WeHead: ChatGPT finally has a face you can speak to

Ever found yourself in an awkward conversation with Siri or Google Assistant, fully aware that they lack a true existence? Well, Wehead claims to have the remedy. While not particularly groundbreaking or budget-friendly, their solution aims to humanize AI assistants—a challenge Silicon Valley is ever eager to tackle.

Meet the Wehead, a GPT-powered AI assistant presented as a cyborg bust gracing your tabletop. Sporting a face—albeit an arguably caricatured one—formed by multiple displays, this tech marvel offers a selection of avatars for your chatting pleasure. Equipped with built-in cameras, the Wehead ‘sees’ you during conversations, and its head even moves, exhibiting nods, tilts, and the ability to look around. Despite these technical feats, the Wehead leans more towards a tech-driven caricature than a human-like head. The attempt to anthropomorphize AI borders on parody, positioned far from the eerie realm of the uncanny valley. However, its $5,000 price tag ensures it won’t be the harbinger of a jobless AI apocalypse.

The Wehead ventures into the age-old quest for AI companionship, positioning itself as a conversational companion offering sage advice. Yet, taking guidance from a split-screen, body-less oracle head seems both dystopian and comical.

“Wehead GPT is embodied LLM that helps you with brainstorming, decision making, and self-reflection. For thinking out loud. At home or office. Any time you need it. On any topic,” asserts the company behind the device. Despite the noble intent, the Wehead’s appearance impedes its potential. The term ’embodied’ rings somewhat hollow when engaging with oddly angled screens masquerading as a human head. Perhaps Wehead should seek inspiration from Google’s Project Starline.

The unveiling of the WeHead GPT Edition harks back to Tesla’s humanoid robot reveal, trading sleek futurism for a person in a spandex suit doing the robot dance. It serves as a humorous reminder that the future may lack the polish we envision.

Despite its dystopian undertones, the WeHead possesses a strangely endearing humor. It functions as a pet-like entity, devoid of the need for care or walks—just a power outlet and an occasional existential conversation. In a world tethered to screens, having a physical head to converse with might be the peculiar solution we never knew we needed, though the irony of conversing with screens persists. The WeHead endeavors to revive genuine conversation, albeit with a partner more circuit board than flesh and blood. It doesn’t feign friendship; rather, it stands as a symbol of the slightly askew future we’re entering, one peculiar interaction at a time.

So, if you yearn for a taste of tomorrow with a dash of humor about the impending AI domination, the WeHead GPT Edition could be your ticket. More than a mere conversation starter, it’s a conversational oddity. Soon available for those seeking to infuse their chats with a hint of the future’s eccentricity, provided they have a spare $5,000. In a world gone awry, conversing with a head might just be the sanest act you commit.