Kevin Rose’s ‘Punch Test’ Sets New Standard for AI Hardware
by Mighva Verma - 5 days ago - 2 min read
Kevin Rose, a top venture capitalist, has a practical rule for judging new AI devices: if wearing it would make you look weird or annoy people, it’s probably a bad idea. With a history of investing in hit gadgets and Ring, Rose has seen plenty of tech flops, especially in the world of smart glasses and wearable AI pins.
He warns that many of these devices break important social boundaries, like privacy. If a wearable is always listening or watching, it can creep people out, even if the technology works well. Rose believes that emotional reactions matter just as much as how flashy the gadget is.
Rose himself tried the Humane AI pendant, an AI-powered pin. One time, it recorded a chat with his wife, and he found himself tempted to use its logs to win an argument. Rose realized that relying on AI like this takes away from real human relationships. Instead, he thinks tech should make life feel more natural, not more robotic.
He’s also wary of blindly adding AI to every app. Rose remembers a friend using a photo app to erase a backyard gate from a picture later, the kids might wonder why parts of their home are missing from old photos. For him, tech should preserve real moments, not erase them.
Even though Rose is excited about how AI helps people create things faster than ever, he says the best investors and entrepreneurs should have empathy, not just coding skills. Tools should help everyone feel comfortable, not awkward or left out.
Rose sums up his approach by saying he wants to back founders who aren’t afraid to take big risks. He prefers bold ideas, even if they sound odd at first, over products that just try to smooth out small problems. In the end, Kevin Rose feels that real innovation makes our lives richer, not stranger