
TAIPEI -- Inventec, a Taiwanese contract electronics maker that supplies Apple's AirPods and the activity-tracking wristbands for U.S. company Fitbit, sees gadgets powered by artificial intelligence assistants, including smart speakers and smartphones, as a growth driver for the company in 2017.
"For this year, AI voice-assistant-related devices are the most talked about subject, and many device makers are thinking about rolling out such products after seeing the success of Amazon Echo," David Ho, president of Inventec Appliance, a wholly owned subsidiary of Inventec, told reporters on Monday. The Amazon Echo is a smart speaker that connects with a voice-controlled intelligent personal assistant.