In recent years, the technology landscape has resembled an episode of the original Power Rangers: a relentless focus on AI. The term “artificial intelligence” has long been vague and inconsistently defined; much of what we label as “AI” today is primarily machine learning, diverging from its science fiction roots. It’s reaching a point of absurdity.
The newest contender in this realm? HP. The company is unveiling “Print AI,” which it claims to be the “industry’s first intelligent print experience for home, office, and large format printing.”
What does this mean, exactly?
At its core, it’s a new beta software driver package for select HP printers. According to the press release, it aims to deliver “Perfect Output”—both words emphasized—by reformulating page content to fit more appropriately on physical paper.
Despite my doubts, I find the concept intriguing. The “Perfect Output” feature has the ability to identify and eliminate unwanted elements such as advertisements and extraneous web text, allowing only the essential text and images to be printed. This not only saves time and resources but also enhances the efficiency of printing webpages that lack an integrated print format.
However, I struggle to identify any genuine AI—let alone machine learning—within this software. It seems to utilize similar technology to the “reader mode” formatting that browsers have employed for about a decade now, which simply removes unnecessary content to optimize the display of text and images.
This isn’t revolutionary, and it doesn’t quite fit our contemporary, lenient definition of AI. Business customers can enjoy some of the same functionalities with “HP Scan Enhanced,” which sounds promising but doesn’t necessarily require AI.
The press release mentions that support and formatting can be executed via “simple conversational prompts,” potentially leveraging some large language models commonly associated with AI today. Yet, the description suggests that the emphasis is more on marketing than meaningful assistance. Customers are encouraged to print or peruse a curated selection of partners offering unique photo printing options and gift certificates. How thrilling!
The Perfect Output feature is expected to be available in beta versions of the drivers for all current HP printers, though I couldn’t find it on HP’s support site at this time. Alternatively, users can rely on plug-and-play functionality on Windows and interact with their printers in a basic but less aggravating manner—just as it was meant to be.