Idea picture of what this Jony Ive + OpenAI collab AI machine may seem like. | Picture credit score — @BenGeskin (X)
Ming-Chi Kuo, a well known business analyst, has shared early particulars concerning the mysterious AI {hardware} product being developed by OpenAI in collaboration with former Apple design chief Jony Ive. Whereas the announcement of this partnership has already stirred curiosity, Kuo’s newest insights paint a clearer image of the machine and lift some acquainted questions.In response to Kuo’s publish on X, the product continues to be in its early phases, with mass manufacturing not anticipated to start till 2027. The present prototype is reportedly a compact, screenless gadget with a kind issue that’s barely bigger than the Humane AI Pin.
He compares its measurement and magnificence to the iPod Shuffle, and mentions one proposed use case entails carrying it across the neck. It can depend on built-in cameras and microphones to detect its environment, and can offload computing and show duties to a linked smartphone or PC. Meeting is more likely to happen in Vietnam, which Kuo says is supposed to cut back geopolitical dangers tied to China-based manufacturing.
Video credit score — OpenAI
What’s going to it seem like, although?
An unofficial idea design based mostly on Kuo’s description is already circulating, providing a primary visible impression of what this machine might seem like. I am together with that picture simply to present a greater sense of the machine’s potential design path, however needless to say this is only one artist’s interpretation and in no way an official take. With Jony Ive main the trouble, expectations are understandably excessive that the {hardware} will push boundaries in a method earlier makes an attempt didn’t.
Thoughts-Chi Kuo on Jony Ive and Sam Altman’s AI machine:
• The present prototype is barely bigger than the AI Pin, with a kind issue as compact and chic as an iPod Shuffle.
• One of many supposed use circumstances is carrying the machine across the neck.
• It can have cameras and… pic.twitter.com/UvLrgx4Wh4— Ben Geskin (@BenGeskin) Could 22, 2025
Skepticism ensues
That mentioned, it is already very evident that the general public is unsure about the place that is going. Units just like the AI Pin and Rabbit R1 have already tried to carry bodily AI into our each day lives however did not discover a broad viewers. They typically felt extra like experiments than important instruments, elevating the query of whether or not individuals really need standalone AI devices.
Even so, the push towards bodily AI is gaining momentum. Kuo means that OpenAI’s public reveal of the venture might have been strategically timed to shift consideration away from Google I/O, the place Google showcased deep AI integration throughout its merchandise. It is a reminder that OpenAI nonetheless has work to do in constructing a {hardware} ecosystem.
The thought of a minimalist, AI-powered companion is thrilling on paper. I feel that its potential to succeed, the place others fell brief, may rely upon whether or not Jony Ive’s design imaginative and prescient can flip curiosity into actual demand.
