The Hearing Aid That Plays It by Ear

A company called Fortell made an A.I.-powered device that tries to tune out background noise in real time. Ask Fortell's test subject, Steve Martin. In 2023, the comedian, actor, writer, and banjo virtuoso Steve Martin was walking through SoHo, followed closely by two men holding a laptop. The laptop was connected by an Ethernet cable to a 3-D-printed plastic box, and the box was connected by wires to Martin's head. A passerby recognized him and asked whether the benefits of celebrity included having assistants literally tethered to him.