OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, and former Apple designer Jony Ive are reportedly facing several technical hurdles in creating their first artificial intelligence device. According to a report by a common publication, people familiar with the project revealed that the teams are struggling to finalise the voice, personality, and computing budget required for the device.
One person briefed about the development said, “The concept is that you should have a friend who’s a computer who isn’t your weird AI girlfriend . . . like [Apple’s digital voice assistant] Siri but better.” The report mentioned that OpenAI is exploring “ways for it to be accessible but not intrusive.”
Another person close to the project said, “Model personality is a hard thing to balance. It can’t be too sycophantic, not too direct, helpful, but doesn’t keep talking in a feedback loop.”
A major challenge, according to the report, is budgeting for the computing power required to run OpenAI’s models on a consumer-scale device. A person close to Jony Ive explained, “Amazon has the compute for an Alexa, so does Google [for its Home device], but OpenAI is struggling to get enough compute for ChatGPT, let alone an AI device — they need to fix that first.”
Earlier this year, OpenAI acquired io, a device startup founded by Ive. Since then, the teams have been working on building an innovative AI device that will be unlike any existing product. Reports suggest that the goal is to design a small, screenless, palm-sized device that uses audio and visual cues from the environment to respond to users’ requests. A separate report mentioned that it could use a small projector to display content on nearby surfaces.
People familiar with the project said that the device may include cameras, a microphone, and a speaker, allowing users to communicate through voice and visual inputs. It is expected to be portable yet designed to stay on a desk or table. The report also stated that the device might remain “always-on,” using its sensors to collect data throughout the day to enhance its virtual assistant’s “memory.”
The partnership between OpenAI and io is expected to produce multiple AI-native products, including smart glasses, a digital voice recorder, and a wearable AI pin. OpenAI is reportedly collaborating with Apple’s supply chain partners in China, including Luxshare and Goertek, to manufacture these devices.
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