Kuo: Jony Ive and OpenAI’s mystery device is compact like an iPod shuffle and worn like a necklace; are you nervous yet?
The AI device that Apple’s former design chief Jony Ive and OpenAI are working on is compact like an iPod shuffle and worn around the neck.
Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared his predictions about Jony Ive’s OpenAI deal on social media, writing that an as-of-yet-unnamed gadget will be a bit larger that Humane’s ill-fated AI Pin, which was worn on clothing, and look “as compact and elegant as an iPod shuffle,” Apple’s miniature music player without a screen that was discontinued in 2017.
Kuo says the futuristic device will have onboard cameras to analyze your surroundings and microphones for voice control. It will require a smartphone or computer for its computing and display capabilities. Presumably, the thing will use a combination of on-device and server-side processing.
A narrative designed to redirect attention?
Kuo has an interesting theory as to the timing of the announcement. “In my view, one of OpenAI’s motives for announcing its collaboration with Jony Ive now is likely to shift market focus from recent Google I/O,” he said.
“Google’s ecosystem and AI integration, showcased in the I/O keynotes, pose a challenge that OpenAI currently struggles to address,”. “As a result, OpenAI is leveraging a new narrative to redirect attention.” He may be right. The AI advancements Google shared at I/O are very notable and put Gemini on a more equal footing to ChatGPT.
Kuo acknowledged “physical AI” as the next critical trend where AI is integrated into real-world applications. He said the success of this partnership is far from guaranteed, but “it clearly aligns with this trend.”
Is it coming in 2026 or 2027?
Kuo has solid sources in Apple’s supply chain, helping him decipher Apple’s future moves based on information received from companies that supply Apple components for its products. He didn’t share further information regarding the device’s design, but he did say that it will be worn around the neck like a necklace. I’m already nervous writing these lines. Are you nervous yet?
At any rate, Kuo’s information is often correct, for the most part, but his timeframes are often wrong. For example, he predicted the OpenAI device would enter mass production in 2027, but the io video indicates a launch as soon as 2026. “We look forward to sharing our work next year,” says the nine-minute video.
There are already prototypes in testing, so a launch next year could be feasible. “Jony recently gave me one of the prototypes of the device for the first time to take home,” Altman revealed in the video. “I’ve been able to live with it and I think it’s the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen,” he added.
What did Sam Altman tell staff about it?
The Wall Street Journal has an interesting quote from an internal presentation that Altman gave to OpenAI staff after announcing the acquisition deal. “Altman suggested the $6.5 billion acquisition has the potential to add $1 trillion in value to OpenAI, according to a recording reviewed by The Wall Street Journal,” reads the article.
Altman described the io gadget to staff as a third core device in people’s lives. “The product will be capable of being fully aware of a user’s surroundings and life, will be unobtrusive, able to rest in one’s pocket or on one’s desk and will be a third core device a person would put on a desk after a MacBook Pro and an iPhone,” he reportedly said.
Jony Ive and OpenAI announce an AI partnership
ChatGPT maker OpenAI has announced that it will pay $6.5 billion in equity for the AI startup io that Apple’s former design chief Jonathan Ive founded two years ago, assuming the deal passes regulatory approvals. Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the partnership will result in the first hardware device releasing in 2026 in what would become a family of AI-first gadgets. A few months ago, OpenAI acquired a 23 percent stake in io.
Bloomberg reported that the deal should bring 55 hardware engineers, software developers, manufacturing experts and other io employees to OpenAI, where they will be developing hardware devices.
Since leaving Apple in 20 to start his own design shop, LoveFrom, Jony Ive has poached many of his former colleagues at Apple, including his replacement, Evans Hankey, and former design lead Tang Tan, who will be working on OpenAI projects alongside Ive and Altman.
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