“When people look at it, their reaction is, ‘That’s all?… It’s so straightforward.’”
This is how Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, anticipates people will react upon first encountering the company’s upcoming AI hardware product.
This device is the outcome of a partnership between OpenAI and Jony Ive, Apple’s former chief designer. Details remain scarce, but speculation suggests it will be a compact, “screenless” gadget that fits in your pocket.
Earlier this year, OpenAI purchased Ive’s design company, io, with the goal of making AI accessible to everyone through innovative technology. Over the weekend, Altman and Ive elaborated on their vision for this AI device during an interview with Laurene Powell Jobs at the 9th annual Demo Day hosted by Emerson Collective in San Francisco.
While OpenAI is not yet revealing concrete details about the prototype, both Ive and Altman were eager to discuss the overall “feel” of the product.
Altman notably likened the device to the iPhone, calling Apple’s flagship phone the “pinnacle of consumer products” to date. He remarked that his life could be divided into the periods before and after the iPhone’s release.
Still, Altman criticized today’s technology for being overly distracting.
“Whenever I use modern devices or most apps, it feels like I’m navigating through Times Square in New York—constantly bombarded by minor annoyances, flashing lights, people jostling, and endless noise. It’s unsettling,” he explained. Altman believes that the constant barrage of notifications and addictive social media features are where current devices fall short.
“I don’t think any of this is helping us feel calm or focused on what matters to us,” he continued.
In contrast, Altman described the AI device’s atmosphere as similar to “relaxing in a beautiful lakeside cabin in the mountains, simply appreciating the tranquility.”
According to Altman, the device should be able to filter information for the user, earning their trust over time by handling tasks for extended periods. It should also intuitively know the right moments to deliver information or request feedback.
“As you continue to use it, you come to rely on it, and it develops an impressive understanding of your life’s context,” Altman said.
At the event, Ive confirmed that the device is expected to launch within the next two years.
“I’m drawn to solutions that almost seem childlike in their simplicity,” Ive shared with Powell Jobs during the interview. “I also appreciate highly advanced, smart products that invite you to interact with them freely, without hesitation—tools you use instinctively, almost without thinking,” he added.
