OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has hinted that the company’s upcoming AI hardware device will redefine how people interact with technology, describing it as “more peaceful and calm than the iPhone.”
Speaking at Emerson Collective’s 9th annual Demo Day, Altman and former Apple design chief Jony Ive outlined their shared vision for a minimalist, screenless AI companion.
Altman said the first reaction people have when seeing the prototype is: “That’s it? It’s so simple.”
The yet-to-be-named device — co-developed with Jony Ive and based on work from Ive’s acquired design company, io — is designed to counter the overwhelming noise of modern smartphones.
While the iPhone remains, in Altman’s words, “the crowning achievement of consumer products,” he believes today’s devices are overloaded with flashing notifications, dopamine-driven apps, and constant interruptions. “When I use current devices, I feel like I’m walking through Times Square… flashing lights, noise, people bumping into me,” Altman said.
Designed to feel like “A cabin by lake”
The upcoming AI device aims to create the opposite effect — a sense of calm and clarity.
Altman compared the “vibe” of the gadget to sitting in a peaceful cabin by a lake in the mountains, offering serenity instead of sensory overload.
He stressed that the device should:
-
Filter out unnecessary interruptions
-
Present information only at the right time
-
Build long-term trust with users
-
Become contextually aware of a user’s daily life
“You trust it over time,” Altman said, adding that it will eventually gain “incredible contextual awareness” of a person’s routines and needs.
Screenless, pocket-sized, and surprisingly simple
Details about hardware features remain undisclosed, but the device is rumored to be:
-
Pocket-sized
-
Screenless
-
Focused on AI-first interactions — not apps or notifications
This marks a shift from traditional gadget design, where screens dominate user engagement.
Jony Ive emphasized his preference for objects that appear almost “naive in their simplicity,” yet are deeply intelligent underneath. “I love sophisticated products you can touch without intimidation — tools you use almost without thought,” Ive said.
Ive confirmed that the device could be available within two years, with the prototype already in development at OpenAI.
Industry watchers believe it could become the first mainstream AI-native hardware — a potential successor to the smartphone era.
