partners）** | 环绕在我们身边的物理设备，彻底从工具演进为具有主动性的伙伴。 | ### [13:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=806s) 实体 AI 的设计法则一：信任源于人与人的仪式 虽然受保密协议所限，Brunner 无法公开 Ammunition 正在研发的最新 AI 物理产品，但他强调，过往经典作品其实早已孕育了驾驭智能时代的核心法则：**信任、仪式与清晰易懂性**。 ```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: Square Stand 交互编排与信任生成 subgraph POS["Square Stand 实体编排设计"] A["顾客出示信用卡"] --> B["商家旋转底座接受款项"] B --> C["底座旋转回顾客面签字确认"] C --> D["双方达成信任：用户始终掌控全局"] end ``` 在谈及与移动支付品牌 Square 的经典合作时，Brunner 直言，工业设计中最难设计的从来不是美观，而是“信任”。当年为 Square 设计白色读卡器和 Square Stand 收银支架，实质上是在要求数以百万计的小微企业主，将自己的生计、收入、客户与身家托付给一个漂亮的小白盒子。那个小巧的插孔读卡器让街边摆摊卖球鞋的小贩也能刷 Visa 卡，真正实现了刷卡支付的平民化。 在操刀设计转动式的 Square Stand 时，团队并非在做简单的外壳造型，而是在消除小商户与顾客之间的焦虑。通过清晰的比例、几何转折与阻尼感，复杂的金融交易过程变得亲切透明。尤其是那个标志性的旋转底座设计：顾客递卡、商家接单旋转、屏幕转回顾客面前签名确认——这套物理动作完美重现了千百年来商业交易中的古老仪式，明确向顾客传递出信号：“你依然掌控着局面”。Brunner 总结道，信任有时根本不是靠软件代码写出来的，而是由人与人之间的动作编排构建的；实体 AI 同样面临一模一样的考题：人们接纳一项智能不是因为它有多聪明，而是因为人们看懂了它在干什么、为何这么做，并确信自己仍处于控制地位——**“信任不是被工程化造出来的，信任是被设计出来的。”** ### [16:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=974s) 实体 AI 的设计法则二：融入既有仪式而非打破日常 以 Ammunition 设计的 Terra Kaffe TK-02 桌面全自动意式浓缩咖啡机为例，Brunner 阐释了“仪式感”（Ritual）在物理产品中的至高地位。他指出，咖啡对于许多人而言从来不仅仅是一杯饮品，它代表着一天的开启，是为生活赋予节律与安宁的核心小仪式。伟大的智能产品绝不应该粗暴打断这种既有生活，而是应该润物细无声地融入其中。设计团队的目标绝非制造一台炫技的精密机器，而是尽可能抹平人们在享受咖啡仪式过程中的一切摩擦力。 - **隐匿技术，凸显体验**：TK-02 拥有极其先进的内部机械和数字化萃取能力，但设计有意让前沿技术隐入幕后，只留下最纯粹的视觉享受与咖啡香气。 - **跳出七十年代的意式老路**：市场上绝大多数现代浓缩咖啡机在外观 DNA 上依然承袭 70 年代末意大利工作室设计大型商业吧台机的风格；TK-02 则突破了这种笨拙的复古语汇，采用兼顾专业严谨与亲和现代的极简技术美学。 - **一键触控与平静感**：界面被削减至极简，一键触达，分类清晰绝不令人望而生畏；配合延伸设计的系列配件，将平静、高质感与关怀的触觉体验延续到萃取完成之后的每个环节。 Brunner 强调，将 AI 引入实体产品时，切忌强行让人类改变习惯来迁就机器；人工智能绝不能去制定强加于人的新规则，而应当深耕并丰富人类既有的美好生活范式。 ### [18:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=1120s) 实体 AI 的设计法则三：清晰易懂性与熟悉的锚点 任何颠覆性新科技面临的最大阻碍，莫过于人们“无法一眼看懂它”。如果用户不明白它是何物，就无法产生信任，更谈不上使用，甚至会产生抵触心理。Brunner 拿被称为早期物理 AI 雏形的 June 智能烤箱（June Oven）现身说法。 June 烤箱内置了摄像头与图像识别算法，能自主识别放入其中的牛排、吐司或鸡肉，实时判断食材状态并自动调节烘烤温度与模式，实质上已具备初步的实体自主判断力。然而，团队在工业设计上做出了一个最关键的决断：**必须让它看起来依然像一台烤箱**。 Brunner 剖析道，设计院校常常训练设计师“推翻一切、重构世界”，试图让每件产品都带着激进的未来感。但这种冲动往往会成为大众接纳新技术的致命障碍。面对 June 烤箱，团队完全有能力把它塑造成一个科幻感十足的球体、机械臂或电脑机箱，但那将是一场灾难。因为全世界的用户天然知道传统的烤箱门在哪里拉开、食物应该往哪里放、对烘烤有着怎样的物理预期。熟悉度（Familiarity）直接构筑了使用信心。通过保留人们熟知的形态符号、材料语汇与物理意向指示（Affordances），June 烤箱没有让“算力与智能”喧宾夺主，而是优雅地退居幕后协助决策。这一案例证明，突破性技术不必以怪异陌生的姿态示人；最高明的创新往往具备一目了然的亲和力，它张开双臂欢迎用户走入其中，而非强迫人类去适应冷冰冰的机器。随着这一话题的展开，Brunner 顺理成章地引向了下一个最易被 AI 领域误读的维度——性格与特质（Character）。 ### [21:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=1274s) 性格源于行为：Cafe X 机器人咖啡厅的启示 产品的“性格”既不是一张卡通脸庞，不是某种合成的声音，更不是刻意伪装成人类。性格本质上是事物运作与互动的行为方式。Robert Brunner 以他们团队操刀设计的 Cafe X 为例——这是一款在多国机场中逐渐普及的机器人咖啡亭。在设计之初，团队从未试图将内部的机械手臂拟人化；整个亭体本身保持着安静、现代的建筑结构感，但真正的魔力发生在机械臂开始移动的那一刻。机械臂不会说话，没有笑脸，从不装模作样地扮演人类，但它每一个流畅、果断且自信的动作，甚至偶尔流露出的俏皮感，都在自然地表达性格。顾客仅仅通过注视它的运动轨迹，就能清晰理解其背后的动作意图。 Brunner 回忆自己在机场咖啡亭旁观察的经历，发现许多人在拿到咖啡后，仍然会饶有兴致地站在那里看上 15 到 20 分钟。用户与机器人之间产生情感联结，绝非因为它的外形像人，而是因为它的行为模式让人感到可以理解与信任。Brunner 直言：“性格不来自外表，性格来自行为（Character doesn't come from behavior. Character comes from behavior）。”未来的世界并不需要更多虚假的人造个性，而是需要真实的性格——一种能够传递明确目标、自信、温度与克制的性格。 - **行为即表达**：Cafe X 证明了无需面部表情或拟人语言，通过动作的节奏、平滑度与意图感，机器同样能传递出极具亲和力的性格。 - **克制与真实**：抛弃噱头式的拟人化，追求清晰沟通意图、具备自信与克制感的真实特质。 --- ### [23:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=1427s) 增强而非替代：Limitless 吊坠与外延记忆 人工智能带来了前所未有的机遇，其核心价值不仅在于“自动化（Automate）”，更在于“增强（Augment）”人类自身的能力，这两者指向截然不同的未来走向。Ammunition 操刀设计的 Limitless 吊坠（Limitless pendant）是如今市场上大量 AI 笔记记录硬件的先驱之一。这款设备的初衷并不是为了替代人类记忆，而是为了延伸记忆——它忠实地捕捉日常中转瞬即逝的瞬间，使口头对话可被检索、人生经历可被回溯，这正是增强的真正含义。 谈及 Limitless 的工业设计理念时，Brunner 笑着为展示的设计短片调侃道这是“工业设计师的春梦”，但设计背后的意图非常明确：让硬件相对隐形。设备小巧、低调，宛如一款精致的现代腕表或极简首饰，而不是生硬贴在身上的 iPhone 碎片或微型电脑。为了让它真正融入日常生活，产品必须随身同行却不强求用户改变现有行为习惯。Brunner 总结道，在 Limitless 的探索中，他们并不是在设计单纯的可穿戴设备，而是在探索智能如何悄无声息地拓展人类能力；最优秀的智能产品绝非取代人类，而是帮助我们成为更好的自己。 ```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: Augmentation vs Automation Paradigm subgraph Automation["传统自动化理念"] A1["取代人类记忆与工作"] --> A2["机器主导 / 用户被动"] end subgraph Augmentation["物理 AI 增强理念"] B1["隐形化硬件佩戴"] --> B2["捕捉遗忘瞬间与情境"] B2 --> B3["赋能人类成为更好的自己"] end ``` --- ### [26:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=1580s) 身份认同的力量：从 Beats 耳机到可穿戴设备挑战 人们选择产品往往不仅因为产品“能做什么”，更因为产品能“代表自己的什么特质（what they say about themselves）”。从脚下的鞋子、驾驶的汽车、居住的房屋，到手腕上的手表与背包，人类本能地通过身边收集的物件向外界宣告自我身份。在 Ammunition 最初打造 Beats 耳机之前，市场上的耳机大多面目模糊、功能驱动且极力追求隐蔽。Beats 彻底颠覆了这一点，将耳机变成了人们渴望佩戴出门的标志性符号与自我身份的强烈表达。 耳机可以说是第一款真正走向主流的大众可穿戴技术。可穿戴硬件面临的残酷现实在于：仅仅功能好用是远远不够的，它必须是人们真心愿意穿戴在身上的物件（Google Glass 的失败正是前车之鉴）。设计团队耗费数年时间剔除耳机的繁复机械感，最终提炼出一种自信、高辨识度且佩戴在头上极具美感的图形化视觉语言。即使后来产品形态、材质与配色不断演化，其核心从未动摇：它不再是冷冰冰的声学器材，而是用户个性的延伸。随后 Brunner 展示了由勒布朗·詹姆斯、大谷翔平等体坛巨星呈现的 Powerbeats 宣传片，淋漓尽致地展现了产品与个人奋斗、力量及身份认同的深度融合。 - **入耳式工程挑战**：人耳结构因人而异，甚至同一个人左右耳的解剖维度都有巨大差异。设计一款能适配 80% 大众耳型，且在做空翻等极限运动中依然稳固不脱落的入耳式耳机，是一项极其艰巨的设计与人机工学挑战。 - **身份的动态演进**：身份认同伴随文化、音乐、体育与时尚不断迭代，产品的成功在于坚守自身特质的同时，为千百万人提供自我表达的画布。 --- ### [31:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=1899s) 塑造智能的四大原则：行为、身体、判断力与意义 回顾几十年的设计历程，Brunner 强调团队不仅仅是在设计硬件，而是在探索人类如何与技术建立关系。当技术迈入 AI 时代，技术本身变了，但人性未变；设计界正在从“设计产品”跨越到“设计智能”。要真正理解“塑造智能”，必须把握四个核心支柱： 1. **行为即新界面（Behavior is the new interface）**：过去 40 年行业专注于屏幕、按键、触控和语音等交互界面，但未来这些将逐渐退居次要。人们评判智能产品不再单纯看其外观，而是看其行为表现——它是否懂得适时打扰？能否主动预判需求？是否懂得倾听？运动姿态是否合理？甚至是否清楚“何时该保持克制、选择不采取行动”？行为本身构成了全部体验。 2. **硬件赋予智能以“身体”（Hardware gives intelligence a body）**：软件给计算机带来了类似思维的计算能力，而物理 AI（Physical AI）则给智能注入了实体“肉身”。实体意味着存在感、空间情境感知以及自主行动力（Agency）。智能不再仅仅是被动接受查询的工具，而是主动参与现实世界的行动者。 3. **理解 + 情境 = 判断力（Understanding + Context = Judgment）**：最完美的界面并非复杂的交互层，而是“理解”。当产品理解用户及其所处情境（Context 告知智能某事为何重要、在何处重要）时，理解与情境的交汇便催生了“判断力（Judgment）”，而判断力正是人类建立信任的根本基石。 4. **智能需要赢得一席之地（Intelligence earns its place）**：世界不需要更多自作聪明的无聊小玩意，也不需要单纯炫技的高性能机器人，而是需要能够安静地在人类生活中赢得一席之地的智能——尊重用户时间，让我们更健康、更高效、联系更紧密。目标绝非制造“聪明的技术”，而是创造“有意义的智能（Meaningful intelligence）”。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Four Pillars of Designing Intelligence subgraph Pillars["物理 AI 体验构建"] direction TB P1["行为即界面<br/>（预判、倾听、克制与动态）"] P2["硬件赋予肉身<br/>（存在感、情境感知与自主行动力）"] P3["理解 + 情境 = 判断力<br/>（赢得人类信任的内核）"] end Pillars --> OUT["有意义的智能<br/>（Meaningful Intelligence）"] ``` --- ### [35:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=2111s) 技术的赋能与设计的立足：为人类优化智能 Brunner 阐述了他多年来始终坚守的核心信条：“技术提供可能，设计确立价值（Technology enables, design establishes）。”技术固然是改变世界的基石与底层驱动力，但如果大众无法理解它、不渴望拥有它、无法与它产生情感连接，再惊艳的技术也毫无意义。设计的职责正是决定技术如何融入真实生活，并赋予其切实的意义。 在演讲尾声，Brunner 深情回顾了 40 年的设计生涯。每一代技术都会向设计师抛出不同的课题，而今天的核心问题是：“什么样的智能才配成为我们生活的一部分？”长久以来，设计的终极目的从来不是单纯让技术变得更先进，而是让技术更好地服务于人类——让人感觉自己更有能力、更自信、更具创造力、彼此连接更紧密。那些能够历经时代考验的产品，从来不是堆砌技术最多的产品，而是最理解人性的产品。 AI 的发展同样如此，未来的赢家不会是懂得最多的模型，而是具备最佳判断力的智能——懂得何时施以援手、何时保持沉默、何时自动化执行、何时赋能人类、何时给出答案，以及何时仅仅安静地倾听。人类的每一代都在继承一种新的物质材料：从木材、钢铁、塑料、硅，到如今我们这一代所继承的“智能”。智能与以往所有材料一样，取决于人类选择用它塑造什么。真正的课题并非我们能把机器造得多聪明，而是我们能让智能变得多么具有人性：“让我们停止仅仅为智能做优化，开始为人类做优化（Let's stop optimizing for intelligence. Let's start optimizing for humanity）。” ## Notable quotes > [02:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=126s) 到底什么才值得被设计？ — Robert Brunner > [02:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=126s) 最好的产品从不单单改变人们在做什么，它们改变的是人们的感受。 — Robert Brunner > [10:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=644s) 智能本身变成了最新的设计材料 — Robert Brunner > [13:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=806s) 信任不是被工程化造出来的，信任是被设计出来的。 — Robert Brunner > [21:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=1274s) 性格不来自外表，性格来自行为 — Robert Brunner > [31:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=1899s) 行为即新界面（Behavior is the new interface） — Robert Brunner > [31:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=1899s) 硬件赋予智能以“身体”（Hardware gives intelligence a body） — Robert Brunner > [31:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=1899s) 理解 + 情境 = 判断力（Understanding + Context = Judgment） — Robert Brunner > [31:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=1899s) 智能需要赢得一席之地（Intelligence earns its place） — Robert Brunner > [35:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=2111s) 技术提供可能，设计确立价值（Technology enables, design establishes） — Robert Brunner > [35:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=2111s) 什么样的智能才配成为我们生活的一部分？ — Robert Brunner > [35:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao&t=2111s) 让我们停止仅仅为智能做优化，开始为人类做优化（Let's stop optimizing for intelligence. Let's start optimizing for humanity） — Robert Brunner ## Mentioned Robert Brunner, Ammunition, Apple, GVO, Lunar, Pentagram, Beats by Dr. Dre, Square, Square Stand, Terra Kaffe TK-02, June Oven, Cafe X, Limitless pendant, Google Glass, Powerbeats, LeBron James, Shohei Ohtani, Pope Francis ## Video description Robert Brunner - Founder and Creative Director, Ammunition For decades, technology has asked people to adapt to machines. AI creates an opportunity to reverse that relationship. Having helped bring multiple waves of technology to market—from personal computing and mobile devices to connected products and wearables—Robert Brunner has seen firsthand that breakthrough technologies succeed not because of what they can do, but because of how well they fit into people's lives. Today, AI presents a similar inflection point. As intelligence becomes embedded in products and environments, we are entering an era where technology can learn from people rather than forcing people to learn technology. The challenge is no longer creating intelligence—it's designing experiences that earn trust, understand context, and improve daily life. In this session, Robert explores how design will shape the next wave of AI-enabled products and why the most transformative opportunities may emerge not on screens, but in the physical spaces where people live, work, and care for one another. Through examples spanning consumer electronics, wearables, and new AI-native products, he will explore the emerging category of Physical AI—products that perceive, learn, and adapt to the people and environments around them—and why they may represent the next major platform shift in computing. [Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS5BE8nMsao)

[2:06] Robert Brunner: 到底什么才值得被设计？ [2:06] Robert Brunner: 最好的产品从不单单改变人们在做什么，它们改变的是人们的感受。 [10:44] Robert Brunner: 智能本身变成了最新的设计材料 [13:26] Robert Brunner: 信任不是被工程化造出来的，信任是被设计出来的。 [21:14] Robert Brunner: 性格不来自外表，性格来自行为 [31:39] Robert Brunner: 行为即新界面（Behavior is the new interface） [31:39] Robert Brunner: 硬件赋予智能以“身体”（Hardware gives intelligence a body） [31:39] Robert Brunner: 理解 + 情境 = 判断力（Understanding + Context = Judgment） [31:39] Robert Brunner: 智能需要赢得一席之地（Intelligence earns its place） [35:11] Robert Brunner: 技术提供可能，设计确立价值（Technology enables, design establishes） [35:11] Robert Brunner: 什么样的智能才配成为我们生活的一部分？ [35:11] Robert Brunner: 让我们停止仅仅为智能做优化，开始为人类做优化（Let's stop optimizing for intelligence. Let's start optimizing for humanity）

[2:06] Robert Brunner: What's worth designing in the first place? [2:06] Robert Brunner: not simply what people do, but how people feel. [5:08] Robert Brunner: get out of my way and put the racing stripes on it [5:08] Robert Brunner: Can we use computers? [5:08] Robert Brunner: Can people find information? [5:08] Robert Brunner: Can computing go everywhere? [5:08] Robert Brunner: Can everything be connected? [5:08] Robert Brunner: What does intelligence look like, and can it become trusted? [26:20] Robert Brunner: People don't wear technology because it's intelligent. They wear it because it makes them feel something about themselves. [36:14] Robert Brunner: The technology mattered, but it was never the reason people loved it. People responded to how it made them feel. More capable. More confident. More creative. More connected... Perhaps the real question isn't how intelligent we can make our machines. Perhaps the real question is how human we can make our intelligence. Because the future isn't waiting to be invented. It's waiting to be designed. So, let's stop optimizing for intelligence. Let's start optimizing for humanity.

[0:04] All right, good morning everybody. I'm Robert  Brunner. I am an industrial designer in practice [0:11] and I make physical things. I've  been doing that all my career. [0:15] Now for around four decades, I've had the  privilege of leading teams in designing products. [0:22] But today we're deep into designing  physical products with AI embodied. [0:26] Over the last two years, I would say about 50%  of the projects in our studio and growing have an [0:31] AI component. In robotics, senior care, household  intelligence, communication devices, it just keeps [0:38] growing and growing. And you know, this um this  is uncharted territory. It's new. We're learning. [0:46] We're growing. It and it but it's really cool and  amazing. So this morning I'm going to try to tell [0:50] you a little bit what this is about and what I  think's important. So so full disclosure, this is [0:56] actually the first time I've done this particular  talk. So I'll be looking at my notes a lot just to [1:02] give you one looking down. It usually takes like  about three times to get it put into memory. But [1:07] um but I'm really excited about this and really  happy to be here. So um first a little bit about [1:12] my company, Ammunition. You know, I I founded  Ammunition nearly 20 years ago on a simple idea [1:19] to put design at the center of innovation. Today  we're a 40-person team based in San Francisco [1:25] and Brooklyn bringing together industrial design,  digital experience, brand and product strategy. We [1:33] typically partner with engineers, but also large  organizations alike to shape not just products, [1:38] but many times new businesses and sometimes  entirely new categories. We tend to get hired [1:43] just in general about doing by uh under the guise  of doing something that hasn't been done before. [1:50] But at heart, we're products of  classic Silicon Valley optimism [1:55] and and we believe that when  thoughtful design, emerging technology, [1:59] and entrepreneurial ambition come together,  it can genuinely improve people's lives. [2:06] So, we begin every project with a  question. And it's an important question, [2:11] and it frames nearly everything we do. In fact,  we have an entire strategy team that focus on [2:16] focuses on simply answering this question. It's  this. What's worth designing in the first place? [2:24] And what is worth designing  in the first place? You know, [2:29] and you'd be surprised when we get into programs  how many times the our our partners, our clients, [2:33] or the relationship we're with haven't really  answered this question. And and it's important. [2:38] If those of you who are in the world of developing  hardware know the amount of time, money, [2:43] expertise, human capital, everything that goes  into creating a product. So, it's an important [2:48] question, and we look at what's going on in the  world, what's going on in the in the industry, [2:53] what's going on what our clients about, what  their audiences about, everything to build this [2:57] framework to answer this question. But I'm going  to answer it a little bit here um against a a [3:03] running of some of our portfolio of some  of our work. So, what's worth designing? [3:08] Something relevant. It makes sense in people's  lives in the world at large. It fulfills a genuine [3:14] need if it's naturally within the context of  their lives, their routines, their time and place. [3:20] It's something people truly need and want. It's  unique. Meaningfully so, not simply different [3:27] for the sake of being different, but rather it  possesses its own purpose, its own integrity, [3:33] its own energy. It has its own character that  defines how it looks, behaves, and operates. [3:40] And it's something that's considered.  It has been thoroughly developed. [3:44] It has an editorial point of view that  is discernable. It's been deeply refined, [3:49] challenged, and delivered in its best possible  form. Products don't come to be great by accident. [3:58] It is in fact desirable. It needs to be more  than useful, more than more than usable. [4:04] People need to want it. It should create  an emotional connection and be coveted. [4:09] People should feel compelled to possess it.  It should be something they genuinely desire. [4:15] It needs to be resource-worthy. As I said, it  takes an enormous amount of financial capital, [4:21] human capital, natural resources, time  to bring a product into the world. [4:26] Sometimes 10, 50, 100 million  dollars. It should be worth it. [4:31] And it should generate value. It should create  economic value, of course, but also lasting value. [4:36] Not simply through the object itself, but  through the experience it creates over time. [4:40] Great products continue creating  value long after they're purchased. [4:45] And finally, it should be transformative. It  should become more than the object itself. [4:51] It should take people to to  take people somewhere new. [4:54] It should help them become more capable, more  confident, more fulfilled. Ultimately, the best [5:01] products simply don't simply change don't change  what people do. They change how people feel. [5:08] So with that of a backdrop, I'm going  to dive into a little bit of history. [5:13] One thing I've noted over the course of my  career that every major computing revolution [5:18] changed far more than the technology. It changed  what designers were responsible for. Every change [5:24] expanded what products could become. And every  generation expanded the designer's canvas. [5:32] So this this represents my career in linear  form. I began working out of in during school at [5:38] a design firm in Palo Alto called GVO. I left  with a couple other designers and formed a [5:43] design consultancy called Lunar. While I was at  Lunar, one of my clients became Apple Computer and [5:48] I was recruited to be the director of industrial  design and set up the industrial design studio. [5:53] After about 7 or 8 years of that, I I joined  the international consulting firm Pentagram [5:59] as a partner and did that 10 years. And then  eventually founded my studio Ammunition nearly [6:05] 20 years ago as I said. Along the way um started  at Pentagram and carried over Ammunition to today, [6:12] I helped start this thing called Beats by Dr. Dre  and I can continue to be the lead designer today. [6:19] But so when when I look at this trajectory,  right? You know, and look at what that what [6:24] it falls over, I've born witness and then part  of every major shift in personal technology. [6:30] And every major computing revolution  changed what designers needed to design. [6:35] The PC, the advent of the internet, mobile,  cloud, AI. And to today, so the 20 you know, [6:43] in in in 1980 the question was, can we use  computers? In 1995, can people find information? [6:52] In 2007, computing can computing go everywhere?  And in 2015, can everything be connected? [7:01] Today, the question is what does intelligence  look like? And can it become trusted? [7:08] That is really our design challenge. [7:14] So back to the PC. [7:17] Personal computing gave ordinary  people access to computing. [7:21] Before that, computers belong to  organizations. Now they belong to individuals. [7:27] The design challenge became, how  do we make technology approachable? [7:31] The Mac was of course a big step in this process  as the the graphical interface went mainstream. [7:38] But with this it created a new design  material. In in case, graphical interfaces. [7:44] We went away from just designing pieces  of hardware to designing interaction, [7:50] icons, windows, the mouse, desktop, control. The  physical forms were still there, but they were [7:58] largely driven by hardware and ergonomics. And  aesthetics were generally considered an add-on. [8:04] You know, I've had In those early days,  I had someone tell me just, you know, [8:07] get out of my way and put the racing stripes  on it, right? And it was just the the way it [8:10] was really driven by what was going on with the  technology at the time. But it was early days. [8:17] And of course, we come to the internet.  The internet connected computers. Suddenly, [8:22] products weren't isolated anymore. They became  connected to information, connected to services, [8:29] connected to each other. The world  expanded and eventually exploded. [8:36] The new design material we began  working with was connection and access, [8:39] and new disciplines were required. Navigation,  wayfinding, sharing, discovery. And identity [8:47] took on a new expanded role. A new question  entered design. What is your online presence? [8:57] Mobile changed computing again, [9:00] dramatically. Now computing technology was  always with us, not on our desk, in our pocket. [9:08] The challenge changed. It became  context, location, movement, presence. [9:17] Capability exploded again, and design and UX have  always struggled to keep pace with the with that [9:23] that pace of change. But these devices  became indispensable parts of daily life. [9:33] The cloud. The cloud cloud computing removed  another limitation. The device no longer needed to [9:39] know everything. Intelligence became distributed.  Data became shared. Services became continuous. [9:50] And the new design material, continuity, design  challenge became capability and synchronization. [9:59] Cloud computing shifted us from designing  products to designing ongoing ongoing experiences. [10:05] The cloud enabled products to remember us. [10:08] And that allowed relationships to develop over  time with with the device and with services. [10:13] Everything persisted. Your work,  your preferences, your identity. [10:22] And that brings us today. This the AI this this [10:27] 2023 AI generated image of Pope Francis is  often heralded as the moment that AI arrived. [10:33] It marked the moment when image generation shift  from being viewed as an interesting novelty [10:38] to being recognized as a technology  with significant implications. [10:44] But now, everything changes. [10:50] The new design material is intelligence  itself. And this revolution feels different. [10:56] Because for the first time, the thing we're  designing isn't software. It isn't hardware. [11:04] It isn't an interface. It is in  fact the intelligence itself. [11:12] So what what makes designing intelligence  different for design? [clears throat] [11:17] Well, there's there's transitions, right? We're  moving away from interaction and how you interact [11:22] with something to how something behaves. And  that behave behavior in many ways becomes the [11:26] interface. Instead of commands, instead of you  saying, "This is what I want, you go to intent [11:34] and and understanding the intent of the user  many times even before the request was made. [11:41] Instead of this sort of very transactional  relationship with an application or a service, [11:45] you actually move into a  broader, deeper relationship [11:48] that that be that grows over time  and becomes more knowledgeable. [11:54] Instead of features, I mean  these are the things it do, [11:56] it's it's the primary thing becomes  judgment, the ability for it the the [12:02] the device you're working with to  judge about the situation at hand. [12:09] And away from information, providing  information to providing understanding. [12:16] And in many ways, we're moving away from these  things that were surround us and we carry with us, [12:20] away from them being tools to being partners.  And that's a very different type of relationship. [12:26] So this is why I believe intelligence  has become the newest design material. [12:31] And it's our job to shape it. [12:36] So I'm going to go back a little bit. Oops, I'd  love to show you every product that we're working [12:41] on in the studio, but obviously can't do that due  to due to confidentiality. So I'm going to talk [12:47] use some examples from the recent past to  talk about lessons that I think have become [12:52] very important, right? And so looking  back over at my past work and what you [12:56] saw on the screen earlier, I don't really see  a portfolio anymore. I see a series of lessons. [13:03] And I realized we were learning something  more important than how to design something. [13:07] We were learning how people build relationships  with technology. Trust. Identity. Ritual. [13:17] Understanding. And memory. Those lessons prepared  us for the age of intelligent project products. [13:26] So first I'm going to talk a little bit about  trust and this is surrounding the work that [13:30] we've done for Square. One of the hardest things  to design is trust isn't beauty, it's trust. [13:38] The work we did for Square wasn't  simply a payment terminal. It was [13:42] asking millions of small business owners to trust  a beautiful white object with their livelihood. [13:48] Think about that. Their income.  Their customers. Their business. [13:54] In this case trust wasn't a  feature, it was in fact the product. [14:00] That little white reader we helped create  made accepting credit cards incredibly simple. [14:05] Now a guy selling sneakers on the  sidewalk could do Visa transactions. [14:10] It truly was the democratization  of credit card payments. [14:14] But really what really mattered wasn't necessarily  simplicity. It was confidence. People had to [14:20] believe this new way of doing business was  safe enough to use to maintain their business. [14:26] So when we were asked to design the Square Stand,  we weren't really styling hardware. That was part [14:31] of it, but in fact we were reducing anxiety.  Building trust. Every surface, every proportion, [14:40] every interaction was about making a complex  financial transaction feel safe and approachable. [14:47] In this case, trust comes from clarity. From  simplicity. From understanding. The less [14:57] people The less people have to think about the  technology, the more they're able to trust it. [15:03] So this is a little little animation  of the Square Stand. You've seen these [15:05] in coffee shops all over the world, but watch  the interaction. The customer offers the card. [15:11] The merchant accepts responsibility.  The terminal returns to the customer. [15:17] It's a simple gesture, but it communicates  something very important. You're still in control. [15:23] And it's more than a payment. It's a ritual.  It's a ritual that's existed almost forever [15:28] that that transactions have taken place, this  exchange between the customer and the merchant. [15:34] So, sometimes trust isn't created by software.  It's created by the choreography between people. [15:40] In this case, all it took was a simple  plastic rotating base to make that happen. [15:48] So, I think AI faces exactly the  same challenge. People won't adopt [15:53] intelligence simply because it's smarter.  They'll adopt it because they trust it. [15:58] When they understand what it is doing, why it is  doing it, and they know they remain in control. [16:06] Ultimately, trust isn't  engineered. Trust is designed. [16:14] Ritual. Ritual is extremely important. And this  this is particular episode is about coffee. [16:22] In many ways, coffee isn't about coffee.  It's about the beginning of the day. [16:27] It's one of the small rituals that gives our  lives rhythm. Great products don't interrupt [16:33] those rituals. They quietly become part of part of  them. When we introduce intelligence, we shouldn't [16:39] ask people to change their lives. It should fit  fit naturally into the lives they already live. [16:46] When we designed the Terra K 2, we weren't  trying to build the most advanced countertop [16:51] espresso machine available. We did that. What  we were really trying to do was remove friction [16:56] from a ritual people already loved. Make it  simple, reliable, high quality, and enjoyable. [17:04] It is very advanced, yet the technology  disappears and the experience remains. [17:11] You know, for for this machine, we chose we  purposely chose a more technical aesthetic. [17:15] We kept it approachable, but we wanted it  indicative of this serious machine with [17:20] advanced capabilities it is. Many many of coffee  machines that you see today actually share their [17:27] DNA back to Italian design studios in the late 70s  that developed the original big barista machines. [17:34] And when you look at an espresso machine today,  you can still see some of that DNA. We chose to [17:39] to move past that and move into something that  felt much more modern and much more capable. [17:46] But every detail was designed  to communicate simplicity. [17:51] One touch, clear choices, nothing intimidating. [17:57] Technology should never become the focused  focus. The ritual should always be at the top. [18:05] Even the ex- series of accessories  we created extend the ritual. [18:09] The experience doesn't stop  when the coffee is brewed, [18:12] and every touch point communicates to  a feeling of calm, quality, and care. [18:20] So, the lesson is great products don't  simply perform a task. They become part of [18:23] people's lives. And artificial intelligence  should aspire to do exactly the same thing. [18:29] It shouldn't create new rules. It  should enrich the ones we already have. [18:40] Legibility. This lesson learned is  about legibility. One of the biggest [18:46] challenges with any new technology is that  people don't immediately understand it. [18:50] If they don't understand it, they won't trust  it. They won't use it. They may even reject it. [18:57] This is the story of the June oven. June  wasn't simply another countertop appliance. [19:04] It recognized food. It understood what you  placed inside. It adjusted temperature. [19:10] It made cooking decisions. In many ways, it was  one of the earliest examples of physical AI. [19:16] But there was one very important decision  we made. It still had to look like an oven. [19:22] It had to be legible. You know, this many times  runs counter to a designer's feelings. You know, [19:27] we're trained in school to reinvent everything, [19:30] right? When you take on a project, you're trying  to create an entirely new version of that. [19:35] But what I found over the years is many times that  can be a barrier to adoption. You really need to [19:41] give people an opening, some piece of familiarity  that they can move into into the world of the new [19:46] product and expand on it. But if you don't, you  could end stop right there if people don't get it. [19:53] So in the case of June, we could have designed  something more futuristic, more robotic, [19:59] more like a computer, maybe a sphere, right? But  that would have been a mistake. Because people [20:05] already know how to use an oven. They know where  the door is. They know where the food goes. They [20:10] know what to expect. And in this case, and in many  [snorts] cases, familiarity creates confidence. [20:19] Forms, materials, details, affordances, all  are understandable. It's modern. It's the [20:28] high-level execution, but it's abunding abundantly  clear what it is and how you interact with it. [20:37] So in this case, we worked hard so that the intel  intelligence didn't replace the experience. It [20:42] quietly improved it. The product simply understood  what you were cooking and helped you make [20:47] decisions around that. Looking back, June taught  us that breakthrough technology doesn't have to [20:52] feel unfamiliar. The best innovations are often  the ones that feel immediately understandable. [20:58] They invite people in rather  than asking them to adapt. [21:07] The next is character. You know, I think this  is one of the most understood ideas in in AI. [21:14] Character isn't a cartoon face. It isn't  a voice. It isn't pretending to be human. [21:21] Character is how something behaves.  And this is a the story of Cafe X. [21:27] Cafe X is a robot barista kiosk. You may have  seen a few of them in airports around the world. [21:34] In this case, we weren't trying to humanize the  robot inside. The kiosk The kiosk itself is quiet [21:40] and architectural. The magic happens when it  begins to move. I have a video and watch the [21:46] way the robot behaves and notice something.  The arm never speaks. It never smiles. [21:53] It never pretends to be a person. But through  its movement, it begins to express character. [22:00] The gestures are deliberate. We spend an enormous  amount of time on it. They're confident, smooth, [22:05] sometimes even playful. You You begin to  understand its intentions by simply watching it. [22:10] [music] [22:22] [music] [22:34] [music] [22:45] [music] [22:57] [music] [23:09] So here we discovered something important. You  know, I I I watched hung around the the kiosk [23:14] at the airport and seen people stand there for  15 or 20 minutes after they got their coffee. [23:19] And they weren't connecting with the  robot because it looks human, obviously. [23:23] They connected with it because  its behavior felt understandable. [23:27] Character doesn't come from appearance.  Character comes from behavior. [23:31] The future doesn't need more artificial  personalities. It needs authentic character. [23:35] Character that communicates purpose,  confidence, warmth, [snorts] and restraint. [23:47] The next lesson is augmentation. [23:51] AI gives us an opportunity we've never had  before. Not simply to automate, but to augment. [23:57] And I think those are two very different futures.  The Limitless device we created is not trying [24:01] to replace human memory. It's extending it.  It's capturing moments we'd otherwise forget, [24:10] making conversations searchable, making  experience retrievable. That's augmentation. [24:17] And this this this the Limitless pendant was  actually the first of the slew of note takers [24:22] we're now seeing. But it's something that was  we learned quite a bit during the process. [25:08] [music] [25:09] I have to apologize a little bit for that video.  It's a bit of an industrial designer wet dream, [25:13] but but still fun. Um So, you know, when we  design the Limitless pendant, we intentionally [25:20] designed the device to relatively disappear.  It's small. It's quiet. It's almost invisible, [25:26] like like a refined modern watch or a piece of  simple jewelry. Not like a section of an iPhone [25:32] or a computer that's that's pasted on your  body somewhere. Because to properly use it, the [25:37] product it has to become part of everyday life. It  travels with you, and it doesn't ask you to change [25:42] your behavior. It simply gives you something  you've never had before. A more reliable memory. [25:49] And looking back, you know, when we did this  with with Limitless, I don't think we were [25:54] collectively designing a wearable. What we were  really doing is exploring how intelligence could [25:58] quietly expand human capability. Not by  replacing memory, by strengthening it. [26:05] And again, I think that's the future of AI. The  best intelligent products won't replace people. [26:11] In fact, they'll help us become  better versions of ourselves. [26:20] So, the final thing I'm going  to talk about is identity. [26:24] We often think people choose  products because of what they do. [26:28] What I've learned is they often they choose  them because of what they say about themselves. [26:33] You know, it's one of the reasons I got into  design was this fascination that that humans have [26:37] with objects, right? In many ways, we surround  ourselves with things that define who we are. [26:43] From our shoes to our car to our home to our  watch, our backpack, all those things we're [26:49] collecting. Those objects have a have a idea  or communicating an idea about who we are. [26:55] So, when we first began working on Beats,  headphones were mostly anonymous. You know, right? [27:00] They were really driven by function, but they  relatively disappeared. Beats did the opposite. [27:06] They became something people wanted to  wear. They became an expression of identity. [27:14] You know, interestingly enough, headphones may be  the first mainstream piece of wearable technology. [27:19] But, wearable technology has always faced a unique  challenge. It's not enough to be functional. [27:24] It has to be something people actually  want to wear. Remember Google Glass? [27:30] It has to become part of who they are. We  spent years engineering away the complexity [27:36] with headphones until all that remained was  one simple graphic statement. Confident, [27:42] recognizable, beautiful on the head. That's when  I realized something. People don't wear technology [27:50] because it's intelligent. They wear it because  it makes them feel something about themselves. [27:56] Over the years, the products have evolved,  different materials, different colors, [28:03] different forms, but the idea never changed.  We weren't designing headphones or speakers. [28:08] We were designing something people  chose to make part of themselves. [28:12] The product became an extension of the person. [28:17] And about identity, identity isn't static. It  evolves with culture, with music, with sport, [28:26] with fashion, with every generation. Beats  succeeded because it remained true to the [28:31] its character while allowing millions of people  to express their own. I think AI will face exactly [28:36] the same challenge. So, I've got another video  to show, and I have to admit it has nothing to [28:42] do with artificial intelligence. It's just a lot  of fun. Um it was the launch video for the the the [28:47] recent version of the Powerbeats product.  Um, just enjoy it for a couple minutes. [28:54] We've been here before. And  I've never let you down. [29:01] Listen. [29:06] To me. [29:10] I'm the fire in your chest. Pumpin' ice  through your veins one beat at a time. I [29:18] gave you power. From Akron to the world,  it's always been you and me. You push me [29:23] to my limits and I push you past yours.  Game six in Boston, down 3-1 in Oakland. [29:28] Legacy on the line. You didn't just reach  [music] for greatness, you reached into me. [29:35] Remember when too small became too good.  Versailles or Barcelona, Paris or Miami, [29:40] where haven't we been? You've always found time  even when there was none. A 36-year drought, [29:45] a country's fate at your feet. You built me up  rep by rep for when you need me the most. [music] [29:55] Listen. You love the game so  much you had to play it twice. [30:00] You made Japan proud, then became the face  of America's game. You finished a 50-50 MVP [30:07] season with a diamond ring because you always  had more than skill. You had heart. You had me. [30:15] You gave me strength. I gave you power. The power  to beat the East, to beat the West, then beat the [30:21] world. The power to raise a family, then raise  trophies with them. The power to strike gold, [30:26] strike gold, strike fear. To break a curse, win  a cup, write history. Put them out at the plate [30:30] in October. The power to dig past the pain, past  the mind, past the body. To rise up with the game, [30:35] with the sport, with the country  on our shoulders. Listen to me. [30:45] You put in the work. [30:49] Now put it to work. [30:55] You know, a quick note about um designing  in-ear products, it's they're one of the [30:59] more difficult things to to do because  everybody's ears are entirely different. [31:04] And not just individuals from ear to ear they're  different. So in an in in amazing amount of [31:10] dimensions. So designing one product that fits in  80% of the population is a challenge in itself, [31:18] let alone trying to design a product that remains  stay stable while doing physical activity. [31:23] Um so it's it's actually this particular  product was something that we're extremely [31:27] proud of because of the fact that it is  highly accessible to most everybody and [31:32] and it will remain in your ear even while you're  doing flips. So So we're going to getting to [31:39] the last part here. Designing intelligence.  So looking looking back over these products, [31:46] we weren't simply learning how to design them.  We were learning how people build relationships [31:50] with technology. AI changes the technology, but  it doesn't change people. We're entering an era [31:57] where we're no longer designing products, we're  designing intelligence. So what does it actually [32:03] mean to design intelligence? Here are a few  things I think are important to understand. [32:12] The first is behavior is the new interface, and I  think I've highlighted this before. We're getting [32:17] to the situation where one of the key ways you're  going to act interact with physical products is [32:23] how they behave and what is their behavior. So  for 40 years we've designed interfaces, screens, [32:30] buttons, touch, voice. Increasingly,  those are becoming less important. [32:37] People won't judge intelligent  products by what they look like. [32:39] They will judge them by how they behave.  Do they interrupt? Do they anticipate? [32:47] Do they listen? How do they move? Do they know  when not to act? Behavior becomes the experience. [33:00] Hardware gives intelligence a body. [33:03] This is This is apparent obviously in the  idea of physical AI, but it's important to [33:09] understand while softwares gave computers a  mind, physical AI gives intelligence a body. [33:15] A body has presence. It has context. And  it has agency. This is very important. [33:22] It has the ability to act on its own. So,  intelligence is no longer something we consult. [33:29] With physical AI, it's something that participates  in the world. And that changes everything. [33:39] Understanding plus context equals judgment. Now,  I've talked a bit about judgment already. So, as [33:47] designers, we've spent decades trying to simplify  interfaces, but I think the best interface isn't [33:52] an interface at all. It's understanding. When  products understand you and your circumstances, [33:59] interaction changes. But understanding alone  isn't enough. Context tells intelligence why [34:06] something matters and where it matters. And  when understanding and context come together, [34:13] something remarkable happens. Judgment. And  ultimately, judgment is what people trust. [34:26] So, finally, intelligence earns its place. You  know, for me, this is what physically I really [34:34] requires. You know, it's we don't need any more  smart smarter gadgets. No, not necessarily any [34:41] capable robots. But instead, we need intelligence  that quietly earns a place in our lives. [34:48] Intelligence that understands us, respects our  time, makes us a little healthier, a little more [34:57] productive, and feel a little more connected.  So, the goal isn't simply intelligent technology. [35:04] I believe the goal is meaningful  intelligence, and this is a huge distinction. [35:11] So, I'm going to finish up here with  something. So, this is something I say a lot, [35:15] and I actually been saying it for  a long time, but it always applies. [35:19] It's around the idea of technology. So, technology  enables, right? It's it it is the foundation, [35:28] obviously, for so many amazing technologies that  have changed our world in so many ways. But, [35:34] the reason that I'm in business, the reason  that my studio is so successful, is because most [35:39] leaders in in in technology companies, especially  consumer-facing technology, have learned this. [35:46] It's design that establishes it. Design decides  what becomes meaningful and it establishes in [35:53] people's lives. It doesn't matter how amazing  the technology is and what it can do if people [35:58] don't get it, don't want it, and don't are not  connected to it. And that's what design gives you. [36:07] So, I'm going to leave you  with a with a few comments. [36:14] In closing, as I've said earlier,  every generation of technology has [36:18] asked designers a different question. But  that today that question has changed again. [36:26] What kind of intelligence deserves to be part of  our lives? For 40 years I've believed the purpose [36:33] of design wasn't simply making technology better.  It was making technology better for people. [36:39] Every product I've had the privilege of to work  on has taught me the same lesson. The technology [36:44] mattered, but it was never the reason people loved  it. People responded to how it made them feel. [36:51] More capable. More confident. More creative.  More connected. The products that endure aren't [37:00] the ones that demonstrate the most technology.  They're the ones that understand people the best. [37:09] I believe AI will be no different. The future  won't belong to the AI that knows the most. [37:14] It will belong to the AI that exercises the best  judgment. The AI that knows when to help, when to [37:20] stay silent, when to automate, when to empower,  when to answer, and when to simply listen. [37:31] Every generation inherits a new material. Wood,  steel, plastic, silicon. Our generation inherits [37:42] intelligence. And like every material before it,  it will become whatever we choose to make of it. [37:49] So perhaps the real question isn't how  intelligence can make our how we intelligent we [37:53] can make our machines. Perhaps the real question  is how human we can make our intelligence. [37:59] Because the future isn't waiting to be invented. [38:03] It's waiting to be designed. So, let's  stop optimizing for intelligence. [38:09] Let's start optimizing for humanity. Thank you.