LIVE FROM MWC SHANGHAI 2024: Honor highlighted the power of on-device AI, introducing new technology designed to detect deepfakes and reduce eye fatigue associated with screen use.

CEO George Zhao (pictured) said AI “is revolutionising our lives” and driving the smartphone industry forward, but noted much of the industry has focused on cloud-based AI, which is just one part of the puzzle. 

Zhao added on-device AI is “uniquely positioned to deliver services that are tailored to us and our preferences”.

Spotting deepfakes
Its AI-powered deepfake detection is designed to help prevent fraud and spot digitally manipulated content by examining frame-by-frame information such as eye contact, lighting, image clarity and video playback to identify flaws that are imperceptible to the human eye.

The system has been trained through a large dataset of videos and images related to online scams, enabling the AI to perform identification, screening and comparison within 3 seconds, the company said.

Meanwhile its new AI “defocus” feature transforms a smartphone into a special lens, which simulate defocus glasses on the device’s display.

Honor stated the innovation takes eye protection from prevention to creating technology that can provide relief for users. 

Defocus glasses, or myopia control spectacle lenses, are designed to slow the progression of nearsightedness in children. The vendor explained the glasses are to show “induce controlled defocus” in the user’s peripheral visual field to help maintain clear central vision.

In his keynote, Zhao outlined the four layers of AI architecture: interface to cloud-based AI; app-level AI; platform level AI (OS); and cross-device and cross-OS AI. Honor is focused on the second and third layers.

Zhao also teased the launch of the Honor Magic V3, which he said will challenge the foldable market with its lightweight and slim design. Industry insiders expect the device to be released sometime in July.