Here's why an 'old school' San Jose barber is now teaching robots to cut hair with AI

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Where else would you expect to get high-tech haircuts but the Bay Area? Soon, a robot near you could have these skills.

A South Bay barber has decided to lean in after more than three decades of mastering his craft. Now, artificial intelligence is keeping a watchful eye on every snip.

The best conversations happen in a barber chair.

"A haircut is not just for your hair. It's for your whole body, your mind, or your psyche. Barbers are cheap psychiatrists," said Taiyadi Day, a longtime San Jose barber known as "Magic" who once cut hair for the San Francisco 49ers.

Day joked about the nickname: "I guess I'm good with making your hair disappear."

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But over the years, those conversations change. Day has watched Silicon Valley evolve.

At Style Masters Barbershop, it makes sense. They talk a lot about tech and, of course, sports.

Day has spent 12 years cutting hair at Style Masters Barbershop. As Silicon Valley transformed, he watched the changes firsthand.

"Thirty years ago, we didn't have cell phones in our pockets," Day said. "Apple came. IBM came...We talked a lot about it, yes."

Recently, clients have found a new subject to discuss. Day wears five cameras mounted to his head, chest and wrists -- all connected to a lightweight backpack.

"They use the footage in order to mimic your movements," he said.

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The system is called Instacore, developed by Instawork Robotics Lab. The recordings map the exact angles of Day's hands and provide spatial context and 3D perception.

"You always think can a robot really do this? I don't know," Day said.

With how fast technology develops, Day is realistic that it could happen. But he is not concerned about artificial intelligence replacing him.

"it takes about 45 minutes to one hour to cut each client," he said.

Instead, he views the effort as a way to preserve his craft.

As long as clients are comfortable with the arrangement, Day said he is willing to share his skills, teaching robots how to move and work.

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For now, the technology has not changed what he values most about barbering: the conversations and relationships built over a good cut.

So for now, this doesn't change his therapeutic barber chair

"It's a blessing. It's a blessing only by God, you know? I love it," Day said.

Still, he sees a future where robots may be capable of performing more complex tasks, and he is open to helping shape that future.

"It's going to happen, so why not be a part of it?" Day said.

So, if one day it does, maybe a robot can work a little magic too.