OpenAI has hardware prototypes, plan device reveal in 2 years or less

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said Friday that the artificial intelligence startup has finally completed its first prototypes for its hardware devices.

“We finally have the first prototypes,” Altman said. video It was published Monday by Emerson Collective, which invests in entrepreneurs. “I can’t believe how jaw-droppingly good this job is and how exciting it is.”

Altman was speaking in an onstage discussion with his old friend. Apple design chief Jony Ive and Laurene Powell Jobs, wife of former Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs and founder of Emerson Collective.

In May, OpenAI acquired Ive’s startup io for $6.4 billion in equity capital and announced that it would produce new artificial intelligence devices. I took on design responsibilities in the hardware project. Since then, OpenAI and io have remained relatively quiet on the project.

I said he expects to reveal the device in two years or less. Much of the development process for new hardware is unpredictable, he said.

“Leaders, especially at large companies that value predictability, are really uncomfortable with uncertainty,” Ive said.

Altman declined to answer the question about what exactly OpenAI is building, but said the company is aiming for a calmer “vibe” with its hardware compared to smartphones, which he compared to walking through Times Square.

“Then you can go for a vibe that’s not like walking through Times Square and having all these things competing for your attention,” Altman said. “But it’s like sitting by the lake and in the most beautiful cabin in the mountains and enjoying the peace and tranquility.”

He said a smart AI device could do things for the user over a long period of time, filter things out, and figure out when something is important enough to notify the user. Altman added that the device “can know everything you’ve ever thought, read, said.”

OpenAI’s hardware plans are being closely watched by competitors and potential customers alike. Companies involved Amazon, GoogleAnd Meta They’ve introduced AI-driven devices like smart glasses and speakers, but none have been a big enough success to reshape the hardware industry. Startups are also experimenting with new device sizes, like necklaces, and ideas like giving personality to AI bots.

A major device launch from OpenAI, which has the most used chatbot with ChatGPT, could end the stalemate and threaten Apple at the end of a successful product. The iPhone maker has yet to release an AI-specific design, and the company has long faced issues rolling out improvements to its AI voice assistant, Siri. In March, Apple announced that it was delaying Siri improvements until 2026.

OpenAI last week in question It signed an agreement with Foxconn, which produces many consumer electronics, including Apple. However, the OpenAI agreement with Foxconn focused on building artificial intelligence infrastructure, and the companies did not mention device production.

WRISTWATCH: OpenAI uses Foxconn to develop AI hardware in the US