In the current landscape where the relentless wave of artificial intelligence (AI) is sweeping across various industries, the consumer electronics sector, long in a state of dormancy, is finally awakening to a frenzy of AI hardware innovations. For years, the spotlight has been primarily on smartphones and personal computers (PCs), which functioned as the sun around which most technological advancements—with a focus on AI chips, architectures, and software ecosystems—have orbited. However, change is afoot.

The dynamic of AI is shifting as it gradually breaks free from the clutches of central devices like smartphones and PCs, making its way into the accessory domain, which has long been overlooked by the industry. Items such as headphones, mice, and keyboards—no longer mere supporting characters—are evolving into new species of AI hardware. This transformation is revolutionizing the public perception of AI in technology.

This shift is not merely coincidental; it is largely a result of the decentralization of AI hardware development. Companies that have long sought to stake their claim in the hardware market are now playing an instrumental role in this transformation.

Nevertheless, as it stands, the so-called AI mice and AI keyboards leave much to be desired, often falling short of expectations. Much of what is being touted at this moment amounts to little more than conceptual hype. Yet, it’s undeniable that such promotions may well be sketching out the early outlines of AI accessories. As hardware and AI manufacturers join forces to address each other’s weaknesses, the advent of genuine AI hardware decentralization seems imminent.

The trend towards decentralized AI hardware is, to a significant extent, a strategic move by AI firms to penetrate the hardware sector. While these companies boast significant advantages in algorithm development and software services, they typically lack inherent hardware expertise. Instead of aiming for an immediate leap into a fiercely competitive field dominated by established players, it is wiser to begin with accessories where the entry barriers are lower.

After all, developing hardware is no small feat; it requires high investments and technical know-how, particularly in saturated markets like PCs and smartphones where barriers include patent challenges, supply chain complexities, brand establishment, and distribution channels. Moreover, the current landscape for PCs and smartphones is facing a slowdown in growth, making a direct foray into these sectors an uphill task that poses substantial risks with long wait times for potential returns.

This is why, at this point, many AI companies prefer to collaborate with established manufacturers in the realms of PCs and smartphones. The discussions surrounding AI smartphones often involve companies like Baidu, ByteDance, and MiniMax—integrating AI technologies into existing ecosystems. However, the smartphone domain is highly concentrated, leaving only a limited pool of valuable clients for AI firms to vie for, leading to competitive pressures with constrained bargaining power.

In contrast to confronting the competitive mobile and PC markets head-on, entering the accessories arena involves lower costs and greater operational feasibility. Accessories such as mice and keyboards not only evolve rapidly but also have relatively low entry barriers, with customers’ brand loyalty being less rigid compared to that seen in smartphones and PCs. The mechanical keyboard industry, for instance, saw an explosion of new entrants after the expiration of CHERRY’s patent protection in 2014, with fresh competitors continually emerging.

Additionally, a compelling reason behind the current enthusiasm in the AI accessory market is the comparatively low cost of entry. This can be viewed as a “peripheral penetration into the center” battle—despite discussions surrounding AI hardware being commonplace within industry dialogues, there remains a significant gulf when it comes to the consumer market. For consumers who are yet to fully understand or adopt AI, asking them to invest right away in an AI smartphone or PC could be likened to expecting them to consume a lavish feast without prior exposure.

Recent surveys have revealed that although the first batch of AI smartphones has already hit the market, brick-and-mortar mobile phone stores attract very few customers specifically interested in AI features. Many retail employees do not even proactively introduce AI during sales pitches. This indicates that until consumers have developed a mature familiarity with AI, trying to prompt them to invest heavily in premium AI smartphones or PCs may not only be premature but could also backfire economically.

In the past, efforts to cultivate AI consumption habits largely depended on applications available in app stores. However, the introduction of cost-effective AI accessories has provided a new avenue—lower pricing for these accessories simplifies the decision-making process for users. This seemingly circuitous route from the "periphery" is actually a strategic maneuver by AI firms to expand their market presence.

Within the realm of accessories, AI can assume a more prominent role as a core value proposition, offering new interactive experiences, especially when these AI capabilities are marketed as "irreplaceable" features by manufacturers. For example, AI mice showcased in prominent online stores boast features such as text creation and PPT generation, garnering attention from novice users who may find these functionalities novel, despite the underlying technologies not necessarily being top-tier in the industry.

This transformation was not sparked merely by the wave of massive AI models; accessories had begun evolving quietly before that. Take iFlytek, known for its work in the speech recognition domain, which in 2020 introduced voice-activated mice and keyboards—early attempts at “smartizing” traditional PC accessories. Although talking to your mouse or keyboard may invoke a humorous image akin to something from a Stephen Chow movie, these products did manage to appeal to slow typists looking for assistance.

With the AI trend gaining momentum, manufacturers are now hungry to expand their hardware ambitions. iFlytek, as one of the early players to embrace the potential of AI hardware, has launched a new series of AI learning tools alongside its upgraded voice mouse and keyboard, looking to capitalize on this AI wave to garner market attention.

For instance, their AM50 AI mouse has integrated voice typing, translation capabilities, and common AI features such as intelligent dialogue and automated document generation, pushing the envelope in the accessory market. The strategy appears to target novice users, as experienced AI users likely have access to more refined, dedicated applications tailored for specific purposes. Thus, iFlytek’s approach aims at utilizing hardware to enhance AI software's appeal and help educate novice consumers about AI.

In contrast, ByteDance’s AI headphones take a different route by emphasizing “software driving hardware.” Having once sought to target the XR domain by acquiring Pico, which later faced setbacks and was ultimately phased out, ByteDance has learned from this experience and shifted its emphasis towards headphones, acquiring the Oladance brand to launch the OlaFriend AI headset early this year.

These AI headphones aim for seamless integration with AI applications, especially with the burgeoning Doubao app, which has captured a significant user base. The synergy between Doubao and ByteDance’s AI headphones could potentially draw in a crowd of existing Doubao users to the hardware side, increasing sales by offering practical AI applications backed by proven technology.

However, it’s worthy to note that as businesses gear towards riding the AI accessory wave, they often fall into the trap of cycling through a barrage of promotional strategies centered around AI, inadvertently neglecting the fundamental quality of the hardware itself. An industry insider pointed out that one of iFlytek’s previously rolled-out voice mice offered nearly nothing new aside from a basic microphone; the core buttons remained traditional mechanical ones instead of adopting the more advanced micro-switches now standard in many premium mice.

Issues have also been highlighted, such as reported instances of lag and limited responsiveness in these supposed AI-enhanced devices. Users have expressed their frustrations regarding the basic functionality of these devices, which indicates that while AI may flourish in advertisements, the core hardware must also meet contemporary standards. If a product fails to be a competent device in its category, it will struggle to gain traction among consumers.

In fact, the situation is akin to several other AI accessory products that share a similar deficiency—the features seem heavily weighted towards software enhancements while often lacking in the essential hardware quality. For instance, one AI headphone product heavily marketed for its advanced AI capabilities lacks a sound quality that could compete with that of traditional headphones in the same price range.

On the flip side, hardware manufacturers who boast robust technical foundations and matured engineering capabilities frequently find themselves at a disadvantage in terms of AI proficiency. For instance, Logitech has recently released the ALTO KEYS K98M, a keyboard integrated with AI functionality, enabling one-touch access to AI applications. The emergence of such products showcases the cooperative evolution brewing in the market—a shift from isolated efforts by AI firms to a collaborative approach where hardware and software specialists work together to refine their offerings.

Ultimately, while AI's presence as an added value to hardware is promising, it must not serve as a cover for subpar hardware quality. Placing undue emphasis on AI features at the expense of foundational quality could lead such products to fade into obscurity in an evolving market. Although the current buzz surrounding the AI accessory revolution appears robust, tangible implementations remain ungrounded. To ensure that the narratives surrounding AI accessories are compelling, integrated collaboration between hardware and software providers is essential—it's not merely about amassing ideas but about harmonizing their execution in the market.