The secretive AI hardware device designed by former Apple design chief Jony Ive and set to be launched by ChatGPT maker OpenAI has reportedly been delayed, as the company struggles to solve three fundamental problems.
One of the challenges is said to be deciding on a personality for the device, with the team trying to make it like a helpful friend rather than “a weird AI girlfriend” …
io: Jony Ive’s AI secretive AI hardware device
Jony Ive and Sam Altman released a video earlier this year which talked about a new AI hardware device without giving any meaningful details about what it was or how it would work.
Trying to figure out what form factor it might take has been an entertaining process.
The only new-ish AI hardware form factor that has so far made any sense to me is smart glasses, but Altman has specifically said that io is not a pair of glasses, while both have also made it clear that it’s not a phone. The pair strongly imply it’s a form factor we haven’t yet seen, which would seem to rule out a badge, a smartwatch, a smart ring, or in-ear headphones.
OpenAI appeared to be trolling us. Asking ChatGPT to imagine the device always produced a very similar looking image of a pebble-shaped device (above) that gave no real clues.
Delayed by three fundamental problems
The device is scheduled for launch sometime next year, but a Financial Times report suggests that this may be delayed.
People familiar with their plans said OpenAI and Ive had yet to solve critical problems that could delay the device’s release.
One rather basic problem is how to give the device the computing power it will need to be useful. A source close to Ive said that “OpenAI is struggling to get enough compute for ChatGPT, let alone an AI device.”
Privacy is another big challenge. Unlike smart speakers, which are triggered by a wake word or phrase, the report says that this device is always on. That would mean both cameras and microphones are always active, which obviously poses a huge privacy issue.
Finally, the team are said to be struggling with developing a personality for the device.
One issue is ensuring the device only chimes in when useful, preventing it from talking too much or not knowing when to finish the conversation — an ongoing issue with ChatGPT. “The concept is that you should have a friend who’s a computer who isn’t your weird AI girlfriend,” said one source.
The company is reportedly working with Chinese contract manufacturers on the hardware, although it has been suggested that the device might be assembled outside of China.
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Image: ChatGPT
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