OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and former Apple design icon Jony Ive are collaborating on one of the most eagerly awaited AI innovations: a ChatGPT-powered consumer hardware device that’s always present, always sensing and listening to your life.
Reuters:
The core vision is simple but radical: AI needs full context. Unlike our phones — which are either on or off, in a pocket or on a table — this device would understand the world continuously, like a truly proactive assistant. OpenAI’s device aims to be always present, always sensing, but with explicit, visible signals that show when it’s paying attention.
To power these devices, OpenAI’s eventual vision isn’t just giant cloud-based AI systems, but small models that can run meaningful AI locally. While OpenAI built its reputation on massive, compute-hungry models, the rapid progress of its compact “Mini” models has reshaped its roadmap.
Insiders say these local models will be critical for a device that is listening and watching, and help address privacy concerns: most people won’t want their entire life streamed to the cloud.
To make that possible, OpenAI will need a new kind of chip… a custom chip optimized for on-device inference.
This family of devices will roll out in phases. The lighter, task-specific and cloud-based devices will come sooner. The more privacy-sensitive, always-on devices will arrive later, as insiders caution the powerful on-device computer might take a few years to mature.
MacDailyNews Take: As we asked back in early October, “The question is how does a ‘pocket-sized AI device’ differ from the already pocket-sized iPhone and its Android knockoffs. The iPhone already has everything needed – microphones, cameras, fast processors, display, speakers, connectivity, etc. Why carry a “pocket-sized AI device” when you already carry a smartphone that could, via settings, be set up to match whatever the “pocket-sized AI device” offers (always listening, etc.) and exceed it (on-device LLMs, etc.)?”
The iPhone can already do everything OpenAI is looking to do with its device – better, faster, and with no need to buy, subscribe to, or carry an extra device. Just toggle literally one “Super Siri” setting on your iPhone.
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[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
I guess I just don’t get it. I don’t want something “that’s always present, always sensing and listening”.
Unfortunately, we already have that with our phones and certain apps, not to mention some of the other electronic devices in our homes.
I recently traveled to a particular Spanish speaking island in the Caribbean. YouTV knew exactly where I was even though I was running a vpn. The shows I watch via youtubeTV were suddenly all in Spanish.
I don’t use my phone a lot, have location service off, and don’t have apps.
Hmmm…so you really just need a flip phone.
Sherm is ahead of the game for real life/living.
True…the “benefit” eludes me. Add Sam Altman into the mix as the “conductor,” and it’s repelling. The AI possibilities dreamed up by many of the trans-humanists is hardly a mere tech advance. Altman seems morally rudderless and ambivalent. There’s info about some at GOOG similarly curious, but with less ambiguity re: reach/intent.
Welcome to your new sovereign:
“always present, always sensing and listening to your life” (J Ive)
Sounds like another design ‘pin’ in the making
fsck that
Who is actually asking for this? Something tells me that it’s going to be a failure.
I don’t think there’s any way this will be a “failure,” as in not coming to fruition. The top of the bottle has been removed.
On the other hand, the likelihood of it being a cultural/societal cost is significant. While the smart phone has brought many benefits, it’s brought profound negatives to to the emotional/psych realm…esp to the younger. AI will be exponentially more “costly” in these areas…as well as the spiritual realm, imo.
Hard pass
This will definitely have an app on your phone, it won’t be meant to replace it but to supplement it (at least until they develop their own OS which is inevitable). A few reasons why this makes sense vs. having it all on your phone: bigger/separate battery for running local AI models, custom chip for complex and continuous AI tasks, more RAM, larger base SSD, better cooling, necessary for OpenAI to differentiate itself from Apple and Google with its own hardware.
@Sherm,
“I don’t use my phone a lot, have location service off, and don’t have apps.”
The same here, we have them for when the ‘ol man and I are on our harleys traveing from coast to coast most of the summer. Other wise they are in the closet with our riding gear all winter.
It will remember everything you’ve ever said to GPT on-device and instantly, and everything it hears, plus you’ll be able to sync it with your data. You’d have to dedicate the whole phone’s memory to the one app, and perhaps many times more memory. For example, the GPT could have 20-80TB on device just for instant memory. This will make it as present and aware as your spouse or coworker, then more; something whose opinion you’ll want more than ever… in time.