Li Nan Reflects on Smartisan TNT: Voice-Touch Workstation Born Before AI Agents
Former Meizu CMO Li Nan commented that Smartisan's 2018 TNT workstation was born before its time, noting that its vision of voice and touch controls is now much easier to realize using modern AI Agents. The reflection underscores how early human-computer interaction concepts that failed due to limited voice recognition can now be revitalized by autonomous AI agents and large language models. Smartisan TNT ('Touch and Talk') relied on a 27-inch 4K touchscreen powered by a smartphone, but faced severe backlash following an inaccurate live voice demo in 2018. Founder Luo Yonghao previously admitted that while the core concept of replacing desktop keyboard shortcuts with multi-touch and voice was right, it lacked the necessary AI foundation.
## BACKGROUND
Smartisan TNT was a desktop workstation concept introduced by Smartisan in 2018 that tried to redefine desktop productivity through touch gestures and voice commands. An AI Agent is an artificial intelligence program capable of understanding natural language requests, planning tasks, using tools, and performing multi-step actions autonomously.