OpenAI has kept its plans a secret, but here's what we know: the first so-called AI device won't have a screen and it won't be something you can wear, according to recent filings in an unrelated court case. It probably won't look anything like the Humane Pin, a pioneering AI gadget that failed spectacularly. So what will it be? My money is on a pen.
Altman told staff in May that the new device would be able to fit in a pocket or sit on a desk, according to a recording of the meeting reported by The Wall Street Journal. It will be fully aware of a user's surroundings and act as a "third device" to complement - not replace - their smartphone. It will be unobtrusive.
A pen checks all those boxes. Its familiarity to everyone eliminates a major barrier to adoption, and it wouldn't look out of place on a desk.
Ive himself has personal affinity with pens, having built up a personal collection that includes a vintage Montegrappa fountain pen and a Hermes pen designed by Marc Newson. He was deeply involved in the design of the Apple Pencil and an early commercial success in his career was designing the sporty-looking TX2 pen.
I can't take credit for this theory, which came to me from Max Child, the founder of San Francisco-based start-up Volley. Child is better placed than most to speculate on what a non-screen device would look like, since his company develops voice-based games for smart speakers like Amazon's Echo.