Qualcomm and Qwen drive shift toward Personal AI Agents and specialized hardware

The landscape of personal computing is shifting from smartphones toward AI Agents and specialized hardware. Qualcomm executive Ziad Asghar suggests that while smartphones remain central due to personal data storage, the future of personal AI will involve a distributed ecosystem of devices including smart glasses, earbuds, rings, and pins.

Qualcomm is exploring a concept called the ‘Puck’—a pocket-sized computing hub similar in size to an earbud charging case. This device would provide extra battery life and processing power, allowing wearable devices like smart glasses to offload complex AI tasks to the Puck. To support this, Qualcomm’s START program offers modular, AI-ready solutions to help fashion and tech brands lower the barrier to entry for wearable AI hardware.

Simultaneously, Alibaba’s Qwen is accelerating the development of Personal Agents. Leveraging the Qwen 3.8 series models, the platform aims to provide personalized services for its 300 million users. Qwen is integrating personal data—such as health, fitness, and financial holdings—to offer tailored advice in areas like marathon training and investment management. The platform has expanded its ecosystem to over 20 fields, with more than 1,000 partners applying to join.