Mystery Unfolds on AI Gadgets from the Collaborative Minds of Jony Ive and Sam Altman
A fascinating revelation has emerged about the prospective AI gadgets that OpenAI, under the leadership of Sam Altman, is thinking about creating alongside Apple’s ex-chief design officer, Jony Ive. According to anonymous sources who divulged to The Information, one of the devices under contemplation is a novel smart speaker, sans display.
The story doesn’t end there. Reportedly, OpenAI has already procured a contract with Luxshare, one of Apple’s hardware assemblers, and is reaching out to Goertek, another product assembler for Apple, for the delivery of components like speaker modules required for its future line-up of AI gadgets.
Speculations about other gadgets including smart glasses, a digital voice recorder, and a wearable pin are also circulating, yet nothing can be confirmed at this stage. Nevertheless, the information lines up with the ambition project touted by OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman in May, where he hinted at developing a “family of devices” in partnership with Ive. He mentioned these devices to be pocket-sized, aware of their context, and lacking a screen.
The Future of AI Gadgets
Sam Altman has previously indicated the first AI device from OpenAI won’t be a pair of glasses, suggesting smart eyewear might follow its initial product launch. Interestingly, a wearable AI pin is poised to make an unexpected turn given Ive’s notable disinterest in developing body-wearables and his critique of the Humane AI Pin.
There’s a bit of intrigue linked to the possibility of an in-ear device that Altman and Ive might be considering, a product line that’s conspicuously missing from the rumored line-up. The sources cited by The Information also note that OpenAI has begun to use Apple’s supply chain network in China to aid in the construction of these devices. For instance, Luxshare assembles iPhones and AirPods, while Goertek deals with the assembly of AirPods, HomePods, and Apple Watches.
In an interesting turn of events, Apple canceled a meeting with its manufacturing and supply chain teams in China last month, apparently due to fears it would tear away its executives from the company’s US headquarters, where they were needed to preempt the chances of them shifting allegiance to OpenAI.
The addition of seasoned Apple employees who previously worked on Apple’s hardware to OpenAI’s burgeoning team has further spiced things up. OpenAI’s current Chief Hardware Officer, Tang Tan, who himself is a former Apple product design head, seems to lure Apple’s professional talent by promising them less bureaucracy and more collaboration within OpenAI. Thus, making a strong case for potential defectors!
As the details continue to unfurl, it is clear that OpenAI and its collaborative relationship with Ive’s IO startup is already causing ripples in the AI domain. Whatever comes to fruition from such a power-packed collaboration will surely redefine the future of artificial intelligence and wearable technology. Hold your breath, the future is unfolding!
Original article: The Verge
