The Secret Device To Unleash AI

Yesterday the Wall Street Journal posted a short but fascinating article about a mystery device that OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman is developing with Jony Ive, who was the chief architect of the iPhone.

The article referred to what are called AI “companions” – and Altman’s plans to ship 100 million of them, hoping they will become a part of everyday life.

Now, AI companions already exist as software or applications designed to simulate human-like interactions – and, as the name suggests, they can provide companionship through AI. At least, virtual companionship.

However, the new device that Altman and Ive hope to release next year takes the AI companion to a new level. Let me show you what I mean.

First, here are two quotes from the Wall Street Journal article, and then I have a short video of Altman and Ive speaking. I’ll put a link below to both of these.

“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…”

“The Journal earlier reported that the device won’t be a phone, and that Ive and Altman’s intent is to help wean users from screens. Altman said that the device isn’t a pair of glasses, and that Ive had been skeptical about building something to wear on the body.”

If that rather opaque description of this device doesn’t reveal much, here are a few short clips from a video on OpenAI’s YouTube channel in which Altman and Ive discuss what this new device will be, and that their new company will be called io.

Video plays

So, here are a few quick takeaways on the video you just watched and the Wall Street Journal article.

• This mystery device is still about a year away
• It is not a phone nor wearable technology such as glasses
• It is designed to be your third primary device, alongside your laptop or desktop and phone
• It will enable anyone to easily and immediately use AI for any idea or project

In the video, Altman referred to this mystery device as giving us access to an incredible external brain, and how that possibility didn’t exist just six months ago.

But as lofty as their intentions might be in potentially having a 100 million people access this incredible external brain, the fact is that scientists have been warning us about AI for several years now.

We don’t really have a handle on controlling this technology or any concept of where it might go, or even what doors it might open to unseen worlds.

But in about a year, millions of people will have their very own Pandora’s Box. ♦