AI Can Now See and Hear; Ex-Google Employee Aims to Enable Smell
Alex Wiltschko, a former Google employee, founded a startup called Osmo to digitize the sense of smell, similar to advancements in vision and hearing. His goal is to create a robotic olfactory system that can help detect diseases early, monitor pandemics, and improve food production efficiency.
In the short term, Osmo aims to sustainably produce aroma molecules for various products, ensuring they are made from safer, non-toxic ingredients. Wiltschko's team developed a 'map of primary odors' using machine learning to classify different smells based on 5,000 aroma-related molecules.
Looking ahead, Osmo plans to clone aromas digitally, potentially transforming the fragrance industry. While this technology is still in development, it could lead to significant advancements in how we understand and utilize scents.