Social media is up in arms over a new AI-powered device called the Rewind Pendant, which is going viral for—among other things—its eerie similarity to an iconic episode of Black Mirror.
On Monday, RewindAI co-founder and CEO Dan Siroker took to Twitter (which Elon Musk would prefer we call X) to advertise the pre-orderable $59 item, which he describes as a "wearable that captures what you say and hear in the real world and then transcribes, encrypts, and stores it entirely locally on your phone."
In a brief video, Siroker also calls the Rewind app—which he's partially pitching to people with hearing loss—“a personalized AI powered by everything you’ve seen, said, or heard,” utilizing a “privacy-first approach” and offering “features for you to ensure no one is recorded without their consent.”
The device is drawing comparisons to Black Mirror, and for good reason. "The Entire History of You," the third and final episode of the breakout debut season of the acclaimed series, sees people using eye-implanted tech in the near future that aurally and visually records interactions, which allows each person to rewatch their memories.
It didn't take long for one Twitter user (shouts to Pitchfork writer Matthew Ismael Ruiz) to question if the creator of the Rewind Pendant has seen the aforementioned episode. "Can’t tell if he’s never seen the black mirror episode or if he saw it and thought YES LETS MAKE THAT," Ruiz quote-tweeted Siroker's video introducing the product.
Elon Musk's former partner Grimes also chimed in and pointed out the Rewind Pendant won't be enticing for people who've experienced abusive relationships and/or care about the "impact constant surveillance has on child development."
"Feel like a lot of the people making this stuff have either never been in an abusive relationship or don't have kids and aren't thinking of the impact constant surveillance has on child development," Grimes wrote, adding, "I could be wrong tho, interesting short story 'the truth of fact, the truth of feeling' by Ted Chiang is good and basically about this invention."
Check out some of the best reactions to the Rewind Pendant below.
