If you grew up downloading songs off Napster in the early 2000s, you might do a double take at what the brand has become. The company, acquired by Infinite Reality, has reinvented itself as a spatial-AI platform, complete with holographic hardware and a suite of “embodied” assistants you can actually video-chat with. Think of it as FaceTiming an AI coworker who lives on your desk
That’s the idea behind Napster Companion (the software) and Napster View (the hardware). AI agents are something we are seeing a lot more of lately. We've seen them from OpenAI and Microsoft but what makes Napster's AI agents different is that they feel much more life-like. Agents such as fitness experts, financial consultants, creative directors, or even custom personalities you design, all have faces.
While you can use the software in your browser, the features and accompanying Napster View are only available on macOS at this time. After giving Napster View a test run, here are my thoughts, likes and dislikes after spending time with the hologram Companions for a weekend.
