What happens when the design visionary behind the iPhone teams up with the most forward-facing leader in artificial intelligence? You get a project that may very well rewrite how we relate to our devices—and perhaps even reimagine what a “device” is.
OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman and former Apple chief design officer Jony Ive have quietly been working on a new kind of AI gadget, and while the details are still under wraps, what’s emerging is nothing short of a tectonic shift in how we interact with computing. Their goal? A screenless, intuitive AI companion that could make today’s smartphones feel like relics.
The Birth of a New Category
Unlike smartphones, tablets, or even smartwatches, this new device aims to be something altogether different: a context-aware, voice-first AI assistant that requires no screen and minimal input. It won’t replace your laptop or phone but instead slip into the space between them—a quiet, ever-present companion. Think of it as a kind of AI whisperer, always listening, always ready, but never in your face.
According to leaks and reports from The Verge and AppleInsider, this project is not just a moonshot—it’s already backed by billions. OpenAI acquired Ive’s hardware startup, “io,” with funding reportedly in the range of $6.5 billion. That’s a serious commitment to a future where ambient, AI-first computing is the norm.
What Might It Look Like?
While we don’t have official images, concept renderings suggest a device about the size of an iPod Shuffle, perhaps worn around the neck or clipped to clothing. Others imagine a disc-shaped object sitting quietly on a desk, always listening, always ready. Some even speculate a pendant-style form factor—minimalist, tactile, and elegant. You won’t be scrolling through it. You’ll be talking to it.
Designer Ben Geskin shared speculative visuals on X (formerly Twitter) that highlight the possibilities: sleek aluminum bodies, subtle LED indicators, a wearable loop. What’s clear is that the device is meant to be as invisible as possible. Its intelligence will come not from what it shows, but from what it understands—about you, your surroundings, and your needs in real time.
Back to the Future of Interaction
Jony Ive and Sam Altman are both well known for questioning the status quo. Ive has often spoken about the “tyranny of the screen” and the addictive behaviors modern smartphones encourage. Altman, meanwhile, has spent years envisioning what it means for artificial intelligence to become not just a tool, but a partner. Their collaboration is about creating a new kind of interface—one where the user is liberated from the glass rectangle.
It’s also a rebuttal to the current trend of “bigger and better” displays. In their eyes, the next wave of progress means fewer buttons, fewer distractions, and more ambient intelligence. AI that works in the background, not on your retina.
The Shrinking of the Interface
This device is part of a much larger trend: the miniaturization of intelligence. As chips get smaller, sensors more sophisticated, and AI models more efficient, the idea of the “device” begins to blur. Today, we carry smartphones. Tomorrow, we might wear pendants. And soon after, we may simply embed the intelligence into ourselves—glasses, earbuds, even neural implants.
We’re moving down a trajectory where AI assistants might ultimately vanish from view altogether. Today’s iPhone was yesterday’s iMac, and tomorrow’s AI interface may be no more visible than a hearing aid. In that light, the Altman-Ive device feels like a bridge—a necessary stepping stone between screen-based computing and truly ambient intelligence.
What Will It Do?
The core functionality of the device seems centered around contextual awareness. It will use microphones (and possibly cameras) to take in ambient information—your tone of voice, your surroundings, your habits—and offer intelligent assistance without needing prompts. Imagine walking into your kitchen and saying, “What should I cook for dinner with what I’ve got in the fridge?” Or getting a quiet reminder as you leave the house: “Don’t forget your umbrella, rain is due in 20 minutes.”
Unlike a phone or smart speaker, this device won’t wait for you to summon it—it will proactively assist, like a digital valet. It also won’t assume you want a screen-based answer. It may whisper suggestions through a bone-conduction speaker or tap into nearby screens when visuals are required.
Privacy and Ethics in a World of Always-On AI
Of course, a device that is always listening raises privacy concerns. Both Altman and Ive have spoken publicly about the need for strong ethical frameworks in AI and design. The challenge here will be enormous: How do you create a device that listens without intruding? That watches without storing? That helps without surveilling?
It’s likely this product will come with strict privacy protocols, local processing where possible, and clear user controls. But given OpenAI’s increasingly vast training data needs and the device’s potential as an always-on microphone, the public’s trust will be both hard-earned and crucial.
The Broader Impact
If successful, the Altman-Ive device could do for AI what the iPhone did for mobile computing: create a new category. Competitors like Humane and Rabbit are already in this space, but none carry the same design pedigree or AI muscle. We could be witnessing the dawn of a new kind of interface war—not over screen size or megapixels, but over presence, subtlety, and contextual intelligence.
Is This the Next Big Thing?
Possibly. This collaboration taps into something deeper than tech trends—it taps into our desire for simplicity, for elegance, for technology that disappears rather than dominates. And it nudges us toward a future that’s long been whispered about in science fiction: AI not as a thing we use, but a presence we live with.
From the desktop to the pocket, and now perhaps to the pendant—or even the bloodstream—intelligence is becoming smaller, quieter, and more intimate. The Altman-Ive AI device isn’t just about inventing a gadget. It’s about reimagining our relationship with technology entirely.
And if history is any guide, when Jony Ive designs something new and Sam Altman trains its brain… we’d be wise to pay attention. I want one!