Why OnePlus is resisting temptation to use AI moniker in their phones

OnePlus doesn't want join the Artificial Intelligence bandwagon yet. Reason: the company believes AI in current phones is merely a marketing gimmick.

OnePlus CEO Carl Pei was in Delhi earlier this week where he addressed the media about the company's roadmap, current strategy, and also issues pertaining to OxygenOS, notch, and wireless charging among others. Carl's views on AI in OnePlus phones were quite intriguing.

"Compact digital cameras that we had ten years ago could recognise the scene they were looking at and could change settings based on algorithm. But, ten years ago, no one called that an AI camera," he said.

"So, why all of a sudden everything is becoming an AI? Personally, I think it has to do more with marketing and for us, that's not the way we want to go forward," he said.

"It's all about the user experience and whether something makes it easier to use the product or not. So, if we wanted to talk about our camera AI, face unlock AI or anything else, we are doing based on algorithm. For instance, how we figure out which app users use the most and surface them on top on navigation. This is also called AI. But, why will you make that so complicated for consumers?" he wondered.

Pei made it clear that's how the future of OxyegnOS, OnePlus' custom ROM, will be. The focus will be on making the OS slicker and faster.

He said the only time a tech company close to building a real consumer AI was when Google unveiled its Duplex AI, the human-sounding like robo AI that can make calls on user's behalf and even book appointments.

OnePlus's resistance to use the "AI" moniker in its phones comes at a time when a growing number of smartphone companies are making it their banner headlines for their new phones and products.

For instance, Xiaomi introduced MIUI 10, the latest iteration of its custom ROM, with deeper Artificial Intelligence integration. The software algorithms use AI to improve photography experience on select Redmi phones. Companies like Asus and LG have launched phones with AI integrations.