As for the rumored lack of a screen, Altman didn’t provide any firm information, but did opine on the current state of user interfaces for AI applications. — Photo by appshunter.io on Unsplash
Sam Altman claims that the AI device that OpenAI is currently building with famed Apple designer Jony Ive is actually a family of devices, and teased that they will likely not include a key component used by nearly every other smart device.
In a video interview on Dec 18, Big Technology’s Alex Kantrowitz pushed the OpenAI co-founder and CEO to provide additional news about the device, which was officially announced in May. Responding to rumors that the device would be phone-sized and lack a screen, Altman clarified that OpenAI will be releasing a “small family of devices,” rather than a single device.
As for the rumored lack of a screen, Altman didn’t provide any firm information, but did opine on the current state of user interfaces for AI applications. He predicted that over time, computers will evolve from “dumb, reactive” machines into smarter, “proactive” entities that can understand user intent. But current devices, like laptops and smartphones, are not “well-suited to that kind of world.”
Altman said that he wants OpenAI’s devices to break some of the “unquestioned assumptions” around how smart devices work, since AI is such a unique technology, with screens being a prime example of such an assumption. Using a screen would limit OpenAI’s device to “the same way we’ve had graphical user interfaces working for many decades,” says Altman, and a keyboard would only slow down interactions.
“I don’t think the current form factor of devices is the optimal fit, it’d be very odd if it were, for this incredible new affordance we have,” Altman said.
Ive has also expressed a distaste for screens in devices over recent years, and has even expressed regret for the “unintended consequences” of his role in popularising smart devices with screens through the iPhone and iPad.
In a November interview, Ive said that he “can’t bear products that are like a dog wagging their tail in your face,” and that the new devices will be designed to spark joy in users. The devices are still a long way away, though. Ive said in that same interview that he plans to reveal the devices within two years. – Inc./Tribune News Service
