Jony Ive and OpenAI’s Altman reportedly collaborating on mysterious AI device

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/09/jony-ive-and-openais-altman-reportedly-collaborating-on-mysterious-ai-device/

by mfiguiere • 3 years ago

61 53 3 years ago

arstechnica.com

jordancode• 3 years ago

Very exciting. This must be a smart speaker right?

babypuncher2• 3 years ago

Jony Ive is involved, so it will probably cost $1,500 and require you to turn it upside down to charge it. But damn if it doesn't look sexy sitting on your desk...

raverbashing• 3 years ago

It will also forego usability for appearance. Who needs a keyboard to type anyway...

karim79• 3 years ago

Indeed, and the buttons on it (power, mic on/off, volume up/down etc) will start failing or doubling the input as soon as the tiniest bit of dust breaches the gaps, thanks to the latest-and-greatest Tiger Moth mechanism which is designed for the perception of greater button travel while reducing the thickness of said buttons by 0.00000000017%.

ignoramous• 3 years ago

I bet it'll be a smartphone that has front cameras to fingerprint your retina and back cameras to track everyone else's. In about half a decade, Zuck will show up with £100b to acquire it.

In all seriousness, Sam has been on record that smartphones indirectly contribute to information/tech addiction, and that lack of digital well-being is a global epidemic [0]. May be that. Surely, that?

[0] https://blog.samaltman.com/the-merge

lyapunova2• 3 years ago

Why is it so painfully obvious that people with position piece blog posts do so to distance themselves or provide an alibi for the things they plan to directly contradict in the future?

lovemenot• 3 years ago

A personal verification dongle / hand-held Orb.

Lipstick-sized retina scanner (selfies only). No screen, app store or other standard smart-phone features. Secure local network interface to World Coin smart-phone app. Months-long battery life.

Open spec h/w and OSS. Low cost, high-volume production.

skilled• 3 years ago

One possibility is OpenAI is building its own operating system... Imagine an AI-native operating system that could generate apps in real-time based on what it believes its user needs, or one that listens to nearby conversations and automatically pulls up relevant information for its user.

I’m imagining that right now… it’s not looking good.

carlthrowaway• 3 years ago

Carl leaned back in his leather chair, a cup of steaming chamomile tea beside him. The article he'd just read about Jony Ive and Sam Altman's possible collaboration on an AI device floated around in his mind. He looked out at the bustling city through the tall windows of his penthouse office, pondering the future.

"In a world increasingly reliant on instant information and instant solutions," he mused aloud, "it isn't far-fetched to believe that AI will not only supplement, but also redefine our interactions. I imagine a device - not necessarily a phone in the traditional sense - but an omnipresent companion, molding itself seamlessly into our daily lives."

He imagined a slim, sleek device, devoid of buttons. Its surface would be smooth, reflective, giving off a gentle glow. It would be adaptive and intuitive, learning and understanding its user's preferences and habits. No longer would people have to spend time inputting data or even searching for answers. The device would provide not just answers but also anticipate needs, offering solutions before the user even recognized a problem.

"Imagine," Carl whispered, "walking into a room and the device automatically adjusts the lighting based on your mood, perhaps playing soft ambient music in the background. And as you work, it sifts through documents, instantly pulling up relevant information, or perhaps even creating presentations on-the-fly, guided only by your voice or thoughts."

He saw the potential for deeper human connection. With mundane tasks outsourced to the AI, people would have more time to engage in meaningful interactions, fostering relationships, and pursuing passions. But Carl also recognized potential challenges. The blurring line between man and machine could bring about questions of privacy, dependence, and even identity.

"We are on the brink of an era where AI won't just assist but will become an extension of ourselves," he thought. He envisioned people discussing ideas with their AI, debating, learning, and growing together. This AI wouldn't be just a tool; it would be a partner.

However, Carl was also wary. Such power in the hands of a device meant it would be a beacon for hackers and those with malicious intent. Moreover, the ethical considerations of creating an AI so deeply integrated into human life would be immense.

Drawing a deep breath, Carl looked down at his own smartphone. "A relic," he chuckled. "In a decade or two, we'll look at these devices as we do now with rotary phones or fax machines."

He took a sip of his tea, now lukewarm. "It's an exciting future," he whispered. "But one we need to step into with caution and consciousness."

His assistant, a traditional machine, beeped, reminding him of his next meeting. Carl smiled, looking forward to the day his meetings would be scheduled, organized, and even anticipated by an AI that truly understood him.

mysterydip• 3 years ago

looking forward to the day his meetings would be scheduled, organized, and even anticipated by an AI that truly understood him.

And then, knowing him so well, started attending the meetings in his place. Soon, Carl was out of a job, the subject matter expertise he brought to the company perfectly replicated and queryable.

isotropy• 3 years ago

Oddly echoes Asimov's "The Feeling of Power": https://urbigenous.net/library/power.html

burkaman• 3 years ago

He took a sip of his tea, now lukewarm.

Carl is an incredibly slow thinker, that tea was steaming like four thoughts ago.

awesomeMilou• 3 years ago

It's terrifying but exciting nonetheless. It feels like I'm living during the times of Xerox Parc, with design studies like the Alto showing off what's possible on bleeding edge, stupendously expensive one-off hardware.

ramesh31• 3 years ago

It feels like I'm living during the times of Xerox Parc, with design studies like the Alto showing off what's possible on bleeding edge, stupendously expensive one-off hardware.

Except with the added benefit that all of the complexity now lies in software, rather than hardware. We've achieved what they set out to do with AI beyond their wildest dreams, and you can run it locally on a tablet sized device. No crazy hardware required.

TheAlchemist• 3 years ago

And the timing of this rumor, which the article admits has absolutely no specifics nor leg to stand on, has certainly nothing to do with their attempt to raise funds at a $90 billion valuation.

I can't help thinking that we're in for another 'AI winter' after so much hype with Tesla, Nvidia and chatGPT.

twoodfin• 3 years ago

I’d say more like the dot com-era Linux bubble: Linux did change the world and created an insane amount of economic value, but did not spawn a wave of sustainable Linux-centered megacorps.

vernon99• 3 years ago

Very unlikely, this time it’s supported by solid revenue/growth, and even though 50x multiple feels like a lot, the opportunity here is also enormous.

pcblues• 3 years ago

An ever-changing UI has an enormous and unaddressed cost on users. Continual re-learning without choice in order to achieve the same tasks as always.

I imagine this will be accelerated with constantly renewed AI-generated app experiences.

If a company could freeze the UI for a person once they have mastered it for what they want to do with it without sacrificing security, etc. (easy if they separate the concerns properly) I'd buy the product. I'd almost pay a subscription for them to keep it the same, like how I pay youtube a subscription to remove their ads.

tpmx• 3 years ago

I'm imagining a very elaborate microphone/speaker/camera/display device. Outer shell made using some exotic new ceramics process because glass, aluminum and titanium are all so 2023. Will never be mass-produced.

Or textile. I could imagine them going for something cuddly to balance out that creepy AI vibe.

jmcphers• 3 years ago

Prediction based on the history of these two luminaries of the industry: a beautiful, featureless orb that uses AI to autonomously scan your eyeballs and enroll you in crypto scams[1].

[1] https://www.reuters.com/technology/scrutiny-iris-scanning-cr...

Apocryphon• 3 years ago

They're going to build the Nexus Q

vasco• 3 years ago

It will use a special charging cable and tell you that as an orb it is not capable of answering you why.

fotcorn• 3 years ago

And you can't scan eyeballs while it's charging.

anigbrowl• 3 years ago

It will be a simple sphere - an orb, if you will - and by simply waving one's hands around it in a mysterious yet compelling fashion, wondrous visions will appear. Comes with a purple velvet tablecloth.

simondotau• 3 years ago

Signs point to yes.

sova3• 3 years ago

I wonder if it would be a human-ish/esque/like interface to the MMLM? At Japanese Complete, we recently announced such a project to become available once the MMLMs are more dialed in. I think this is a natural step for the big players. We have our curriculum as an edge, so optimistically beat featurization. Announcement: https://japanesecomplete.com/articles/?p=1574

sova3• 3 years ago

Why wait for news when we can settle for gossip and speculation /s

ilaksh• 3 years ago

Its hilarious and kind of stupid that this empty rumour has so much traction.

I think it just demonstrates that there is a lot of excitement about the possibilities of AI and also of new gadgets.

It's like, imagine the most awesome gadget ever, now multiply times REAL AI. How can that _not_ be amazing? Whatever it is??

Heh.

But it's also such a fun and engaging exercise to think how AI could be embedded in a new device that you use every day.

It might be really good marketing, whether it was intended that way or not. People can just project whatever they are enthusiastic about onto it.

They may be disappointed at the end, but that might come after they have already bought it.

sova3• 3 years ago

It's true, we have to rethink the fundamental interface; some blend of aesthetics like vinyl and record players similar to how Steve Jobs incorporated into the early iPod would be interested to keep. Aesthetic / UX wisdom pieces from the past, with the infinite canvas of the 90s (the web), to the modern digital sculpture bendable paper interface of the near-Now, some delightful advancements to keep our heads turning like the feathers of a peacock.

mise_en_place• 3 years ago

This is a big mistake. Software companies should not pivot into HW without understanding what a large undertaking that is.

tempodox2• 3 years ago

Let them crash and burn.

dutchbrit• 3 years ago

Had to think of Silicon Valley: https://youtu.be/_GtF_zpJc_w?si=hgPEBLomzkpEA3ZW

mellosouls• 3 years ago

This feels like a contemporary pop idol at the top of their game releasing a record with one of their heroes who used to be awesome 30 years ago.

Great for marketing, but not always so much for creative brilliance.

noman-land2• 3 years ago

The Matchbox 20 and Santana song.

blangk• 3 years ago

Man, it's a hot one

lyapunova2• 3 years ago

Why is it that tech brand names (including people like Altman) have just become so cursed?

I feel like society at large is tired.

Everyone buys the thing but basically does it because it's required to continue to play the game - not because it brings them joy.

noman-land2• 3 years ago

What game is it that is required? Opting out of bullshit social pressures is a step toward psychological freedom.

hashtag-til• 3 years ago

Refreshing to see comment like this.

Pro tip: ditch also Twitter/X, Insta, Facebook, TikTok and all that crap.

dTal• 3 years ago

Chunks of society, including basic services like gym, laundry, and transport are now locked* behind "apps" on proprietary app stores, and you need an officially sanctioned (Google/Apple has root) smartphone to even download them. If AI becomes "the next big thing", there will be no opting out of that either.

*list will vary depending on location

throwaway290• 3 years ago

You can't opt out of owning a smartphone in most places on earth can you?

bombcar• 3 years ago

Because everything is promised as the next iPhone or whatever, but they all turn out to be Segways.

cs702• 3 years ago

Whatever it turns out to be, it will surely be competition for Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant.

I'd call it the OpenAI Genie.

tactiledactyl• 3 years ago

Wonder if it's a knowledge navigator type thing you hang around your neck, or maybe mount on your shoulder, that whispers in your ear and projects visuals onto your open palm

sacnoradhq• 3 years ago

Prayer hands emoji that it's a personal cloud, semi-OSS, Alexa killer with wide IoT support.

Could also be another Siri with intent to sell to MAA_G.

Lots of potential personal agent plays possible now on consumer price point AI accelerated hardware.

thelastgallon• 3 years ago

"Adding a twist to the saga is the involvement of Masayoshi Son, the CEO of Japanese multinational investment company SoftBank. Son, who has invested more than $140 billion into AI-related startups, has also reportedly been in talks with Ive and Altman about the idea."

I can only speculate, they are going after the only market remaining that has 10 trillion potential[1] which current incumbents won't enter into: Something like Autoblow AI, but it will blow your mind as well with its design.

[1]Masayoshi Son is famous for imagining 10T companies, such as wework: https://www.axios.com/2021/08/07/10-trillion-mirage-wework-b...

tempodox2• 3 years ago

Jony Ive in cahoots with that mercenary? Yikes.

imchillyb• 3 years ago

Imagine an AI-native operating system that could generate apps in real-time

We call this: Malware, Spyware, Pen Testing, Red-Team…

This is all bad news, not a bright light in the sky, but a nuclear detonation overhead.

Jony Ive and OpenAI’s Altman reportedly collaborating on mysterious AI device

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