mui

Electronic AI personal assistants are on the rise. For some, there are privacy concerns that give cause for reservation and encourage hesitancy. Designers, Mark Nomura and Nobuyasu Hirobe incorporated these concerns into the mui. Purposely understated yet highly functional with no camera or visible microphone, mui is a Japanese word that denotes one’s natural state of inactivity and idleness. The mui acts as a bridge between you and your private space, accentuating peace of mind. “Out of sight until needed,” their website states. “Out of mind until available.”