OpenAI is working on a device it claims will bring calm and peace to your digital life, unlike anything the smartphone era has offered.
At the recent Emerson Collective event in San Francisco, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and former chief design officer for Apple, Jony Ive, teased their collaboration: an upcoming AI gadget that’s all about simplicity, subtlety, and a distraction-free experience.
Sam Altman and Jony Ive's new device
At the event, Altman described this future device as a “screenless,” pocket-sized product, specifically made to avoid the chaos of today’s digital world.
“When I use current devices or most applications, I feel like I am walking through Times Square in New York and constantly just dealing with all the little indignities along the way — flashing lights in my face… people bumping into me, like noise is going off, and it’s an unsettling thing,” Altman stated during the conversation.
He went on to explain that current tech is buzzing with constant, dopamine-chasing notifications, drawing us away from focus and calm.
A “vibe” designed to soothe, not distract
Instead, Altman and Ive’s device aims for a radically different “vibe.” Altman imagines it feeling like “sitting in the most beautiful cabin by a lake and in the mountains, just enjoying the peace and calm.”
The AI gadget will filter out distractions, presenting information only when it’s actually useful, thanks to what Altman calls “incredible contextual awareness of your whole life.”
Ultimately, Altman explains that users will “trust it over time,” as the gadget gets better at knowing the best times to interact: “You trust it over time, and it does have just this incredible contextual awareness of your whole life.”
Simplicity is the secret sauce
Chiming in on the philosophy behind the design, Ive added: “I love solutions that teeter on appearing almost naive in their simplicity. And I also love incredibly intelligent, sophisticated products that you want to touch, and you feel no intimidation, and you want to use almost carelessly — that you use them almost without thought — that they’re just tools.”
The team confirmed their prototype should be available in under two years. However, no exact dates, prices or further details were given.
If you're tired of “flashing lights” and endless notifications, OpenAI and Ive’s new device could soon offer a much-needed digital detox, with a generous dose of AI smarts.
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