Need to Know
15 : 03 : 19

Austin – Created by Vice Media’s creative agency Virtue, the genderless voice aims to combat sex bias in artificial intelligence.

According to Virtue, technology companies gender their voice products in order to fit harmful stereotypes. For example, a male voice is used in more authoritative roles, such as banking, and a female voice in service-orientated roles, such as Amazon's Alexa. To counter this, the company built a genderless voice designed to be used in voice-assisted products such as Amazon Echo or Google Home, in addition to public place such as train stations.

To create Q, the voices of five people who identify as non-binary were recorded. This amalgamated voice was then tested through a Europe-wide survey, which asked participants to rate the voice on a scale of male to female, finally finding a gender-neutral balance.

In an age in which artificial intelligence permeates all aspects of our lives, it is imperative that we embed ethics into the foundations of AI.

New York – New skincare label Eighteen B draws on biotechnology and material futures for its range of silk protein products.

Working to the mantra that better science equals better skin, its proprietary b-silk protein was created as a response to the overly-processed ingredients used in skincare today. The b-silk protein is made using a lab-based fermentation process and is the key component in Eighteen B’s range of lightweight and rich moisturisers, which promise to lock in moisture and promote lift, firmness and long-term skin health.

Created by Lindsay Wray, the brand’s chief science officer and a material scientist at Bolt Threads, the range also endorses a clean approach to beauty. ‘As the market rapidly evolves, the Eighteen B team is committed to rigorous testing and the development of safe, effective products that serve the health of your skin and our environment,’ reads a brand statement.

For more on the blurring of science, technology and skincare, explore our latest beauty macro trend Algorithmic Beauty.

Tokyo – The hotel offers small rooms for single guests, without scrimping on the quality of its interiors and services.

Opening in April 2019, hotel zen tokyo comprises 78 capsule rooms set over seven floors. The rooms are tiered against five categories, varying in price and size, however all rooms include original art from graduates of the Tokyo University of the Arts.

While capsule hotels for single travellers have tended to be low-budget, hotel zen tokyo aims to elevate the guest experience through its dining options. Its basement bar and lounge, TAIAN, features a drinks menu curated by upscale sommelier Kota Narusawa, with a focus on pairing food with Japanese wine and sake. Guests also have access to a work lounge, private lockers and communal bathrooms.

While hotel zen tokyo's aesthetic plays to the tenets of Stripped-back Hospitality, it is also catering to an underserved market of discerning single consumers. For more, explore The Uncoupled, our newest Tribe featuring Jang, a single man who seeks out hotels for lone travellers.

Consumers in India’s tier II cities are keen to splash their cash on high-end fashion, cars and electronics, according an analysis of 600 luxury goods retailers in India by American Express.

Overall, luxury spending in India grew by 4% between 2013 and 2018, with luxury spending in tier II cities in particular growing at a rate 30 times greater than in tier I locations.

According to the report, spending by women in cities such as Chandigarh, Jaipur, Ahmedabad was focused on luxury fashion boutiques, while men – shown to account for 78% of luxury spending in India – spent their money on high-end hotels and cars.

With India’s emerging middle class, luxury goods brands have an opportunity to explore the diversity and desires of consumers across its micromarkets. For more, explore our dedicated market State of Luxury: India.