Artificial intelligence is everywhere right now. And it’s impacting people’s lives in both good and bad ways. Whether by helping them be more productive, stealing their jobs, or upsetting the creative arts. And now, lo and behold, AI is coming to your printer too. Personally, I would have preferred a printer that actually works when I need it to, but AI is clearly more important.
HP Launches Print AI, Bringing AI to Printers
HP has announced HP Print AI, which the company calls “the industry’s first intelligent print experiences [sic] designed to change how the world prints.” HP Print AI is a set of features designed to “make printing frictionless by eliminating common challenges from printer setup to support.”
The first HP Print AI feature is called Perfect Output, which is designed to ensure prints look perfect every time. It does this by “reformatting and reorganizing content to fit perfectly on the page the first time,” and making spreadsheets more printable.
In a press release, Tuan Tran, HP President of Imaging, Printing, and Solutions, states:
“We are transforming the printing experience with HP Print AI, making it easier and more intuitive. Introducing AI solutions across our portfolio will simplify printing, ignite creativity, and accelerate collaboration – all while ensuring customer data is protected and kept private. This is our first step in setting a new standard for printing.”
So far, so good, if you buy into marketing speak. But is HP Print AI utilizing artificial intelligence in any real way?
Legitimately Helpful or a Marketing Gimmick?
While appreciated, Perfect Output doesn’t appear to use AI in any way. Web browsers have been capable of stripping out any unnecessary elements for printing purposes for some time now, and all without the stated use of AI or machine learning.
To be fair to HP, some of the features the company is promising for the future do have AI elements. Tailored support when setting up your new printer, with HP Print AI remembering users’ preferences and tailoring its responses accordingly, certainly fits the bill.
And then there’s the promise of “simple conversational prompts” coming down the pike. Which could be legitimately useful if done well.
I Would Prefer a Printer That Works Every Time
Truth be told, I’d much rather printer manufacturers prioritized other, more important things over AI. Building printers that work on command without connectivity and compatibility issues. Printer ink that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg once they have secured you as a customer with cheap hardware. Etc.
But none of that is the buzzword of the day in the tech world, so it can all take a backseat to AI. Apparently.
