TLDR: The Poem/1 clock, developed by product developer Matt Webb, uses AI and rhyming poetry to tell the time. Powered by the ChatGPT API, the clock sometimes lies about the time or makes up words to make the rhymes work. Despite being a net-connected clock, it does not require a subscription to function. The clock displays 1,440 unique poems throughout the day and pulls its poetry rhymes via Wi-Fi from a central server. Webb reserves a percentage of the retail price from each clock in a bank account to cover AI and server costs for 5 years.
Key points:
- A Kickstarter project has been launched for the Poem/1 clock, which tells the time using AI-powered rhyming poetry.
- Powered by the ChatGPT API, the clock sometimes lies about the time or makes up words to make the rhymes work.
- The clock does not require a subscription to function and displays 1,440 unique poems throughout the day.
Product developer Matt Webb has launched a Kickstarter project for a whimsical e-paper clock called the Poem/1. The clock uses AI and rhyming poetry to tell the time. Powered by the ChatGPT API, the clock sometimes lies about the time or makes up words to make the rhymes work. Despite being a net-connected clock, it does not require a subscription to function. The clock needs to display 1,440 unique poems to work, which it pulls via Wi-Fi from a central server run by Webb’s company. This prevents API fees that would accumulate if the clock were constantly querying OpenAI’s servers. Webb reserves a percentage of the retail price from each clock in a bank account to cover AI and server costs for 5 years.
Given the large language model pedigree of the Poem/1, the clock may sometimes make up things to fulfill its task. This is known as “hallucination” or “confabulation” in the AI field. Webb acknowledges this and warns users not to rely on the clock in situations where timekeeping is vital. The clock also sometimes takes poetic license with vocabulary to tell the time, using words that are made up. It is clear that Webb sees the clock as more of a fun art project than a precision timekeeping instrument. The clock is priced at $126.
